<p>Composite materials have become widely used for high-performance applications, particularly in the aerospace industry where annual production volumes are low and a higher part cost can be supported. During the last decades composite materials are beginning to see use in a broader range of applications, including the automotive and sports equipment industries. Simultaneously, there is increasing demand from consumers and regulatory bodies to make cars more fuel efficient and in the case of EV’s longer drive range, which can be accomplished by reducing vehicle weight. Composite materials have high specific stiffnesses and strengths, resulting in weight savings when they are used to replace traditionally metal components. However, in order for widespread adoption of composite parts to be viable for the automotive industry, high-rate manufacturing must be realized to reach the required production volumes and part costs.</p> <p>Toward this goal, advanced composite manufacturing techniques have been developed. These techniques typically combine high automation with careful material selection, which can include fast-curing resins and thermoplastics with adapted melt viscosities and thermomechanical properties. They also allow for complex part geometries to be produced in a single step, reducing the need for additional assembly time. Further, they can be used to easily create multi-material components, which can result in parts that benefit from the desirable mechanical properties of the constituent materials without sacrificing performance.</p> <p>This thesis develops a framework for the design and high-rate manufacture of multi-material components. First, a critical literature review is conducted to develop a clear understanding of existing research into combinations of dissimilar materials, including epoxy/polyamide, thermoplastic elastomer/polyamide, and aluminum/thermoplastic. It is shown that, for all material combinations studied, interfacial delamination and subsequent deformation are the primary energy absorption mechanisms and that manufacturing conditions may affect interfacial bond strength. Based on this foundation, adhesion testing is performed on devoted sample configurations fabricated under controlled molding conditions. For these material combinations, interfacial adhesion can be significantly improved with carefully selected processing temperatures, even to the extent that adhesive bond between dissimilar materials can be stronger than the cohesive bond in the constituent materials. Next, impact and quasi-static indentation testing were performed to determine the effects of interfacial adhesion and part design on crash performance. The materials tested all benefit from the placement of a more ductile material on the impacted side of the sample (top surface), indicating a more favorable dissipation of the contact stresses from the impactor, and a higher strength material on the bottom surface where it can withstand tensile stresses imposed by impact-induced bending. </p> <p> Finally, a complex part consisting of a unidirectional polyamide/carbon fiber preform and a thermoplastic overmold is manufactured via a hybrid overmolding process. Interfacial temperature during overmolding is varied to confirm if the same improvements in interfacial bond strength seen in the compression molding test samples are attainable under realistic high-rate manufacture conditions. Additionally, the preform volume is varied to examine the effect of the preform reinforcement on a part’s bending performance. For this system, varying the preform temperature had no effect on interfacial bond strength. A predictive technical cost model is also used to determine the effect of manufacturing changes on part costs. Increasing the tow volume three-fold increased the absorbed energy by more than 30% and requires an increased cost of only 3.8%. </p> <p>This thesis proves that a tough, multi-material part can be rapidly produced via hybrid overmolding. It was demonstrated that a complex shaped part could be produced at a complete line cycle time of approximately 90 secondsmaking it a viable method to produce high-performance, low-cost components. </p>

Platelets made of slit and chopped unidirectional, carbon-fiber prepreg are becoming a popular option for use as a high performance molding compound because of their high fiber volume fraction and increased ability to flow compared to continuous fiber systems. As this molding compound is newly introduced to industry, increasing amounts of research have gone into understanding how platelets flow during molding and how components perform mechanically based on the final orientation state of platelets. This work investigates the performance of prepreg platelet molding compound (PPMC) as a viable alternative to continuous fiber systems for use with geometrically complex structural members on vehicles subjected to collisions. In doing so, the crash performance, energy absorption, and failure morphology of crush tubes made with PPMC are investigated and quantified. Then, a simulation methodology is developed to obtain manufacturing-informed performance models to predict the effect of platelet orientation state on mechanical behavior of PPMC components. This methodology uses a building block approach where each block in modeling is verified against closed-form solution (when available) and validated against experimental results. Once confidence is developed in a modeling block, the complexity of the simulation is increased until a component with full platelet orientation distribution is captured. The result is PPMC component models that are capable of predicting mechanical performance in orientation regimes that are not investigated experimentally.

