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1. Thermophysical Properties of Laser Powder Bed Fused Ti-6Al-4V and AlSi10Mg Alloys Made with Varying Laser Parameters

   https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16144920  

   Akwaboa, Stephen ; Zeng, Congyuan ; Amoafo-Yeboah, Nigel ; Ibekwe, Samuel ; Mensah, Patrick ( July 2023 , Materials)

   This study investigated the influence of diverse laser processing parameters on the thermophysical properties of Ti-6Al-4V and AlSi10Mg alloys manufactured via laser powder bed fusion. During fabrication, the laser power (50 W, 75 W, 100 W) and laser scanning speed (0.2 m/s, 0.4 m/s, 0.6 m/s) were adjusted while keeping other processing parameters constant. Besides laser processing parameters, this study also explored the impact of test temperatures on the thermophysical properties of the alloys. It was found that the thermophysical properties of L-PBF Ti-6Al-4V alloy samples were sensitive to laser processing parameters, while L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloy showed less sensitivity. In general, for the L-PBF Ti-6Al-4V alloy, as the laser power increased and laser scan speed decreased, both thermal diffusivity and conductivity increased. Both L-PBF Ti-6Al-4V and L-PBF AlSi10Mg alloys demonstrated similar dependence on test temperatures, with thermal diffusivity and conductivity increasing as the test temperature rose. The CALPHAD software Thermo-Calc (2023b), applied in Scheil Solidification Mode, was utilized to calculate the quantity of solution atoms, thus enhancing our understanding of observed thermal conductivity variations. A detailed analysis revealed how variations in laser processing parameters and test temperatures significantly influence the alloy’s resulting density, specific heat, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity. This research not only highlights the importance of processing parameters but also enriches comprehension of the mechanisms influencing these effects in the domain of laser powder bed fusion.

    

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2. Combined Additive and Laser-Induced Processing of Functional Structures for Monitoring under Deformation

   https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15020443  

   Akintola, Tawakalt Mayowa ; Kumar, Balaji Krishna ; Dickens, Tarik ( January 2023 , Polymers)

   This research introduces a readily available and non-chemical combinatorial production approach, known as the laser-induced writing process, to achieve laser-processed conductive graphene traces. The laser-induced graphene (LIG) structure and properties can be improved by adjusting the laser conditions and printing parameters. This method demonstrates the ability of laser-induced graphene (LIG) to overcome the electrothermal issues encountered in electronic devices. To additively process the PEI structures and the laser-induced surface, a high-precision laser nScrypt printer with different power, speed, and printing parameters was used. Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed similar results for laser-induced graphene morphology and structural chemistry. Significantly, the 3.2 W laser-induced graphene crystalline size (La; 159 nm) is higher than the higher power (4 W; 29 nm) formation due to the surface temperature and oxidation. Under four-point probe electrical property measurements, at a laser power of 3.8 W, the resistivity of the co-processed structure was three orders of magnitude larger. The LIG structure and property improvement are possible by varying the laser conditions and the printing parameters. The lowest gauge factor (GF) found was 17 at 0.5% strain, and the highest GF found was 141.36 at 5%.

    

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3. Laser Fabrication of Polymeric Microneedles for Transdermal Drug Delivery

   Aldawood, Faisal ; Desai, Salil ; Andar, Abhay ( January 2021 , Proceedings of the 2021 IISE Annual Conference)

   null (Ed.)

   Microneedles provide a transdermal pathway for drug delivery, cosmetic infusion, vaccine administration, and disease diagnostics. Microneedle fabrication relies on the interplay of several variables which include design parameters, material properties, and processing conditions. In this research, our group explores the effect of design parameters and process variables for laser ablation of microneedles within a Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) mold. An Ytterbium laser (200W) was utilized to study the effect of five inputs factors (laser power, pulse width, number of repetitions, laser waveform, and interval time between laser pulses) on two output factors (diameter and height) of the fabricated microneedles. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer was cast within the PMMA microneedle mold. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to image topographical features of the microneedles. Further, mechanical testing of the microneedles was conducted to evaluate the buckling load and deformation behavior of the microneedle array. A 20W pulse laser with trapezoidal waveform resulted in optimal microneedle topography with an aspect ratio of 1.2. ANOVA results (α = 0.05) depicted that laser power and number of repetitions were significant factors determining the geometrical features of the microneedle array. This research establishes a framework for the design and manufacturing of customized microneedles for precision medicine. 

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4. Synthesizing Ti–Ni Alloy Composite Coating on Ti–6Al–4V Surface from Laser Surface Modification

   https://doi.org/10.3390/met13020243  

   Chen, Yitao ; Newkirk, Joseph W. ; Liou, Frank ( February 2023 , Metals)

   In this work, a Ni-alloy Deloro-22 was laser-deposited on a Ti–6Al–4V bar substrate with multiple sets of laser processing parameters. The purpose was to apply laser surface modification to synthesize different combinations of ductile TiNi and hard Ti2Ni intermetallic phases on the surface of Ti–6Al–4V in order to obtain adjustable surface properties. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were applied to reveal the deposited surface microstructure and phase. The effect of processing parameters on the resultant compositions of TiNi and Ti2Ni was discussed. The hardness of the deposition was evaluated, and comparisons with the Ti–6Al–4V bulk part were carried out. They showed a significant improvement in surface hardness on Ti–6Al–4V alloys after laser processing, and the hardness could be flexibly adjusted by using this laser-assisted surface modification technique. 

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5. 3D Laser Forming of Metal Foam Sandwich Panels

   https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4047242  

   Bucher, Tizian ; Finn, Connor ; Verma, Ravi ; Li, Wayne ; Lawrence Yao, Y. ( August 2020 , Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering)

   Abstract Metal foam sandwich panels have been the subject of many concept studies, due to their exceptional stiffness, light weight, and crash absorption capacity. Yet, the industrial production of the material has been hampered by the fact that it is challenging to bend the material into practical engineering shapes. Only recently, it has been shown that bending of metal foam sandwich panels is possible using lasers. It was also shown that the material can be bent into Euclidean (2D) geometries, and the governing laser-induced bending mechanisms were analyzed. This study was focused on laser forming of metal foam sandwich panels into non-Euclidean (3D) geometries. It was investigated whether the bending mechanisms and process parameters identified for 2D laser forming translate to 3D deformation. Additionally, the impact of the laser scan length was determined by comparing different scan patterns that achieve the same 3D geometries. It was shown that laser forming could induce 3D deformation necessary for both bowl and saddle shapes, the two fundamental non-Euclidean geometries. The amount of laser-induced bending and in-plane strains vary depending on process conditions and the governing bending mechanisms. Lastly, the laser scan length was shown to become more important for metal foam sandwich panels, where the panel thickness tends to be large. 

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