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Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is one of the most widely used additive manufacturing processes in the market. It is based on material extrusion and utilises thermoplastic materials to manufacture bespoke products. The process is extremely popular due to its ease of operation and variety of available materials. To enhance the mechanical performance of parts made by FFF, reinforcements including nanoparticles, short or continuous fibres, and other additives have been added to commonly used thermoplastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA). Such new materials require optimisation of process parameters to achieve the desired results. One such parameter is the material extrusion rate that can result in under- or over-extrusion leading to a variety of applications. In this study, PLA and HDPlas® PLA-GNP-A (PLA reinforced with functionalised graphene nanoplatelets) have been used to investigate the effects of material extrusion rate. An extensive comparative analysis has been provided where parts have been manufactured using a desktop 3D printer with the two materials at four extrusion temperatures (180 °C, 190 °C, 200 °C, and 210 °C) and ten different extrusion rates (ranging from 70 to 160%). The study aims to evaluate the effects of extrusion temperatures and material extrusion rates on mass, dimensional accuracy, surface texture, and mechanical properties of the two materials. Microstructural analysis has also been carried out to evaluate the surfaces of parts after manufacture as well as their fractured surfaces after mechanical testing to determine the impact of extrusion rate on failure modes. The results have shown that the graphene reinforced PLA material is affected more adversely by changes in material extrusion rate compared to PLA. This work provides a good comparison between two materials manufactured at four different extrusion temperatures and how the material extrusion rate can be leveraged to achieve optimal surface finish and mechanical strength.

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a widely used additive manufacturing process that can produce parts from thermoplastics. Its ease of operation and wide variety of materials make it a popular choice for manufacturing. To leverage such benefits, the commonly used thermoplastics (e.g., PLA and ABS) are impregnated with nanoparticles, short or continuous fibers, and other additives. The addition of graphene nanoplatelets to PLA makes for a high-quality filament possessing enhanced mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Even with the advancement in materials, the optimisation of the process parameter remains the most complex aspect for FFF. Therefore, this study investigates the influence of two under-researched and overlooked processing parameters (material extrusion rates and line widths) on commercially available graphene-enhanced PLA (GPLA). Nine different material extrusion rates (70% to 150%) and five different line widths (0.2 mm to 1 mm) were used to manufacture GPLA specimens using a low-cost, desktop-based 3D printer, as per British and international standards. The study analyses the influence of these two processing parameters on mass, dimensional accuracy, surface texture, and mechanical properties of GPLA specimens. A non-destructive test has also been conducted and correlated with three-point flexural test to establish its applicability in evaluating flexural properties of GPLA. The results how that small line widths provide more accuracy with longer print times whereas large line widths offer more strength with shorter printing times. Increase in material extrusion rates adversely affect the surface finish and hardness but positively influence the flexural strength of GPLA specimens. The study shows that the manipulation of material extrusion rates and line widths can help designers in understanding the limitations of the default printing settings (100% material extrusion rate and 0.4 mm line width) on most desktop 3D printers and identifying the optimal combination to achieve desired properties using the FFF process.

The third episode of lava dome growth at Soufrière Hills Volcano began 1 August 2005 and ended 20 April 2007. Volumes of the dome and talus produced were measured using a photo‐based method with a calibrated camera for increased accuracy. The total dense rock equivalent (DRE) volume of extruded andesite magma (306 ± 51 Mm3) was similar within error to that produced in the earlier episodes but the average extrusion rate was 5.6 ± 0.9 m3s−1 (DRE), higher than the previous episodes. Extrusion rates varied in a pulsatory manner from <0.5 m3s−1 to ∼20 m3s−1. On 18 May 2006, the lava dome had reached a volume of 85 Mm3 DRE and it was removed in its entirety during a massive dome collapse on 20 May 2006. Extrusion began again almost immediately and built a dome of 170 Mm3 DRE with a summit height 1047 m above sea level by 4 April 2007. There were few moderate‐sized dome collapses (1–10 Mm3) during this extrusive episode in contrast to the first episode of dome growth in 1995–8 when they were numerous. The first and third episodes of dome growth showed a similar pattern of low (<0.5 m3s−1) but increasing magma flux during the early stages, with steady high flux after extrusion of ∼25 Mm3.

