Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Process settings”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5

Data for secondary-electron production from ion precipitation at Jupiter II: Simultaneous and non-simultaneous target and projectile processes in collisions of O{sup q+} + H{sub 2} (q=0–8)

To improve the physical completeness of the data previously calculated (Schultz et al., 2017) to enable modeling of the effects of secondary electrons produced by energetic ion precipitation at Jupiter, we extend the treatment to include inelastic processes that occur simultaneously on the projectile (O{sup q+}, q=0–8)) and target (H{sub 2}). Here, processes considered in the previous work (single and double ionization, transfer ionization, double capture with subsequent autoionization, single and double stripping, single and double charge transfer, and target excitation) reflecting non-simultaneous projectile and target electron transitions, are replaced with processes that include both non-simultaneous and simultaneous electronic transitions on the target and projectile. These include, for example, single ionization, single ionization with simultaneous single projectile excitation, single ionization with double projectile excitation, single ionization with single projectile stripping, and single ionization with double projectile stripping. Using this expanded set of processes, we show, via Monte Carlo ion-transport simulation, that improved representation of the energy deposition, measured by the stopping power, is obtained as compared to accepted recommended values for intermediate energies (100–2000 keV/u) where the stopping power is largest, while maintaining the existing good agreement with these recommended values for low (∼10–100 keV/u) and high (≥2000 keV/u) energies. In addition, the ion-fraction distribution is altered by use of the improved data set. Both of these effects have implications for the energy deposition by oxygen ion precipitation in an H{sub 2} atmosphere. Therefore, use of this expanded data set can provide a more physically realistic secondary-electron distribution, and consequently improved atmospheric reaction network, improved description of ion contribution to atmospheric currents, and therefore improved understanding of Jovian ionosphere–atmosphere coupling.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

The EGS Collab Project: Status and Accomplishments

The EGS Collab project, supported by the US Department of Energy, is addressing challenges in implementing enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). This includes improving understanding of the stimulation of crystalline rock to create appropriate flow pathways, and the ability to effectively simulate both the stimulation and the flow and transport processes in the resulting fracture network. The project is performing intensively monitored rock stimulation and flow tests at the 10-m scale in an underground research laboratory. Data and observations from the field test are compared to simulations to understand processes and to build confidence in numerical modeling of the processes. In Experiment 1, we examined hydraulic fracturing an underground test bed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota, at a depth of approximately 1.5 km. We drilled eight sub-horizontal boreholes in a well-characterized phyllite. Six of the boreholes were instrumented with many sensor types to allow careful monitoring of stimulation events and flow tests, and the other two boreholes were used for water injection and production. We performed a number of stimulations and flow tests in the testbed. Our monitoring systems allowed detailed observations and collection of numerous data sets of processes occurring during stimulation and during dynamic flow tests. Long-term ambient temperature and chilled water flow tests were performed in addition to many tracer tests to examine system behavior. Data were rapidly analyzed, allowing adaptive control of the tests. Numerical simulation was used to answer key experimental design questions, to forecast fracture propagation trajectories and extents, and to analyze and evaluate results. Many simulations were performed in near-real-time in conjunction with the field experiments, with more detailed process study simulations performed on a longer timeframe. Experiment 2 will examine hydraulic shearing in a test bed being built at the SURF at a depth of about 1.25 km in amphibolite under a different set of stress and fracture conditions than Experiment 1. Five sets of fracture orientations were considered in design, and three orientations seem to be consistently observed.

EGS Collab↗

Meshfree simulation and experimental validation of extreme thermomechanical conditions in friction stir extrusion

Abstract Friction stir extrusion (FSE) is a novel solid-phase processing technique that consolidates and extrudes metal powders, flakes, chips, or billets into high-performance parts by plastic deformation, which has the potential to save substantial processing time and energy. Currently, most studies on FSE are experimental and only a few numerical models have been developed to explain and predict the complex physics of the process. In this work, a meshfree simulation framework based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) was developed for FSE. Unlike traditional grid-based methods, SPH is a Lagrangian particle-based method that can handle severe material deformations, capture moving interfaces and surfaces, and monitor the field variable histories explicitly without complicated tracking schemes. These aspects of SPH make it attractive for the FSE process, where in situ evolution of field variables is difficult to observe experimentally. To this end, a 3-D, fully thermomechanically coupled SPH model was developed to simulate the FSE of aluminum wires. The developed model was thoroughly validated by comparing the numerically predicted material flow, strain, temperature history, and extrusion force with experimental results for a certain set of process parameters. The validated SPH model can serve as an effective tool to predict and better understand the extreme thermomechanical conditions during the FSE process.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Process optimization of caustic scrubber and iodine-129 immobilization in sodalite-based waste forms