<p>  </p> <p>In this thesis, cellulose nanofiber (CNF) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) filaments were produced for 3D printing applications using melt extrusion. The use of CNF reinforcement has the potential to improve the mechanical properties of PLA, making it a more suitable material for various 3D printing applications. To produce the nanocomposites, a master batch with a high concentration of CNFs was premixed with PLA, and then diluted to final concentrations of 1, 3, and 5 wt% during the extrusion process. The dilution was carried out to assess the effects of varying CNF concentrations on the morphology and mechanical properties of the composites. The results showed that the addition of 3 wt.% CNF significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the PLA composites. Specifically, the tensile strength increased by 77.7%, the compressive strength increased by 62.7%, and the flexural strength increased by 60.2%. These findings demonstrate that the melt extrusion of CNF reinforced PLA filaments is a viable approach for producing nanocomposites with improved mechanical properties for 3D printing applications. In conclusion, the study highlights the potential of CNF reinforcement in improving the mechanical properties of PLA for 3D printing applications. The results can provide valuable information for researchers and industries in the field of 3D printing and materials science, as well as support the development of more advanced and sustainable 3D printing materials.</p>

<p>Demand for lightweight, cost-effective, structural components is driving the development of continuous fiber thermoplastic tow preforms, also known as 3D-tow or tow reinforcements, to add material performance to hybrid-molded structures as an alternative to metal components. Tow reinforcements offer the performance advantages of continuous fiber composites within molded structures. The tow reinforcements also feature more tailorability of performance compared to fabric or organo-sheet reinforced hybrid-molded structures, improving their potential for design optimization. However, the added complexity of 3D-tow reinforcement structure requires the development of unique design principles and computer aided engineering (CAE) methodologies to effectively design components which meet manufacturing and performance requirements. </p> <p><br></p> <p>A systematic evaluation of design considerations was performed comparing parts manufactured with various design features, configurations, and materials. Choosing the structural profile and balance of material properties was shown to be an important component of achieving the desired performance especially where the tow reinforcement must work in conjunction with the overmolding material to provide structural performance. </p> <p><br></p> <p>By experimentally testing representative structures with features found on automobile components and molded sports equipment, performance was evaluated for a range of material combinations and reinforcement content. Tow reinforcements were made from continuous glass or carbon fiber reinforced PA6 prepreg tape and injection overmolded with unfilled or glass fiber filled PA6 adding a shear web and rib structures. Tow reinforcement significantly reduced warpage, and in tensile loading, demonstrated potential for 340\% strength increase over parts without tow. However, three-point bend performance was dominated by the overmolding material. High strain to break overmolding materials are recommended to avoid premature overmolding material cracking. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Tensile performance of tow reinforced structures is not accurately captured by conventional modeling processes. When wrapped around load introduction points, the fibers of a thick tow traverse a shorter distance at the inner radius than the outer radius leading to waviness on the inner region of each wrap. The Hsaio and Daniel model was used to predict local elastic properties of the wavy fiber composite and spatially varying material properties were applied to 3D finite element models of a suspension link. Neglecting fiber waviness overpredicted experimental tensile stiffness and strength by 36\% and 33\% respectively while modeling waviness overpredicted stiffness and strength by only 9\% and 14\% respectively. Tow wrap configuration, waviness propagation, and material parameters have significant effect on tensile performance while the tow has little effect on compressive performance.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In addition to fiber waviness, tow bundles also spread to reconcile path length differences. A method for accounting for tow spread orientations was developed and combined with fiber waviness modeling techniques. The effects of simulating the resulting fiber orientations and effective elastic properties was used to model representative beams in tension and bending load cases and compared to previous experimental results. Accounting for fiber waviness in tension demonstrated greatly improved part stiffness predictions. Spread tow bundles improved predicted strength and stiffness over simulations where tow was constrained to a uniform cross section. Increased tow reinforcement increased bending stiffness, but failure behavior was significantly influenced by the overmolding material.  </p> <p><br></p> <p>The studies in this work identified key performance attributes of 3D-tow reinforced hybrid composite structures. Design principles and modeling techniques were developed in this work, providing improved performance predictions which brings the technology closer to widespread adoption. </p>

Leaf springs are a part of the suspension system attached between the axle and the chassis of the vehicle to support weight and provide shock absorbing capacity of the vehicle. For more than half a century the leaf springs are being made of steel which increases the weight of the vehicle and is prone to rusting and failure. The current study explores the feasibility of composite leaf spring to reduce weight by designing, manufacturing and testing the leaf spring for the required load cases. An off the shelf leaf spring of Ford F-150 is chosen for making of composite hybrid spring prototype. The composite hybrid prototype was made by replacing all the leaves with glass fiber unidirectional laminate except the first leaf. Fatigue tests are then done on steel and composite hybrid leaf spring to observe the failure locations and mechanism if any. High frequency fatigue tests were then done on composite beams with varying aspect ratio in a displacement-controlled mode to observe fatigue location and mechanism of just glass fiber composite laminate. It was observed that specimens with low aspect ratio failed from crack propagation initiated from stress concentrations at the loading tip in 3-point cyclic flexure test and shear forces played a dominant role in propagation of crack. Specimens with high aspect ratio under the same loading did not fail in cyclic loading and preserved the same stiffness as before the cyclic loading. The preliminary fatigue results for high aspect ratio composite beams predict a promising future for multi-leaf composite springs.

