GOALI: From Powder to Functional Actuators: Binder Jet Printing of Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys

磁性形状记忆合金是一种能在磁场作用下迅速改变形状的金属合金。这些材料可以潜在地为复杂的、高精度的致动装置提供更强大的替代品，这些装置容易发生频繁的故障。目前，功能磁性形状记忆合金的应用受到其高成本和难以形成复杂形状的限制。增材制造是一种以逐层方式生产形状非常复杂的零件的方法，可能为这一问题提供了解决方案。这项学术与工业联络资助机会（GOALI）奖支持基础研究，以了解增材制造加工对磁性形状记忆合金的性能和性能的影响。这些知识将使生产具有复杂形状的磁性形状记忆合金成为可能，最终可用于高精度，大行程执行器，也将促进制造其他具有增强性能的磁性材料。一个大学研究团队和一家总部设在全球的公司之间的合作将支持从基础研究到应用的快速过渡，并将加强学生培训。这些令人兴奋的材料和过程将用于推广活动，以提高K-12学生，他们的老师和家长对STEM的兴趣和意识。假设磁场增强的粘结剂喷射增材制造将生产出形状复杂的多晶磁性形状记忆合金，具有排列的微观结构和比目前铸造的多晶磁性形状记忆合金更好的功能性能。该奖项的基础研究将侧重于确定磁性增强粘合剂喷射打印如何在几个长度尺度上影响功能性磁性形状记忆合金的微观结构和性能。为了验证这一假设，研究团队将(A)研究杂质、成分、功能以及烧结和打印参数之间的基本关系，(B)量化磁对准参数对打印和烧结状态下各向异性和功能的影响，以及(C)通过对原型执行器的性能测试确定打印和单晶磁形状记忆功能执行器组件之间差异的主要来源。

Magnetic shape-memory alloys are metal alloys that can change shape quickly in the presence of a magnetic field. These materials can potentially provide a more robust replacement for complex, high-precision actuation devices, which can be prone to frequent failure. At present, the application of functional magnetic shape-memory alloys is limited by their high cost and difficulty forming into complex shapes. Additive manufacturing, a method of producing parts with very complex shapes in a layer-by-layer fashion, may provide a solution to this problem. This Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) award supports fundamental research to understand the effects of additive manufacturing processing on the properties and performance of magnetic shape-memory alloys. This knowledge will enable the production of magnetic shape-memory alloys with complex shapes that can ultimately be used in high precision, large stroke actuators, and will also facilitate manufacturing other magnetic materials with enhanced properties. The collaboration between a university research team and a global US-based company will support fast transition from basic research to application, and will enhance student training. These exciting materials and processes will be used in outreach activities to increase interest and awareness of K-12 students, their teachers and parents in STEM.It is hypothesized that magnetic-field-enhanced binder jet additive manufacturing will produce complex-shaped, polycrystalline magnetic shape-memory alloys with aligned microstructures and functional properties that are better than currently casted polycrystalline magnetic shape memory alloys. The basic research in this award will focus on defining how magnetically enhanced binder jet printing affects the microstructure and properties of functional magnetic shape memory alloys over several length scales. In order to test the hypothesis, the research team will (A) investigate the fundamental relationships among impurities, composition, functionality, and sintering and printing parameters, (B) quantify the effects of magnetic alignment parameters on anisotropy and functionality in the as-printed and sintered state, and (C) identify major sources of differences between printed and single crystal magnetic shape memory functional actuator components through performance testing on prototype actuators.