To spatially organize chromosomes, ring-shaped protein complexes including condensin and cohesin have been hypothesized to extrude DNA loops. Condensin has been shown to exhibit a DNA-translocating motor function, but extrusion has not been observed directly. Using single-molecule imaging, Ganji et al. visualized in real time a condensin-mediated, adenosine triphosphate-dependent, fast DNA loop extrusion process. Loop extrusion occurred asymmetrically, with condensin reeling in only one end of the DNA. These data provide unambiguous evidence of a loop extrusion mechanism for chromosome organization. Science , this issue p. 102 Single-molecule imaging supports a loop extrusion mechanism for the spatial organization of chromosomes. It has been hypothesized that SMC protein complexes such as condensin and cohesin spatially organize chromosomes by extruding DNA into large loops. We directly visualized the formation and processive extension of DNA loops by yeast condensin in real time. Our findings constitute unambiguous evidence for loop extrusion. We observed that a single condensin complex is able to extrude tens of kilobase pairs of DNA at a force-dependent speed of up to 1500 base pairs per second, using the energy of adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis. Condensin-induced loop extrusion was strictly asymmetric, which demonstrates that condensin anchors onto DNA and reels it in from only one side. Active DNA loop extrusion by SMC complexes may provide the universal unifying principle for genome organization.

Magnesium alloys with high strength and excellent corrosion resistance are always sought-after in light-weighting structural components for automotive and aerospace applications. However, for most magnesium alloys that have a high specific strength, they usually have an inferior corrosion resistance and vice versa. In this work, we successfully develop a Mg-11Y-1Al (wt. %) alloy through conventional casting, solution treatment followed by extrusion. The overall properties of this alloy feature with a corrosion rate lower than 0.2 mm y −1 , high yield strength of 350 MPa and moderate tensile elongation of 8%, the combination of which shows competitive advantage over other comparative magnesium alloys in the literature. It is found that a thin and dense protective film of Y 2 O 3 /Y(OH) 3 can be fast developed with the aid of Al 2 O 3 /Al(OH) 3 deposition to isolate this alloy from further attack of corrosion medium. Meanwhile, the refined grains, weak texture and activation of non-basal slip systems co-contribute to the high strength and good ductility. Our findings are expected to inspire the design of next-generation high performance magnesium alloys. High-strength Mg alloys are often sought-after for automotive and aerospace applications, but they have an inferior corrosion resistance. Here, the authors develop a Mg-11Y-1Al (wt. %) alloy that shows both significantly improved mechanical properties and corrosion resistance.

All-solid-state batteries with a Li anode and ceramic electrolyte have the potential to deliver a step change in performance compared with today’s Li-ion batteries 1 , 2 . However, Li dendrites (filaments) form on charging at practical rates and penetrate the ceramic electrolyte, leading to short circuit and cell failure 3 , 4 . Previous models of dendrite penetration have generally focused on a single process for dendrite initiation and propagation, with Li driving the crack at its tip 5 – 9 . Here we show that initiation and propagation are separate processes. Initiation arises from Li deposition into subsurface pores, by means of microcracks that connect the pores to the surface. Once filled, further charging builds pressure in the pores owing to the slow extrusion of Li (viscoplastic flow) back to the surface, leading to cracking. By contrast, dendrite propagation occurs by wedge opening, with Li driving the dry crack from the rear, not the tip. Whereas initiation is determined by the local (microscopic) fracture strength at the grain boundaries, the pore size, pore population density and current density, propagation depends on the (macroscopic) fracture toughness of the ceramic, the length of the Li dendrite (filament) that partially occupies the dry crack, current density, stack pressure and the charge capacity accessed during each cycle. Lower stack pressures suppress propagation, markedly extending the number of cycles before short circuit in cells in which dendrites have initiated. Analysis of dendrite initiation, owing to filling of pores with lithium by means of microcracks, and propagation, caused by wedge opening, shows that there are two separate processes during dendrite failure of lithium metal solid-state batteries.

