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At least 685 records · Page 38

Process parameter translation strategies for variable directed energy deposition spot size using 316L, copper, and Inconel 625

Directed energy deposition (DED) is a form of additive manufacturing available across a variety of laser spot diameter values, often referred to as spot sizes. However, there is no method to easily transfer process parameters across discrete spot sizes, leading to DED process parameters that are equipment specific and not widely applicable. In this study, a strategy is proposed and investigated for five spot sizes that keep the areal energy density constant while varying power, feed rate, and powder flow during the deposition of 316L stainless steel. An assessment of trends in hardness and microstructure is possible due to the novel production of components of a single material across several spot sizes using a single nozzle on a single DED system. The proposed strategy was used to nullify the hardness drop during functional grading of Inconel 625 and pure copper, enabling fabrication of multi-material sample that does not compromise desirable properties. This application shows the value in establishing more efficient process parameter development and understanding spot size influences on geometric and material property flexibility, to enable a more diverse powder-based DED design space and to increase the industry adoption of DED systems.

316L↗

Mechanical evaluation of WC-Co materials with varying microstructures

Tungsten carbide–cobalt materials are useful in a variety of extreme applications due to a desirable blend of properties, yet the technology has not significantly changed since their initial development in the 1920s. The mechanical properties of this class of materials is highly dependent on two variables, the size of the tungsten carbide grains, and the amount of binder phase present in the final body. In this study, the amount of binder phase is isolated across three commercial materials from the same manufacturer with three different grain sizes to investigate the effect on mechanical properties. The mechanical properties investigated are indentation hardness, flexure and tensile strength, as well as fracture toughness. In general, an increase in hardness and tensile strength with decreasing grain size was observed, while the fracture toughness showed the opposite trend with toughness increasing with increasing grain size. The flexure strength results did not show a correlation to grain size. Fractographic analysis identified the dominant strength-limiting flaw for each sample, which largely were in the form of porosity. Other flaws types, such as inclusions from the milling process, clusters of large grains, and machining cracks from the surface finishing process, were also identified. Finally, Weibull analysis was performed and deemed appropriate for analysis of these materials, but strength-size scaling was not conducted due to the variability in the strength-limiting feature between the different specimen geometries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-temperature stability and thermal expansion behavior of equi-atomic refractory multi-principal element alloys based on MoNbTi system for Gen IV reactor applications

The present study investigates the thermal stability and thermal expansion behavior of seven equi-atomic refractory multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) based on the MoNbTi ternary system composed of low neutron absorption cross section elements. Through an integrated approach utilizing in-situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) in conjunction with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dilatometry and ageing heat treatment, the thermal stability of the MPEAs was comprehensively analyzed. In-situ HT-XRD experiment confirmed the stability of the room temperature phases up to 1000 °C with no peaks observed corresponding to additional phases in the HT-XRD patterns at 500, 800 and 1100 °C. DSC thermograms showed the absence of peaks up to 1000 °C, while peaks and valleys corresponding to exothermic and endothermic events were observed above 1000 °C. Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) derived from second order polynomial fitting of linear thermal expansion data from the dilatometry experiment showed linear increment up to 1000 °C for all the alloys except those containing Zr. The Cr containing alloys exhibited notably higher CTE values, particularly the Al containing alloy exhibited the highest value. Ageing heat treatment at 800 and 1000 °C for 96 h and subsequent microstructural analysis revealed significant precipitation of secondary phases in MoNbTiZr, MoNbTiZrV and MoNbTiCrAl. In conclusion, a substantial increase in hardness was observed in MoNbTiZr and MoNbTiCrAl due to secondary phase precipitation, while the other alloys maintained hardness values comparable to their as-cast and homogenized states.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Screening and Validation of Molecular Targeted Radiosensitizers

