Additive manufacturing (AM) offers the potential to accelerate innovation and reduce costs associated with the development and implementation of advanced functional materials systems and manufacturing processes. Until recently, the majority of R&D placed a focus on structural materials.
An expert study team is leading a 17-month initiative, from September 2021 to October 2022, to examine the domain as it relates to functional materials, with a specific focus on energy. The final report was released at the Materials Science & Technology Technical Meeting and Exhibition (MS&T22).
Accelerating Research and Technological Development in the Additive Manufacturing of Energy-Related Functional Materials is a TMS science and technology accelerator that was undertaken on behalf of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office.
Planned Milestones
- Scope and prioritize the areas of most promise for energy-related domains.
- Take a deep dive to identify and explore in-depth the key gaps, barriers, needs and enablers of the next state of additive manufacturing of functional materials in select areas deemed to have the greatest potential for the most immediate and substantive energy-related impact, particularly with consideration to decarbonization.
- Provide concrete recommendations on key milestones, detailed action plans, and implementation pathways needed to help provide a foundation for ultimately transitioning from fundamental concepts to manufactured components.
Resources for Sharing Study Content
- Suggested Citation: The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), Accelerating Research and Technological Development in the Additive Manufacturing of Energy-Related Functional Materials (Pittsburgh, PA: TMS 2022). Electronic copies available at www.tms.org/AMStudy.