Can you convert 2-dimensional microscopy images of hard metal surfaces that show grain structures of the polycrystalline material into 3-dimensional grain structure using machine learning algorithm to facilitate characterization of the bulk material? Can machine learning on a model be helpful on real-life data?

At Sandvik Coromant, we take many microscope pictures of metal surfaces, particularly on hard metal surfaces that show grain structures of the polycrystalline material. In its simplest form the material consists of a cobalt matrix (black) that binds WC grains (gray) together. From these 2-dimensional pictures it is desirable to characterize the 3-dimensional properties of the bulk material.The 3D grain structure information is very difficult to measure due to the material characteristics and expensive experimental methods that need to be used. A characterization experiment would need to grind down the surface in very small steps and take thousands of pictures to be able to reconstruct the 3D material.
The question is if it is possible to create a machine learning algorithm that can translate 2D pictures into the most probable “fingerprint” of a 3D material from model 3D structures?

Is there a way to prepare a thermally conducting electrically insulating polymer composite for electrical & electronic applications?

Almost all electrical and electronic equipment need to protect users from electrical shock which is why they use polymeric materials with high dielectric properties for the enclosures or housings. Almost all electrical and electronic equipment product heat during operation due to passing current; this is dissipated via conduction, convection or radiation using heat sinks, etc. A material that can combine both these properties would be a game-changer for the industry. A polymer composite with 10x the thermal conductivity of present day plastics with the same electrical insulating character can be used in several cases for direct contact with current carrying parts which maybe potential customer touch points.

Can we 3D print glass fibre reinforced plastics?

3D printing of plastics has become a household activity, with very cheap printers and raw materials for anyone to give wings to their creativity. Even in industry, 3D printing has been used to create plastic parts for assessing look & feel, prototyping, and limited performance testing. Engineering plastics have several fillers for colour, flame retardancy, strength and other properties that are not offered presently by 3D printing materials suppliers. Creating a method to 3D print short glass fibre reinforced thermoplastic or thermoset materials would open up commercial applications of engineering plastics with production volumes, similar to the production of 3D printed metal parts used in gas turbines.

How to formulate the next generations dry electrical sliding contacts?

The integration of renewables into the power grid increases the demands on power distribution components and electrical contacts. Dry electrical sliding contacts that requires less or no maintenance will be required. One challenge is to formulate the next generations dry electrical sliding contact pairs for increased sliding velocities while maintaining good electrical and wear properties.

How do the mechanical and electrical properties of different coatings affect the performance of a ceramic actuator?

We would like to know how the tensile strength of various coatings of polymeric or composite materials can affect the performance of a piezoelectric actuator. We would also like to determine the resistance of the coatings to current leakage or short circuit under certain temperature/humidity conditions. Can the Nanoindentation method be used to determine the tensile strength of the films? Is there any possibility to determine the leakage current by the surface insulation resistance (SIR) method?

How is it possible to study the fracture toughness of a multilayer ceramic?

A piezo actuator is a multilayer of ceramic and electrodes. The cracks can adversely affect the performance of an actuator. Thus, it is important to understand the fracture toughness property of the ceramic and study the crack propagation mechanism within the material under electrical /mechanical load. Would the Nanoindentation method provide such information?

How can the surface morphology and chemical composition of a metal or ceramic affect the adhesion of a structural adhesive?

We are interested in materials or methods for surface modification of metal and ceramic surfaces to enhance the adhesion of structural adhesives under vibratory loads. We would also like to know if there is any method for analysing the fatigue of a structural adhesive under vibratory load

How to develop/upgrade tools based on AI for material design and simulation for industries?

Materials science has come a long way, but the complexity of data management for proper research to drive robust results is enormous. Several challenges must be overcome before a powerful material search engine and new discovery tools take place. The broader perspective of machine learning in materials science is to solve problems with a mix of artificial intelligence and data science practices across multiple industries, including aerospace, automotive, biotechnology, defense, energy, and more. Deep Learning techniques have also been recently used to lead discoveries of materials with tuned electronic, magnetic, optical, mechanical, and other properties, with high-performance standards in energy applications. How to better use machine learning tools to drive innovation and partnerships in Materials design and Simulations between Academia and Industry?

