Industrial Finishes Research Articles

(Keynote Address) Developing Industrial Applications of Pulse Electrolytic Processes

I founded Faraday Technology, Inc. in 1991 to conduct research and development directed towards novel electrochemical technologies for improved electrodeposition processes. The resulting innovations were patented and commercialized/transitioned to industrial/governmental partners via patent licenses or patent sales. The initial start-up funding was predominately from the U.S. Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) or Small Business technology Transfer (STTR) programs. After initial feasibility demonstration and validation, the patented technologies were adapted to specific client needs with client funding for the option to license or acquire.In order to avoid the “feast or famine” associated Principal Investigator centric contract R&D firms, Faraday’s business model was based on a well-defined technology platform with applications in numerous markets and therefore amenable to multiple sources of funding. This business model emphasizes “strategic proposal development” based on exploring applications of the technology platform with team proposal conceptualization/writing and is used by the DOE as an instructional video for start-up companies.[1] The technology platform was pulse/pulse reverse current (P/PRC) electrolysis. Since the founding of Faraday. The pulse/pulse reverse technology platform has resulted in 129 patents and patent applications directed towards industrial markets including automotive, medical, energy, electronics and applications including electrodeposition, surface finishing and chemical conversions.The concept of P/PRC plating is not new and was first reported at least in the early part of the nineteenth century.[2] The guiding principles of P/PRC plating were presented in 1986 in a classic compendium.[3] A more recent treatise was published in 2012.[4] Many of the studies directed towards practical applications of P/PRC plating used the existing plating baths containing chemical additions optimized for DC plating. In developing practical applications of P/PRC plating, two questions were critical to Faraday’s vision: Are the plating bath additives optimized for direct current plating optimum for P/PRC plating?Assuming the answer is “no”, can P/PRC plating enable simpler plating baths with low or no chemical additives? Consequently, Faraday’s initial founding vision was to: “...change the focus of electrodeposition processes from the use of electrolytes with multicomponent chemical additions to the use of simpler electrolytes enabled by pulse current/pulse reverse current electric fields...” With the successful development of plating processes devoid of chemical additives, this vision evolved to include P/PRC anodic dissolution or surface finishing processes such as deburring, electrochemical machining, electropolishing and electrochemical through-mask etching. This broadening of the vision was based on observations and speculations that the lessons learned from cathodic P/PRC electrodeposition processes could be adapted to anodic pulse/pulse reverse surface finishing processes. Consequently, Faraday’s current vision is broadened to: “...change the focus of electrochemical manufacturing/engineering processes from the use of electrolytes with multicomponent chemical additions to the use of simpler electrolytes enabled by pulse current/pulse reverse current electric fields...” This evolving vision has led to numerous innovations in industrial surface finishing[5] and sustainable[6] industrial processes. Some of these innovations based on P/PRC have been recognized with awards including 1) the Blum Scientific Achievement Award from the National Association for Surface Finishing for “...outstanding scientific contributions which have advanced the theory and practice of electroplating, metal finishing and allied arts”, 2) a 2011 R&D 100 award for electrodeposition of cobalt manganese alloys for solid oxide fuel cell interconnects, 3) a 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award for deposition of functional chromium from a trivalent chromium plating bath, 4) a 2016 R&D 100 finalist award for electropolishing of materials in low viscosity electrolytes devoid of hydrofluoric acid, and 5) the 2020 New Electrochemical Technology award from the IE&EE division for electropolishing of niobium superconducting devices for high energy physics applications.I will provide an overview of Faraday’s P/PRC innovations, some of which are recently summarized.[7] I will conclude with some thoughts on additional applications of P/PRC processes such as chemical conversions and high-rate electrowinning.I acknowledgeMaria Inman, Tim Hall and my many colleagues, past and present at Faraday as well as Faraday’s many collaborators and sources of funding. See https://science.osti.gov/SBIRLearning/Faraday-Technology-IncJ. Gillis, U.S. Patent No. 1,260,661 issued March 26, 1918.J.C. Puippe and F. Leaman, Eds., Theory and Practice of Pulse Plating, AESF, Orlando, FL, (1986).W. E. G. Hansel and S. Roy, Pulse Plating, Leuze Verlag KG, Germany (2012).E. J. Taylor and M. E. Inman, Electrochem. Soc. Interface Fall 23 57 (2014).T. D. Hall, M. E. Inman, and E. J. Taylor, Electrochem. Soc. Interface 29 49 (2020).7. J. Taylor et al in Advances in Electrochemical Science & Engineering: The Path from Discovery to Product, R. C. Alkire et al., Editors, p. 193-240, Wiley-VCH, New York (2018).

