15 35 43 P. 21 Upcycling of Mixed Aluminum Alloy Scrap ASM Materials Education Foundation Annual Report iTSSe Newsletter Included in This Issue RECYCLED WIND TURBINE BLADES GET NEW LIFE GREEN MATERIALS ENGINEERING JULY/AUGUST 2024 | VOL 182 | NO 5
The International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis (ISTFA) is the premier event for the microelectronics failure analysis community. Join us in celebrating a remarkable milestone: the 50th anniversary of ISTFA! As we commemorate this golden occasion, we cordially invite you to be part of the pinnacle event for the microelectronics failure analysis community this November in San Diego. This year’s theme is Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI has been integrated into design, manufacture, process optimization, quality, reliability, and failure analysis (FA). Embracing and effectively using AI in fault isolation (FI) and FA is crucial for new technology development and high-volume mass production in the semiconductor industry. Although numerous AI applications in FI and FA have been demonstrated, there are still many unaddressed challenges, unestablished standards, and unexplored areas to be resolved. OCTOBER 28–NOVEMBER 1, 2024 | SAN DIEGO, CA registration open Riding the wave of artificial intelligence 2024 Education Workshop: Failure Analysis of Electronic Devices Sunday, October 27 | 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Instructor: Martine Simard-Normandin, MuAnalysis Inc. Meet the 2024 Keynote Speaker: Dr. James Chambers Vice President of Silicon Engineering and Sourcing, Nvidia Corp. Wednesday, October 30 | 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. ORGANIZED BY: istfaevent.org FA Technology Roadmap Keynote: Marla Dowell, Director of CHIPS Metrology Program and NIST Boulder Laboratory Tuesday, October 29 | 10:00 - 10:45 a.m. Education Workshop: Beam Based Defect Localization Sunday, October 27 | 1:30 – 5:30 p.m. Instructor: Ed Cole, Sandia National Labs Education Workshop: Materials Science in Physical Failure Analyses for Root-cause Finding Sunday, October 27 | 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Instructor: Wentao Qin, Microchip Technology Inc.
15 35 43 P. 21 Upcycling of Mixed Aluminum Alloy Scrap ASM Materials Education Foundation Annual Report iTSSe Newsletter Included in This Issue RECYCLED WIND TURBINE BLADES GET NEW LIFE GREEN MATERIALS ENGINEERING JULY/AUGUST 2024 | VOL 182 | NO 5
2024 INTERNATIONAL MATERIALS, APPLICATIONS & TECHNOLOGIES HUNTINGTON CONVENTION CENTER | SEPTEMBER 28–OCTOBER 3, 2024 | CLEVELAND, OHIO MATERIALS FOR ENERGY STORAGE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Register now at IMATevent.org Tuesday, October 1 2:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall – Industry Forum Joint Keynote Session with IFHTSE IMAT Keynote Gabriel Veith Distinguished Staff Scientist Chemical Sciences Division ORNL IFHTSE World Congress Keynote Professor Sabine Denis Université de Lorraine, France Design of Alloy Metals for Low-mass Structures Laboratory Special Sessions: Alpha Sigma Mu Lecture 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Professor Brajendra Mishra 2024 Edward DeMille Campbell Memorial Lecture 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Prof. Christopher A. Schuh, FASM 2024 IMS Henry Clifton Sorby Lecture 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Prof. Luiz Henrique de Almeida PARTNERED WITH: ORGANIZED BY: Shape Memory & Superelastic Technologies IMAT AND IFHTSE ARE C Wednesday, October 2 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Panel Discussion: Materials for Energy Storage The panel topic will focus on reviewing and discussing the state of science and industry involved in the development of advanced materials for energy storage. The discussion will include presenting challenges that various industries are facing to meet demand for these new technologies, and how these problems are being addressed and resolved. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
SEPTEMBER 28–OCTOBER 3, 2024 | CLEVELAND, OHIO INNOVATIONS IN HEAT TREATMENT AND SURFACE ENGINEERING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE ORGANIZED BY: Monday, September 30 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. IFHTSE 2024 Medalist Professor Tadashi Furuhara Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan Tuesday, October 1 2:30 p.m. Joint Keynote Session with IMAT IFHTSE World Congress Keynote Professor Sabine Denis Université de Lorraine, France Design of Alloy Metals for Low-mass Structures Laboratory Heat Treatment Numerical Simulations: From the Early Works to Today’s Achievements and Perspectives IMAT Keynote Gabriel Veith Distinguished Staff Scientist Chemical Sciences Division ORNL Adventures in Interface Chemistry: From Atomic Organization to Bulk Powders and How These Determine the Future of Energy Storage CO-LOCATED THIS YEAR! Wednesday, October 2 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. IFHTSE World Congress Keynote Thomas L. Christiansen Center for Heat Treating Excellence (CHTE) Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts Current Challenges and Future Opportunities within Heat Treatment of Steel IFHTSEevent.org REGISTRATION OPEN! Shape the future of heat treatment and surface engineering at the 29th IFHTSE World Congress. Join the ASM Heat Treating Society and IFHTSE for cutting-edge research, real-world applications, and an exhibition co-located with IMAT 2024. Network with global leaders, forge partnerships, and hear important updates from industry leaders during the dedicated keynote sessions listed below. Don’t miss out – register today!
