3D PLLA/Nano-hydroxyapatite Scaffolds with Hierarchical Porous Structure Fabricated by Low-temperature Deposition Manufacturing

A new Precision Extrusion nozzle based ball screw transmission was developed. 3D hierarchical porous PLLA/nano-Hydroxyapatite（PLLA/nHA） scaffolds were fabricated by low-temperature deposition manufacturing. Scaffolds with macropores of 200-500 rtm and micropores about 10 pm were fabricated through a thorough study and control of the processing parameters, in which the processing path and speed of material extrusion determine the macropores and there is a suitable temperature zone for fabricating qualified macropores. Micropore morphology can be controlled by adjusting supercooling of solvent crystallization or adding water into the solvent system. The compressive modulus of the scaffolds in air and phosphate buffer solution was measured, which increased with HA addition. In-vitro cell culture results showed a ~ood biocomoatibilitv of PLLA/HA scaffolds with the ore-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells.

Robust interface and excellent as-built mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V fabricated through laser-aided additive manufacturing with powder and wire

The feasibility of manufacturing Ti-6Al-4V samples through a combination of laser-aided additive manufacturing with powder(LAAM_(p))and wire(LAAM_(w))was explored.A process study was first conducted to successfully circumvent defects in Ti-6Al-4V deposits for LAAM_(p) and LAAM_(w),respectively.With the optimized process parameters,robust interfaces were achieved between powder/wire deposits and the forged substrate,as well as between powder and wire deposits.Microstructure characterization results revealed the epitaxial prior β grains in the deposited Ti-6Al-4V,wherein the powder deposit was dominated by a finerα′microstructure and the wire deposit was characterized by lamellar α phases.The mechanisms of microstructure formation and correlation with mechanical behavior were analyzed and discussed.The mechanical properties of the interfacial samples can meet the requirements of the relevant Aerospace Material Specifications(AMS 6932)even without post heat treatment.No fracture occurred within the interfacial area,further suggesting the robust interface.The findings of this study highlighted the feasibility of combining LAAM_(p) and LAAM_(w) in the direct manufacturing of Ti-6Al-4V parts in accordance with the required dimensional resolution and deposition rate,together with sound strength and ductility balance in the as-built condition.

Influence of laser shock peening on microstructure and high-temperature oxidation resistance of Ti45Al8Nb alloy fabricated via laser melting deposition

Laser shock peening(LSP)was used to enhance the high-temperature oxidation resistance of laser melting deposited Ti45Al8Nb alloy.The microstructure and high-temperature oxidation behavior of the as-deposited Ti45Al8Nb alloy before and after LSP were investigated by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,and electron backscatter diffraction.The results indicated that the rate of mass gain in the as-deposited sample after LSP exhibited a decrease when exposed to an oxidation temperature of 900℃,implying that LSP-treated samples exhibited superior oxidation resistance at high temperatures.A gradient structure with a fine-grain layer,a deformed-grain layer,and a coarse-grain layer was formed in the LSP-treated sample,which facilitated the diffusion of the Al atom during oxidation,leading to the formation of a dense Al_(2)O_(3)layer on the surface.The mechanism of improvement in the oxidation resistance of the as-deposited Ti45Al8Nb alloy via LSP was discussed.

Low-Temperature Growth of ZnO Films on GaAs by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

ZnO thin films were grown on GaAs （001） substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition （MOCVD） at low temperatures ranging from 100 to 400℃. DEZn and 1-12 O were used as the zinc precursor and oxygen precursor, respectively. The effects of the growth temperatures on the growth characteristics and optical properties of ZnO films were investigated. The X-ray diffraction measurement （XRD） results indicated that all the thin films were grown with highly c- axis orientation. The surface morphologies and crystal properties of the films were critically dependent on the growth temperatures. Although there was no evidence of epitaxial growth, the scanning electron microscopy （SEM） image of ZnO film grown at 400℃ revealed the presence of ZnO microcrystallines with closed packed hexagon structure. The photoluminescence spectrum at room temperature showed only bright band-edge （3. 33eV） emissions with little or no deep-level e- mission related to defects.

