The following Media Release appeared on the Monash University website.
New centre brightens the future
of light metals
5 April 2006		  
Professor Barry Muddle and Dr. Astrid Nordmann are striving to make light metals more competitive through the newly opened ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals.
With demand for some light metals tipped to soar in the next 15 years, a new Monash-led research centre will look at how the Australian light metals industry can become more competitive.
Professor Barry Muddle and Dr Astrid Nordmann are striving to make light metals more competitive through the newly opened ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals was officially opened this morning by Victorian Senator Kay Patterson at the university's Clayton campus.
Dr Astrid Nordmann from the Department of Materials Engineering is the centre's Chief Operating Officer. Dr Nordmann said the centre would investigate the development of light alloys and light hybrid materials that are based on three metals in particular - aluminium, magnesium and titanium.
The CSIRO forecasts global demand for these metals will soar by 2020 - with a 200 per cent rise for magnesium and a 30 per cent rise for aluminium. It believes the sky is the limit for Australia's emerging titanium industry.
Dr Nordmann said the centre aimed to make light metal alloys perform better and develop a wider range of uses for them, such as in automotive and aerospace applications, and in packaging applications such as computer casings.
One of five major programs the centre will conduct is a study of potential uses for powdered titanium. "Titanium has the potential to be used in a range of applications requiring high-strength, light-weight materials," Dr Nordmann said. "But at the moment, it is not widely used in manufacturing because the cost is prohibitive. We are looking at developing both cheaper raw materials and cheaper processing routes."
The centre will operate on a budget of more than $21 million for the 2006-2010 period, with almost $15 million of federal funding through the Australian Research Council (ARC). The balance will come from the Victorian Government and from contributions from the five universities also taking part.
ARC Chief Executive Officer Professor Peter Høj attended the official opening.
Monash's partners in the project are the University of Queensland, Deakin University, the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne.