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At least 559 records · Page 31

Process innovations to enable viable enzymatic poly(ethylene terephthalate) recycling

Enzymatic depolymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has received considerable attention for closed-loop polyester recycling. However, current approaches for enzymatic PET recycling face challenges to achieve commercial viability with lower environmental impacts compared with virgin polyester manufacturing. Here, in this study, we present multiple process innovations for enzymatic PET recycling that enable economic and environmental feasibility. We show that substrate amorphization through extrusion and quenching is energy-efficient and enables near-quantitative enzymatic conversion in 50 h. Using ammonium hydroxide for pH control and thermolysis of the isolated diammonium terephthalate salt reduces the acid and base consumption by >99%, lowering annual operating expenses by 74%. Fed-batch processing increased ethylene glycol concentration, leading to a 65% reduction in energy consumption for ethylene glycol recovery. These improvements were modeled in an optimal process, with recycled PET estimated to be US$\$$1.51 kg -1 relative to US domestic virgin PET at US$\$$1.87 kg -1 and eliminating key life cycle obstacles to scale this technology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The stress-corrosion behavior of Al-Li-Cu alloys: A comparison of test methods

Two powder metallurgy processed (Al-Li-Cu) alloys with and without Mg addition were studied in aqueous 3.5% NaCl solution during the alternate immersion testing of tuning fork specimens, slow crack growth tests using fracture mechanics specimens, and the slow strain rate testing of straining electrode specimens. Scanning electron microscopy and optical metallography were used to demonstrate the character of the interaction between the Al-Li-Cu alloys and the selected environment. Both alloys are susceptible to SC in an aqueous 3.5% NaCl solution under the right electrochemical and microstructural conditions. Each test method yields important information on the character of the SC behavior. Under all conditions investigated, second phase particles strung out in rows along the extrusion direction in the alloys were rapidly attacked, and played principal role in the SC process. With time, larger pits developed from these rows of smaller pits and under certain electrochemical conditions surface cracks initiated from the larger pits and contributed directly to the fracture process. Evidence to support slow crack growth was observed in both the slow strain rate tests and the sustained immersion tests of precracked fracture mechanics specimens. The possible role of H2 in the stress corrosion cracking process is suggested.

Rizzo, P. P.↗

Development of a Power Metallurgy Superalloy for Use at 1800-2000 F (980-1090 C)

A program was conducted to develop a powder metallurgy nickel-base superalloy for 1800-2000 F (980-1090 C) temperature applications. The feasibility of a unique concept for alloying carbon into a superalloy powder matrix and achieving both grain growth and a discrete particle grain boundary carbide precipitation was demonstrated. The process consisted of blending metastable carbides with a carbon free base alloy and consolidating this blend by hot extrusion. This was followed by heat treatment to grow a desired ASTM No. 2-3 grain size and to solution the metastable carbides to allow precipitation of discrete particle grain boundary carbides during subsequent aging heat treatments. The best alloy developed during this program was hydrogen-atomized, thermal-mechanically processed, modified MAR-M246 base alloy plus VC (0.28 w/o C). Although below those for cast MAR-M246, the mechanical properties exhibited by this alloy represent the best combination offered by conventional powder metallurgy processing to date.

Kortovich, C. S.↗

A New Approach for Consolidation of Pure Magnesium Powder Using an Integrated Severe Plastic Deformation Route

In this paper, a new approach using a novel severe plastic deformation route is presented for consolidation and processing of a high-density and ultrafine-grained pure magnesium. Pure magnesium particles were successfully consolidated at 400 °C into a sufficiently dense bulk material using a new combined method including cyclic extrusion compression, equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and conventional extrusion. The grain refinement, consolidation behavior and mechanical properties were deeply investigated. Results showed that the as-consolidated material had a fine grain structure with excellent tensile strength and ductility compared to as-cast and as-ECAPed specimens. Vickers microhardness increased from 38.75 to 52.58 during the process. Porosity also reduced considerably from 12.55 to 1.2% during the process which led to a dense bulk material. Results indicate that the introduced method is a promising and effective process for producing strong bulk materials from metal powders.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Filament geometry control in extrusion-based additive manufacturing of concrete: The good, the bad and the ugly

Control of filament geometry in extrusion based additive manufacturing is essential to guarantee the desired quality of the printing process and the final product. Depending on the selected process parameters, material strategy and geometrical features, the printing process can however be susceptible to filament tearing or filament buckling. In this work, 2D and 3D CFD simulations have been used to map the influence of all these parameters in the infinite brick regime of 3D concrete printing processes. Analytical derivations of a tearing factor and buckling factor are presented. The use of these analytical tools is then illustrated, by studying variations in the printing process, such as changes in velocities, nozzle height, or material properties. Finally, the risk of both filament tearing and buckling of a single filament when printing sharp turns is discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Parallel Ellipsoidal Perfectly Matched Layers for Acoustic Helmholtz Problems on Exterior Domains

