Material Recipe Research Articles

Active learning assisted piezoelectric materials synthesis on the basis of composite decision-making

The synthesis and development of novel materials for soft electronics, health monitoring, etc., have become a research hotspot. Traditional laboratory synthesis is significantly time-and-resource-consuming. Machine learning therefore becomes an ideal approach for expediting experimental process, constructing a virtual and automated closed-loop material synthesis and evaluation approach. In this work, we combined piezoelectric materials’ synthesis with machine learning to achieve automatic design optimization. 300 samples with different material recipes were used to train the initial active learning model. Thereafter, more samples were fabricated based on the recommended feasible recipes for each learning loop and then proceeded to the next round of learning. Through 10 active learning loops, 105 piezoelectric samples were stagewise fabricated. Moreover, a reverse design model based on Bayesian optimization is demonstrated, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and p values revealed the rules for the synthesis of piezoelectric materials. Finally, according to the setup model, we fabricate optimized piezoelectric materials, and demonstrate the application in cycling monitoring. We anticipate this work establishes an essential approach to accelerate the development of new materials.

A Stable Phantom Material for Optical and Acoustic Imaging.

Establishing tissue-mimicking biophotonic phantom materials that provide long-term stability are imperative to enable the comparison of biomedical imaging devices across vendors and institutions, support the development of internationally recognized standards, and assist the clinical translation of novel technologies. Here, a manufacturing process is presented that results in a stable, low-cost, tissue-mimicking copolymer-in-oil material for use in photoacoustic, optical, and ultrasound standardization efforts. The base material consists of mineral oil and a copolymer with defined Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) numbers. The protocol presented here yields a representative material with a speed of sound c(f) = 1,481 ± 0.4 m·s-1 at 5 MHz (corresponds to the speed of sound of water at 20 °C), acoustic attenuation α(f) = 6.1 ± 0.06 dB·cm-1 at 5 MHz, optical absorption µa(λ) = 0.05 ± 0.005 mm-1 at 800 nm, and optical scattering µs'(λ) = 1 ± 0.1 mm-1 at 800 nm. The material allows independent tuning of the acoustic and optical properties by respectively varying the polymer concentration or light scattering (titanium dioxide) and absorbing agents (oil-soluble dye). The fabrication of different phantom designs is displayed and the homogeneity of the resulting test objects is confirmed using photoacoustic imaging. Due to its facile, repeatable fabrication process and durability, as well as its biologically relevant properties, the material recipe has high promise in multimodal acoustic-optical standardization initiatives.

Estimation of Extrusion Process Parameters in Tire Manufacturing Industry using Random Forest Classifier

The extrusion process is a very complex process due to the number of process parameters involved. Throughout the workflow process, the process parameters are determined by trial-and-error method according to the recipe of materials. This technique causes loss of production and time as well as energy consumption. In extrusion, temperature and speed parameters are very important to obtain a homogeneous raw material product input and high-quality extruded products. It is necessary to monitor the temperature changes and process speed control during the flow of the molten raw material between the barrels of the extruder machine, which is the extrusion equipment. By monitoring the extruder in real time, estimating the extrusion process parameters according to the amount of product to be produced will make the extrusion process operations more efficient. In this study, a classification algorithm to process these parameters is developed in the “Pycharm” environment and the model is trained with the supervised learning method using the image processing algorithm outputs. The model is able to estimate the extruder 'speed and temperature parameters' and the 'ready to run' decision of the machine with 93% success for different production quantities entered by the operator.

Fabrication of high-strength Si/SiC composites with low shrinkage rates via vat photopolymerization technology and liquid silicon infiltration

Vat photopolymerization (VPP) technology has shown great application potential in the manufacture of high-precision complex silicon carbide (SiC) based ceramic components. However, in comparison with the conventional fabrication technologies, the SiC ceramics produced by VPP technology have insufficient strengths or relatively larger shrinkage rates to meet the requirements of practical applications. Herein, we develop a novel bimodal SiC material recipe for VPP technology and prepare Si/SiC composites by the consequent liquid silicon infiltration (LSI) method. The addition of fine SiC particles improves the material’s mechanical properties significantly. The final products possess low shrinkage rates (3.52 ± 0.26% in the x-direction, 3.73 ± 0.39% in the y-direction, and 4.69 ± 0.35% in the z-direction) as well as high flexural strength (363.23 ± 14.21 MPa) and low open porosity of 0.097%. The material compositions and fabrication strategies proposed in this work demonstrate an efficient way for the additive manufacturing of high-precision complex Si/SiC ceramic parts (e.g. lightweight space mirrors and structural ceramic parts). • A novel material recipe is developed for vat photopolymerization-fabricated Si/SiC composites. • The final Si/SiC composites have high strength (>350 MPa) and low shrinkage rates (< 5%). • A large-size reflective mirror ( Ф 172 mm) is manufactured in this study.

