Energy Sources

 Hi: Well the emphasis in the materials world has been on Advanced Manufacturing, and there is still much work to do in that sphere of influence. However, the world continues to be more concerned about carbon contaminating the atmosphere; than  about energy to replace carbonaceous materials.Currently the emphasis appears to be on either wind or solar power. Unfortunately, there are major problems associated with these approaches because both depend on mother nature, and she is not very predictable. In the case of wind, on calm days there is no movement to turn the enormous blades required to create electrical energy. In the case of Solar power, unless the sun shines there is no radiant energy to be captured. But.there are solutions because we can install batteries to store the energy produced during sunny or windy days and then release the energy for usage during non productive days, or  sell excessive energy to the grid. All of this costs money, Therefore there are many that suggest that these sources are not the answer.

The newest thinking is thermal energy.After all, we live on top of a molten portion of earth. There are methods developed, and more coming, to drill oil offshore, to dig deeper for fossile fuels and now for thermal energy. Until now, my thinking has been directed to the gysers in the West as the source of this energy; and of course, if you limit your thinking to this, then location becmes a problem. Now, let's expand this thinking to include the molten core that is within the earth. If we do this and assume that energy we use to drill for oil is applicable, then we have an unlimited supply of energy and it need not be expensive. However, lets step back a minute and see whether this may be a smart solution. We know that the atmosphere is infinite, but we have successfully contaminated it to the extent that we have disrupted the entire system that has supported life on earth since creatoin. Now thermal energy. Earth's population is not decreasing and slowly life standards are improving world wide. That predicts that we are going to need thermal enery considering probably a geometric progression. Maybe it isn't to good a sollution to mess with what was created long ago, by a Being more intelligent than all of us combined.

However,lets look at hydrogen and nuclear power, also as possibilities of supplying clean energy consistently.In the case of hydrogen, it too, is available in our vast world.However, it is powerful and can blow up the world, if we are not careful. This has been the main arguement that has prevented more extensive research to tame it for our consumption as a fuel. But wait a minute, aren't fossile fuels also explosive. You bet, but we haven't used them to make atomic bombs to give it a frightening past and future. If present efforts are successful then there are existing facilities for dispensing it as a fuel and it will readily clean up the atmosphere by replacing fossil fuels. Now, this becomes a renewable source to consider. 

There is one additional source of energy that can be clean, safe and abundant. This is nuclear energy. Wait a minute, we have the problem of the plant going critical and creating a major disruption to life and the atmosphere. However, there are many types of nuclear reactors. To date they depend on fusion as their production of nuclear energy. Although clean and they have been commercialized throughout the world, they too are subject of going critical and becoming violent bombs. They are also expensive and require large areas that must be safeguarded to prevent accidents from occurring.There is another form of nuclear energy though that erases the arguements of safety,  expense and large plants. Experimenttion is now at the stage where we can manufacture smaller fission  reactors that can be located in small spaces and which will not go critical. These reactors can be placed on a flat bed truck and transported to a site where the water is polluted,  salty or underground , such as in a desert and they can produce sufficient energy to supply an entire small city. Now I believe that is a solution that I can buy, whereas I have my problems with the thermodynamics of disrupting the molten core of the earth that we sit on.

A Changing World

Most recently, the happenings that are occurring in this world have left me stunned. Thirty-five years ago, I started MagnaTech P/M Labs because materials research was on the rise and there was need for innovation, especially in powder metallurgy. Driving forces then were automobiles and aerospace. They still are, but in a much advanced stage. However, with the horrors occurring in Ukraine, modern electronic devices have neutralized the value of traditional tanks, and drones have helped to neutralize the effect from aircraft superiority. All are recent electronic developments. In conjunction with the war in Ukraine, to keep supporting countries and interrupted communications in Russia and Ukraine, we now have a potential major problem in how to combat individuals that have computer savvy sufficient to shut down the grid and interrupt business that is conducted daily. All stem from computer technology.

This leads me back to the days when horses were the traditional form of transportation and Edison and others had made sufficient strides to create a mechanical and electrical world. When I was a lad in the 1930s, it still was not uncommon, in a small town, to observe horses still tied to hitching posts. However, Henry Ford put an end to this by developing a concept to mechanize the manufacturing of automotive vehicles, then referred to as “horseless carriages” Other concepts came into being through the invention of the electric motor. At that time only common materials, such as iron copper, tin, zinc, and aluminum that had unique properties were included in what was referred to as the periodic table Today the periodic table is full and even new elements are being discovered. .

That leads us to the question of whether this mechanical/electrical world is becoming obsolete, to be replaced by an electronic world. Back in the 1950’s I remember debates that were questioning whether computers would replace man in a future world where robots and electronic devices would assume most of the functions of man. Today we are approaching a time where computers will drive our cars and aircraft, and be safer than a person behind the wheel of the car. Robots have taken the place of humans in the assembly lines to weld and do other repetitive jobs that traditionally were done with manpower. Drones, as we see in the Ukraine, are now being successfully used to destroy enemy aircraft, and many companies are considering using them to make deliveries directly to your house.

How does all this affect a company that basically exists because of its ability to innovate, to improve the properties of materials and improve processing to manufacture these materials. A new concept named advanced manufacturing is commanding major consideration in the materials world. It used to be that an individual or company had an idea or concept. If considered worthy of development, at least a month of research in libraries and use of other communication tools was initiated to determine whether the concept or idea had ever been developed by anyone else, and was there need to advance the capabilities to do the job that required the development of the new idea. In addition, a cost study was made to determine whether people would buy the new product. Once the literature search was complete, a proposal was made to convince the people who could use the product or development that it would be worthy to invest a small amount of money into the project to prove the concept in the laboratory. If successful, more funds were devoted to transfer the development to the pilot production stage to find out whether the product could be made into a commercial product. Then the major funds were allocated to produce the product commercially. However all of this took too much time, taking on an average of two to five years to realize a profit. Now this tried and true technique takes much too long.

