15 26 35 P. 21 Post-fire Metallurgical Assessment FA of Automotive Smart Cameras SMST NewsWire Included in This Issue STRESS CORROSION CRACKING OF BRASS PLUMBING FITTINGS NDT AND FAILURE ANALYSIS OCTOBER 2025 | VOL 183 | NO 7
15 26 35 P. 21 Post-fire Metallurgical Assessment FA of Automotive Smart Cameras SMST NewsWire Included in This Issue STRESS CORROSION CRACKING OF BRASS PLUMBING FITTINGS NDT AND FAILURE ANALYSIS OCTOBER 2025 | VOL 183 | NO 7
53 ASM NEWS The latest news about ASM members, chapters, events, awards, conferences, affiliates, and other Society activities. POST-FIRE METALLURGICAL ASSESSMENT OF GALVANIZED ANCHORS SUPPORTING A TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER Mehrooz Zamanzadeh and Anil Kumar Chikkam A zinc-coated tower undergoes rigorous field testing and laboratory analysis to determine if the material integrity was preserved despite exposure to fire. 15 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 2 Stress corrosion cracking caused a leak in a brass fitting, resulting in $85,000 in damages. Courtesy of Materials Evaluation and Engineering Inc. On the Cover: 68 3D PRINTSHOP A new titanium alloy and a biologyinspired design demonstrate capabilities only available with additive manufacturing. ISTFA 2025 SHOW PREVIEW The 51st International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis features the theme of “Scaling Beyond Moore’s Law” and will be held in Pasadena, Calif., Nov. 16 to 20. 33
4 Editorial 5 Research Tracks 10 Machine Learning 6 Metals/Polymers/Ceramics 8 Testing/Characterization 11 Process Technology 12 Emerging Technology 13 Energy Trends 67 Editorial Preview 67 Special Advertising Section 67 Advertisers Index 68 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. 183, No. 7, OCTOBER 2025. Copyright © 2025 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: 13487 S Preston Hwy, Lebanon Junction, KY 40150. Printed by Kodi Collective, Lebanon Junction, Ky. FEATURES OCTOBER 2025 | VOL 183 | NO 7 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 3 21 30 35 26 35 SMST NewsWire The official newsletter of the International Organization on Shape Memory and Superelastic Technologies (SMST). This biannual supplement covers shape memory and superelastic technologies for biomedical, actuator applications, and emerging markets, along with SMST news and initiatives. 21 PRODUCT LIABILITY CASE STUDY: FAILURE OF BRASS PLUMBING FITTING DUE TO STRESS CORROSION CRACKING Dan Grice and Ben Sorenson Learn how fault is determined in the case of a water leak caused by a cracked plumbing fitting. 26 DETECTION OF SILICONE CONTAMINATION USING RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY IN ADHESIVE BOND FAILURES Aravinda Bommareddy Raman spectroscopy enables rapid, nondestructive detection of silicone contamination in ADAS camera assemblies, enhancing failure analysis and improving manufacturing reliability. 30 TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT HOW SPECTROSCOPY IS REVOLUTIONIZING BATTERIES, FUEL CELLS, AND CORROSION PROTECTION Advanced spectroscopy provides a precise analytical toolkit for understanding, monitoring, and enhancing the performance of carbon-based materials in modern energy technologies.
4 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 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 EDITORIAL COMMITTEE John Shingledecker, Chair, EPRI Beth Armstrong, Vice Chair, Oak Ridge National Lab Adam Farrow, Past Chair, Los Alamos National Lab Yun Bai, Ford Carl Boehlert, Michigan State University Punnathat Bordeenithikasem, Machina Labs Daniel Grice, Materials Evaluation & Engineering Surojit Gupta, University of North Dakota Hideyuki Kanematsu, Suzuka National College of Technology Ibrahim Karaman, Texas A&M University Ricardo Komai, Tesla Krassimir Marchev, Northeastern University Bhargavi Mummareddy, Dimensional Energy Scott Olig, U.S. Naval Research Lab Christian Paglia, SUPSI Institute of Materials and Construction Ryan Paul, GrafTech International Satyam Sahay, John Deere Technology Center India Abhijit Sengupta, USA Federal Government Kumar Sridharan, University of Wisconsin Vasisht Venkatesh, Howmet Aerospace ASM BOARD OF TRUSTEES Elizabeth Ho man, President and Chair Daniel P. Dennies, Senior Vice President Tirumalai Sudarshan, Vice President Navin Manjooran, Immediate Past President William Jarosinski, Treasurer Rahul Gupta Hanchen Huang Victoria Miller Christopher J. Misorski Erik Mueller Ramana G. Reddy JP Singh Dehua Yang Fan Zhang Veronica Becker, Executive Director STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS Victoria Anson, Emily Ghosh, Wyeth Haddock 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. SOLVING MATERIALS MYSTERIES The science of failure analysis (FA) is, at its core, in the business of solving mysteries. It involves evaluating the design, materials, processes, and in-service factors that could have introduced weakness into a system. It includes searching for clues that ultimately lead to identifying the primary suspect or root cause of a failure. In this issue, we bring you a trio of cases to test your FA acumen. As you delve into these pages, see if you can follow the clues and determine the result before reaching the end of each article. Mystery #1: Our cover story is based on the case of the leaky pipe. A legal battle ensued to determine which party or parties were at fault: the manufacturer, the general contractor, or the installer. Expert analysis and testimony from failure analysts at Materials Evaluation and Engineering Inc. helped determine the cause and resolve the case. It’s a compelling read. Mystery #2: Also in this issue, the corrosion and materials professionals at Matergenics Inc. provide a thorough metallurgical evaluation of a telecommunications tower that was exposed to fire. In this case, the Matergenics team needed to determine if the tower was still materially sound and thus operational. Mystery #3: In our final case, the author explores an odd phenomenon that occurred during the manufacturing of