Effect of deposition rate on microstructure and mechanical properties of wire arc additive manufacturing of Ti-6Al-4V components

Wire arc additive manufacturing(WAAM)is a novel manufacturing technique by which high strength metal components can be fabricated layer by layer using an electric arc as the heat source and metal wire as feedstock,and offers the potential to produce large dimensional structures at much higher build rate and minimum waste of raw material.In the present work,a cold metal transfer(CMT)based additive manufacturing was carried out and the effect of deposition rate on the microstructure and mechanical properties of WAAM Ti-6Al-4V components was investigated.The microstructure of WAAM components showed similar microstructural morphology in all deposition conditions.When the deposition rate increased from 1.63 to 2.23 kg/h,the ultimate tensile strength(UTS)decreased from 984.6 MPa to 899.2 MPa and the micro-hardness showed a scattered but clear decline trend.

Localized electrodeposition micro additive manufacturing of pure copper microstructures

The fabrication of pure copper microstructures with submicron resolution has found a host of applications,such as 5G communications and highly sensitive detection.The tiny and complex features of these structures can enhance device performance during high-frequency operation.However,manufacturing pure copper microstructures remain challenging.In this paper,we present localized electrochemical deposition micro additive manufacturing(LECD-μAM).This method combines localized electrochemical deposition(LECD)and closed-loop control of atomic force servo technology,which can effectively print helical springs and hollow tubes.We further demonstrate an overall model based on pulsed microfluidics from a hollow cantilever LECD process and closed-loop control of an atomic force servo.The printing state of the micro-helical springs can be assessed by simultaneously detecting the Z-axis displacement and the deflection of the atomic force probe cantilever.The results showed that it took 361 s to print a helical spring with a wire length of 320.11μm at a deposition rate of 0.887μm s^(-1),which can be changed on the fly by simply tuning the extrusion pressure and the applied voltage.Moreover,the in situ nanoindenter was used to measure the compressive mechanical properties of the helical spring.The shear modulus of the helical spring material was about 60.8 GPa,much higher than that of bulk copper(~44.2 GPa).Additionally,the microscopic morphology and chemical composition of the spring were characterized.These results delineate a new way of fabricating terahertz transmitter components and micro-helical antennas with LECD-μAM technology.

Design and Manufacturing Strategies for Fused Deposition Modelling in Additive Manufacturing:A Review

Although several research works in the literature have focused on studying the capabilities of additive manufacturing(AM) systems, few works have addressed the development of Design for Additive Manufacturing(DfAM) knowledge,tools, rules, and methodologies, which has limited the penetration and impact of AM in industry. In this paper a comprehensive review of design and manufacturing strategies for Fused Deposition Modelling(FDM) is presented.Consequently, several DfAM strategies are proposed and analysed based on existing research works and the operation principles, materials, capabilities and limitations of the FDM process. These strategies have been divided into four main groups: geometry, quality, materials and sustainability. The implementation and practicality of the proposed DfAM is illustrated by three case studies. The new proposed DfAM strategies are intended to assist designers and manufacturers when making decisions to satisfy functional needs, while ensuring manufacturability in FDM systems.Moreover, many of these strategies can be applied or extended to other AM processes besides FDM.

In-situ deposition of apatite layer to protect Mg-based composite fabricated via laser additive manufacturing

Biodegradable magnesium(Mg) and its alloy show huge potential as temporary bone substitute due to the favorable biocompatibility and mechanical compatibility. However, one issue deserves attention is the too fast degradation. In this work, mesoporous bioglass(MBG)with high pore volume(0.59 cc/g) and huge specific surface area(110.78 m^(2)/g) was synthesized using improved sol-gel method, and introduced into Mg-based composite via laser additive manufacturing. Immersion tests showed that the incorporated MBG served as powerful adsorption sites, which promoted the in-situ deposition of apatite by successively adsorbing Ca2+and HPO42-. Such dense apatite film acted as an efficient protection layer and enhanced the corrosion resistance of Mg matrix, which was proved by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Thereby, Mg based composite showed a significantly decreased degradation rate of 0.31 mm/year. Furthermore,MBG also improved the mechanical properties as well as cell behavior. This work highlighted the advantages of MBG in the fabrication of Mg-based implant with enhanced overall performance for orthopedic application.

