Kinetics of High Density Functional Polymer Nanocomposite formation by Tuning Enthalpic and Entropic Barriers

High density functional polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) with high degree of dispersion have recently emerged as novel materials for various thermo-mechanical, optical and electrical applications. The key challenge is to attain...

STRUCTURAL AND ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES OF BCN NANOFLAKES VIA GRAPH THEORY

Boron-carbon-nitride (BCN), a ternary system, enables us to compose a wide variety of novel materials due to their unique mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. We study two-dimensional structures called nanoflakes made of boron, carbon, and nitrogen atoms arranged in hexagonal lattice structures. The physical properties of these nanostructures, in general, are functions of the overall shape, stoichiometric ratio of boron carbon and nitrogen atoms, and their distribution. In this study, we utilize graph theory to randomly generate these structures, forming three different phases: hexagonal graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and hexagonal BCN in various proportions. We perform density functional theory (DFT) simulations to obtain the optimized nanoflake structures and analyze the electronic structure. Our results have important implications for future studies of novel materials based on BCN nanoflakes and their experimental realizations.

Selective laser melting: lessons from medical devices industry and other applications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline some key aspects such as material systems used, phenomenological and statistical process modeling, techniques applied to monitor the process and optimization approaches reported. All these need to be taken into account for the ongoing development of the SLM technique, particularly in health care applications. The outcomes from this review allow not only to summarize the main features of the process but also to collect a considerable amount of investigation effort so far achieved by the researcher community. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews four significant areas of the selective laser melting (SLM) process of metallic systems within the scope of medical devices as follows: established and novel materials used, process modeling, process tracking and quality evaluation, and finally, the attempts for optimizing some process features such as surface roughness, porosity and mechanical properties. All the consulted literature has been highly detailed and discussed to understand the current and existing research gaps. Findings With this review, there is a prevailing need for further investigation on copper alloys, particularly when conformal cooling, antibacterial and antiviral properties are sought after. Moreover, artificial intelligence techniques for modeling and optimizing the SLM process parameters are still at a poor application level in this field. Furthermore, plenty of research work needs to be done to improve the existent online monitoring techniques. Research limitations/implications This review is limited only to the materials, models, monitoring methods, and optimization approaches reported on the SLM process for metallic systems, particularly those found in the health care arena. Practical implications SLM is a widely used metal additive manufacturing process due to the possibility of elaborating complex and customized tridimensional parts or components. It is corroborated that SLM produces minimal amounts of waste and enables optimal designs that allow considerable environmental advantages and promotes sustainability. Social implications The key perspectives about the applications of novel materials in the field of medicine are proposed. Originality/value The investigations about SLM contain an increasing amount of knowledge, motivated by the growing interest of the scientific community in this relatively young manufacturing process. This study can be seen as a compilation of relevant researches and findings in the field of the metal printing process.