<p>Generally, heavier noise control treatments are favored over lighter ones since heavier acoustical materials tend to insulate (block) noise sources more effectively than do lighter materials. In automotive applications, however, heavier materials cannot always be adopted because of concerns over the total weight of the vehicle. Thus, it would be useful to identify lightweight acoustical treatments that can mitigate vehicle interior noise. Automotive sound packages have both absorption and barrier characteristics, and there is inevitably a trade-off between these two. Therefore, it is important to study the exchange between the absorption and transmission of acoustical materials particularly as it pertains to weight. Here, a procedure based on plane wave analysis is described that can be used to identify weight reduction opportunities by adjusting the acoustical properties of a generic sound package, consisting of a fibrous layer and a flexible microperforated panel surface treatment, so that it meets a target sound pressure level in a downstream interior space. It has been found, for the configuration studied here, that there are lightweight sound package configurations that can maintain acoustical performance equivalent to that of heavier noise treatments, and further, it has been found that the lightest treatments tend to favor barrier performance rather than absorption. Further, the impact of acoustical leaks has been considered, and it has been found that even very small leaks can result in a very substantial weight penalty if a specified level of acoustical performance is to be ensured. Further, the impact of changing the underlying panel mass and altering the frequency weighting used in the optimization process has also been considered.</p> <p>The optimizer used in the proposed procedure requires considerable calculation time; hence, the acoustic pressure calculation time needs to be minimized to enhance the efficiency of the solution process. Thus, the transfer matrix method (TMM) for a two-dimensional case was used to calculate the interior acoustic pressure for a simple geometry as a starting point in the process of identifying the minimum-weight sound packages. The TMM is a widely used analytical approach to predicting the sound pressure (and particle velocity) for a system that can be represented as a series of subsystems. Although the TMM can offer fast and simple calculations for the acoustic system, its application is limited to a plane-wave-based model. Thus, the TMM is not the best option for the acoustic pressure prediction in a complex geometry such as a vehicle interior, that involves non-planar wave propagation. Therefore, a hybrid TMM-FEA method is proposed in this research to evaluate the acoustical performance of the sound package in more complex geometries (here, a vehicle-like cavity). So, in this research, the TMM was introduced to obtain the initial solutions that can be used in conjunction with the FEA tool to calculate the sound pressure field in the complex geometry case. The correlation between the results of these two approaches was then analyzed to develop a space-averaged pressure prediction model for various absorptive cases in the interior space. Finally, this SAP prediction model was used to generate an acoustic map that can be used to graphically estimate the SAPs in the complex geometry case.</p> <p>In order to validate the usage of the developed equation for different sets of boundary conditions, several case studies were performed to study the effects of the surface impedance arrangements, geometrical shapes, and, lastly, the presence of extra features in the interior space. Finally, the SAP difference between the area near the driver’s right ear and the total interior cavity was studied to show that the SAP of the total cavity can be adjusted to evaluate the acoustic performance of the sound packages along the lines of conventional industry practice. </p>

<p>Inaccurate cost estimates contribute to lost implementation opportunity of novel manufacturing technologies or lost revenue due to under-bidding or loss of an over-bid contract. High-volume, long-term orders, such as those the automotive industry begets, are desired as they lock in revenue streams for months into years. However, high-rate composite materials and their manufacturing processes are novel among the industry and traditional costing methods have not advanced at a proportional rate. This research effort developed a method to reduce the complex composite manufacturing systems to fungible, upgradable, and linkable individual processes that derive their manufacturing parameters from the performance part design process. Employing technical cost modeling, this method accurately quantifies the value of pursuing composite manufacturing by integrating impregnation, solidification, heat transfer, kinetics, and additional