Exterior acoustic problems occur in a wide range of applications, making the finite element analysis of such problems a common practice in the engineering community. Various methods for truncating infinite exterior domains have been developed, including absorbing boundary conditions, infinite elements, and more recently, perfectly matched layers (PML). PML are gaining popularity due to their generality, ease of implementation, and effectiveness as an absorbing boundary condition. PML formulations have been developed in Cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical geometries, but not ellipsoidal. In addition, the parallel solution of PML formulations with iterative solvers for the solution of the Helmholtz equation, and how this compares with more traditional strategies such as infinite elements, has not been adequately investigated. In this study, we present a parallel, ellipsoidal PML formulation for acoustic Helmholtz problems. To faciliate the meshing process, the ellipsoidal PML layer is generated with an on-the-fly mesh extrusion. Though the complex stretching is defined along ellipsoidal contours, we modify the Jacobian to include an additional mapping back to Cartesian coordinates in the weak formulation of the finite element equations. This allows the equations to be solved in Cartesian coordinates, which is more compatible with existing finite element software, but without the necessity of dealing with corners in the PML formulation. Herein we also compare the conditioning and performance of the PML Helmholtz problem with infinite element approach that is based on high order basis functions. On a set of representative exterior acoustic examples, we show that high order infinite element basis functions lead to an increasing number of Helmholtz solver iterations, whereas for PML the number of iterations remains constant for the same level of accuracy. Finally, this provides an additional advantage of PML over the infinite element approach.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Quantitative 3D Textural and Petrofabric Analysis of the Northwest Africa 10645 Nakhlite Using X-Ray Computed Tomography

Martian meteorites are currently the only samples available from Mars to study and are critical for elucidating variability in martian igneous processes over time [e.g., 1]. Quantifying igneous textures and fabrics can help us understand how rocks are formed and emplaced [e.g., 2]. These features are innately three dimensional (3D) and are often strongly heterogeneous in cumulate rocks, like the nakhlites and poikilitic shergottites [2–3], where there can be substantial textural variations between and within individual samples. However, most quantitative textural and fabric analyses on these samples have been limited to two dimensions through measurements made on polished petrographic thin sections. Thus, 3D petrographic measurements are imperative for both representative sample characterization and accurately interpreting magmatic processes. The emplacement of martian meteorites at or near the surface of Mars (i.e., extrusive or intrusive, respectively) remains enigmatic due to the innate lack of geologic context [e.g., 1], but conducting 3D quantitative textural and fabric analyses can help elucidate emplacement mechanisms and settings on Mars.

S. Ramsey↗

Photonic and Opto-Electronic Applications of Polydiacetylene Films Photodeposited from Solution and Polydiacetylene Copolymer Networks

Polydiacetylenes (PDAS) are attractive materials for both electronic and photonic applications because of their highly conjugated electronic structures. They have been investigated for applications as both one-dimensional (linear chain) conductors and nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. One of the chief limitations to the use of PDAs has been the inability to readily process them into useful forms such as films and fibers. In our laboratory we have developed a novel process for obtaining amorphous films of a PDA derived from 2-methyl4-nitroaniline using photodeposition with Ultraviolet (UV) light from monomer solutions onto transparent substrates. Photodeposition from solution provides a simple technique for obtaining PDA films in any desired pattern with good optical quality. This technique has been used to produce PDA films that show potential for optical applications such as holographic memory storage and optical limiting, as well as third-order NLO applications such as all-optical refractive index modulation, phase modulation and switching. Additionally, copolymerization of diacetylenes with other monomers such as methacrylates provides a means to obtain materials with good processibility. Such copolymers can be spin cast to form films, or drawn by either melt or solution extrusion into fibers. These films or fibers can then be irradiated with UV to photopolymerize the diacetylene units to form a highly stable cross-linked PDA-copolymer network. If such films are electrically poled while being irradiated, they can achieve the asymmetry necessary for second-order NLO applications such as electro-optic switching. On Earth, formation of PDAs by the above mentioned techniques suffers from defects and inhomogeneities caused by convective flows that can arise during processing. By studying the formation of these materials in the reduced-convection, diffusion-controlled environment of space we hope to better understand the factors that affect their processing, and thereby, their nature and properties. Ultimately it may even be feasible to conduct space processing of PDAs for technological applications.