Effect of Photoinitiator Concentration and Film Thickness on the Properties of UV-Curable Self-Matting Coating for Wood-Based Panels

Matte coatings have found wide-ranging applications across diverse industries. In this study, self-matting films with surface wrinkles were produced by exposing UV-curable polyurethane acrylate (UV-WPUA) resin to 172 nm Xe2* excimer and medium-pressure mercury lamps. The gloss values, micromorphologies, water contact angles (WCAs), roughness values, and friction behaviors of UV-WPUA films with different photoinitiator (PI) concentrations and thickness were investigated for the first time. The results indicate that the gloss values of the films at the same thickness enhance with the increase of PI concentration, while the amplitude of wrinkles, roughness, and WCAs decrease; however, the friction coefficient shows insignificant variations. While the PI concentration is unchanged, an increase in film thickness results in a decrease in gloss value and an increase in roughness and friction coefficient. Nevertheless, the WCA is relatively constant. The PI concentration of 0.5 wt% (lowest gloss value of cured film) was utilized to prepare the UV-WPUA wood coating. The cured coating film exhibited low gloss (4.9 GU at 60° and 5.2 GU at 85°) and outstanding mechanical properties, including 3H pencil hardness, grade 0 adhesion, excellent wear resistance, and tensile property. These findings can be utilized to guide the development of self-matting wood coatings and the production of wood-based panels used in industrial finishing.

Nanosecond laser lithography enables concave-convex zinc metal battery anodes with ultrahigh areal capacity

Laser processing is employed to fabricated zinc-ion battery (ZIB) anodes with state-of-the-art electrochemical performance from commercial zinc foils. Lasers are widely utilized for industrial surface finishing but have received minimal attention for zinc surface modification. Laser lithography patterned zinc foils “[email protected]” are hydrophilic, with an electrolyte contact angle of 0°. This is due to the concave-convex surface geometry that enhances wetting (periodic crests, ridges and valleys, roughness 16.5 times planar). During electrodeposition [email protected]'s surface geometry generates a periodic electric field and associated current density distribution that suppresses tip growth (per continuum simulations). Per Density Functional Theory (DFT) its surface oxide is zincophilic, resulting in low nucleation barriers during plating (e.g. 3.8 mV at 1 mA cm−2). A combination of these attributes leads to stable dendrite-free plating/stripping behavior and low overpotentials at fast charge (e.g. 48.2 mV at 8 mA cm−2 in symmetric cell). Cycling is possible at an unprecedented areal capacity of 50 mA h cm−2, with 400 h stability at 1 mA cm−2. Moreover, exceptional aqueous zinc battery (AZB) performance is achieved, with MnO2-based cathode loading 10 mg cm−2 and corresponding anode capacity 7.6 mA h cm−2. A broad comparison with literature indicates that [email protected] symmetric cell and full battery performance are among most favorable.

Effects of an industrial graphene grade and surface finishing on water and oxygen permeability, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) multilayered cast films

Graphene-based composites are promising candidates to improve properties in flexible packaging to protect electronic devices. However, the literature hardly addresses the industrial scale requirements. In this context, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a common packaging material, and an industrial grade graphene (G) were used to prepare multilayered composites by cast film coextrusion, a flexible-packaging-industry compatible technique. The effects of G content and surface finishing on HDPE films’ properties were investigated. Experimental results showed that a maximum permeability reduction of 43% at 0.5 wt% of G was achieved. Such result was associated with a good dispersion efficiency and with the filler’s aspect ratio. However, as the concentration of G increased both barrier and mechanical properties worsened due to a poor dispersion of G within the composite. Additionally, it was found that surface finishing induced defects increasing permeability despite improvements in visible light transmittance and reduction of surface roughness. These defects can be successfully prevented using a proper design of layers during coextrusion. In summary, the present study showed the feasibility of G-based flexible packaging film applications at an industrial scale. The importance of G dispersion and of layer design to achieve improved barrier properties should be emphasized.