Caustic scrubbers are proposed to remove vaporized iodine from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. Resulting caustic slurries of radioactive iodine ( 129 I) and other anions can be captured and immobilized into the cage structures of sodalite-type minerals. Here, mixed anion sodalites were hydrothermally synthesized from a simulated caustic scrubber solution containing hydroxide/water, carbonate, chlorine, bromine, iodine, nitrate, and nitrite ions with added kaolinite. Experiments were conducted with twenty-five different sets of process conditions. Resulting powders were characterized by quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) and multi-functional thermal analysis, including gravimetry, calorimetry, and mass spectrometry. Using statistical analysis, process variables were tailored to maximize conversion of kaolinite into cage silicates, immobilize caustic scrubber anions, and minimize amorphous content. Further, chemical analysis showed the incorporation of all the targeted ions into the solids. Detailed investigation of a batch characterized after washing (creating secondary waste) and one without washing but subsequent calcination is given. This work contributes to defining the constraints required for subsequent consolidation process steps of the waste form to avoid volatilization.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

GPU cache management based on locality type detection

Wavefront loading in a processor is managed and includes monitoring a selected wavefront of a set of wavefronts. Reuse of memory access requests for the selected wavefront is counted. A cache hit rate in one or more caches of the processor is determined based on the counted reuse. Based on the cache hit rate, subsequent memory requests of other wavefronts of the set of wavefronts are modified by including a type of reuse of cache lines in requests to the caches. In the caches, storage of data in the caches is based on the type of reuse indicated by the subsequent memory access requests. Reused cache lines are protected by preventing cache line contents from being replaced by another cache line for a duration of processing the set of wavefronts. Caches are bypassed when streaming access requests are made.

Zhang, Xianwei↗

Low-Temperature Plasma Treatment for Enhanced Recovery of Highly Valued Critical REEs from Coal (Final Report)

