Novel x-ray technique of functional materials maps their architecture

Researchers at the Swiss Light Source (SLS) recently developed a pioneering x-ray technique to probe the 3D orientation of a material’s building blocks at the nanoscale. Applied to a polycrystalline catalyst, the technique allows the visualization of crystal grains, grain boundaries and defects—key factors dictating catalyst performance. Beyond catalysis, the innovation unlocks previously inaccessible details about the structure of diverse functional materials in numerous applications.

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Sustainable building components create a good indoor climate

Researchers from ETH Zurich have explored a new passive dehumidification approach for indoor spaces, where high humidity is absorbed by walls and ceilings and temporarily stored in a hygroscopic material. This method, which releases moisture when the room is ventilated, offers an energy-efficient alternative to mechanical dehumidification systems commonly used in high-traffic areas like offices, museums, and government buildings. According to Professor Guillaume Habert, this solution is ideal for spaces where existing ventilation systems are insufficient.

Habert and his research team followed the principle of the circular economy in their search for a suitable hygroscopic material. The starting point is finely ground waste from marble quarries. A binder is needed to turn this powder into moisture-binding wall and ceiling components. This task is performed by a geopolymer, a class of materials consisting of metakaolin (known from porcelain production) and an alkaline solution (potassium silicate and water). The alkaline solution activates the metakaolin and provides a geopolymer binder that binds the marble powder to form a solid building material. The geopolymer binder is comparable to cement but emits less CO2 during its production.

In the ETH project, the scientists succeeded in producing a prototype of a wall and ceiling component measuring 20 × 20 cm and 4 cm thick. Production was carried out using 3D printing in a group led by Benjamin Dillenburger, Professor for Digital Building Technologies. In this process, the marble powder is applied in layers and glued by the geopolymer binder (binder jet printing technology). “This process enables the efficient production of components in a wide variety of shapes,” says Benjamin Dillenburger.

Combining geopolymer and 3D printing to produce a moisture reservoir is an innovative approach to sustainable construction. Building physicist Magda Posani led the study of the material’s hygroscopic properties at ETH Zurich before recently taking on a professorship at Aalto University in Espoo, Finland. The project is based on the doctoral theses of materials scientist Vera Voney, supervised by Senior Research Associate Coralie Brumaud and architect Pietro Odaglia, who developed the material and the 3D printing machine at ETH.

“We were able to demonstrate with numerical simulations that the building components can significantly reduce humidity in heavily used indoor spaces,” says Posani, summarising the main result of the research project. For the simulation, it was assumed that the walls and ceiling of a reading room used by 15 people in a public library in Oporto, Portugal had been completely lined with hygroscopic components. Magda Posani calculated how often and to what extent the humidity exceeded the comfort zone, i.e. 40 to 60 percent relative humidity in this virtual reading room over the course of a year. From this, she calculated a discomfort index, a figure that expresses the loss of comfort caused by excessively high or low humidity. If the reading room were fitted with the moisture-binding components, the discomfort index could be reduced by 75 percent compared to a conventional painted wall. If components were used that were 5 cm thick instead of just 4 cm, the discomfort index fell by as much as 85 percent.

The hygroscopic wall and ceiling components are climate-friendly, i.e. they cause significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions over a 30-year life cycle than a ventilation system that dehumidifies air quality to the same extent. In the simulation calculations, the wall and ceiling components were also compared with a clay plaster that has been used since time immemorial and also passively regulates the air humidity in indoor spaces. This old technique proved to be even more climate-friendly than the hygroscopic components. However, the plaster has a lower storage capacity for water vapour.

The research at ETH has shown that the combination of geopolymer and 3D printing can be used to produce wall and ceiling components for efficient moisture buffering. After this proof of concept, the technology is, in principle, ready to be further developed and scaled for industrial manufacture. At the same time, research continues. In a project with Turin Polytechnic and Aalto University, ETH Zurich is working to produce wall and ceiling components with even lower greenhouse gas emissions. Because one thing is clear: if Switzerland wants to achieve its net zero target by 2050, it needs buildings that cause as little greenhouse gas emissions as possible during construction and use.

For more information: Nature Communications

Designing nano-architected materials using ML and 3D printing

Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering have used machine learning and 3D printing to create nano-architected materials that combine the strength of carbon steel with the lightness of Styrofoam. In a new paper, Professor Tobin Filleter’s team describes these nanomaterials, which offer exceptional strength, light weight, and customizability, potentially benefiting industries from automotive to aerospace.