technical data from computer-aided part design simulation tools to deliver an accurate cost estimate. </p> <p>Cost modeling provides a quantitative result that weighs heavily in the decision making process for adoption of a new manufacturing method. In this dissertation, three case studies were investigated for three different management decision cases: part production management, in-house manufacturing management, and global manufacturing management. </p> <p>Part production management is the decision making process for selecting a certain manufacturing method. A case study with a Tier 1 Part Producer was conducted to provide a comparison of two emerging novel preforming systems versus their in-use, metals based high-rate manufacturing line in manufacturing a structural automotive part. Determining material usage was the primary cost driver focus. Equipment Supplier A’s process operated by seaming single layers of thermoplastic tape into rolls and then stacking prior to consolidation and resulted in a scrap rate of 23-28% with a cost of $32.87-36.01 per kilogram saved depending on the input tape width. Equipment Supplier B’s layup process, essentially a multi-head automatic tape layup machine, resulted in scrap rate of 20-27% with a cost of $34.48-36.67 per kilogram saved depending on the input tape width. This exceeded the Tier 1 Part Producer’s requirement of $6.6-11 per kilogram saved and led to them to abandon this application as a feasible project and instead look for a different part with a higher return regarding cost for weight saved.</p> <p>In-house manufacturing management is the decision making process governing manufacturing operating procedures. A case study for the Manufacturing Design Laboratory’s (MDLab) hybrid molding line was undertaken to determine the manufacturing cost for a composite test coupon. Processing parameters were obtained from three sources: performance design computer aided engineering (CAE), common industry transfer estimation times, and a calculated preform layup time. Compared to a similarly shaped test coupon made of aluminum, highly-automated manufacturing realizes weight savings of 46.25% and cost savings of 16.5%. Low-automation manufacturing captures the same weight savings, but has a cost for weight saved penalty, cost increase, of $9.89 per kilogram, showing how influential the labor contribution is to manufacturing cost. </p> <p>Global manufacturing management is the decision making process governing manufacturing location. Various manufacturing cost drivers are location dependent, thus a dataset was developed to alter these parameters for the U.S. states. Global comparisons are accomplished through indexing of global cost of living allowances and labor rates. Within the U.S., high-automation manufacturing costs in the West Coast/Pacific are 20.1% greater compared to the Midwest and similarly, low-automation costs are 21.2% greater. Globally, high-automation manufacturing costs in North America are 52.1% greater compared to Asia while low-automation costs are 116.5% greater. These variations highlight why we see geographically clustered manufacturing centers within the states and major manufacturing relocations due to cost sensitive and labor sensitive production. </p>

<p dir="ltr">Due to the vast increase and versatility of Additive Manufacturing and 3D-printing, in this study, the mechanical behavior of implementing both continuous and short carbon fiber within Nylon and investigated for its effectiveness within additively manufactured prints. Here, 0.1wt% of pure nylon was combined with carbon nanotubes through both dry and heat mixing to determine the best method and used to create printable filaments. Compression, tensile and short beam shear (SBS) samples were created and tested to determine maximum deformation and were simulated using ANSYS and its ACP Pre tool. SEM imaging was used to analyze CNT integration within the nylon filament, as well as the fractography of tested samples. Experimental testing shows that compressive strength increased by 28%, and the average SBS samples increased by 8% with minimal impacts on the tensile strength. The simulated results for Nylon/CF tensile samples were compared to experimental results and showed that lower amounts of carbon fiber samples tend to have lower errors.</p>

