A Personal Desktop Liquid-Metal Printer as a Pervasive Electronics Manufacturing Tool for Society in the Near Future

It has long been a dream in the electronics industry to be able to write out electronics directly, as simply as printing a picture onto paper with an offi ce printer. The fi rstever prototype of a liquid-metal printer has been invented and demonstrated by our lab, bringing this goal a key step closer. As part of a continuous endeavor, this work is dedicated to significantly extending such technology to the consumer level by making a very practical desktop liquid-metal printer for society in the near future. Through the industrial design and technical optimization of a series of key technical issues such as working reliability, printing resolution, automatic control, human-machine interface design, software, hardware, and integration between software and hardware, a high-quality personal desktop liquid-metal printer that is ready for mass production in industry was fabricated. Its basic features and important technical mechanisms are explained in this paper, along with demonstrations of several possible consumer end-uses for making functional devices such as li ght-emitting diode(LED) displays. This liquid-metal printer is an automatic, easyto-use, and low-cost personal electronics manufacturing tool with many possible applications. This paper discusses important roles that the new machine may play for a group of emerging needs. The prospective future of this cuttingedge technology is outlined, along with a comparative interpretation of several historical printing methods. This desktop liquid-metal printer is expected to become a basic electronics manufacturing tool for a wide variety of emerging practices in the academic realm, in industry, and in education as well as for individual end-users in the near future.

Effect of electrical parameters and slag system on macrostructure of electroslag ingot

To investigate the influence of electric parameters and slag system on the solidification quality of electroslag ingot during electroslag remelting,different power supply modes,current strengths and remelting slag systems were used to conduct electroslag remelting experiments on 304L austenitic stainless steel,and the macrostructure of electroslag ingots was analyzed.The results indicate that the depth of the metal pool decreases with the reduction of remelting frequency in the low frequency power supply mode.The effects of different power supply modes,such as low-frequency,direct current straight polarity(DCSP),and direct current reverse polarity(DCRP),on reducing the depth of the metal pool increase in that order.By reducing the remelting current strength in the same power supply mode,the depth of metal pool is reduced.When compared to the binary slag system of 70%CaF2+30%Al2O3,the ternary slag system of 60%CaF2+20%Al2O3+20%CaO is more effective in reducing the depth of the metal pool during remelting.Utilizing the 60%CaF2+20%Al2O3+20%CaO ternary slag system results in a shallower and flatter metal pool,with columnar crystal growth occurring closer to the axial crystal.This effect is observed for both low frequency and direct current(DC)power supply modes.

Evolution of nonmetallic inclusions in 80-t 9CrMoCoB large-scale ingots during electroslag remelting process

In combination with theoretical calculations,experiments were conducted to investigate the evolution behavior of nonmetallic inclusions(NMIs)during the manufacture of large-scale heat-resistant steel ingots using 9CrMoCoB heat-resistant steel and CaF_(2)–CaO–Al_(2)O_(3)–SiO_(2)–B_(2)O_(3)electroslag remelting(ESR)-type slag in an 80-t industrial ESR furnace.The main types of NMI in the consumable electrode comprised pure alumina,a multiphase oxide consisting of an Al_(2)O_(3)core and liquid CaO–Al_(2)O_(3)–SiO_(2)–MnO shell,and M_(23)C_(6)carbides with an MnS core.The Al_(2)O_(3)and MnS inclusions had higher precipitation temperatures than the M_(23)C_(6)-type carbide under equilibrium and nonequilibrium solidification processes.Therefore,inclusions can act as nucleation sites for carbide layer precipitation.The ESR process completely removed the liquid CaO–Al_(2)O_(3)–SiO_(2)–MnO oxide and MnS inclusion with a carbide shell,and only the Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions and Al_(2)O_(3)core with a carbide shell occupied the remelted ingot.The M_(23)C_(6)-type carbides in steel were determined as Cr_(23)C_(6)based on the analysis of transmission electron microscopy results.The substitution of Cr with W,Fe,or/and Mo in the Cr_(23)C_(6)lattice caused slight changes in the lattice parameter of the Cr_(23)C_(6)carbide.Therefore,Cr_(21.34)Fe_(1.66)C_(6),(Cr_(19)W_(4)C_(6),Cr_(18.4)Mo_(4.6)C_(6),and Cr_(16)Fe_(5)Mo_(2)C_(6)can match the fraction pattern of Cr_(23)C_(6)carbide.The Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions in the remelted ingot formed due to the reduction of CaO,SiO_(2),and MnO components in the liquid inclusion.The increased Al content in liquid steel or the higher supersaturation degree of Al_(2)O_(3)precipitation in the remelted ingot than that in the electrode can be attributed to the evaporation of CaF_(2)and the increase in CaO content in the ESR-type slag.

