Lightweight, high strength
material for next generation
mobility and infrastructure
Advanced material science has made products made of lightweight, high strength materials step out of the high- value aviation segment, and penetrate the low-cost products in automotive and rail, construction, general machinery, and sports. Metal Industries and automakers are now investing heavily to create new alloys with enhanced properties by employing the most recent techniques.
Changing face of Material Science
Advanced lightweight but high-strength materials have now stepped out of the high-value aviation segment and penetrated the low-cost products of automotive, rail, construction, general machinery, and sports. These materials serve as a crucial foundation for social progress, economic growth, national defense, and technological advancement, boosting national competitiveness. Metal Industries and automakers are now investing heavily in creating new alloys with enhanced properties like aluminum alloys and their micro- and nano-composites, by employing the most recent techniques in welding, shaping, and designing. Most initiatives are focused on making vehicles lighter and lowering carbon emissions.
Nanotechnology driven solutions
Aluminum composite can now be used to create automobile parts as well as the vehicle chassis, construction structures like frames, panels, and domed roofs, and aerospace materials like fuselage, wings, doors, floors, wheels, landing gear links, skin, etc. It can also be used in military and rail industries leading to significantly increased performance through weight saving. An aluminum metal matrix supplemented with lightweight and high-strength nanomaterials might be a game-changer for the metal industry. The Orowen looping mechanism, which strengthens the metal matrix by preventing dislocation movement, is made possible by nanomaterials in the metal matrix. Additionally, the increase in material strength can be attributed to the coefficient of thermal expansion, geometrically required dislocations, and load transfer.
Studies and research
A 2017 study released by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), reports that the use of high-strength steel will likely peak at 15% of the total vehicle weight by 2020 before progressively dropping to 5% by 2040. At the same time, the proportion of mild steel in vehicles will decrease from record highs of 55% of vehicle weight to roughly 5%. The use of ultra-high strength steel and aluminum will increase gradually as lighter materials. The use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFPR) composite will expand more slowly According to the report, 96% of vehicle plans will take aluminum into account for body-in-white applications by 2030. Ferrari, for instance, has created novel forms of aluminum that incorporate ceramic reinforcement. Moreover, the company has also made a statement that aluminum crumples in a collision, while carbon fiber shatters, and they will prefer aluminum over CFRP because it is safer and simpler or easier to repair.
The price of advancement
The CAR report has further boosted research in lightweight high strength aluminum metal matrix nanocomposite (MMNC) to lower the weight by an extra 15-20%, The price of particular materials varies depending on their usage. In general, for automotive applications magnesium costs between US$ 5 and 12 per kg, aluminum alloys between US$ 3 and 6, while carbon fiber prices start at around US$ 16 per kg. Each material has distinct processing characteristics in addition to the difference in price. When compared to other lightweight materials, aluminum is still less expensive, according to a cost analysis of different lightweight alloys.
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