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在磁场作用下可以快速改变形状的金属合金。这些材料有可能为复杂的、高精度的驱动设备提供更坚固的替代品，这些设备可能容易频繁故障。目前，功能性磁性形状记忆合金存在成本高、成形困难等问题，限制了其应用。加法制造是一种以逐层方式生产形状非常复杂的部件的方法，它可能为这个问题提供解决方案。这一学术联系机会奖(GOALI)支持基础研究，以了解添加剂制造工艺对磁性形状记忆合金性能和性能的影响。这一知识将使具有复杂形状的磁性形状记忆合金的生产成为可能，这种合金最终可以用于高精度、大行程执行器，也将有助于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位于美国的全球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。这些激动人心的材料和工艺将被用于推广活动，以提高K-12学生、他们的老师和家长对STEM的兴趣和认识。假设磁场增强粘结剂喷射添加剂制造将生产出具有排列的组织和功能性能的复杂形状的多晶磁形状记忆合金，其组织和功能性能优于目前铸造的多晶磁形状记忆合金。该奖项的基础研究将集中在确定磁性增强粘结剂喷印如何在几个长度范围内影响功能性磁性形状记忆合金的微结构和性能。为了验证这一假说，研究小组将(A)调查杂质、成分、功能性与烧结和印刷参数之间的基本关系，(B)量化磁取向参数对印刷和烧结状态下各向异性和功能性的影响，以及(C)通过对原型执行器的性能测试来确定印刷和单晶磁性形状记忆功能执行器组件之间的主要差异来源。

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.