We design, develop and deploy data-driven software and provide analytical reports to help our customers make informed decisions more quickly, and to solve their toughest and most critical business problems. We also work with partners from Academia to adapt and transform innovative Research to Industrial Products.

How can we tailor the level of cross-linking in PDMS?

The mechanical properties of PDMS is of importance in one of our applications. Since the level of cross-linking has influence on the mechanical strength we would be interested in tailoring it in a reproducible manner.

How to handle accumulation of H2 in a large, closed loop nitrogen system?

When atomizing steel powder some of the hot coarser powder sticks to the chamber wall and to other powder grains. This can accumulate inside the atomization tower as a crust weighing hundreds of kg. To prevent the powder from sticking we are considering coating the powder with a thin layer of carbon by supplying some gaseous carbon containing compound into the chamber. We think a carbon coated grain will not stick to other carbon coated grains. Hot powder will react, and cold powder will not. All gaseous cheap carbon compounds seem to contain H. H will accumulate in the mainly closed loop N2 system. How to handle the H2 accumulation from a safety standpoint? (We make mainly steels with high C content and the extra C from the coating is not a problem. The carbon will diffuse during the hot isostatic pressing.)

An atomization tower is 10m in height and 3m in diameter, molten steel flows through an orifice and is turned into powder by compressed N2. 10 Tonnes of steel is atomized in each batch. N2 is normally recycled, filtered and cooled in line and is put under pressure via a big N2 compressor.

We would save ~4 Msek/year if we could get rid of this issue all together (to give a sense of how much we can spend to solve the issue).

How can we best test and optimize our prototype device containing next generation microsensors (including metal oxide gas sensors, electrochemical sensors, pressure sensors and flow sensors)?

At Gatty Instruments (a start-up, R&D company), we design and develop next generation microsensors for medical diagnosis.
Microsensors are metal oxide gas sensors, electrochemical sensors, pressure sensors and flow sensors.
We have developed a prototype and would require input on testing/optimization of the devices.

Can we find good conducting polymers as dielectric shields which also are good mechanically strong, cheap and easy to manufacture parts of?

We are interested to replace expensive shield structures of aluminum.

How can we reduce mechanical fatigue of polymers with temperature variations?

Product subject of repetitive loads in environment with varying temperature.

Is there any way of characterizing the damage and wear caused by friction on paper?

In electrical applications, dielectric insulation consists of paper wrapped around conductors. The insulated elements are subjected to mechanical wear and tear. Is it possible to measure the degradation of the insulation system in order to create reliable models of the process?

How can we reduce/replace raw materials from mining for battery and conductor applications using innovative materials science?

Logicdev is startup company based in Graz, Austria. We are developing AI-based Test Equipment for power supply unit of BMS, WLC, BLE, IOT, and Regulators. Using GaN technology we are developing a deepTech for test equipment.
We are interested in discussing the possibilities and challenges of new, innovative materials to reduce the dependency of mining-based raw materials for batteri and conductor applications.
Logicdev recently received a ESABIC grant. This fund will be use to develop the world first test equipment which can work in harsh condition and temperatures.

DNVGL-RP-F112 classifies a material to be fine grained when the austenite spacing is below <30µm which gives higher resistance to HISC. For a HIPed Duplex material the AS is always below <15 µm, will the lower AS improve the HISC resistance further?

MTC Powder Solutions is a world-leading producer of near-net shape (NNS) products produced by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and has supplied a variety of components utilized challenging projects throughout the world. As a company we have extensive experience working with critical components used in a variety of demanding industries such as oil and gas, chemical, nuclear and power generation. This experience has resulted in a deep knowledge of various applications and a dedication to always extend the boundaries on what is possible.

One of the main interest of NCC is to investigate circular material flows (of clay, soil, etc) in large volumes. How these types of materials could be reused in larger flows within construction industry and what business models could potentially be applied – so that the flows are cost efficient and the same time make NCC a resource and climate efficient industry?

