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Three-dimensional (3D) printed parts usually have poor surface quality due to layer manufacturing’s “stair casing/stair-stepping”. So post-processing is typically needed to enhance its capabilities to be used in closed tolerance applications. This study aims to examine abrasive flow finishing for 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) parts.

A new eco-friendly abrasive flow machining media (EFAFM) was developed, using paper pulp as a base material, waste vegetable oil as a liquid synthesizer and natural additives such as glycine to finish 3D printed parts. Characterization of the media was conducted through thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. PLA crescent prism parts were produced via fused deposition modelling (FDM) and finished using AFM, with experiments designed using central composite design (CCD). The impact of process parameters, including media viscosity, extrusion pressure, layer thickness and finishing time, on percentage improvement in surface roughness (%ΔRa) and material removal rate were analysed. Artificial neural network (ANN) and improved grey wolf optimizer (IGWO) were used for data modelling and optimization, respectively.

The abrasive media developed was effective for finishing FDM printed parts using AFM, with SEM images and 3D surface profile showing a significant improvement in surface topography. Optimal solutions were obtained using the ANN-IGWO approach. EFAFM was found to be a promising method for improving finishing quality on FDM 3D printed parts.

The present study is focused on finishing FDM printed crescent prism parts using AFM. Future research may be done on more complex shapes and could explore the impact of different materials, such as thermoplastics and composites for different applications. Also, implication of other techniques, such as chemical vapour smoothing, mechanical polishing may be explored.

In the biomedical field, the use of 3D printing has revolutionized the way in which medical devices, implants and prosthetics are designed and manufactured. The biodegradable and biocompatible properties of PLA make it an ideal material for use in biomedical applications, such as the fabrication of surgical guides, dental models and tissue engineering scaffolds. The ability to finish PLA 3D printed parts using AFM can improve their biocompatibility, making them more suitable for use in the human body. The improved surface quality of 3D printed parts can also facilitate their sterilization, which is critical in the biomedical field.

The use of eco-friendly abrasive flow finishing for 3D printed parts can have a positive impact on the environment by reducing waste and promoting sustainable manufacturing practices. Additionally, it can improve the quality and functionality of 3D printed products, leading to better performance and longer lifespans. This can have broader economic and societal benefits.

This AFM media constituents are paper pulp, waste vegetable oil, silicon carbide as abrasive and the mixture of “Aloe Barbadensis Mill” – “Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba” powder and glycine. This media was then used to finish 3D printed PLA crescent prism parts. The study also used an IGWO to optimize experimental data that had been modelled using an ANN.

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is one of the growing technologies in additive manufacturing, that can be used in a number of applications. In this method, process parameters can be customized and their simultaneous variation has conflicting impacts on various properties of printed parts such as dimensional accuracy (DA) and surface finish. These properties could be improved by optimizing the values of these parameters.

In this paper, four process parameters, namely, print speed, build orientation, raster width, and layer height which are referred to as “input variables” were investigated. The conflicting influence of their simultaneous variations on the DA of printed parts was investigated and predicated. To achieve this goal, a hybrid Genetic Algorithm – Artificial Neural Network (GA-ANN) model, was developed in C#.net, and three geometries, namely, U-shape, cube and cylinder were selected. To investigate the DA of printed parts, samples were printed with a central through hole. Design of Experiments (DoE), specifically the Rotational Central Composite Design method was adopted to establish the number of parts to be printed (30 for each selected geometry) and also the value of each input process parameter. The dimensions of printed parts were accurately measured by a shadowgraph and were used as an input data set for the training phase of the developed ANN to predict the behavior of process parameters. Then the predicted values were used as input to the Desirability Function tool which resulted in a mathematical model that optimizes the input process variables for selected geometries. The mean square error of 0.0528 was achieved, which is indicative of the accuracy of the developed model.

The results showed that print speed is the most dominant input variable compared to others, and by increasing its value, considerable variations resulted in DA. The inaccuracy increased, especially with parts of circular cross section. In addition, if there is no need to print parts in vertical position, the build orientation should be set at 0° to achieve the highest DA. Finally, optimized values of raster width and layer height improved the DA especially when the print speed was set at a high value.

By using ANN, it is possible to investigate the impact of simultaneous variations of FFF machines’ input process parameters on the DA of printed parts. By their optimization, parts of highly accurate dimensions could be printed. These findings will be of significant value to those industries that need to produce parts of high DA on FFF machines.

Material extrusion-based additive manufacturing is a prominent manufacturing technique to fabricate complex geometrical three-dimensional (3D) parts. Despite the indisputable advantages of material extrusion-based technique, the poor surface and subsurface integrity hinder the industrial application of this technology. The purpose of this study is introducing the hot air jet treatment (HAJ) technique for surface treatment of additive manufactured parts.