Paley, Mark S.↗

Compensating for Sintering Distortion in Additively Manufactured Shaped Charge Liners using Physics-Informed Machine Learning

Copper is a challenging material to process using laser-based additive manufacturing due to its high reflectivity and high thermal conductivity. Sintering-based processes can produce solid copper parts without the processing challenges and defects associated with laser melting; however, sintering can also cause distortion in copper parts, especially those with thin walls. In this study, we use physics-informed Gaussian process regression to predict and compensate for sintering distortion in thin-walled copper parts produced using a Markforged Metal X bound powder extrusion (BPE) additive manufacturing system. Through experimental characterization and computational simulation of copper’s viscoelastic sintering behavior, we can predict sintering deformation. We can then manufacture, simulate, and test parts with various compensation scaling factors to inform Gaussian process regression and predict a compensated as-printed (pre-sintered) part geometry that produces the desired final (post-sintered) part.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Local Thermomechanical Processing for Improving Formability of High Strength Aluminum Sheets

Limited room temperature formability hinders the wide-spread use of high strength aluminum alloys in structural body-in-white parts. Stamping or extrusion at warm temperatures or from softer tempers are the current solutions. In this work, our approach is to start with age-hardened sheets from 7xxx and 6xxx family of alloys and improve their formability using local thermomechanical processing only in the regions demanding highest ductility in the forming processes. We achieved local formability improvements with friction stir processing and introduce another process named roller-bending as a concept and showed its feasibility through finite element simulations. Initial results from FSP indicated significant deformation in the processed zones with minimal sheet distortion. FSP also resulted in dynamically recrystallized, fine grained (d < 5 µm) microstructures in the processed regions with textures significantly different from the base material. This resulted in formability improvements of > 30% in 7085-T76 and > 50% in 6111-T6 alloys as measured by minimum bend radius (r/t) ratios established with V-bending tests performed at 90° and 180° bend angles. Based on the encouraging initial results, we envision applicability of these processes in both pre- and post-stamping stages through integration of the process tools as end-effectors to robotic arms.

Nasim, Wahaz↗

Formation Mechanism of Nanoscale Al{sub 3}Fe Phase in Al-Fe Alloy During Semisolid Forming Process

The formation mechanism of nanoscale Al{sub 3}Fe phase in Al-1Fe (wt pct) alloy during rheo-extrusion was investigated, and the mechanical property of the prepared alloy was also measured. The results show that the average length of Al{sub 3}Fe phase in Al-1Fe alloy prepared by rheo-extrusion is 300 nm, which is much more refined than the needlelike Al{sub 3}Fe phase in as-cast Al-1Fe alloy (50 μm). In rheo-extrusion, Al{sub 3}Fe phase formed by eutectic reaction is bonelike, but it could be continuously refined by the shear deformation in the wheel groove, in equal channel angular flow, and in expansion extrusion mold. The total equivalent strain of the shear deformation is higher than 4.82. The tensile strength and elongation of Al-1Fe alloy prepared by rheo-extrusion are 135 MPa and 30 pct, respectively. The tensile strength of Al-1Fe alloy prepared by rheo-extrusion is 58.8 pct higher than that of as-cast Al-1Fe alloy, and the elongation is 19 pct higher than that of as-cast Al-1Fe alloy. Compared with as-cast Al-1Fe alloy, the improvements of tensile strength and elongation caused by shear deformation in rheo-extrusion are higher than the reported improvements induced by rare earth modification.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

AMVOS: Additive Manufacturing Video Object Segmentation Dataset

This dataset provides labeled video frames from four additive manufacturing (AM) processes for video object segmentation (VOS) tasks. It contains 90 video segments comprising 900 individually annotated frames across five AM datasets: laser hot-wire directed energy deposition (LHW-DED), tungsten inert gas wire arc additive manufacturing (TIG-WAAM), plasma arc welding (PAW), visible-light polymer extrusion (visPolymer), and near-infrared polymer extrusion (irPolymer). Each video segment consists of 10 contiguous frames with corresponding pixel-level object instance annotations. Depending on the process, two of four object classes are labeled per frame: Melt Pool, Feed Wire, Nozzle, or Material. Raw frames are provided as .jpg files and annotations as palettized .png files. The dataset follows the directory structure of established VOS benchmarks (DAVIS, YouTube-VOS, MOSE), enabling direct integration into VOS model training and evaluation pipelines for foundation model fine-tuning, domain adaptation, or zero-shot performance benchmarking. Data was collected at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility.