NCC is one of the leading construction companies in the Nordics. Based on its expertise in managing complex construction processes, NCC contributes to the positive impact of construction for its customers and society. Operations include commercial property development, building and infrastructure project contracting, as well as asphalt and stone materials production.
’There are many benefits in increasing the amount of recycled materials when building and developing our society. The environmental benefits are of the most important. When we use recycled materials, we use our earth’ s resources in a more sustainable way.’
NCC is attempting to recycle and refine incoming materials in as high degree as possible. If the incoming materials are not suitable for recycling, the company has the knowledge and potential to handle the material in its deposits. The materials received and recycled are coming by excavation rock, asphalt, concrete and soil.

One of the main challenges that we have in construction industry is energy storage. What kind of energy storage alternatives (flow and solid-state batteries, salt solutions, etc.) can be relevant for NCC, both in terms of materials but also In a more integrated system perspective (system approach) – so that so that make NCC a resource and climate efficient industry?

NCC is one of the leading construction companies in the Nordics. Based on its expertise in managing complex construction processes, the company contributes to the positive impact for its customers and society. Operations include commercial property development, building and infrastructure project contracting, asphalt and stone materials production. The shift over to renewable energy production presents major challenges and opportunities for NCC
The company is constructing climate-smart infrastructure and buildings that contribute to a sustainable society aiming to enhance its energy efficiency .The transition from finite energy sources to renewable sources requires involvement of all.
Today NCC focuses on wind, hydro power and bioenergy . It also monitors and follows the developments in solar technology, wave as well energy storage strategies.

How can we investigate effects of treatments for instance for crumbling wax seals or for leather repair by paper, for example their deformational mechanical aspects and chemical effects?
– various methods and materials could be compared and studied.

Within the archives there are instances when to prevent information loss and to prevent further deterioration a consolidation treatment of the historic materials are needed. In order to ensure that methods and materials used are safe and efficient they need to be studied
The National Archives is a government authority which comes under the Ministry of Culture. The National Archives’ mission is to safeguard society’s archival information and make it accessible for use over time.

How is an image system of ground/paint/ink layer on parchment affected by RH variation on a micro-scale and macro-scale, and in relation to rate and cycling. For instance, what tensions and crack formation can be seen?

A seasonal variation is increasingly accepted for indoor environments for cultural heritage collections as a way to reduce energy consumption. The effects of changing indoor conditions on cultural heritage materials has led to stringent requirements for collection climate in the past. However, in recent years there is a tendency to relax these limits and the effects hasve been studied for several material categories, such as for instance paint on wooden panels. In the archives there are many objects with the also climate sensitive system of parchment with paint layers with a Medieval origin. There is a need to study the effects of temperature and RH changes in this material category.

What materials and/or methods could be used to provide an even, electrically conductive coating on nickel hydroxide particles?

At Saft AB in Oskarshamn, batteries with Nickel-Cadmium chemistry are manufactured with a so-called pocket-plate technology. The positive active material in NiCd batteries largely consists of nickel hydroxide particles. However, the electrical conductivity of nickel hydroxide is poor, and the material typically needs to be coated with a more conductive material in order for the battery to provide the necessary energy. The conductive coating also provides better utilization of the nickel hydroxide which is beneficial from both a financial and an environmental aspect as less nickel is needed to provide the same amount of energy. Currently, nickel hydroxide coating most often uses cobalt based compounds. With the increased demand of cobalt from the battery sector, the prices of raw material increase rapidly. Additionally, issues with sustainability are raised concerning the mining and recycling of cobalt. To enhance our product and process, we are looking for other materials to coat the nickel hydroxide. Alternatively, different methods to apply a homogeneous coated layer as efficiently as possible are also of interest.

Limitations
The following are required of the coated material and method:
• High electrical conductivity
• Stable in strongly alkaline solution
• Stable in the operational potential window of the NiCd battery
• The method should be easily scaled to an industrial process
The following are desired of the coated material and method:
• Consist of earth-abundant and/or recycled raw materials
• Economically feasible to implement

What’s the End-of-Life behavior of Li ion batteries and how to monitor and validate it?

The aging process for Li ion batteries is complicated, but when it is approaching the end of life, there maybe some common behaviors like electrolyte drying out, gassing, Li plating etc.. It will be great to find out if we can track these behaviors and understand the main mechanism behind different chemistry systems, so we may obtain some indicators that allow us to monitor the EOL with non-destructive method in the future.