Iron reduction in aluminum by electroslag refining

The effect of electroslag refining on iron reduction from commercial aluminum was investigated.Cast electrodes of commercial aluminum were electroslag refined using KCl-NaCl-Na3AlF6 slag containing Na2B4O7.Experimental results indicate that the iron content decreases with increasing Na2B4O7 addition and remelting time,and the iron content decreases from 0.400% to 0.184% under 9% Na2B4O7 addition for 30 min remelting.The elastic modulus,yield strength and ultimate tensile strength commercial aluminum are improved,and the tensile elongation is increased by 43% after electroslag refining.The chemical reaction between melt and slag to form Fe2B is the main reason for iron reduction and the thermodynamic calculation of the chemical reaction theoretically accounts for the formation of Fe2B.

Mathematical Model for Electroslag Remelting Process

A mathematical model, including electromagnetic field equation, fluid flow equation, and temperature field equation, was established for the simulation of the electroslag remelting process. The distribution of temperature field was obtained by solving this model. The relationship between the local solidification time and the interdendritic spacing during the ingot solidification process was established, which has been regarded as a criterion for the evaluation of the quality of crystallization. For a crucible of 950 mm in diameter, the local solidification time is more than 1 h at the center of the ingot with the longest interdendritic spacing, whereas it is the shortest at the edge of the ingot according to the calculated results. The model can be used to understand the ESR process and to predict the ingot quality.

Development of electroslag metallurgy and casting in China

The electroslag metallurgy has been developed since 1958. At present, all special steel plants have constructed electroslag metallurgical workshops. There are 86 Electroslag Remetting (ESR) furnaces in these steel plants with annual capacity of 100 000 tons. The products by ESR include 243 designations of steel and superalloy. The Chinese metallurgists have made significant achievements in the type and structure of electroslag remelting furnaces, eletroslag remelting technology, shaped castings by Electroslag Remelting Casting (ESRC), the manufacture of large-size ingots by ESR and the study of ESR mechanism. These achievements have already been recognized by foreign metallurgists.

Effect of slag on oxide inclusions in carburized bearing steel during industrial electroslag remelting

Industrial experiments with three types of slags were performed to investigate the effect of slag on oxide inclusions during electroslag remelting(ESR) process. G20CrNi2Mo bearing steel was used as the consumable electrode and remelted using a 2400-kg industrial furnace. The results showed that most inclusions in the electrode were low-melting-point CaO-MgO-Al_2O_3. After ESR, all the inclusions in ingots were located outside the liquid region. When the slag consisted of 65.70 wt% CaF_2, 28.58 wt% Al_2O_3, and 4.42 wt% CaO was used, pure Al_2O_3 were the dominant inclusions in ingot, some of which presented a clear trend of agglomeration. When the ingot was remelted by a multi-component slag with 16.83 wt% CaO, a certain amount of sphere CaAl_4O_7 inclusions larger than 5 μm were generated in ingot. The slag with 8.18 wt% CaO exhibited greater capacity to control the inclusion characteristics. Thermodynamic calculations indicated that the total Ca and Mg in ingots were attributed from the relics in electrode and strongly influenced by the slag composition. The formation of ingot inclusions was calculated by FactSage^(TM) 7.0, and the results were basically in accordance with the observed inclusions, indicating that a quasi-thermodynamic equilibrium could be obtained in the metal pool.

