A 3D-Printable Polymer-Metal Soft-Magnetic Functional Composite—Development and Characterization

In this work, a 3D printed polymer-metal soft-magnetic composite was developed and characterized for its material, structural, and functional properties. The material comprises acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) as the polymer matrix, with up to 40 vol. % stainless steel micropowder as the filler. The composites were rheologically analyzed and 3D printed into tensile and flexural test specimens using a commercial desktop 3D printer. Mechanical characterization revealed a linearly decreasing trend of the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and a sharp decrease in Young\u27s modulus with increasing filler content. Four-point bending analysis showed a decrease of up to 70% in the flexural strength of the composite and up to a two-factor increase in the secant modulus of elasticity. Magnetic hysteresis characterization revealed retentivities of up to 15.6 mT and coercive forces of up to 4.31 kA/m at an applied magnetic field of 485 kA/m. The composite shows promise as a material for the additive manufacturing of passive magnetic sensors and/or actuators

Manufacturing, high heat flux testing and post mortem analyses of a W-PIM mock-up

In the framework of the European material development programme for fusion power plants beyond the international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER), tungsten (W) is an attractive candidate as plasma facing material for future fusion reactors. The selection of tungsten is owing to its physical properties such as the high melting point of 3420 °C, the high strength and thermal conductivity, the low thermal expansion and low erosion rate. Disadvantages are the low ductility and fracture toughness at room temperature, low oxidation resistance, and the manufacturing by mechanical machining such as milling and turning, because it is extremely cost and time intensive. Powder Injection Molding (PIM) as near-net-shape technology allows the mass production of complex parts, the direct joining of different materials and the development and manufacturing of composite and prototype materials presenting an interesting alternative process route to conventional manufacturing technologies. With its high precision, the PIM process offers the advantage of reduced costs compared to conventional machining. Isotropic materials, good thermal shock resistance, and high shape complexity are typical properties of PIM tungsten. This contribution describes the fabrication of tungsten monoblocks, in particular for applications in divertor components, via PIM. The assembly to a component (mock-up) was done by Hot Radial Pressing (HRP). Furthermore, this component was characterized by High Heat Flux (HHF) tests at GLADIS and at JUDITH 2, and achieved 1300 cycles @ 20 MW/m². Post mortem analyses were performed quantifying and qualifying the occurring damage by metallographic and microscopical means. The crystallographic texture was analysed by EBSD measurements. No change in microstructure during testing was observed

A 3D-Printable Polymer-Metal Soft-Magnetic Functional Composite—Development and Characterization

In this work, a 3D printed polymer–metal soft-magnetic composite was developed and characterized for its material, structural, and functional properties. The material comprises acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) as the polymer matrix, with up to 40 vol. % stainless steel micropowder as the filler. The composites were rheologically analyzed and 3D printed into tensile and flexural test specimens using a commercial desktop 3D printer. Mechanical characterization revealed a linearly decreasing trend of the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and a sharp decrease in Young’s modulus with increasing filler content. Four-point bending analysis showed a decrease of up to 70% in the flexural strength of the composite and up to a two-factor increase in the secant modulus of elasticity. Magnetic hysteresis characterization revealed retentivities of up to 15.6 mT and coercive forces of up to 4.31 kA/m at an applied magnetic field of 485 kA/m. The composite shows promise as a material for the additive manufacturing of passive magnetic sensors and/or actuators