Therefore enters the computer once again. The computer has vast stored knowledge that can make the research of determining whether the concept has been considered in the past much faster. Also, most ideas or innovations derive from some basic principles Starting from here variables that affect these basic principles can be quickly changed to determine whether the innovator is traveling in the right direction or whether they are on a crash course. Then after the computer has maximized the variables that affect the concept, a few critical experiments are made to determine whether the computer has done its job. Supposedly this is quicker and cost much less than the old concept However, the computer accepts its data from what has been published, and this can be true, false or biased. The computer doesn’t think. Then the computer needs to start with basic concepts and the variables that change its properties. Most of the people are computer oriented and have little knowledge of materials engineering. Therefore, these people may not even be considering the correct variables to make the product a success. Today advanced manufacturing and modeling are the buzz-words of the industry. The concept says that you can make things as delicate as dental and medical products, using these concepts and there are inroads being made in these fields. In addition, there is no limit to the size of the product that can be made. Therefore things, such as buildings and sky scrapers, are being considered as future applications All of this new technology is going to require different thinking regarding manpower and the concepts emerging for the work being made today. Are we ready to leave the mechanical/ electrical world that we are comfortable with today for this new emerging electronic driven world? With developments such as being seen in the Ukraine and in the use of cyber technology and their capabilities for evil or good, are we ready to make them our new world?

 

 

2022 Research Activity As MagnaTech Sees It

 

Last year there was a tremendous push to develop a generic term, “Advanced Manufacturing”. Much has been accomplished in this area and more will be in this coming year. Whereas in the past research started with a literature search followed by using design of experiments to get an idea to the laboratory, This now has all been replaced by what is known as modeling. In essence, it is the same thing, except now the computer does all the grunt work.  My opinion is that computers and software program writers have little experience with metals. Therefore, I prefer to do most of my modeling using the old fashioned approach, knowing that speed is not the problem.  However, most of the materials development research is now accomplished through software designed for modeling.

Transportation remains the buzzword in most development programs. In respect to the automobile of the future, standard materials are still required, although research is still promoted to use much lighter aluminum, magnesium, composites and even plastic materials. Again, modeling is the tool generally used to develop most new alloys for automotive and off-road applications. A real push is to make the automobile electric to alleviate the pollution problem. Motor design and battery propulsion is the current big push. However, there are some interesting concepts regarding propulsion designs that do not use batteries. Electromagnetics is one interesting concept being explored.

Just starting to generate steam, however, are applications that improve or permit space applications to be improved. Again, propulsion is one area demanding attention. Most of us pay attention to the huge rockets that are launched at Cape Canaveral. However, most missiles that are launched into space are much smaller and they are not launched from earth, but from missiles launched from earth. NASA is now starting to direct their attention to development of different propulsion systems, such as electric propulsion. These concepts are not new.  The Russians developed a system in 2011. These space craft use electromagnetic fields to accelerate to high speeds, generating thrusts that modify the velocity in orbit. In fact, since 2019 there have been over 500 space craft used throughout the Solar System, using electric propulsion for station keeping. Future systems, under development, are being designed to permit exploration of the outer planets of the Solar System. If a system were developed for earth launch, payloads could be increased to 70% of initial mass to destination, whereas chemical propelled rockets deliver only  a few percent. This is a start to a future for development of additional future electric propulsion systems .

In addition to space, increased concentration is being directed toward aircraft that will fly faster in upper space, delivering increased pay loads at reduced cost in significantly less time MagnaTech would like to find a niche in this new emerging technology to improve soft magnetic materials for these emerging applications.

 

What Does Advanced Manufacturing Mean to You?

 It has been almost a year since I have found it worthwhile to publish something new. That is because a good portion of money is being concentrated on a topic known as Advanced Manufacturing. The obtuseness of this title leaves people scratching their head because it is so vague. Actually because of this many variations have developed that are designed to serve a particular market. This market started with plastic irregular objects and now advancing in many directions. In other words, something for everyone. Just change a few things to make the process work. 

So how do we understand what we need to get started? Well first of all, we need to have a purpose in mind. Reduction of weight is a good thing because our present transportation system uses a fuel that contaminates the atmosphere.Therefore, if we can reduce the weight of the vehicle; we use less  fuel and contamination is reduced.The second objective is to make either things that cannot be made by other processes or to develop the advanced manufacturing process to make parts cheaper than are made by an existing process. The automotive and the space industry are two areas that are either fast changing or developing that are being driven by these two objectives.

So, how do we develop this new process? First we need a container that houses the object or objects to be made. this is normally a box of any size , to contain and build the smallest to the largest of parts. One area where the process is growing is for small items, such as dental products or for parts  for medical purposes, that fit in small, confined spaces.On the opposite side of the spectrum, containers or  boxes are being constructed to produce components for space ships and for turbine engines. Boggles the imagination. 

The next thing required is material to construct or build the irregular shaped part.Again, the process began by using plastic in powder or liquid form to spray on a platform that can  move incrementally to permit thin layers of sprayed droplets to deposit and solidify layer by layer in a pattern that is generated from a three dimensional model, using a computer. Metallic inks for circuit boards are now being made using this technology. Plastic parts are currently being made in many differing processes. Powders now are available for making many small parts today and could be used to make parts for off road equipment soon.What is left to complete the system is a heating source. Today, lasers and electron beam guns are used for this process, although there are processes that use induction heating to repair or to make parts. 

Every day new developments are made that provides new avenues for the advancement of the technology. In addition, a process called modeling is now being more widely used in the design of complete systems made of different kinds of component parts, using basic principles of physics and chemistry. This will make possible new motor designs and artificial organs for humans and animals. The technology is mind boggling, and prepares the way for a new century becoming more and more electronically oriented.

 New Lessons Regarding Lubrication and Binding of Alloy Sub-Micron Powders

    It has been awhile since I have had the urge to write an article on metallurgy. Perhaps it was the pandemic or even though we are entering a space age era, a lack of going forward during this period of time. Actually advanced manufacturing has overwhelmed the technical realm and I am not the biggest fan of advanced manufacturing, not that I am not a believer of advancement, but I am resistant of letting computers do it for us.

    For instance, there is much publicity of advancements that are occurring to lighten materials and to introduce new lighter materials. This occurs through mostly two dimensional design, but more ideally through complex three dimensional design, with precision  possible only using a computer.

