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.

Prediction Model of Wax Deposition Rate in Waxy Crude Oil Pipelines by Elman Neural Network Based on Improved Reptile Search Algorithm

A hard problem that hinders the movement of waxy crude oil is wax deposition in oil pipelines.To ensure the safe operation of crude oil pipelines,an accurate model must be developed to predict the rate of wax deposition in crude oil pipelines.Aiming at the shortcomings of the ENN prediction model,which easily falls into the local minimum value and weak generalization ability in the implementation process,an optimized ENN prediction model based on the IRSA is proposed.The validity of the new model was confirmed by the accurate prediction of two sets of experimental data on wax deposition in crude oil pipelines.The two groups of crude oil wax deposition rate case prediction results showed that the average absolute percentage errors of IRSA-ENN prediction models is 0.5476% and 0.7831%,respectively.Additionally,it shows a higher prediction accuracy compared to the ENN prediction model.In fact,the new model established by using the IRSA to optimize ENN can optimize the initial weights and thresholds in the prediction process,which can overcome the shortcomings of the ENN prediction model,such as weak generalization ability and tendency to fall into the local minimum value,so that it has the advantages of strong implementation and high prediction accuracy.

Study of bias voltage effect on the performance of ta-C coating prepared by high power impulse magnetron sputtering

The mechanical and frictional properties of ta-C coatings deposited on the substrate surface affect applications in the field of cutting tools and wear-resistant components.In this paper,the effect of bias parameters on the performance of ta-C coatings was investigated based on high power impulse magnetron sputtering(HiPIMS)technology.The results show that bias voltage has a significant effect on the deposition rate,structure,and wear resistance of the coating.In the range of bias voltage−50 V to−200 V,the ta-C coating performance was the best under bias voltage−150 V.The thickness reached 530.4 nm,the hardness value reached 35.996 GPa,and the bonding force in-creased to 14.2 N.The maximum sp3 bond content was 59.53% at this condition.

Effect of frequency and pulse-on time of high power impulse magnetron sputtering on deposition rate and morphology of titanium nitride using response surface methodology

Titanium nitride thin films were deposited on silicon by high power impulse magnetron sputtering(HiPIMS)method at different frequencies(162-637 Hz)and pulse-on time(60-322μs).Response surface methodology(RSM)was employed to study the simultaneous effect of frequency and pulse-on time on the current waveforms and the crystallographic orientation,microstructure,and in particular,the deposition rate of titanium nitride at constant time and average power equal to 250 W.The crystallographic structure and morphology of deposited films were analyzed using XRD and FESEM,respectively.It is found that the deposition rate of HiPIMS samples is tremendously dependent on pulse-on time and frequency of pulses where the deposition rate changes from 4.5 to 14.5 nm/min.The regression equations and analyses of variance(ANOVA)reveal that the maximum deposition rate(equal to(17±0.8)nm/min)occurs when the frequency is 537 Hz and pulse-on time is 212μs.The experimental measurement of the deposition rate under this condition gives rise to the deposition rate of 16.7 nm/min that is in good agreement with the predicted value.

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.

Investigation on the deposition rate and the dilution ratio of plasma surface welding

A new kind of plasma technology with both high deposition rate and low dilution ratio was developed under the calculation and analysis of the arc flame characteristics of plasma arc,the kinematics behavior of powder and powder's heating in the arc. Compared with normal plasma surfacing method, the idea using constricting nozzle with small orifice diameter, long plasma arc and increasing the distance from meeting point of the two beams of powder to workpiece, to achieve the goals of high deposition rate and low dilution ratio, was put forward here. In order to prove this idea, a set of experimental system was built up and obtained satisfied results including high deposition rate(more than 25 kg/h )and low dilution ratio(less than 5%). The success of this study offers a promising prospect for developing the powder plasma surface welding in China and may open a way to improve this technology further in efficiency and quality.

Anthropogenic Effect on Deposition Dynamics of Lake Sediments Based on ^(137)Cs and ^(210)Pb_(ex) Techniques in Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve,China

