Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division's Fourth Global Symposium: Energy Efficient Manufacturing Processes

Learn the latest technological improvements to enable you to achieve greater production efficiency while reducing energy consumption. Increasing energy prices offer manufacturers an excellent incentive to improve productivity while decreasing production costs. Many times, making a process more energy efficient involves utilizing waste heat or other waste products, leading to a cleaner process as well. The goal of this forum is to explore process improvements that result in energy savings while producing an equal or better product with less waste. One obvious target for improvement is processes involving melting and heating, but all processes for shaping and forming raw materials into finished products are also very energy intensive. This symposium will cover manufacturing processes beginning at initial mineral extraction through packaging and shipping strategies. Some materials are melted several times throughout their processing cycle, and eliminating even one of these processes can result in substantial savings. Even less obvious materials processes and properties that can be improved for energy efficiency include wear, fatigue, hot-cracking, and corrosion of surfaces in manufacturing equipment and machine tools. Many such dies, rolls, cutting tools, and other equipment must be repaired or replaced regularly, and an extension of their useful life can be very cost effective and save significant energy. Near-net shape and additive processes that reduce the need for machining certainly increase energy efficiency as well. Manufacturing processes for metals, ceramics, polymers, electronic materials, and composites are certainly all available for improvements in energy efficiency, and all these materials are used for manufacturing other products.

Complementing the focus of this symposium will be two workshops developed as a part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Best Practices program:

• Process Heating Systems Optimization Workshop
• Pumping Systems Assessment Workshop

Cast Shop Safety

A special opening presentation to the 2003 Cast Shop Technology Symposium

Monday, March 3, 2003
San Diego Convention Center

Jointly sponsored by the Aluminum Committee of the TMS Light Metals Division and the Aluminum Association.

The planned program includes the following presentations:

1. The Aluminum Industry’s Efforts to Prevent Molten Metal Explosions
   Presenter: S.G. Epstein, The Aluminum Association
2. Melting Safety for Aluminum Processing Facilities
   Presenters: F.R. Hubbard, IMCO
   Recycling, Inc. and D.C. Pierce, Consultant
3. Evaluating RSI Sows for Safe Charging into Molten Metal
   Presenters: J.J. Niedling, Alcoa, Inc. and M. Scherbak, Alcoa, Inc.
4. Cause and Prevention of Explosions Involving Hot-Top Casting of Aluminum Extrusion Ingot
   Presenters: J.M. Ekenes, Hydro Aluminum Hycast and T. Saether, Hydro Aluminum Hycast
5. Investigating Molten Aluminum Explosions
   Presenter: J.E. Jacoby, Consultant
6. Industry Research Efforts to Identify FR Fabrics for Molten Aluminum Environments
   Presenter: C.D. Johnson, The Aluminum Association
7. Panel Discussion

Federal Funding Workshop

Wednesday Evening, March 5, 2003, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
San Diego Convention Center, Room 1B

In this special workshop, representatives from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will give presentations on current funding programs for materials research. Included will be an overview of current programs and initiatives, collaboration opportunities, tips for proposal writing, deadline information, and time for questions and discussion.

This free workshop is open to all attendees and may be worth the conference registration fee all by itself.

Planned presentations:

Partnership Opportunities with the DOE-EERE Industrial Technologies Program
Presenter: Sara Dillich, Lead Technology Manager
Materials and Materials Processes – Industrial Technologies Program
Department of Energy (DOE)

The DOE-EERE Industrial Technologies Program partners with industry and other stakeholders to improve energy efficiency through cost-shared research and development. Through an open, competitive solicitation process OIT funds projects that target the largest opportunity to save energy in the United States industrial manufacturing sector. Program goals and opportunities will be discussed, including the identification, selection and funding of Grand Challenges: technical issues, which are complex but which, if solved, could increase energy efficiency and product yield significantly.