    Yes there are advantages to this, as well as disadvantages. One advantage is that it makes possible design of new alloys without conducting as much lengthy and costly experimentation. However, all of this is dependent on the experience of the individual that is operating the computer. However, if done correctly and with execution of essential experimental background work, then strength and toughness may be increased. In magnetic materials core loss and design of magnetic components can be maximized. Yes, even corrosion, the most expensive problem in modern society, can be reduced.. So yes, there are benefits, but dangers as well.

    The reason for all of this to happen is because in most advanced manufacturing processes where laser or electron beam technology is employed for fusing or melting the powder, a fine layer of sub-micron powder is distributed throughout the surface  of the area to be built.Unfortunately, fine sub-micron powders do not flow well. Therefore a binder is required to increase their size and agglomerate them into larger composite spheres to satisfy this requirement. This brings me back 40 years ago when I was in charge of a research section at Hoeganaes Corp. One of my projects was to develop a lubricant that would improve the flow of  stainless steel powders.These powders were larger, but not quite speroidal in shape. We at that time worked with a Lanza powder that permited us to reduce the quantity of lubricant admixed to 0.5 %. 

        Now MagnaTech is currently working to develop a new refractory metal powder that is manufactured as sub-micron powder and the additives are also sub-micron in size. Therefore the requirement is to find an additive that not only agglomerates these powders but also  provides sufficient lubrication to permit flow within a restricted die cavity. Therefore, MagnaTech also finds itself into development of lubricants with good binding properties.Right now there are a few other small companies that are starting to enter this field too If these new advanced manufacturing processes are to succeed,  a  free-flowing powder must be developed that will bind the sub-micron particles into a powder sufficiently large and ideally spherical to provide the uniform layers that will be fused or melted incrementally that will eventually build to form a solid shape of required dimensions MagnaTech sees a niche for itself in development of new binder /lubricants to resolve one of the problems currently causing problems in some advanced manufacturing processes.

New Nitrogen and Oxygen Testing Capability at MagnaTech

It has been a couple of months now since my last correspondence. At that time most of the activity in the materials world was concentrated on developments in new technology in advanced manufacturing to accelerate the electric powered automobile and subsequently over the road vehicles and advanced high altitude, high speed aircraft.
It is amazing how one very little molecule can put most of this development on back burner and now concentrate on a cure or a vaccine to counteract the effects of the Corona virus.All of a sudden the concern for the environment returns to the back burner  because now there is an oversupply of fuel and emissions from operating vehicles has decreased because of a large portion of the population restricted to the home, for the most part. However, the word is back burner and that is a dormant stage, ready to return as the times change and the threat of the consequences of the Corona virus disappears..
How does all of this affect the operation of MagnaTech P/M Labs? MagnaTech was conceived with the   objective  to do research and consult to improve powder metallurgy processes or materials, concentrating in development of powder metallurgy materials and processes oriented toward stainless steels, low alloy steels and their processes and soft magnetic materials and their processes. To permit development, MagnaTech equipped a laboratory that would assist in measurement of properties of new materials developed or improvement in properties resulting from improvement in processing conditions. This laboratory has now been in existence for 36 years. The equipment contained in the laboratory has been either purchased or constructed to measure properties that most other test laboratories do not measure. All equipment is operated and run with test standards and procedures established by ASTM International.
The purpose of this test equipment is to permit MagnaTech to develop material and processes for other companies that do not have the resources to do the development or the work required to advance their marketing or to improve internal processing processes to permit the company to either introduce new products or to improve the properties of the parts or powders that they manufacture.
Since one facet of MagnaTech was to advance developments in magnetic materials and performance, it is equipped to assist in the development in performance of magnetic materials. One of the requirements for the improved performance of soft magnetic materials includes reduced contamination from interstitial elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur. MagnaTech therefore purchased gas analyzers to permit the measurment of theses interstitials to improve soft magnetic materials.More recently there has been increased need to determine the nitrogen content within stainless steels and high temperature aerospace materials.The equipment within the MagnaTech Laboratory is capable of making these measurements. Test results are backed up by running standards certified by NIST and conducting measurements according to ASTM International Standards. MagnaTech normally reports results from material received for testing within three days MagnaTech has just updated these analyzers and is looking for new business. If you require these kind of data, MagnaTech assures repeatability and precision of data with fast response to your needs. Should you be interested in these MagnaTech services please contact Ken Moyer at 856-786-9061 or by e mail at moyer@snip.net. MagnaTech is a small veternan operated company.

Excitement About High Entropy Alloys

Currently materials research has slowed down, unless you are into advanced manufacturing. Today almost all technology is focused on computers and mechanical devices, such as robots. In our opinion, this is a dangerous way to proceed. Already kids are begining to have difficulty in writing and spelling, and are more confused than ever by the new math being introduced. This is the beginning; what is going to happen when most of the nation becomes hooked on this new technology that takes the human factor from the big picture?
However, materials research is still needed for improvement in light car performance, solonoids, magnetic applications, deep sea technology, space and  nuclear energy. All of these applications require either improved alloys or new alloys to permit these future applications to evolve.
One of the new systems for improvement of special alloys is entitlled high entropy alloys. Actually development began way back in the 1980s with the superaalloys. At this time alloys existed for high temperature applications, but did not quite serve the application completely. However, if a slight amount of another element was added, or even an additional element in greater quantity, then the properties for the application were satisfied and life moved on.

In reality , however, there is no real definition of what a high entropy alloy is. Actually it is an alloy that is either modified or completely invented for specific applications, such as those new technologies mentioned above as being currently in progress at some scale of development. MagnaTech has been interested in improved magnetic alloys to provide improved power for electric cars. We are also active in development of heavy alloy materials. In this case, cobalt is a problem because it is largely produced in a potentially hostile country and also, although not classified, it is being considered as a carcenogenic. The Army was so concerned that it was working on research in that area. With the advent of the new laser technology for weaponry, the need for replacement has now abated. However, MagnaTech is starting a program to develop a binder for tungsten carbide that will eliminate the use of cobalt that is traditionally used as a binder.  MagnaTech always welcomes financial support for these projects being developed to improve applications for new designs for new technology.

