Material Process Research Articles

Tetracyclic aromatic lactam-substituted tin-free donors for high-efficiency ternary organic solar cells via regulation of pre-aggregation and crystallization kinetics

Organic solar cells (OSCs) are rapidly developed for next-generation photovoltaic technologies due to low-cost and solution-processability etc. However, so far high-efficiency organic photovoltaic materials are typically prepared by multi-step Stille reactions, which are neither cost-efficient nor atom-economic, even raise safety concerns and incompatible with large-scale process. Large-scale industrial production of photovoltaic materials through simple, cost-effective, and green chemistry remains to be addressed. In this work, we present a case where two isomeric small-molecule donors based on polycyclic aromatic lactams (PAL) unit, named oPh2F and pPh2F with wide-bandgap and high-crystallinity, were designed and synthesized by atom-economic direct C-H activation strategy, modulates pre-aggregation and crystallization kinetics of host system PM6:Y6, induce distinct morphology evolution and effectively boost photovoltaic performance. The best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 18.40 % for pPh2F-based ternary devices are found to be a fruit of improved light-harvesting ability, favorable vertical phase separation with enhanced crystallinity, the separated crystallization process of host materials and the higher and more balanced charge transport. To our knowledge, this study achieved the highest PCE among PM6:Y6-based ternary OSCs containing tin-free small-molecule donor, which not only highlights the great potential of PAL-based photovoltaic materials, but also promotes the integration of renewable energy with green chemistry.

Material Metabolism: Reducing Risk through Flexible Formwork Substitution

For this special issue, sustainability and safety are discussed through the tropes of both material and work process substitution. As an architecture and industrial design team, we examine the potential of William McDonough’s and Michael Braungart’s “cradle to cradle” material methodology, and David Pye’s “the workmanship of certainty” as relevant to the construction industry. Locating and revisiting the tenets of Gottfried Semper’s Stoffwechseltheorie, alongside contemporary critiques, demonstrates that if historically, material and technique substitution led to architectural innovation, the same conditions exist today. To demonstrate a contemporary Stoffwechsel (material substitution) a formwork prototype was constructed at the University of Canberra’s Workshop 7, by substituting timber with plastic, and 3D-printing the formwork. This prototype demonstrates a type of “technical nutrient” that is both recyclable as plastic, and reusable as formwork. This reveals the potential of substituting materials and processes not only to achieve material recovery, but rather, aiming for material recycling, reuse, or upcycling, therefore reducing socio-environmental risks in construction.

Construing Joy as Body Parts in Akan: Synergizing Conceptual Metaphor and Transitivity Analyses

The present study examines the lexicogrammar of Akan (Niger-Congo: Kwa) body part joy expressions using transitivity in Systemic Functional Linguistics and Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The study is based on discourse data, supplemented with data from secondary sources and elicited data from a focus group discussion. The findings show that body part terms associated with joy in Akan comprise ani “eyes”, ho “skin”, akoma “heart” and the non-corporal human components kra “soul” and honhom “spirit”. These body part emotion terms occur as nouns, possessives, compounds and nominal groups. Joy is conceptualized as a container, typically as SUBSTANCES CONTAINED IN A BODY PART, as AN OBJECT OR PRESENT and as A LIVING ORGANISM. Also, the transitivity configuration of body part joy expressions reveals three process types, comprising material process (“doing-&happening”), mental process (“sensing”), and relational process (“having-&-being”). Body part terms occupy various participant roles across these process types, namely Actor, Goal, Accompaniment, Phenomenon, Carrier, Attribute and Possessed. The study provides a finer analysis of the grammatical configuration of body part emotion expressions by showing that different domains of experience reveal unique patterns of configurations. It also illustrates a rewarding synergy between conceptual metaphor theory and systemic functional transitivity framework in metaphor analysis.

Spinning Outside of Our Selves: Pole Dance, Materiality, and Embodied Existence Beyond Colonial Binaries

In this essay, I analyze three embodied experiences of pole dance: spinning movement, the continual material relationship between the pole and the body, and the unique movements of pole dance. I argue that these material experiences support an expansion of embodied existence beyond the foundational colonial binary of otherness: human/nature. My analysis illuminates how this is possible and provides conceptual understandings of material processes that enable reconfigurations of visual perception, embodied relations, and expansion beyond the colonial boundary of the “self.” These findings can support further research into how a more just future can be created and embodied.