Characteristics of inclusions in high-Al steel during electroslag remelting process

The characteristics of inclusions in high-A1 steel refmed by electroslag remelting （ESR） were investigated by image analysis, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and energy-dispersive spectrometry （EDS）. The results show that the size of almost all the inclusions observed in ESR ingots is less than 5 μm. Inclusions smaller than 3 μm take nearly 75% of the total inclusions observed in each ingot. Inclu- sions observed in ESR ingots are pure AIN as dominating precipitates and some fine spherical Al2O3 inclusions with a size of 1 μm or less. It is also found that protective gas operation and slag deoxidation treatment during ESR process have significant effects on the number of inclusions smaller than 2μm but little effects on that of inclusions larger than 2 μm. Thermodynamic calculations show that AIN inclusions are unable to precipitate in the liquid metal pool under the present experimental conditions, while the precipitation of AlN inclusions could take place at the solidifying front due to the microsegregation orAl and N in liquid steel during solidification.

Effect of TiO_2 on the viscosity and structure of low-fluoride slag used for electroslag remelting of Ti-containing steels

The viscosity of CaF_2-CaO-Al_2O_3-MgO-（TiO_2） slag was measured using a rotating crucible viscometer. Raman spectroscopy analysis was performed to correlate the viscosity to slag structure. The viscosity of the slag was found to decrease with increasing TiO_2 content in the slag from 0 to 9.73wt%. The activation energy decreased from 95.16 kJ /mol to 79.40 kJ /mol with increasing TiO_2 content in the slag. The introduction of TiO_2 into the slag played a destructive role in Al-O-Al structural units and Q^4 units by forming simpler structural units of Q^2 and Ti_2O_6^（4-） chain. The amount of Al-O-Al significantly decreased with increasing TiO_2 content. The relative fraction of Q^4 units in the [AlO_4]^（5-）-tetrahedral units shows a decreasing trend, whereas the relative fraction of Q^2 units and Ti_2O_6^（4-） chain increases with increasing TiO_2 content accordingly. Consequently, the polymerization degree of the slag decreases with increasing TiO_2 content. The variation in slag structure is consistent with the change in measured viscosity.

A coupled model of TiN inclusion growth in GCr15SiMn during solidification in the electroslag remelting process

TiN inclusions observed in an ingot produced by electroslag remelting （ESR） are extremely harmful to GCrl5SiMn steel. Therefore, accurate predictions of the growth size of these inclusions during steel solidification are significant for clean ESR ingot production. On the basis of our previous work, a coupled model of solute microsegregation and TiN inclusion growth during solidification has been established. The results demonstrate that compared to a non-coupled model, the coupled model predictions of the size of TiN inclusions are in good agreement with experimental results using scanning electron microscopy with energy disperse spectroscopy （SEM-EDS）. Because of high cooling rate, the sizes of TiN inclusions in the edge area of the ingots are relatively small compared to the sizes in the center area. During the ESR process, controlling the content of Ti in the steel is a feasible and effective method of decreasing the sizes of TiN inclusions.

Effect of electroslag remelting and homogenization on hydrogen flaking in AMS-4340 ultra-high-strength steels

Hydrogen flakes and elemental segregation are the main causes of steel rejection. To eliminate hydrogen flaking, the present study focuses on the manufacture of AMS-4340 ultra-high-strength steel through an alternate route. AMS-4340 was prepared using three different processing routes. The primary processing route consisted of melting in an electric arc furnace, refining in a ladle refining furnace, and vacuum degassing. After primary processing, the heat processes(D1, D2, and D3) were cast into cylindrical electrodes. For secondary processing, electroslag remelting(ESR) was carried out on the primary heats to obtain four secondary heats: E1, E2, E3, and E4. Homogenization of ingots E1, E2, E3, and E4 was carried out at 1220°C for 14, 12, 12, and 30 h, respectively, followed by an antiflaking treatment at 680°C and air cooling. In addition, the semi-finished ESR ingot E4 was again homogenized at 1220°C for 6–8 h and a second antiflaking treatment was performed at 680°C for 130 h followed by air cooling. The chemical segregation of each heat was monitored through a spectroscopy technique. The least segregation was observed for heat E4. Macrostructure examination revealed the presence of hydrogen flakes in heats E1, E2, and E3, whereas no hydrogen flakes were observed in heat E4. Ultrasonic testing revealed no internal defects in heat E4, whereas internal defects were observed in the other heats. A grain size investigation revealed a finer grain size for E4 compared with those for the other heats. Steel produced in heat E4 also exhibited superior mechanical properties. Therefore, the processing route used for heat E4 can be used to manufacture an AMS-4340 ultra-high-strength steel with superior properties compared with those of AMS-4340 prepared by the other investigated routes.