35 2023 ASM FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT ASM’s Materials Education Foundation aims to inspire young people to pursue careers in materials, science, and engineering. UPCYCLING OF MIXED ALUMINUM ALLOY SHREDDER SCRAP USING SHEAR PROCESSING Brian Milligan, Scott Taysom, Ben Schuessler, Tim Roosendaal, Teresa Lemmon, and Scott Whalen Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory won an R&D 100 Award in 2020 for their advanced manufacturing technology, ShAPE, which reduces embodied energy as well as carbon when processing aluminum scrap. 15 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 2 Artist Alicia Vasquez paints a park bench made from recycled wind turbine blades. Courtesy of Canvus. On the Cover: 59 ASM NEWS The latest news about ASM members, chapters, events, awards, conferences, affiliates, and other Society activities. IMAT 2024 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS IMAT—the International Materials Applications & Technologies Conference and Exhibition—and ASM’s annual meeting will be held in Cleveland, Sept. 30 to Oct. 3. 33
4 Editorial 5 Research Tracks 10 Machine Learning 6 Metals/Polymers/Ceramics 8 Testing/Characterization 11 Process Technology 12 Emerging Technology 13 Sustainability 71 Editorial Preview 71 Special Advertising Section 71 Advertisers Index 72 3D PrintShop TRENDS INDUSTRY NEWS DEPARTMENTS Check out the Digital Edition online at asminternational.org/news/magazines/am-p ASM International serves materials professionals, nontechnical personnel, and managers worldwide by providing high-quality materials information, education and training, networking opportunities, and professional development resources in cost-effective and user-friendly formats. ASM is where materials users, producers, and manufacturers converge to do business. Advanced Materials & Processes (ISSN 0882-7958, USPS 762080) publishes eight issues per year: January/February, March, April, May/June, July/August, September, October, and November/December, by ASM International, 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park, OH 44073-0002; tel: 440.338.5151; fax: 440.338.4634. Periodicals postage paid at Novelty, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Vol. 182, No.5, JULY/AUGUST 2024. Copyright © 2024 by ASM International®. All rights reserved. Distributed at no charge to ASM members in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. International members can pay a $30 per year surcharge to receive printed issues. Subscriptions: $499. Single copies: $54. POSTMASTER: Send 3579 forms to ASM International, Materials Park, OH 44073-0002. Change of address: Request for change should include old address of the subscriber. Missing numbers due to “change of address” cannot be replaced. Claims for nondelivery must be made within 60 days of issue. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40732105. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 700 Dowd Ave., Elizabeth, NJ 07201. Printed by Kodi Collective, Lebanon Junction, Ky. 21 TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT RECYCLED WIND TURBINE BLADES GET NEW LIFE IN PUBLIC SPACES AM&P spoke with Brian Donahue of Canvus to learn how this manufacturer upcycles end-of-life wind turbine blades into furniture for communities, parks, and schools. 24 NOVEL COMPOSITES FOR LIGHTWEIGHTING IN DEEP SPACE APPLICATIONS Benjamin Huebner The evolution of carbon nanotube composites, as inspired by the Materials Genome Initiative, unlocks new potential for materials sustainability in challenging deep space applications. 29 THIXOMOLDING DEVELOPMENTS Raymond Decker, Stephen LeBeau, Tony Melkent, Gavin McGraw, and Bill Wilson Thixomolding’s commercial growth has been driven by its technical advantages, including enhanced precision, environmental cleanliness, and the ability to produce complex 3D shapes with high yields and minimal waste. FEATURES JULY/AUGUST 2024 | VOL 182 | NO 5 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 3 21 29 43 24 43 iTSSe The official newsletter of the ASM Thermal Spray Society (TSS). This timely supplement focuses on thermal spray and related surface engineering technologies along with TSS news and initiatives, and a preview of the North American Cold Spray Conference 2024.