In this paper, AL6063 is used as the material for the cap parts. UG is used to establish the model. The model file is converted to STL format and imported into DEFORM to establish the corresponding finite element model. DEFORM finite element software is then used to analyze and compare the molding speed field, stress, and damage of the cap parts at three temperatures: 200°C, 400°C, and 600°C. According to the simulation results, it can be concluded that 400°C yields the best stress and damage performance, followed by 200°C, while 600°C shows the worst damage and thin-wall deformation. At the optimum temperature, if the speed of the main mold is faster, it means that more products can be produced in the same timeframe, and the economic efficiency will be better. Through the experiment, the stress and damage index values at 7 mm/s are within the acceptable range, and it is concluded that a forging temperature of 400°C and an extrusion speed of 7 mm/s represent the relatively optimal solution.

Gradient matters with hierarchical structures endow the natural world with excellent integrity and diversity. Currently, direct ink writing 3D printing is attracting tremendous interest, and has been used to explore the fabrication of 1D and 2D hierarchical structures by adjusting the diameter, spacing, and angle between filaments. However, it is difficult to generate complex 3D gradient matters owing to the inherent limitations of existing methods in terms of available gradient dimension, gradient resolution, and shape fidelity. Here, we report a filament diameter-adjustable 3D printing strategy that enables conventional extrusion 3D printers to produce 1D, 2D, and 3D gradient matters with tunable heterogeneous structures by continuously varying the volume of deposited ink on the printing trajectory. In detail, we develop diameter-programmable filaments by customizing the printing velocity and height. To achieve high shape fidelity, we specially add supporting layers at needed locations. Finally, we showcase multi-disciplinary applications of our strategy in creating horizontal, radial, and axial gradient structures, letter-embedded structures, metastructures, tissue-mimicking scaffolds, flexible electronics, and time-driven devices. By showing the potential of this strategy, we anticipate that it could be easily extended to a variety of filament-based additive manufacturing technologies and facilitate the development of functionally graded structures. Direct ink writing of complex 3D gradient structures can be challenging due to inherent method limitations. Here, the authors report continuous diameter-adjustable filament by varying printing speed and height and enable extrusion 3D printers to produce complex gradient porous matters.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing continuous carbon fiber-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composites offer excellent tensile mechanical properties. The present study aimed to research the effect of process parameters on the tensile mechanical properties of 3D printing composite specimens through a series of mechanical experiments. The main printing parameters, including layer height, extrusion width, printing temperature, and printing speed are changed to manufacture specimens based on the modified fused filament fabrication 3D printer, and the tensile mechanical properties of 3D printing continuous carbon fiber-reinforced PLA composites are presented. By comparing the outcomes of experiments, the results show that relative fiber content has a significant impact on mechanical properties and the ratio of carbon fibers in composites is influenced by layer height and extrusion width. The tensile mechanical properties of continuous carbon fiber-reinforced composites gradually decrease with an increase of layer height and extrusion width. In addition, printing temperature and speed also affect the fiber matrix interface, i.e., tensile mechanical properties increase as the printing temperature rises, while the tensile mechanical properties decrease when the printing speed increases. Furthermore, the strengthening mechanism on the tensile mechanical properties is that external loads subjected to the components can be transferred to the carbon fibers through the fiber-matrix interface. Additionally, SEM images suggest that the main weakness of continuous carbon fiber-reinforced 3D printing composites exists in the fiber-matrix interface, and the main failure is the pull-out of the fiber caused by the interface destruction.

The main advantage of 3D concrete printing (3DCP) is that it can manufacture complex, non-standard geometries and details rapidly using a printer integrated with a pump, hosepipe and nozzle. Sufficient speed is required for efficient and fast construction. The selected printing speed is a function of the size and geometrical complexity of the element to be printed, linked to the pump speed and quality of the extruded concrete material. Since the printing process requires a continuous, high degree of control of the material during printing, high performance building materials are preferred. Also, as no supporting formwork is used for 3DCP, traditional concrete cannot be directly used. From the above discussion, it is postulated that in 3DCP, the fresh properties of the material, printing direction and printing time may have significant effect on the overall load bearing capacity of the printed objects. The layered concrete may create weak joints in the specimens and reduce the load bearing capacity under compressive, tensile and flexural action that requires stress transfer across or along these joints. In this research, the 3D printed specimens are collected in different orientations from large 3DCP objects and tested for mechanical properties. For the materials tested, it is found that the mechanical properties such as compressive and flexural strength of 3D printed specimen are governed by its printing directions.