In the presented research, novel theoretical formulation and finite element models are developed to study and model the polishing mechanism of printed parts surface through the HAJ technique. The model correlates reflow material volume, layer width and layer height. The reflow material volume is a function of treatment temperature, treatment velocity and HAJ velocity. The values of reflow material volume are obtained through the finite element modeling model due to the complexity of the interactions between thermal and mechanical phenomena. The theoretical model presumptions are validated through experiments, and the results show that the treatment parameters have a significant impact on the surface characteristics, hardness and dimensional variations of the treated surface.

The results demonstrate that the average value of error between the calculated theoretical results and experimental results is 14.3%. Meanwhile, the 3D plots of Ra and Rq revealed that the maximum values of Ra and Rq reduction percentages at 255°C, 270°C, 285°C and 300°C treatment temperatures are (35.9%, 33.9%), (77.6%,76.4%), (94%, 93.8%) and (85.1%, 84%), respectively. The scanning electron microscope results illustrate three different treatment zones and the treatment-induced and manufacturing-induced entrapped air relief phenomenon. The measured results of hardness variation percentages and dimensional deviation percentages at different regimes are (8.33%, 0.19%), (10.55%, 0.31%) and (−0.27%, 0.34%), respectively.

While some studies have investigated the effect of the HAJ process on the structural integrity of manufactured items, there is a dearth of research on the underlying treatment mechanism, the integrity of the treated surface and the subsurface characteristics of the treated surface.

In this paper, two promising corrosion inhibitors based on natural and eco-friendly materials such as peanut fatty acids (PFA) were prepared and challenged with a common efficient commercial inhibitor. Two amino derivatives based on aliphatic and aromatic compounds such as 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) and 2-amino-2-phenyl-1-propanol (APP), respectively, were used and reacted with PFA under controlled conditions to produce the corrosion inhibitors. The prepared inhibitors, namely, PFA-AMP (inhІ) and PFA-APP (inhІІ), were confirmed and characterized by Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy, acid value determination and viscosity measurements.

First, different coating formulations free from any inhibitors were prepared and irradiated under different doses of electron beam source to select the best dose. Several concentrations of synthesized anticorrosion materials were then added to coating formulations to estimate them as anticorrosion materials for mild steel panels. Then, all formulations were coated and polymerized at a dose of 10 kGy. The corrosion tests, weight loss and water uptake were studied for all films after immersion in 3.5% sodium chloride. Moreover, the chemical and physico-mechanical properties were determined for all films.

The results exhibited that the different concentrations of two inhibitors did not show any significant change on the different properties of all films, and the best concentration, which gives the better protection for steel panels, was to be 1.0 g for two inhibitors.

It was found that the protection efficiency of the inhІ is better and higher than that of the inhІІ and also of the commercial inhibitor with the following order: inhІ > commercial inhibitor > inhІІ.

The purpose of this study, most recent advancements in threedimensional (3D) printing have focused on the fabrication of components. It is typical to use different print settings, such as raster angle, infill and orientation to improve the 3D component qualities while fabricating the sample using a 3D printer. However, the influence of these factors on the characteristics of the 3D parts has not been well explored. Owing to the effect of the different print parameters in fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology, it is necessary to evaluate the strength of the parts manufactured using 3D printing technology.

In this study, the effect of three print parameters − raster angle, build orientation and infill − on the tensile characteristics of 3D-printed components made of three distinct materials − acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), polycarbonate ABS (PC-ABS) and ULTEM-9085 − was investigated. A variety of test items were created using a commercially accessible 3D printer in various configurations, including raster angle (0°, 45°), (0°, 90°), (45°, −45°), (45°, 90°), infill density (solid, sparse, sparse double dense) and orientation (flat, on-edge).

The outcome shows that variations in tensile strength and force are brought on by the effects of various printing conditions. In all possible combinations of the print settings, ULTEM 9085 material has a higher tensile strength than ASA and PC-ABS materials. ULTEM 9085 material’s on-edge orientation, sparse infill, and raster angle of (0°, −45°) resulted in the greatest overall tensile strength of 73.72 MPa. The highest load-bearing strength of ULTEM material was attained with the same procedure, measuring at 2,932 N. The tensile strength of the materials is higher in the on-edge orientation than in the flat orientation. The tensile strength of all three materials is highest for solid infill with a flat orientation and a raster angle of (45°, −45°). All three materials show higher tensile strength with a raster angle of (45°, −45°) compared to other angles. The sparse double-dense material promotes stronger tensile properties than sparse infill. Thus, the strength of additive components is influenced by the combination of selected print parameters. As a result, these factors interact with one another to produce a high-quality product.

