SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I Project is aimed at developing a new low-cost process to manufacture nanostructured net-shape Mg parts. These lightweight and high strength parts are expected to be cost-effective applications of nanotechnology in automotive, aerospace and many other industries. The process (herein termed TS) combines injection molding (Thixomolding) and Sinewave deformation. The resulting material is readily formed into complex shapes by warm drawing, or superplastic forming (SPF). TS generates novel microstructures and micromechanisms to be explored by our University partner. The process introduces two synergistic mechanisms for strengthening, generated in-situ in bulk parts - grain size refinement and intermetallic particle refinement. The nano-sized dispersoids that fortify the nano-sized grains provide opportunity for learning new science. The ability to eliminate mechanisms that hinder the ductility and formability of current commercial Mg sheet constitutes a novel contribution to processing science.The TS process opens the way to minimize energy/fuel consumption in autos and aerospace vehicles; to lessen the burden of military personnel. This process will be designed around an automated manufacturing cell that will feature agility for same day delivery of custom selected alloy and part geometry. The TS process is environmentally friendly, free of slag, dross, global warming gases and fire and safety hazards

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR ) Phase II project aims to scale-up and commercialize a low cost and simple process to produce high strength/density Magnesium (Mg) alloy sheet; using Thixomolding Thermomechanical Processing (TTMP). TTMP avoids the decades-long barriers of twinning and shear band deformation that limits the formability of commercial coarse-grained Mg alloys, rather, in TTMP fine isotropic grains are molded in the first Thixomolding step and then these are thermomechanically processed to impose continuous dynamic recrystalization to finer grains of 0.8 to 2 microns. In this fine grained mode of processing, twinning and shear banding are minimized while slip and grain boundary sliding are promoted. The common intermetallic phases of Mg alloys are also refined to nanometer size so that they can serve as dispersion hardeners. The end result of the refined microstructures is an increase of both strength and ductility. The mechanism may apply also to Titanium (Ti) and Beryllium (Be) alloys.The broader/commercial impacts of this project are fuel and pollutionsavings in automobiles and trucks; fuel and payload benefits in aerospace; energy savings in batteries and fuel cells; and medical benefits in bio-replaceable body implants. Commercially, this project will result in a new U.S. business in manufacture of superior low cost Mg sheet