AM@Å - research

FRAMGRAF II has the goal to build on the knowledge from a previous feasibility study and take the promising results further and manufacture metal matrix composites of graphene and stainless steel (SS316L) with improved mechanical and tribological properties. Components produced in this way can be designed with the flexibility allowed by additive manufacturing while benefiting from the improved properties achieved by the addition of graphene. SS316L is a widely used alloy and the most evaluated for powder bed technology, which opens up for a faster way to market for components made with this technology. A selected end-user component will be manufactured with a laser powder bed and the tribological properties will be evaluated in a tribometer. The material will be characterized to increase the understanding of the graph's stability during production and the graph's interaction with the microstructure of the built material. The functionalized graphene, "GraphCot", invented by Graphmatech AB, will be coated on the SS316L powder particles with a unique coating technology developed by Graphmatech before printing with laser and powder bed. The consortium includes representatives from both the AM sector and the graphene production sector. The possibility of combining AM with graphene opens up for a large number of applications where high performance is needed, such as the aerospace industry, orthopedic manufacturing and the tool and energy sectors. The technology will be taken further for commercialization via the end users at Amexci AB and Graphmatech AB.

Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D-printing, has enabled production of complex structures, and in orthopaedics, the provision of patient-specific implants. Here, satisfactory solutions have been found for permanent implant solutions, through e.g. titanium alloys. However, to enable in situ bone recreation, an initially load-bearing but degradable material is needed. Magnesium alloys are one of, if not the, most promising material to this end, but AM of biocompatible Mg alloys is challenging. We have demonstrated the possibility to additively manufacture an alloy previously found suitable for orthopaedic use when produced with a traditional method. However, the AM process gives raise to microstructures that are detrimental to the corrosive properties of the material, crucial to its function in the body. In this project, we will develop amorphous-matrix Mg alloys with improved corrosion resistance through laser powder bed fusion for the first time. High-resolution synchrotron X-ray analysis and neutron scattering will be used in combination with numerical model development to elucidate microstructural formation mechanisms and to develop novel alloys. The developed materials will be validated in biological systems. The ultimate goal is to achieve Mg alloys adequate for orthopaedic use, with the immense benefits of restoring the patient’s own tissue and eliminating implant-associated risks of infection, potentially sparing millions of lives.

The aim of the project is to enable the production of functional magnetic components using additive manufacturing techniques. Soft magnetic high silicon Fe-Si steel and Fe-based glassy metals will be investigated. A specific goal is to produce the Fe-based materials using additive manufacturing techniques and develop printing strategies for controlling the local microstructure and the magnetic properties.

The project aims to bridge the gap between fundamental science and production in additive manufacturing (AM). We use a combination of experimental and computational methods to reach a more fundamental understanding of the relationship between process parameters, microstructure and properties. We use alloys available on the market today and also develop new alloys for future use in AM. The principal ambition of the project is to develop and apply new processes and models to predict and build AM components with specific microstructures and properties, which can be utilised in generic industrial production.

The project is organized into three materials-based work packages (WPs).
They are: (i) conventional alloys (Ni-based alloys and steels), (ii) amorphous alloys and (iii) high entropy alloys.

The project aims at providing a better understanding of the relationship between structure and properties in additive manufacturing (AM). The project investigates alloys from the Inconel family, high entropy alloys and amorphous metals, among other novel alloys, using characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy and specially, the combination of neutron and X-ray diffraction. Neutron scattering is an ideal characterization technique to study AM components, as parts can be probed deeper than with other methods and in a non-destructive manner. Neutron-based measurements are conducted with several techniques: diffraction, atomic pair density correlation function (to investigate local structural arrangements), polarized neutrons (to study order/disorder) and imaging (to investigate microstructure and porosity).

Supercapacitors (SCs) are energy storage components that typically are used when there is a need to have fast charging and discharging. In particular the double layer SCs are expected to have very long lifetime and to be environmental friendly while the energy density of commercial components are much less than Li-ion batteries. Still, there are a few scientific articles that indicate that the energy density of SCs could be as high, or higher, than commercial batteries.Our project is focused on investigating the necessary design of electrodes to achieve energy density similar to batteries by 3D-nanoprinting graphene and nanoparticle spacers.

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing is similar to electrospinning techniques, using a high electric field to eject a fibre from a liquid material out of a nozzle, with the difference that printing is typically done with less than 1 mm distance between nozzle and substrate. A main problem with EHD printing is that the fibre deflects undesirably due to e.g. charging of the substrate and other effect that alter the electric field between nozzle and substrate. We are looking at techniques to electrostatically steer the fibre deflection to be able to print e.g. solid bodies with µm and sub-µm resolution.

Ultrafast spectroscopy is a powerful tool to look at processes in real-time. However, the increasing complexity fo systems and reactions demand the use of bespoken and tailored spectroscopic cells, which are not commercial commonly available. We have been developing and prototyping these cells with 3D printing, enabling us to perform studies both in real-time and under working conditions. The applications include photocatalytic processes (e.g. artificial photosynthesis and photo-redox catalysis) and solar cells.

The project is a collaboration between academia and industry, which aims at developing new methods to enhance the functionality of metallic materials from additive manufacturing (“3D-printing”). Surface modifications are used to modify the powders used in additive manufacturing, either in order to modify and enhance the printed material, or to change powder properties to optimize the printing process.