Method makes metallic alloys at low cost using less energy
A team of researchers from the University of Rostock in Germany has developed a new way to rapidly produce high strength metallic alloys at a lower cost using less energy than before.
According to a statement, the breakthrough is expected to change how components used in applications including transport and medical devices are produced.
The research, which appears Materials Today, reports on the first Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) system with an integrated gas quenching mechanism that is capable of alternating phase compositions and retaining the smallest grain features inside a structured metallic alloy.
SPS is a technique used to fuse fine powders into a dense solid material by placing powder into a mold (or die) and simultaneously applying pulses of electric current and mechanical pressure to it.
By varying SPS cooling rates, it is possible to control the phase and grain sizes in a material, thereby tuning its mechanical properties.
In their study, the team of researchers led by Dr Eberhard Burkel, a Professor of Physics of New Materials, demonstrated that rapidly cooling a material directly after SPS fabrication can produce a material with enhanced hardness, strength and ductility.
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