“Nano-architected materials combine high-performance shapes, like making a bridge out of triangles, at nanoscale sizes, which takes advantage of the ‘smaller is stronger’ effect, to achieve some of the highest strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, of any material,” said Peter Serles, the first author of the new paper. “However, the standard lattice shapes and geometries used tend to have sharp intersections and corners, which leads to the problem of stress concentrations. This results in early local failure and breakage of the materials, limiting their overall potential. “As I thought about this challenge, I realized that it is a perfect problem for machine learning to tackle.”

Nano-architected materials are made of tiny building blocks or repeating units measuring a few hundred nanometres in size – it would take more than 100 of them patterned in a row to reach the thickness of a human hair. These building blocks, which in this case are composed of carbon, are arranged in complex 3D structures called nanolattices.

To design their improved materials, Serles and Filleter worked with Professor Seunghwa Ryu and PhD student Jinwook Yeo at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea. This partnership was initiated through the University of Toronto’s International Doctoral Clusters program, which supports doctoral training through research engagement with international collaborators.

The KAIST team employed the multi-objective Bayesian optimization machine learning algorithm. This algorithm learned from simulated geometries to predict the best possible geometries for enhancing stress distribution and improving the strength-to-weight ratio of nano-architected designs.

Serles then used a two-photon polymerization 3D printer housed in the Centre for Research and Application in Fluidic Technologies (CRAFT) to create prototypes for experimental validation. This technology enables 3D printing at the micro and nanoscale – creating optimized carbon nanolattices.

These optimized nanolattices more than doubled the strength of existing designs – withstanding stress of 2.03 megapascals for every cubic meter per kilogram of its density, which is about five times higher than titanium.

“This is the first time machine learning has been applied to optimize nano-architected materials, and we were shocked by the improvements,” said Serles. “It didn’t just replicate successful geometries from the training data; it learned from what changes to the shapes worked and what didn’t, enabling it to predict entirely new lattice geometries. Machine learning is normally very data-intensive, and it’s difficult to generate a lot of data when you’re using high-quality data from finite element analysis. But the multi-objective Bayesian optimization algorithm only needed 400 data points, whereas other algorithms might need 20,000 or more. So, we were able to work with a much smaller but an extremely high-quality data set.”

“We hope that these new material designs will eventually lead to ultra-lightweight components in aerospace applications, such as planes, helicopters, and spacecraft that can reduce fuel demands during flight while maintaining safety and performance,” said Filleter.

“This can ultimately help reduce the high carbon footprint of flying. For example, if you were to replace components made of titanium on a plane with this material, you would be looking at fuel savings of 80 liters per year for every kilogram of material you replace,” said Serles.

“Our next steps will focus on further improving the scale-up of these material designs to enable cost-effective macroscale components,” said Filleter. “In addition, we will continue to explore new designs that push the material architectures to even lower density while maintaining high strength and stiffness.”

For more information: Advanced Materials

Materials that absorb carbon and combat climate change

Switching to building materials designed to store carbon dioxide could significantly advance net-zero greenhouse gas emission efforts. A new study estimates that using CO2-sequestering materials could capture up to 16.6 ± 2.8 gigatons of CO2 annually, nearly 50% of 2021’s global CO2 emissions. Reducing atmospheric CO2 and lowering emissions is crucial for slowing global warming. Construction materials, due to their widespread use and long lifespan, could serve as major carbon reservoirs. Van Roijen and her team suggest incorporating carbon aggregates into concrete and using bio-based components in bricks.

The study highlights that the carbon storage potential depends more on the volume of material used (e.g., cement, which stores less carbon per unit but is ubiquitous) than the amount of carbon stored per unit weight. However, challenges remain, including resistance from builders hesitant to adopt new materials due to liability concerns, limited availability of carbon-sequestering minerals, and the need for a carefully managed supply chain.

These challenges, underscore the importance of systemic changes to make these innovations viable.

For more information: Science

These nanoscale ‘soccer balls’ make leafhoppers antireflective and waterproof

A recent study may provide insights into the distinctive coating on leafhoppers’ skin, potentially inspiring the creation of innovative new materials. Leafhoppers, which encompass over 20,000 small insect species, are adorned with hollow, soccer ball–shaped nanoparticles composed of proteins and lipids. These nanoparticles, known as “brochosomes,” were first identified in the 1950s. They help the insects’ skin repel water and minimize light reflection. The exact shape and size of brochosomes vary among different species.