Evaluation of the melting process of phase change materials in a tilted rectangular container: Experimental study

Natural convection plays a crucial role in improving the heat transfer efficiency during the phase change material (PCM) melting process. A major challenge is understanding the intensity and transformation of natural convection, which was strongly affected by the container's tilt angle. In this study, the effect of tilt angles of a rectangular container on the heat storage process was investigated with paraffin as the PCM. An experimental platform was established to observe the PCM melting process in a hot ambient. A dimensionless parameter Gr·Pr2 as the ratio of buoyancy force and thermal diffusivity was proposed to evaluate the relative magnitude of natural convection and thermal conduction during the phase change process. The larger Gr·Pr² indicates stronger natural convection than thermal conduction. When the tilt angle increased from 30° to 90°, the natural convection intensified and the peak of Gr·Pr² increased from 1.58×104 to 2.30×104 by 46 %. In melting process, the Gr·Pr² increased first and then declined until the melting was completed. When Gr·Pr²≤0.3 × 104, the improvement of melting process was mainly arisen from thermal conduction. When 0.3 × 104<Gr·Pr² ≤ 1.0 × 104, both thermal conduction and natural convection simultaneously enhance the melting process. When Gr·Pr²>1.0 × 104, the acceleration of melting process was dominated by the natural convection. From the experimental results, the optimum tilt angle was 60° for the heat storage of a rectangular container filled with paraffin in a hot ambient.

Evolutionary Search and Theoretical Study of Silicene Grain Boundaries' Mechanical Properties.

Defects such as grain boundaries (GBs) are almost inevitable during the synthesis process of 2D materials. To take advantage of the fascinating properties of 2D materials, understanding the nature and impact of various GB structures on pristine 2D sheets is crucial. In this work, using an evolutionary algorithm search, we predict a wide variety of silicene GB structures with very different atomic structures compared with those found in graphene or hexagonal boron-nitride. Twenty-one GBs with the lowest energy were validated by density functional theory (DFT), a majority of which were previously unreported to our best knowledge. Based on the diversity of the GB predictions, we found that the formation energy and mechanical properties can be dramatically altered by adatom positions within a GB and certain types of atomic structures, such as four-atom rings. To study the mechanical behavior of these GBs, we apply strain to the GB structures stepwise and use DFT calculations to investigate the mechanical properties of 9 representative structures. It is observed that GB structures based on pentagon-heptagon pairs are likely to have similar or higher in-plane stiffness and strength compared to the zigzag orientation of pristine silicene. However, an adatom located at the hollow site of a heptagon ring can significantly deteriorate the mechanical strength. For all of the structures, the in-plane stiffness and strength were found to decrease with increasing formation energy. For the failure behavior of GB structures, it was found that GB structures based on pentagon-heptagon pairs have failure behavior similar to that of graphene. We also found that the GB structures with atoms positioned outside of the 2D plane tend to experience phase transitions before failure. Utilizing the evolutionary algorithm, we locate diverse silicene GBs and obtain useful information about their mechanical properties.

Far‐infrared drying influence on machine learning algorithms in improving corn drying process with graphene irradiation heating plates

AbstractDrying methods often suffer from appropriate drying process modeling, low heating efficiency, and high‐energy consumption. However, graphene may provide significant improvements during the drying process due to its ability to save energy and convert electro‐thermal energy effectively. In this study, random forest (RF), surface vector machine (SVM), artificial neural network (ANN), and k‐nearest neighbor (kNN) were the four machine‐learning algorithms employed to analyze the drying process of two types of corn (ZD88 and RP909) at varying temperatures of 35, 45, and 55°C in a graphene far‐infrared drying. The study found that the drying process of corn showed a decrease in moisture ratio during the falling rate period from 35 to 55°C. The moisture diffusivity increased from 35 to 55°C with the rise in the temperature, ranging from 2.74 to 4.36 × 10−8 m2/s for ZD88 and 2.05 to 3.07 × 10−8 m2/s for RP909. The ZD88 showed a heat efficiency of 81.62% at 55°C. The results of the machine learning algorithms revealed that 1–6 ANN was the best architecture. Normalized PUK was the best for SVM filters. A k = 3 and s‐fold = 5 were the best values for k‐NN and RF, respectively. Among the computed algorithms, the tested data for normalized Pearson universal kernel SVM filters proved to be the most effective in computing the process of drying corn. Overall, a graphene far‐infrared dryer showed improved heating efficiency and less energy consumption, providing a new concept for developing a drying process through machine learning algorithms strategies.Practical applicationsDrying methods often suffer from appropriate drying process modeling, low heating efficiency, and high‐energy consumption. This study provides significant improvements due to the ability of graphene irradiation heating plates to save energy and convert electro‐thermal energy effectively. The study achieved a heating efficiency of 81.62% at an infrared temperature of 55°C. Machine learning algorithms are intelligent models that minimize the limitations in describing the drying process of agricultural materials. The study found the normalized Pearson universal kernel was the most effective computation SVM filter. Therefore, using a graphene far‐infrared dryer showed a better drying alternative for industrial applications, as it has the potential to improve heating efficiency and consume less energy, providing a new concept for developing drying equipment through machine learning algorithms modeling strategies.

