Advanced Processing of Bulk Nanostructured Alloys from Machining Chips

这项研究的目的是确定通过粉末加工从加工芯片中生产块状纳米结构材料的可行性。它寻求利用最近发现的一种低成本方法，基本上在任何金属或合金中生产纳米结构材料。在普通机械加工过程中产生的切屑完全由超细颗粒结构组成，这一发现为大规模制造这些材料提供了机会。该方法将采用先进的粉末加工路线，探索纳米结构加工芯片衍生的颗粒的固结。电子显微镜将被用来表征纳米晶体结构。这项研究的一个关键因素是量化热处理对组织粗化的影响；这将有助于优化块体材料的组织和性能。据报道，与传统材料相比，纳米结构材料具有更好的性能，包括更高的硬度、强度和延展性。然而，制造这些材料的高昂成本限制了它们的广泛应用。在预期在离散产品部门广泛使用任何颗粒纳米结构材料之前，必须对固结和致密化过程有基本的了解。一个具有广泛社会影响的重要次要好处将是为制造业务中生产的芯片提供更高的价值利用率。作为这项研究的补充，还有一个创新的教育项目，该项目建立在与一所非裔美国学生入学率较高的机构的强大互动的基础上，并包括夏季本科生研究实习。

The objective of this research is to establish the feasibility of producing bulk nanostructured materials from machining chips by powder processing. It seeks to capitalize on the recent discovery of a low-cost means of producing nanostructured materials in essentially any metal or alloy. The discovery that chips produced during common machining operations are composed entirely of ultra-fine grained structures, provides an opportunity for making these materials in large volumes. The approach will employ advanced powder processing routes to explore consolidation of particulate derived from the nanostructured machining chips. Electron microscopy will be used to characterize the nanocrystalline structures. A key element of the research is to quantify the effect of thermal processing on microstructure coarsening; this should facilitate optimization of microstructure and properties of the bulk materials. Broad Impact and Intellectual Merit Nanostructured materials have been reported to exhibit significantly better properties than conventional materials, including higher hardness, strength and ductility. The high cost of creating these materials, however, has restricted their broad application. A fundamental understanding of consolidation and densification processes will be necessary before widespread use of any particulate nanostructured materials in the discrete products sector can be expected. An important secondary benefit, with broad societal impact, will be providing higher value utilization for machining chips produced in manufacturing operations. Complementing the research is an innovative education program, which builds on a strong interaction with an institution having a high enrollment of African-American students and includes summer undergraduate research internships.