Performance optimization of electret air filter

With the rapid development of the society, the severe haze weather caused by particulate matters (PMs) occurs frequently. Electret air filters have been playing an important role in purifying the air and alleviating the pollution. In this work, electret air filters were fabricated based on the polypropylene (PP) materials to investigate their filtering performance to the PMs. First, the electret performance of the PP-based films was mainly focused on. The charge storage stability of the electret films was found to be associated with the material recipe and the electret technique. Introducing 1% of tourmaline into the isotactic PP can realize the best charge storage stability, while adding the graphene can weaken the charge stability. And the electret techniques including the high-temperature pre-aging and polarization at elevated temperature were adopted to optimize the charge storage performance. Then, based on the optimized electret materials and electret technique, the purification performance of the electret filter elements dependent on the polarization condition was evaluated. The present work can provide an optimization strategy to improve the performance of electret materials and electret air filters.

Mechanical Testing of Artificial Vessels and Tissues for Photoplethysmography Phantoms.

Various studies have looked at the efficiency of artificial vessel and tissue networks in the study of photoplethysmography (PPG) in an effort to better understand the origin of various morphological features present in the signal. Whilst there are all reasonable attempts made to replicate geometrical features such as vessel depth, vessel wall thickness and diameter etc., not many studies have attempted to replicate the mechanical properties such as vessel elasticity and tissue compressibility. This study reports two methods for tissue mechanical testing for the analysis of vessel elasticity and tissue compressibility. A two-part polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was used as a base material for both tissue and vessel construction, and the properties altered by changing the curing component ratio. Tissue compression properties were investigated using an industrially calibrated materials testing device using the protocol from the ASTM 0575-91 testing method. Vessel elasticity was investigated using a custom method and apparatus to report vessel diameter and length change simultaneously. Tissue compressive properties proved reasonably easy to replicate through catalyst alteration, however the vessel elasticity properties were found to be higher than expected at all reasonable catalyst ratios. The property of hyper-elasticity was observed in the artificial vessels though, leading to the conclusion that alternative material recipes or construction methods may be needed to correctly replicate the expected mechanical characteristics. Clinical Relevance- The latest generation of health monitoring devices, especially those that are wearable and used widely by individuals wishing to monitor their health daily are becoming smarter and more sophisticated in their functionality. The majority of such devices use photoplethysmography (PPG) as their primary monitoring technique. Being able to replicate the PPG in a phantom allows the continued study and development of devices, and to improve their functionality without the continued need for extensive user-testing.

IMPROVEMENT OF BRUSH CHEESE RECIPES BRYNZA TYPE WITH HIGH TITER OF LACTIC BACTERIA

Fermented milk products made by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria play an important role in children's nutrition. In particular, brine cheese type "Brynza" has other advantages, including efficient use of raw materials, the ability to sell cheese without maturation or with a short maturation period (not more than 14 days), rapid return on investment. Optimization of the recipe and selection of raw materials for the production of young pickled cheeses with high titers of lactic acid bacteria is an urgent task today in the development of medium-sized businesses and craft industries in Ukraine. It was found that the increase in acidity of the product is influenced by the addition of different composition of starter cultures (Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis; Lactococcus lactis subsp. Cremoris; Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis (bio diacetylactis); Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. effects on acid shift. It was found that organoleptic parameters do not significantly depend on the use of milk pasteurization process, so the use of an additional stage of milk preparation will contribute not only to the profitability of the recipe and raw materials, but also to potential demand for brine cheese "Brynza". It was found that the largest number of living cells of lactic acid bacteria is characteristic of cheese samples made with additional inoculation of starter cultures. Recommendations are given for the use of recipes and the choice of raw materials for the production of brine cheese type "Brynza" with a high titer of lactic acid bacteria.

