Aerospace & Defense Technology - December 2024 - 28

Tech Briefs
weight by 2 percent, which is 19,400 kg
of total weight reduction and that can be
utilized towards sending 19 tons of extra
payload in every space flight. This means
space vessels can travel longer distances
as well as carrying more payload. This is
a significant innovation in liquid hydrogen
storage and the material is the first
of its kind. This achievement is groundbreaking
in terms of sustainable energy
solutions, aligning with global goals for
cleaner and more efficient energy systems. "
Dr.
Pazhani and his team of researchers
detailed their development of the
new material in a 19-page paper published
in the Journal of Materials and
Research Technology. The following section
from the study gives an overview of
their research.
The study presents a novel approach
by integrating graphene with Aluminum
alloy (AA) 2900 powder, synthesized
through a high energy ball milling
technique. The resulting powder was
used to reinforce Aluminum alloy 2195,
creating metal matrix composites
(MMCs) via squeeze casting. The findings
demonstrate that incorporating
0.5 wt percent 2D graphene nanoplatelets
(2D-Grnp) in AA 2195 achieved
density match, enabling homogeneous
dispersion, addressing composite casting
challenges. Consequently, the AA
2900 alloy embedded with 2D-Grnp
facilitated the homogeneous dispersion
of reinforcements during the squeeze
casting process, yielding MMCs Ideal
for potential use in lightweight liquid
hydrogen fuel tank structures for launch
vehicles. Following T8 heat treatment,
the final casted composite plate exhibited
significant enhancements in ultimate
tensile strength, with a 4.5 percent
increase over monolithic Al
2195-T8, exhibiting nominal reduction
in elongation behavior and higher
hardness. Additionally, scanning and
transmission electron microscopy
(SEM, TEM), Small Angle Neutron Scattering
(SANS) and Electron Backscatter
Diffraction (EBSD) revealed the squeeze
casting technique's effectiveness by
exhibiting enhanced bonding among
homogeneously reinforced 2D-Grnp,
T1/θ' precipitates, and AA 2195.
Dr. Pazhani hopes to see the material
put to use soon and believes it could also
be used in coming years for the sustainable
storage of liquid and gaseous hydrogen
in domestic household purposes,
underground storage for fuel stations,
and for transport systems including
automotive, marine and aviation.
The research was carried out collaboratively
with Professor Anthony Xavior
from Vellore Institute of Technology in
India, Dr. Andre Batako from Liverpool
John Moores University, and Dr. Dirk
Honecker at the Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory.
As well as working with colleagues
across the globe, Dr. Pazhani also used
expertise closer to home in the form of a
Coventry University student he once
taught. Alicia Patel studied her master's
degree in aerospace engineering at Coventry
University and was part of the
materials testing team.
" In addition to its technical merits, it
has also played an important role in promoting
inclusivity and diversity in
STEM, actively encouraging women to
participate and lead in scientific breakthroughs, "
said Dr. Pazhani. " Alicia's
contribution is a shining example of
how student involvement can drive
impactful research. "
This article was provided by the press
team at Coventry University, it has been
edited. For more information, contact
press.mac@coventry.ac.uk.
Scientists Fuse Simulations and Machine Learning to
Accelerate Novel Additively Manufactured Materials
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory have developed a machine learning
method that could have a huge impact on understanding how material is formed during the additive
manufacturing process.
John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD
R
esearchers at the Johns Hopkins
Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in
Laurel, Maryland, have demonstrated a
novel approach for applying machine
learning to predict microstructures produced
by a widely used additive manufacturing
technique. Their approach
promises to dramatically reduce the time
and cost of developing materials with
tailored physical properties and will
soon be implemented on a NASA-funded
effort focused on creation of a digital
twin.
28
" We anticipate that this new approach
will be extremely impactful in helping
design and understand material formation
during additive manufacturing processes,
and this fits into our overarching
strategy focused on accelerating materials
development for national security, "
said Morgan Trexler, who manages APL's
Science of Extreme and Multifunctional
Materials program in the Research and
Exploratory Development Mission Area.
The modeling approach focuses on
laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), in which
mobilityengineeringtech.com
layers of metal powder are fused to create
3D objects with a high-powered laser.
The process can produce strong, dense
metal parts in complex geometries.
However, there are many possible variations
in processing conditions, resulting
from the metal powder characteristics,
laser settings and the interactions
between these. As a result, the properties
of the final materials can vary widely.
The key to making LPBF successful, then,
is the ability to predict the microstructure
of the printed component before
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Aerospace & Defense Technology - December 2024

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