4 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 ASM International 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park, OH 44073 Tel: 440.338.5151 • Fax: 440.338.4634 Joanne Miller, Editor joanne.miller@asminternational.org Victoria Burt, Managing Editor vicki.burt@asminternational.org Frances Richards and Corinne Richards Contributing Editors Anne Vidmar, Layout and Design Allison Freeman, Production Manager allie.freeman@asminternational.org Press Release Editor magazines@asminternational.org EDITORIAL COMMITTEE John Shingledecker, Chair, EPRI Beth Armstrong, Vice Chair, Oak Ridge National Lab Adam Farrow, Past Chair, Los Alamos National Lab Rajan Bhambroo, Tenneco Inc. Daniel Grice, Materials Evaluation & Engineering Surojit Gupta, University of North Dakota Michael Hoerner, KnightHawk Engineering Hideyuki Kanematsu, Suzuka National College of Technology Ibrahim Karaman, Texas A&M University Ricardo Komai, Tesla Bhargavi Mummareddy, Dimensional Energy Scott Olig, U.S. Naval Research Lab Christian Paglia, SUPSI Institute of Materials and Construction Amit Pandey, Lockheed Martin Space Satyam Sahay, John Deere Technology Center India Kumar Sridharan, University of Wisconsin Vasisht Venkatesh, Pratt & Whitney ASM BOARD OF TRUSTEES Pradeep Goyal, President and Chair Navin Manjooran, Senior Vice President Elizabeth Ho man, Vice President Mark F. Smith, Immediate Past President Lawrence Somrack, Treasurer Amber Black Ann Bolcavage Pierpaolo Carlone Hanchen Huang André McDonald Christopher J. Misorski U. Kamachi Mudali James E. Saal Dehua Yang Carrie Wilson, Interim Executive Director STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS Kingsley Amatanweze, Karthikeyan Hariharan, Denise Torres Individual readers of Advanced Materials & Processes may, without charge, make single copies of pages therefrom for personal or archival use, or may freely make such copies in such numbers as are deemed useful for educational or research purposes and are not for sale or resale. Permission is granted to cite or quote from articles herein, provided customary acknowledgment of the authors and source is made. The acceptance and publication of manuscripts in Advanced Materials & Processes does not imply that the reviewers, editors, or publisher accept, approve, or endorse the data, opinions, and conclusions of the authors. BUILDING A GREEN PORTFOLIO The Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) hosts an annual Town Hall Forum as part of its AISTech event. The theme of this year’s forum, held in Columbus in May, was “Steel 2024: Sustainable Optimism.” A panel of experts from the titans of steel shared why they are optimistic about the industry’s future, what defines “green steel,” progress toward net zero emissions by 2050, and the specific decarbonization technologies and strategies now in place or on track for future implementation. A key takeaway was that one size is not going to fit all. The 2050 challenge will require a portfolio of technologies. The industry needs to develop a variety of solutions they can pull from and apply as each situation warrants. Here are a few highlights of solutions already underway: Dave Sumoski of Nucor Corp. reported they have one facility that is 100% wind operated, making it the greenest plant in the world. Daniel Brown of U. S. Steel said they have an agreement with Carbon Free to employ a carbon capture process at their iron making division at Gary Works in Indiana. The byproducts can be sold to the paint industry among others. Wendell Carter of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. reported that they installed a Midrex direct reduced iron unit in Toledo that allowed them to shut down their highest emitting blast furnace and coke plant. Christopher Graham of Steel Dynamics Inc. predicts that nuclear energy will play a much bigger role going forward. Wind and solar will not be enough to meet industry demand. Prasanna Joshi of Exxon Mobile (both a customer and supplier to the steel industry) said his company is embarking on the world’s largest blue hydrogen project at its Baytown, Texas, facilities. The lessons shared by the panel are also applicable to the sustainability efforts occurring upstream in the materials world. In this issue of AM&P, we cover some of these encouraging developments in green materials engineering. According to data from Precision Reports, the global metal recycling market is expected to reach $386 billion by 2030. Contributing an innovative solution in that space are researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). They developed a new technology called shear assisted processing and extrusion (ShAPE). Used in the processing of aluminum scrap, ShAPE reduces both energy and carbon. It garnered the PNNL team an R&D 100 Award in 2020 in the process/prototyping category. At least 10,000 wind turbine blades reach end-of-life each year. Historically, they have been difficult to recycle due to their enormous size and sturdy composition. But in recent years, the founders of Canvus in Ohio developed a process to upcycle those blades and turn them into park benches. Many are considered art pieces, as depicted on our cover. In this issue, we also review how the maturation of carbon nanotube composites was accelerated by applying principles from the Materials Genome Initiative. The high mechanical performance and light weight of these composites make them an ideal sustainable material for deep-space missions. These inventive examples, like the ones shared by the steel makers, can breed sustainable optimism. Our green portfolio is growing. joanne.miller@asminternational.org
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 5 RESEARCH TRACKS NORTHWESTERN ANNOUNCES NEW MASTER’S PROGRAM Beginning this fall, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., will offer a joint Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering program—a unique degree opportunity featuring a curriculum that combines the strengths of both departments. Codirected by the McCormick School of Engineering’s Yip-Wah Chung, FASM, and Greg Wagner, this inter- disciplinary program enables students to develop broad expertise in both fields, enhancing career opportunities in industry and research. Chung emphasizes that the program fills a crucial need by equipping future engineers with the holistic skill set needed to drive transformative advancements in technology and industry across different disciplines. “The symbiotic relationship between these two departments underscores the critical need for a new generation of engineers equipped with the interdisciplinary expertise to navigate seamlessly between mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering,” says Chung, professor of materials science and engineering. “A joint master’s program in these fields not only meets this demand but also fosters a culture of innovation, where students learn to transcend conventional disciplinary boundaries. By nurturing this interdisciplinary mindset, graduates will be empowered to tackle complex challenges head-on, from sustainable infrastructure development to next-generation manufacturing processes.” The new degree track is a non- thesis master’s program, which students may pursue on a full-time or parttime basis. Full-time students typically complete their degree in three to four quarters of study. Coursework involves four mechanical engineering and four materials science classes, plus one or two units of independent study involving a research