Nanotech Metallurgy is an interdisciplinary domain of materials science and engineering, manufacturing, and nanoscience and engineering to study how nanophases (both ex situ and in situ) can be engineered and applied to significantly improve the processing/manufacturing, micro/nano-structures, and physical/chemical/mechanical behaviors of metals and alloys. Recently the discovery of a nanoparticle self-dispersion and stabilization mechanism in molten metals further paves a scientific and technical foundation for scalable manufacturing in Nanotechnology Metallurgy.
It should be noted that Nanotech Metallurgy has a much wider scientific and technological reach beyond the concept of metal matrix nanocomposite, which focuses on how nanoparticles (generally of high volume fractions) are used to tune the material properties only. Nanotechnology Metallurgy is poised to create exciting processing/manufacturing space while pushing the performance envelope of metals to meet energy and sustainability challenges in today’s society.
Our lab focuses on various scientific and technological aspects on how nanotechnology can be applied to break metallurgical barriers, enabling unprecedented micro/nano-structure control and property tuning for metals and alloys. Some examples include, but not limited to: >> Read more about our publications
- In situ and ex situ synthesis, production, and incorporation of nanoparticles (e.g. nanofibers, nanoplatelets, regular and core-shelled nanoparticles etc.) into molten and/or solid metals and alloys
- Pseudo phase diagrams of alloys with nanoparticles
- Nanoparticle dispersion and distribution in metals and alloys
- Fundamental study on nanoparticle interactions with molten metal and solidification fronts (e.g. nanoparticle incorporation, wettability, mixing, distribution, dispersion, stability, pushing and capture etc.)
- Nanoparticle induced micro/nano-structure refinement and modification
Nanoparticle effects on thermomechanical processing and manufacturing, including heat treatment, thermoplastic deformation, welding/joining, and machining etc. - Nanoparticle effect on mechanical/physical/chemical behaviors of metals and alloys, such as strengthening mechanisms, fatigue resistance, electrical and thermal performance, and corrosion resistance etc.
- Additive Manufacturing of metals with nanoparticles
- Processing of metal powders containing nanoparticles
- High energy beam interactions with metals containing nanoparticles
- Development and integration of scale up processing and manufacturing systems
- Functional testing methods
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