Get Ready for Electric Cars

Ho, hum, Gas is still relatively cheap, but the population is growing that constantly shortens the finite supply of petroleum.On the contrary, electricity is expensive and the grid is already overloaded. Therefore why electric cars. The big problems are that supply is finite and also adds to the contamination of our atmosphere.
So, why not electric cars? Well there are still problems that require resolution. First, we are used to driving in to a gas station and saying fill er up.In less than fifteen minutes we are again on our way. Gas stations are located at almost every major intersection and therefore easy to stop and fill up.
If the country switches to electric cars, except in California, the stations available are not easily found. Therefore one frets a little bit longer when the gauge is reading close to empty. However, we well know as the need increases, there will be more and more stations available.
All well and good, not a big problem. However, consider that fifteen minutes to fill up and get underway. With the electric car, under current conditions, to achieve an additional distance of say, 300 miles, the electric car requires an hour to recharge. Ouch, that is not what the public wants.
The other factor the public expects is performance. That means that a battery needs to supply the proper energy to start the car, get it up to speed in a short period of time and maintain driving conditions until it is time to cease operation.
These conditions are obtained by a battery that supplies a motor with a proper supply of volts required to provide power to accomplish supply a transmission system to do the job. Currently the battery is the point of concern. Concerns include sealants, thermal insulation,conductivity , noise, vibration, shock, flame retardation barriers, tape resistant to hot, cold and cyclic temperature.These sound like insurmountable problems; and only time will tell whether sufficient advancements can be made.
However, the battery drives a motor which in turn controls transmission to the axles. These too affect the ability of the battery to perform and maintain sufficient life for efficient operation.Weight loss or more efficient performance by these components support the battery performance. MagnaTech is directing its energy to development of rotor component of the P/M motor that transmits energy to the transmission. If more power becomes available through added power supply to the transmission, then the battery can become more efficient, providing improved mileage before requiring a recharge. In addition, if the resistivity of the rotor segments can be improved, the car performance also is improved. If  the resistivity can be increased, power is also further increased and also temperature reduction is possible .MagnaTech is working on a new alloy that we expect will improve the properties stated above and thereby extend both life and performance of batteries. Furthermore, if successful, the development could result in decrease in motor weight, also improving battery performance. MagnaTech is seeking funding and partnership for commercialization of this improvement in performance of these P/M motors.

Update on the Staus of the Cemented Tungsten Carbide Market

Currently the market for cemented tungsten carbide is $27.5 trillion. Most of the cemented tungsten carbide market today uses a percentage of cobalt to permit the fine tungsten carbide particles to bind together when consolidated.Generally the amount of cobalt admixed is less than 10% of the tungsten carbide weight. Unfortunately cobalt is becoming a problem for many reasons.
The major reason is emerging competition from the battery and the automotive markets.The use of cobalt for these applications for components is increasing at a rapid rate.Currently it is estimated that 49 percent of the cobalt produced will be targeted toward this market.
Supply today mostly comes from the Republic of Congo, in Africa.The problem now becomes that we are dealing with an unstable government that uses children to mine the cobalt.without protective equipment. In addition, the EPA has declared cobalt to be carcinogenic. These problems have led to a deficit of cobalt for this year to be 3,205 tonnes, increasing to 5,340 tonnes by next year.As a result, the price of cobalt , in the past eighteen months, has increased from $10 per pound to $27.78 per pound.
The Army, facing these conditions regarding armaments, has developed a new patented binder system that is based on iron, thereby eliminating the use of cobalt from their applications. MagnaTech too has a concept for a new binder system, based on iron as the base, but using a different concept. We are seeking a partner to develop this system. If you are affiliated with the cemented carbide market, you are faced with the same problem. If interested in our system please contact us and we will be delighted to discuss our concept further.

Fusion Nuclear Reactors

Many designs for clean nuclear energy are being considered for commercial application One such system is classified as a fusion reactor.Unfortunately, like all proposed new reactor designs, this reactor will operate in a hostile envirenment, which includes stress at high temperatures, corrosive salt bathsand neutron irradiation.In addition, the life of a nuclear reactor should exceed 50 years with scheduled maintenance and replacement of materials
Under these harsh conditions materials  to resist structural damage under conditions never experienced before require development . Yes, materials are available for high temperature applications, such as jet engines and these materials opperate in a hostile corrosive atmosphere as well. They are available and do the job well.
How about these reactors then. What makes material selection so much more critical for their design and function? Well, first they will opperate at temeratures ranging from 500 C to 1000 C. No problem. Now throw in the condition that the structural component require function in some kind of a salt envirenment. Now we are approaching some difficult selections, however, still possible. Now add the fact that irradiation occurs and you really have a large problem to resolve. What is the material that can sustain all of these factors? Unfortunately, under current technology this selection is not trivial and requires more careful study.
Well, what happens if you change the surface of these materials by application of a coating of some sort that is more corrosive resistant. Posssible to resist corrosion in salt solutions.; but how about the factor of irradiation? Now we are into the nitty gritty of the problem. First, studies of resistance to radiation are difficult to come by. Secondly, not only can there be more extensive surface damage owing to corrosion and defects in the material structture, but also there may be deterioration of the structural properties, owing to the applied opperating conditions.
For these reasons, MagnaTech is interested in the development of surface coatings capable of sustaining these operating conditions. MagnaTech is working on surface modification that could possibly reduce the damaqge from salt and radiation causing degradation of the surface. Steels are being developed and these steels are becoming available.Whether these steels will be capable of resisting structural degradation is also unknown, althoug more clearly defined. MagnaTech would like to present our concepts to companies that are interested in commercialization of the concepts, should they present a solution to the problem. Please contact us, should you too have interest in this area of opportunity.

