September 2014 Newsletter - ASM International Central

Central Massachusetts Chapter
Newsletter
ASM International Central Massachusetts Chapter www.asm-ma.org
September 2014
Volume 7, Issue 1
In this Issue
Welcome to Our 20142015 Season! ........................ 1
2014-2015 Meeting
Schedule .............................. 1
2014 ASM New England
Materials Experience .......... 2
Announcing Our Autumn
Course .................................. 3
Central Mass Chapter
ASM Golf Outing - May
29, 2014 ................................ 4
Sustaining Member
Company Benefits .............. 5
Chet Inman Award and
MQP Award for WPI ............ 5
WPI Faculty News ................ 6
On a Musical Note…7
WPI Student News…….8
ASM Historical Landmark..9
Pollution-Eating Buildings…10
Contact Us ........................... 10
Welcome to Our 2014-2015 Season!
I would like to welcome
everyone to the 93rd season of
the Central Massachusetts
Chapter of ASM International.
We are looking forward to an
exciting year starting with a visit
to the Quabbin Reservoir in
September, the return of Bike
Builders’ Night in October
(including a pre-meeting bike
ride), and a Joint Meeting with
ASM-Boston at the Buehler
Center of Excellence at BU in
November
As I begin my second year as
Chair of the Central
Massachusetts Chapter I look
forward to building on the
Sept. 24
Nov. 19
Jan. 21
A special thanks to our
Sustaining Member
companies:
Feb. 18
Bodycote
March 25
Buehler
County Heat Treat Inc
Exponent
April 23
(Thursday)
Fabrico Inc.
Gallant Machine Works Inc.
Hardline Heat Treating Inc.
May 11
(Monday)
Hayden Corporation
Metlab Corporation
MMR Group Inc.
Peterson Steel Corporation
United Service Company
Worcester Polytechnic
Institute
As professionals who work with
materials on a daily basis, we look
at the structure-property
relationships that make each of
these materials possible. We use
this approach to advance
materials research and
manufacturing and use it to
improve the world around us.
My challenge to our members
is to pass on your passion for
what you do to not only this
generation of engineers and
scientists but also the next
generation of students. Thank
you for your support of the
Central Massachusetts ASM
Chapter.
Noah Budiansky
2014-2015 Chapter Chair
Central Massachusetts
Chapter – ASM International
2014-2015 Meeting Schedule
Oct. 15
Excel Technologies Inc.
success of last year and
continuing our efforts to reach out
to more local schools and recruit
more members to participate in
programs with local universities,
high schools and grade schools. If
we can connect with young
students and get them excited
about materials and materials
engineering then we are paving
the way for a future of limitless
inventiveness.
May 22
(Friday)
Quabbin Staff
Note Early Start Time:
3PM
Mike Zanconato
Student Night & Joint
Meeting with ASM-RI
Quabbin
Visitor Center
Belchertown,
MA
VFW Hall
Millbury, MA
Scott Prenovitz
Demonstration & Talk
TBD
Joe Strauss
Ryan Dailey
Spouses & Guests Night
Providence &
Worcester Railroad
Tour of Repair
Facility with Staff
Joint Meeting with
ASM-RI
ASM Trustee Speaker
Prof. Ravindran
ASM President
ASM National Trustee
Speaker & Awards
Night
O’Connor’s
Worcester, MA
Top 3 finalist teams
Student Night & Past
Chairs' Night
O'Connors
Worcester MA
N/A
Materials Science:
High School Students
Frank Blanchard
Golf & Officer Elections
Quabbin Reservoir:
History &
Engineering
Bike Builders Night &
Bike Ride
Forefront of
Metallography
3D Printing: Jewelry
& Prosthetics
WPI Undergraduate
Major Qualifying
Project Poster &
Presentation
Competition
10th Annual ASM
International
Materials Experience
New England
Annual Golf Outing
O'Connor's
Worcester, MA
Worcester, MA
Dinner at
Dino’s
Worcester
Polytechnic
Institute,
Worcester, MA
Heritage
Country Club,
Charlton MA
2014 ASM New England Materials Experience
This year was the 9th annual New
England Materials Experience at WPI
and the 3rd annual at Boston University.
These events are jointly sponsored and
organized by the Central
Massachusetts, Boston, Rhode Island
and Northern New England Chapters of
ASM. Students, teachers and parents
enjoyed learning about many facets of
the world of Materials Science &
Engineering. Students learned about
selecting materials to design a bicycle
helmet using chocolate to simulate the
brain during impact. They also learned
about superconductivity and turned
bananas into hammers with liquid
nitrogen.
