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The Centre welcomes engagement with industrial partners, and offers coordination of multi-institutional research capability and the opportunity for leverage of research support. It strongly encourages the support and assistance of industry in the identification of strategic design targets and the setting of research priorities. To foster increased collaborative research partnerships with industry, the Centre of Excellence offers a formal industry associates program (Program E - Linkages). A key element of this Program is to facilitate direct engagement with individual Australian and international industry partners to ensure substantive end-user input to the directions of the Centre’s research program. |
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| Program E encompasses all activities not supported by core ARC Centre funding. The Centre actively engages with various organisations to establish collaborative and/or contract research opportunities in light metals, including: |
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Advanced Magnesium Technologies Ltd. (AMT) |
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Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development (AOARD) |
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Chinese Aluminium Corporation (CHALCO) |
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Cooperative Research Centre for Cast Metals Manufacturing (CRC-CAST) |
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CSIRO |
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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) |
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Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) |
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Nanotechnology Victoria (Nanovic) |
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| Advanced Magnesium Technologies Ltd. (AMT) |
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Title: Surface properties of Mg alloys |
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Principal Investigator: Dr. Alan Kanta |
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Funding Body: Advanced Magnesium Technologies Ltd. |
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Duration of grant: 1 January – 31 December 2007 |
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| This work examined the surface properties of cast Mg alloys. Project deliverables include elucidation of the effect of alloying on surface properties of as-cast Mg alloys, enhanced collaboration between Advanced Magnesium Technologies Ltd. and the Centre, and joint research publications in magnesium technology. |
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| Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development (AOARD) |
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Title: Comparison study of continuous SPD processes for maximum improvement of mechanical properties in aluminium aerospace alloys |
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Principal Investigator: Dr. Rimma Lapovok |
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Funding Body: AOARD, USA |
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Duration of grant: 1 January 2007 – 30 December 2007 |
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| This project studied the application of severe plastic deformation to aluminium sheet. The evaluation of severe plastic deformation techniques in comparison to conventional rolling to maximize the improvement of mechanical properties such as strength and ductility will aid in the choice of potential technology applicable to sheet processing for aircraft. An important result for aerospace applications is the ability of simple shear to induce fine-grain superplastic behaviour in a wide range of commercial alloys which promises to increase the range and decrease the cost of alloy sheet available for superplastic forming. |
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To perform the comparison study of continuous SPD techniques such as ECAE processing and asymmetrical rolling to demonstrate the potential of the above techniques with respect to conventual rolling to refine the grain size in sheet of designated representative aluminium alloy. |
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To address the benefits and draw-backs of both techniques with respect to industrial applicability. |
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To define the optimal technology for producing aluminium sheet with the maximum improvement of mechanical properties such as strength and ductility. |
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To verify the resulting improvement in biaxial formability of aluminium alloy sheet and to investigate the associated textures and mechanical properties (work hardening exponent and normal plastic anisotropy). |
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| Chinese Aluminium Corporation (CHALCO) |
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Title: Development of Al alloys for automotive applications |
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Principal Investigator: Professor Barry Muddle |
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Funding Body: Chinese Aluminium Corporation (CHALCO) |
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Duration of grant: 1 January – 31 December 2007 |
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| Two Chalco researchers received training in the preparation and characterisation of light metal alloys, which includes sample processing, microstructural characterisation and physical property measurements. Project deliverables include: |
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Completion of 12 months advanced research training of each of the designated research staff in aluminium alloy technology. |
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Enhanced collaboration between Chalco and the Centre. |
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Improved understanding of research activity in the Australian light metals arena, and the expertise, capabilities and infrastructure that are available through the Centre. |
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Joint research publications in light metals technology. |
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| Cooperative Research Centre for Cast Metals Manufacturing (CRC-CAST) |
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Title: Corrosion evaluation of experimental CAST Mg alloys |
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Principal Investigator: Dr. Nick Birbilis |
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Funding Body: CRC-CAST |
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Duration of grant: 1 July 2007 – 1 July 2009 |
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| Electrochemical corrosion testing and analysis of a range of Mg-alloys which are being developed in a previously unexplored composition range. |
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| CSIRO |
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| CSIRO has provided support for the following projects: |
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Title: Modeling of supersonic particle-laden flows |
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Principal Investigator: Mr. Shuo Li |
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Funding body: CSIRO |
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Duration of grant: 1 January 2006 – 31 December 2008 |
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| The Centre has committed to support of a research student project dedicated to modeling of supersonic particle-laden flows characteristic of the novel cold spray technology under development for application of light metal surface coatings and direct forming of powder compacts. Since the particle velocity is critical to a successful cold spray deposition, it is important to develop a realistic physical model that describes the evolution history of the powder particles and their interaction with the substrate. To date, a number of simple model problems have been solved using numerical computational techniques. The codes have been developed in C++, and have included the solution of the flow through a nozzle using the MacCormick time-stepping method. Further details are provided under the report on Project D3.2 (Cold spray). |
