Research Program A: Alloy Design & Processing
Program Leader: Professor Michael Ferry - University of New South Wales
This program is aimed at optimising the strength, formability and performance of magnesium and aluminium alloys by microstructural design through alloying, casting and thermal and mechanical processing. A summary of each project and key strategic targets is outlined below:
•	Project A1: Design of Al-base structures for enhanced strength
	This project is concerned with the metallurgical science and technology of developing novel property-parameter space for structural Al alloys. The target is to design alloys with improved strength without diminishing ductility. To achieve this target, there are three inter-related streams of research: (i) Melt processes, processing and solidification; (ii) Early stages of ageing and clustering processes, and (iii) Nucleation and precipitation processes. A recent achievement is the design of a structural Al-Cu-Mg alloy exhibiting a yield strength and uniform elongation of 230 MPa and ~30%, respectively. This represents a doubling of strength and uniform elongation thereby placing the alloy in a new and unexplored region of property space.
•	Project A2: Design of Mg-base structures for enhanced strength
	Similar to the previous project, this activity aims to develop novel property-parameter space for structural Mg alloys. The target is to design Mg alloys that match aluminium in strength-ductility space. To achieve this target, three major research streams are underway: (i) Rheology of solidifying Mg alloys, (ii) Structures for enhanced strength in cast Mg alloys, and (iii) Structures for enhanced strength in wrought Mg alloys. These streams aim to develop competitive high strength Mg alloys via proper control of alloying additions, casting strategies and nano-scale structural development using suitable secondary processing routes. The research has recently developed a series of Mg-RE (rare earth) alloys with strengths ~50% higher than existing commercial Mg alloys.
•	Project A3: Design of structures for enhanced ductility
	The target is to enhance the performance of light alloys either during processing or in service by optimising ductility/formability. This will be achieved by improving the final formability and/or ductility of alloys by controlling their structure by alloying and processing. The research involves two streams aimed at improving: (i) superplastic formability at both the macro- and micro-scale of crystalline and amorphous alloys, and (ii) low temperature ductility of Mg alloys by understanding the role of composition and structure on deformation twinning. An example of a research outcome is the development of a wrought AZ31 Mg alloy exhibiting a yield strength and total tensile elongation of 150 MPa and ~25%, respectively.
•	Project A4: Design of structures for dynamic loading conditions
	Many engineering applications require materials to perform under sustained and dynamic mechanical loadings. In these applications, the material properties must be stable under the loading conditions for the expected lifetime of the material. The target is to contribute to the understanding of the fundamental principles governing microstructural change in systems subject to an external mechanical forcing. An understanding of these principles will be used in the design of new light alloys with improved creep, fatigue and medium-high strain-rate deformation behaviour.