Improving the ductility of amorphous alloys via severe plastic deformation. Amorphous alloys are the strongest metallic materials. However, the brittle nature of the materials has significantly limited their applicability in reliability-critical structural applications. Despite significant worldwide efforts, improvement of the ductility has been limited to amorphous alloys with only a few specific compositions. This project aims to develop a universal approach to substantially enhancing the duct ....Improving the ductility of amorphous alloys via severe plastic deformation. Amorphous alloys are the strongest metallic materials. However, the brittle nature of the materials has significantly limited their applicability in reliability-critical structural applications. Despite significant worldwide efforts, improvement of the ductility has been limited to amorphous alloys with only a few specific compositions. This project aims to develop a universal approach to substantially enhancing the ductility of amorphous alloys through the application of severe plastic deformation, to explore the effect of severe plastic deformation on structure, and to reveal the fundamental mechanisms of the mechanical behaviour of amorphous alloys. The results are expected to enable structural design of amorphous alloys with excellent ductility.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100053
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Quantitatively probing the nanoscale plasticity of a single grain boundary. This project aims to study grain boundaries, which are important in the mechanical behaviour of nanomaterials. However, the exact contribution of individual grain boundaries to mechanical properties is not well understood, affecting advanced materials design. This project will use in-situ deformation transmission electron microscopy techniques to reveal how individual grain boundaries deform and interact with dislocation ....Quantitatively probing the nanoscale plasticity of a single grain boundary. This project aims to study grain boundaries, which are important in the mechanical behaviour of nanomaterials. However, the exact contribution of individual grain boundaries to mechanical properties is not well understood, affecting advanced materials design. This project will use in-situ deformation transmission electron microscopy techniques to reveal how individual grain boundaries deform and interact with dislocations, and to link directly the structures and orientation of individual grain boundaries with mechanical behaviours. Expected results are better structural design of advanced metallic nanomaterials with superior mechanical performance.Read moreRead less
Mechanics of micro/nanoscale multilayers: theories and applications. The purpose of the project is to develop novel theoretical models, advanced numerical techniques and guidelines for the design and application of micro/nanoscale multilayers. The expected outcomes are fundamental contributions to the knowledge base of micro/nanoscale multilayered materials which are increasingly used in micro/nanotechnology.
Topology optimisation? An engineering approach to design of metamaterials. Metamaterials offer unusual physical properties and have significant potential to many technological innovations in precision instrument, medical, telecommunication, space and defence industries in the future. This project aims to develop a computational method for metamaterials so that they can be designed in an effective way.
Real-time imaging of crystal strengthening mechanisms in metals. The strength limit of a metal is marked by rapid motion of crystalline defects. The associated speeds can locally approach that of sound. To probe the associated mechanisms clearly requires both spatial and temporal resolution. We propose to create a new bulk x-ray technique with an unprecedented combination of temporal and spatial resolution. We plan to exploit the technique to mediate a step change in modelling strength based on ....Real-time imaging of crystal strengthening mechanisms in metals. The strength limit of a metal is marked by rapid motion of crystalline defects. The associated speeds can locally approach that of sound. To probe the associated mechanisms clearly requires both spatial and temporal resolution. We propose to create a new bulk x-ray technique with an unprecedented combination of temporal and spatial resolution. We plan to exploit the technique to mediate a step change in modelling strength based on twinning. The formation of crystalline twins is known to dictate the strength of the light metal magnesium. A fuller understanding of the effect of twinning on strength in this metal will provide much needed confidence to implement it more widely in energy saving applications.Read moreRead less