The development of molecular targeted drugs with radiation and chemotherapy is critically important for improving the outcomes of patients with hard-to-treat, potentially curable cancers. However, too many preclinical studies have not translated into successful radiation oncology trials. Major contributing factors to this insufficiency include poor reproducibility of preclinical data, inadequate preclinical modeling of intertumoral genomic heterogeneity that influences treatment sensitivity in the clinic, and a reliance on tumor growth delay instead of local control (TCD50) endpoints. There exists an urgent need to overcome these barriers to facilitate successful clinical translation of targeted radiosensitizers. To this end, we have used 3-dimensional (3D) cell culture assays to better model tumor behavior in vivo. Examples of successful prediction of in vivo effects with these 3D assays include radiosensitization of head and neck cancers by inhibiting epidermal growth factor receptor or focal adhesion kinase signaling, and radioresistance associated with oncogenic mutation of KRAS. To address the issue of tumor heterogeneity, we leveraged institutional resources that allow high-throughput 3D screening of radiation combinations with small-molecule inhibitors across genomically characterized cell lines from lung, head and neck, and pancreatic cancers. This high-throughput screen is expected to uncover genomic biomarkers that will inform the successful clinical translation of targeted agents from the National Cancer Institute Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program portfolio and other sources. Screening “hits” need to be subjected to refinement studies that include clonogenic assays, addition of disease-specific chemotherapeutics, target/biomarker validation, and integration of patient-derived tumor models. The chemoradiosensitizing activities of the most promising drugs should be confirmed in TCD50 assays in xenograft models with or without relevant biomarker and using clinically relevant radiation fractionation. We predict that appropriately validated and biomarker-directed targeted therapies will have a higher likelihood than past efforts of being successfully incorporated into the standard management of hard-to-treat tumors.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Process modeling, techno-economic assessment, and life cycle assessment of the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 : a review

The electrochemical reduction of CO 2 has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional fossil-based technologies for the synthesis of chemicals. Its industrial implementation could lead to a reduction in the carbon footprint of chemicals and the mitigation of climate change impacts caused by hard-to-decarbonize industrial applications, among other benefits. However, the current low technology readiness levels of such emerging technologies make it hard to predict their performance at industrial scales. During the past few years, researchers have developed diverse techniques to model and assess the electrochemical reduction of CO 2 toward its industrial implementation. The aim of this literature review is to provide a comprehensive overview of techno-economic and life cycle assessment methods and pave the way for future assessment approaches. First, we identify which modeling approaches have been conducted to extend analysis to the production scale. Next, we explore the metrics used to evaluate such systems, regarding technical, environmental, and economic aspects. Finally, we assess the challenges and research opportunities for the industrial implementation of CO 2 reduction via electrolysis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Exploring the elastic and electronic properties of chromium molybdenum diboride alloys

We perform first-principles calculations to study the structural, mechanical, thermal, electronic, and magnetic properties of Cr 1-x Mo x B 2 for x = 0.25, 0.33, 0.50, 0.67 and 0.75. Based on structural search methods, we determine the ground-state structure for each concentration. The ternaries are either monoclinic (x = 0.25, 0.75) or trigonal (x = 0.33, 0.50, 0.67). The calculated mechanical properties reveal that the strength of Cr 1-x Mo x B 2 is maximized for x = 0.50. Cr 0.5 Mo 0.5 B 2 exhibits excellent mechanical properties (B = 298 GPa, Y = 558 GPa, G = 235 Gpa, ν = 0.19, H v =27 GPa), surpassing those of β-MoB 2 at a lower cost. All of these ternaries are hard alloys with Vickers hardness greater than 24 GPa. Chemical bonding analysis demonstrates that the strength of the new compounds is related to the alternating planar and buckled B-B layers, as well as the strong TM-B bonds. Finally, the enhanced strength of Cr 0.5 Mo 0.5 B 2 is a consequence of the high density of strong interlayer Cr-Mo metallic bonds around the Fermi level.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Elucidating the structural properties and reversible regional texture effect of GdB 6 under high pressure

