Sustainable Manufacturing of Metallic Materials and Structures: Design, Processing and Characterization

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 11198

Special Issue Editor

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Interests: metal forming and materials modelling; manufacturing; solid/computational mechanics; mechanics of materials (metallic materials, metal-ceramic composite materials, energy materials)

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global warming crisis has accelerated a global need for sustainable and green manufacturing which minimizes negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources. Sustainable manufacturing of metallic materials and structures reduces the generation of waste, the extraction and consumption of resources, and energy demands and CO2 emissions, which are crucial for improving resource efficiency and leading to a low-carbon future. However, relevant research on materials and process design for improving the production efficiency, recyclability, reusability, and reduction of industrial waste is still limited. This Special Issue aims to stimulate and collect relevant studies on sustainable manufacturing of metallic materials and structures. By encouraging researchers to share their contributions, we encourage the relevant industries to accelerate transformation to a low-carbon sustainable manufacturing economy. We hope to be able to attract articles covering a broad spectrum of research and technology for advanced processing and manufacturing of metallic materials and structures with sustainability. The scope of the research topic includes (but is not limited to) the following areas: 1. sustainable metallic material design, including metal alloys, metal matrix composites, and metallic composites; 2. process development involving recycling and re-use of metallic materials and structures; 3. process development with improved resource efficiency such as minimizing material waste and energy consumption; 4. process modeling and optimization; 5. green manufacturing and intelligent systems; 6. product lifecycle management; and 7. characterization of microstructure and physical properties.

Dr. Wenbin Zhou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • sustainable manufacturing
  • resource efficiency
  • production efficiency
  • metal recycling
  • reusability
  • lifecycle management
  • microstructure and properties