Design Consideration for Additive Manufacturing: Fused Deposition Modelling

Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies have progressed in the past few years and many of them are now capable of producing functional parts instead of mere prototypes. AM provides a multitude of benefits, especially in design freedom. However, it still lacks industrial relevance because of the absence of comprehensive design rules for AM. Although AM is usually advertised as being the solution for all traditional manufacturing design limitations, the fact is that AM only replaces these limitations with a different set of restrictions. To fully exploit the advantages of AM, it is necessary to understand these limitations and consider them early during the design process. The establishment of design considerations in AM enables parts and process optimization. This paper discusses the design considerations that will lead to optimize part quality. Specifically, the work discusses the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) due to its common use and availability. These considerations are drawn from literature and from experiments done by the authors. The experiments done by the authors include an investigation for the influence of elevated service temperature on the performance of FDM PLA parts, benchmarking the capability of FDM to print overhangs and bridges without supports, studying the influence of processing parameters over dimensional accuracy, and the effect of processing parameters on the final FDM samples modulus of elasticity. The work presents a case study investigating the correct clearances for FDM parts and finally a redesign for AM case study of a support bracket originally manufactured using traditional manufacturing methods taking into consideration the design considerations discussed in this paper.

Low-Temperature Soft-Cover-Assisted Hydrolysis Deposition of Large-Scale TiO_2 Layer for Efficient Perovskite Solar Modules

Perovskite solar cells with TiO_2 electron transport layers exhibit power conversion efficiency(PCE) as high as 22.7% in single cells. However, the preparation process of the TiO_2 layer is adopted by an unscalable method or requires high-temperature sintering, which precludes its potential use for mass production of flexible devices. In this study, a scalable low-temperature softcover-assisted hydrolysis(SAH) method is presented,where the precursor solution is sandwiched between a soft cover and preheated substrate to form a closed hydrolysis environment. Compact homogeneous TiO_2 films with a needle-like structure were obtained after the hydrolysis of a TiCl_4 aqueous solution. Moreover, by careful optimization of the TiO_2 fabrication conditions, a high PCE of 14.01% could be achieved for a solar module(4 × 4 cm^2) prepared using the SAH method. This method provides a novel approach for the efficient scale-up of the low-temperature TiO_2 film growth for industrial applications.

Numerical analysis on the effect of process parameters on deposition geometry in wire arc additive manufacturing

Here we develop a two-dimensional numerical model of wire and arc additive manufacturing(WAAM)to determine the relationship between process parameters and deposition geometry,and to reveal the influence mechanism of process parameters on deposition geometry.From the predictive results,a higher wire feed rate matched with a higher current could generate a larger and hotter droplet,and thus transfer more thermal and kinetic energy into melt pool,which results in a wider and lower deposited layer with deeper penetration.Moreover,a higher preheat temperature could enlarge melt pool volume and thus enhance heat and mass convection along both axial and radial directions,which gives rise to a wider and higher deposited layer with deeper penetration.These findings offer theoretical guidelines for the acquirement of acceptable deposition shape and optimal deposition quality through adjusting process parameters in fabricating WAAM components.