Creating a New Electrochemical Engineering Course from Scratch: From Defining Learning Outcomes to Overcoming Teaching Challenges During a Pandemic

Although generally overlooked for many decades, issues such as climate change, the rise of renewable energy and the resulting increase in low-cost, green electricity have finally brought some recognition to a discipline, Electrochemical Engineering, which covers a wide range of important industrial applications: from industrial electrolysis (e.g. chlor-alkali industry, production of primary aluminium) or surface finishing (e.g. electroplating, anodising) to energy conversion and storage (e.g. batteries, fuel cells). However, Electrochemical Engineering has generally been (and still is) neglected for many years in undergraduate Chemical Engineering curricula despite the current (and past/future) importance of this field in industry. The School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, after identifying this gap in the chemical engineering curriculum a few years ago, decided to tackle this problem in a way that not many chemical-engineering-teaching institutions would have expected: rather than embedding Electrochemistry in other related courses, the approach would be to create a full course on Electrochemical Engineering for the very first time at the School.This presentation covers the ‘journey’ of the creation and delivery of this course offered to undergraduate Chemical Engineering students at the University of Edinburgh, summarising the main tasks (e.g. from the definition of learning outcomes and course content to the innovative teaching delivery approaches implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic) and challenges (e.g. students’ lack of retention of background knowledge in chemistry and physics [1]) faced during the development of the course. Pedagogical elements such as (i) course design and structure, (ii) delivery, (iii) feedback to students and (iv) assessment will be discussed during the presentation, which will also include some suggestions on approaches and tools (e.g. ABC learning design [2], flipped classroom methodology [3], project-based learning [4], feedback as a dialogue [5]).

Impact of High-pressure Impregnation and Fire Protective Coatings on the Reaction to Fire Performance of Birch Plywood

Abstract Birch plywood has a wide range of applications for interior and exterior use. The demand for plywood with improved fire protection properties and good visual appearance is increasing year by year. The impregnation at high pressure of the whole plywood panels is one of the options to achieve it. The aim of this study was to develop good visual looking birch plywood product for interior design purposes as well evaluate different influencing factors to reaction to fire properties of fire-retardant treated birch plywood. This study consists of three parts. At the first stage, high pressure industrially impregnated plywood properties were studied by two influencing factors – distribution of fire retardant in plywood panel plane and sanding process influence on reaction to fire performance of product. At the second stage, seven different industrial finishing systems were selected for covering high-pressure impregnated birch plywood and their effect on fire reaction performance was studied. In addition, two surface coating systems were studied on standard birch plywood substrate. At the third stage, intumescent coating consumption effect on reaction to fire performance was studied. The reaction to fire performance of birch plywood was evaluated by performing a flammability test using the Single Burning Item test according to EN 13823:2010. It was found that high pressure impregnation of plywood cannot ensure even saturation of fire retardant throughout the sheet, which significantly affects the fire performance of product. The impact of different finishing materials to reaction to fire performance has been described by the results of this research.

Analyzing Thermophysiological Comfort and Moisture Management Behavior of Cotton Denim Fabrics

Abstract Comfort properties of garments are influenced by fiber properties, fabric properties, and applied finishes. Denim garments are widely used apparels, and they are processed with different industrial finishing treatments. Finishing treatments and fabric weight have a great influence on the thermal comfort of denim fabrics. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effects of finishing treatments (rigid, bleaching, resin, softener) on the thermophysiological comfort and moisture management properties of denim fabrics considering three weight categories (light, medium, heavy). The thermophysiological comfort (thermal resistance, thermal absorptivity, air permeability, water vapor permeability tests) and liquid moisture transport capabilities (transfer wicking and drying behavior of fabrics) were measured and analyzed statistically. As a result of the study, fabric weight and finishing had been found to be important parameters for the comfort properties of denim fabrics. As a conclusion, it could be stated in the light of the results that the fabric weight type (light, medium, heavy) had a significant impact on the fabric thermophysiological comfort properties.