Elizabeth Bello, a graduate student in Marianne Alleyne’s entomology lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, applied techniques developed by materials scientists to pick up brochosomes individually, compress them, and study their mechanical properties. The balls’ size, shape, and material properties determine how well they resist compression and cling to surfaces, Alleyne reported earlier this month at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. Further study of brochosomes could help the development of materials with a wide range of applications, including waterproofing, camouflage, self-cleaning surfaces, and even data encryption and anticounterfeiting devices.

For more information: Science Advances

Uncrackable: Scorpions and sponges inspire sustainable design

In a new study, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Professor Daniel Wagner, demonstrate how design principles from ancient creatures like scorpions and sponges can enhance the resilience of human-made materials, promoting sustainable design. Professor Wagner explains that natural materials have evolved over millions of years in resource-limited and harsh environments, inherently developing sustainable structures such as trees, plants, bones, and skeletons.

“In this respect, durability is key,” says study coauthor Dr. Israel Greenfeld. “Living organisms, for example, display a variety of specialized strategies to deal with outside forces while expending the least amount of energy – which is why there is so much to be learned from nature, as we try to develop stronger and longer-lasting materials of our own.”

Improved, efficient materials offer an important avenue toward a more sustainable future because they can lead to less waste and a reduced need for fuel. But any attempt to enhance an advantageous property of a material tends to come at the expense of another of its attributes. Increasing strength, for instance, will typically lead to increased weight or decreased flexibility.

“Nature, it turns out, finds amazing ways to optimize the balance,” Greenfeld says. One optimization feature found in a variety of tough organic substances is laminate construction: materials composed of different substances layered or interlaced together. This type of composite material often exhibits strength and resilience, while maintaining other beneficial properties, such as being lightweight and flexible.

Wagner and Greenfeld examined two natural laminates that show an exceptional degree of toughness: the outer shell, or cuticle, of a scorpion and the inner skeleton, or spicule, of a sea sponge. The researchers found that the secret of their resilience lies in grading, a specialized strategy that is rarely found in human-made materials: a gradual change in properties from one layer to another.

In both creatures, the different layers vary in thickness, and in the scorpion’s shell, they also decrease in stiffness from exterior to interior, so that the surface facing the harsh world the scorpion inhabits has greater resilience than its shell’s interior. In fact, the researchers’ study of the scorpion – which built on the work commenced at Weizmann by Dr. Israel Kellersztein, a former student on Wagner’s team – showed that the organism’s complex shell is a composite constructed from eight different structural levels.

In both the scorpion and the sponge, a subtle yet powerful “reshuffling” or rearranging of laminate layers was found to serve as a biological tradeoff between conflicting properties, helping them withstand the types of stress they are typically up against.

Thanks to grading, the scorpion’s shell and the sponge’s skeleton, while being tough and strong, are particularly good at resisting cracks. Even though they differ in terms of chemical composition and structure, both optimize this resistance using the same principle: fracture deflection. This means that in both organisms, cracks are mitigated by diverting their path. As soon as a crack starts emerging in the material, it is “encouraged” by the material’s graded structure to change course and run parallel to the surface, rather than go deeper, where it would likely cause more massive structural damage, potentially leading to catastrophic collapse.

To better understand how grading works in both organisms, the researchers adapted a model from classical fracture mechanics, the field that deals with how things break. The model showed that without grading, obtaining the same resilience in both the scorpion and the sponge would have required more wasteful measures, such as thicker components. It also showed that resilience is improved by shifting more material to structural regions that are more critical in terms of durability.

The researchers didn’t stop there. They showed how, in bioinspired materials, grading could be used in ways that nature hadn’t yet come up with. “Using this model, we were able to shift around the grading levels in ways that the scorpion and the sponge hadn’t quite ‘thought’ of,” says Greenfeld.

Greenfeld and Wagner point out that importing concepts such as grading into human-made designs is highly challenging. “For humans, such design is innovative,” says Greenfeld. “Biological structures are created bottom-up – from tiny, nano-metric building blocks, to microscopic structures, and onward to larger and larger structures – whereas in engineering, one usually doesn’t start at the molecular level.”

Still, while the scorpion’s structure is especially complex, other natural microstructures, such as that of the sea sponge, can be more readily applied in engineering. In the sponge’s skeleton, for example, apart from grading, cracks are slowed down or stopped by the fact that brittle layers are interspersed with minute amounts of softer layers. “It’s a ceramic, it’s basically made of silica, not the type of material you usually expect to display strong fracture resistance,” Wagner says.