project, and two or three additional engineering courses, allowing students to specialize or minor in a related area. northwestern.edu. ALL-IN-ONE 3D PRINTER Using a single machine, researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia, developed a way to create complex devices with multiple materials including plastics, metals, and semiconductors. The project involves a unique 3D printing and laser technique called the “free- form multi-material assembly process” that can manufacture multi-material, multi-layered sensors, circuit boards, and Researchers built a machine that combines elements of traditional 3D printing with laser technology to develop multi-material, multi-functional products. textiles with electronic components. By printing sensors embedded within a structure, the machine makes items that can sense environmental conditions such as temperature and pressure, enabling a wide range of applications. For ocean researchers, this could mean printing a natural- looking object such as a rock or seashell that could measure the movement of tides. Medical applications could include wearable devices that monitor blood pressure and other vital signs. The machine features three different nozzles. One adds an ink-like material, another uses a laser to carve shapes and materials, and the third adds functional materials to enhance capabilities. The machine starts by building a basic structure with a regular 3D printing filament such as polycarbonate. Next, it switches to a laser to convert some parts into a special material called laser-induced graphene, placing the material precisely where it is needed. As the final step, additional materials are deposited to enhance the functional abilities of the end product. The work is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Manufacturing program, with the NSF I-Corps program providing funds to explore commercialization. missouri.edu. Professor Yip-Wah Chung, FASM.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 6 METALS | POLYMERS | CERAMICS ALUMINUM ALLOY IMPROVES ELECTRIC VEHICLE THERMAL STABILITY Researchers at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) developed an aluminum alloy for electric vehicles that dramatically improves thermal stability. The team identified a new mechanism by which the nanostructures inside aluminum alloys work and found that the alloys they developed improved thermal stability by up to 140% compared to materials from leading overseas companies. Existing aluminum battery enclosure materials continuously deteriorate due to heat emitted by the battery, leading to a significantly increased risk of accidents as electric vehicles age. The newly developed aluminum alloy can enhance thermal stability by incorporating various trace elements to the existing 6000 series aluminum alloy, thereby delaying the thermal deterioration of enclosure materials due to heat generation. LOW-COST ULTRAPURE TITANIUM Scientists at The University of Tokyo created a cheaper method for making deoxygenated titanium. The novel oxygen removal protocol could benefit technological development and environmental sustainability. Producing ultrapure titanium is significantly more expensive than manufacturing steel and aluminum due to the substantial use of energy and resources in preparing high-purity titanium. The Tokyo researchers focused their efforts on developing a cheap, easy way to prepare it and facilitate product development for industry and common consumers. “Industry mass-produces iron and aluminum metal—but not titanium metal, because of the expense of removing the oxygen from the ore,” explains lead researcher Toru H. Okabe. U. S. Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, and Nippon Steel Corp., Tokyo, received all regulatory approvals outside of the United States related to the proposed $14.1 billion takeover of U. S. Steel by Nippon Steel. Both companies expect the transaction to be complete later this year. ussteel.com, nipponsteel.com. Editor’s Note: At the time of publication, the deal was under confidential review with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. BRIEF “We use an innovative technology based on rare-earth metals that removes oxygen from titanium to 0.02% on a per-mass basis.” A critical step in the researchers’ protocol is reacting molten titanium with yttrium metal and yttrium trifluoride, or a similar substance. The result is a low-cost, solid, deoxygenated titanium alloy, and the reacted yttrium can be recycled for further use. A highlight of the work is that even titanium scrap that contains large amounts of oxygen can be processed in this manner. The research is an important step forward in making more efficient use of high-purity titanium than at present. A limitation of this work is that the resulting deoxygenated titanium contains yttrium, up to 1% by mass—yttrium can influence the mechanical and chemical properties of titanium alloy. After addressing the yttrium contamination problem, applications to industrial manufacturing will be straight forward. www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en. Researchers have e iciently removed oxygen from high-oxygenconcentration titanium, which might help reduce the production cost of this versatile metal. Courtesy of Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo. HRTEM images of the (a) Base alloy, (b) Ag-added alloy, and (c) Ge-added alloy aged at 200°C for 2 h. Courtesy of Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 2023, doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.12.053. (c) (a) (b)
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 7 The research team established a new database by introducing dozens of trace elements and analyzing nanostructures through state-of-the-art techniques such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and 3D atom probe tomography. They were able to confirm that several elements can improve thermal stability. The aluminum alloy with thermal stability improvement technology can exhibit excellent properties in parts used for extended periods in high-temperature environments, such as electric vehicle battery enclosure materials or structural materials for supersonic aircraft. www.kims.re.kr. SCALING UP A MIRACLE MATERIAL A breakthrough by researchers at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville revealed how to take a miracle material—one capable of extracting value from captured carbon dioxide— and make it practical to fabricate for large-scale application. The discovery has implications for the cleanup of greenhouse gas and could also offer a solution to the world’s energy needs. The substance, called MOF-525, is in a class of materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). “If you can make these MOFs cover large areas, then new applications become possible, like making a membrane for carbon capture and electrocatalytic conversion all in one system,” says lab group leader Gaurav Giri. Electrocatalytic conversion creates a bridge from renewable energy sources to direct chemical synthesis, taking the burning of carbon dioxide-producing fossil fuels out of the equation. Giri’s group reasoned that starting with an inherently scalable synthesis technique—solution shearing—would better their odds. The team targeted CO conversion to demonstrate their solution shearing approach because carbon capture is widely used to reduce industrial emissions or to remove it from the atmosphere—but at a cost to operators with minimal return on the investment, as carbon dioxide has little commercial value and most often winds up stored indefinitely underground. However, with minimal energy input, using electricity to catalyze a reaction, MOF-525 can take away an oxygen atom to make carbon monoxide— a chemical that is valuable for manufacturing fuels, pharmaceuticals, and other products. virginia.edu. A new material may help reduce the need for carbon-dioxide producing fossil fuels. Courtesy of Pixabay from Pexels. To appear in the listings, visit AMPdirectory.com/addyourcompany Simplify Your Search for Vendors Find the right solutions for your business. Search for products, research companies, connect with suppliers, and make confident purchasing decisions all in one place. AMPdirectory.com NASA low outgassing Per ASTM E595 standards Electrically insulative Volume resistivity, 75°F >1015 ohm-cm Very low CTE, 75°F 10-13 x 10-6 in/in/°C Two Part EP30LTE-2 for PRECISE ALIGNMENT LOW CTE EPOXY Hackensack, NJ 07601 USA • +1.201.343.8983 • main masterbond.com www.masterbond.com flowable system for bonding, potting & encapsulation