The principle objective of this project was to develop a novel process flowsheet using low-temperature plasma treatment (LTP) integrated with conventional hydrometallurgical processes to recover rare earth elements (REEs), especially highly valued REEs (i.e. scandium and critical REEs), from coal and coal byproducts. LTP treatment was used to pretreat the solid feed material prior to leaching in an effort to improve the leaching characteristics of the REEs and potentially reduce acid consumption. Initially, a detailed experimental program was performed on a laboratory LTP furnace to identify a set of process parameter values to be used for assessing the enhanced leaching performance achieved on four specific gravity fractions of West Kentucky No. 13 and Fire Clay coarse coal refuse materials. High-temperature oxidation (HTO)) was also evaluated as a means for improving REE leachability on the same fractions of both coal sources. The lixiviants used to assess leachability improvements included: i) untreated water, ii) 0.1 M ammonium sulfate solution and iii) 1.2 M sulfuric acid solution at a temperature of 75°C. The laboratory data was used to develop multiple process flow sheets using HTO only to produce a rare earth oxide mix concentrate or utilizing both LTP and HTO treatment processes to generate a high purity heavy REO mix concentrate and a light REO mix concentrate. A techno-economic analysis was performed on each circuit. Low-temperature plasma oxidation was found to enhance REE leaching characteristics for all specific gravity (SG) fractions of the West Kentucky No. 13 coarse refuse material. The leaching recovery improvement was preferentially achieved for the heavy REEs with higher values obtained when treating the lower density fraction material. For example, the leaching recovery for the heavy REEs in the untreated 1.6 SG Float fraction material was 8% in a 0.1 M ammonium sulfate solution. After LTP treatment for 32 hours, heavy REE recovery increased to 33%. The corresponding recovery value for the light REEs was 10%. These findings indicate a strong affinity of the heavy REEs with the organic material, which is the component being reduced in content during the LTP treatment. Scanning electron micrographs showed the development of a honeycomb structure with increased LTP treatment with higher surface area as confirmed from BET measurements. Higher surface area promotes improved leaching efficiency due to enhance chemical interactions. When using 1.2 M sulfuric acid, the LTP treatment was found to provide a heavy REE recovery increase from 23% to 53% for the 1.6 SG Float fraction which corresponded to an ash content increase from around 20% to 35%. However, LTP treatment provided no improvement in leaching characteristic for the 2.2 SG sink material in the acid solution, which was likely due to the low organic content. The LTP treatment of the Fire Clay SG fractions provided no improvement in REE leaching characteristic, which may be due to the association with REE minerals such as monazite and REE-associated mineral matter such as clays. High temperature oxidation using temperatures in the range of 600-750OC was found to significantly enhance the leaching characteristics of both the light and heavy REEs for all density fractions in both coarse coal refuse materials. Generally, the increase in light REE recovery for the West Kentucky material was from 15% for the untreated material to 90% for the HTO treated material at 600°C. Recovery values dropped significantly when using temperatures below 600°C and above 750°C. The impact of the excessive temperatures was most likely a result of sintering. For the heavy REEs, HTO significantly improved recovery in the lighter SG fractions, which may be due to an affinity with the organic content. Only limited heavy REE recovery improvement was obtained for the denser SG fractions. Another benefit of HTO is the conversion of calcium-based minerals to a very soluble calcium oxide, which is removable using a mild acid solution, and the conversion of Fe minerals to relatively insoluble minerals such as hematite and magnetite. The pregnant leaching solution produced from the leaching of all SG fractions obtained from both coal sources was treated using two stages of solvent extraction procedurally modeling a rougher-cleaner circuit followed by oxalic acid precipitation. Rare earth oxide products having a purity greater than 97% was produced from nearly all of the SG fractions. A novel process flowsheet was developed based on the selective leaching of heavy REEs that was made possible through LTP treatment of West Kentucky No. 13 coarse refuse followed by salt leaching. In the flowsheet, coal refuse material is ground to a top size of 1mm and then treated by LTP. The treated material is mixed into a 0.1 M ammonium sulfate solution and then filtered to produce a heavy REE enriched pregnant leach solution. The heavy REEs are concentrated by two stages of selective precipitation to produce a heavy REE mix oxalate and then roasted to obtain a heavy REO mix concentrate. The solid residues remaining after salt leaching is dried and then subjected to HTO treatment followed by concentration using selective precipitation and roasting to produce a light REO mix concentrate. An alternative circuit was developed using HTO treatment only to treat 100% of the coarse refuse material followed by selective precipitation and roasting to generate a high purity REO mix product. A techno-economic analysis performed for the treatment of West Kentucky No. 13 and Fire Clay coarse refuse based on a hypothetical 500-tph plant revealed that the net present value for all scenarios was significantly negative. Primary reasons include: i) a substantial decrease in the basket value of the final product relative to the feed and ii) high chemical costs relative to the amount of product generated. The basket value reduction was primarily due to little to no scandium recovery due to poor leaching characteristics when using low acid concentrations as necessitated by the low feed grades. Operating costs were primarily influenced by the chemical costs relative to the kilograms of concentrate produced and feed grade. For the Fire Clay coarse refuse material, the total operating cost was estimated to be $354 per kg of REO produced which was higher than the basket value of the REO product ($276/kg). Approximately 37% of the total cost was the sulfuric acid used during the leaching process. A comparative analysis performed to assess the economic viability of using low-temperature plasma furnaces found that market value enhancement for the generation of both heavy REO and light REO concentrates will be needed in addition to significant technology advancements to reduce the cost of plasma furnaces.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Low-Temperature Plasma Treatment for Enhanced Recovery of Highly Valued Critical REEs from Coal (Final Technical Report)

The principle objective of this project was to develop a novel process flowsheet using low-temperature plasma treatment (LTP) integrated with conventional hydrometallurgical processes to recover rare earth elements (REEs), especially highly valued REEs (i.e. scandium and critical REEs), from coal and coal byproducts. LTP treatment was used to pretreat the solid feed material prior to leaching in an effort to improve the leaching characteristics of the REEs and potentially reduce acid consumption. Initially, a detailed experimental program was performed on a laboratory LTP furnace to identify a set of process parameter values to be used for assessing the enhanced leaching performance achieved on four specific gravity fractions of West Kentucky No. 13 and Fire Clay coarse coal refuse materials. High-temperature oxidation (HTO)) was also evaluated as a means for improving REE leachability on the same fractions of both coal sources. The lixiviants used to assess leachability improvements included i) untreated water, ii) 0.1 M ammonium sulfate solution and iii) 1.2 M sulfuric acid solution at a temperature of 75°C. The laboratory data was used to develop multiple process flow sheets using HTO only to produce a rare earth oxide mix concentrate or utilizing both LTP and HTO treatment processes to generate a high purity heavy REO mix concentrate and a light REO mix concentrate. A techno-economic analysis was performed on each circuit.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