Wetzel, Jon [ORNL]↗

Deconvoluting the Friction Stir Weld Process for Optimizing Welds

In the friction stir welding process, the rotating surfaces of the pin and shoulder contact the weld metal and force a rotational flow within the weld metal. Heat, generated by the metal deformation as well as frictional slippage with the contact surface, softens the metal and makes it easier to deform. As in any thermo-mechanical processing of metal, the flow conditions are critical to the quality of the weld. For example, extrusion of metal from under the shoulder of an excessively hot weld may relax local pressure and result in wormhole defects. The trace of the weld joint in the wake of the weld may vary geometrically depending upon the flow streamlines around the tool with some geometry more vulnerable to loss of strength from joint contamination than others. The material flow path around the tool cannot be seen in real time during the weld. By using analytical "tools" based upon the principles of mathematics and physics, a weld model can be created to compute features that can be observed. By comparing the computed observations with actual data, the weld model can be validated or adjusted to get better agreement. Inputs to the model to predict weld structures and properties include: hot working properties ofthe metal, pin tool geometry, travel rate, rotation and plunge force. Since metals record their prior hot working history, the hot working conditions imparted during FSW can be quantified by interpreting the final microstructure. Variations in texture and grain size result from variations in the strain accommodated at a given strain rate and temperature. Microstructural data from a variety of FSWs has been correlated with prior marker studies to contribute to our understanding of the FSW process. Once this stage is reached, the weld modeling process can save significant development costs by reducing costly trial-and-error approaches to obtaining quality welds.

Schneider, Judy↗

Microstructures in the 6060 aluminium alloy after various severe plastic deformation treatments

This paper presents the results concerning the microstructural refinement of the industrial 6060 aluminium alloy processed by severe plastic deformation (SPD). The high level of plastic deformation was achieved using the three methods: hydrostatic extrusion (HE), equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) and extrusion torsion (ET), which differed in the dynamics of the loading, intensity and homogeneity of the plastic strain field. Microstructure analyses were performed before and after SPD deformation using a transmission (TEM) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The refined microstructures were examined qualitatively and quantitatively by the stereological methods and computer image analyses. The microstructure of the industrial 6060 aluminium alloy after deformation was characterized by an average grain size of about 0.4 {mu}m. The results show that the precipitates strongly affect the degree of refinement and the mechanism of microstructural transformations. During the SPD, the second phase particles break apart and homogenize. The HE method generates the largest increase of the volume fraction of the small primary particles. Moreover, the HE process is most effective in reducing the primary particle size. During HE and ECAE processes the second phase precipitates dissolve partially and change their shape. - Research Highlights: {yields} SPD results in a significant increase in the density of the small primary particles. {yields} SPD homogenizes the particle size distribution. {yields} HE and ECAE processes bring nano-grains in the vicinity of the primary particles. {yields} HE and ECAE processing results in the {beta}' precipitates partial dissolutions. {yields} During HE and ECAE processes the {beta}' particles change their shape.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fiber Orientation Effects in Fused Filament Fabrication of Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a type of additive manufacturing based on material extrusion that has long been considered a prototyping technology. However, the right application of material, process, and product can be used for manufacturing of end-use products, such as air-cooled heat exchangers made by adding fillers to the base polymer, enhancing the thermal conductivity. Fiber fillers lead to anisotropic thermal conductivity, which is governed by the process-induced fiber orientation. This article presents an experimental study on the microstructure-property relationship for carbon fiber-filled polyamide used in FFF. Furthermore, the fiber orientation is measured by micro-computed tomography, and the thermal conductivity of manufactured samples is measured. Although the thermal conductivity is raised by more than three times in the fiber orientation direction at a load of only 12 vol.%, the enhancement is low in the other directions, and this anisotropy, along with certain manufacturing restrictions, influences the final part performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Development of superalloys by powder metallurgy for use at 1000 - 1400 F

Consolidated powders of four nickel-base superalloys were studied for potential application as compressor and turbine discs in jet engines. All of the alloys were based on the Rene' 95 chemistry. Three of these had variations in carbon and A12O3 contents, and the fourth alloy was chemically modified to a higher volume fraction. The A12O3 was added by preoxidation of the powders prior to extrusion. Various levels of four experimental factors (1) alloy composition, (2) grain size, (3) thermomechanical processing, and (4) room temperature deformation plus final age were evaluated by tensile and stress rupture testing at 1200 F. Various levels of the four factors were assumed in order to construct the statistically-designed experiment, but the actual levels investigated were established in preliminary studies that preceded the statistical process development study.

Calhoun, C. D.↗