Fatigue Life Testing of Locally Additive Manufactured AlSi10Mg Test Specimens

In order for additive manufacturing to become a viable manufacturing method for aerospace engineering, it is required that exhaustive static and fatigue testing be performed. The testing is required in order to describe material properties in a statistical manner. Fatigue tests were performed on standard additive manufactured ASTM E466 test specimens in order to obtain the low (1000 cycles) to high cycle (1E6 cycles) behaviour of AlSi10Mg. The specimens were manufactured using non-heat treated, but stress relieved specimens. Specimens were printed in three build directions, namely the XY (parallel with build plate), 45 degree and vertical direction as measured with respect to the build baseplate. The three different directions were chosen to investigate the sensitivity of the material properties to the build direction. The specimens were stress relieved on the baseplate. Static testing was also performed on specimens according to ASTM E8/E8M. The specimens were produced to have a surface finish representative of standard deburring techniques used in the aerospace industry. The surface roughness on the specimens were measured. The scatter in test data as a result of the surface finish on material properties is quantified. It is a requirement to quantify the effect of the surface roughness on fatigue failure allowable values since a machined type finish (less than 3.2 micrometer) is not always practically possible to achieve with additive manufactured structures. This is because the organic shapes produced with additive manufacturing makes some surfaces inaccessible to normal surface finishing techniques. Furthermore, some internal structures such as lattice structures are completely inaccessible to surface finishing techniques such as polishing or lapping. In addition to the surface roughness the roundness of the test section was also measured using inspection equipment. This was required since the industrial deburring techniques did not yield a completely concentric test section as a lathe operation would produce. Once again this is representative of an additive manufactured structure. The fatigue tests were performed at an R-ratio of 0.1. The test results were used to produce Wöhler or S-N curves for the material in all three material directions. The scatter was quantified using industry accepted methods. The results were compared with fatigue test results from literature of specimens produced with a lathe in order to compare a practical industrial surface finish on an additive manufactured component with a machined surface finish. It was found that the build support structures of the additive manufacturing process causes stress concentrations in the fatigue test specimens. This leads to a reduction in fatigue life and an increase in the scatter of the results.

THE INFLUENCE OF FINISHING AND SOFTENING TREATMENTS ON THE SENSORY PROPERTIES OF DENIM FABRIC

The notion of hand or touch of the fabric depends on several parameters starting with the raw material ending with the finishing techniques and treatments. Several treatments of finishing, accomplished on fabric have an effect on its handle. The purpose of this study is to estimate the effect of two finishing processes and softening treatment on the Denim fabric handle. The first one is a normal finishing, the second is a fifties finishing. A trained panel assessed the tactile sensory properties of treated denim fabrics. This panel took part in a training program. During this program, the panellists’ performance in terms of repeatability was controlled to decrease the variability of the provided measurements. This panel assessed 16 sensory attributes already selected to find out the differences between the treated samples. The results of sensory evaluation were studied using the principal components analysis (PCA) and analyse of variance (ANOVA). According to the results, the change of denim fabric handle is more important in the case of fifties finishing than the normal finishing processes. This study also shows that the effect of softener is more legible on case of fifties finishing and the low concentration of fabric softener did not influenced the handle of denim fabric. This paper identifies the most important tactile sensory properties which are influenced by industrial finishing’s for the denim fabric. This paper represents as well the handle progressive changes that occur on treating the denim fabric with various finishing.

Regarding the effect of finishing processes on some properties of stretch denim fabrics

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of industrial finishing and washing processes on some properties of stretch denim fabrics. The investigations have been carried out using stretch denim fabrics with a composition of 98% CO/2% EL and 3/1 Z twill weave. Starting from a greige denim fabric, through the application of various finishing treatments, six variants of finished denim fabrics were obtained. Subsequently, the finished fabrics have been subjected to washing processes commonly used for washing denim garments, in order to attain the appearance and properties as close as possible to those required by the garment products to be made of these materials. The effect of finishing treatments and washing processes on the denim fabrics was assessed by measuring certain structural and physical-mechanical properties. Have been selected and determined by usual laboratory testing methods - as objective assessment - those fabric properties that can be also subjectively assessed by the customers: fabric weight and thickness, fabric extensibility and flexural rigidity, coefficient of friction. The obtained results showed significant changes of fabrics properties both after industrial finishing treatments and after washing processes. These confirm the possibility of obtaining a diverse range of denim fabrics featuring various properties, starting from a single type of greige fabric, by using various finishing treatments and washing processes.

