Advanced Alloys
The Department's research on metals and alloys is aimed at the challenges of energy generation, transport and healthcare, and to reducing the environmental impact of metals processing and use. A wide range of alloy systems are investigated including Ni- and Co- based superalloys, steels, Zr-, Ti-, Al- and Mg- alloys, and Pb-free solders. Research links processing and microstructure development through to in-service behaviour and reliability.
Major topics include: solidification, casting and joining; thermomechanical processing; the role of microstructure on creep, fatigue, oxidation, stress corrosion and fracture; metals for nuclear reactor systems, the micromechanics of aerospace alloys; shear transformations; thermal barrier coatings; wear and oxidation; and the use of metals in the body. Much of this research is underpinned by computational simulation across many length and time scales. Microstructures are explored using analytical electron microscopy and x-ray microtomography, and a strong focus is also given to in-situ studies of microstructure evolution, phase transformations and deformation using synchrotron and neutron diffraction, imaging, and spectroscopy.
For further information, visit the Advanced Alloys research website.
People
Academic staff involved in research into advanced alloys include: Dr David Dye, Dr Christopher M Gourlay, Dr Rongshan Qin, Dr Barbara A Shollock and Dr Mark R Wenman.
Research
Research projects within Advanced Alloys include:
- Research highlight: In situ synchrotron characterisation of defect evolution in Al alloys
- A computational approach for tailoring the growth kinetics of secondary phase formation in aluminium alloys
- A study of the anaerobic corrosion of carbon steel in a canadian used nuclear fuel repository
- Atomistic simulation of hydrogen in zirconium and zirconium alloys
- Characterisation of diffusionless transformations
- Characterisation of wear mechanism and surface functionality of rolling/sliding elements
- Combinatorial development of high temperature shape memory alloys
- Crystal packing and dendrite coherency in equiaxed solidification
- Deformation mechanisms of twinning steels
- Extrusion of Zr-2.5Nb for pressure tube applications
- Fundamentals of deformation and cracking in zirconium alloys
- Granular rheology of partially solidified alloys and defect formation in advanced metal casting processes
- High-temperature oxidation of thermal barrier systems on nickel-base superalloy
- Metallic materials for enhanced ballistic protection
- Micromechanics and phase transformations in welded steel joints
- Microstructure-explicit modelling and characterisation for the rapid exploitation of materials
- Microstructure formation and soldering in binary Sn-Ni alloys
- Modelling of pellet clad interactions in AGR and PWR nuclear fuels
- Modelling the melt and breeze behaviour of materials for the next generation of high temperature reference standard
- New materials for long life flare tips
- Novel routes to titanium component processing
- Reducing emissions by exploiting field-induced martensitic transformations
- Smart materials: development of high temperature shape memory alloys for environmentally-friendly aero-engines
- Strain localisation in partially solid alloys
- TBC surface chemical contamination on service-retrieved industrial gas turbine engines
- Ti-64 deformation
Further information on all these projects can be found in the latest Annual Report and Research in Progress.
The Department is a member of the Association of Aerospace Universities, which has a membership of 29 universities and companies and aims to promote education research and consultancy in the aerospace sector.