Current Funding Programs on Materials Research at the National Science Foundation (NSF)
Presenters:
Lynnette Madsen, Program Director of Ceramics & NSF-Europe Coordinator
National Science Foundation – Division of Materials Research (DMR), Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS);
K.L. Murty, Program Director of Metals
National Science Foundation – Division of Materials Research (DMR), Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS)

NSF's mission as stated in the NSF Act of 1950 is to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense. Materials science and engineering plays an important role in this mission and accounts for a significant portion of NSF's expenditures. These efforts are central to the Division of Materials Research (DMR), however significant funding of material research is supported in other areas of the foundation, e.g. in many areas of the Engineering (ENG) directorate, within Geosciences (GEO), and in other areas of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), such as Chemistry (CHE) and Mathematics (DMS). Materials research, often interdisciplinary in nature, finds prominence in many priority areas (e.g. nano) and special calls (e.g. a recent Dear Colleague Letter on sensors). Hand-in-hand with research is education, preparing the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers, and accordingly support for educational activities goes well beyond the Directorate for Education and Human Resources. Activities on an international front can enhance our efforts and broaden our perspectives; the role of our International Science and Engineering Office in conjunction with MPS and ENG has recently resulted in increased emphasis in this arena (http://www.nsf.gov/mps/divisions/dmr/research/start.htm).

DOE-BES Programs in Materials Science and Engineering
Presenter: Harriett Kung, Program Manager
Division of Materials Science and Engineering – Office of Basic Energy Sciences
Department of Energy (DOE)

This presentation will be an overview of the DOE’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) supported research programs in materials sciences and engineering with an emphasis on activities and future funding opportunities in the Materials and Engineering Physics Team.

Materials Processing Opportunities in the NIST Advanced Technology Program
Presenter: Clare M. Allocca, Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director
Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The NIST Advanced Technology Program (ATP) is a unique partnership between government and private industry to accelerate the development of high-risk technologies that promise significant commercial payoffs and widespread benefits for the economy. This presentation will describe the program, as well as provide examples of past and potential accomplishments/opportunities within ATP in the area of materials processing, including engineered surfaces, innovative forming techniques, joining, and other areas. Opportunities to work with the NIST Measurements and Standards Laboratories will also be described.

New Directions for the Air Force Ceramics Basic Research Program
Presenter: Joan Fuller, Program Manager Ceramic and Nonmetallic Materials
Air Force Office of Scientific Research

The Air Force basic research program in ceramics provides the fundamental knowledge for improving the performance, cost and reliability of structural ceramics. Structural materials research studies a broad range of material properties such as strength, toughness, fatigue resistance, and corrosion resistance of airframe, turbine engine, and spacecraft materials. Over the last 5 years, the AFOSR program has focused on issues relating to the reduction or control of brittleness in structural ceramics by: (1) study of fracture, fatigue, and reliability of ceramics providing criteria for predicting their performance under a variety of conditions; (2) evaluation of transformation toughening, flaw- and stress-induced toughening, and other techniques of increasing toughness; and (3) design, fabrication, and evaluation of fiber, laminate, and particulate ceramic-matrix composites, that fracture in metal-like, "graceful" manner. The expectation that fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites will satisfy Air Force requirements for tough, reliable materials capable of prolonged operation in oxidizing environments at and above 2700°F (1500°C) has driven past investments in this area of research. Research in new processing methods complements research on materials properties. Direct goals of this program are to increase the operating temperature of engine materials which will further increase thrust-to-weight ratio of engines, develop improved aerospace vehicle structural materials, and control or eliminate advance material reliability issues related to high temperature strength, toughness, fatigue, and environmental conditions.

Currently, renewed attention is focused on light-weight, high-temperature (>1500°C) resistant ceramics that may find applications in hypersonic aircraft and space structures. To facilitate their use, resistance to harsh environmental conditions must be improved. To this end, this program seeks to elucidate oxidation/reduction mechanisms of ceramic materials, with the goal of inhibiting environmental degradation. Moreover, the future of Air Force aerospace systems depends on the discovery of new and innovative ceramic materials that can address a myriad of environmental and operating conditions. To this end, ideas related to multifunctional ceramic materials will be a growing focus of the AFOSR Ceramic and Nonmetallic Materials Program over the next several years. The presentation will provide a general overview of currently funded projects within the portfolio and outline the future program emphasis.