Modeling a Fast Molten Salt Reactor with ORION

Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) are being actively pursued by several private companies in the United States and elsewhere as a viable technology that can enable a low-carbon future. These companies have invested heavily in the design of different types of MSRs. This has led to a response from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to provide assistance in furthering R&D in this area by fostering collaboration between US national laboratories and industry through the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative. With the renewed interest in MSRs, the full paper will focus on analyzing a single-stage MSR in a systems dynamics fuel cycles tool, ORION. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has chosen ORION, developed and maintained by the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) in the United Kingdom, to model fuel cycle scenarios. A single-stage MSR was set up in ORION using the ORIGEN reactor library for a fast MSR under analysis. The ORION results will be presented in this paper along with the results from the reactor physics model to compare the trends in various output of interest. The isotopic content of the salt evolves over time in an MSR. Certain MSR designs never reach equilibrium and continuously evolve over the entire life of the reactor. During the process of setting up the ORION MSR model, several assumptions had to be made to input parameters in ORION due to the current inability to account for certain behaviors inherent to MSRs. The model, these assumptions, and conclusions will be discussed in further detail in the full paper.

Davidson, Eva↗

Automated detection of part quality during two-photon lithography via deep learning

Two-photon lithography (TPL) is an additive manufacturing technique for fabricating three-dimensional objects with nanoscale features. A main challenge of TPL is the routine and labor-intensive task of finding suitable light dosage parameters, i.e. writing speed and laser intensity that induce photo-polymerization within a wide variety of candidate photo-curing polymers. Another challenge is the monitoring required during fabrication. In this work, we apply machine learning (ML) models to accelerate the process of identifying optimal light dosage parameters and automate the detection of part quality. We curate TPL videos of different parts fabricated under a range of light dosage parameters using different resins and train spatial-temporal ML models on this data. Our results show that ML models can detect TPL part quality with a 95.1% accuracy in milliseconds. We also evaluate classification failures and identify two operating modes: parameter optimization and part quality detection. Last but not least, we publicly release this labelled dataset so that it may serve as a useful benchmark to the community. Our approach to process optimization and part quality detection addresses important aspects of TPL industrialization, is applicable beyond TPL and should benefit other additive manufacturing techniques with similar barriers to operating at industrial scale.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fundamental Science and Technology of Flash Processing Robustness for Advanced High Strength Steels (AHSS)

“Flash processed” low carbon steel sheets were characterized using in-situ IR imaging, ex-situ dome deformation testing and microscopy. Due to flash processing set-up, cooling water flow and steam interfered with robust infrared temperature measurements. Though preliminary, rapidly heating the steel sheet to greater than 1170°C and then water quenching a few seconds later can result in through thickness microstructural gradients, where the center is harder than the exterior surfaces. This microstructural configuration sometimes results in a dome displacement ~75% relative to that observed in the more ductile as-received material. The presence of aluminum nitride (AlN) inclusions was confirmed, a likely byproduct from a de-oxidization reaction, and may reduce dome displacement (similar to strain to failure) significantly. Based on thermodynamic calculations, a high flash processing temperature (>1170°C) is recommended to dissolve these AlN inclusions in the austenite phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A global gridded dataset for cloud vertical structure from combined CloudSat and CALIPSO observations

Abstract. The vertical structure of clouds has a profound effect on the global energy budget, the global circulation, and the atmospheric hydrological cycle. The CloudSat and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) missions have taken complementary, colocated observations of cloud vertical structure for over a decade. However, no globally gridded dataset is available to the public for the full length of this unique combined data record. Here we present the 3S-GEOPROF-COMB product (Bertrand et al. 2023, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8057791), a globally gridded (level 3S) community data product summarizing geometrical profiles (GEOPROF) of hydrometeor occurrence from combined (COMB) CloudSat and CALIPSO data. Our product is calculated from the latest release (R05) of per-orbit (level-2) combined cloud mask profiles. We process a set of cloud cover, vertical cloud fraction, and sampling variables at 2.5, 5, and 10° spatial resolutions and monthly and seasonal temporal resolutions. We address the 2011 reduction in CloudSat data collection with Daylight-Only Operations (DO-Op) mode by subsampling pre-2011 data to mimic DO-Op collection patterns, thereby allowing users to evaluate the impact of the reduced sampling on their analyses. We evaluate our data product against CloudSat-only and CALIPSO-only global-gridded data products as well as four comparable surface-based sites, underscoring the added value of the combined product. Interest in the product is anticipated for the study of cloud processes, cloud–climate interactions, and as a candidate baseline climate data record for comparison to follow-up satellite missions, among other uses.