Students learning about materials
selection for impact resistance
The WPI Materials Experience took place
on Monday, May 12th with students from
10 different high schools in
Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Students began the day with an
introduction from Professor Jianyu Liang.
She introduced the students to how
materials impact their lives every day
and then served ice cream made with
liquid nitrogen right there in the lecture
hall!
Chuck Innis playing guitar in the Musical
Materials Module
Jianyu Liang starts with ice cream!
The students were divided into eight
groups to attend each of the different
modules, including cryogenics, shape
memory alloys, musical materials,
polymers, fatigue, mechanical
behavior, hydrogels, and electron
microscopy. At each of these stations,
students were able to experience a
different aspect of materials science
ranging from experiments like smashing
cryogenically frozen flowers and
racquet balls to the life-saving
applications of hydrogels and shape
memory alloys.
Over lunch students were able to talk
with graduate students, professors, and
professionals from the Materials World.
Jeff Kablik repairing a pig lung with
hydrogels
The day closed with a talk and
demonstration by Fay Butler. Fay
combines materials science, engineering,
machining, design and art in his work with
automobile, motorcycle and car
designers around the world.
Thank you to the professionals and WPI
students who volunteered to make this
day phenomenal!
Special Thanks to our Sponsors:
Boston University
Buehler Corporation
Beaver-Visitec International
Bodycote, Inc.
C. R. Bard
Dynamet Technology, Inc.
Dynamic Flowform Corporation
Geller Microanalytical, Inc.
Genzyme Corporation
H. C. Starck
Hitchiner Manufacturing Co.
Instron Corporation
JEOL Corporation
Medtronic
Skyworks Solutions, Inc.
Surmet Corporation
Spectrum Thermal Processing
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
ASM Boston Chapter
ASM Central Massachusetts Chapter
ASM Northern New England Chapter
ASM Rhode Island Chapter
ASM Materials Education Foundation
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Announcing Our Autumn Course
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Central Mass Chapter ASM Golf Outing - May 29, 2014
For as long as we can remember, the
Central Massachusetts (Worcester)
Chapter has sponsored a golf outing. In
the early years, this was well attended
but then attendance started to dwindle.
In 1993, Frank Blanchard breathed new
life into the golf outing by suggesting that
it be more than a social outing for ASM.
Frank transformed the golf outing into a
competition involving local and out-ofstate companies. The result is that we
now have 60 or more golfers out on the
course competing to win the right for their
company’s name to be engraved on the
ASM-CM Golf Outing Plaque alongside
previous victorious teams. 2014 marked
the 23-year milestone of the ASM-CM
Golf Outing. Seventeen teams competed
for the honor of adding their company
name to the Worcester ASM Golf Outing
Plaque.
The winning team in 2014 was United
Service Company, Inc.
Longest Drive
Scott Prenovitz with Frank Blanchard
We would like to give a special thank
you to Eric Tessier from Gallant Machine
in Worcester, MA for all the help he has
given through the years. Also a big
thank you to Joyce Hyde for all her effort
in the success of this outing and to Kathy
Trudeau for all the help the day of the
outing. We would also like to thank all
the companies who sponsored a tee
sign and to all who have participated in
this year’s outing.
We look forward to seeing you for our
next outing on May 22, 2015. Please
note that this will be held on a Friday
instead of the traditional Thursday.
Remember that only one company
representative is needed per team, and
everyone leaves with a prize!
Closest to the Pin
John Elder with Frank Blanchard
1st Place Winners
Rebecca Riberiro * Danny Riberiro
Wayne Logee * Dan Lathope
With Frank Blanchard
Through the years we have been able to
keep our entry fee very low while still
offering a great steak dinner and terrific
target holes along with other
competitive challenges like the Las
Vegas Hole. A nice touch to the outing is
the free beer and hot dog for lunch.
Special thanks to Frank Blanchard who
organizes this great event every year!
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Sustaining Member Company Benefits
The ASM Central Massachusetts Chapter
offers a unique opportunity for local
companies in the materials industry to
benefit from corporate membership.
These benefits include:
•
•
•
•
Membership for one individual
(since Sustaining Membership is
only $175 annually, this decreases
the individual’s membership cost
from $113 to $62).
Discounted price for employees to
attend local ASM courses held by
the Central MA Chapter. A link
from our website (www.asmma.org) to your company
website.