an advanced driver assistance camera for automobiles. Silicon was contaminating the surface and preventing adhesives from bonding properly. The author had to deduce how the silicon was getting into the process. To increase the metallurgical sleuthing skills of our members and customers, ASM offers plenty of resources. In October, at the IMAT conference in Detroit, the Failure Analysis Society (FAS) will host technical programming over four days. Topics include fractography and litigation as well as tools and techniques. Next year, on January 28-29, the new FAS Failure Analysis & Prevention Summit will take place in picturesque Oceanside, California. This first-ever, standalone event for the affiliate society features the theme of “Fatigue & Fracture.” The conference is designed for engineers, researchers, and industry professionals who will learn about cutting-edge methods and future directions in the field. To assist those seeking more fundamental yet broad training, ASM introduced the Failure Analysis Certificate Program. Jeffrey Hanson, responsible for quality metallography at Doosan Bobcat in North Dakota, was the first to complete the program last year after taking a series of required and elective courses. Hanson spoke to the value of the FA Certificate: “Through ASM’s courses, I have been able to apply the knowledge and skills learned in a way that directly contributed to the expansion of my employer’s metallurgy lab that includes a dedicated failure analysis function.” Circling back to Mystery #3—the silicon contamination of the camera surface—with a possible spoiler alert: Could it have been the operator with the glove in the plant? Read on and try your hand at solving all three FA mysteries. joanne.miller@asminternational.org Je rey Hanson with his FA Certificate at the Dome.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 5 RESEARCH TRACKS NEW STEEL HANDLES HIGH TEMPS The DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Tenn., set a new lab record with 20 R&D 100 Awards in this year’s competition, announced by R&D World magazine. The winning designs span a variety of fields, from advanced materials and additive manufacturing to energy storage and computing. Among the new technologies is nano eXtreme temperature steel (NeXT steel), a medium-carbon martensitic steel developed by ORNL in collaboration with Cummins Inc. It is designed to meet the demands of harsh environments in the energy and manufacturing sectors, including applications such as pistons in heavy-duty engines as well as dies and inserts used in high- pressure die casting and metalworking. NeXT steel offers higher strength and fatigue resistance, improved thermal conductivity, and greater environmental durability than traditional alloys. Compared to existing H-series tool steels, NeXT steel shows a 25–50% improvement in fatigue performance and elevated temperature softening resistance up to 600°C. The new material has been subjected to rigorous testing. NeXT steel pistons demonstrated exceptional durability by completing Cummins’ 500-hour peak power over- fuel test, which maintains the engine at full output while adding excess fuel to intensify combustion temperatures and cylinder pressures. It is also undergoing evaluation for use in fabri- cation and repair of higher- temperature manufacturing dies and other challenging applications. ornl.gov. EXPLORING ATOMIC PROPERTIES Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the Helmholtz Institute Mainz, Germany, developed a new method to investigate the internal structure of atoms and discovered previously unknown atomic transitions in samarium. The ability to describe the internal structure of atoms is important not only for understanding the composition of matter, but also for exploring fundamental physics. However, the knowledge of the energy- level structure of many atoms remains incomplete, particularly in the case of the rare earth and actinide atoms. Spectroscopy is widely used to study atomic structure. “High- resolution, broadband spectroscopy is essential for precision measurements in atomic physics and the search for new fundamental interactions,” says researcher Razmik Aramyan. “But progress is often hindered by the difficulty of measuring complex atomic spectra, mainly due to two technical limitations: the difficulty of properly distinguishing the signals emitted by the sample and the limited range of wavelengths that instruments can detect.” Aramyan and his team further developed a method known as dual- comb spectroscopy (DCS), which allows measurement of atomic spectra at a wide band of electromagnetic frequencies with high resolution and high sensitivity. “This study introduces an enhanced multichannel DCS approach that combines a photodetector array with a novel scheme for resolving frequency ambiguities, enabling ambiguity-free, high-signal-to-noise-ratio broadband measurements,” explains Aramyan. He says this is the first step toward implementing Spectroscopy 2.0, an international project that aims to develop what is known as a “massively parallel spectroscopic tool,” one that can perform many spectroscopic measurements simultaneously. The team was able to record the spectrum of samarium vapor at different temperatures and analyze the spectral behavior at different samarium concentrations. When comparing their results with existing datasets, they found spectro- scopic lines that were previously unknown, illustrating the potential of the new method. www.uni-mainz.de. Prototype piston for diesel engines made of NeXT steel. Samarium cell at ~1040°C during the experiment.