A review on additive/subtractive hybrid manufacturing of directed energy deposition(DED)process

Additive manufacturing(AM)processes are reliable techniques to build highly complex metallic parts.Direct energy deposition(DED)is one of the most common technologies to 3D print metal alloys.Despite a wide range of literature that has discussed the ability of DED in metal printing,weak binding,poor accuracy,and rough surface still exist in final products.Thus,limitations in 3D printing of metal powder and wire indicate post-processing techniques required to achieve high quality in both mechanical properties and surface quality.Therefore,hybrid manufacturing(HM),specifically additive/subtractive hybrid manufacturing(ASHM)of DED has been proposed to enhance product quality.ASHM is a capable process that combines two technologies with 3-axis or multi-axis machines.Different methods have been suggested to increase the accuracy of machines to find better quality and microstructure.In contrast,drawbacks in ASHM still exist such as limitations in existing reliable materials and poor accuracy in machine coordination to avoid collision in the multi-axes machine.It should be noted that there is no review work with focuses on both DED and hybridization of DED processes.Thus,in this review work,a unique study of DED in comparison to ASHM as well as novel techniques are discussed with the objective of showing the capabilities of each process and the benefits of using them for different applications.Finally,new gaps are discussed in ASHM to enhance the layer bonding and surface quality with the processes'effects on microstructures and performance.

Low-Temperature Deposition of nc-SiO_x:H below 400℃ Using Magnetron Sputtering

Silicon oxide films containing nanocrystalline silicon （nc-SiOx：H） are deposited by co-sputtering technology at low temperatures （〈400℃） that are much lower than the typical growth temperature of nc-Si in SiO2. The microstructures and bonding properties are characterized by Raman and ETIR. It is proven that an optimum range of su bstrate temperatures for the deposition of nc-SiOx ：H films is 200-400℃, in which the ratio of transition crystalline silicon decreases, the crystalline fraction is higher, and the hydrogen content is lower. The underlying mechanism is explained by a competitive process between nc-Si Wolmer-Weber growth and oxidation reaction, both of which achieve a balance in the range of 200-400℃. We further implement this technique in the fabrication of multilayered nc-SiO=：H/a-SiOx：H films, which exhibit controllable nc-Si sizes with high crystallization quality.

Microstructure and mechanical property of additively manufactured NiTi alloys:A comparison between selective laser melting and directed energy deposition

NiTi shape memory alloy(SMA)with nominal composition of Ni 50.8 at%and Ti 49.2 at%was additively manufactured(AM)by selective laser melting(SLM)and laser directed energy deposition(DED)for a comparison study,with emphasis on its phase composition,microstructure,mechanical property and deformation mechanism.The results show that the yield strength and ductility obtained by SLM are 100 MPa and 8%,respectively,which are remarkably different from DED result with 700 MPa and 2%.The load path of SLM sample presents shape memory effect,corresponding to martensite phase detected by XRD;while the load path of DED presents pseudo-elasticity with austenite phase.In SLM sample,fine grain and hole provide a uniform deformation during tensile test,resulting in a better elongation.Furthermore,the nonequilibrium solidification was studied by a temperature field simulation to understand the difference of the two 3D printing methods.Both temperature gradient G and growth rate R determine the microstructure and phase in the SLM sample and DED sample,which leads to similar grain morphologies because of similar G/R.While higher G×R of SLM leads to a finer grain size in SLM sample,providing enough driving force for martensite transition and subsequently changing texture compared to DED sample.

Challenges and opportunities in the production of magnesium parts by directed energy deposition processes

Mg-alloys have gained considerable attention in recent years for their outstanding properties such as lightweight,high specific strength,and corrosion resistance,making them attractive for applications in medical,aerospace,automotive,and other transport industries.However,their widespread application is hindered by their low formability at room temperature due to limited slip systems.Cast Mg-alloys have low mechanical properties due to the presence of casting defects such as porosity and anisotropy in addition to the high scrap.While casting methods benefit from established process optimization techniques for these problems,additive manufacturing methods are increasingly replacing casting methods in Mg alloys as they provide more precise control over the microstructure and allow specific grain orientations,potentially enabling easier optimization of anisotropy properties in certain applications.Although metal additive manufacturing(MAM)technology also results in some manufacturing defects such as inhomogeneous microstructural evolution and porosity and additively manufactured Mg alloy parts exhibit lower properties than the wrought parts,they in general exhibit superior properties than the cast counterparts.Thus,MAM is a promising technique to produce Mg alloy parts.Directed energy deposition processes,particularly wire arc directed energy deposition(WA-DED),have emerged as an advantageous additive manufacturing(AM)technique for metallic materials including magnesium alloys,offering advantages such as high deposition rates,improved material efficiency,and reduced production costs compared to subtractive processes.However,the inherent challenges associated with magnesium,such as its high reactivity and susceptibility to oxidation,pose unique hurdles in the application of this technology.This review paper delves into the progress made in the application of DED technology to Mg-alloys,its challenges,and prospects.Furthermore,the predominant imperfections,notably inhomogeneous microstructure evolution and porosity,observed in Mg-alloy components manufactured through DED are discussed.Additionally,the preventive measures implemented to counteract the formation of these defects are explored.