Magna Tech Submits Department of Energy Proposal

MagnaTech has been interested in the development of Generation IV type nuclear reactors for three years. Last year MagnaTech submitted a proposal to Department of Energy and it was rejected because MagnaTech had no way to determine the effect of radiation on the surface protection of the alloy they intended to protect.
One serious problem that is holding up installation of these type reactors is finding an alloy that can withstand the severe operating conditions of a Generation IV nuclear reactor. Not only is strength and ductility required for structural purposes, but also corrosion of the surface must be contained to resist the environment in which the nuclear reactor operates. In this case the operating environment is
500 C in lead-bismuth reactor coolant.
MagnaTech has developed a coating that uses a large concentration of atomic carbon and/or nitrogen deposited on the surface, which reacts with the alloying elements contained within the selected alloy to form stable, protective intermetallic compounds.Unfortunately the usefullness of this coating still requires proof of corrosion resistance under the operating conditions of the nuclear reactor.  This year, MagnaTech is submitting a similar proposal but in cooperation with a non-profit laboratory. .In joining with the non-profit laboratory, MagnaTech gains the capability of ir radiating the coating to determine the effectof radiation on deterioration of the protective coating and the effect of radiation on the performance of the structural alloy selected. In conjunction with this capability, MagnaTech will independantly determine the corrosion of the coated surface by a lead-bismuth salt at the operating conditions of the nuclear reator at 500 C in this salt solution. Once the basic information is attained,  the intent is to combine the irradiation study with the sat corrosion tests to demonstrate the effectiveness of the coating under the operating conditions for this particular Generation IV reactor type.
Should our coating provide the answer to resist corrosion and radiation damage without major change in the structural properties of the alloy selected,  a major solution is provided to advance the installaltion of these important new reactors. Stationary nuclear reactors in existance today are at the end of their life cycle, and some even exceed it. The new reactors would have the capability of being placed on a flatbed truck and transported to any site of interest. In this case it may be a swampy polluted water body to convert waste water to either hydrogen fuel and/or  good fresh water. In addition, the reactor could be transported to vegitation where the waste could be converted to hydrogen for fuel. Even small localities and factories could benefit through having on site inexpensive elecctricity generared. If used in tandem, then major cities could benefit through the production of electricity. Even the environment gains, because the reactor does not cause poluttants to be released to the atmosphere. In addition, it is safe, being incapable of going critical upon disabling incidents and the nuclear fuel can be replenished without depletion or disturbane of ore bodies.

A Generation IV Nuclear Reactor

Our current nuclear reactors are 50 years old and face retirement or expensive outlays to extend their lives. Moreover, they also have the capability of going critical, emitting radiation to the population and atmosphere if damaged or sabotaged. Since nuclear energy is the cleanest and represents about all electrical power produced, we have a cuirent problem..
There are many reactor concepts and these are classified as Generation IV nuclear reactors. However, all have serious problems,  delaying their construction. Estimation, at present, is that these reactors will not be on stream until the 2020s. Yet if these problems are resolved, there are many benefits. The reactors are light weight and meant to be transportable on flat beds to remote places such as bogs or other areas contaminated with organic waste  preventing public usage or usage for water or carbonaceous recovery or  as power plants to satisfy electrical requirments of small cities or factories.These reactors are cooled by liquid salts and can operate at temperatures ranging from 500 to 1000 C. Therein lies the problem because the molten salt is corrosive, especially when creating radioactive energy; and corrosion increases as the temperature increases.However. the higher the temperature the greater the efficiency, translating to lower cost, rendering the electreicity produced from the nuclear energy .competitive with traditional carbonaceous fuels.
One of the problems that require resolution before the reactors enter service is materials. Traditionally these have been steels. However as the temperature increases, accompanied with corrosion from radiation produxcts and temperature, newer more corrosion resistant steel are required.If operated at 1000C, the material selection becomes more difficult, because of the active molten salt and the radiation products created under the operating conditions.
One of the reactors considered was used to power submarines by the Soviet Union in the late 1990s. it was a reactor that used a lead-bismuth salt for cooling the nuclear fuel contained within the bed. This reactor has the advantage of operating at 500C, the low end of the reactor types competing to serve the market.  however the efficiency is not touted to be as good , rendering it more difficult to compete with traditional fuels.However, the material problem is more managable.because of the lower operating temperature. However corrosion still remains as the problem because of the activated corrosive salt serving as coolant. Therefore what is needed is something rto prevent the coolant from corroding the surface of the material of choice. There are many materials that can serve as coatings for corrosive protection.. These are generally sprayed onto the surface. Unfortunately at the surface an interface occurs because of the diffence between the coating deposited and the base alloy. This results because the alloys used for coating are brittle or may contain pores or debris that can result in crack formation rendering the coating to provide a path to the alloy.thereby not protecting it from corrosion. magnaTech has an idea which uses an activated atomic deposit on the surface to react with alloying elements within the steel to form stable intermetallic compounds that do not corrode and furthermore forming no interface that is brittle or defective but blends dirrectly to the traditional microstructure of the steel. If you have a severe corrosion occuring in your application, MagnaTech may have the solution improving performamce and ilowering cost and reducing contamination of the atmosphere.