Radionuclide dating techniques characterized by137Cs and210Pbex have recently been applied in the study of lake sediments around the world.In this study,a chronological series of sediment cores was established based on137Cs and210Pbex analyses along with the evaluation of sediment properties,such as particle size distribution,total organic carbon(TOC),carbonate content,and acid-insoluble residue,to study sediment accumulation rates,sediment sources,and responses to human activities in the Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve in southwestern China.In terms of the particle size distribution of sediments,silt content was the highest,and clay and sand contents were relatively low.The sediments displayed high TOC contents because of the significant amounts of vegetation grown in the lakes.The carbonate content was also high due to the overall geological background of carbonates in Jiuzhaigou.Carbonate content tended to decline from top to bottom in the sediment cores,whereas the acid-insoluble residue tended to increase.These results suggested that the depth variation of the environmental parameters of the sediments in two lakes in Jiuzhaigou would correspond to each other.The results indicated that the sediment rate of Jiuzhaigou was generally high with strong siltation,indicating that serious soil loss was induced by intensive human activities in the basin over the past decades.The increases in the mass accumulation rate,contents of acid-insoluble residue,and mean particle size during the periods of 1840–1900s,late 1930s–early 1950s,1966–1978,and2003–2006 revealed the occurrence of severe soil and water loss as a result of extensive agricultural expansion,large-scale deforestation,and road construction in Jiuzhaigou.The deposition rate and the properties of lacustrine sediments could reflect the significant impact of human activities on lake sedimentation during Jiuzhaigou′s history.

Online evaluation of electroless deposition rate by electrochemical noise method

Continuous noise resistance calculation(CNRC)technique was used for online determination of the electroless nickel deposition rate on zirconium pretreated magnesium alloy.For this purpose,the noise resistance(R_n) variation with time was calculated for the pretreated alloy surface in the electroless plating solution.The CNRC results were described by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)techniques.Also,potentiodynamic polarization and gravimetric measurements were used for determination of the electroless deposition rate at the same time period and the results were compared with the CNRC results.The Rn variation with plating time shows that the electroless plating consists of different stages with various deposition rates.The results of the CNRC and polarization methods were not in acceptable agreement due to the limitations of the polarization method for online monitoring of the deposition rate.However,the results of the gravimetric measurements were in complete agreement with the CNRC technique and so,the CNRC can be considered as suitable tool for online evaluation of the electroless deposition rate.

Analysis on Suspended Sediment Deposition Rate for Muddy Coast of Reclaimed Land

A new expression for calculating suspended fine-sediment deposition rate is developed based on theoretic analysis and experiments. The resulting equation is applied to simulation of fine sediment deposition in the reclaimed land in the Hangzhou Bay, China. The hydrodynamic environment in this area is solved by use of a long wave model, which gives the 2D-velocity field and considers bathymetric changes due to fine sediment deposition. The expression is proved convenient to use in engineering practice, and the predicted deposition rate agrees with the annual data available from field measurements from the first year to the third year after the construction of the long groin as a reclaiming method.

Study on the Structures and Properties of Ni-W-B-CeO_2 Composite Coatings Prepared by Pulse Electrodeposition

The aim of this research is to pulse co-deposit nano-CeO2 particles into Ni-W-B alloy coatings in order to improve the surface properties. The influence of pulse frequency and duty circle on deposition rate, microhardness and microstructures, and the influence of heat treatment temperature on phase structures, microhardness and abrasivity of Ni-W-B-CeO2 composite coatings were investigated. The results indicated that the pulse co-deposition of nickel, tungsten, boron and nano-CeO2 particle from the bath which nano-CeO2 particle was suspended by high speed mechanical stirring led to the Ni-W-B-CeO2 composite coatings, possessing better microhardness and abrasion resistance when heat-treated at 400 ℃ for 1 h. The microhardness as-deposited with 636 Hz and the deposition rate with 0.0281 mm·h-1 was the highest at pulse frequency with 1000 Hz and pulse duty circle with 10%. Microstructures analysis displays that decreasing pulse duty cycle leads to refinement in grain structures and the improvement of microstructures. X-ray diffraction shows that the composite coating as-deposited was mainly in the amorphous state and partially crystallized, but when heat treated at 400 ℃, the crystallization trend was strengthened further.

Spatial and temporal gradients in the rate of dust deposition and aerosol optical thickness in southwestern Iran

The southwestern Iran is one of the regions that are most prone to dust events.The objective of this study is the analysis of the spatial and temporal distributions of dust deposition rate as a key factor for finding the relative impact of the dust.First,the monthly mean aerosol optical thickness(AOT)from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)was analyzed and compared with the dust amount variations from ground deposition rate(GDR),and the results were further used to investigate the spatial and temporal distributions of dust events in southwestern Iran for the period between 2014 and 2015.Moving air mass trajectories,using the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory(HYSPLIT)model,were proven to be a discriminator of their local and regional origin.The results from GDR analysis produced a correlation coefficient between dust event history and deposition rates at dust magnitudes of>0.93 that is meaningful at the 95%confidence level.Furthermore,the deposition rates varied from 3 g/m2 per month in summer to 10 g/m2 per month in spring and gave insight into the transport direction of the dust.Within the same time series,AOT correspondences with MODIS on Terra in four aerosol thickness layers(clean,thin,thick,and strong thick)were shown in relation to each other.The deepest mixed layers were observed in spring and summer with a thickness of approximately 3500 m above ground level in the study area.Investigations of ground-based observations were correlated with the same variations for each aerosol thickness layer from MODIS images and they can be applied to discriminate layers of aeolian dust from layers of other aerosols.Together,dust distribution plots from AOT participated to enhance mass calculations and estimation deposition rates from the thick and strong thick aerosol thickness layers using the results from GDR.Despite all the advances of AOT,under certain circumstances,ground-based observations are better able to represent aerosol conditions over the study area,which were tested in southwestern Iran,even though the low number of observations is a commonly acknowledged drawback of GDR.