Solvent-Free Manufacturing of Lithium-Ion Battery Electrodes via Cold Plasma

Slurry casting has been used to fabricate lithium-ion battery electrodes for decades,which involves toxic and expensive organic solvents followed by high-cost vacuum drying and electrode calendering.This work presents a new manufacturing method using a nonthermal plasma to create inter-particle binding without using any polymeric binding materials,enabling solvent-free manufacturing electrodes with any electrochemistry of choice.The cold-plasma-coating technique enables fabricating electrodes with thickness(>200 pm),high mass loading(>30 mg cm^(-2)),high peel strength,and the ability to print lithium-ion batteries in an arbitrary geometry.This crosscutting,chemistry agnostic,platform technology would increase energy density,eliminate the use of solvents,vacuum drying,and calendering processes during production,and reduce manufacturing cost for current and future cell designs.Here,lithium iron phosphate and lithium cobalt oxide were used as examples to demonstrate the efficacy of the cold-plasma-coating technique.It is found that the mechanical peel strength of cold-plasma-coating-manufactured lithium iron phosphate is over an order of magnitude higher than that of slurry-casted lithium iron phosphate electrodes.Full cells assembled with a graphite anode and the cold-plasma-coating-lithium iron phosphate cathode offer highly reversible cycling performance with a capacity retention of 81.6%over 500 cycles.For the highly conductive cathode material lithium cobalt oxide,an areal capacity of 4.2 mAh cm^(-2)at 0.2 C is attained.We anticipate that this new,highly scalable manufacturing technique will redefine global lithium-ion battery manufacturing providing significantly reduced plant footprints and material costs.

Application of low-temperature thermochronology on ore deposits preservation framework in South China:a review

South China can be divided into four metallogenic belts:The Middle-Lower Yangtze Metallogenic Belt(MLYB),Qinzhou-Hangzhou Metallogenic Belt(QHMB),Nanling Metallogenic Belt(NLMB),and Wuyi Metallogenic Belt(WYMB).The major mineralization in the four metallogenic belts is granite-related Cu–Au–Mo and porphyrite Fe-apatite,porphyry Cu(Au),and epithermal Pb–Zn–Ag,hydrothermal Cu–Au–Pb–Zn–Ag,and granite-related skarn-type and quartz-veins W–Sn,respectively.Low-temperature thermochronology,including fissiontrack and U-Th/He dating,has been widely used to constrain tectonic thermal evolution and ore deposits preservation.Understanding fission-track annealing and He diffusion kinetics in accessory minerals,such as zircon and apatite,is essential for dating and applications.In this study,previous zircon fission-track(ZFT)and apatite fission-track(AFT)ages in South China were collected.The result shows that the ZFT ages are mainly concentrated at140–90 Ma,and the AFT ages are mainly distributed at70–40 Ma.The age distribution and inversion temperature–time paths reveal heterogeneous exhumation histories in South China.The MLYB experienced Late CretaceousCenozoic extremely slow exhumation after rapid cooling in the Early Cretaceous.The northern QHMB(i.e.from southern Anhui province to the Hangzhou Bay)had a relatively faster rate of uplifting and denudation than the southern QHMB in the Cretaceous.Subsequently,the northern QHMB rapidly exhumed,while the continuously slow exhumation operated the southern QHMB in the Cenozoic.The southern NLMB had a more rapid cooling rate than the northern NLMB during the Cretaceous time,and the whole NLMB experienced rapid cooling in the Cenozoic,except that the southern Hunan province had the most rapid cooling rate.The WYMB possibly had experienced slow exhumation since the Late Cretaceous.The exhumation thickness of the four metallogenic belts since90 Ma is approximately calculated as follows:the MLYB≤3.5 km,the northern QHMB concentrated at3.5–5.5 km,and the southern QHMB usually less than3.5 km,the NLMB 4.5–6.5 km and the WYMB<3.5 km.The exhumation thickness of the NLMB is corresponding to the occurrence of the world-class W deposits,which were emplaced into a deeper depth of 1.5–8 km.As such,we infer that the uplifting and denudation processes of the four metallogenic belts have also played an important role in dominated ore deposits.