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 6 METALS | POLYMERS | CERAMICS Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Tenn., are enhancing DuAlumin-3D for additively manufactured, high-temperature automotive components. The ORNL-developed alloy exhibits superior strength and resistance to deformation at elevated temperatures, outperforming all known aluminum alloys. ornl.gov. FRICTIONAL HEATING MAKES BETTER MAGNETS Researchers at NC State University developed a new technique to manufacture strong magnetic materials that improves the quality of the magnets, makes them quickly with less energy, and is cheaper. “Currently, to manufacture a magnet, industry relies on sintering metal alloy powders into a bulk solid at high temperature and under high pressure,” says Bharat Gwalani, assistant professor. “This is a complex, time-consuming process that requires a lot of energy and often results in the creation of flawed magnets.” The team experimented with a new magnet manufacturing process using friction stir consolidation where the alloy powder is set in a chamber, placed under pressure, and stirred with a rotating tool. “The energy from the rotational motion and the forge force— the pressure—sinters the powder into HYDROGEN FOR GREENER METAL PRODUCTION Scientists at Binghamton University and Brookhaven National Laboratory along with Stony Brook University and Columbia University are studying variations between hydrogen and carbon monoxide when used as reductants in the chemical reactions that fuel metal production. “For metal production, the key challenge is efficiently removing atomic oxygen from metal oxides to yield pure metals,” says Guangwen Zhou of Binghamton University. “The goal is to drive this reduction process using less energy, at lower temperatures, and with minimal carbon dioxide emissions. Our study offers insights that can help guide the choice of gases or reductants to accelerate reaction kinetics, making metal extraction faster, cleaner, and more energy efficient.” The team’s findings show hydrogen to be a greener alternative for metal production. “If we look at CO—because it’s mostly used as a method for metal production—if metal forms on the surface, it can block active sites and slow down the reaction kinetics,” says Zhou. “That makes the extraction process more difficult, which means you need to use more energy and higher temperatures.” When hydrogen is used, oxygen vacancies formed at the surface could migrate into the bulk of the oxide, enabling metal formation throughout the interior. Further, the surface remains largely intact with hydrogen, still capable of the catalysis required to spark chemical reactions. Because hydrogen protons help oxygen vacancies more easily migrate away from the surface, that also raises the possibility of replenishing them through counterdiffusion of atomic oxygen from the oxide’s interior to its surface, a self-healing behavioral feature. “If we use hydrogen, we can facilitate this process. For industrial applications, we can have that catalyst regeneration, without interrupting the catalytic process,” says Zhou. binghamton.edu. GKN Aerospace is expanding its manufacturing center in Newington, Conn., adding a production line for an additively fabricated engine component. The company will receive a $2.5 million grant from the State of Connecticut to bring in manufacturing operations from outside of the U.S. gknaerospace.com. BRIEFS Prof. Guangwen Zhou is co-author on a new study in Nature that could lead to greener and faster metal production. Courtesy of Jonathan Cohen. Schematic of friction consolidation process, demonstrating change from initial segregated powder particles into a consolidated sample. Backscattered electron images depict di erent phases that are present in both steps. Courtesy of A. Malakar et al., Nature Communications, 2025.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 7 a solid without ever melting the alloy,” says Gwalani. “Because the metal is not exposed to high heat and doesn’t actually melt, this process results in less oxidation and unwanted phase transitions in the material. Also, while we are applying pressure, it’s less than one MPa, whereas conventional magnet manufacturing techniques apply more than 100 MPa.” Researchers also found that the new approach eliminated porosity in the magnetic material. “This is because conventional techniques apply pressure in only one direction, which means the pressure is applied largely to the top and bottom of the material, forcing porosity into the center,” says Gwalani. “Because our technique involves rotating the material as pressure is applied, that pressure is distributed throughout the material.” The combination of pressure, rotation, and frictional heating means there are no pockets or bubbles in the magnetic material. ncsu.edu. GOLD HYDRIDE FORMS UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS An international team led by scientists at the DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, Calif., formed solid binary gold hydride for the first time, a compound made exclusively of gold and hydrogen atoms. The researchers were studying how long it takes hydrocarbons to form diamonds under extremely high pressure and heat. In their experiments at the European XFEL (X-ray Free-Electron Laser) in Germany, the team studied the effect of those conditions on hydrocarbon samples by using an embedded gold foil meant to absorb the x-rays and heat the weakly absorbing hydrocarbons. To their surprise, they not only saw the formation of diamonds, but also discovered the formation of gold hydride. In their study, researchers squeezed hydrocarbon samples to extreme pressures using a diamond anvil cell. Next, they heated the samples to over 3500°F by hitting them with x-ray pulses. The team analyzed how the x-rays scattered off the samples, which allowed them to resolve the structural transformations within. As expected, the scattering patterns showed that the carbon atoms had formed a diamond structure—but the team also saw unexpected signals that were due to hydrogen atoms reacting with the gold foil to form gold hydride. slac.stanford.edu. Fibercraft™ Heating Elements Offer Superior Performance in High-Temperature Applications. • Temp Range up to 1200°C (2200°F) • Exceptional Durability • Versatile Application • Customizable Design TC 8.375X5.5625_031025.indd 1 3/11/25 2:10 PM Researchers at SLAC view the gold lattice as evidence of hydrogen’s behavior.