Metal folding fundamentals to shape new corrugated building products . FormFlow has developed a ground-breaking forming process enabling the use of corrugated iron as a structural element. This is a step change for Australia`s steel and building industry and will provide a direct benefit to fireproofing homes. Up scaling of this new technology poses significant challenges due to the lack of understanding in the new forming process and the effect of pre-processing on the incoming material. Fundam ....Metal folding fundamentals to shape new corrugated building products . FormFlow has developed a ground-breaking forming process enabling the use of corrugated iron as a structural element. This is a step change for Australia`s steel and building industry and will provide a direct benefit to fireproofing homes. Up scaling of this new technology poses significant challenges due to the lack of understanding in the new forming process and the effect of pre-processing on the incoming material. Fundamental knowledge of material behaviour will be developed with advanced models that account for the unique process deformation conditions. The intended outcome includes computer software for process design and new concepts for part shape control to improve product quality, repeatability and enable high volume manufacture.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH130100008
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Transforming Australia’s Manufacturing Industry through High Value Additive Manufacturing. ARC Research Hub for Transforming Australia’s Manufacturing Industry through High Value Additive Manufacturing. A world class, globally-linked and industry-focussed Research Hub will be established to underpin the uptake of metal alloy based additive manufacturing (including three-dimensional printing) in Australia. Research will cover the issues that need to be resolved for success, ....ARC Research Hub for Transforming Australia’s Manufacturing Industry through High Value Additive Manufacturing. ARC Research Hub for Transforming Australia’s Manufacturing Industry through High Value Additive Manufacturing. A world class, globally-linked and industry-focussed Research Hub will be established to underpin the uptake of metal alloy based additive manufacturing (including three-dimensional printing) in Australia. Research will cover the issues that need to be resolved for success, including the effects of non-equilibrium solidification, process optimisation to achieve quality, consistency and repeatability, and new user-friendly design tools to realise the benefit of free-form manufacturing. Real components will be studied to give immediate impact. The Research Hub will also train highly skilled people needed for this growing industry.Read moreRead less
Design of Composites for Exceptional Functional Properties by Maximising the Poisson Effect. This project will establish an effective and efficient computational framework for the topological optimisation of composites whose constituent phases possess significantly different Poisson ratios. In particular, the proposed research will be focused on exploiting the dramatic improvements in functional properties of composites when the Poisson ratio of one of the constituent phases is either negative o ....Design of Composites for Exceptional Functional Properties by Maximising the Poisson Effect. This project will establish an effective and efficient computational framework for the topological optimisation of composites whose constituent phases possess significantly different Poisson ratios. In particular, the proposed research will be focused on exploiting the dramatic improvements in functional properties of composites when the Poisson ratio of one of the constituent phases is either negative or near its incompressibility limit. The expected outcomes will be a new methodology and an advanced engineering design tool that can be used for the development of a new class of composites with exceptional properties. Such new composite systems will have many potential applications, particularly in aerospace, defence and medical industries.Read moreRead less
Complex Interfaces and Solid-State Precipitation in Advanced Materials. Solid-state precipitates are key features of the microstructures of many natural and artificial materials and govern their properties. Yet understanding, let alone designing, the microstructures of materials remains a formidable challenge. The recent discovery of a new class of embedded interfaces in aluminium alloys offers the prospect of determining the atomic-scale mechanisms of precipitation. This project aims to apply t ....Complex Interfaces and Solid-State Precipitation in Advanced Materials. Solid-state precipitates are key features of the microstructures of many natural and artificial materials and govern their properties. Yet understanding, let alone designing, the microstructures of materials remains a formidable challenge. The recent discovery of a new class of embedded interfaces in aluminium alloys offers the prospect of determining the atomic-scale mechanisms of precipitation. This project aims to apply the latest microscopy and computational techniques synergistically to characterise such interfaces and develop atomic-scale mechanisms of nucleation and growth in model alloy systems. It is expected that this work will constitute a major step towards practical control of solid-state precipitation in technologically important materials.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100274
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Design of alloys over multiple grain scales for improving fatigue performance. The project will significantly improve the development of engineering alloy design with high fatigue resistance and produce important benefits to Australian manufacturing industries. It will also establish new knowledge and capability in modelling fatigue behaviours, thus producing great benefits to many science and engineering fields.