A better understanding of the strategies found in natural composite materials, explain the researchers, could help engineers optimize our own human-made composites, a wide family of materials that ranges from the ubiquitous cement to specialized fiber-reinforced laminates used in aerospace industries.

The scorpion cuticle is hair-thin – about 0.1mm thick, comprising some 20 layers made of many nested Bouligands. A Bouligand is a twisted helical structure consisting of about 100 nanolayers that are each 50 nanometers thick. A single nanolayer is built of 5 nanometer-thick chitin-protein fibrils, collected into fibers.

Wagner and Greenfeld, who have been working together for over a decade, come from different professional backgrounds. Wagner has long conducted basic research into the micromechanics of biological composite materials and of human-made nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene. Greenfeld, meanwhile, has enjoyed a career in aviation engineering, a field where efficiency is key. He also draws from different fields of material use, from structural design to systems engineering and invention. “Coming from the world of hands-on creation, Dr. Greenfeld brings a different perspective to our lab – and we both benefit from the collaboration,” Wagner says.

“Our work is not about copying, exactly,” he adds. “It’s about being inspired by nature’s designs.”

“How to use this inspiration depends, of course, on one’s engineering goals, but it’s also about expanding the horizons of what one can do with engineering,” says Greenfeld.

For more information: Scientific Reports

Researchers develop revolutionary Diamond fabrication technology

A research team led by Professors Zhiqin Chu and Yuan Lin at the University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with Professors Kwai Hei Li and Qi Wang, has developed a groundbreaking method for producing ultrathin and ultra-flexible diamond membranes. These membranes are compatible with current semiconductor manufacturing processes, allowing their integration into various applications, including electronic, photonic, mechanical, acoustic, and quantum devices.

The team’s innovative edge-exposed exfoliation method allows for the rapid, scalable production of free-standing diamond membranes. This technique surpasses traditional methods, which are typically expensive, time-consuming, and limited in size. Notably, the new process can produce a two-inch diamond wafer in just 10 seconds, setting a new benchmark for efficiency and scalability in the field.

These ultra-flat diamond surfaces, essential for high-precision micromanufacturing, along with the flexibility of the membranes, open up new possibilities for next-generation flexible and wearable electronic and photonic devices. The research team envisions significant industrial applications in electronics, photonics, mechanics, thermics, acoustics, and quantum technologies.

“We hope to promote the usage of the high-figure-of-merit diamond membrane in various fields, and to commercialize this cutting-edge technology and deliver premium diamond membranes, setting a new standard in the semiconductor industry. We are eager to collaborate with academic and industry partners to bring this revolutionary product to market and accelerate the arrival of the diamond era,” concluded Professor Chu.

Diamonds, renowned globally as valuable gemstones, possess exceptional versatility in various scientific and engineering applications. They are the hardest natural material, boasting unparalleled thermal conductivity at room temperature, extremely high carrier mobility, dielectric breakdown strength, an ultrawide bandgap, and optical transparency spanning from the infrared to the deep-ultraviolet spectrum. These remarkable properties make diamonds ideal for fabricating advanced high-power, high-frequency electronic devices, photonic devices, and heat spreaders to cool high-power-density electronic components, such as those in processors, semiconductor lasers, and electric vehicles. However, the inert nature and rigid crystal structure of diamonds pose significant challenges in fabrication and mass production, particularly for ultrathin and freestanding diamond membranes, thereby restricting their widespread usage.

For more information: Nature

GTP elastomer sockets for high-speed applications

Ironwood Electronics, Eagan, Minn., is now producing elastomer sockets which include a protective “P” layer that allows for more insertions by protecting the elastomer from erosion and debris build up, extending the life of the elastomers to 200,000 plus insertions.

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Researchers develop new semiconductor materials that change color

A team of scientists led by Associate Professor Nripan Mathews from NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering has successfully synthesized four groundbreaking types of perovskites, with Dr. Ayan Zhumekenov pioneering a unique method by incorporating dimethyl carbonate—a non-toxic solvent—into methylammonium-based perovskite crystals.

By examining the new crystal structures, the researchers found they could modify the band gap, which determines the material’s color and represents the energy needed for an electron to escape its bound state and achieve conductivity, by varying the proportions of methylammonium and dimethyl carbonate within the materials.

The capability to manipulate the width of the band gap is crucial for the diverse uses of perovskites. The newly developed 2D halide perovskites also demonstrate a dynamic “switchable” property.