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 7089 KiB  
Article
Effect of Normalising Process on the Corrosion Behaviour of U75V Rail Flash Butt Welded Joints in a Marine Environment
by Xi Zhang, Tingting Liao, Qibing Lv and Guoqing Gou
Metals 2022, 12(12), 2146; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12122146 - 14 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1203
Abstract
U75V rail steel is widely used in railways in China, including train tunnels in mountain and subsea projects, where it suffers from selective corrosion near welded joints. To ensure adequate railway service life, this study examines the effect of the normalisation process on [...] Read more.
U75V rail steel is widely used in railways in China, including train tunnels in mountain and subsea projects, where it suffers from selective corrosion near welded joints. To ensure adequate railway service life, this study examines the effect of the normalisation process on the electrochemical behaviour of U75V rail-welded joints (URWJs) manufactured by flash butt welding (FBW) using potentiodynamic polarisation and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Corrosion morphology and elemental distribution analyses were performed to investigate the corrosion behaviour. The results show that the grains within the joints became finer and more homogeneous after normalisation, with a lower corrosion rate and higher corrosion resistance. It is demonstrated that fewer corrosion products were formed on the surface of the normalised joints after electrochemical test, and the corrosion resistance of the URWJs improved, owing to the formation of denser passivation films caused by normalisation. These mechanisms of corrosion response help explain corrosion failure in railway lines, as well as also help optimise the welding process and normalising processes to obtain a corrosion-resistant microstructure and ensure the quality of welded joints. Full article
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16 pages, 3251 KiB  
Article
Recycling Aluminium AA6061 Chips with Reinforced Boron Carbide (B4C) and Zirconia (ZrO2) Particles via Hot Extrusion
by Sami Al-Alimi, Shazarel Shamsudin, Nur Kamilah Yusuf, Mohd Amri Lajis, Wenbin Zhou, Djamal Hissein Didane, Safwan Sadeq, Yazid Saif, Ahmed Wahib and Zawati Harun
Metals 2022, 12(8), 1329; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12081329 - 08 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1945
Abstract
Compared to the recycling process by remelting, hot extrusion significantly reduces the energy consumption and CO2 emission and ensures good mechanical and microstructural properties. This study investigates the effects of reinforcing aluminium AA6061 chips with mixed boron carbide (B4C) and [...] Read more.
Compared to the recycling process by remelting, hot extrusion significantly reduces the energy consumption and CO2 emission and ensures good mechanical and microstructural properties. This study investigates the effects of reinforcing aluminium AA6061 chips with mixed boron carbide (B4C) and zirconia (ZrO2) particles by employing a design of experiment (DOE) under 550 °C processing temperature and three hours preheating time. The findings showed that compressive strength (CS) and hardness increased with up to 5% added particles, and beyond 5%, the yielded values decreased because of materials agglomeration. However, the decreasing density was dependent on the addition of ZrO2 particles. The distribution of particles with different volume fractions of mixed particles was investigated by employing SEM, AFM, and EDS tests. Thus, the process can produce a net shape structure that utilises material-bonding consolidation to provide sufficient support to reuse the recovered materials in engineering applications, such as in the automotive industry. Full article
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8 pages, 2563 KiB  
Article
Thermal Stability of the Precipitates in Dilute Al-Er-Zr/Hf Alloys at Elevated Temperature
by Hao Wu, Qi Zhang, Li Li, Mingdong Huang, Zhikai Zheng and Shengping Wen
Metals 2022, 12(8), 1242; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12081242 - 23 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1019
Abstract
The temporal evolution of microhardness and Al3(Er,Zr/Hf) precipitates are investigated in Al-Er-Zr/Hf alloys during annealing at 450 °C and 500 °C. The microhardness of the alloys decreases continuously with the prolonged annealing time due to the coarsening of the precipitates. Different [...] Read more.
The temporal evolution of microhardness and Al3(Er,Zr/Hf) precipitates are investigated in Al-Er-Zr/Hf alloys during annealing at 450 °C and 500 °C. The microhardness of the alloys decreases continuously with the prolonged annealing time due to the coarsening of the precipitates. Different weakening amplitudes are observed because of the disparity of the precipitate coarsening rate that is related to the disparity in their intrinsic diffusivities of Er, Zr, and Hf solute atoms in an Al matrix. The addition of Hf element is beneficial to enhancing the coarsening resistance, thus improving the thermal stability of the alloys. Introducing such elements to improve the thermal stability of precipitates can provide a new idea or choice for the development of heat-resistant aluminum alloys. Full article
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10 pages, 2206 KiB  
Article
Optimization of the Process Parameters of Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion GTD222 Nickel-Based Superalloy Based on Two Laser Energy Densities
by Zhiqiang Wang, Bo He, Zhenfeng Song, Liang Lan, Guoxin Lu and Shuang Gao
Metals 2022, 12(7), 1154; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12071154 - 06 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1137
Abstract
The effect of volume energy density and deposition energy density on the roughness, porosity, density and hardness of laser beam powder bed fusion (LBPBF) GTD222 Ni-based superalloy was systematically studied. The results showed that the roughness and porosity of the alloy decreased with [...] Read more.
The effect of volume energy density and deposition energy density on the roughness, porosity, density and hardness of laser beam powder bed fusion (LBPBF) GTD222 Ni-based superalloy was systematically studied. The results showed that the roughness and porosity of the alloy decreased with the increase of the two laser energy densities, while the density and hardness increased. When the volume energy density and the deposition energy density exceeded a threshold value, the density and hardness reached the maximum value and almost remained constant. The volume energy density could be used to estimate the laser conditions for obtaining high-density LBPBF GTD222 alloy more accurately than the deposition energy density. The process parameters for the transformation of the alloy from porous to dense were determined based on the volume energy density. This study provides guidance for the optimization of the process parameters of LBPBF GTD222 alloy. Full article
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14 pages, 4459 KiB  
Article
Strain Rate and Temperature Effects on Formability and Microstructure of AZ31B Magnesium Alloy Sheet
by Song Xue, Tao Yang, Xuedong Liu, Yi Ren, Yi Peng and Lixuan Zheng
Metals 2022, 12(7), 1103; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12071103 - 28 Jun 2022
Viewed by 1200
Abstract
Magnesium alloys play an important role in lightweight structures, which are extensively used in different industries due to their excellent mechanical and physical properties. In this paper, the formability of the AZ31B magnesium alloy sheet was studied by using tensile tests at different [...] Read more.
Magnesium alloys play an important role in lightweight structures, which are extensively used in different industries due to their excellent mechanical and physical properties. In this paper, the formability of the AZ31B magnesium alloy sheet was studied by using tensile tests at different temperatures (from 25 to 250 °C) and strain rates (from 0.017 s−1 to 0.34 s−1). The results showed that the material behaves with positive temperature sensitivity when forming at a temperature lower than 200 °C. The effect of the strain rates on the formability of AZ31B was larger at high temperatures. The metallography of AZ31B at different temperatures and strain rates was observed by OM. The results showed that the partially recrystallized structure was exhibited at a temperature of 150 °C. With the increase in temperature, the approximate complete recrystallization was exhibited at a temperature of 250 °C. The fracture morphology of AZ31B was observed at different strain rates and temperatures by SEM. Additionally, the main fracture pattern was quasi-cleavage at room temperature. However, with the increase in temperature, the fracture pattern was transited from a quasi-cleavage pattern to a ductile fracture pattern. The ductile fracture pattern was the main fracture pattern at a temperature of 250 °C. Full article
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11 pages, 4939 KiB  
Article
Synthesis of Ni-Cu Heterostructures with SPS to Achieve a Balance of Strength and Plasticity
by Wuqiang Ai, Zewen Yu and Yaojun Lin
Metals 2022, 12(7), 1093; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12071093 - 26 Jun 2022
Viewed by 940
Abstract
The balance between strength and plasticity has always been an urgent problem for researchers to solve. In this experiment, Ni-Cu heterostructures (HSs) were synthesized by spark plasma sintering (SPS), rolling deformation, and subsequent heat treatment. The density of the Ni/Cu interface of Ni-Cu [...] Read more.
The balance between strength and plasticity has always been an urgent problem for researchers to solve. In this experiment, Ni-Cu heterostructures (HSs) were synthesized by spark plasma sintering (SPS), rolling deformation, and subsequent heat treatment. The density of the Ni/Cu interface of Ni-Cu HS materials can be independently tuned, and thus the effect of hetero-deformation-induced (HDI) strengthening in Ni-Cu heterostructures can be tuned. The density of the Ni/Cu interface is tuned by adding Cu with different volume fractions to obtain the best combination of strength and plasticity. Compared with the previous HSs, the hardness differences between different regions of Ni-Cu HSs are more significant, and they are all composed of single substances. The hard Ni domain and the soft Cu domain are not only different in phase composition but also different in grain size. More interestingly, the density of the hard/soft domains can be adjusted independently, which provides a new way to explore the strength and plasticity balance of HS materials. The yield strength of Ni-Cu HS materials first increases and then decreases gradually with the increase in the Cu volume fraction. When the Cu volume fraction is less than 30%, the HDI strengthening effect in the Ni-Cu HS material can offset the effect of the yield strength reduction caused by Cu; with a further increase in the Cu volume fraction, the HDI strengthening effect is less than the yield strength reduction effect brought on by Cu. Full article
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18 pages, 6082 KiB  
Article
Bending Behaviour Analysis of Aluminium Profiles in Differential Velocity Sideways Extrusion Using a General Flow Field Model
by Wenbin Zhou and Ziqi Xi
Metals 2022, 12(5), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12050877 - 21 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1543
Abstract
The work in this paper concerns an analytical model for quantitatively describing the bending behaviour of aluminium profiles produced in a novel extrusion process: the differential velocity sideways extrusion (DVSE), in which two opposing rams with a velocity of v1 and [...] Read more.
The work in this paper concerns an analytical model for quantitatively describing the bending behaviour of aluminium profiles produced in a novel extrusion process: the differential velocity sideways extrusion (DVSE), in which two opposing rams with a velocity of v1 and v2 were employed, respectively. The analytical model was built on the basis of the upper bound theorem utilising a general streamline equation controlled by a shape factor n, and the curvature was calculated using the material flow velocity gradient across the die exit orifice. The predicted material flow velocity across the die exit orifice, and extrudate curvature agreed well with the finite element (FE) modelling results, which were found to be irrespective of the shape factor n of the streamline equation. For a given extrusion ratio, the minimum value of n = 2 leads to the minimum and closest theoretical extrusion pressure, the n value for obtaining the best approximated mean effective strain of the extruded profile increases with the increase of the velocity ratio v2/v1, and the value of n = 3.5 gives the closest mean effective strain as a whole. Full article
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Review