The early-age cracking sensitivity, shrinkage, hydration process, pore structure and micromechanics of cement-based materials containing alkalis with different metal ions

The early-age cracking sensitivity of cement-based materials containing alkalis with different metal ions (Na+ and K+) is investigated. The results indicate that alkalis containing both Na+ and K+ can promote the early cracking sensitivity of cement-based materials, in which K+ having a higher promoting effect than Na+. By exploring the shrinkage properties, hydration process, pore structure and micromechanics, the mechanism of the cracking performance of cement-based materials containing alkalis with different metal ions are revealed. According to the experimental results and the analysis of mechanism, alkali enhances the cracking sensitivity of cement-based materials by increasing their shrinkage rate, promoting hydration process, and refining pore structure. But the improvement of cracking sensitivity of cement-based materials containing alkalis with Na+ or K+ is related to cohesive force and structure of calcium silicate hydrates clusters.

The Influence of Welding Technique With Variation of Current on Surface Defects and Penetration of ST40 Steel

One of the connection of one place starting from several materials or materials that are solid is one of the welding methods, as for the factors that can affect the quality of the weld results which include the process of tools and materials to be used, welding direction, welding electrode movement patterns, in order to use and select electrodes. In this study ST 40 steel plate, testing was carried out with 3 specimens using U and zigzag movement patterns and the direction of welding used back and forth. variations in electric current used are 40 A, 60 A, 80 A. This study has the aim of influencing welding techniques using current variations. The test results that the welding process using welding techniques consisting of movement patterns, welding direction and welding time does not affect the weld defects in the welding results. Welds defects that occur due to variations in the current used

Development of Webtoon-Based E-Comics as a Learning Media for Indonesian Flora and Fauna with Enjoy Learning Aprroach

The 21st-century educational landscape necessitates integrating technology into learning. This study highlights a gap in current learning media, overly reliant on traditional textbooks, and failing to fully engage students. To address this, the research proposes the development of webtoon-based e-comic media focused on Indonesian Flora and Fauna, aiming to create a more engaging and effective learning experience. This research utilizes the 4D model by S. Thiagarajan for media development, encompassing four distinct phases: 1) Define, 2) Design, 3) Develop, and 4) Disseminate. The study's participants include students from class XI IPS 1 and a geography teacher at SMAN 1 Gambiran, Banyuwangi. The research employs qualitative descriptive analysis for data evaluation. The findings of the material and media validation process yielded a score of 77.7%, categorizing it as highly appropriate or valid. Furthermore, the implementation of this media in an educational setting was assessed, revealing that teachers found the media 91.3% effective, while student receptivity was even higher at 93.2%. These results underscore the suitability of the webtoon-based e-comic as a learning medium. The positive reception from both students and teachers indicates its potential as an engaging educational tool, enhancing knowledge acquisition in the field of Indonesian Flora and Fauna

Prospective of biochar material production and process optimization using co-pyrolysis approach-A mini-review

This mini-review explores the perspective of biochar material production using the co-pyrolysis approach, which involves the thermal decomposition of biomass and other carbonaceous materials in the absence of oxygen at low temperatures (300-500°C). The study investigates the co-pyrolysis of biomass with different materials such as plastics, tires, municipal solid waste, and other organic waste to produce a high biochar yield. The review focuses on the benefits of co-pyrolysis, including higher yield and better quality of biochar, as well as reduced environmental impact by using different waste materials as feedstock. The review also highlights co-pyrolysis challenges, such as process optimization, feedstock preparation, and product characterization. The study concludes that co-pyrolysis of biomass with different materials can be a promising approach for producing high-quality biochar with multiple applications. However, more research is needed to optimize the co-pyrolysis process and evaluate the economic feasibility of biochar production using a computation approach.

Thermal runaway criterion for thick polymer composites

An analytical solution has been developed for the curing of thick polymer composite laminates that shows how the temperature profile responds to arbitrary changes to the material properties and process parameters and that curing with slow reactions and a low exotherm temperature is impossible if the Damköhler number is above a well-defined limit. The thermal runaway criterion can be recast as a criterion for the maximum allowable thickness of the laminate. The thermal runaway criterion was found to agree well with some results for thick laminates from the literature, but the peak temperature in the laminate was underpredicted for stable conditions. The model has a constant that can be adjusted to improve the peak temperature prediction, but more validation data is needed before the model can be optimized to simultaneously predict the peak temperature and thermal runaway with high accuracy.