<div>Laser-to-composite interactions are becoming increasingly common in diverse applications such as diagnostics, fabrication and machining, and weapons systems. Lasers are capable of not only performing non-contact diagnostics, but also inducing seemingly imperceptible structural damage to materials. In safety-critical venues like aerospace, automotive, and civil infrastructure where composites are playing an increasingly prominent role, it is desirable to have means of sensing laser exposure on a composite material. Self-sensing materials may be a powerful method of addressing this need. Herein, we present an exploratory study on the potential of using changes in electrical measurements as a way of detecting laser exposure to a carbon nanofiber (CNF)-modified glass fiber/epoxy laminate. CNFs were dispersed in liquid epoxy resin prior to laminate fabrication via hand layup. The dispersed CNFs form a three-dimensional conductive network which allows for electrical measurements to be taken from the traditionally insulating glass fiber/epoxy material system. It is expected that damage to the network will disrupt the electrical pathways, thereby causing the material to exhibit slightly higher resistance. To test laser sensing capabilities, a resistance baseline of the CNF-modified glass fiber/epoxy specimens was first established before laser exposure. These specimens were then exposed to an infra-red laser operating at 1064 nm, 35 kHz, and pulse duration of 8 ns. The specimens were irradiated for a total of 20 seconds (4 exposures each at 5 seconds). The resistances of the specimens were then measured again post-ablation. In this study, it was found that for 1.0 wt.% CNF by weight the average resistance increased by about 18 percent. However, this values varied for specimens with different weight fractions. This established that the laser was indeed causing damage to the specimen sufficient to evoke a change in electrical properties. In order to expand on this result, electrical impedance tomography (EIT) was employed for localization of laser exposures of 1, 3, and 5 seconds on a larger specimen, a 3.25” square plate. EIT was used to measure the changes in conductivity after each exposure. EIT was not only successful in detecting damage that was virtually imperceptible to the human-eye, but it also accurately localized the exposure sites. The post-ablation conductivity of the exposure sites decreased in a manner that was comparable to the resistance increase obtained during prior testing. Based on this preliminary study, this research could lead to the development of a real-time exposure detection and tracking system for the measurement, fabrication, and defense industries.</div>

<p dir="ltr">Metal speciation and structure can be influenced by the deposition method used during synthesis, interactions with the support, and by post-deposition treatments and reaction conditions experienced during its lifetime of carrying out a catalytic reaction. Supported metal particles of different size contain different surface structures and coordination environments, which may not only influence reaction rates but also the interconversion between agglomerated metallic domains and dispersed metal atom or ion sites. Here, we address the influence of post-deposition treatments and support properties on the structural interconversion of Pd and Cu on aluminosilicate chabazite (CHA) zeolites, Pt on gamma-alumina (γ-Al2O3), and Pd on amorphous oxides (γ-Al2O3, La-doped Al2O3, ΘΔ-Al2O3). The fundamental insights from these studies can be used to design catalysts used widely in automotive exhaust aftertreatment systems, including Pd-exchanged zeolites for passive NOx (x = 1,2) adsorbers (PNA), Cu-exchanged zeolites for NOx (x = 1,2) selective catalytic reduction (SCR), Pt/Al2O3 for NH3 oxidation, and Pd/oxides for three-way catalysts (TWC). Incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) and colloidal methods were used to prepare Pd nanoparticles deposited on CHA zeolites with distinct Pd nanoparticle sizes and distributions. These Pd-CHA samples were used to investigate the effects of Pd particle size distribution on structural interconversion between ion-exchanged Pd and agglomerated Pd domains under realistic operating conditions. Smaller Pd nanoparticles had larger fractions of agglomerated Pd that converted to ion-exchanged Pd2+ sites at fixed air treatment temperatures (598–973 K) and H2O pressures (2–6 kPa H2O), consistent with thermodynamic predictions from DFT calculations. Furthermore, the addition of H2O during air treatment of different Pd nanoparticles (2–14 nm) inhibited the formation of ion-exchanged Pd2+ (thermodynamics), but not the rate of redispersion (kinetics). This demonstrates that, regardless of Pd nanoparticle size, water vapor in automotive exhaust streams facilitate metal sintering in PNA applications. Aqueous-phase exchange of Cu on CHA zeolites with varying support properties (i.e., number of paired Al sites in the 6 membered ring) were used to prepare materials with distinct types and numbers of extraframework Cu species (Cu2+, CuOH+). These Cu-CHA materials were used to analyze Cu structural changes before and after exposure to hydrothermal aging conditions. In the absence of H2O, some Cu2+ sites condense to form binuclear Ox-bridged Cu species that can be reduced with H2 to form Cu-hydride sites and reject H2O, leading to a sub-stoichiometric H2 consumption (H2/Cu < 0.5). In