The low-temperature deposition of a zincophilic carbon layer on the Zn foil for long-life zinc metal batteries

Aqueous zinc metal batteries(ZMBs)which are environmentally benign and cheap can be used for grid-scale energy storage,but have a short cycling life mainly due to the poor reversibility of zinc metal anodes in mild aqueous electrolytes.A zincophilic carbon(ZC)layer was deposited on a Zn metal foil at 450°C by the up-stream pyrolysis of a hydrogen-bonded supramolecular substance framework,as-sembled from melamine(ME)and cyanuric acid(CA).The zincophilic groups(C=O and C=N)in the ZC layer guide uniform zinc plating/stripping and eliminate dendrites and side reactions.so that assembled symmetrical batteries(ZC@Zn//ZC@Zn)have a long-term service life of 2500 h at 1 mA cm^(−2) and 1 mAh cm^(−2),which is much longer than that of bare Zn anodes(180 h).In addition,ZC@Zn//V2O5 full batteries have a higher capacity of 174 mAh g^(−1) after 1200 cycles at 2 A g^(−1) than a Zn//V_(2)O_(5) counterpart(100 mAh g^(−1)).The strategy developed for the low-temperat-ure deposition of the ZC layer is a new way to construct advanced zinc metal anodes for ZMBs.

3DPMD-Arc-based additive manufacturing with titanium powder as raw material

The study aims to demonstrate the suitability of the 3DPMD for the production of titanium components with and without reinforcing particles in layer-by-layer design. Various demonstrators are prepared and analyzed. The microstructure, the porosity and the hardness values of the different structures are compared with each other through metallographic cross-sections. The uniform distribution of the carbides and the interaction with the matrix was analyzed by SEM and EDX.The miller-test method(ASTM G75-07) was used to determine data for the relative abrasivity of the structures. In summary, 3DPMD offers the possibility to produce titanium structures with and without reinforced particles. Using automated routines, it is possible to generate metal structures using welding robots directly from the CAD drawings. Microstructures and properties are directly related to the process and therefore material-process-property relationships are discussed within this work.

Effects of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Inconel 625 alloy fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing process

The microstructure and mechanical properties of Inconel 625 alloy fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing process were evaluated under as-prepared and heat-treated conditions.A dendritic Ni-based solid solution phase along with(Nb,Ti)C carbide,Laves,and δ-Ni3Nb secondary phases were developed in the microstructure of the as-prepared alloy.Solution heat treatment led to the dissolution of Laves and Ni3Nb phases.In addition,dendrites were replaced with large columnar grains.Aging heat treatment resulted in the formation of grain boundary M23C6 carbide and nanometric γ''precipitates.Hardness,yield and tensile strengths,as well as elongation of the as-prepared part,were close to those of the cast alloy and its fracture occurred in a transgranular ductile mode.Solution heat treatment improved hardness and yield strength and declined the elongation,but it did not have a considerable impact on the tensile strength.Furthermore,aging heat treatment caused the tensile properties to deteriorate and changed the fracture to a mixture of transgranular ductile and intergranular brittle mode.