Bertrand, Leah (ORCID:0009000001607558)↗

Comparison of microstructural and mechanical properties of friction stir spot welded ultra-high strength dual phase and complex phase steels

Highlights: • The microstructure and mechanical properties of FSSW of ultra high strength DP and CP steels are compared. • The stir zone (SZ) of CP steel mainly consists of bainite and martensite; no bainite is identified in the SZ of DP steel. • The cooling was not fast enough for the CP steel to suppress the effect of chemical composition on phase transformation. - Abstract: The microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir spot welding of ultrahigh strength dual phase (DP) and complex phase (DP) steels are compared based on the experimental results. For both DP and CP steels, FSSW joints are successfully fabricated using the same process parameter set. While the microstructure of joints are characterized in detail using scanning electron microscopy, electron back scattered diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy, the mechanical property of joints are evaluated by shear tensile tests. The result of the microstructural analysis shows that the stir zone (SZ) of CP steel mainly consists of bainite and martensite, while no bainite is identified in the SZ of DP steel. The existence of bainite in the SZ of CP steel suggests that the cooling rate, which is nearly identical for both CP and DP steels, was not fast enough to suppress the effect of the alloying composition, particularly that of Mn, on the phase transformation. The result of the present study contributes to the development of solid state joining process of the ultrahigh strength steels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Binding profiles for 961 Drosophila and C. elegans transcription factors reveal tissue-specific regulatory relationships

A catalog of transcription factor (TF) binding sites in the genome is critical for deciphering regulatory relationships. Here, we present the culmination of the efforts of the modENCODE (model organism Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) and modERN (model organism Encyclopedia of Regulatory Networks) consortia to systematically assay TF binding events in vivo in two major model organisms,Drosophila melanogaster(fly) andCaenorhabditis elegans(worm). These data sets comprise 605 TFs identifying 3.6 M sites in the fly and 356 TFs identifying 0.9 M sites in the worm, and represent the majority of the regulatory space in each genome. We demonstrate that TFs associate with chromatin in clusters termed “metapeaks,” that larger metapeaks have characteristics of high-occupancy target (HOT) regions, and that the importance of consensus sequence motifs bound by TFs depends on metapeak size and complexity. Combining ChIP-seq data with single-cell RNA-seq data in a machine-learning model identifies TFs with a prominent role in promoting target gene expression in specific cell types, even differentiating between parent–daughter cells during embryogenesis. These data are a rich resource for the community that should fuel and guide future investigations into TF function. To facilitate data accessibility and utility, all strains expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged TFs are available at the stock centers for each organism. The chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data are available through the ENCODE Data Coordinating Center, GEO, and through a direct interface that provides rapid access to processed data sets and summary analyses, as well as widgets to probe the cell-type-specific TF–target relationships.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology↗

Exchange-Biased Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect

The quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect is characterized by a dissipationless chiral edge state with a quantized Hall resistance at zero magnetic field. Manipulating the QAH state is of great importance in both the understanding of topological quantum physics and the implementation of dissipationless electronics. Here, the QAH effect is realized in the magnetic topological insulator Cr-doped (Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 (CBST) grown on an uncompensated antiferromagnetic insulator Al-doped Cr 2 O 3 . Through polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR), a strong exchange coupling is found between CBST and Al-Cr 2 O 3 surface spins fixing interfacial magnetic moments perpendicular to the film plane. Further, the interfacial coupling results in an exchange-biased QAH effect. This study further demonstrates that the magnitude and sign of the exchange bias can be effectively controlled using a field training process to set the magnetization of the Al-Cr 2 O 3 layer. It demonstrates the use of the exchange bias effect to effectively manipulate the QAH state, opening new possibilities in QAH-based spintronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Search for lepton-flavor-violating τ – → μ – μ + μ – decays at Belle II