the presence of H2O, all nominally isolated Cu2+ species convert to [CuOH]+ structures, which can subsequently be reduced by H2 to form a Cu-hydride and reject H2O, leading to stoichiometric H2 consumption (H2/Cu ~ 0.5). Furthermore, the presence of H2O led to reduction features in H2 temperature programmed reduction (TPR) profiles that were similar among Cu-CHA materials, regardless of the initial Cu2+ speciation, further supporting the proposal that all nominally isolated Cu2+ sites convert to a similar [CuOH]+ motif. This demonstrates how water influences Cu speciation on CHA materials of varying origin or treatment history, aiding in quantifying SCR-active isolated Cu ions and SCR-inactive Cu species (e.g., CuO, CuAl2O4). Pt supported on γ-Al2O3 were prepared with different average Pt particle sizes (2–13 nm) by increasing the temperature of post-deposition air treatment (523–873 K). This suite of materials was interrogated to isolate the effects of Pt particle size on NH3 oxidation rates and selectivities during conditions relevant to NH3 slip applications in diesel exhaust aftertreatment. For all Pt particle sizes, NH3 oxidation rates displayed a hysteresis with temperature, with high rates measured during temperature decreases than during temperature increases. Smaller Pt particles (2 nm) had lower rates (per surface Pt, quantified by CO chemisorption) than larger Pt particles (13 nm), signifying that NH3 oxidation is a structure-sensitive reaction. Furthermore, surfaces of Pt particles restructure under NH3 oxidation reaction conditions, influencing effective Pt oxidation states, surface structures (numbers and types of exposed Pt sites), and surface coverages of intermediates leading to the observed hysteresis in rate. These findings demonstrate that Pt particles undergo dynamic structural changes during reaction, influencing their ability to convert NH3 to environmentally benign products in NH3 slip applications. The influence of treatment conditions, support properties, and initial Pd particle size and distribution on the kinetics of nanoparticle sintering were investigated to identify which material properties allow maintaining high dispersion to maximize metal utilization for three way catalysts (TWC) during the conversion of regulated pollutants (CO, hydrocarbons, NOx). Pd was deposited by IWI methods to generate polydiserse particle size distributions, and using colloidal Pd nanoparticle solutions to generate monodisperse size distributions, onto various supports (γ-Al2O3, La-doped Al2O3, ΘΔ-Al2O3) and subjected to aging under oxidative and reductive conditions relevant for TWC operation. The average Pd particle size for all materials increased with treatment time under both reductive and oxidative environments. For samples prepared with IWI (i.e., log normal distribution of Pd particle sizes), reductive aging treatments led to higher sintering rates than oxidative treatments. In contrast, for samples prepared using colloidal Pd solutions (i.e., normal distribution of Pd particle sizes), oxidative aging treatments led to higher sintering rates than reduction treatments. Furthermore, after the same treatment condition and time, samples prepared with IWI resulted in higher average Pd particle sizes. These results indicate that more monodisperse initial Pd particle size distributions lead to lower sintering rates, providing guidance to design of supported metal TWCs with improved metal utilization during their lifetimes. Here, the combination of synthesis approaches to prepare a suite of model (e.g., powder) supported metal catalysts of varying structure and composition, interrogated using site and structural characterizations and steady-state and transient kinetic measurements, along with predictions from theoretical calculations, enabled unraveling the influence of material properties and gas environments that affect metal speciation, structure, and oxidation state in real-world aftertreatment systems that use more complex catalytic architectures (e.g., layered washcoats) and reactor designs (e.g., monoliths). This approach provides insights into the fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic factors influencing metal restructuring and interconversion under realistic conditions encountered in automotive exhaust aftertreatment applications, and the kinetic and mechanistic factors that underlie complex phenomena (e.g., reaction rate hysteresis) from data measured in the absence of hydrodynamic artifacts. The overall approach used in this work enabled development of synthesis-structure-function relationships on various metal supported catalysts for automotive exhaust aftertreatment applications, which can provide guidance for material design and treatment strategies to form and retain desired metal structures throughout the material lifetime, including synthesis, reaction, and regeneration treatments.</p>