Comprehensive model for a slag bath in electroslag remelting process with a current-conductive mould

A mathematical model was developed to describe the interaction of multiple physical fields in a slag bath during electroslag remelting （ESR） process with a current-conductive mould. The distributions of current density, magnetic induction intensity, electromagnetic force, Joule heating, fluid flow and temperature were simulated. The model was verified by temperature measurements during remelting 12CrMoVG steel with a slag of 50wt%-70wt% CaF2, 20wt%-30wt% CaO, 10wt%-20wt% A1203, and 〈10wt% SiO2 in a 600 mm diameter current-conductive mould. There is a good agreement between the calculated temperature results and the measured data in the slag bath. The calculated results show that the maximum values of current density, electromagnetic force and Joule heating are in the region between the comer electrodes and the conductivity element. The characteristics of current density distribution, magnetic induction intensity, electromagnetic force, Joule heating, velocity patterns and temperature profiles in the slag bath during ESR process with current-conductive mould were analyzed.

Effect of mold rotation on the bifilar electroslag remelting process

A novel electroslag furnace with a rotating mold was fabricated, and the effects of mold rotational speed on the electroslag remelting process were investigated. The results showed that the chemical element distribution in ingots became uniform and that their compact density increased when the mold rotational speed was increased from 0 to 28 r/min. These results were attributed to a reasonable mold speed, which resulted in a uniform temperature in the slag pool and scattered the metal droplets randomly in the metal pool. However, an excessive rotational speed caused deterioration of the solidification structure. When the mold rotational speeds was increased from 0 to 28 r/min, the size of Al2O3 inclusions in the electroslag ingot decreased from 4.4 to 1.9 μm. But the excessive mold rotational speed would decrease the ability of the electroslag remelting to remove the inclusions. The remelting speed gradually increased, which resulted in reduced power consumption with increasing mold rotational speed. This effect was attributed to accelerated heat exchange between the consumable electrode and the molten slag, which resulted from mold rotation. Nevertheless, when the rotational speed reached 28 r/min, the remelting speed did not change because of limitations of metal heat conduction. Mold rotation also improved the surface quality of the ingots by promoting a uniform temperature distribution in the slag pool.

Evaluation of the Electroslag Remelting Process in Medical Grade of 316LC Stainless Steel

This study is focused on the effects of electroslag remelting by prefused slag （CaO, Al2O3, and CaF2） on macrostructure and reduction of inclusions in the medical grade of 316LC （316LVM） stainless steel. Analysis of the obtained results indicated that for production of a uniform ingot structure during electroslag remelting, shape and depth of the molten pool should be carefully controlled. High melting rates led to deeper pool depth and interior radial solidification characteristics, while decrease in the melting rates caused more reduction of nonmetallic inclusions. Large shrinkage cavities formed during the conventional casting process in the primary ingots were found to be the cause of the fluctuation in the melting rate, pool depth and extension of equiaxed crystals zone.

Effects of electrode configuration on electroslag remelting process of M2 high-speed steel ingot

The electrode configuration determines the thermophysical field during the electroslag remelting(ESR) process and affects the final microstructure of the ingot. In this work, ingot with a diameter of 400 mm was prepared with two electrode configuration modes of single power ESR process, namely one electrode(OE) and two series-connected electrodes(TSCE). Finite element simulation was employed to calculate the electromagnetic field, flow field and temperature field of the ESR system. The results show that the temperature of the slag pool and the metal pool of the TSCE process is lower and more uniform than that of the OE process.The calculated temperature distribution of the ingot could be indirectly verified from the shape of the metal pool by the experiment. The experimental results show that the depth of the metal pool in the OE ingot is about 160 mm, while the depth of the TSCE ingot is nearly 40 mm shallower than that of the OE ingot. Microstructural comparisons indicate that coarse eutectic carbides are formed in the center of the OE ingot, whereas more even eutectic carbides appear in the center of the TSCE ingot. In general, compared with the OE process, the TSCE process is preferred to remelt high speed steel ingots.

