AMP_06_September_2021

A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 7 METALS | POLYMERS | CERAMICS BRIEFS Aleris, Cleveland, offers a new 7017 aluminum alloy in North America for commercial plate and defense uses. After extensive review and testing, the U.S. Army Research Lab issued MIL-DTL-32505 for use in armor applications. 7017 offers high strength, good weldability, and corrosion resistance. It is currentl y used in Europe and Asia on combat vehicles to achieve superior ballistic protection. aleris.com. would also be more environmentally friendly and cost-efficient to manufac- ture. Contrary to prevailing scientific wisdom regarding the use of heavy el- ements, the researchers showed that replacing atoms of heavier elements such as calcium and ytterbium with lighter magnesium atoms actually led to a threefold increase in the magne- sium-based materials’ performance. The team used neutron and x-ray scattering experiments at the DOE’s Oak Ridge and Argonne national labora- tories, as well as supercomputer simu- lations at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center. Investi- gations at the atomic scale revealed the origin and mechanism behind the materials’ ability to convert thermal en- ergy at room temperature into electric- ity. The findings indicate possible new pathways for improving thermoelectric applications such as those in the Perseverance rover and many other devices and energy-generation technolo- gies. duke.edu, msu.edu . RENEWABLE BIOPLASTICS Scientists discovered a sustainable method to pro- cess and reshape a new type of hydroplastic polymer called cellulose cinnamate (CCi). The “hydrosetting” technique, developed by re- searchers at the University of Göttingen, Germany, avoids expensive and complex mach- Nikolay Belov, chief scientist at National University of Science and Technology, led the development of a unique alloy suit- able for air and rail transports. DURABLE, HEAT-RESISTANT ALUMINUM ALLOY A collaborative team of scientists, led by the National University of Sci- ence and Technology (NUST MISIS), Russia, created a unique heat-resistant aluminum alloy with improved dura- bility that could replace heavier and more expensive copper conductors in aircraft and high-speed rail transport. In the work, researchers developed a new method for producing this novel high-strength and heat-resistant wire. Initially cast as a long billet in an elec- tromagnetic crystallizer, the scientists succeeded in obtaining a thermally sta- ble structure that is considerably supe- rior to known aluminum alloys with like stability, retaining their properties up to 250-3000°C. According to the team, their unique and cheap technology Befesa S.A., Luxembourg, acquired 100% of American Zinc Recycling (AZR) LLC’s recycling assets for $450 million. Befesa will also invest $10 million for a minority stake in AZR’s downstream refining operation in Rutherford County, N.C., which produces special high grade and continuous galvanizing grade high-purity zinc metal using recycled steel mill dust. The transaction increases Befesa’s total steel dust recycling capacity y 40% to 1.7 million tons across 12 facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. azr.com . BRIEF could interest producers of wrought aluminum alloy semi-finished prod- ucts, and they plan to file a patent for the method. en.misis.ru. IMPROVING THERMOELECTRICS Researchers at Duke University, Durham, N.C., and Michigan State Uni- versity, East Lansing, are working with magne- sium-based materials to advance thermoelectric technologies. They have gained new fundamen- tal insights into two specific materi- als—Mg 3 Sb 2 and Mg 3 Bi 2 —that have the potential to significantly outperform traditional thermoelectric designs and Illustration of the crystal lattice of the thermoelectric com- pound Mg 3 Sb 2 (magnesium atoms in orange, antimony in blue). An electric current is generated as heat traverses the material, propelled by phonon waves. Courtesy of ORNL/ Jill Hemman.