Are there benefits that you would like
that aren’t listed? Please contact us
with your suggestions at asmcmc@asm-
ma.org. Our goal is to increase how
Sustaining Memberships in ASM Central
Massachusetts serve our sponsors.
Thank you to our Sustaining Members:
Bodycote
Buehler
County Heat Treat Inc
Excel Technologies Inc.
Exponent
Fabrico Inc.
Gallant Machine Works Inc.
Recognition on our website of
your company as a supporting
Sustaining Member.
Hardline Heat Treating Inc.
Recognition of your company as
a sponsoring Sustaining Member
at the beginning of each monthly
meeting’s technical presentation.
MMR Group Inc.
Hayden Corporation
Metlab Corporation
Peterson Steel Corporation
United Service Company
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Chet Inman Award and MQP Award for WPI
In memory of Chester M. Inman, who helped to found the Worcester Chapter, this scholarship is presented annually by the Central
Massachusetts Chapter of ASM International to a regional student in the field of metallurgy or materials science. Please join us in
congratulating the winner of the 2014 Chet Inman Award, Aaron Birt, shown in the photo below on the left, receiving his award from Dr.
Noah Budiansky, ASM-CM Chair 2013-2015.
Undergraduate students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute must complete a Major Qualifying Project (MQP), under the guidance of
academic advisors, in order to obtain their degrees. Ideally, the project synthesizes all previous study in order to solve problems and
perform tasks in the chosen major field, with students striving to communicate results confidently and effectively.
The Central Massachusetts Chapter of ASM International participates in the competition to select the best MQP presentation in the
Mechanical Engineering department, with special emphasis on Materials research. ASM-CM provides judges who select the three top
projects to present their work that evening at the Chapter dinner meeting. The three chosen finalist teams give brief presentations of the
highlights of their projects and the ASM-CM members vote to choose the winner of a cash prize.
Congratulations to the 2014 WPI MQP Competition Winners Jennifer Baker, Rebecca Draper, and Katie Monighetti shown above in the
photo on the right. Their winning project: Injection Molding of Chocolate.
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WPI Faculty News
Professor Diana Lados Granted New NSF Award for development of Manufacturing Process with Metal
Matrix Nano-Composites
Professor Diana Lados has received a 3-year $423,783 NSF award for a proposal entitled “A Novel Method for Manufacturing
Ceramic-Reinforced Metal Matrix Nano-Composites Using Liquid Metal Processing.” The applications of the outcomes of this
research include means for obtaining higher energy efficiencies in the transportation sector through vehicle weight reduction.
This award supports fundamental and applied research aimed at the development of a novel method for manufacturing nanoceramic reinforced metal matrix composites using liquid metal processing, where the ceramic reinforcement is created in-situ,
within the molten metal. The early stage work in this area by Professor Lados was recognized in 2011 with the WPI’s Kalenian
Innovation Award and Prize.
Diana Lados Honored by SAE International and The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society
Lados, left, receives the Brimacombe Medal from TMS president Elizabeth Holm
Diana Lados, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and founding director of
the university's Integrative Materials Design Center (iMdc), recently received two major career achievement awards from
leading engineering societies.
At its annual congress in Detroit, SAE International, a global association of more than 138,000 engineers and related technical
experts in the automotive, aerospace, and commercial vehicle industries, presented Lados with the 2014 Ralph R. Teetor
Educational Award "in recognition of significant contributions to teaching, research, and student development." The award
citation also noted the value these contributions bring to the mobility sector by successfully linking students and WPI to the
transportation industries.
Earlier, the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS) awarded her the Brimacombe Medal at its annual meeting and
exhibition in San Diego, CA. The award, presented to mid-career professionals, recognizes sustained excellence and
achievement in business, technology, education, public policy, or science related to materials science and engineering.
Lados was honored for developing and implementing a new integrative design paradigm in materials science and engineering
research, education, and application, and for impactful service to TMS. "It is a great honor to receive the Brimacombe Medal,"
Lados said. "I look forward to continuing to play an active role in TMS and to contributing to the society through my research in
materials design integration, by organizing symposia and participating in committees, and by supporting new activities that will
ensure a great future for the organization."
Lados and the iMdc’s Research on Lightweight Metals and Additive Manufacturing Featured in Modern
Metals Magazine and JOM
In 2014, Lados’s research and developments were also featured in Modern Metals magazine in an editorial automotive report entitled “Not
The Same Old Sedan.” The article looked at significant advances, requirements, and developing trends in the design and use of lightweight
materials in modern vehicles to improve performance, safety, and fuel efficiency goals.