As hard and refractory materials with high chemical resistance and mechanical strength, lanthanide hexaborides (LnB 6 ) have attracted much attention. Among the family of LnB 6 , gadolinium hexaboride (GdB 6 ) occupies a special position due to the half-filled 4f shell of Gd. Here, using in situ synchrotron radiation angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature, the structural stability and compression behavior of GdB 6 are investigated extensively, GdB 6 is observed to be structurally stable up to 73 GPa, and the bulk modulus of 177 GPa is obtained under hydrostatic compression. In this paper, an interesting observation of pressure-induced spotty diffraction rings of GdB6 is reported, its formation mechanism can be well described by the reversible regional texture effect, which highlights the rearrangement of crystal grains under high pressure. The rearrangement mechanism has been well explained by investigating the pressure dependence of full width at half maximum, macro-differential stress and grain size. Collective grain rotation behavior motivated by stress difference is critical for the rearrangement process, the strong isotropy and strong stability of GdB 6 structure also provide necessary conditions for high-pressure grain rotation behavior. These results will help to promote the understanding of high-pressure structural properties of GdB 6 , and provide novel insights on the high-pressure grain behavior in hard materials with strong isotropy and three-dimensional skeleton constituted of strong covalent bonds.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Graded microstructure and mechanical properties of spark plasma sintered Fe-Cr alloys

Developing graded microstructure and mechanical properties is critical for accelerating the design and optimization of structural materials for a wide range of applications. Here, in this study, Fe-Cr alloys were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The microstructure, microhardness, and tensile properties of the as-fabricated and thermally annealed variants were investigated. Graded grain structures were created in the as-fabricated cylinders along both axial and radial directions. Grain size was gradually reduced from the sample periphery to the center. Microhardness measurements reveal a gradual decrease of hardness towards the periphery of the samples. The as-fabricated Fe-Cr alloys show a desired combination of tensile strength and elongation, primarily due to the formation of a high density of oxides, voids, dislocations, and grain boundaries. After in-situ thermal annealing at 600 °C under 60 MPa for 2 h using SPS, the Fe-Cr alloys underwent minimal grain growth, and the graded grain structures were retained. The hardness was more uniformly distributed in the annealed variants, and the tensile strength was reduced with an increase in the total elongation, which is attributed to the dissolution of nano-sized oxide particles and the relief of the residual stress. This study demonstrates that SPS coupled with subsequent heat treatment can tailor the graded microstructure and control the mechanical properties of Fe-Cr alloys, showing potential applications in other alloy systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Influence of processing on secondary phase formation and microstructural evolution at U-10Mo alloy and Zr interlayer interfaces

Thermo-mechanical processing of uranium-10 wt. % molybdenum (U-10Mo) fuel plates leads to microstructure changes at the U-10Mo/Zr interfaces. Secondary phases formed at this interface are particularly important to interfacial bond strength, process optimization, and maintaining structural integrity of the U-10Mo fuel plates during irradiation. In this work, we determined the phases and phase transformation products occurring at the interface of the U-10Mo fuel and Zr interlayer when the fuel plate is subjected to short and long hot isostatic pressure times. Interfacial morphology, structure and composition of phases formed, and relative hardness across the U-10Mo/Zr interfaces were studied using a multi-length scale, multi-modal characterization approach involving electron microscopy, atom probe tomography, and atomic force microscopy. Here, results highlight that the extent of phase transformations, secondary phase formation, and hardness variability across interfaces can be controlled by modifying processing parameters. Phase diagram construction and thermodynamic calculations were performed using the Thermocalc software to identify expected phases formed at interfaces during the maximum hold temperature of 560 °C experienced during HIP.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Quantifying market volume sensitivity to material property modifications in polyhydroxybutyrate: A parametric analysis approach