One-pot fabrication of durable antibacterial cotton fabric coated with silver nanoparticles via carboxymethyl chitosan as a binder and stabilizer

In this article, durable antimicrobial cotton fabric was prepared by a one-pot modification process using a colloidal solution of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) stabilized by carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC). Due to coordination bonds between the amine groups of CMC and the Ag NPs and the ester bonds present between the carboxyl groups of CMC and the hydroxyl groups of cellulose, the Ag NPs were tightly immobilized onto the cotton fiber surface. As a result, the Ag NPs that were adhered on the cotton fabrics have uniform dispersion and small size, ranging from 10 nm to 80 nm. This provides the cotton fabric with remarkable and durable antibacterial activity against both S. aureus and E. coli. After 50 laundering cycles, the bacterial reduction rate (BR) for the modified cotton fabric remained over 94%. This method is simple, and it is particularly suitable for the industrial finishing process.

The analysis of heat engineering parameters of building’s thermal protection

Energy efficiency is a one of most important goals in a building sector, namely reduction of heat losses for heating of housing stock. The article presents the results of analysis of heat engineering parameters calculation of building’s enclosing sheath by applicable building codes. Purpose. To define an optimal parameters of heat resistance of constructions on an example different design schemes of building walling. Methodology. The calculation method of building heat losses with considering its architectural and design features was implemented. Conclusion. The difference in calculations of thermal insulation systems in a different codes was researched. Originality. The numerical data concerning results of the insulation parameters selection in systems with a ventilated facade and industrial finishes was received. Practical value. The practical recommendations concerning insulation of existing building in the Ukraine's conditions was represented.

Root cause diagnosis of quality-related faults in industrial multimode processes using robust Gaussian mixture model and transfer entropy

Abstract Modern complex industrial processes often have multiple operating modes due to various factors, such as different manufacturing strategies, alterations of feedstock and compositions, etc. In this paper, a practical technology or solution of quality-related fault diagnosis is put forward for industrial multimode processes. Different from traditional data-based fault diagnosis methods, the alternative approach is focused more on root cause diagnosis. The new scheme addresses the quality-related fault detection issue with a developed robust Gaussian mixture model and modified Mahalanobis distance. Then, a Bayesian inference-based robust Gaussian mixture contribution index is designed to analyze the potential root-cause variables. Meanwhile, a combination of transfer entropy and direct transfer entropy-based cause and effect extraction methodologies is proposed for root cause diagnosis of quality-related faults. Finally, the whole proposed framework is applied to a real industrial multimode finishing mill process, where the performance and effectiveness are further demonstrated from real industrial data.

An electrodeposited Ni-P-WS2 coating with combined super-hydrophobicity and self-lubricating properties

Self-lubrication and super-hydrophobicity are sought-after qualities in industrial surface finishing but such properties are rarely combined in a single coating. The present studies have produced a low-friction, superhydrophic Ni-P-WS2 coating by a versatile one-pot, single-step electrodeposition. By adjusting the particle and surfactant concentrations, a hierarchical surface, consisting of micron-sized protrusion arrays and submicron-sized bumps on the top and exhibiting a high water contact angle of 157 deg was achieved. Furthermore, mechanical and friction properties are characterized, revealing that sufficient WS2 embedded in the Ni-P coatings enables a reduced friction coefficient of 0.17 by the formation of a self-lubricating tribofilm.

Advances in hip arthroplasty surgery: what is justified?

