Materials World Network: U.S.-Japan Research Collaboration in Meta-Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys with Enhanced Ductility and Controlled Porosity

由金属材料和纳米结构计划和德克萨斯工程和实验站材料研究部特别计划办公室颁发的材料世界网络奖是以多晶块状形式制造廉价的亚磁性形状记忆合金（MMSMA），具有大的磁场感应致动功输出和使用粉末冶金方法增强的延展性。 该奖项也由国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。 磁性形状记忆合金在驱动、传感、能量收集和磁制冷等方面具有广阔的应用前景。这些材料的发展受到驱动功输出小、延展性差以及缺乏系统研究来连接固态物理、传统冶金和应用中的问题的限制。目前的美国政府最近解决了工作产出低的问题。日本德克萨斯大学和东北大学的研究小组通过对MMSMA的发现和初步了解，然而，延展性问题仍然存在，并且MMSMA的工作仅限于难以制造的单晶。此外，多孔MMSMAs将被制造用于评估其在生物医学应用中的潜力，重点是生物活性的表征及其作为活性组织支架的用途。这些目标将通过材料设计，制造和多尺度表征的协同组合来实现，以了解磁-热-机械响应和磁-微结构耦合，并评估其耐腐蚀性，细胞毒性和刺激组织生长的潜力。如果成功的话，这一变革性研究的结果将为以下方面提供机会：（a）通过开发全新的应用和性能景观来彻底改变形状记忆合金领域，（B）通过对新MSMA的多尺度、多学科表征来改变目前对MSMA中场致形状变化的理解;以及（c）创造一个全新的组织支架家族，其将允许远程控制用于组织生长的机械刺激。最终，这项工作中的方法将有助于保持美国在活性和生物材料研究中的领先地位。包括少数民族学生在内的研究生和本科生将通过与日本合作机构建立联合学位和交流项目，新课程开发，课堂教学和直接参与研究而受益。K-12学生和高中教师将与SMA一起开发科学项目，以提高他们对科学和工程的认识，并为他们提供第一手的研究经验。

This Materials World Network award by the Metallic Materials and Nanostructures program and the Office of Special Programs in the Division of Materials Research to Texas Engineering and Experimental Station is to fabricate inexpensive meta-magnetic shape memory alloys (MMSMAs) in polycrystalline bulk form having large magnetic field-induced actuation work output and enhanced ductility using a powder metallurgy approach. This award is also cofunded by the Office of International Science and Engineering. Magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) are promising candidates for actuation, sensing, energy harvesting and magnetic refrigeration. The development of these materials have been limited by small actuation work outputs, poor ductility, and a lack of systematic studies to connect the issues in solid-state physics, conventional metallurgy, and applications. The problem of low work output was recently resolved by the present U.S.-Japan team from Texas A&M and Tohoku Universities by the discovery and preliminary understanding of MMSMAs. Yet the ductility problem remains and the works on MMSMAs are limited only to single crystals, which are difficult to fabricate. In addition, porous MMSMAs will be fabricated for the evaluation of their potential in biomedical applications, focusing on the characterization of biological viability and their use as active tissue scaffolds. These goals will be achieved through the synergistic combination of materials design, fabrication, and multi-scale characterization in order to develop an understanding of the magneto-thermo-mechanical response and magneto-microstructural coupling, and evaluation of their corrosion resistance, cytotoxicity, and potential for stimulating tissue growth remotely with the field. If successful, the results of this transformative research will provide an opportunity for (a) revolutionizing the field of shape memory alloys by fertilizing completely new applications and property landscapes, (b) transformation of current understanding of field-induced shape change in MSMAs through a multi-scale, multidisciplinary characterization on the new MMSMAs; and (c) the creation of an entirely new family of tissue scaffolds that would allow remotely controlled mechanical stimulus for tissue growth. Ultimately, the methodologies in this work will contribute to the overall effort to maintain US-leading role in active and biomaterials research. Graduate and undergraduate students including several minority students will benefit through establishment of joint-degree and exchange programs with the Japanese partner institution, new course developments, classroom instruction and direct involvement in the research. K-12 students and high school teachers will be engaged in developing science projects with SMAs to increase the awareness of science and engineering among them and provide them firsthand research experience.