8 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 SELF-HEALING CARBON FIBER Researchers at Texas A&M University and The University of Tulsa discovered new properties of a highly durable and recyclable smart plastic, which could lead to self-healing defense, aerospace, and automotive applications. The work was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and explored the mechanical integrity, shape recovery, and self-healing properties of an advanced carbon fiber plastic composite called aromatic thermosetting copolyester (ATSP). As ATSP technology matures, it has the potential to transform the automotive and aerospace industries. “Because of the bond exchanges that take place in the material, you can restore a car’s deformations after a collision,” says Professor Mohammad Naraghi of Texas A&M. “ATSPs are an emerging class of vitrimers that TESTING | CHARACTERIZATION UNIFIED THEORY EXPLORES SUPERCONDUCTORS Researchers at Penn State, with support from the Theory of Condensed Matter program at the DOE’s Basic Energy Science division, developed a new approach to predict which materials could act as superconductors. According to Professor Zi-Kui Liu, FASM, resistance-free electron flow is what makes superconductors so attractive for real-world applications. The DOE project aims to understand superconductivity using theoretical tools known as density functional theory (DFT) to see how electrons behave in normal conductors compared to supercon- ductors. Until now, the Bardeen-Cooper- Schrieffer (BCS) theory based on the formation of Cooper pairs and DFT predictions based on quantum mechanics have remained separate. Liu’s team discovered how to connect them. The key to the discovery is a concept closely related to zentropy theory, which combines ideas from statistical mechanics with quantum physics and modern computer modeling. However, zentropy theory requires understanding and prediction of the superconducting configuration of a material at zero Kelvin. Liu’s team showed that even DFT, which was not designed to study superconductivity, can reveal important clues about when this phenomenon occurs. Through the DFT predictions, researchers found that the resistance- free electron superhighway in high- temperature superconductors is protected by a unique atomic structure resembling a pontoon bridge in rough water, so the superhighway can be maintained at higher temperatures as predicted by the BCS theory. The team used this method to successfully predict signs of superconductivity in materials including both conventional superconductors explainable by the BCS theory and a high-temperature superconductor believed to be unexplainable by this theory. psu.edu. Testbed 80. Courtesy of Rolls-Royce. Dr. Mohammad Naraghi showcases the carbon-fiber smart plastic, ATSP. A new method could predict the transition temperature from superconducting to nonsuperconducting as a function of pressure using the zentropy theory in existing high temperature superconductors. Courtesy of Zi-Kui Liu et al., Supercond. Sci. Technol., 2025, doi.org/10.1088/1361-6668/adedbc. Tescan Group, Czech Republic, earned a 2025 R&D 100 Award in the analytical/test category for its Tescan Amber X 2, Powered by Mistral Plasma FIB column. This platform combines large-scale 3D materials characterization with precise TEM specimen preparation in a single system for use in nanoscale research. tescan.com. MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center launched the Schmidt Laboratory for Materials in Nuclear Technologies. The new lab is designed to speed discovery of cost-effective materials that can withstand extreme fusion conditions. mit.edu. BRIEFS
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 9 combine the best features of traditional plastics. They offer the flexibility of thermoplastics with the chemical and structural stability of thermosets. So, when combined with strong carbon fibers, you get a material that is several times stronger than steel, yet lighter than aluminum.” What sets ATSP apart from traditional plastics is its self-healing and shape-recovery capabilities. To investigate its properties, the researchers used cyclical creep testing. Next, using cyclical loading, the researchers identified two critical temperatures within the material—the glass transition temperature and the vitrification temperature. The team then conducted deep-cycle bending fatigue tests, periodically heating the material to around 160°C to trigger self-healing. The ATSP samples not only endured hundreds of stress and heating cycles without failure, but they grew more durable during the healing process. tamu.edu. STUDYING DIAMOND FOR FUSION IGNITION Scientists at the University of Cali- fornia, San Diego discovered how diamond can develop tiny structural flaws that may limit fusion performance. Diamond was recently used to encase fuel for fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. At the NIF, powerful lasers are used to compress diamond capsules filled with deuterium and tritium to the extreme pressures needed for nuclear fusion. The process must be perfectly symmetrical to achieve maximum energy output. By using a high-power pulsed laser to simulate these conditions, researchers found that diamonds These transmission electron microscope images reveal shock-induced defects in diamond samples. Courtesy of Boya Li. STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION, ETC. Required by the Act of 23 October 1962, Section 4369, Title 39, United States Code, showing the ownership, management, and circulation of Advanced Materials & Processes®, publishes eight issues per year: January/February, March, April, May/June, July/August, September, October, and November/December at 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park, Ohio 44073, USPS #762-080. Annual subscription rate is $499. The publisher and editor are Scott D. Henry and Joanne Miller, respectively, both of 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park, Ohio, 44073. The owner is ASM International®, Materials Park, Ohio, which is a not-for-profit educational institution, the officers being; President and Chair of the Board, Elizabeth Hoffman; Senior Vice President and Trustee, Daniel P. Dennies; Vice President and Trustee, Tirumalai Sudarshan; Immediate Past President and Trustee, Navin Manjooran; Executive Director, Veronica Becker; Treasurer and Trustee, William Jarosinski; Trustees, Rahul Gupta, Hanchen Huang, Victoria M. Miller, Christopher J. Misorski, Erik Mueller, Ramana G. Reddy, JP Singh, Dehua Yang, and Fan Zhang; Student Board Members Victoria Anson, Emily Ghosh, and Wyeth Haddock. There are no known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities. The issue date for circulation data below is April 2025. The average number of copies of each issue during