Research on droplet formation and dripping behavior during the electroslag remelting process

A better understanding of droplet formation and dripping behavior would be useful in the efficient removal of impurity elements and nonmetallic inclusions from liquid metals. In the present work, we developed a transparent experimental apparatus to study the mechanisms of droplet formation and the effects of filling ratio on droplet behavior during the electroslag remelting（ESR） process. A high-speed camera was used to clearly observe, at small time scales, the droplet formation and dripping phenomenon at the slag/metal interface during a stable ESR process. The results illustrate that a two-stage process for droplet formation and dripping occurs during the ESR process and that the droplet diameter exhibits a parabolic distribution with increasing filling ratio because of the different shape and thermal state of the electrode tip. This work also confirms that a relatively large filling ratio reduces electricity consumption and improves ingot quality.

Review on desulfurization in electroslag remelting

Electroslag remelting(ESR) gives a combination of liquid metal refining and solidification structure control.One of the typical aspects of liquid metal refining during ESR for the advanced steel and alloy production is desulfurization.It involves two patterns, i.e., slag–metal reaction and gas–slag reaction(gasifying desulfurization).In this paper, the advances in desulfurization practices of ESR are reviewed.The effects of processing parameters, including the initial sulfur level of consumable electrode, remelting atmosphere, deoxidation schemes of ESR,slag composition, melting rate, and electrical parameters on the desulfurization in ESR are assessed.The interrelation between desulfurization and sulfide inclusion evolution during ESR is discussed, and advancements in the production of sulfur-bearing steel at a high-sulfur level during ESR are described.The remaining challenges for future work are also proposed.

Microstructure and wear properties of the electroslag remelting layer reinforced by TiC particles

The electroslag remelting （ESR） layer reinforced by TiC particles was obtained by electroslag remelting. The microstructure and wear properties of the ESR layer were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, and wear test. The results indicate that TiC particles are synthesized by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis （SHS） reaction during the electroslag remelting process. The size of TiC particles is in the range of 1-10 μm, and the distribution of TiC particles is uniform, from outside to inside of the ESR layer, and the volume fraction and the size of TiC particles decrease gradually. Molten iron and slag flow into porosity due to the SHS process leading to rapid densification and the elimination of porosity in the ESR layer during the ESR process. TiC particles enhance the wear resistance of the ESR layer, whereas CaF2 can improve the high temperature lubricating property of the ESR layer.

Fluoride evaporation and crystallization behavior of CaF_2–CaO–Al_2O_3–(TiO_2) slag for electroslag remelting of Ti-containing steels

To elucidate the behavior of slag films in an electroslag remelting process, the fluoride evaporation and crystallization of CaF2–CaO–Al2O3–（TiO2） slags were studied using the single hot thermocouple technique. The crystallization mechanism of TiO2-bearing slag was identified based on kinetic analysis. The fluoride evaporation and incubation time of crystallization in TiO2-free slag are found to considerably decrease with decreasing isothermal temperature down to 1503 K. Fish-bone and flower-like CaO crystals precipitate in TiO2-free slag melt, which is accompanied by CaF2 evaporation from slag melt above 1503 K. Below 1503 K, only near-spherical CaF2 crystals form with an incubation time of less than 1 s, and the crystallization is completed within 1 s. The addition of 8.1wt% TiO2 largely prevents the fluoride evaporation from slag melt and promotes the slag crystallization. TiO2 addition leads to the precipitation of needle-like perovskite（CaTiO3） crystals instead of CaO crystals in the slag. The crystallization of perovskite（CaTiO3） occurs by bulk nucleation and diffusion-controlled one-dimensional growth.

Microstructure and corrosion resistance of 304 stainless steel electroslag strip cladding

The 304 stainless steel strips were deposited one layer on carbon steel base metal by electroslag strip cladding （ESC） and submerged arc cladding （SAC）, respectively. The solidification microstrueture of ESC metal was analyzed by the optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The corrosion resistance studies of strip cladding metals were carried out in 10% oxalic acid electrolytic etching test. The results showed that the cladding metal obtained by ESC presented low content of C, high content of Cr and enough alloying element of Ni in the chemical composition. The transition zone of ESC with small width was almost parallel with the base metal, leading to a lower dilution. There are three types of solidification modes （ A→AF→FA ） occurred in the ESC metal due to the decrease of cooling rate and degree of dilution from the transition zone to the top of ESC metal. As a result, the microstructure of ESC metal exhibited mainly austenite with a small amount of ferrite, contributing to achievement of better corrosion resistance.