The objective of this research is to develop a new class of alloys that by the virtue of their composition and deformation processing can lead to the thermally driven self-assembly of an optimal nanostructured material. This development will first focus on elucidating the inter-relationship between thermo-mechanical processing and the associated kinetics of microstructure evolution in the prototypical ternary alloy systems. Electron microscopy will be employed for exploring the self-assembly of the requisite nanostructural characteristics during this evolution. Subsequently, the mechanical properties will be probed by a combination of rate-dependent micro and nanoindentation experiments and tension tests over a range of relevant temperatures. Ultimately, process schema will be identified within a scalable manufacturing paradigm to potentially enable the large-scale manufacture of bulk nanomaterial systems.
To realize the potential broad impact of this research, an outreach program is envisaged in collaboration with the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). Working with more than 20 Alliance Partners, NCDMM will play a critical role in the implementation of our research by enabling the transfer of emerging materials technologies to the defense manufacturing sectors. Complementing these efforts is an education and training program that includes the development of a new course on nanomaterials, the creation of industrial internships for students that are facilitated by NCDMM, and exposing students to advanced electron microscopy and microanalysis techniques.