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a biodegradable biopolymer, represents a promising alternative to petroleum-based thermoplastics. However, despite consistent market growth, PHB faces persistent commercialization challenges that limit widespread adoption. Existing research has focused predominantly on optimizing PHB production processes, leaving a critical gap in understanding which material property modifications would most effectively enhance market competitiveness. This study addresses this gap by systematically analyzing the relationship between polymer material properties and market performance using U.S. market data from 2008 to 2021 for 21 thermoplastic polymers across 19 material properties. We employed principal component regression to identify property modifications that could maximize market volume while reducing CO 2 emissions. Our parametric analysis revealed that two specific material properties – Hardness Shore A and Sheet Extrusion Temperature – significantly influence PHB marketability across different price points. Market simulations demonstrated that a 10% increase in Hardness Shore A could increase PHB market volume by 431.5 million kg while reducing emissions by 188.7 kg CO 2 . A similar 10% increase to Sheet Extrusion Temperature could yield a 297.5 million kg volume increase and a 99.2 kg CO 2 reduction in emissions. Critically, this approach is agnostic to the specific methods required to achieve these property changes, instead providing material scientists with quantitative, data-driven targets for R&D prioritization. Here, this framework offers a novel methodology for evaluating biopolymer competitiveness and supporting strategic decisions to accelerate PHB market adoption and contribute to decarbonization of the plastics industry.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

B-PINNs: Bayesian Physics-informal Neural Networks for Forward and Inverse PDE Problems with Noisy Data

We propose a Bayesian physics-informed neural network (B-PINN) to solve both forward and inverse nonlinear problems described by partial differential equations (PDEs) and noisy data. In this Bayesian framework, the Bayesian neural network (BNN) combined with a PINN for PDEs serves as the prior while the Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) or the variational inference (VI) could serve as an estimator of the posterior. B-PINNs make use of both physical laws and scattered noisy measurements to provide predictions and quantify the aleatoric uncertainty arising from the noisy data in the Bayesian framework. Compared with PINNs, in addition to uncertainty quantification, B-PINNs obtain more accurate predictions in scenarios with large noise due to their capability of avoiding overfitting. We conduct a systematic comparison between the two different approaches for the B-PINNs posterior estimation (i.e., HMC or VI), along with dropout used for quantifying uncertainty in deep neural networks. Our experiments show that HMC is more suitable than VI with mean field Gaussian approximation for the B-PINNs posterior estimation, while dropout employed in PINNs can hardly provide accurate predictions with reasonable uncertainty. Finally, we replace the BNN in the prior with a truncated Karhunen-Loève (KL) expansion combined with HMC or a deep normalizing flow (DNF) model as posterior estimators. The KL is as accurate as BNN and much faster but this framework cannot be easily extended to high-dimensional problems unlike the BNN based framework.

Non linear PDEs, Noisy data, Bysian physics inform↗

The correlation between N deficiency and the mechanical properties of the Ti 2 AlNy MAX phase

The role of X deficiency on the mechanical properties of MAX phases was studied by synthesizing Ti 2 AlN through powder metallurgy in stoichiometric and sub/extra-stoichiometric nitrogen compositions. XRD analyses and ab initio calculations indicate that nitrogen vacancies result in a lattice contraction predominantly along the c-axis. The elastic moduli and intrinsic hardness of substoichiometric Ti 2 AlN 0.9 measured from nanoindentation tests are shown to be slightly smaller than that of Ti 2 AlN. The key mechanical indexes, bulk (B), shear (G) and Young’s (E) moduli as well as the hardness variation are calculated in density functional theory, and show different responses depending on the concentration of N vacancies. Overall, this joint experimental and theoretical study provides a full understanding of the energetics, chemical bonding, electronic structure, and mechanics of the N deficient MAX phases which would increase the application of nitride ceramics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Heterogeneous microstructure of yttrium hydride and its relation to mechanical properties