Ultra-broadband perfect absorber based on self-organizing multi-scale plasmonic nanostructures

Aside from well-performed light confinement, practical and scalable plasmonic perfect absorbers also depend on stable material scenario, as well as compact design and convenient fabrication. However, it still remains a challenge to make enclosed (no air exposure), multi-scale plasmonic nanostructure for constructing perfect absorbers. Herein, we report a direct self-organization growth of ultrathin (∼130 nm) multi-scale Ag nanostructures in SiO2 matrix on quartz or plastic substrates via sputtering. Based on the elaborate microstructure design, the cavity-mode excitation, local plasmon resonances and their lightning-rod effects are synergistically activated, yielding a near constant absorptance of over 95% across the 300–1700 nm wavelength even with some reflectance loss from the quartz surface and more than 98% visible absorptance with a simple antireflection treatment. Further, due to the enclosed nanostructures, the wide-angle absorbers present outstanding light-to-heat capability and thermal robustness under concentrated solar illumination. The simple material recipe (Ag, SiO2) and fabrication scheme suggest that our approach is with easy scalability. We anticipate that the proposed concept in this study can facilitate the rapid development of highly efficient ultrathin perfect absorbers.

Did Dionysius of Fourna Follow the Material Recipes Described in His Own Treatise? A First Analytical Investigation of Four of His Panel Paintings

A research protocol based on imaging techniques and physicochemical analyses was designed and carried out in order to investigate the construction technology of four panel paintings produced by a very important 18th century artist, hieromonk Dionysius from Fourna. Dionysius was the first painter of the post-Byzantine period who wrote an artists’ manual for the Eastern Orthodox painting art: he recorded and described in his treatise ‘Hermeneia of Art Painting’ the materials and construction techniques of the 18th century Christian painting. The contribution of Dionysius and his ‘Hermeneia of the Painting Art’ is decisive because it gathers all the previously scattered advice and guidelines about the construction of panel paintings and the information quoted by him is probably the only official recorded source of Eastern Orthodox art technology. In this context, four panel paintings signed by Dionysius were selected for scientific research: it is the first time that an effort is made to analytically characterize the materials used by the hieromonk, to recognize the construction technology, and examine whether it follows the recipes included in his manuscript or not.

Predicting Over-the-Air Performance Using a Hand Phantom With Large Dielectric Flexibility

This article developed a hand phantom with a large dielectric deviation from the target values, which can be used to estimate over-the-air (OTA) performance just like the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association hand phantom. In this article, the dielectric properties were adjusted by varying the graphite composition in the carbon-loaded silicone. Numerical simulations were used to determine the appropriate material recipe with the aid of the numerical models of four mobile devices operating from 870 to 2700 MHz, using both top and bottom antenna configurations. The results estimated that the material with a difference of 44.65% ± 20.15% (mean ± standard deviation, the maximum value is 77.97%) and 6.79% ± 3.35% (mean ± standard deviation, the maximum value is 9.43%) from the target conductivity and relative permittivity, respectively, provided the maximum deviation of 1.82 dB in the case of total radiated power (TRP) and 1.98 dB for total isotropic sensitivity (TIS). Accordingly, the molded hand phantom was validated with mechanical and OTA tests (maximum error below 1.30 and 1.80 dB for TRP and TIS, respectively). The results demonstrated that using the material with a larger dielectric deviation than the prescribed standard can be used to fabricate hand phantom for predicting the OTA performance. The findings shed light on designing and manufacturing of the hand phantom for in-house research and development purposes.

Investigation on the Chemical and Thermal Behavior of Recycling Agglomerates from EAF by-Products

In addition to the blast furnace converter route, electric steel production in the electric arc furnace (EAF) is one of the two main production routes for crude steel. In 2019, the global share of crude steel produced via the electric steel route was 28%, which in numbers is 517 million metric tons of crude steel. The production and processing of steel leads to the output of a variety of by-products, such as dusts, fines, sludges and scales. At the moment, 10–67% of these by-products are landfilled and not recycled. These by-products contain metal oxides and minerals including iron oxide, zinc oxide, magnesia or alumina. Apart from the wasted valuable materials, the restriction of landfill space and stricter environmental laws are additional motivations to avoid landfill. The aim of the Fines2EAF project, funded by the European Research Fund for Coal and Steel, is to develop a low-cost and flexible solution for the recycling of fines, dusts, slags and scales from electric steel production. During this project, an easy, on-site solution for the agglomeration of fine by-products from steel production has to be developed from lab scale to pilot production for industrial tests in steel plants. The solution is based on the stamp press as the central element of the agglomeration process. The stamp press provides the benefit of being easily adapted to different raw materials and different pressing parameters, such as pressing-force and -speed, or mold geometry. Further benefits are that the stamp press process requires less binding material than the pelletizing process, and that no drying process is required as is the case with the pelletizing process. Before advancing the agglomeration of by-products via stamp press to an industrial scale, different material recipes are produced in lab-scale experiments and the finished agglomerates are tested for their use as secondary raw materials in the EAF. Therefore, the tests focus on the chemical and thermal behavior of the agglomerates. Chemical behavior, volatilization and reduction behavior of the agglomerates were investigated by differential thermogravimetric analysis combined with mass spectroscopy (TGA-MS). In addition, two melts with different agglomerates are carried out in a technical-scale electric arc furnace to increase the sample size.

