Characterization and Modeling of New Nanocomposite Materials Termed Covetics

该奖项的研究目标是研究一类被称为纳米复合材料的新型材料，并将它们的性能与其各自的基础材料进行比较。纳米复合材料由金属基体和碳纳米填料组成，碳纳米填料以一种新的方式与金属结合。碳-金属结合牢固，在重熔、激光研磨或磁控溅射过程中碳不会分离。初步结果表明，这些材料具有传统金属所没有的一些独特的结构特征和变形行为，并具有优于贱金属的性能。然而，缺乏对这些材料的基本知识。伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校和第三千禧年金属有限责任公司之间拟议的大学-工业合作项目将解决这些材料的结构和组成以及机械，热学和电学性能的多尺度实验研究。这些将作为这些新发现材料的多尺度建模的输入和验证。如果成功，这些研究将导致对这些新材料的基本理解，将刺激进一步的研究，并促进从科学发现到商业化和应用的过渡，包括能源、热管理、运输和环境。提出的研究可能会导致有关材料结构，键合和/或新的变形机制的新发现。所获得的知识将有助于更准确地预测纳米复合材料和新材料的性能。设计，更可靠的结构，一般。教育计划的重点是课程开发，并将这项研究的结果纳入现有的课程材料。结果将被公布，课程笔记将被张贴在NSF NanoHub网站上。

The research objective of this award is to study, a new class of nanocomposite materials termed covetics, and compare their behavior to their respective base materials. The nanocomposites consist of a metal matrix and carbon nanofillers which are combined with metal in a new way. The carbon-metal bond is strong and the carbon does not separate out during remelting, laser ablasion or magnetron sputtering. Preliminary results have shown that these materials exhibit some unique structural features and deformation behaviors not seen in traditional metals, and have superior properties to the base metals. However, fundamental knowledge of these materials is lacking. The proposed university-industry collaborative project between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Third Millennium Metals, LLC will address the multi-scale experimental study of the structure and composition, and mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of these materials. These will serve as inputs and validation for multi-scale modeling of these newly discovered materials.If successful, these studies would lead to a fundamental understanding of these new materials, would stimulate further research on covetics, and facilitate a transition from scientific discovery to commercialization and applications including energy, thermal management, transportation, and environment. The proposed research may potentially lead to new discoveries regarding material structure, bonding, and/or new deformation mechanisms. The knowledge gained would lead to more accurate predictions of properties of nanocomposites, new materials? designs, and more reliable structures, in general. The educational plan focuses on course development and incorporation of findings of this research into existing courses on materials. The results will be published and course notes will be posted on the NSF NanoHub website.