Morphology Analysis of Nickel-boron/diamond Eleetroless Deposition

The influences of mass concentration of nickel chloride hexahydrate, sodium borohydride, ethylenediamine, pH value, bath temperature on deposition rate were studied with orthogonal experiments by a series of pre-treatments on micro-diamond particle, and the optimized parameters were obtained. Both the morphology and the composition of original diamond and the diamond with Ni-B coating were analyzed by SEM and XRD respectively. The SEM image shows that the spherical Ni-B particle is coated upon diamond. XRD pattern shows that the coating compositions are Ni and Ni2B.

Deposition rate and morphology of carbon nanotubes at different positions in a CVD reactor

Carbon nanotubes （CNTs） were synthesized through the catalytic decomposition of a ferrocene-xylene mixture in a horizontal chemical vapor deposition reactor. The deposition rate of CNTs along the axial direction was measured. The morphology of CNTs was observed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The results showed that the deposition rate of CNTs along the axial direction first increased and later decreased, the position achieving the maximum deposition rate was influenced by the operating conditions. The morphologies of CNTs also changed along the axial direction.

Effect of 3-Amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole on Electroless Nickel Deposition

The effects of organic additive, 3-amino-5-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole （AMTA） on bath stability, deposition rate, reaction activation energy, and Ni-P coating composition in acidic electroless nickel plating were investigated. Polarization curve method and infrared reflection spectroscopy were used to analyze the mechanism of the effect of AMTA on electroless nickel deposition. It was observed that AMTA improved bath stability, decreased the deposition rate, and increased the reaction activation energy. It was also revealed that AMTA decreased the phosphorus content and increased the sulfur content in Ni-P coating. In addition, AMTA inhibited the anodic oxidation of hypophosphite and accelerated the cathodic reduction of Ni^2＋. Infrared reflection spectroscopy result indicates that AMTA was adsorbed on the surface of Ni-P and interacted with Ni^2＋ to form an AMTA-Ni^2＋ compound. On the basis of the results of this study, the mechanism of the effect of AMTA on electroless nickel deposition was deduced.

Province-scale commonalities of some world-class gold deposits:Implications for mineral exploration

Discovery rates for all metals, including gold, are declining, the cost per significant discovery is increasing sharply, and the economic situation of the industry is one of low base rate. The current hierarchical structure of the exploration and mining industry makes this situation difficult to redress. Economic geologists can do little to influence the required changes to the overall structure and philosophy of an industry driven by business rather than geological principles, However, it should be possible to follow the lead of the oil industry and improve the success rate of greenfield exploration, necessary for the next group of lower-exploration-spend significant mineral deposit discoveries. Here we promote the concept that mineral explorers need to carefully consider the scale at which their exploration targets are viewed. It is necessary to carefully assess the potential of drill targets in terms of terrane to province to district scale, rather than deposit scale, where most current economic geology research and conceptual thinking is concentrated. If orogenic, IRGD, Carlin-style and IOCG gold-rich systems are viewed at the deposit scale, they appear quite different in terms of conventionally adop- ted research parameters. However, recent models for these deposit styles show increasingly similar source-region parameters when viewed at the lithosphere scale, suggesting common tectonic settings. It is only by assessing individual targets in their tectonic context that they can be more reliably ranked in terms of potential to provide a significant drill discovery. Targets adjacent to craton margins, other lithosphere boundaries, and suture zones are clearly favoured for all of these gold deposit styles, and such exploration could lead to incidental discovery of major deposits of other metals sited along the same tectonic boundaries.