A New Kind of Fuel

Today gasoline prices continue to increase.   There are threats to future supply, and the exhaust emitted is a danger to the environment. However, there are alternatives to the increasing price and diminishing reserves availabe. The problem is that the alternatives  are more expensive.
One alternative that may be becoming competitive is hydrogen.It is not harmful to the environment, but helpful, and replenishable since the exhaust enters the atmosphere as water. Problems exist that delay consideration of this resource. These include: educating the public that hydogen is not a bomb, any different fromgasoline, safe transprt from source to destination without danger to the community, and modifying the structures of gas stations.
However, these problems are being explored and changes appear to be possible at reasonable cost. If accomplished, then it may be possible to produce hydrogen abundantly, even in homes or as major refineries. Methods are available for safe transport through populated areas without major catastrophy resulting, and  modification can be made to gas stations for storage of supplies and transfer to vehicles as fuel.
One way to accomplish this is throught utilizing the energy of the sun and a water supply. Both of these components are available as solar production at homes and from farms that produce hydrogen en-mass for community usage. The problems  to be resolved are again  storage and safe transportation. Ideas are beginning to be developed to resolve these problems that are interesting to  the gas and petroleum manufacturers.
One of the problems is, if solar energy can be used to produce hydrogen from the sun's energy and available water supply, how do you store this hydrogen supply, either as a resource for home usage or within commercial storage for volume exploitation? One possibility is through use of a fuel cell, using the sun and water as the method and then have a cell for conversion of the water produced to hydrogen. It becomes a closed loop providing aditional advantage for the use of solar power.
The problem now becomes the separation of the hydrogen from the water being produced. This now is possible through inclusion of a fuel cell that accepts the heated water produced from the solar resource, using a photoelectrochemicalcell. In this case the heat produced is either condensed as water or can be energized to provide power. Eventually the water , being converted to steam, cools and can be used as pure water. However, not all the heat required to make electrical energy is expended and the water used can be further useful before storage for consumption to separare hydrogen and then either recycled or stored for consumption. To do this a photoelectrical cell is required for separation of the hydrogen from the water and return the oxygen ions produced back as water.
However, there are still problems in balancing the hydrogten produced and restoration of the oxygen ions from the cell.
 In this case a catylist is required . The trick is to develop the catalyst to permit hydrogen to pass through while restraining the oxygen ions produced from the separation to be restored to the water or exhausted to the atmosphere.
Currently there is research on a membrane attached to the anode of the fuel cell to return the oxygen ions back to the water.Current interest is in a series of alloys known as perovskyte to accomplish this task. The alloys are produced from fine metal oxide powders to produce the membrane. They work but the reasons are not completely understood because they are based on atomic arrangement of the atoms. Current membranes work, but the efficiencies are not sufficient for economic production. New instruments are currently being developed to permit understanding of  atomic arrangment of atoms and the position of the elements contained within the atomic cell, Currently the size and position of the anions are being explored. One therory is that if the anions were smaller they could improve the energy potential. There are two thoughts under consideration. One that we favor is to use either a fine alloy or oxide powder and use a redox balance to create a liquid. The liquid is then converted as the membrane  on the anode, providing either a fine or an amrpous atomic structure, thereby improving the energy efficiency. MagnaTech believes that a modificatiion of a process that we have promoted to make magnetic ink will provide the proper microstructure and atomic spacing.
Currently developments in cryogenics can make storage and transport possible. If the hydrogen produced can be stored and transported as a solid to a refinery or to gas stations,  this problem is solved and there will be no problem transporting hydrogen through urban areas for delivery to gas, oops, hydrogen stations.If so we would have clean competitive energy to serve as fuel for our transportation. MagnaTech is investigating  ways to provide the membrane to make conversion of solar energy possible. However, it is in the infant stage of development and in need of financing.

Comments On Todays Industry From A diiferent Era

Well, generally am optimistic, but recent events are starting to make me pesimistic.. Seems that programs begin with good thoughts in mind. Also small companies start with good thoughts in mind. Our eperience after 34 years in business is once we gain a good customer, we keep him. That is because we are always interested in the customer's problem,, not ours.
The same might be said when the government started SBIR. They had needs, and if you could solve their problem then, no matter how large or small, if you had an idea and they liked it, it was funded. Supposed to work that way now, however the small guy is now encourage to partner. Nothing wrong with that. Two heads always beat one.
One problem. In todays world it is becoming more and more about money, and greed now enters the picture. We innovate and do not wish to produce anything other than ideas and good research. Our sucess rate in solving problems has been excellent and people are happy with our services.
It is the commercialization part that becomes the problem, especially today when things become micro or macro in size.It used to be when you partnered you could take a person at their word. More recently you need to be very careful, because it appears that greed and lack of ethics has entered the picture.Instead of a co-operative effort to create products for new markets, once your idea becomes known somehow the producer finds a way to have a better idea and backs out. This has now happened to us on several occassions. For instance we recently had an idea for making or repairing a part quickly and cheaply at the site of the failure. Initially we found several manufacturers that were anxious to participate and then backed off.As far as we can see, the investment required to proceed was small to nil for the large markets that would open. Yet in the end, greed toke over and what apreared to be a good deal was aborted under the guise that more than the dollars allocated were inflated way out of proportion. In past years the joke was that the Brooklyn Bridge had been sold so many times  to the gullible. Well, today greed and relaxation of ethics is making the sale of the Brookly Bridge a reality once more.
We have also been encouraged to patent our ideas. We have done this and were awarded five patents within the last five years. We know there is infringement. Yet to defend the patents would be foolish and drive us into bankruptcy. Maybe it is not true "let the buyer beware" but more true to beware of the greed and decrease in ethics.

Back To Repair

We have now been educated to new technology such as advanced manufacturing ,robots and consulting the Internet for all things, like data storage. We have also now been educated to not repair things but to throw non-functioning things out the window and replace them quickly with a new gadget.
In the past, you had reason to repair equipment and quickly restore it to operating condition. However, that meant inventory, and that is a bad word today because inventory is expensive.However, with just in time concepts, now it becomes overnight delivery of a spare defective part, if all goes well. However, what do you do in the field, especially when something suddenly becomes damaged, especially things like off the road equipment that is becoming more important to increase payload and save money? Unfortunately JIT conditions become perilous.
So, what to do. In the past, and still, common people were trained to make repairs in the field. Howeve,r much of the damage results from degradation of the surface. Fatigue, corrosion, impact and wear are the principal reasons. Again, in the past, many processes such as welding hard facing, plating, plasma welding, etc. have modified the surface to at least minimize damage. These processes are now becoming questionable because they require too much time to repair; coatings are limited in depth, many are porous and most have a brittle interface leading to spalling.Therefore, faster, thicker deposits to protect the surface is required.
MagnaTech has developed a process that uses an activated gas to deposit a reactive concentrated surface. Through the process of diffusion. this concentrated deposit reacts with internal alloying elements alloyed to provide strength and toughness, required for the application, to react with these alloying elements at the surface to form hard, wear and corrosion stable intermetallic compounds at the surface that are thicker and corrosion and wear resistant without generation of a brittle interface.
MagnaTech is currently promoting a modification of the process to provide field coverage to provide fast deposition on site that has the same characteristics n the field as well as for initial protection. If interested call MagnaTech for further details and trials for your application.

