Soft magnetic steel combines low coercivity with high permeability and resistivity
October 6, 2016
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Carpenter Technology Corp., Wyomissing, Pa., has developed Cartech Hypocore, a new soft magnetic steel that offers performance benefits between those found in Carpenter's high-performance Hipercore family of high-cobalt magnetic alloys, and those of commercial silicon-based alloys.
This new electrical steel can provide lower core loss and higher induction than the Hiperco alloys, even at a low applied magnetic field. Hypocore can also be used at higher frequencies with less heat generation. It exhibits a unique combination of properties, such as low coercivity, high permeability, and high electrical resistivity, which makes motors and generators operate more efficiently. This new material offers potential benefits to next-generation electrical machines, as well as to electromagnetic devices such as laminations or assembled cores for small machines where higher efficiency and smaller size are important.
Initial manufacturing is already underway, and material is available upon request at different sheet thicknesses (from 0.005 to 0.025 in.) for testing and prototyping purposes. Carpenter can also support commercial orders. Please call 610-208-2000 for additional information.
www.cartech.com
Carpenter Technology Corp., Wyomissing, Pa., has developed Cartech Hypocore, a new soft magnetic steel that offers performance benefits between those found in Carpenter’s high-performance Hipercore family of high-cobalt magnetic alloys, and those of commercial silicon-based alloys.
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Asian electronic company selects Harper for elevator furnaces
July 27, 2016
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Harper International, Buffalo, N.Y., has been selected by a leading Asian electronic components firm for the design of two high-temperature elevator furnaces for its production plant. The furnaces will sinter specialty ferrite materials processed at 3090°F in an oxygen atmosphere.
Harper's Elevator kiln systems were chosen for the high-quality design, engineering, and construction that Harper is known for. The design incorporates superior thermal uniformity and extremely high system up-time, supporting the yield of high quality, finished products.
"Harper's teams of talented engineers continuously strive to meet and exceed customers' goals and expectations. This unique furnace system is another great example of our commitment to providing advanced technologies and tailored solutions," commented Brian Fuller, Sales Manager at Harper International.
www.harperintl.com/technologies
Harper International, Buffalo, N.Y., has been selected by a leading Asian electronic components firm for the design of two high-temperature elevator furnaces for its production plant.
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Juno carries nine instruments, a titanium vault, and 3D printed brackets
July 6, 2016
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Developed by Lockheed Martin, Sunnyvale, Calif., the Juno spacecraft is hexagonal in shape, is 3.5 meters tall and 3.5 meters in diameter, and has a liftoff mass of about 8000 pounds. It carries a suite of nine instruments capable of observations from radio and microwave through infrared, visible, and ultraviolet frequencies, in addition to particle sensors and magnetometers. To protect the sensitive spacecraft electronics, Juno has a unique titanium vault with walls one centimeter thick, mounted between the spacecraft main structure and its high gain antenna.
The vault acts as shielding to protect the critical spacecraft computers and instrument computers from the high energy particles it encounters when the orbit comes close to the planet. Juno is also the first planetary spacecraft to fly 3D-printed parts. A dozen 3D-printed wave guide brackets are made of a titanium alloy.
Juno is the first solar-powered spacecraft to operate at Jupiter, and it also holds the record as the farthest spacecraft from the sun to operate on solar power.
To power the computer, instruments, and heaters, Juno has three 30-foot-long solar arrays with a combined 18,698 individual solar cells covering an area of 535 square feet. On Earth, the arrays would be capable of generating over 14 kilowatts, yet will provide only about 500 watts at Jupiter.
The spacecraft is designed for one-year science operations with 33 elliptical orbits, and it will purposely de-orbit into Jupiter in early 2018 to protect Jupiter's moons from any spacecraft debris that could impact them.
http://spaceflight101.com/juno/spacecraft-information/
Developed by Lockheed Martin, Sunnyvale, Calif., the Juno spacecraft is hexagonal in shape, is 3.5 meters tall and 3.5 meters in diameter, and has a liftoff mass of about 8000 pounds.
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The world loses Karl A. Gschneidner
June 6, 2016
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Ames Laboratory Senior metallurgist Karl A. Gschneidner Jr., known around the world as Mr. Rare Earth, passed away April 27 at the age of 85. A Fellow of ASM International, Dr. Gschneidner began work on his Ph.D. at Iowa State University in 1955 and hired on as an Ames Laboratory graduate researcher in metallurgy. After receiving his doctorate from Iowa State in 1957, Dr. Gschneidner took a job in the Chemistry and Metallurgy Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory, and was promoted to section leader in 1961.