the preceding 12 months is: (a) Total number of copies printed: 1,753; (b) Paid and/or requested circulation: (1) Paid/requested outside county mail subscriptions: 1,392; (2) Paid in-county subscriptions: 0; (3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution: 231; (4) other classes mailed through the USPS: 0; (c) Total paid and/or requested circulation: 1,623; (d.1) Free distribution or nominal outside-county: 68; (d.3) Free distribution by mail: 23; (e) Total free distribution: 91; (f) Total distribution: 1,714; (g) Copies not distributed: 293; (h) Total: 2,007; (i) Percent paid: 95. The actual number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date is: (a) Total number of copies printed: 3,622; (b) Paid and/or requested circulation: (1) Paid/requested outside-county mail subscriptions: 2,819; (2) Paid in-county subscriptions: 0; (3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution: 475; (4) other classes mailed through the USPS: 0; (c) Total paid and/or requested circulation: 3,294; (d.1) Free distribution or nominal outside-county: 79; (d.3) Free distribution by mail: 56; (e) Total free distribution: 135; (f) Total distribution: 3,429; (g) Copies not distributed: 724; (h) Total: 4,153; (i) Percent paid: 96. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Scott D. Henry, Publisher can form a series of defects—from subtle crystal distortions to narrow zones of complete disorder. These imperfections can disrupt implosion symmetry, which in turn can reduce energy yield or even prevent ignition. The new findings will help scientists develop improved capsule designs to achieve more uniform implosions, maximizing the energy output of fusion experiments. ucsd.edu.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 10 MACHINE LEARNING | AI AI FINDS ENERGY STORAGE OPTIONS Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Newark, are using artificial intelligence to find affordable and sustainable alternatives to lithium- ion batteries. The NJIT team led by Professor Dibakar Datta applied generative AI techniques to discover porous materials capable of revolutionizing multivalent-ion batteries. These batteries, by using abundant elements like magnesium, calcium, aluminum, and zinc, offer a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which face global supply challenges. Multivalent-ion batteries use elements whose ions carry two or even three positive charges, which means they could store significantly more energy. However, the larger size and greater electrical charge of multivalent ions make them challenging to work with in battery materials—an obstacle the team’s new AI-driven research directly addresses. “One of the biggest hurdles wasn’t a lack of promising battery chemistries—it was the sheer impossibility of testing millions of material combinations,” says Datta. “We turned to generative AI as a fast, systematic way to sift through that vast landscape and spot the few structures that could truly make multi- valent batteries practical.” The researchers developed a dual-AI approach—a crystal diffusion variational auto-encoder (CDVAE) and a finely tuned large language model (LLM). Together, these tools quickly explored thousands of new crystal structures. The CDVAE model was trained on vast datasets of known crystal structures, enabling it to propose new materials with diverse structural possibilities. Meanwhile, the LLM was tuned to focus on materials closest to thermodynamic stability. “Our AI tools dramatically accelerated the discovery process, which uncovered five entirely new porous transition metal oxide structures that show remarkable promise,” says Datta. “These materials have large, open channels ideal for moving these bulky multivalent ions quickly and safely, a critical breakthrough for next-generation batteries.” The scientists validated their AI-generated structures using quantum mechanical simulations and stability tests, confirming that the materials could be synthesized experi- mentally and hold great potential for real-world applications. njit.edu. ADVANCED CORROSION ASSESSMENT WITH AI Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Qatar Science and Technology Research Center (QSRTC) developed an Microscopy images marked with deposit thickness measurements. Courtesy of Ashwin RajKumar. automated method to assess corrosion in industrial equipment using advanced machine learning and image analysis. The work involves a new algorithm that can analyze microscope images of corroded metal surfaces to estimate corrosion severity without human input. The AI-based technique focuses on two key indicators of corrosion: the thickness of corrosive deposits on the surface of metals and the porosity within those deposits. When microscopy images of metal surfaces are fed to the algorithm, it can quantify these two characteristics and infer certain features that indicate how much corrosion has occurred. These features include the concentration of corrosive chemicals and the acidity of the environment beneath the deposits. The team tested their method by checking the corrosion of steam generator tubes. They found that the algorithm achieved 73% accuracy and is more consistent than having people manually examine optical micro- scopy images. The next step is to validate the algorithm on larger and more diverse datasets. www.iisc.ac.in. The spongelike network inside a porous transitionmetal oxide lets larger ions travel during a battery’s charge/discharge cycles. Courtesy of NJIT.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 1 1 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY MAKING ADVANCED METALS AT SCALE Foundation Alloy, a company launched by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is working on a new class of high-performance metal alloys using a production process that does not involve melting raw materials. The company’s solid-state metallurgy technology was developed over many years by former MIT professor Christopher Schuh, FASM, and his colleagues. Foundation Alloy executives say its metal alloys can be made twice as strong as traditional metals with 10 times faster product development. to recycle lithium-ion batteries in a way that is both efficient and sustainable. The process involves a hydro- metallurgical upcycling approach that offers both environmental and performance advantages over other recycling methods. The new technique targets spent mixed nickel-lean (Ni-lean) cathode materials, commonly found in used lithium-ion batteries. Traditional recycling methods struggle to recover these materials effectively and often rely on energy-intensive processes that produce less valuable outputs. In contrast, Wang’s approach recovers more than 92% of the critical metals nickel, cobalt, and manganese and turns them into high-performance cathode powders. Testing shows