Giant room temperature anomalous Hall effect and tunable topology in a ferromagnetic topological semimetal Co2MnAl

Weyl semimetals exhibit unusual surface states and anomalous transport phenomena. It is hard to manipulate the band structure topology of specific Weyl materials. Topological transport phenomena usually appear at very low temperatures, which sets challenges for applications. In this work, we demonstrate the band topology modification via a weak magnetic field in a ferromagnetic Weyl semimetal candidate, Co2MnAl, at room temperature. We observe a tunable, giant anomalous Hall effect (AHE) induced by the transition involving Weyl points and nodal rings. The AHE conductivity is as large as that of a 3D quantum AHE, with the Hall angle (ΘH) reaching a record value (tan {Theta }^{H}=0.21) at the room temperature among magnetic conductors. Furthermore, we propose a material recipe to generate large AHE by gaping nodal rings without requiring Weyl points. Our work reveals an intrinsically magnetic platform to explore the interplay between magnetic dynamics and topological physics for developing spintronic devices.

Equilibrium calculations for HyBRID decontamination of magnetite: Effect of raw amount of CuSO4 on Cu2O formation

Calculations of chemical equilibrium for multicomponent aqueous systems of the HyBRID dissolution of magnetite were performed by using the HSC Chemistry. They were done by using a Pitzer-based aqueous solution model with the recipe of raw materials in experiments conducted at KAERI. The change in the amounts of species and ions and the pH values of the solution at equilibrium was observed as functions of temperature and raw amount of CuSO4. Precipitation of Cu2O occurred at a large amount of CuSO4 added to the solution, while no precipitation of Cu(OH)2 was found at any amounts of CuSO4. The E-pH diagrams for Cu were constructed at various Cu concentrations to provide the effect of the Cu concentration on the pH values at boundaries where the coexistence of Cu+ ion and Cu2O solid occurred. To prevent Cu+ ions from being precipitated to Cu2O, the raw amount of CuSO4 should be adjusted so that the pH value of the solution from the equilibrium calculation is less than that from the E-pH diagram. We provided guidelines for the raw amount of CuSO4 and the pH value of the solution, which prevent the formation of Cu2O precipitates in the HyBRID dissolution experiments for magnetite.

Scientific analysis of some glazed pottery unearthed from Warring States Chu tombs in Jiangling, Hubei Province: Indication for the origin of the low‐fired glazed pottery in China

A portable energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometer and a micro‐Raman spectrometer are used for the nondestructive analysis of a batch of glazed pottery ornaments unearthed from Warring States Chu (楚) tombs (B.C.475–B.C.221) in Jiangling, Hubei Province, China. According to the chemical compositions obtained, all of the glazes belong to the lead–barium–silicate (PbO–BaO–SiO2) system and contain certain levels of copper. The man‐made barium copper silicate pigment crystals, such as Chinese blue (BaCuSi4O10) and Chinese purple (BaCuSi2O6), are identified from several samples by micro‐Raman spectrometer. Besides, gypsum and hematite are found in the white and brown regions of two eye beads. Combined with other glazed pottery and the related silicate artifacts (e.g., lead–barium glass and faience, potash–lime glass and glazed pottery, high‐lead glazed pottery, etc.), the origin, development, and affected factors of ancient Chinese low‐fired glazed pottery have been discussed preliminarily. The present study provides principal evidences for the technological provenance, raw material recipes, and the relationship between low‐fired glazed pottery and related vitreous materials of ancient China. It also provides some significant clues for the origin and the development of ancient Chinese lead–barium glass.