An opening at Iowa State and Ames Laboratory gave him the chance to return to Ames in 1963. He formally retired from the Laboratory in January after a distinguished 60-year career that was dedicated to the study of rare-earth metals.
He was a Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Iowa State University, a Senior Metallurgist at the Ames Laboratory, and the Chief Scientist of the Critical Materials Institute. He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering and earned a lengthy list of awards for his research.
A prolific writer, he published more than 544 articles in scientific journals and more than 170 chapters in books and conference proceedings. As testament of the quality of his research, his published works have been cited an astonishing 19,013 times – an average of 328 citations per year over his career.
"Our work on the giant magnetocaloric effect of gadolinium-silicon-germanium has been cited more than 2100 times," Prof. Gschneidner said at the time of his retirement, "so you could say we really hit the jackpot with that one. Finding something new or unexpected is what makes it worthwhile," he added. "It's kind of like hitting a great drive in golf; it keeps you coming back."
"Karl has been an inspiration and a mentor to so many of us at Ames Laboratory and around the world," said Ames Laboratory Director Adam Schwartz. "As a researcher, I read many of Karl's papers as they related to my own work, and when the Critical Materials Energy Innovation Team first came together during the proposal process, I had my first opportunity to work directly with him. His incredible knowledge of rare earth science was astonishing, but what is more remarkable was his willingness to help everyone around him do their best. We will miss Karl."
It was his renown as "Mr. Rare Earth" that led to the establishment of the Critical Materials Institute, a U.S. Department of Energy Innovation Hub located at the Ames Laboratory. He testified before a Congressional committee about the need for such a research center and later served as the first chief scientist for CMI.
This information is from the www.ameslab.gov website.
Ames Laboratory Senior metallurgist Karl A. Gschneidner Jr., known around the world as Mr. Rare Earth, passed away April 27 at the age of 85.
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Rare earth elements extracted from coal ash
June 1, 2016
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Duke University, Durham, N.C., reports that its researchers used a common industrial extraction technique based on nitric acid to extract rare earth elements from coal ash that contains amounts ranging from 337 to 591 ppm, depending on location. They discovered that "roasting" the coal ash with an alkali agent before dissolving it with nitric acid enabled a significant improvement in extraction efficiency. Neodymium, europium, terbium, dysprosium, yttrium, and erbium were extracted from the burned coal.
The researchers took coal ash samples from power plants located mostly in the American Midwest that burn coal sourced from all over the country, including the three largest sources: the Appalachian Mountains, southern and western Illinois, and the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Montana. The content of rare earth elements was then tested with hydrofluoric acid, which is much stronger and more efficient than industrial methods, but is too hazardous to use on a large scale.
"The Department of Energy is investing $20 million into research on extraction technologies for coal wastes, and literally billions of dollars worth of rare earth elements are contained in our nation's coal ash," says Associate Prof. Heileen Hsu-Kim. "If a program were to move forward, they'd clearly want to pick the coal ash with the highest amount of extractable rare earth elements, and our work is the first comprehensive study to begin surveying the options."
The study, published online on May 26 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, showed that coal from the Appalachian Mountains contains the most rare earth elements. However, if extraction technologies were cheap enough, rare earth elements could be extracted from other sources as well.
www.duke.edu
Duke University, Durham, N.C., reports that its researchers have extracted rare earth elements from coal ash that contains amounts ranging from 337 to 591 ppm, depending on location.
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Dual-beam laser spike anneal system enables process flexibility in chip production
April 24, 2016
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Ultratech Inc., San Jose, Calif., announces a follow-on order from a major foundry for its LSA101 laser spike anneal system equipped with the dual-beam option, which provides a second low-power laser that adds flexibility to chip production. The dual beam enhances yield and enables low thermal budget processing that is required for advanced applications such as gate stack formation, silicide, or post-silicide anneal.
The system will be used for 28nm production, and is expected to ship in the second quarter of 2016.
The industry is experiencing a second wave of growth in the advanced planar node technologies, including 28nm logic. This is due to the high cost and challenges to manufacturing chips at leading-edge FinFET nodes; lithography alone represents close to 45% of the overall spending when considering triple patterning and other advanced lithography techniques. As a result, many foundries, especially those in China, are expanding their 28nm capacity as end customers take advantage of the optimal performance-to-cost ratio at this node. This trend may extend the 28nm node longer and at larger volumes than previously expected.