that batteries made of these recycled materials perform as well as those made from virgin materials, retaining 88% of their capacity after 500 charge cycles and over 85% capacity after 900 cycles in commercial-scale pouch cells. The new process also uses 8.6% less energy than conventional hydrometallurgical methods and significantly reduces carbon emissions—by 13.9% when compared with traditional recycling, slightly more than with direct upcycling. “This work not only addresses the environmental challenges of battery waste but also helps reduce our dependence on mining for critical materials,” says Wang. wpi.edu. The company is already designing metals and shipping demonstration parts to companies making components for aerospace and automotive use. Schuh joined MIT’s faculty in 2002 to study the processing, structure, and properties of metals and other materials. He was named head of the department of materials science and engineering in 2011 before becoming dean of engineering at Northwestern University in 2023. His Foundation Alloy cofounders include CEO Jake Guglin and scientists Jasper Lienhard and Tim Rupert. “Chris wanted to look at metals from different perspectives and make things more economically efficient and higher performance than what’s possible with traditional processes,” says Guglin. “It wasn’t just for academic papers—it was about making new methods that would be valuable for the industrial world.” Their first challenge was scaling up. Now, the company starts with a customer’s specific requirements and decides on a precise blend of powdered raw materials. Next it uses an industrial mixer to create a metal powder that is homogenous down to the atomic level. From there, the material can be solidified using methods like metal injection molding, pressing, or 3D printing. The final step is an advanced sintering process in a furnace that requires an order of magnitude less heat than traditional methods and allows more control over the microstructure of finished parts. mit.edu. RECYCLING LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), led by Professor Yan Wang, developed a scalable method The DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Ill., and The University of Texas at Dallas signed a memorandum of understanding to advance research in battery science. Argonne and UT Dallas will work toward an abundant supply of domestic critical materials vital to battery manufacturing and energy security. anl.gov. BRIEF Examples of components made from high-performance metals developed by Christopher Schuh’s team. Courtesy of Foundation Alloy. Yan Wang at work in his lab where he developed an upcycling process for spent lithium-ion battery materials. Courtesy of WPI.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 12 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY NASA DEVELOPS PRINTABLE METAL ALLOY Scientists at NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, developed a new metal alloy called GRX-810 as a cost- effective option for additive manufacturing of engine components. The primary metals in GRX-810 are nickel, cobalt, and chromium, while a ceramic oxide coating on the powdered metal particles increases heat resistance. Known as oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys, the powders were difficult to manufacture at an afford- able cost when the project started. However, the advanced dispersion coating technique developed at NASA uses resonant acoustic mixing. Rapid vibration is applied to a container filled with the metal powder and nano-oxide particles. The vibration evenly coats each particle with the oxide, making them inseparable. Even if a manufactured part is ground to powder and reused, the next component will have the same qualities as the original ODS. Researchers say the benefits over traditional alloys are significant: GRX-810 could last up to a year at 2000°F under stress loads that would crack other alloys within hours. In addition, 3D printing parts with GRX-810 enables more complex shapes compared to metal parts manufactured using standard methods. Elementum 3D, Erie, Colo., is making GRX-810 in quantities ranging from small batches to over a ton. The company has a co-exclusive license for the NASA-patented alloy and manufacturing process and is continuing to work with the agency under a Space Act Agreement to improve the material. Industries from commercial space to aviation are now testing GRX-810 for additional applications such as flow sensors in turbines that could improve airplane fuel efficiency. nasa.gov. NEW CRYSTAL BREATHES OXYGEN Researchers from Pusan National University in Korea and Hokkaido University in Japan discovered a new type of crystal that can “breathe” by releasing and absorbing oxygen repeatedly at relatively low temperatures. They say this unique ability could revolutionize the way clean energy technologies are developed, including fuel cells, energy-saving windows, and smart thermal devices. The new material is a special kind of metal oxide made of strontium, iron, and cobalt. What makes it extraordinary is that it can release oxygen when heated in a simple gas environment and then take it back in without falling apart. This process can be repeated many times, making it a good candidate for real- world applications. “It is like giving the crystal lungs and it can inhale and exhale oxygen on command,” says scientist Hyoungjeen Jeen of Pusan. Controlling oxygen in materials is crucial for technologies like solid oxide fuel cells that produce electricity from hydrogen with minimal emissions. It also plays a role in thermal transistors and in smart windows that adjust their heat flow depending on the weather. Until now, most materials that could do this kind of oxygen control were too fragile or operated only under harsh conditions such as extremely high temperatures. The new material works under milder conditions and remains stable. The team also showed that the material could return to its original form when oxygen was reintroduced, proving that the process is fully reversible. www.global.hokudai.ac.jp. Apptronik, Austin, Texas, launched its subsidiary Elevate Robotics Inc. to focus on automating industrial tasks beyond human limits. The company’s flagship humanoid robot Apollo took a decade of development and builds on 15 previous robotics systems. Apptronik will continue to focus on Apollo while Elevate will concentrate on industrialscale work. apptronik.com. BRIEF GRX-810, NASA’s new metal alloy for 3D printing parts, can withstand the extreme temperatures of rocket engines, allowing affordable printing of high-heat parts. Courtesy of NASA. A schematic illustration of the oxygen-breathable crystal, SrFe0.5Co0.5O2.5, which is used in smart windows and next-generation electronics. Courtesy of Hyoungjeen Jeen from Pusan National University.