The researchers discovered that one of the perovskites can alternate between two color states, transitioning from orange to red when subjected to a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius and returning to its initial color upon cooling back to room temperature.

The scientists showed that this color-changing reaction could be repeated for up to 25 cycles. This thermochromic switching phenomenon presents opportunities for applications such as smart coatings and heat-sensitive inks that alter color at varying temperatures.

The researchers are optimistic that their breakthrough will lead to technological advancements involving 2D halide perovskites in optoelectronics and other fields.

For more information: Journal of the American Chemical Society

Image: NTU’s novel perovskites. Credit: NTU.

 

Scientists grow stronger materials using cyanobacteria

Researchers have successfully grown bacterial cells within sand-based construction materials, marking a significant advance in biodesign, which combines biological and architectural innovations to create more sustainable building materials. By integrating living organisms into construction, this approach aims to transform how structures are designed and built. Cyanobacteria, known for their unique biological properties, have the potential to solidify inorganic materials like CO2, highlighting the immense value of incorporating living systems into industrial processes, particularly in the construction sector.

The process explored involves the biological deposition of bacteria – such as cyanobacterial calcium carbonate precipitation – and its integration with a robotic deposition, namely a sand-based biomixture, within an architectural biofabrication workflow.

After successfully growing two bacterial strains in potential sand-based construction materials, the researchers used microbiological protocols, such as optical density and fluorescence measurements, to follow bacterial growth and activity. This was done with the larger goal of harvesting light through photosynthesis and harnessing it to CO2 deposition and the sedimentation of calcium carbonate for strengthening sand-based construction components.

Ultimately, the researchers managed to outline a robotic deposition system for sand-based mixtures.

The paper was co-authored by researchers at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa, Israel, in the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning and the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering.

For more information: Research Directions: Biotechnology Design

Image: Scientists are revolutionizing construction by incorporating cyanobacteria into sand-based materials. This biodesign approach enhances sustainability and structural strength while introducing eco-friendly innovations. 

Raith acquires Xnovo Technology

Raith, Denmark, a developer of maskless nanofabrication systems and characterization solutions, acquired Xnovo Technology ApS, a dynamic and innovative technology development company in Denmark specializing in advanced imaging methods and materials characterization.

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TESCAN Group acquires EXpressLO LLC

TESCAN Group, a.s, Czech Republic, a leading global manufacturer of electron microscopes and advanced scientific instruments, has acquired EXpressLO LLC, Lehigh Acres, Fla., a provider of innovative FIB lift-out solutions for specimen preparation in STEM and other analytical techniques.

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Failure and collapse of the Arecibo Observatory telescope assessed by new report

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Washington, D.C., analyzes the causes of the 2020 collapse of the National Science Foundation’s telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, where NSF maintained research operations for its National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, and draws lessons learned for other unique, critical science facilities.

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Airbus and Plastometrex partner on standardization of PIP

In a significant move to streamline mechanical testing and enhance material insights, Airbus, France, the global aerospace leader, is collaborating with Plastometrex, England, to support the standardization of profilometry-based indentation plastometry (PIP) – the innovative mechanical testing technique developed and commercialized by the Cambridge-based technology provider.

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Nanoscale transistors could enable more efficient electronics

In order to overcome a fundamental limit of silicon semiconductor technology that prevents transistors from operating below a certain voltage, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers fabricated a different type of three-dimensional transistor using a unique set of ultrathin semiconductor materials.

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Release of the Xtrology fully automated thin film inspection system

HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd., Japan, released the fully automated thin film inspection system, Xtrology, that combines spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence sensors making it possible to perform important inspections, such as film thickness measurement, defect analysis, and composition analysis of various wafers with a single instrument.

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Hours needed to mill forming tools? A thing of the past!

The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Germany, is pioneering a new approach in fuel cell production by using extreme high-speed laser material deposition to create wear-resistant functional metal layers on low-cost structural steel, replacing traditional milling methods and significantly reducing costs, construction time, and tool wear.

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Surprising discovery of grain boundary structures

Scientists from the Research Center Future Energy Materials and Systems of the University Alliance Ruhr, Germany, used state-of-the-art microscopy and simulation techniques to systematically observe how iron atoms alter the structure of grain boundaries in titanium. They were surprised by the results: “Iron atoms not only segregate to the interface, but they form entirely unexpected cage-like structures,” explains Prof. Christian Liebscher, lead of the international research team. The researchers did not expect such a behavior.