Here, the goal of this study is to investigate the properties of yttrium hydride materials in relation to the microstructure, especially its homogeneity. High-throughput nanoindentation mapping was used to evaluate hardness distribution. Raman spectral imaging demonstrated its sensitivity to the presence of YH2 and impurities. Raman peak position maps were correlated with residual stress in the specimens. Electron backscatter diffraction mapping provided phase distributions with correlation to high-energy X-ray diffraction analysis. The experimental mapping data were combined and analyzed using unsupervised machine learning cluster procedures. The machine learning analysis revealed that yttrium hydride specimens contained a major δ-YH2 – x phase component and minor α-Y and δ-YH2 – x components with significant residual stress. The minor phase fraction decreased with increasing nominal H/Y ratio, which affected the nanoindentation and Vickers hardness. The multimodal mapping procedures described herein affect developing important microstructure–property relationships, as well as correlations in heterogeneity and mechanical properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Reactive flash sintering and characterization of bulk high entropy nitrides

Over the past decade, numerous high-entropy ceramics have been synthesized, often displaying attractive properties. However, the study on facile preparation of bulk high entropy nitrides (HEN) are limited, despite its broad potential applications. This research demonstrates for the first time rapid fabrication (within ∼6 min) of bulk high-entropy nitrides, especially (Al 0.17 Nb 0.17 Ta 0.17 Ti 0.32 Zr 0.17 )N, from binary nitride powder mixtures using a highly efficient reactive flash sintering (RFS) technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows the HENs from RFS are near single-phase solid solutions with a rock salt crystal structure, while in situ synchrotron study carried out during RFS captured in real time the formation of HEN, which was preserved upon cooling, suggesting thermodynamic stability of the HEN phase, even up to extreme pressure (∼35.6 GPa). Microscopic analyses using SEM, STEM, and EDS reveal decent uniformity for HEN with no obvious segregation of elements, even to submicron scale. Some properties of the obtained bulk HENs are consistent with expectations. For example, their hardness and bulk modulus are close to estimates based on rule-of-mixture (ROM) values from the constituent binary nitrides. Meanwhile, some other measured properties seem to show surprises. For example, the fracture toughness for the HENs (e.g., 7.81 ± 1.40 MPa•m 1/2 or higher) turns out to be more than double of the expected ROM estimates. The significantly improved fracture toughness is attributed to the observed nano-layered structure of the HENs, despite the HEN’s cubic crystal structure and high hardness. In addition, the oxidation resistance shows improvement up till ∼800°C, possibly due to Ta doping that suppress oxygen vacancy formation in the oxide shell, while the 5-metal HEN of (Al 0.17 Nb 0.17 Ta 0.17 Ti 0.32 Zr 0.17 )N displays superconductivity (T c of ∼5–7 K from magnetism and resistivity measurements, slightly lower than ROM estimate), despite insulating property of starting AlN. Furthermore, future study combining experimental investigation using larger samples to confirm the observed increase in fracture toughness and oxidation resistance, theoretical modeling at different length scale, and more detailed structural/chemical characterization, especially at the atomic scale, are all needed to fully understand the inter-relationships between composition, processing, structure, and novel properties for these HENs and the development of related new materials for different applications.

Flash sintering↗

Manufacture aluminum alloy tube from powder with a single-step extrusion via ShAPE

Mechanical performance of aluminum in terms of strength, wear and corrosion resistance, especially high-temperature strength has been shown to improve with the addition of transition metal (TM) elements of Fe, Cr, and Ti. However, these feedstock materials occur as powders. As such, the traditional fabrication process is complex and expensive because it requires multiple procedures and consumes considerable energy. This study developed Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE) as a single-step process that manufactures tubes directly from Al-TM powders obtained via gas atomization. Meter-long Al-TM alloy tubes are extruded from powders with different processing conditions. The ShAPE tubes have very low porosity and the average density is 2.94 kg/cm 3 , which is equal to or higher than parts fabricated by hot extrusion and sintering. The powder-to-tube fabrication process was revealed and discussed by examining the microstructural evolution. The Vickers hardness of ShAPE tubes ranges from 110 to 140 HV through wall thickness and at different extrusion speeds. The variation in hardness was correlated with the extent of refinement of intermetallics and attributed to the shear deformation per unit extrusion length. Energy cost analysis shows that ShAPE save ~60% energy compared to the conventional sintering and extrusion processes. Results indicate ShAPE is a low-cost, high-efficiency manufacturing process for producing tubes from metallic powders.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Additive manufacturing of AISI M2 tool steel by binder jetting (BJ): Investigation of microstructural and mechanical properties