13 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY QUANTUM BATTERY MODEL BEATS ANALOG Researchers at PSL Research University, Paris, and the University of Pisa, Italy, developed a simple quantum battery model that could exhibit a true quantum advantage over a classical analog battery. The new model was found to successfully reach the socalled quantum speed limit, the maximum speed that a quantum system could theoretically achieve. Earlier works demonstrating a quantum advantage of batteries based on the team’s Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model only did so using numerical simulations, without performing any further analyses. Building on these efforts, the researchers tried to identify the simplest possible quantum battery model that could display a quantum advantage in terms of charging power. The new model consists of two coupled harmonic oscillators, one acting as the charger and the other serving as the battery, according to the scientists. The key ingredient enabling the quantum advantage is an anharmonic interaction between the two oscillators during the charging process. This anharmonic coupling allows the system to access nonclassical, entangled states that effectively create a shortcut in Hilbert space, enabling faster energy transfer than in classical dynamics, they added. To rigorously certify their model’s quantum advantage, the team compared it to a suitable classical battery model. Overall, their findings suggest that their quantum battery model outperforms its classical counterpart. Thus far, the new model is only theoretical and much work needs to be done before it can be realized experimentally, say researchers. www.psl.eu. MXENE INKS SUPPORT PRINTED ENERGY STORAGE Scientists at Boise State University, Idaho, developed a stable and high-performance Ti3C2Tx MXene ink formulation customized for aerosol jet printing, laying the foundation for scalable manufacturing of microsupercapacitors, sensors, and other energy storage and harvesting devices. The work is a significant advancement regarding the additive manufacturing of 2D materials for energy storage applications, say researchers. MXenes are a family of 2D transition metal EMEREGNEINRG YTETCRHENDOSLOGY BRIEF The DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn., and artificial intelligence (AI) company Atomic Canyon, Palo Alto, Calif., signed a memorandum of understanding to streamline the licensing process for nuclear power plants by using AI to review license applications. ornl.gov. carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides useful for their specialized physical and chemical properties. They are considered promising electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage applications due to their unique design: an inner conductive transition metal carbide layer, variable hydrophilic functional groups, and lamellar structure. The research team overcame critical challenges by developing a MXene ink with long-term chemical and physical stability, enabling consistent aerosol jet printability and achieving high-resolution patterns with minimal overspray. Using this formulation, the team successfully fabricated microscale supercapacitor devices directly onto flexible and inflexible substrates such as Kapton film and alumina tubes. These printed devices not only exhibit excellent capacitance, cycling stability, and mechanical durability, but are also the highest-performing printed MXene supercapacitors reported to date, according to the researchers. This development highlights the potential of aerosol jet printing with MXene inks for on-demand, scalable, and cost-effective production of nextgeneration electronic and electrochemical devices such as wearables, IoT sensors, and lightweight energy systems. boisestate.edu. Schematic illustration of aerosol jet printing of MXene ink on top of annealed gold current collector. Courtesy of Boise State University College of Engineering. Graphical, symbolic representation of a new quantum battery. Courtesy of Phys.org using ChatGPT.
A zinc-coated tower undergoes rigorous field testing and laboratory analysis to determine if the material integrity was preserved despite exposure to fire. POST-FIRE METALLURGICAL ASSESSMENT OF GALVANIZED ANCHORS SUPPORTING A TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER Mehrooz Zamanzadeh, FASM* and Anil Kumar Chikkam* Matergenics Inc., Pittsburgh *Member of ASM International METALLURGICAL EVALUATION 15
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 16 A common issue during post-fire inspections of galvanized steel structures is the misinterpretation of surface discoloration—particularly dark or blackened areas—as active corrosion, similar to that seen on bare carbon steel. This often results from a limited understanding of zinc coating behavior under high temperatures. Discoloration in fire-exposed galvanized structures can arise from phenomena such as localized melting, zinc oxidation, or intermetallic phase changes. While visually significant, these changes do not necessarily indicate a loss of corrosion protection or structural integrity. The image on the opening page of this article shows a wildfire as an immediate threat to a power transmission structure. In the telecommunications and electrical transmission and distribution (T&D) sectors, reliance on visual inspection alone can lead to inaccurate assessments and premature replacement of assets. A more rigorous evaluation— incorporating electrochemical testing, coating thickness measurements, and metallurgical analysis—is essential for accurate condition assessment and sustainable asset management. BACKGROUND This paper presents a case study of a post-fire assessment on a guyed telecommunications tower with anchor shafts exposed to wildfire. Matergenics Inc. conducted a detailed inspection to evaluate thermal damage, assess structural integrity, and determine the condition of the galvanized protective coatings. The findings highlight the importance of science- based evaluation protocols to support informed repair decisions and ensure the continued safety and reliability of critical infrastructure. CASE STUDY: TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER EXPOSED TO WILDFIRE The telecommunications tower used to support antennas for wireless communication is stabilized using anchor shafts and guy wires. The tower is connected to the anchor shafts through tensioned guy wires, which extend from the tower to the shafts at specific angles. This configuration helps maintain vertical alignment, resists environmental forces, and ensures structural integrity for reliable signal transmission. The tower featured in this case study was affected by a wildfire in September 2024. The site included the main tower and three sets of Fig. 1 — Telecommunications tower featured in this case study. Fig. 2 — Photograph showing guy wires of anchor BB with visible discoloration. Fig. 3 — Photograph showing guy wires of anchor CC. Fig. 4 — Closer view of one of the anchor BB guy wires clearly shows discoloration. Dark looking deposits are byproducts of combustion. Fig. 5 — Closer view of one of the anchor CC guy wires clearly shows no exposure to wildfire.