8 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 the optimal composition, processing conditions, and microstructure of the magnet for that application, significantly reducing development time. www.nims.go.jp. ATOMIC DISORDER IMPROVES PROPERTIES Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, discovered a new pathway to obtain novel optical and electronic properties from structural disorder. The team found that tiny displacements of just a few picometers in the atomic structure of a crystal could have minimal impacts on optical properties in one direction yet produce huge functional enhancements when viewed from another angle. In their studies, the refractive index of the material changed dramatically with atomic disorder. TESTING | CHARACTERIZATION MODELS LEAD TO BETTER MAGNETS Scientists at the National Institute for Materials Science, Japan, simulated the magnetization reversal of Nd-Fe-B magnets using large-scale finite element models based on tomographic data obtained by electron microscopy. Such simulations have shed light on microstructural features that hinder coercivity, and the new tomography-based models are expected to lead to development of sustainable permanent magnets with improved performance. A new approach to reconstruct the microstructure of ultrafine-grained Nd-Fe-B magnets in large-scale models was proposed in this study. Specifically, the tomographic data from a series of 2D images obtained by scanning electron microscopy in combination with consistent focused ion beam polishing can be converted into a high-quality 3D finite element model. A bonus is that this tomography- based approach is universal and can be applied to other polycrystalline materials addressing a wide range of materials science problems. The micromagnetic simulations on the tomography-based models reproduced the coercivity of ultrafine- grained Nd-Fe-B magnets. The proposed digital twins of the Nd-Fe-B magnets are precise enough to reproduce both the microstructure and magnetic properties, useful for designing high- performance permanent magnets on demand. For example, when researchers input the magnetic properties required for a specific application, a data-driven research pipeline with integrated digital twins would be able to propose Triangular holes make this material more likely to crack from left to right. Courtesy of N.R. Brodnik et al./Phys. Rev. Lett. LIFT, the Department of Defense (DOD) national advanced materials manufacturing innovation institute, launched a project to explore the potential for a new hypersonic and extreme environment test facility at or near Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan. Operating at speeds of Mach 5 or higher, hypersonics and counter-hypersonic vehicles are among the DOD’s top priorities. lift.technology. NSL Analytical Services relocated one of its two Cleveland-area testing laboratories to a new 20,000-sq-ft facility in March. The move doubles the size of its prior metallurgical lab operation and adds hightemperature stress rupture testing for aerospace and additive manufacturing to its offerings. nslanalytical.com. BRIEFS A vector map showing picometer-scale displacements of titanium atoms overlaid onto a scanning transmission electron micrograph that shows the position of different atomic columns. Courtesy of Rohan Mishra and Jayakanth Ravichandran. The processing of FIB-SEM images includes: (a) 2D segmentation; (b) generation of closepacked 3D convex grains; (c) and isolation from each other by the intergranular phase, while triple junctions are made invisible except for zoomed region showing the mesh around one of them. Courtesy of npj Computational Materials (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41524-024-01218-5. (a) (b) (c)
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 9 By controlling the degree of atomic disorder to achieve the desired optical properties, the scientists anticipate developing crystals that enable advanced infrared imaging in low light conditions—useful for tasks such as improving the performance of autonomous vehicles driving at night. The material under study was a hexagonal crystal, barium titanium sulfide, which is known to have large optical anisotropy, although scientists did not know why. It took years of collaboration between the university researchers and various national labs, but the team finally figured it out. Using a combination of single crystal x-ray diffraction, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning transmission electron microscopy, the scientists found evidence of anisotropic atomic displacements of the titanium atoms in BaTiS3. These picoscale displacements happen in local clusters within the material, yet they exert a profound influence on global optical properties. wustl.edu. FLEXIBLE MIRROR FOR X-RAY MICROSCOPES A team of researchers from Nagoya University, Riken, and JTEC Corp., Japan, developed a mirror for x-rays that can be flexibly shaped, resulting in outstanding atomic level precision and increased stability. One challenge is that the small wavelength of x-rays makes them vulnerable to distortion from minor manufacturing flaws and environmental influences, creating wavefront aberrations that can limit image resolution. The team solved this problem by creating a mirror that can deform, adjusting its shape according to the detected x-ray wavefront. To optimize their mirror, the researchers looked at different piezoelectric materials and ultimately selected a single crystal of lithium niobate as their shape-changeable mirror. Single-crystal lithium niobate is useful in x-ray technology because it can be expanded and contracted by an electric field and polished to a highly reflective surface. This allows it to serve as both the actuator and the reflective surface, simplifying the device. The team found that their x-ray microscope exceeded expectations. Compared to the spatial resolution of conventional x-ray microscopy (typically 100 nm), the new technique has the potential to develop a microscope that provides a resolution roughly 10 times better because the aberration correction brings it closer to the ideal resolution. www.nagoya-u.ac.jp. X-ray microscopic images showing the higher resolution using the new deformable mirror. The le and right were obtained before and a er shape correction, respectively. Courtesy of Matsuyama lab, Nagoya University. STAY AHEAD OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY WITH ASM EDUCATION & TRAINING. EARN CEUs, ENJOY DISCOUNTS, NETWORK, AND LEARN FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS. SCAN TO ENROLL TODAY Education