"This LSA system order is an example of the growing manufacturing opportunities for cost-effective nodes such as 28nm and above," says Arthur W. Zafiropoulo, Ultratech Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "When comparing the different nodes, 28nm was the last strong planar node and provided the lowest cost per transistor. As a result, customers around the world are increasing their 28nm capacity." Built on the customizable Unity Platform, LSA101 with the dual beam option expands the process space by adding a second low-power laser beam that adds process flexibility and enables millisecond annealing with a low thermal budget process.
Inserting a millisecond anneal step post-junction formation, such as gate stack formation, silicide, or post-silicide anneal, has been shown to improve leakage and device reliability, while reducing contact resistance and improving both performance and yield.
Compared to competing millisecond annealing technologies, LSA with dual beam offers the lowest thermal budget millisecond anneal process, along with superior within-die uniformity for different layouts. This performance is provided at a significantly lower cost of ownership, due to higher throughput and low cost of consumables. The LSA101 delivers high flexibility and extendibility for advanced annealing applications, and is currently in high-volume production for 28nm and below logic devices.
www.ultratech.com
Ultratech Inc., San Jose, Calif., announces a follow-on order from a major foundry for its LSA101 laser spike anneal system equipped with the dual-beam option, which provides a second low-power laser that adds flexibility to chip production.
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Advanced thermal imaging cameras can detect temperature differences of 1 mK
April 20, 2016
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Flir Systems, Wilsonville, Oregon, has developed X6000sc and X8000sc series thermal imaging cameras with Lock-In, Transient, and Pulse capabilities for advanced inspections such as nondestructive testing or stress mapping that resolve temperature differences as low as 1 mK.
Thermal imaging cameras offer the ability to detect internal defects through target excitation and the observation of thermal differences on a target's surface. In addition, thermal imaging cameras provide a valuable tool for detecting defects and points of failure in composites, solar cells, bridges, and electronics. They also enable thermal mapping of stress during materials testing.
The FLIR X8000sc/X6000sc Series thermal imaging cameras are designed to provide the best thermal measurement performance. Designed for scientists, engineers and researchers they can provide high resolution thermal images up to 1280 x 1024 pixels (FLIR X8400sc) that enable seeing the smallest of details with excellent measurement accuracy. These advanced thermal cameras detect temperature differences smaller than 25 mK (18 mK typically).
With Flir Systems proprietary "lock-in" process, temperature differences as small as 1mK will become clearly visible. The cameras automatically adjust their temperature range to best fit the thermal scene. Designed to unlock the secrets of almost any application, a Flir X8400sc camera can measure temperatures up to 3000°C with an accuracy of +/- 1°C, or +/- 1%, or faint thermal emissions from areas as small as 3x3 microns. The X8000sc and X6000sc Series cameras work seamlessly together with Flir ResearchIR Max software, enabling intuitive viewing, recording, and advanced processing of the thermal data provided by the camera. Each camera comes standard with this software.
www.flir.com
Flir Systems, Wilsonville, Oregon, has developed X6000sc and X8000sc series thermal imaging cameras with Lock-In, Transient, and Pulse capabilities that can resolve temperature differences as low as 1 mK for advanced inspections.
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IBC to supply Beralcast components to semiconductor manufacturer
March 20, 2016
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IBC Advanced Alloys Corp., Vancouver, has signed an agreement with a leading global manufacturer of semiconductor and electronics assembly equipment to be its exclusive supplier of Beralcast beryllium-aluminum cast components. IBC will supply Beralcast 363 cast components for a four-year period, with the agreement expected to generate baseline sales of approximately $4,800,000 over the term of the contract.
Beralcast 363 is a metal matrix composite that consists of 65% Be (by weight) and 35% Al. It provides an ideal solution for weight, stiffness, and thermal-critical applications in aerospace, defense, and commercial markets. BeAl-363 is used primarily for high-strength/high-elastic modulus precision cast structural applications. This alloy is 22% less dense than Al-356 and is 3.5 times as stiff.
"IBC's Beralcast components are ultra-lightweight, with high modulus and excellent thermal characteristics, and are ideally suited to applications requiring high precision and performance," says IBC Engineered Materials President Chris Huskam.
"While IBC will continue to focus on near term growth opportunities in its core aerospace and defense business, we are pleased to be strengthening our relationship with a recognized global leader, and look forward to supporting them for many years to come," says General David Heinz, IBC's Chief Operating Officer. "Recent changes to our IBC Engineered Materials operations have resulted in improved production rates and operating efficiencies, and we are well positioned to continue and grow our sales in the precision manufacturing sector while we broaden our aerospace product offerings and customer base."
www.ibcadvancedalloys.com
IBC Advanced Alloys Corp., Vancouver, has signed an agreement with a leading global manufacturer of semiconductor and electronics assembly equipment to be its exclusive supplier of Beralcast beryllium-aluminum cast components.