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 1 7 anchors labeled AA, A, BB, B, CC, and C. While the tower itself was unaffected, some anchors showed signs of fire- related residue. Visual examination. Figure 1 shows the condition of the site. The site included six anchor foundations comprised of galvanized steel I-beam shafts. Visual examination revealed that anchors B and BB exhibited dark deposits resembling soot or char, indicating exposure to wildfire. Anchors A, AA, C, and CC remained clean and free of discoloration, suggesting they were either shielded or located in a less affected area. Figures 2 through 5 show the condition of anchors BB and CC. The site was impacted by wildfire. As shown in Fig. 6, a comparison of the conditions around anchors AA and BB with the site conditions during the previous inspection on June 8, 2024, reveals significant changes. Vegetation in the surrounding area was severely affected by the wildfire with noticeable damage including burnt and scorched plant life. These visual changes highlight the wildfire’s impact on the site and its immediate surroundings. Electrochemical potential mapping using Zee Probe. To assess the condition of the galvanized coating and remaining corrosion protection on the anchors, electrochemical potential measurements were conducted using a Zee Probe (Fig. 7) on anchors AA, B, and BB. This technique helps identify whether the surface consists of intact zinc, a zinc-iron intermetallic layer, or bare steel. Anchor AA, which was unaffected by fire, showed readings between -0.91 and -0.97 V, confirming a well-preserved galvanized coating. In contrast, fire-exposed anchors B and BB showed readings from -0.56 to -0.88 V, indicating partial degradation of the zinc layer, with some regions likely retaining intermetallic layers or thermally altered zinc. These results sug- gest that although some thermal damage occurred, the galvanizing layer still offers a degree of corrosion protection. Galvanized layer thickness measurement using a coating thickness gauge. The galvanized layer thickness Fig. 6 — Photographs showing that the site is affected by wildfire. Images on the left were taken during the inspection on June 8, 2024, while images on the right were captured during the inspection on January 21, 2025. Fig. 7 — Zee Probe from Matergenics. Fig. 8 — Photographs show galvanized layer thickness of anchor B (I-beam): (a) Galvanized layer thickness at flange; and (b) galvanized layer thickness at web. TABLE 1 — GALVANIZED LAYER THICKNESS, mils Location Anchor shaft Fan plate Anchor AA 6.1 6.2 7.0 6.2 5.6 6.6 12.1 7.6 Anchor B 8.6 6.9 6.6 7.0 6.6 7.0 5.9 6.3 Anchor BB 14.2 7.1 6.4 7.2 6.3 6.8 7.1 8.1 (b) (a)
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | OCTOBER 2025 18 of anchor shafts and fan plates for anchors AA (unexposed), B, and BB (wildfire-exposed) was measured using a coating thickness gauge, with representative images shown in Fig. 8 and summarized results in Table 1. A comparative analysis was conducted to assess whether wildfire exposure caused any degradation or thinning of the galvanized coating. The measurements revealed generally consistent thickness across all anchors, indicating no significant loss of the protective zinc layer due to fire. One higher-than-expected reading at anchor BB was likely due to surface deposits or contaminants affecting the measurement rather than a true variation in coating thickness. Wall thickness measurement using an ultrasonic gauge. Ultrasonic measurements were taken to assess the wall thickness of the web and flange sections of I-beam-shaped anchors AA (unexposed), B, and BB (wildfire-exposed), as shown in Fig. 9, with results summarized in Table 2. A comparative analysis evaluated whether wildfire exposure caused any material loss that could affect structural performance. Wall thickness values across all three anchors were found to be consistent, with no significant thinning observed. These findings indicate that the wildfire exposure did not compromise structural integrity of the anchor shafts. In-situ hardness test. Vickers hardness testing was conducted on the flanges of I-beam-shaped anchors AA (unexposed), B, and BB (wildfire- exposed) using a portable hardness tester. To access the base metal, flange surfaces were ground to expose the underlying carbon steel, and zinc-rich paint was applied afterward to protect the exposed areas. A representative image of the testing is shown in Fig. 10, and the recorded values are summarized in Table 3. A comparative analysis revealed consistent hardness values across all three anchors with no significant abnormalities observed. These results indicate that wildfire exposure did not adversely affect the material hardness or structural integrity of the anchors. SEM/EDS analysis. A small strand sample from a wire rope at anchor BB TABLE 2 — WALL THICKNESS, in. Location Flange thickness Web thickness Anchor AA 0.386 0.337 0.196 0.189 Anchor B 0.364 0.348 0.182 0.189 Anchor BB 0.347 0.382 0.173 0.188 Fig. 9 — Photographs showing wall thickness of anchor BB (I-beam): (a) Wall thickness at web; and (b) wall thickness at flange. (b) (a) TABLE 3 — VICKERS HARDNESS, HV Location 1 2 3 4 5 Average hardness Anchor AA 102 101 102 93.2 101 100 Anchor B 118 100 98.3 87.9 101 101 Anchor BB 102 113 91.4 121 108 107 Fig. 10 — Photographs showing Vickers hardness values of anchor AA (flange). Fig. 11 — Small strand sample from wire rope at anchor BB removed for examination.
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