Highly expanded fine-cell foam of polylactide/polyhydroxyalkanoate/nano-fibrillated polytetrafluoroethylene composites blown with mold-opening injection molding

To manufacture entirely biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) foam with a high expansion ratio and a fine-cell structure, we attempted to design economically viable material recipe as well as the injection foam molding (FIM) process. It is well-known that PLA foam featuring high expansion and fine cells is challenging to achieve on FIM technique due to its intrinsically low melt strength. To overcome the inferior foaming characteristics of PLA in this study, nano-fibrils of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were added expecting an increase of molecular chain entanglements. Another bio-based biodegradable polymer, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) was also blended with PLA to improve the impact strength of the final foams. High-pressure FIM process combined with mold-opening technique was performed to make highly expanded PLA foams with varied material recipes. A constant amount (0.6 wt%) of supercritical nitrogen was injected into FIM system and uniformly mixed with various polymer compositions. The gas-laden melt was injected into the mold cavity to create the foamed PLA samples. Finally, we could demonstrate that it is clearly feasible to manufacture entirely biodegradable PLA foams having a high expansion ratio and a desirable cellular structure using an advanced FIM process.

Mesoscale Effects of Composition and Calendering in Lithium-Ion Battery Composite Electrodes

AbstractMacrohomogeneous battery models are widely used to predict battery performance, necessarily relying on effective electrode properties, such as specific surface area, tortuosity, and electrical conductivity. While these properties are typically estimated using ideal effective medium theories, in practice they exhibit highly non-ideal behaviors arising from their complex mesostructures. In this paper, we computationally reconstruct electrodes from X-ray computed tomography of 16 nickel–manganese–cobalt-oxide electrodes, manufactured using various material recipes and calendering pressures. Due to imaging limitations, a synthetic conductive binder domain (CBD) consisting of binder and conductive carbon is added to the reconstructions using a binder bridge algorithm. Reconstructed particle surface areas are significantly smaller than standard approximations predicted, as the majority of the particle surface area is covered by CBD, affecting electrochemical reaction availability. Finite element effective property simulations are performed on 320 large electrode subdomains to analyze trends and heterogeneity across the electrodes. Significant anisotropy of up to 27% in tortuosity and 47% in effective conductivity is observed. Electrical conductivity increases up to 7.5× with particle lithiation. We compare the results to traditional Bruggeman approximations and offer improved alternatives for use in cell-scale modeling, with Bruggeman exponents ranging from 1.62 to 1.72 rather than the theoretical value of 1.5. We also conclude that the CBD phase alone, rather than the entire solid phase, should be used to estimate effective electronic conductivity. This study provides insight into mesoscale transport phenomena and results in improved effective property approximations founded on realistic, image-based morphologies.

Holographically fabricated, highly reflective nanoporous polymeric distributed Bragg reflectors with red, green, and blue colors [Invited

We report holographic fabrication of nanoporous distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) films with periodic nanoscale porosity via a single-prism conuration. The nanoporous DBR films result from the phase separation in a material recipe, which consists of a polymerizable acrylate monomer and nonreactive volatile solvent. By changing the interfering angle of two laser beams, we achieve the nanoporous DBR films with highly reflective red, green, and blue colors. The reflection band of the nanoporous DBR films can be tuned by further filling different liquids into the pores inside the films, resulting in the color change accordingly. Experimental results show that such kinds of nanoporous DBR films could be potentially useful for many applications, such as color filters and refractive index sensors.