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18 pages, 3151 KiB  
Review
Research Progress of Magnetic Field Regulated Mechanical Property of Solid Metal Materials
by Yujun Hu, Hongjin Zhao, Xuede Yu, Junwei Li, Bing Zhang and Taotao Li
Metals 2022, 12(11), 1988; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12111988 - 20 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1442
Abstract
During the material preparation process, the magnetic field can act with high intensity energy on the material without contact and affect its microstructure and properties. This non-contact processing method, which can change the microstructure and properties of material without affecting the shape and [...] Read more.
During the material preparation process, the magnetic field can act with high intensity energy on the material without contact and affect its microstructure and properties. This non-contact processing method, which can change the microstructure and properties of material without affecting the shape and size of products, has become an important technical means to develop new materials and optimize the properties of materials. It has been widely used in scientific research and industrial production. In recent years, the magnetic field assisted processing of difficult-to-deform materials or improving the performance of complex and precision parts has been rapidly and widely concerned by scholars at home and abroad. This paper reviews the research progress of magnetic field regulating the microstructure, and properties of solid metal materials. The effects of magnetic field-assisted heat treatment, magnetic field assisted stretching, and magnetic field independent treatment on the microstructure and properties of solid metal materials are introduced. The mechanism of the magnetic field effect on the properties of metal materials is summarized, and future research on the magnetic field effect on solid metal has been prospected. Full article
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