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 10 MACHINE LEARNING | AI DEEP MACHINE LEARNING DETECTS DEFECTS Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a new method to find defects in additively manufactured (AM) parts. Because AM is often used to print components with complex 3D shapes and internal features, it can be especially challenging to locate these defects. The technology uses deep machine learning to make this task much easier. To build their model, the team used computer simulations to generate tens of thousands of synthetic defects that exist only in the computer. Each of these computer-generated defects has a different size, shape, and location, allowing the deep learning model to train on a wide variety of possible defects and to recognize the difference between good and bad components. The algorithm was then tested on numerous real parts, some defective and some perfect. It was able to correctly identify hundreds of defects in the physical parts that were not previously seen by the deep learning model. The team employed x-ray computed tomography (CT) to inspect the interior of the 3D components with internal features and defects hidden from view. illinois.edu. AI ACCELERATES MATERIALS DISCOVERY Researchers at the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Tenn., are developing ways to accelerate discovery by combining automated experiments, artificial intelligence, and high performance computing. A new tool developed at the lab leverages those technologies to demonstrate that AI can influence materials synthesis and conduct associated experiments—without human supervision. This autonomous materials synthesis tool uses pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to deposit a thin layer of On May 15, a bipartisan U.S. Senate working group announced a new legislative plan for artificial intelligence. Several subject matter experts from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, contributed knowledge to the group as the plan was developed over many months. The roadmap, “Driving U.S. Innovation in Artificial Intelligence,” directs Congress to infuse billions of dollars into R&D and takes a step forward in regulating AI. cmu.edu. BRIEF Longitudinal (top) and axial (bottom) images of x-ray CT data of parts with six internal defects: spherical clog, stellated shaped clog, cone shaped void, blob shaped void, elliptical warp of inner channel, and a nonconcentric center nozzle. substance onto a base material. It then employs AI to analyze how the quality of the newly created material relates to the synthesis conditions such as temperature, pressure, and energy emitted during the PLD process. The AI then suggests a revised set of conditions that may yield improved quality and then controls the PLD equipment to conduct the next experiment and so on. “We built computer control of all processes into the system and incorporated some hardware innovations to enable AI to drive experimentation,” says researcher Sumner Harris of ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences. “The automation allows us to perform our work 10 times faster, and the AI can understand huge parameter spaces with far fewer samples.” ornl.gov. An automated deposition system places a new material onto a base material (purple beam, right) as the last sample that was made is analyzed and sent to the AI (green beams, brain, left). The AI tells the PLD machine what to do next (data cable, bottom). Courtesy of Chris Rouleau/ORNL.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 1 1 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY STRONGER AND TOUGHER COMPOSITES Fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials have a lot going for them. They are strong and lightweight relative to their metallic counterparts. They’re also corrosion and fatigue resistant and can be tailored to meet specific industrial performance requirements. However, they are vulnerable to damage from strain because two diverse materials—rigid fibers and a soft matrix, or a binder substance—must be combined to make them. The interphase between the two materials needs improvement because of its influence on the overall mechanical properties of the composites. Now, scientists at the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn., created a method that demonstrates how composite materials used in the automotive, aerospace, and renewable than silicon photovoltaics, which require high temperatures and a cleanroom environment. However, producing these cells involves high temperature annealing and tricky post-treatment steps, significantly slowing fabrication and making it hard to incorporate them into everyday items. These factors impede perovskite’s adoption in large-scale manufacturing and make it less environmentally sustainable. By fine-tuning the material’s chemical composition, the team developed a perovskite ink that created high-quality films much more effectively. The simpler fabrication technique also works better with standard manufacturing processes and reduces overall energy use, which lowers its carbon dioxide emissions. What’s more, the new material outperformed cells made using the high-temperature process. “We can now contemplate the development of high-efficiency solar cells with freeform designs capable of powering the ever-increasing array of wearable electronics, sensors, displays, security cameras, Internet of Things devices, et cetera,” says lead researcher Thuc-Quyen Nguyen. ucsb.edu. energy industries can be made stronger and tougher to better withstand mechanical or structural stresses over time. The research team deposited thermoplastic nanofibers like cobwebs to chemically create a supportive network that toughens the interphase. The team carefully selected the nanofibers and matrix material to create high-surface-area scaffolding or bridging as a load transfer pathway, a mechanism through which stress is passed between the reinforcing fibers and surrounding matrix material. The new process enables the material to withstand greater stress. Using this simple, scalable, and low-cost approach, the researchers were able to increase the strength of the composites by almost 60% and toughness by 100%. ornl.gov. HIGH PERFORMANCE CELLS FROM A LOW ENERGY PROCESS Researchers at UC Santa Barbara, Calif., developed a method to make high-quality perovskite films at room temperature. The new process simplifies the material’s production process for use in solar cells and increases its efficiency from under 20% to 24.4%. Solar cells made from perovskite boast many advantages compared to silicon-based solar cells. They’re lightweight, flexible, and can be applied as a spray or printed as ink. Perovskite solar cell production also has the potential for a smaller carbon footprint SME, Southfield, Mich., will partner with BlueForge Alliance, College Station, Texas, to support the U.S. Navy Submarine Industrial Base Program’s efforts to train more than 140,000 skilled workers in the next decade to build new submarines and sustain the current fleet. sme.org. Norman Noble Inc., Highland Heights, Ohio, won a Superior Safety Award from the National Tooling & Machining Association for exemplary performance in 2023. nnoble.com. BRIEFS A novel method makes composite materials stronger and tougher. Courtesy of Adam Malin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy. A thin perovskite film coats a leaf. Courtesy of Ahra Yi and Sangmin Chae et al.