ARTIFACTS OF THE LATE BROZE AGE FROM MOKHNACH П SETTLEMENT

The article aims to introduce new finds of the Late Bronze Age from Mokhnach П settlement site at the Sіverskyi Donets river.&#x0D; Two archaeological object (pits 27 and 40) can be dated back to the Late Bronze Age. Finds are presented mostly by pottery sherds (31 units) discovered mostly in the excavation pit 1.&#x0D; The research program of the pottery assemblage includes account of its planographic distribution, distribution due to the type of sherds, analysis of shape, ornamentation, size, surface finishing, plastic raw material and paste recipes of vessels. Morphological and ornamentation classifications were built on the basis of the scheme developed on materials of Mosolovka site and the settlements of middle flew of Sіverskyi Donets river. Research of the plastic raw material and paste recipes was conducted using visual microscopic analysis, abridged MGR-analysis and thin-section analysis.&#x0D; Pottery assemblage includes 4 % of the total number of fragments discovered during excavations. Five pottery forms were identified: restricted and unrestricted jars, pot-like vessels, pots and ribbed vessels. Orifice diameters of jars, pot-like vessels and pots vary from 38.0 to 21.5 cm. Ribbed vessels on average are smaller than mentioned types and form to groups by size (with orifice diameters of 25 and 15—16 cm).&#x0D; Three techniques and nine elements of ornamentation were identified. Make-up of both surfaces prevails, fine-toothed comb treatment and coarse-toothed comb treatment of Pokrovka type are also presented.&#x0D; Two pottery fabrics can be distinguished in the assemblage with the naked eye. Five pottery samples were selected for purposes of technological analysis. Observations were conducted using the microscope on cross-cuts and fresh breaks of sherds before and after re-firing. Consequently two groups by features of plastic raw material and two paste recipes were identified. Both paste recipes include grog as an intentional addition.&#x0D; Due to method of the abridged Matrix Group by Refiring (MGR) analysis the samples were re-fired in controlled conditions up to from 1100 to 1200 °C. The results showed the identity of the matrix of all samples — non-calcareous, slightly over-melted (sovM). Their local production is suggested. The thin-section analysis allowed to clarify technological features of the samples with raw material type 1, paste type 1.&#x0D; Analyzed ceramic materials present traditions of the Wood-framed Graves entity. They mark new settlement site of the developed stage of the Wood-framed Graves entity and can be dated back to XVII—XVІ BC.&#x0D; Small size of the ceramic assemblage restricts its informative capacity. The importance of the research lies in testing the program of complex analysis of ceramic assemblages.

SYNTHESIS OF ALGORITHMS OF OPTIMAL CONTROL OF RAW MATERIAL RECIPROCITY IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCTION OF CARBON BLACK

The technological process of mixing raw materials for the production of technical carbon was investigated. The expediency of developing a new control system is analyzed. Optimum management algorithms are synthesized. The volume of carbon black production in the world is steadily increasing from 2010. Due to this, the maintenance of the necessary quality and cheapness of the given product for the sake of healthy competition (and, in general, its opportunities) in the market is becoming increasingly meaningful. The optimal formulation should be the most cost-effective, that is, to provide the highest yield of technical carbon per unit of raw materials. Such a recipe-u at present is determined in the laboratory, conducting a series of experiments on components. The automated recipe management system currently does not exist. As in the production of Technical Carbon, the raw material is a mixture of many hydrocarbons and they all are by-products of the petrochemical or coke industry, which makes their composition possible to fluctuate even from one supplier, the question arises of determining the optimal formulation of raw materials at each delivery. To do this, you need to develop a mathematical model that will allow you to predict the course of the process and synthesize optimal control algorithms. In this paper, the actual scientific and practical problem of simulation of static and dynamic regimes of the mixing process of raw materials for the production of technical carbon is considered. The urgency of this development, as well as possible ways of using, namely, the synthesis of optimal control of the raw material recipe management on the basis of which it is possible to design a system of optimal management of the recipe of raw materials in the production of technical carbon, was stressed. This development will optimize the use of available resources to increase the production of carbon black and reduce the unit cost of production. This will increase the economy of production and competitiveness by increasing the speed, reducing the financial costs and will give the opportunity to direct quali fi ed human resources to solve other pressing problems. For the convenience of further practical use, it is suggested to find optimal controls for many different values of the initial states of the object, followed by approximation. This will allow the proposed algorithms to be used with fewer technical resources.

Novel materials can radically improve whole-system environmental impacts of additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing often has higher environmental impacts per part than traditional manufacturing at scale, but new materials can enable more sustainable 3D printing. This study developed and tested novel materials for paste extrusion printing, and tested materials invented by others. Testing compared their whole-system environmental impacts to standard ABS extrusion, measured by life cycle assessment (LCA); testing also assessed material strength, printability, and cost. Materials were chosen for low print energy (chemical bonding, not melting), low toxicity, and circular life cycle (biodegradable, ideally sourced from waste biomaterial). Printing energy was reduced 75% (from 160 to 40 Wh/part), and embodied impacts of materials were reduced 82% (from 6.6 to 1.2 ReCiPe Endpoint H millipoints/part). Overall impacts per part were reduced 78% (from 27 to 6 ReCiPe Endpoint H millipoints/part), including embodied impacts of the printer itself, in a maximum utilization scenario. Results were also compared to previous studies of seven different 3D printers of various types. More than ten material recipes were tested, and pecan shell flour with sodium silicate showed the best print quality. Strength and print quality did not approach ABS, but material cost was cut by 50%. Thus, while further development is required, some materials show promise for greener additive manufacturing.