Read more: http://www.modernmetals.com/item/11894-not-the-same-old-sedan.html
A review by Lados and the iMdc team of additive manufacturing technology, including their history, operating principles and applications,
sustainability considerations, and future trends, was published in the May issue of JOM in an article titled “Additive Manufacturing: Making
Imagination the Major Limitation.” (Authors: Yuwei Zhai, Diana Lados, and Jane LaGoy).
Read more: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11837-014-0886-2
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On a musical note…
Modern Materials in Harmonicas
Professor Charles L. Innis, Mechanical Engineering, WPI
(Presented as part of the Music Materials Module for the 2014 WPI Materials Experience)
One of the ways we can see modern materials applied to traditional musical instruments is by looking at how harmonica construction has
changed in the last few decades. Both of the harmonicas used as examples were made by Hohner of Germany, a company who has
retained a high reputation since the 1870s. They are the traditional Marine Band type.
A traditionally constructed harmonica is a sandwich. The central core is a wooden block with 10 channels machined in it which direct air
through reeds in the reed plates which form the next layer of the sandwich. One set of reeds vibrates when air is sucked through it by the
player, the other set vibrates when the player blows air through them. Reed plates and reeds are rolled bronze or brass; holes for the reeds
are machined in the plates and the reeds are riveted to the plates, which are nailed to the core. The outer layers of the sandwich are
formed, chrome plated brass covers. The covers form a smooth, rolled surface for the player’s lips to seal against and an opening on the
other side for the sound to emerge, plus provide protection for the reeds on the outer surface of the reed plate. The sandwich is fastened
together with four brass wood screws driven into the wooden block, two at each end. Some skill is required at assembly, as there appear
to be no means of locating the layers of the sandwich in two dimensions.
A modern version of the harmonica, which is made in China, replaces the wooden block and the outer covers with molded plastic parts,
and the four wood screws with two through bolts. By analyzing the modern version, we can see how the German engineers utilized new
materials to replace the old while maintaining the traditional company quality. Sound quality appears to be the same for both new and
old.
The core: The traditional wooden block required machining, first to form the block, then to create the channels. Extensive use of the
harmonica results in moisture buildup from the breath of the player; failure to knock the moisture out can result in swelling of the wood.
Once the wood dries out, it is liable to crack, thus allowing air to flow in more than the desired channel and produce discord. Molding the
core in plastic requires an expensive mold, but produces the core with all channels in one step, plus trimming. The plastic will not absorb
moisture or crack on drying. There are hollows molded in the plastic to save material.
The reed plates and reeds: These are the heart of the instrument and do not appear to have been changed, at least superficially. They
are attached to the core by screws from one plate to the other instead of the nails used in the traditional instrument. Lips on the plastic
core position the reed plates; presumably fixtures are used in assembly of the traditional instrument.
The covers: The traditional instrument uses two covers of rolled, stamped brass which is chrome plated, then stamped with maker’s and
award information before being formed. The modern instrument uses two covers molded from plastic. An expensive mold is required, but
produces a cover which only requires trimming of the flash. Producing a traditional brass cover requires production of the rolled brass
plate, stamping and forming it, then applying chrome plating. To use a nontechnical term, chrome plating is a nasty process, involving
serious environmental and health hazards even when used with care. Producing the shiny surface of the traditional covers requires skill and
attention to detail.
Assembly: The traditional harmonica appears to require external fixturing and some skill; no self-locating features are evident. Disassembly
and reassembly would be difficult, as the wood screws which attach the covers are small and would allow few, if any, repetitions. The
modern harmonica is self-fixturing, using molded lips on the core and molded holes for the two through bolts which attach the covers, one
at each end. It appears that the instrument can be easily assembled and disassembled a number of times without affecting its
performance. Little skill appears to be required in assembly, as evidenced by the experience of the instructor of the class – a partially
disassembled modern instrument and an assembled traditional instrument are passed around in each class for examination. The modern
instrument does not appear to have suffered from the 24 classes to which it has been exposed. The construction of the modern instrument
allows it to be cleaned, should it be dropped in a sand box or some similar environment.
Packaging: The traditional instrument is offered for sale in a cardboard or molded plastic box, which serves as a case. The modern
instrument is inserted in a clear plastic sleeve with an applied paper label giving maker, cautions, and production information.
Conclusion: The modern instrument has benefited highly from applying modern materials and techniques where appropriate, while
retaining traditional materials for the performing heart. Cost reduction is significant; the author remembers paying $5 for a similar Hohner
Marine Band harmonica in the 1960s, while the modern instrument cost $3 in 2014.
