The recent needs for safe and secure automobiles and energy-saving appliances have increased the demand for high-efficiency motors and high-sensitivity sensors. While the performance of these devices largely depends on the intrinsic properties of the magnet materials used in the devices, it is also important to improve the flexibility of the magnet in order to form them into complicated shapes and the durability for usage in high temperatures or severe environments. Although resin-bonded Nd-Fe-B magnets are known for their good formability, they lack in durability due to the poor heat resistance of resin. To overcome this challenge, we have developed a new process that enables the net-shape forming of plastic deformable magnet powder and created a resin-free bonded Nd-Fe-B magnet with a high heat resistance and a recyclability.

Bizen stoneware is produced by firing shaped green clay in a firewood kiln at around 1200°C. The brownish and blackish colors that appear on the stoneware surface in a firewood kiln do not appear on stoneware heated in an electric furnace. The brownish color was found to be caused by the formation of single crystalline, branched, dendritic, Al-substituted ε-Fe₂O₃ particles. Composite particles consisting of Al-substituted ε-Fe₂O₃ and Fe-substituted spinel solid solution also formed on the stoneware surface. In this study, we successfully prepared brownish samples that were similar in color to Bizen stoneware by annealing at 1200°C for 2 h in air after heating Bizen clay pellets with K₂CO₃ at 1230°C under a 10 vol% CO and 90 vol% Ar gas mixture in an electric furnace instead of firing in a firewood kiln. Dendritic hematite particles also formed on the reproduced samples. The blackish color on Bizen stoneware fired in a firewood kiln was caused by the formation of augite [(Ca,Mg,Fe)₂Si₂O₆], which was produced by a reaction between the Bizen clay and firewood ash.

In the laser beam powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) processes, laser parameters need to be customized for fabricating dense components. Al-Si alloys are representative Al alloys used for the PBF-LB processes. The Al-Si alloys fabricated by the PBF-LB processes exhibit characteristic microstructures and mechanical properties, which are affected by the laser parameters. This paper describes the effect of laser conditions on the relative density, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Al-12Si (mass%) alloy fabricated by the PBF-LB process. The first topic is a machine-learning-assisted exploration of laser parameters (laser power and scan speed) for fabricating dense Al-12Si alloy parts. Using a neural network model, the laser condition range for fabricating dense Al-12Si alloy parts is predicted. A methodology for accurately predicting the laser condition range for fabricating dense components is introduced. The second topic is controlling the microstructures and mechanical properties of the dense Al-12Si alloys. Variations in α-Al crystal grain size/orientation, the width of primary α-Al phase, and solute Si content in α-Al matrix with laser conditions are introduced. The changes in mechanical properties with laser conditions and correlation with microstructural features are also described.

Ni-base superalloy (IN718) manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) was subjected to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) under various conditions. The effects on microstructure and defects in the builds were investigated, and tensile strength at room and high temperatures and tensile creep properties were evaluated. After HIP at lower temperature, Laves phase in as-built specimen was dissolved and the δ phase was precipitated. However, the δ phase dissolved in the matrix as the HIP temperature increased. When the HIP temperature was less than 1323 K, the tensile strength was almost as high as the forged specimen. The creep rupture strain increased with increasing HIP temperature and was the highest at 1393 K. However, the strain was lower than that of the forged specimen. It was found that there was a factor that reduce the creep rupture strain specific to the HIP specimens.

To obtain an optimal powder bed condition for laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), it is essential to clarify powder flow behaviors during the recoating process. In this work, the flow behaviors of Ti-6Al-4V powders were experimentally analyzed using a simple slope model by Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and were subsequently compared with the behaviors simulated using the similar model by discrete element method (DEM). The velocity of particles and the distribution were able to be obtained experimentally using PIV. In the DEM simulation, when the coefficient of restitution was increased, the angle between restituted particles and the slope and the average particle velocity were increased. Comparing those obtained by the DEM simulation, it was found that the velocity and distribution obtained by PIV analyses were close to those obtained by the DEM simulation at the coefficient of restitution of 0.3. These results suggest that the powder flow velocity analysis on the slope using PIV analyses is an effective method to validate the parameter of powder properties in DEM simulations.