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 12 EVALUATING NEXT GEN METAL ALLOYS A new predictive tool for high-entropy alloy behavior was developed by a multidisciplinary research team from the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, Wash., and North Carolina State University, Raleigh. The team combined atomic-scale experiments with theory to create a tool to predict how high-entropy alloys behave under high-temperature oxidative environments. The research offers a road map toward rapid design and testing cycles for oxidation-resistant complex metal alloys. Researchers studied the degradation of a high-entropy alloy with equal amounts of cobalt, chromium, iron, nickel, and manganese—CoCrFeNiMn, also called the Cantor alloy. They examined oxide formed on the Cantor alloy using a variety of advanced atomic-scale methods to understand how each element arranges itself in the alloy and the oxide. The team discovered that chromium and manganese tend to migrate quickly toward the surface and form stable chromium and manganese oxides. Subsequently, iron and cobalt diffuse through these oxides to form additional layers. By adding a small amount of aluminum, they discovered that aluminum oxide can act as a barrier for other elements migrating to form the oxide, thereby reducing the overall oxidation of the aluminum-containing Cantor alloy and increasing its resistance to degradation at high temperatures. A next step will be to introduce automated experimentation and integrate additive manufacturing methods, along with advanced artificial intelligence, to rapidly evaluate promising new alloys. pnnl.gov. ULTRATHIN CRYSTALS FOR ELECTRONICS Scientists from the University of California, Irvine, created a new method to make ultrathin crystals of the element bismuth—a process that may make the manufacturing of cheap flexible electronics an everyday reality. The newly developed bismuth sheets are only a few nanometers thick. Theorists previously predicted that bismuth contains special electronic states, allowing it to become magnetic when electricity flows through it—an essential property for quantum electronic EMERGING TECHNOLOGY devices based on the magnetic spin of electrons. Researcher Amy Wu likened the team’s new method to a tortilla press. To make the ultrathin sheets of bismuth, Wu explains, they had to squish bismuth between two hot plates. To make the sheets as flat as they are, they had to use molding plates that are perfectly smooth at the atomic level, meaning there are no microscopic divots or other imperfections on the surface. “We then made a kind of quesadilla or panini where the bismuth is the cheesy filling and the tortillas are the atomically flat surfaces,” says Wu. After a year of developing the thin crystals, the team says, they had no idea whether the resulting electrical properties would be something extraordinary. But when they cooled the device in the lab, they were amazed to observe quantum oscillations, which had never been previously seen in thin bismuth films. The researchers believe their method will generalize to other materials, such as tin, selenium, tellurium, and related alloys with low melting points. Next, the team wants to explore other ways in which compression and injection molding methods can be used to make the next computer chips for phones or tablets. uci.edu. Researchers at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign’s Grainger College of Engineering received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory. The team aims to develop the foundational technology required to enable solid-state rechargeable lithium batteries. grainger.illinois.edu. BRIEF A new tool can predict how new high-entropy alloys, used in aerospace parts, will behave under hightemperature oxidative environments. Courtesy of Nathan Johnson/PNNL. Squeezing bismuth between atomically smooth molding plates made of hexagonal boron nitride results in thin crystals with electronic properties. Courtesy of Eli Krantz/Krantz NanoArt.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 13 SUSTAINABILITY BRIEF UPCYCLED CARBON FIBERS Scientists at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) created a method that recycles more than 99% of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) in a short amount of time by using water in a supercritical state. Supercritical water has a high polarity, diffusivity, and density that allows it to selectively remove only the epoxy impregnated in the CFRP to obtain recycled carbon fiber. The researchers achieved a highly efficient recycling system without using any catalysts, oxidants, or organic solvents—using only supercritical water. They also found that adding glycine to supercritical water can upcycle CFRP into recycled carbon fiber doped with nitrogen atoms. This upcycled carbon fiber has better electrical conductivity than conventional recycled carbon fiber. This is the first time that a single recycling process has been used to simultaneously recycle and upcycle CFRP within tens of minutes, controlling the structure and properties of the recycled fiber. Until now, recycled CFRP fibers have been limited to use as fillers in composites due to their inhomogeneous properties. In comparison, the team’s upcycled carbon fibers performed as well as or better than graphite in coin cell evaluations when applied as electrodes in e-mobility batteries. www.kist.re.kr. NEW MATERIAL CAGES GREENHOUSE GASES An international team of researchers led by Heriot-Watt University, Scotland, developed a new type of porous material that can store carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The team used computer modeling to accurately predict how their specially structured molecules would assemble themselves into the new type of porous material. They created hollow, cage-like molecules with high storage capacities for greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and sulfur hexafluoride, which is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and can last thousands of years in the atmosphere. The specialized cage molecules were assembled using other cages to create a new type of porous material that the scientists say is the first of its kind with its porous cage-of-cages structure. “Combining computational studies like ours with new AI technologies could create an unprecedented supply of new materials to solve the most pressing societal challenges, and this study is an important step in this direction,” says lead researcher Marc Little. He added that molecules with complex structures could also be used to remove toxic compounds known as volatile organic compounds from the air and could play an important role in medical science. www.hw.ac.uk. Researchers at Concordia University, Montreal, are studying algae as a power source that not only produces zero carbon emissions but actually removes carbon. The method involves extracting energy from the photosynthesis of algae suspended in a special solution and housed in small power cells. The team says the cells can generate enough energy to run ultra-low power devices such as sensors. www.concordia.ca. Conceptual diagram of utilizing waste CFRP as battery electrode materials. Courtesy of KIST. Porous materials expert Dr. Marc Little is an assistant professor at Heriot-Watt University’s Institute of Chemical Sciences.