We present the result of a search for the charged-lepton-flavor violating decay τ – → μ – μ + μ – using a 424 fb –1 sample of data recorded by the Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB e + e – collider. The selection of e + e – → τ + τ – events is based on an inclusive reconstruction of the non-signal tau decay, and on a boosted decision tree to suppress background. We observe one signal candidate, which is compatible with the expectation from background processes. We set a 90% confidence level upper limit of 1.9 × 10 –8 on the branching fraction of the τ – → μ – μ + μ – decay, which is the most stringent bound to date.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Benchmarking CO₂ storage simulations: Results from the 11 th Society of Petroleum Engineers Comparative Solution Project

The 11 th Society of Petroleum Engineers Comparative Solution Project (shortened SPE11 herein) benchmarked simulation tools for geological carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) storage. A total of 45 groups from leading research institutions and industry across the globe signed up to participate, with 18 ultimately contributing valid results that were included in the comparative study reported here. This paper summarizes the SPE11 results. A comprehensive introduction and qualitative discussion of the submitted data are provided, together with an overview of online resources for accessing the full depth of data. A global metric for analyzing the relative distance between submissions is proposed and used to conduct a quantitative analysis of the submissions. This analysis attempts to statistically resolve the key aspects influencing the variability between submissions. The study shows that the major qualitative variation between the submitted results is related to thermal effects, dissolution-driven convective mixing, and resolution of facies discontinuities. Moreover, a strong dependence on grid resolution is observed across all three versions of the SPE11. However, our quantitative analysis suggests that the observed variations are predominantly influenced by factors not documented in the technical responses provided by the participants. We therefore identify that unreported variations due to human choices within the process of setting up, conducting, and reporting on the simulations underlying each SPE11 submission are at least as impactful as the computational choices reported.

Nordbotten, Jan M. [Univ. of Bergen (Norway); Norw↗

Automated high-throughput tensile testing reveals stochastic process parameter sensitivity

The mechanical properties of additively manufactured metals tend to show high variability, due largely to the stochastic nature of defect formation during the printing process. This study seeks to understand how automated high throughput testing can be utilized to understand the variable nature of additively manufactured metals at different print conditions, and to allow for statistically meaningful analysis. This is demonstrated by analyzing how different processing parameters, including laser power, scan velocity, and scan pattern, influence the tensile behavior of additively manufactured stainless steel 316L utilizing a newly developed automated test methodology. Microstructural characterization through computed tomography and electron backscatter diffraction is used to understand some of the observed trends in mechanical behavior. Specifically, grain size and morphology are shown to depend on processing parameters and influence the observed mechanical behavior. In the current study, laser-powder bed fusion, also known as selective laser melting or direct metal laser sintering, is shown to produce 316L over a wide processing range without substantial detrimental effect on the tensile properties. Ultimate tensile strengths above 600 MPa, which are greater than that for typical wrought annealed 316L with similar grain sizes, and elongations to failure greater than 40% were observed. As a result, it is demonstrated that this process has little sensitivity to minor intentional or unintentional variations in laser velocity and power.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Chemical composition based machine learning model to predict defect formation in additive manufacturing

With a goal of exploiting additive manufacturing to improve the manufacturing of existing reactor materials, we developed a chemical composition-based machine learning model to predict the printability of any given alloy in laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) using experimental data from peer-reviewed literature. We defined printability as the ability to avoid defects like cracking, balling, porosity, and lack of fusion, that are caused by thermal stresses (during solidification or liquation), molten pool disintegration into disconnected small beads or lack of heat input respectively. Our models predict the tendency of balling defect formation and porosity percentage for a given composition, under a given set of processing conditions. To predict the likelihood of balling defect, three models: a random forest classifier, a gradient boost regressor and a neural network were trained on a dataset containing both traditional alloys and high entropy alloys. The neural network model showed the highest accuracy of 92.3 % in predicting the balling defect formation. A random forest regressor, gradient boost regressor and neural network were trained and tested on a dataset of various alloys to predict porosity. The random forest regressor showed the best predictions with an R 2 score of 0.97. The models also revealed the relative importance of the input descriptors on defect-formation tendency. Of particular significance was the identification of carbon as an important element in determining the occurrence of balling and percent porosity in alloys like steel, as well as being moderately important to the percentage porosity in other alloys as well as steel. Manganese was also identified as a key descriptor for the percentage of porosity in steel and other alloys. Manganese’s low thermal conductivity and consistent presence in the dataset is the likely cause for its contribution. Carbon’s role is attributable to its relatively high specific heat and high melting temperature. In conclusion, our model serves as a swift, chemistry-based tool to design experiments and find modified compositions better suited for additive manufacturing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