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Nikon divests laser scanning division in agreement with UK’s Metrology

Nikon Corp. (Tokyo) has announced that U.K.-based LK Metrology Ltd. (Derby) has acquired Nikon’s laser scanning and Focus Inspection software business. The acquisition makes strategic sense, as the two companies have previously worked together providing non-contact inspection solutions. In addition, Nikon’s deal with long-time collaborator LK Metrology, ensures continued development of its pioneering 3D measurement technology.

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ORNL research aims to support production of large-scale components

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee are leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques, such as Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) Powder Metallurgy and Additive Manufacturing, to produce parts weighing over 4,500 kg. ORNL highlights the urgent need for these large-scale components across various sectors, including aerospace, defense, nuclear, oil, gas, renewables, and construction. This demand is particularly pressing in the US, where traditional manufacturing methods like casting and forging have declined and moved overseas, leading to supply-chain shortages.

Senior research scientists Jason Mayeur and Soumya Nag are hoping to add Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), hybrid manufacturing, in-situ monitoring and advanced computational modeling to HIP technology to create molds faster and more accurately whilst leveraging the PM technology American manufacturers may be more acquainted with.

“PM-HIP is a vital pathway for diversifying the supply chain for producing large-scale metal parts that are becoming more difficult to source via conventional means,” Mayeur explained. “The technology is of particular interest to the nuclear and hydroelectric industrial sectors, as well as the Department of Defense.”

In contrast with traditional casting and forging techniques, PM-HIP involves fabricating pre-formed, hollow molds for each large-scale component and filling them with metal powder. Once the additively manufactured mold (aka a ‘can’ or ‘capsule’) receives an initial seal, any gas remaining inside is pumped out. Then, a more permanent hermetic seal is applied.

At this point, the capsule is heated and pressurized in prescribed cycles within a Hot Isostatic Press (essentially a pressurized furnace). Without melting, these cycles facilitate the consolidation of the metal powder into the required shape in a process exchange of heat and pressure known as solid-state bonding. When bonding is complete, acid leaching or machining is used to remove the exterior can, revealing the intended part.

Jason Mayeur works in the Deposition Science and Technology Group at ORNL, where he applies his knowledge in computational solid mechanics to manufacturing challenges. His two-decade research career began with the use of computational models to understand the relationships between materials microstructure and performance. He has since segued into the analysis of the structural material performance of metals and alloys.

In this arena, Mayeur develops theory, writes code to implement his theories, and then performs simulations of solids under various loading conditions to determine their suitability for use in a variety of applications. In short, Mayeur’s code can be used to improve the PM-HIP process, thus making it a more attractive alternative to traditional casting and forging.

Soumya Nag, Mayeur’s colleague at ORNL, works in the Materials Science and Technology Division, applying his own two decades of research experience in materials and manufacturing. Nag is a metallurgist with expertise in evaluating lightweight, high-temperature structural alloys fabricated via conventional and advanced manufacturing techniques.

“Jason is an expert in predictive modeling of deformation characteristics of Hot Isostatic Pressing canisters. I am more involved in the experimental side of things. Jason and I complement each other, and really, our two efforts are very much intertwined and critical toward the overall success of the task,” Nag said.

Nag’s research centers on the processing and materials science of HIP capsule fabrication, using various additive manufacturing techniques and assessing the quality of the resulting component parts.

“Additive Manufacturing offers unique design flexibility, which, combined with the reliability of PM-HIP, can pave the path toward precise manufacturing of large-scale, custom and complex, energy-related parts while also taking advantage of multi-material builds,” he explained.

Nag collaborates with Mayeur to design and perform experiments that characterize the metal powder material’s behavior and its mechanical properties in pursuit of a better, more accurate build while providing the necessary material property inputs for Mayeur’s computational models.

Mayeur’s work targets many technological challenges posed by the PM-HIP process, striving for quality and consistency in geometry to achieve dimensional accuracy at a very large scale. One challenge is shrinkage. During PM-HIP, the volume of metal powder within the can shrinks by approximately 30%, but not uniformly.

To address these inconsistencies, Mayeur’s computational models work to predict how the shrinkage occurs for different part geometries and capsule designs. This is an iterative process that occurs after initial capsule design, using the simulation results as a guide to modify the final design.

For more information: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

Image: This additively manufactured PM-HIP will be used to create an impeller for a hydropower impeller, demonstrating a new approach for creating large-scale clean energy components. (Courtesy Carlos Jones/ORNL, US DoE)