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WPI Student News
WPI Material Science and Engineering: Manufacturing the Future
Aaron Birt, President of WPI Chapter of Material Advantage, 2014 Chet Inman Award Winner
With school winding back up on the hill at WPI again, it’s time to shift the
focus away from the sunny beaches, summer reading, and of course
“critical” research back towards the courses and applied learning that
makes WPI famous. This year, however, some in the Material Science
Department at WPI are taking a slightly different direction. In addition to
the normal rigmarole of theoretical based courses, the Material
Advantage Club at WPI is hoping to implement a series of Friday morning
lectures dedicated to the cause of “practical material science.” These
courses will include information sessions on polishing, microscopy, hardness testing, planning a research project, and other topics that
students at the graduate and undergraduate level might find helpful. If you have an experience or lecture that you think would benefit the
students at WPI, contact Aaron Birt ([email protected]) for more information.
To enhance the learning of those undergraduate students that have expressed interest in Material Science, the club is also planning to
institute an internship program for undergraduate students to become involved in graduate level research early on in their student careers.
Qualified undergraduate students will be connected with graduate students who will coach the undergraduates through a research
project that is related to their own graduate level research. The goal is to use this internship program as a substitute learning experience for
those that might wish to make material science a future career path.
Professor Diran Apelian recently proposed another solution to the practical education of WPI’s graduate and undergraduate students. With
so much hype placed these days on additive manufacturing and the “maker” community, he decided that it is time for WPI to have its
own community of makers that can reach back to the roots of material science and “making.” This means getting students at all levels
involved with time-honored trades like blacksmithing and glassblowing to help them understand the modern laws of material science that
enable us to “make” with incredible modern processes like additive manufacturing.
But of course, WPI Material Science and Engineering won’t be all fun and games this year. WPI and the Metal Processing Institute in
particular will be one of four academic institutions working on a $148 million light metals initiative sponsored by the White House and will be
leading research in the area of casting. An additional $7.4 million award was given to WPI by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to
continue its work in nanomaterials and to begin an initiative to investigate alternative solutions to the United States’ rare earth dilemma.
Focus areas for this award will be in cold spray modeling, nanostructured materials and alternatives to rare earth alloying elements.
So the next time that you are on the hill, be sure to come visit Washburn Shops and see how the Material Science department at WPI is
changing the world by developing stronger aluminum alloys, repairing defective military rotorcraft, creating the next generation of
cathode batteries, recycling your aluminum scrap, or even designing the next generation of solar cells.
Baillie McNally’s “Starry Night” micrograph of the microstructure of a Cold
Spray Aluminum Alloy, which was viewed with a light microscope and
polarized light, won Second Place in the category of Artistic Microscopy Color Only. The winners of the contest will appear in a future issue of
Advanced Materials Processes and Slip Lines
ASM Historical Landmark – Wyman Gordon
ASM Historical Landmark Award for PCC Wyman Gordon, Grafton, MA
From the Iron Bridge to the Statue of Liberty, ASM Historical Landmarks identify the many sites and events that have played a prominent
part in the discovery, development and growth of metals and metalworking. In 1987, the scope of ASM Historical Landmarks was
broadened to include all engineered materials. In 2013, the 100th Anniversary of ASM and of the Forging Industry Association, provided
the perfect opportunity to recognize ”The World’s Historic, Heavy, Hydraulic Closed-Die Forging Presses”. These giant presses allowed
quantum changes in the approach to modern aircraft design by producing large, forged, monolithic structures.
The Wyman-Gordon 50,000 ton press (see photo below) redefined what was possible with respect to the production of large closed die
forgings and the thermo-mechanical working of difficult to process aerospace aluminum and titanium alloys, steels and nickel-base
superalloys. The capability of the press was a massive step forward relative to anything else existing at the time. The initial focus was on
forging of aluminum alloys, but as melting technologies started to advance, and as the capabilities of the heavy presses came to be
realized, the demand for large titanium alloy forgings for airframe applications and nickel-base superalloy forgings for jet engine
components quickly grew. The important materials significance was the new ability to produce much larger components for aircraft
that met all of the microstructural and mechanical property requirements, as opposed to having to produce smaller components that
needed to be joined together. The elimination of many joints and fasteners ultimately led to lighter and stronger aircraft construction
and enabled growth in aircraft size and performance. Famous examples of this include the Ti-6Al-4V main landing gear support beam
forgings for the Boeing 747 and the Ti-6Al-4V (or Ti-6Al-4V ELI) bulkhead forgings for military aircraft such as the F-18, F-22 and now the F35. The largest nickel-base superalloy closed die forgings for jet engines using alloys like IN-718 and the huge forgings for land-base gas
turbines using alloy IN-706 are today successfully and economically produced on the Wyman-Gordon 50,000 ton and 35,000 ton presses.
