Browsing by Author "Irazustabarrena, Ane"
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Item Development of an Innovative Low Pressure Die Casting Process for Aluminum Powertrain and Structural Components(Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2018) Merchán, Mikel; Egizabal, Pedro; García de Cortázar, Maider; Irazustabarrena, Ane; Galarraga, HaizeAn innovative Low Pressure Die Casting (LPDC) process has been developed for aluminum cast components based on the application of an extra pressure during the solidification process. The new process, named “Low Pressure Squeeze Casting” (LPSC) has been proved to be able to increase the solidification rate, refining the microstructure of the casting, and reducing its shrinkage porosity. Furthermore, the cycle time is also reduced, increasing the productivity of the process. Two demonstrators from the automotive and wind power industries have been produced to validate the process in a relevant industrial environment.Item Refuse derived fuel (RDF) plasma torch gasification as a feasible route to produce low environmental impact syngas for the cement industry(2015-08-25) López-Sabirón, Ana M.; Fleiger, Kristina; Schäfer, Stefan; Antoñanzas, Javier; Irazustabarrena, Ane; Aranda-Usón, Alfonso; Ferreira, Germán A.; VALORIZACIÓN DE RESIDUOS; SGPlasma torch gasification (PTG) is currently researched as a technology for solid waste recovery. However, scientific studies based on evaluating its environmental implications considering the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology are lacking. Therefore, this work is focused on comparing the environmental effect of the emissions of syngas combustion produced by refuse derived fuel (RDF) and PTG as alternative fuels, with that related to fossil fuel combustion in the cement industry. To obtain real data, a semi-industrial scale pilot plant was used to perform experimental trials on RDF-PTG. The results highlight that PTG for waste to energy recovery in the cement industry is environmentally feasible considering its current state of development. A reduction in every impact category was found when a total or partial substitution of alternative fuel for conventional fuel in the calciner firing (60 % of total thermal energy input) was performed. Furthermore, the results revealed that electrical energy consumption in PTG is also an important parameter from the LCA approach.Item Technical and environmental evaluation of a new high performance material based on magnesium alloy reinforced with submicrometre-sized TiC particles to develop automotive lightweight components and make transport sector more sustainable(2019-05) Ferreira, Victor; Merchán, Mikel; Egizabal, Pedro; García de Cortázar, Maider; Irazustabarrena, Ane; López-Sabirón, Ana M.; Ferreira, German; CIRMETAL; Tecnalia Research & Innovation; SGThis study evaluated the use of submicrometre-sized particles based on titanium carbide from both technical and environmental points of view. The objective was to improve the mechanical properties of the magnesium alloy intended for use in the automotive component industry. To this end, an Al/TiC master compound containing 60 wt.% of TiC was produced through a self-propagating, high-temperature synthesis process and embedded in a magnesium alloy by a mechanical stirring method. The life cycle assessment methodology was then used to evaluate the environmental impact of the manufacturing of the magnesium alloy reinforced with submicrometre-sized particles. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques revealed the nature and purity of the TiC present in the material and revealed particle sizes below submicrometre range (300–500 nm). The incorporation of TiC particles into the magnesium alloy resulted in improvements in yield stress and ultimate tensile strength of more than 10% and 18%, respectively, and increases in ductility values by 30%. Finally, the results indicated that the submicrometre particle production had a low environmental impact compared with the total impact associated with manufacturing the magnesium alloy reinforced with submicrometre-sized particles; the greatest environmental burden was attributed to the magnesium production stage. However, this impact is offset in the use phase of the vehicle, providing approximately 28,000 km of mileage for a car.