Building to last: challenges in additive 

manufacturing going from prototype to 

functional component

Angel Yanguas-Gil
Characterization of materials throughout their lifecycle 

through two different perspectives

 Advanced manufacturing perspective: beyond prototype and design

 Characterization perspective: knowledge and cultural gaps

 Suggestions

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Perspective #1: Advanced manufacturing
Characterization of Materials Throughout Their Lifecycle

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Challenge #1: application dependence 
Example #1: additive manufacturing for nuclear 

chemical engineering

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For more information contact 

Kent Wardle (kwardle@anl.gov)

Liquid-liquid extraction equipment for 

advanced separations processes

Custom annular centrifugal contactor 

(ACC) designs 

ACC with enhanced mixing and residence time 

[1]

Prototyping to functional ‘end-use’ 

equipment

Complete multi-stage extraction systems 

Multi-stage 2-cm ACC assembly for HCl-based 

process chemistry [2]

Scaled-down designs for waste 

minimization 

1.25cm rotor contactor (enhanced residence 

time design)[3]
Example #2: additive manufacturing for biochemical 

synthesis 

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Integrated functional structures providing

1) high mass transfer between gas-liquidsolid interfaces

2) Desired metabolic activities in 

bioprocessing 

Goals:

- Achieve higher survival rates of 

microbes through controlled bioaffinity

- Higher process efficiency

3D printed biocarrier

Example: syngas fermentation

For more information contact 

Meltem Urgun Dermirtas

(demirtasu@anl.gov)
Challenge #1: application dependence

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Performance metrics and degradation mechanisms of the 

materials are strongly application-dependent

For many of these applications we don’t even know what the 

lifecycle of the material would be.

Unknown material reliability can have a big impact in the technoeconomic assessment of a technology: down time

Characterization over the life cycle of a material should be built 

into the projects
Characterization of Materials Throughout Their Lifecycle

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Challenge #2: materials diversity
Materials diversity

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composition

fabrication
Materials diversity

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composition

fabrication

Surface modification
Example #1: Plasma processing

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Plasma-based modification of 

polymers is a well-established 

field

Surface and subsurface 

modification, functionalization, 

and grafting
Example #2: Chemical Vapor Processing for Additive 

Manufacturing 

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For more information contact 

Jeffrey W. Elam (jelam@anl.gov)
CVPAM on ABS 3D Printed Parts

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 Dielectrics:

– Al2O3, MgO

 Semiconductors:

– ZnO, TiO2

 Metals:

– W

 Composites:

– W-AlF3, W-Al2O3

W, 85 oC ZnO, 85 oC

Al2O3, 85 oC

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CVPAM for Wear Resistance and Lubrication

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3D-Printed Bushings

• Al2O3 for wear-resistance

• MoS2 for lubrication

Thingverse.com

NovusNotio

Engineering.com

Tribology Laboratory (ES)

• Ali Erdemir, Giovanni Ramirez

• Nanoindentation (loaddisplacement)

• Pin on disc (friction, wear)

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Tungsten-Aluminum Fluoride Coatings for Chemical 

Robustness

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Annular Centrifugal Contactor (Kent 

Wardle, NE)

• Compact mixer/centrifuge for 

nuclear fuel

• 3D printed parts, ABS polymer

• Problem: embrittlement in 

mineral acids and solvents

ALD W-AlF3

• ALD composite material 

Developed for Li battery cathode 

protection

• Insoluble in HF acid

• Insoluble in organic solvents

3D printed components of annular centrifugal 

contactors coated with 10 nm ALD WAlFx coatings.
Challenge #2: Materials diversity

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When the surface functionality becomes relevant, we are adding 

an extra degree of complexity

Information available on the impact of fabrication on the reliability 

of 3D printed materials is insufficient
Characterization of Materials Throughout Their Lifecycle

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If you are trying to develop functional additive 

manufacturing materials, where do you look for 

information on long-term behavior?
Looking at AM scientific literature

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Looking at AM scientific literature

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Only 3% of the sampled papers 

emphasize reliability or failure

Only 5% of the sampled papers emphasize 

reliability or failure or degradation

Many of these papers target metal AM
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The state of the art is clearly insufficient to help us 

understand the reliability of our materials and our 

parts, and consequently of our processes
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Perspective #2: Characterization point of view
We can combine experimental and simulation 

techniques to characterize properties and degradation

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ABS polymer

W-Al2O3 coating

Carbon

Tungsten Aluminum

Polymer infiltration

Electron multiplier structures
We can even design in-situ experiments

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In-situ GISAXS of chemical vapor processing in Block Copolymer 

Lamellae 

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But...

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But...

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The challenge is that process development and 

detailed characterization are not highly compatible:

- Timescale

- Funding

- Different skillsets and communities
Conclusions and suggestions

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Increased focus on reliability and performance

Consolidate existing published research

Improved metadata to ease data exchange and evaluation

Parts for info program to incentivize characterization of 3D 

printed materials
Thanks!

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