Energy-Fossil Fuel Top Dog

Lets face it: we have relied on fossil fuel for energy almost since man discovered fire. However, there weren't as many people around and life expectancy was much shorter. Therefore fossil fuel was a comfort, no--a must for keeping warm and for cooking.
Today there are considerably more of us and not only that, we are living longer. Not only is heat involved, but now there is a constant demand for more and more energy for an increasing number of electronic products and gadgetry. In addition, our nuclear reactors, the cleanest energy source, are aging and the cost for extending life or replacement is high. Less costly reactors are not expected to reach the commercial stage until the 2020s. Solar and wind have their problems regarding location and energy storage. Hydrogen still has safety obstacles to overcome to become a commercial fuel. Therefore, not only because of cost, but additional problems regarding alternative energy sources, it is reality that fossil fuels will be our major energy resource, at least for the short term. The problem becomes one of the emissions. Released to the atmosphere from combustion of coke they cause major damage to the ozone layer. These contaminants to the atmosphere are largely nitrogen compounds identified as NOx and sulphur compounds identified as SOx. In addition, mercury and other heavy metals, health hazards to humans, are also emitted. The Environmental Protection Agency is therefore concerned and is in process of controlling the quantity exhausted to the atmosphere.
Traditional methods for reduction include: wet scrubbing with alkaline sorbent, spray dry scrubbing with similar sorbents, sulfuric acid, flue gas desulfurization and dry sorbent injection systems. These systems are well-known and capital costs well understood. More advanced untried processes include: selective catalytic reduction with methane, plasma decomposition and electrochemical decomposition.
MagnaTech believes that we can develop a process using fluid bed technology to catalyze and reduce these harmful contaminants from combustion exhaust gas to nitrogen. The process receives the combustion exhaust gas at 500⁰C in an activated fluid bed. The exhaust gas will pass through the activated bed, and a partial pressure of a reducing hydrocarbon gas will be intermixed to reduce NOx to nitrogen and SOx and other contaminants to the fluid bath. MagnaTech is currently seeking support to determine the reliability and the cost required to successfully introduce the process to industrial application. We have assembled a team consisting of Mr. Moyer, chemical catalytic experts, and a fluid bed manufacturer that is key to introducing the process to the commercial market place. The group is open to discussion regarding the technology.
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Flexible Hybrid Electronics

Within the next ten years a $70 billion market will develop for hybrid flexible electronic devices and antennas.Currently this market is in infancy because expensive silver serves as the conductive ink and the methods for application are too expensive.
The question then becomes, why not copper? After all, look around you and every electronic device uses copper for efficient flow of electricity for efficient operation.The problem is when you deposit a conductive ink with features of less than 50 micro inches, the conductivity is too low for efficient operation. So far, from what we see the problem is unresolved and if it can be, then this market will blossom.If an improved conductive copper ink could become available,  applications for sensors biosensors, touch screens, antennas, printed heaters, potentiometers and printed circuit boards, solar panels and electroluminescent panels become viable.
The probem is how do you improve the conductivity of copper in such a fine feature when the surface is maximized? MagnaTech thinks outside the box and has conceived an idea that could economically improve the conductivity of copper in thin deposits  to replace expensive silver and processing required for application. However, MagnaTech is a materials research company and  not an expert in ink formulation and application. Therefore, MagnaTech intends to team with a company that does manufacture conductive inks, and with an additional consultant who has been there and made many of the mistakes that have prevented application. The team has prepared a proposal describing how we expect to resolve the problem to permit advancement to the pilot stage of development. We believe that the concept that we propose will improve the conductivity at low cost could be available in six to nine months. So far the largest eleven strongest participants have not succeeded. MagnaTech and partners, look forward to participating  to develop this conductive ink that would significantly expand the usage for these advanced flexible devices.

Hard Facing- What Is It?

Today I would like to explore a market that peaked in the 1960s. Like today, two of the major problems causing replacement of parts include wear and corrosion or combinations of the two. In the sixties, the major materials available were mild and low alloy steels. Stainless steels were just starting to attain popularity. However, there were many applications where the steels available were incapable of sustaining wear or corrosion in environments such as  drilling in mines, off shore applications for drilling rigs aircraft repair and shaping of glass bottles to hold liquids.Yes, silicon is abrasive and is the major constituent of most glass. Yes, glass bottles were a major market then because plastics were not yet replacing the cheap glass bottles. However, silicon is abrasive, and therefore something better was needed to extend the life of the part through improved protection of the surfaces used in these applications.
Engineers at small companies in those days, like Metco and Wall Colmonoy, recognized these differences between metals and glass. Therefore it wasn't long before someone decided that if you alloyed metals with silicon and boron  you could create a series of alloys tha,t when heated, became cherry red and did not melt immediately, but slicked up and remained that way for a period of time until the coating became fluid enough to melt and drip from the steel. Furthermore if you alloyed the powder or the wire with elements such as nickel and chromium, and other additives, such as particles of tungsten carbide, you had a surface that was corrosion resistant and had hard wear resistant carbides, borides and nitrides distributed within to provide surfaces that were significantly resistant to corrosion and wear.
Therefore a process developed whereby powders were atomized to these basic compositions with varying amounts of the constituents described that, when fused,  deposits ranging from 40 to 60 HRC hardness protected the surface from wear and corrosion. Tungsten carbide powder was admixed in a fine particle size distribution to further enhance the surface against abrasion.These powders were poured into a canister contained within the spray gun or within an external container, depending on the design of the spray gun. An acetylene oxygen fuel was then activated and the powder introduced within the fuel where it was heated to a temperature that was sufficiently warm to cause the powder to be plastic so that when it emerged from the gun as a spray, it deposited on the substrate as what is known as a splat. This porous deposit was then further heated with a welding torch or placed in a furnace at an appropriate temperature to fuse, similar to a glass with minute porosity. Unfortunately the bond with the substrate is not the most desirable, Therefore the fused coatings had a tendency to spall or flake from the surface, depending on the application, and replaced to renew adequate protection of the substrate. Also much depended on the skill of the operator in making the deposit and fusing it.
Today more ways to deposit coatings on surfaces have emerged. Plasma Spraying, which employs higher temperatures approaching those of the sun,  capable of providing any coating that can be engineered, is available.Also, furnace deposited and diffused coatings are possible that compete with hard faced coatings and do not have the weak interface associated with spalling and fracture that are common with hard faced coatings but have a transitional interface that blends to the microstructure of the alloy substrate.
Moyer, owner of MagnaTech was one of the first people to improvise Hoeganaes hard facing powders to supply most of the hard facing gun manufacturers. More recently he has developed a process that deposits an atomic reactant on the surface of the substrate that reacts with the alloying elements within the substrate to provide a hard wear, corrosion resistant, surface that can compete with hard facing processes in existence today. Many say that like the one horse buggy that hard facing is becoming passe'. However, recently MagnaTech has been provided with an opportunity to quality control plasma sprayed chromium carbide coatings. We look forward to the emerging of this opportunity.