Effect of pH on Mechanical, Physical and Tribological Properties of Electroless Ni-P-Al2〇 3 Composite Deposits for Marine Applications

： Successful co-deposition of fine particulate matter within an Electroless Nickel-Phosphorous （ENi-P） matrix is dependent on various factors like bath composition, particle compatibility with metallic matrix, bath reactivity （pH）, particle size and their distribution. ENi-P deposits incorporating Al2O3/ Alumina in a disperse phase have varied effects on properties and attributes like surface roughness （Ra／ microhardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance and surface morphology of the deposits obtained. This paper experimentally investigates the effect of alumina （1.55 g/L） on Ra, microhardness, surface morphology, deposition rate, wettability, wear resistance and corrosion resistance of ENi-P-Al2O3 composite deposits on mild steel substrates at bath pH 5, 7 and 9. Study reveals that optimum deposit parameters and deposition rates are achieved with bath pH. However, not much study has been undertaken concerning composite deposits obtained from higher bath pH or basic bath. This is attributable to the fact that at higher bath pH or alkaline baths, the bath gets unstable and eventually degrades or decomposes, thereby resulting in sub optimal or poor deposition. Hence, experimental investigations carried out by preparing suitable baths, operating under optimum conditions, and enabling successful composite deposition in acidic and alkaline baths have revealed that there is a significant improvement in the above mentioned properties of the as-deposited composite deposits, as the pH is increased from pH 5 to pH 9. This aspect can therefore be advantageously utilized for preparing various marine components like fasteners, nuts, bolts, washers, pipes, cables, components having relative motion etc.

A 150-year Isotopic Record of Lead Deposition in Yancheng Coastal Wetland,China

Radioactive markers are useful in dating lead （Pb） deposition patterns from industrialization in sedimentary archives. As a well-known natural reserve in the world, Yancheng coastal wetland in Jiangsu Province is one of areas most sensitive to global sea level change and is located in the most developed and polluted region of China. Two cores were collected in Yancheng wetland in October 2013 and dated using 210pb and 137Cs radiometric techniques. Sediments in both cores were sectioned into depth bands and examined systematically for dry bulk density, water content, magnetic susceptibility and grain-size. Multiple elements including Pb were also measured using inductively coupled plasma systems. Unsupported 21~Pb activities decreased with depth in both of the two cores, and 21~pb chronologies were established （covering 150 years） using the constant rate of supply （CRS） model. The measured Pb contents ranged from 14.97 mg/kg to 29.40 mg/kg with average values of 17.17-22.79 mg/kg, and the Pb fluxes ranged from 41.70 mg/（m2·yr） to 172.70 mg/（m2·yr） with averages of 95.59-123.41 mg/（m2·yr）. Temporal variations of Pb flux, enrichment factors and Pb isotopes show a gradual and continuous increase over time and clearly reflect increased emissions from anthropogenic activities in the region. The Pb isotopic compositions show that most of Pb deposition in Yancheng wetland is input from natural sources by water flows and has the same levels of Pb as in the surface sediment of the Yangtze River and the Pacific mineral aerosol. We also stress the anthropogenic Pb contribution in Yangcheng wetland sediment and the reason of our Pb isotopes not showing anthropogenic signature is likely the insta- bility of anthropogenic Pb in high Fe/Mn oxide conditions. Therefore, more attention should be paid to current local pollution problems, and society should take action to seek a balance between economic development and environmental protection.

Effect of Rare Earth Elements on Depositing Rate of Nickel Alloy Brush Plating Coatings

The effect of four kinds of rare earth elements on the depositing rate of Ni-based alloy brush plating coatings was investigated. The results indicate that all of the selected rare earth elements increase the depositing rate of Ni-based alloy coatings, and Sm increases the depositing rate most obviously. There is an optimum amount of rare earth addition in the plating solution. With the change of plating voltage to a certain extent, the results reveal no differences. The mechanism of the increase of the depositing rate was analyzed.

PREFERRED ORIENTATION OF DEPOSITED TiC COATING ON STEEL BY CVD

Investigation was made of the deposited rate,surface morphology and crystal pre- ferred orientation of the dense TiC coating onto austenitic stainless steel in relation with CH_4/TiCl_4 mole ratio and temperature adopted in CVD processing. When the CH_4/TiCl_4 ratio is low or high,the preferred orientation may be(220)or(200),respec- tively,which is mainly dependent on the equilibrium concentration of active C in vapour phase.

EFFECTS OF DEPOSITION PROCESS ON PHOSPHORUS CONTENT IN ELECTROLESS Ni－P COATINGS

There are many factors that affect the phosphorus content in the electroless Ni-P coatings The effects of the compositions of plating solution,the PH values of plat ing solution and the deposition temperature on the phosphorus content in Ni-P coatings were investigated in this paper It is found that the phosphorus content in Ni-P coatings increases and the deposition rate decreases with decreasing PH values,nickel sulphate NiSO4 content of plating solution and the deposition temperature.