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgery has shown dramatic changes in terms of increased number of procedures and of technical development in recent years. It has been described as “the operation of the 20th century” for the excellent results, the high satisfaction of the patients and the improvement of the quality of life.A lot of variations have been introduced over the last few decades in THA especially in terms of indications (both in younger and older patients), techniques and devices (approaches, tissue preservation, biomaterials and industrial finishing), per-operative management (blood loss and pain control) and post-operative protocols (the so called “fast track” surgery). Looking at all these advances the emerging question is: have all of them been justified both in terms of improvement of the results for the patients and of the cost/benefit ratio from an economical point of view?The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the advantages and the disadvantages of the theoretically proposed “advances in hip arthroplasty” and attempt to understand which are justified of such “advances” nowadays, based on the international and the European perspective with a focus on the author’s personal clinical experience.Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2017;2. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.2.170008. Originally published online at www.efortopenreviews.org

New brochure highlights breadth of PPG general industrial finishes products

New brochure highlights breadth of PPG general industrial finishes products

Quality-conscious optimization of energy consumption in a grinding process applying sustainability indicators

The rising awareness of energy consumption and the environmental impact of manufacturing underline the need to implement structured approaches, such as a life cycle assessment, or metrics for process evaluation. Energy savings on their own are not sufficient to increase the process efficiency of industrial finishing operations, since the results, in terms of machined part quality, have to be accounted for. The research work presented in this paper applies sustainable development concepts to an industrial case study. A shaping grinding process (a flute grinding operation for tap manufacturing) has been assessed experimentally. The effects of variations in the process parameters have been discussed, with respect to processing time, energy consumption, and product quality/integrity. Whenever the optimization goals are in contrast, a trade-off between product requirements and process sustainability has to be introduced. In order to achieve energy savings, without altering the performance of the product, a specific efficiency sustainability indicator has been implemented and coupled to the life cycle inventory phase. The results provide a tool that can assist the decision-making stage and can be incorporated into a business strategy development framework.

Study of performance properties of itaconic acid based acrylic-modified polyester for industrial baking finishes

Abstract Itaconic acid based unsaturated polyesters have been synthesized followed by their co-polymerization with commonly used acrylic monomers. Series of such acrylic-modified polyesters have been prepared and examined their physical and performance characteristics. Apart from determining various physico-chemical characteristics, these resins were also characterized for their molecular weight distribution and grafting of acrylic on polyester using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and FT-IR techniques respectively. The performance of cured film and the effect on cross-linking density of the synthesized acrylic-modified polyesters were investigated through dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) using melamine formaldehyde resin as a cross-linker at elevated temperature. The resultant polymeric film showed excellent hardness, flexibility, impact resistance, adhesion, and cupping with improved weathering resistance over non-acrylated polyester.

Whisker Formation On Galvanic Tin Surface Layer

Abstract The present work reports the effect of substrate composition, thickness of the tin electroplate and its morphology on pressure-induced tin whisker formation. Pure tin deposits of different thickness were obtained on a copper and brass substrates using methane sulfonic industrial bath. The deposits were compressed by a steel bearing ball forming imprint on the surface. The microstructure of tin whiskers obtained at the boundary of each imprint, their length and number were studied using both light and scanning electron microscopy. It was shown that the most intensive formation and growth of whiskers was observed in the first two hours. In general, brass substrate was shown to be more prone to whisker formation than copper independently of the tin coating thickness. The results have been compared with industrial bright tin finish on control unit socket leads and proposals have been made as to modification of the production process in order to minimize the risk of whiskering.

The Effect of Seaming on Cloth Shrinkage During Finishing Treatment of Denim Garments

The principal purpose of this work is to study the dimensional stability of cloth upon seaming, particularly after finishing treatments. This study is carried out on denim blue jean fabrics with different structures which are transformed into pants. Various types of assembling are used, such as safety stitch, felled seam and lockstitch. The sewing operation is carried out with the same parameters: the stitch type, stitch density per centimeter, and sewing thread count and composition. The garment shrinkage is influenced by several parameters, such as the type of assembling and the industrial finishing treatment. The results show that the type of industrial seaming, resin treatment and special treatment as well as their succession has a significant effect on garment shrinkage. There is more shrinkage in the garment assembled with a flat-felled seam than that with a safety stitch. The difference can reach 57.8% if the garment is treated with mixed methods, such as washing and chemical special treatment. Moreover, the shrinkage measured on the waist or hem is less than that measured on the legs. Finally, the shrinkage due to the type of assembling in the warp direction is more than that in the weft direction.