Big Brake Problem

Just finished a proposal to the Marines. You know, the world more and more thinks smaller is better. However, it is not often that you hear this coming from a Marine.In this case, there are many more people that think big. like Marines, and have the same concern. That is because there is an entire industry, including the Marine,s that has a big problem that involves big equipment.
In the case of the Marines, the problem is now critical for improved efficiency of operation of medium and heavy tactical vehicles that operate on five axles. The same problem exists with any off road or off shore equipment that exists for transporting large loads and operates in harsh environments, such as brackish or sea water. These liquids are corrosive and  the vehicles, when traversing them are moving at high speeds,  activate the beds and create slurries of liquid containing abrasive particles. These slurries intrude into open access areas within current brake systems, thereby causing corrosion from the reactive liquid and wear from the particles entrained within the fluid.Owing to the braking components weighing as much as 400 pounds, their life becomes limited , owing to the erosion and corrosion occurring during operation. Therefore life is unpredictable and inability to operate because of brake fade or failure,and inability to operate may occur at critical times when inability to function may result in disaster.
Therefore today there is focus on resolving this problem. The ideal solution would be first of all extension of predictable life and secondly, rapid replacement and restoration of the braking system of the unit to permit resumption of operation.
Corrosion and erosion are processes occurring at surfaces of the braking components. Therefore, if the surface of the component can be improved and improved quickly at the incidence of malfunction, then a major step has resolved the problem quickly, resulting in saved lives, expensive equipment and possibly a critical time when cost is extremely critical. Once the immediate problem of unpredictable function is resolved then modeling can result in improved design resulting in reduction in weight and additional savings in cost and efficiency.
MagnaTech has developed a process whereby the surface where corrosion and erosion occurs can be modified to improve the life of components experiencing the events described above. We have shown, in a different application, that the process has equaled or exceeded life of equipment through improvement of corrosive and erosive attack without experiencing brittle failure such as results from hardfaced surfaces. This additional protection results because our process uses the alloying elements within the brake components to combine with atomic deposited condensed gases at the surface to result in stable, non-reactive intermetallic compounds that transition to the microstructure of the alloy without impairment of properties required for efficient function of the component. Therefore, yes, erosion can occur and eventually will require replacement of the component. However, life will be predictable. Furthermore, we have teamed with another company to demonstrate that should incident of failure occur  at a critical time, in a hostile environment, repair is possible that can minimize the problem or save the day.If you believe that you have need for resolution of a similar problem, MagnaTech would delight in assisting you in resolution of this problem.

High Performance Materials for Nuclear Applications

High Performance Materials for Nuclear Applications

Today’s nuclear reactors are old.  They require long storage time for spent radioactive reactor fuel.  In addition,  extension of life for an additional twenty years will be expensive.

Generation IV nuclear reactors are in the concept stage of design. These nuclear reactors would have advantage over existing nuclear reactors in many aspects. One concept is the design of a reactor that can be constructed and placed on a flat bed for transport to remote sites or sites requiring less space and less isolation. These lighter weight, more efficient, safer reactors would make it possible to establish the reactor at sites such as a waste water area, where the water could be purified for public consumption, and generate electricity for additional usage. Similarly these transportable reactors could be small enough and safe to power large industrial plants, building complexes and even small cities, if coupled with additional similar reactors to supply the required capacity. In addition, the energy produced is clean, could possibly be used to produce clean fuels, and could reduce or eliminate fossil fuels that currently pollute the atmosphere..

            To render these smaller reactors cost effective and safe; these reactors must operate at higher temperatures . Estimated temperature required for the short term is 850⁰C and ultimately 1000⁰C..Higher operating temperatures cause problems because current alloys are not capable of resisting corrosion, and approach limits of functional capability at these temperatures. In addition any material selected must comply with ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section III Division V.

Inconel 617 is one of the alloys of interest because it can satisfy high temperature mechanical properties and be accepted within the confines of the Code. Actually it could serve as components of pumps used to remove heat generated by the reactor, and also in DRECS that  serve as reservoirs for storage of the salt, if the alloy had improved surface protection against harsh corrosive environments, such as molten salts, which are being considered  as coolants. Therefore a coating resistant to the corrosive liquid salts or coolant specified is a must. Thin coatings are available but are not being considered as a solution to the corrosion problem because they have been found to peel, spall, debind and scratch over the service life of the part. Therefore, coatings greater than 0.635 mm are being considered to provide the required elevated temperature corrosion resistance.

MagnaTech has developed a process that provides protective surfaces that resists abrasion, impact and also provides excellent corrosion resistance from salt water. Surfaces  were produced to protect stainless steel and low alloy steels to combat the conditions required of shoes of hook points of F-35 aircraft. There was no spalling, peeling, or debinding  that resulted from the various impact or abrasion tests administered to the surface modified alloys. This was because the process is one that deposits atoms of carbon and/or nitrogen on the activated surface of the substrate to react with elements alloyed within the surface of the steel to form stable carbides and nitrides that provides surfaces that have no interface with the steel matrix. In addition, surface grain boundaries consist of stable carbides and/or nitrides that prevent grain boundary sensitization, resulting in improved corrosion resistance of the alloy, in this case resistance to salt water. MagnaTech believes that the same mechanisms used for the application intended could be used to provide the required surface resistance from the high temperature corrodants transported in pumps  to cool the reactor and in DRECS used to store the coolant , probably liquid salt solutions.

Markets will not be established until the early 2020 s. If developed a huge market for this clean, transportable energy source will rapidly emerge..