Unlocking the Potential of Metal Foam with Advanced Welding Techniques

Today’s Mechanical newsletter features an advanced welding technique that has opened new avenues in mechanical design. Discover how researchers have found a way to maintain the structural integrity of composite metal foam to make increasingly reliable structures of the future.

Industry updates include awestruck structures like high-temperature fusion reactors and twin-rotor floating wind platforms. Material science isn’t lagging either, as new alloys continue to make the structures of our imagination possible. Read on to learn where innovation is going to make its next stop.

🚨 Aerospace, from commercial space flight to deep space exploration, our newsletter propels your aerospace career on Friday, click here to subscribe now.

🔥 Today’s hot jobs as featured on jobs.interestingengineering.com

• Industrial Engineer-Adidas

• Engineer-Brooksource

Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? Subcribe here

INDUSTRY UPDATES

☢️ US startup’s fusion energy device reaches 37-million-degree temperature
Humanity has been working with fusion reactions for about a century, but only a few technologies have reached plasma fusion temperatures.

🎐 World’s largest’ twin-rotor floating wind platform launched by Chinese firm
The Chinese manufacturer of the world’s biggest wind turbines, Mingyang Group, has launched a floating platform with two turbine rotors.

🦾 Super alloy’s stamina to bear extreme heat and cold shocks scientists
Researchers make a new metal alloy that doesn’t crack at extreme temperatures due to kinking, or bending, of crystals on an atomic level.

🌡️ Glass Coating Could Decrease Air-Conditioning Dependence
University of Maryland researchers developed glass-based coating for buildings that use passive cooling to lower temperatures.

🥇 Extracting Pure Gold: Turning Electronic Waste Into Treasure
Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has developed a fibrous adsorbent that selectively recovers high-purity gold from waste.

SPOTLIGHT

Revolutionizing Metal Foam with Induction Welding

In the field of material science, Composite Metal Foam (CMF) stands out for its unique form that sustains three extremely useful properties - lightness and strength and superior thermal insulation properties. This form of material comprises hollow metallic spheres embedded in a metallic matrix and holds great potential in several high-stake applications. Whether it is aerospace engineering, ballistic armor, or transportation, the utility of CMF is vast.

Until recently, its practical use faced significant challenges, especially during assembly. Welding CMF components together often compromises material integrity. The standard welding technique involves melting the metal at the joining points. This technique invariably impairs the hollow bubbles responsible for CMF’s lightweight and insulative properties. Hence, the traditional welding or melting process not only increases the final product's weight but also lessens its thermal resistance and structural integrity.

The newest breakthrough in welding technology, however, surpasses this limitation. The innovation of induction welding allows for the joining of CMF components without melting the material. Electromagnetic fields are emitted to heat a specific area necessary for welding. The rest of the material remains unaffected by focusing the heat on a precise location. This targeted approach ensures that the metal's structural bubbles are preserved. In the end, the original qualities of the CMF, its lightness, strength, and thermal insulation, remain in place.

This advancement has significant implications for industries that rely on CMF's unique properties. It means that industries like Aerospace, automotive, and defense can now effectively and safely join CMF components for more complex assemblies and larger structures. Aircraft can be made lighter and more fuel-efficient, military vehicles can gain enhanced ballistic protection without added weight, and equipment used in high-temperature environments can perform more reliably.

Additionally, this welding method unlocks new possibilities in designing and constructing with CMF. Engineers can now explore applications that were previously constrained by fabrication limitations. With the capability to join CMF pieces while retaining all their advantageous properties, adoption and more innovative uses of composite metal foams are easier. 

For those interested, here is The complete list of metals on the periodic table and their real-life applications.

MechTech Innovations

Laura Stoy, a Georgia Institute of Technology alumna with a Ph.D. in environmental engineering, has launched an innovative startup with a cause.

Rivalia Chemical Company aims to shoot two birds with one stone - tackling environmental waste and resource scarcity simultaneously.

Her venture focuses on extracting rare Earth elements (REEs) from coal ash, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants. This compound was historically believed to be a squandered resource that posed severe environmental hazards.

Stoy devised a cleaner, safer, and more efficient way to recover these critical materials using an ionic liquid leaching process developed during her doctoral research. Unlike traditional methods that rely on harmful chemicals, her process allows selective extraction and separation of rare earths.

This reduces environmental impact and the need for extensive downstream processing. Over 700 coal ash ponds in the U.S. contain about two billion metric tons of ash. Stoy's innovation helps cleanse the environment by removing toxic ash while creating more opportunities for domestic REE production and reducing reliance on foreign sources.

TV/SHOW RECOMMENDATIONS

🏗️ Megastructures - National Geographic
Explore the engineering story behind some of the world's largest and most complex architectural projects. This series showcases the challenges and technological solutions in advanced engineering works.

🍥 Abstract: The Art of Design - Netflix
Abstract is a fascinating glimpse into the creative process of leading designers across the world. The show includes professionals from fields like industrial and automotive design.

👨‍🔬 Dream Big: Engineering Our World - Netflix
This documentary series is part of the American Society of Civil Engineers' efforts to inspire young people in engineering. Narrated by Jeff Bridges, the film explores the human ingenuity behind engineering marvels.

⚒️ Scrapheap Challenge/Junkyard Wars - Channel 4/TLC
This show is about exhibiting mechanical ingenuity and engineering skills under time pressure. Teams compete to build working machines from materials found in a scrapyard.

📰 Click - (BBC)
A technology news program that covers the latest technological advancements and engineering innovations. This show is a great platform to stay updated on the newest trends and gadgets in the tech world.