The effect of the laser beam intensity profile in laser-based directed energy deposition: A high-fidelity thermal-fluid modeling approach

Modeling the thermal and fluid flow fields in laser-based directed energy deposition (DED-LB) is crucial for understanding process behavior and ensuring part quality. However, existing models often fail to accurately predict these fields due to simplifying assumptions, particularly regarding powder particle-induced attenuation in laser power and energy density distribution, and the variable material properties and process parameters. The present work introduces a high-fidelity multi-phase thermal-fluid model driven by a combination of the discrete element method (DEM) and the finite volume method (FVM). Incorporating an enhanced attenuation model for laser energy enables a more precise approximation of powder particle-induced attenuation effects in the laser power and energy density distribution. The study focuses on the influence of laser beam intensity profiles during DED-LB of austenitic stainless steel (AISI 316 L), with model validation conducted through experimental measurements of deposited track dimensions for different beam shapes. The results of numerical simulations demonstrate the critical impact of powder-induced attenuation on the laser power and intensity profiles. Neglecting laser energy attenuation, a common assumption in numerical simulations of DED-LB, leads to overestimations of the absorbed energy of the laser beam, affecting thermal and fluid flow fields, and melt pool dimensions. The present study unravels the complex relationship between the attenuation coefficient (due to the powder stream) and powder stream characteristics, describing the variations of the attenuation coefficient with changes in the powder mass flow rate and powder stream incidence angle. The findings show the critical effects of laser beam shaping on melt pool behavior in DED-LB, with square beams inducing larger melt pool volumes and circular beams creating smaller but deeper melt pools. The proposed enhanced thermal-fluid modeling framework offers a robust approach for optimizing laser-based additive manufacturing across diverse materials and laser systems.

Textile aesthetics in mending

This article explores how designers in textiles and clothing can use their skills in materials and aesthetics to change perceptions of garments when they show signs of wear. Beyond prolonging clothing lifespan, garment repair can serve as a bottom-up approach to alter clothing culture through innovative creativity. With this article, I substantiate the discussion of mending as an alternative avenue that can echo another aesthetic within the realm of fashion. A growing body of research is occupied with how garment repair can create resilience in the textile and clothing industry by influencing the use phase. This has given rise to studies on garment design from a ‘repair thinking’ perspective, where mending is integrated into the design phase, prompting innovative approaches to garment construction, product types, and business models to rebalance the fashion industry. However, extending garment life through mending is complex, influenced by systemic and social factors, often overshadowed by the polished image of fashion. Within this scope, aesthetic and material expressions of mending are still to be researched. Designers possess skills in working with aesthetics, such as material qualities, visual expressions, textures, colours and patterns. This article explores how these skills illuminate the socio-material dimensions of garment mending. The research includes three encounters with mending which has resulted in a range of full-garment samples and insights into related material processes. The preliminary findings are visualized in a spectrum of mending concepts. Drawing from this overview of material expressions, the article discusses the role of designers in a world undergoing sustainable climate transformation. It presents three case examples showcasing how textile and clothing designers can employ their skills in materials and aesthetics. The article concludes by considering how future research could involve collaboration with companies to introduce mending concepts as part of a broader appreciation of material expression.

Ideational Grammatical Metaphor of Gender Variation in Central Kurdish Media Discourse

The purpose of this study is to analyze media spoken discourse in Central Kurdish, investigating gender variation, using Halliday's grammatical metaphor as a lens. Halliday identified the ideational and interpersonal grammatical metaphor within the SFG. This study relates to the study of SFG in that it examines the linguistic parallels in two interviewees, one male and one female TV interview. The author compiled the findings using a mixed-methods approach and Halliday's grammatical metaphor. The following research concerns are addressed: What is the most common form of nominalized process type of ideational grammatical metaphor in Central Kurdish media discourse? What is the area of similarities and differences in the selection of nominalized process types in Central Kurdish spoken media discourse of male and female speakers? How is reality expressed through ideational grammatical metaphor in Central Kurdish media discourse? During the speeches, 175 distinct nominalized processes were identified. Four of the six nominalized process categories were implemented. The total number of nominalized material process selections is 115, or 65.71% of the total, with verbal process types representing 48 events, or 27.42% of the total, relational process types representing only 5 selections, or 2.85% of the total. Three forms of each behavioral and existential were employed, accounting for 1.71%. And lastly, there is only one selection of mental process, accounting for 0.57%. Both interviewees select material and verbal processes as their most preferred choices. In addition, the author discovered that both political figures attempt to convey their political beliefs through nominalized process types.