The presented research demonstrates for the first time the successful processing of AISI M2 tool steel by binder jetting, a promising additive manufacturing technique capable of producing complex shapes with minimal residual stresses and isotropic properties. The optimal printing parameters were explored by varying processing parameters such as the binder saturation (45 %–105 %), binder set time (0 to 10 s), targeted bed temperature (50–60 °C), oscillator (2600–2750 rpm), recoater (20–28 mm/s), and roller speeds (200–300 rpm). Microstructural characterization and evaluation of mechanical properties of binder jetted parts were performed using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to study their chemical composition, powder morphology, microstructure, carbide morphologies, relative density, hardness, compressive strength, and ductility. Two powder sizes (5 and 10 μm) were used, and sintering was performed at varying temperatures (1270, 1280, and 1300 °C) and durations (60 and 120 min), followed by a furnace, air, and water cooling. An optimum hardness of ~970 HV was obtained when parts were sintered at 1270 °C for 60 min, followed by water quenching. Impressive compressive strength of ~ 3580 MPa was observed in the sample sintered at 1280 °C for 60 min duration, followed by air cooling. Furnace-cooled parts showed the highest density of ~95 %, whereas the relative density of air- and water-cooled parts varied between ~91 to 93.50 %, respectively. The microstructure of sintered samples revealed the formation of M 6 C stable carbide, M 2 C metastable carbide, MC as a secondary carbide, and a-Fe matrix, which contributed to the observed increase in mechanical properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Creep performance and microstructure of grade 91 steel weldments with integrated welding and thermal processing

Ferritic-Martensitic steel welds typically require post weld heat treatment (PWHT) to restore toughness and high temperature performance. This off-line thermal process reduces disparities between weld and base metal, but can cause distortion, cracking, or simply be impractical due to assembly size and joint non-uniformity. Here we show integrated welding and thermal processing applied to modified 9Cr-1Mo (Grade 91) steel, favored for advanced power generation applications, performed in real time through the addition of a secondary heat source near the primary weld head. Optimal integrated processing reduces weld fusion and heat affected zone hardness by 125 HV, approaching performance of conventional 730 °C, 60 min PWHT processing. Microstructures and mechanical performance are compared for mechanized GTAW welds, with equivalent lifetimes noted in cross-weld creep rupture tests up to 234 MPa at 550 °C, and up to 104 MPa at 650 °C. The integrated process was validated on a Grade 91 pressure vessel with multipass cold wire feed GTAW. After 550 °C, 71.4 bar thermomechanical cyclic testing, the maximum weld hardness is <350 HV.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A Novel Surface Restoration Method for Hydropower Steel Components: Plasma Gouging and Inconel Cold Spray Coating for Material Repair

A novel surface restoration approach combining plasma gouging with subsequent cold spray deposition is demonstrated in this study. Plasma gouging effectively removes the damaged steel surface, leaving grooves and forming a plasma gouging affected zone up to ~300?µm thick. Within this zone, a hardened martensitic layer with a peak hardness of ~370?HV—almost twice that of the base substrate (~200?HV)—is produced. Following plasma gouging, cold spray deposition is applied to rebuild the surface. Experimental results reveal that cold spray coatings deposited at low energy suffer from delamination, whereas high energy cold spray deposits yield a well-bonded coating. Microstructural analysis further shows that the martensitic layer formed by plasma gouging undergoes dynamic recrystallization during cold spray, reducing the hardness to 317?HV. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of this hybrid method for effective surface restoration of damaged steel components.

Wang, Tianhao↗