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ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 15 Scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory won an R&D 100 Award in 2020 for their advanced manufacturing technology, ShAPE, which reduces embodied energy as well as carbon when processing aluminum scrap. Image courtesy of Andrea Starr/PNNL. UPCYCLING OF MIXED ALUMINUM ALLOY SHREDDER SCRAP USING SHEAR PROCESSING SUSTAINABLE PROCESSES Brian Milligan, Scott Taysom, Ben Schuessler, Tim Roosendaal, Teresa Lemmon, and Scott Whalen Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland, Washington
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2024 16 The conservation of critical materials is an increasing area of focus in the United States. In 2023, aluminum was added to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Final Critical Materials List, which has spurred public and private research into sustainable management of these resources[1]. Additionally, efficiency in manufacturing and the conservation of natural resources are growing concerns to be addressed by lowering global carbon emissions. This is especially pertinent for primary aluminum alloy production, which is energy intensive, requiring 96 MJ of electricity per kg of primary aluminum[2]. Because of these factors, it is essential that more sustainable manufacturing methods for aluminum alloys are developed going forward. A technology with a large potential impact on carbon emissions is the recycling of post-consumer scrap because it reduces or eliminates the use of primary aluminum. Primary aluminum production requires environmentally damaging mining, and its reduction from ore to metal is energy intensive and has high carbon emissions compared to recycling. To this end, many aluminum production companies are moving toward higher post-consumer scrap use. For example, Hydro launched a wrought aluminum alloy called CIRCAL made with up to 100% post-consumer scrap through advanced sorting of 6060[3]. Rio Tinto has also invested $700 million for a 50% stake in Matalco, an aluminum production company that uses advanced remelting tech- nology to increase the amount of post-consumer scrap in wrought products[4]. And Emirates Global Aluminum recently acquired German recycling giant Leichtmetall as a move toward circularity and increased scrap content in extruded products[5]. Research on the topic of more efficient aluminum utilization and recovery is ongoing. Even considering recent developments in the recycling of Al scrap, there is still a large amount of post- consumer scrap that is underutilized because of its high impurity content. A challenge to be addressed before the coming scrap wave can be fully utilized is that the tolerance of manufacturing techniques to impurities or off-spec alloy compositions must be increased. Particularly, in 5000- and 6000-series alloys (the most common wrought alloys in durable products), excess iron, copper, and silicon create brittle intermetallics during casting that remain in the extruded microstructure. These intermetallics limit the formability, ductility, and corrosion resistance of the alloy. Concerningly, many of the highest-volume post-consumer aluminum scrap streams such as automotive shredder scrap contain a mix of alloys including both wrought and cast alloys[6]. Their compositions can vary widely depending on geography and the time of year. Because they are mixed, they often contain a high content of multiple alloying elements such as Si and Cu in greater concentrations than are found in typical wrought alloys. They may also be contaminated with non-Al alloys from fasteners and often have a high amount of unwanted elements such as Fe. An emerging extrusion technology, called Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE) is being developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) with one application being to shift beyond today’s recycling paradigm to upcycle 100% post-consumer aluminum scrap directly into extruded components without the addition of primary aluminum. This new manufacturing approach may allow manufacturers to reach deeper into lower-value scrap streams, to effectively convert scrap that is high in tramp elements into high-performance finished and semi-finished products. Sometimes referred to as Twitch or Tweak, these scrap streams result from the shredding and sorting of automobiles, building materials, appliances, and consumer goods[6]. ShAPE combines the linear axis of conventional extrusion with a rotating extrusion die or billet. The rotation applies a large strain to the material during extrusion, which breaks up large impurity-containing inter- metallic particles, reducing their deleterious effects. This has been demonstrated for 6063 machining scrap spiked with excess Fe and for Twitch scrap high in Fe, Si, and Cu, where the strength and ductility were retained for both feedstock compositions. Additionally, the extreme plastic deformation during ShAPE enables the extrusion of billets with a high Si content that are too brittle for processing by conventional extrusion. By using 100% post-consumer shedder scrap as feedstock, ShAPE has the potential to slash embodied energy and carbon in extruded components by >80% compared to the conventional extrusion of primary aluminum alloys. ShAPE II machine. Image courtesy of Andrea Starr/PNNL.
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