An investigation into the cutting efficiency of a novel degradable glass as an alternative to alumina powder in air abrasion cutting of enamel

Objectives To develop and test the cutting efficiency of a novel degradable glass as an alternative media to alumina powder for air abrasion. Materials and methods A zinc-based glass (QMZK2) was designed, produced, and evaluated with a multi-modality imaging analysis. The glass dissolution study was carried out in three acids, using ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) at 5 different time points: 2.5, 5, 10, 60, and 240 min. The cutting efficiency of both materials was tested under the same parameters on slabs of elephant enamel. A stained fissure of a molar tooth was air abraded with the glass and evaluated with X-ray micro-tomography before and after air abrasion. Results The particle size distribution of the glass was similar to that of alumina 53 µm but with a slightly greater dispersion of particle size. The shape of the particles was angular, appropriate for cutting purposes. The dissolution study showed that the glass dissolved rapidly in acidic conditions at all time points. Between the two variables, pressure and powder flow, pressure was found to influence the cutting speed to a greater extent than powder flow. Conclusions Alumina powder was found to perform significantly better in 4 of the 9 conditions tested on elephant enamel, QMZK2 in one, and no significant differences were found for the rest of the 4 conditions. The QMZK2 seems to offer promising results as an alternative material to alumina. Clinical relevance. QMZK2 glass has the potential for replacing aluminum oxide as a degradable material in air abrasion technology.

Measuring the Flow Functions of Pharmaceutical Powders Using the Brookfield Powder Flow Tester and Freeman FT4

This study examined the feasibility of combining data from different powder flow testers to determine the flow function characteristics of pharmaceutical powders. The Brookfield PFT and Freeman FT4 can measure flow function over different scales of consolidation load but were found to be most complementary with CRM limestone powder and lactose. The brittle behaviour of Easytab particles at higher loads made obtaining repeatable results with the FT4 challenging. By using the method of Wang et al., where the flow function coefficient ffc is plotted against the dimensionless cohesion C* (measured cohesion Ta divided by the initial compaction I), a plot was formed which could be used to predict the behaviour of other systems, which compared well with previous studies.

Analytical Study of Powder Stream Geometry in Laser-Based Direct Energy Deposition Process with a Continuous Coaxial Nozzle

In the process of laser-based direct energy deposition, the particle concentration distribution and geometric characteristics of powder flow play an important role in laser–powder interaction and powder utilization, and they affect the forming quality and accuracy. In the current study, based on the geometry information of a powder nozzle and the divergence angles of a powder jet at the nozzle outlet, the geometric profile of a powder stream is analyzed. A set of formulas for calculating the geometric characteristics of the powder stream is derived based on an analytic geometry method. The influence of each parameter on the geometric characteristics of the powder stream is further studied using single-factor and sensitivity analyses. Validation is performed by comparing the results from the presented analytical expressions with those from experiments and/or simulations in published papers. The analytical formulas provided in this paper are simple and practical, providing a theoretical foundation for the control of powder flow and related processes in the forming process.

Design a New Type of Laser Cladding Nozzle and Thermal Fluid Solid Multi-Field Simulation Analysis

Coaxial powder feeding technology in the field of metal additive manufacturing is booming. In this paper, a new laser cladding nozzle with powder feeding channels of inner and outer rings is designed. The nozzle works with a new kind of laser, which is a new heat source with an inner beam and outer beams. The water-cooling channels are simulated in Ansys Workbench. The simulation results present the temperature distribution of the working nozzle and the velocity of the cooling water. The thermal dilation of the nozzle in the working environment is also simulated. The results show that the loop water cooling channel could effectively reduce the high temperature of the nozzle down to about 200 °C. In addition, it could well restrain the thermal deformation of the nozzle lower to 0.35 mm. The equivalent stress of most parts is controlled under 360 MPa. Then, the powder flows of the inner and outer rings of the multiple powder feeding channels are simulated in Ansys Fluent. The convergence effect of the powder flow could be assumed and some significant parameters, such as the velocity, are acquired. The results present that these multiple powder feeding channels could realize the generation and removal of removable supports of workpieces with highly complex shapes and achieve a large processing range and good processing efficiency. The velocity of the powder flow at the outlet is elevated to about 5 mm/s. Then, the thermal cladding states under the new laser heat source of the powder are simulated in Workbench. The temperature of the melting process and the thermal deformation and the equivalent stress/strain of the additive parts are obtained in the emulation. The results emerge that the powder melting range and the ascending temperature of the melting pool are improved with this effect. The greatest temperature of the melting pool is about 2900 °C in the machining process, and the maximum thermal equivalent stress is 1.1407 × 1010 Pa.