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NIST ultrasound method detects cracks in capacitors
March 3, 2016
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The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., and collaborators have demonstrated a nondestructive acoustic method for detecting cracks in ceramic capacitors before they go bad. The method relies on acoustic measurements at frequencies much higher than humans can hear. Researchers briefly apply an electric field across the electrodes of a capacitor, causing a vibration at a specific frequency. They then measure the decay over time (called ringdown) of the signal. These data are analyzed to determine slight shifts in frequency versus the magnitude of the vibration. These shifts are greater when cracks are present. This nonlinear approach — focusing on frequency shifts relative to signal strength, rather than the frequency shifts alone — is especially useful because it is not affected by slight variations in size of the capacitors.
NIST researchers invented the technique, and the study of crack detection levels was carried out with collaborators from the University of Maryland, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and Colorado State University. In the study, the prototype method led to the rejection of more than 90% of sample capacitors with visible cracks. Once further studies quantify and confirm detection levels, the new technique may help prevent failures in medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators, and also avert electronics failures in satellites and other spacecraft. The new method may also detect structural flaws in other types of materials.
The ceramics in the NIST study are highly nonlinear, meaning the capacitors get less stiff and their resonant frequency drops when they vibrate more strongly. The new NIST method measures patterns in how this tone changes over time in relation to the strength of the vibrations.
Researchers measured 41 multilayer barium-titanate ceramic capacitors, each roughly 2 by 3 millimeters in size, before and after heating to high temperatures (189°C) and quenching in ice water. This thermal treatment generated surface-breaking cracks in 27 samples. The nonlinear acoustic results were strongly correlated with the presence of visible cracks: Measurements on 25 of the 27 visibly cracked capacitors yielded results that were outside the range of those for capacitors without cracks.
The study concluded that nonlinear acoustic measurements offer a promising approach for nondestructive detection of cracks in capacitors before electrical failure occurs, and that further work should be pursued to quantify the level of detection. NIST staff are continuing this research in collaboration with a capacitor manufacturer.
www.nist.gov
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Md., and collaborators have demonstrated a nondestructive acoustic method for detecting cracks in ceramic capacitors before they go bad.
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Light industrial heat treating furnaces designed for testing facilities and labs
February 16, 2016
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Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., offers a light industrial furnace line that is ideal for smaller-scale operations such as testing facilities, laboratories, and small industrial plants. Like all of the Lindberg/MPH products, these furnaces are designed to maintain uniform heat distribution by utilizing the latest in heating and insulation technology. The light industrial furnaces can be used for a variety of applications including but not limited to annealing, aging, carbon firing, ceramic firing, hardening, sintering, brazing, preheating, solution treating, and stress relieving.
Standard sizes allow for quick delivery, and stackable models are a perfect fit for facilities with limited floor space. Available options include furnace stands, advanced controls, and quench tanks and baskets. The light industrial furnace line also comes with the Lindberg/MPH exclusive three-year warranty. This warranty is one of the longest within the industry today. It provides coverage for all components less standard wear and tear. In addition, the labor supplied is also warrantied if there is a defect in workmanship.
Lindberg/MPH is a leading manufacturer of standard and custom industrial heat treat furnaces, including pit, box, IQ, and belt type for the ferrous and non-ferrous markets. Lindberg/MPH customers cover a wide range of industries including aerospace/military, automotive, commercial heat treating, energy/oil, electronics and the forging markets. Founded in 1917, the company has more than 75,000 industrial furnace installations worldwide and their equipment is backed by a full range of customer support services and the most extensive replacement parts inventory in the industry. Lindberg/MPH is a proven leader in the thermal processing industry, with a long track record of proven policies and management practices.
Lindberg/MPH is owned by Thermal Product Solutions (TP"), a leading American manufacturer of custom industrial ovens used for heat treating, finishing, drying, curing, manufacturing automation and process control. TPS is a global leader in thermal processing products and test solutions with brands including Baker Furnace, BlueM, Gruenberg, Tenney, Lindberg, MPH, and Wisconsin Oven.
www.lindbergmph.com
Lindberg/MPH, Riverside, Mich., offers a light industrial furnace line that is ideal for smaller-scale operations such as testing facilities, laboratories, and small industrial plants.
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