Materials Research to Meet 21st Century Defense Needs

Wednesday, March 5, 2:00 pm
San Diego Convention Center, Room 5B

This important session will examine what the Department of Defense has identified as R&D priorities in five classes of materials:

• Structural and Multifunctional Materials
• Energy and Power Materials
• Electronic and Photonic Materials
• Functional Organic and Hybrid Materials
• Bioderived and Bioinspired Materials

and how innovative management will also be needed to reduce risks in translating fundamental research into practical materials, and to promote cross-fertilization of scientific fields.

Increasing Energy Efficiency in Aluminum

Tuesday, March 4, 8:30 am
San Diego Convention Center, Room 5B

This important event will present a series of updates and current research reports on projects, funded by the Department of Energy—Office of Information Technology and the aluminum industry, that seek to increase energy efficiency in the melting, casting, and processing of aluminum.

Two presentation highlights are expected to be:

Updating the Aluminum Industry Technology Roadmap
Richard Love, Century Aluminum

In 1997, under the leadership of The Aluminum Association Inc. and the U.S. Department of Energy, the aluminum industry developed the Aluminum Industry Technology Roadmap, a comprehensive, long-term technology agenda for the entire industry. The Roadmap outlined quantitative performance targets, technical barriers, and research and development needed to achieve industry goals for increasing productivity, reducing costs, expanding markets, saving energy, improving worker health and safety, and minimizing environmental impact. Over the past five years, the Roadmap and its five companion “sub-roadmaps” have stimulated over $100 million in cost-shared R&D projects with over 75 different organizations, including aluminum companies, suppliers, national laboratories, universities, and other research organizations. In November 2001, the aluminum industry published a new vision of its future. This vision, Aluminum Industry Vision: Sustainable Solutions for a Dynamic World outlines the new challenges that have emerged over the past five years and presents a bold vision of the industry’s future, including a new set of industry goals. To ensure technology development remains aligned with the industry’s vision, 50 representatives of aluminum companies, vendor companies, universities, national laboratories, and other researchers gathered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in September 2002 to begin the process of updating the industry’s Roadmap. At the workshop, participants identified technical barriers and R&D priorities in four areas: primary production; melting, solidification, and recycling; fabrication; and finished products. The Aluminum Association’s Technical Advisory Committee has taken the lead responsibility in preparing and implementing this newly revised Roadmap.

and

Aluminum Research and Development
Presenter: Thomas Robinson, U.S. Department of Energy

The Department of Energy - Industrial Technologies Program (DOE-OIT) is partnering with more than seventy organizations on over thirty research and development projects that reduce energy consumption and address research priorities identified in the Aluminum Industry Technology Roadmap. DOE-OIT will present an overview of its Aluminum R&D portfolio, covering technical progress, expected benefits, demonstration status, and market impacts. DOE- OIT’s focus is energy reduction and it uses technology roadmaps to ensure that its R&D programs address the industry’s energy needs. DOE-OIT recently participated in the development of an Alumina Technology Roadmap and will publish a new Aluminum Industry Technology Roadmap by the end of 2002 that will reexamine the technology needs outlined in the 1997 Roadmap and identify new needs based on changes to the industry. DOE-OIT will also present how roadmaps influence R&D priorities

Additional presentations include:

• Energy Efficiency Improvement Opportunities in the Aluminum Industry / Presenter: Arvind Thekdi, E3M, Inc.
• Improving Energy Efficiency in Secondary Aluminum Melting / Presenter: Paul E. King, U.S. Department of Energy
• Reduction of Oxidative Melt Loss / Presenter: John N. Hryn, Argonne National Laboratory
• Modeling and Optimization of Direct Chill Casting for Reducing Ingot Cracking / Presenter: Srinath Viswanathan, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• DOE/OIT PHAST Program Application in the Aluminum Industry / Presenter: Frank L. Beichner
• Retrofitting Regenerative Burners on Aluminum Melting Furnaces that Utilize Salt Fluxing / Presenter: Jens H. Hebestreit