Design and construction of the Wyman-Gordon 35,000 ton and 50,000 ton presses, as part of the Air Force Heavy Press Program, was
carried out by the Loewy Construction Company. The 35,000 ton press went into operation in February 1955. The 50,000 ton press: began
operating in October 1955.
On September 18, 2014, ASM will hold a dedication ceremony at PCC Wyman Gordon at which Thom Pessak, Managing Director of
ASM International, will present the ASM Historic Landmark Plaque.
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Pollution-Eating Buildings
Italian architectural firm, Nemesi & Partners, has revealed its award winning plans to clad Palazzo Italia in Milan with a smog-filtering
facade as part of the Milan Expo 2015. The unique pavilion will be made from a special air-purifying cement created by Italcementi
and will stretch over 9,000 square meters (96, 875 sq ft), requiring an estimated 2,000 tonnes (2,204 tons) of cement to accomplish the
feat. "The entire outdoor surface and part of the interiors will consist of i-active biodynamic cement panels," says Italcementi. "In direct
sunlight, the active principle contained in the material 'captures' certain pollutants present in the air and converts them into inert salts,
helping to purify the atmosphere from smog."
Some 80 percent of this air-purifying cement is made from recycled materials, such as scraps from Carrara marble. The Palazzo Italia
will also be fitted with a photovoltaic glass rooftop to generate solar energy during the day.
Turning to the unique architectural design of the facade, Nemesi & Partners wanted the building to act like a kind of urban jungle, not
only aesthetically but by also mimicking the role of trees in city landscapes – which naturally help purify the air. Inspired by nature, the
final design resembles large extended tree branches which wrap themselves around the iconic building. "The overall concept of the
architectural design of the Italian Pavilion is that of an urban forest in which the building, through its skin and its volumetric
arrangement, takes on the features of an architectural landscape," says Nemesi & Partners. "The branching pattern of the external
cladding of Palazzo Italia coherently interprets the theme of the tree of life, inserting it in the form of a petrified forest."
Palazzo Italia will be a central feature of the Milan Expo 2015 and, according to city plans, the cement facade is set to become a
permanent feature, remaining long after the Expo has ended.
Self-Cleaning Roof!
http://www.innovationfund.rs/portfolio/self-cleaning-roof/
While the world’s eminent researchers are making huge efforts to create
sustainable constructional materials, group of professors from the Faculty
of Technology in Novi Sad, Serbia, has developed a completely
innovative self-cleaning clay roofing tiles.
This extraordinary self-cleaning ability of advanced and innovative clay
roofing tiles comes from photo-catalytic activity of the TiO2 layer and its
super-hydrophilic surface.
The formation of layers of dust, soot and other inorganic and organic substances on the surfaces of tiles and the facades, as well as the
effect of exhaust gases and microorganisms, can have many negative implications in deteriorating the initial characteristics of building
materials and changing the esthetics of their surface. Applying active TiO2 to the surfaces of building materials and exposing them to
sunlight creates antibacterial and anticorrosive effects along with the reduction of organic and inorganic compounds.
After the photo-catalytic reaction, any dirt is easily removed from the treated area because it becomes super-hydrophilic. This means
that it forms a film of water that interferes with the bonding contaminants. Thanks to the hydrophilic surfaces of self-cleaning materials,
dirt is removed with the first rain or washing. There is no need for frequent cleaning of facades and streets, especially in big cities where
the pollution level is higher. The look and mechanical characteristics of these clay roofing tiles do not differ much from the traditional
tiles. An added value of this project is the fact that the tiles were produced using waste heat.
In the world, there are a few companies producing self-cleaning materials. A few years ago the first self-cleaning roof tiles with
hydrophobic surfaces (lotus effect) were placed on the market by the German company Erlus. The first pieces of “smart” tile for
project testing purposes were produced in the plant factory “Polet” in Novi Bečej, Serbia, a member of Nexe group. The plans for
continuous production of this modern and advanced product are now under way.
Contact Us
We hope that you enjoyed this issue of our newsletter. Please feel free to contact us at
[email protected]
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