An Analysis of Transitivity System Written by English Department Students

The research was conducted to identify the process types of transitivity systems used in the narrative texts written by English Department Students and to determine which process type of transitivity systems is used dominantly. This research was descriptive qualitative research on descriptive analysis. The research participants were students of the English Department. This research uses three research instruments, namely the researcher himself, narrative document files, and distribution sheet of process types. In collecting the data, the researcher used the documentation method and purposive sample technique to select the data. The data analysis was done with transitivity system analysis, adapted from the lecture of the Functional Grammar course, and then several steps based on thematic coding by Braune &amp; Clark, were applied. The triangulation technique was used to get the dependability of the data through re-checking and expert judgment. The research found that the six process types in each text of the six narratives that were the data sample were not evenly used. Three process types, behavioral, verbal, and existential, are only used in several narrative texts written by English Department Students. Moreover, the six process types of transitivity system are realized in narrative texts written by English Department Students overall. The most dominant process is the material process, which occurs 155 times out of the 346 processes that emerged, followed by behavioral processes (8 or 2.31%), mental processes (100 or 28.90%), verbal processes (5 or 1.44%), relational processes (76 or 21.96%), and existential processes (2 or 0.58%).

Rancang Bangun Untuk Kontruksi Dinding Rumah dengan Bahan Bata Interlok

The type of material, mixture composition, and production process are among the factors that influence the strength of interlock bricks. In this study, interlocking bricks are used for the construction of residential wall structures. The interlocking brick mixture consists of cement, fly ash, sand, and water. The fly ash and sand used have a maximum diameter of 4.75 mm and are not subjected to calcination. Interlocking bricks measuring 30 cm x 20 cm x 10 cm are molded using a manual hydraulic press and cured for up to 28 days before being cut into test specimens measuring 5 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm. A total of 150 test specimens from 5 mix designs using water-cement ratios (WCR) of 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 were utilized in this study. The objective of this research is to determine the quality levels of interlocking bricks based on compressive strength tests at 28 days of age. The quality levels are determined according to the Indonesian National Standard, SNI 03-0349-1989. Based on the compressive strength results, it was found that the average interlocking bricks with fly ash mixture achieved class III quality, indicating that they can only be used for non-structural wall applications.

Research on Pretreatment Process for Recycling Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials

Research on Pretreatment Process for Recycling Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials

Physics-informed data-driven model of dehydration reaction stage in the sintering process of ternary cathode materials

The sintering process is the main process that affects the performance of ternary cathode materials. Due to the closed, continuous, and long-term characteristics of the sintering process carried out in a roller kiln, the reaction state including reaction degree, particle size, and etc., of the raw materials cannot be directly obtained through sampling detection, resulting in ineffective temperature control. This article mainly focuses on modeling the dehydration reaction stage of the sintering process to obtain the reaction state of the raw materials. Firstly, a two-sphere model is established based on Newton’s second law and the particle volume conservation equation to describe the relationship between the particle radius and sintering temperature of lithium hydroxide and ternary precursor; Secondly, the chemical kinetic parameters of the dehydration reaction in the two-sphere model are obtained by combining the single heating rate scanning method with the multiple heating rate scanning method; Then, in order to improve the accuracy of the two-sphere model and reduce the impact of external environmental temperature changes, a physics-informed neural network model is constructed by combining the two-sphere model with the neural ordinary differential equation model. Finally, the effectiveness of the modeling method is verified through numerical simulation and empirical data.

Study on flow characteristics of vertical pneumatic conveying of stiff shotcrete materials based on CFD-DEM

In view of the vertical pneumatic transportation process of stiff shotcrete materials (SSM), the method of CFD-DEM coupling numerical simulation was used to analyze the flow characteristics of the SSM. In this aspect, the flow characteristics of SSM transported by vertical pipe pneumatically under different solid-gas ratios were studied. Among them, the accuracy of the simulation results was verified through SSM particle parameter calibration and field testing. The research results show that during the process of vertical pneumatic transportation, full pipe flow, annular flow, and suspended flow can be clearly observed in the pipe. The cross-sectional particle volume fraction increases as the feeding rate increases, and the conveying stability becomes worse. As the air velocity increases, and the conveying stability becomes better. This study can provide support for research on vertical pneumatic conveying, thereby effectively reducing energy loss during the process of spraying