Purdue university researchers have developed a super strong aluminum alloy with great industrial potential.
Most lightweight aluminum alloys are soft and have low mechanical strength, which affects a wide range of industrial applications. This high-strength lightweight aluminum alloy is comparable in strength to stainless steel.
The results were published in the latest issue of the journal advanced materials and the November 2017 issue of nature communications.
This paper focuses on how to change the microstructure of aluminum materials to obtain high strength and ductility.
This high-strength aluminium alloy is produced by introducing “stacking faults” or distortions in the crystal structure.
The metal lattice is made up of a series of repeating atomic layers. If one layer is missing, it becomes a stacking fault.
“Twin boundary” is composed of two layers of stacking layer fault.
A kind of stacking fault called 9R phase has very special significance.
The researchers used a special method to introduce both the 9R phase and the twin boundary into aluminum to improve strength and ductility and thermal stability.
The industrial application of the material will revolutionize the automotive and aerospace industries.