The outcomes of this study can serve as a reference point for researchers, manufacturers and users of 3D-printed polymer material (PC-ABS, ASA, ULTEM 9085) components seeking to optimize FDM printing parameters for tensile strength and/or identify materials suitable for intended tensile characteristics.

The purpose of the paper was to investigate the use of aqueous extract of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) leaf as a green inhibitor for corrosion of carbon steel in 1M hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution.

Extracts from the date palm were used as the main component of an environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor for use in HCl pickling processes. Inhibition behavior on carbon steel in HCl was investigated using weight loss measurements, linear and potentiodynamic polarization curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

The results show that the extract exhibited good inhibition performance in 1M HCl. The inhibition efficiency increased with increase in the concentration of the inhibitor but decreased with increase in temperature. Inhibition efficiency also was found to increase as immersion time increased. The inhibitive action was due to adsorption of the date palm leaf components on the steel, which was consistent with the Langmuir isotherm.

Date palm leaf extract (DPLE) is an effective inhibitor at room temperature and can be used to protect plain carbon steel from corrosion in HCl solution.

This study provides new information on the inhibiting characteristics of DPLE under specified conditions. The environmentally friendly inhibitor could find possible applications in metal surface anodizing and acid pickling processes.

Examines the twelfth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

Examines the thirteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

The purpose of this paper is to develop eco‐friendly coatings based on low‐cost epoxide resins prepared by using a natural phenolic material such as cardanol (non‐toxic), in place of ordinary phenol (toxic), which can be self‐curable at an optimum temperature.

Cardanol‐formaldehyde novolac resins (CNs) were prepared by reacting cardanol with formaldehyde in different molar ratios varying from 1:0.6 to 1:0.9. Prepared CNs were epoxidised by reacting with epichlorohydrin to produce epoxide resins, which would be called as epoxidised CNs (ECNs). Further, ECNs were modified by reacting with diethanolamine (DEtOA), a secondary amine to introduce tertiary amino group(s) into the molecules, required for self‐curability of ECNs. These modified ECNs are referred to as MECNs. The molar ratio of ECNs to DEtOA was taken in accordance with epoxy functionality of epoxide resins (ECNs) which ranged from 0.5 to 2.9. Nine numbers of MECNs (MECN₁ to MECN₉) were prepared by using four epoxide resins. These resins viz. CNs, ECNs and MECNs were characterized by ¹H NMR and FTIR spectroscopic methods for their structure elucidatation, and by gel permeation chromatography for determining their molecular weights.

The most suitable molar ratio of ECN:DEtOA for the preparation of MECNs was found to be 1:1. The CN prepared by using cardanol and formaldehyde in the molar ratio of 1:0.7 was used for the preparation of ECN₂ and MECN₂. Applied films of epoxide resins, designated as MECN₂, had reasonably good physical and chemical resistance properties. With a wide cure window, the films of MECN₂ were found to be self‐curable at an optimum cure schedule of 160°C/30 min. Owing to self‐curability of the developed epoxide resins, the coatings based on them did not require any additional/external crosslinker to be incorporated in the coating composition.

The prepared epoxide resins (MECNs) had good physical and chemical resistance properties, but demonstrated low stability and low resistance to xylene, in particular.

The paper shows how the epoxide resins were prepared by using a low‐cost phenolic material (cardanol) which is obtained from natural renewable resources, instead of petroleum, and is non‐toxic. These developed coatings can be applied as primer coat and top coat on metallic substrates. True self‐curability of the coating films has been achieved via anionic polymerization.

This paper aims to investigate the influence of temperature (25-65°C) on the adsorption and the inhibition efficiency of gum arabic (GA) for the corrosion of API 5L X42 pipeline steel in 1M HCl.

Inhibition behaviour on steel in HCl has been studied in relation to the concentration of the inhibitor and the temperature using potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Thermodynamic parameters of adsorption were calculated from the viewpoint of adsorption theory.

The results show that at a temperature range from 25 to 65°C, GA was a good inhibitor for API 5L X42 pipeline steel, and its inhibition efficiency was significantly stable. The maximum inhibition efficiency (93 per cent) is obtained at 4 g L⁻¹. In absence and presence of GA, there is almost no change in the corrosion mechanism regardless of the temperature. The adsorption of GA on steel surface is an exothermic process. The adsorption of GA involves physical adsorption.

The use of GA as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor is practical for carbon steel in HCl.

The stability of inhibition efficiency of GA at a temperature range from 25 to 65°C could find possible applications in acid pickling, industrial acid cleaning and acid descaling.