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| The project has attracted support from CSIRO in the form of a supplementary scholarship, operating funds and in-kind access to the research facilities at CSIRO. |
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Title: Multiscale modelling of degradation of light alloys |
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Principal Investigator: Ms. Nasia Shahzad |
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Funding body: CSIRO |
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Duration of grant: 1 January 2006 – 31 December 2008 |
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| This project focuses on developing a database of factors controlling corrosion at the micron scale. Traditionally corrosion experiments have been conducted on macro size specimens, but this problem can be resolved by miniaturizing the experiments to the micron scale using new techniques of high throughput experimentation and analysis. Essentially, thousands of micron size droplets can be placed on single specimen and variation in droplet chemistry, surface microstructure and droplet duration can be surveyed rapidly. Further as atmospheric corrosion is promoted by micron size aerosols, the data had a direct relationship to field performance. So the surface microstructure can be investigated by focusing on single microstructural feature. This experimental work will provide a crucial part of the larger program, providing critical data to develop the micron/nano scales of the model. |
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| Multi-scale modelling is a critical tool in developing new paradigm for the design and performance prediction of materials. It provides a linkage from the molecular level up to the property level and so permits the assessment of the effect of molecular changes on final properties. It will underpin existing themes such as nano-scale manufacturing, light metals, sustainable polymers and advanced materials. The development of corrosion resistant light metals is a high priority for the light metal flagship The PhD project will provide, for the first time, a mass of data at the right size range to understand the multiple factors that control the reactions of micron size aerosols with metal surfaces. This is expected to underpin the development of the multi-scale modelling as at present neither data nor conceptual understanding exists to define micron-level processes. |
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Title: The effect of hydrogen on the fine scale deformation behaviour of titanium and Ti-6-Al-4V alloys |
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Principal Investigator: Dr. Dacian Tomus |
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Funding body: Monash-CSIRO Collaborative Research Support Scheme (CRSS) |
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Duration of grant: 1 August 2007 – 31 July 2008 (awarded in 2007; funding to be received in 2008) |
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| The deformation behaviour of titanium, which can exist in one of two crystal structures or mixture of the two, can be affected by hydrogen content. In certain alloys hydrogen may increase ductility and decrease yield strength, and this can be exploited via thermomechanical processing of semi-finished product. Whilst the phenomenon is well known, the underlying mechanism is not well understood. This project aims to clarify the fundamental deformation behaviour of hydrogenated alloys and relate this to the microstructure, using nanoindentation combined with tensile testing performed in-situ on the powder diffraction beamline (Australian Synchrotron) and microdiffraction beamline (Advanced Light Source USA). |
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Title: Joint appointment of Professor Yuri Estrin as CSIRO-Monash Professorial Fellow |
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Principal Investigator: Professor Yuri Estrin |
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Funding body: Monash University and CSIRO |
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Duration of grant: 5 years |
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| Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) |
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Title: Production of fully dense compact billet from Ti-alloy powder |
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Principal Investigator: Dr. Rimma Lapovok |
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Funding Body: DARPA, USA |
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Duration of grant: 1 January 2006 – 1 June 2007 |
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| The project was aimed at an investigation of the potential for cost-effective, efficient consolidation of pre-alloyed (PA) Ti-6Al-4V (HDH) powder at temperatures of 400ºC and below using Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE), with applied back pressure. The limit on processing temperature was imposed to minimise the contamination of powder and compact with gaseous constituents known to be harmful to resultant properties. An analysis of existing processing techniques, most notably those involving hot isostatic pressing (HIP), reveals that relative densities of 98-100% can only be obtained at processing temperatures in excess of 800ºC. For such methods, and temperatures below 400ºC, the relative densities achievable are typically of the order of 77%, when starting with an initial ‘tape‘-density of 63%. |
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| Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) |
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Title: Strain induced nanoscale porosity in titanium |
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Principal Investigator: Dr. Rimma Lapovok |
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Funding Body: LANL, USA |
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Duration of grant: 1 January 2007 – 1 June 2008 |
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| Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) techniques produce nanoscale structures and ultrafine-grain (UFG) sizes in a wide range of metals and alloys thus resulting in mechanical properties superior to those of conventional coarse grained materials. However, the significant improvements in basic bulk properties are not necessarily accompanied with comparable improvements in properties such as ductility or fatigue resistance that depend more sensitively on highly localized effects and the presence of microstructural inhomogeneities. |
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| Damage associated with very large plastic strain is governed by the nucleation, growth and coalescence of voids. Formation of ultrafine grains during SPD processing increases the volume fraction of grain boundaries and, therefore, the availability of void nucleation sites. The project studies formation of micro-defects under ECAP with Back-pressure using SANS, SEM and TEM techniques. |
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Characterise control samples to establish SANS baseline for undeformed titanium. |
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Severely deform six samples by ECAP at three levels of hydrostatic pressure (0 ton, 2 tons, 6 tons) at a temperature of 400OC. |
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Characterize samples by SANS to determine the presence of voids in a size range between 2 nm and 200 nm |
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Confirm the presence of macro-defects by SEM and TEM observation |
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Compare SANS results with theoretical models of void nucleation and growth. |
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| Nanotechnology Victoria (Nanovic) |
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Title: Heat transfer of nanostructured surfaces |
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Principal Investigator: Dr. Alan Kanta |
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Funding Body: Nanotechnology Victoria |
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Duration of grant: January - April 2006 |
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| A short-term research project was conducted for Nanovic on the heat transfer of nanostructured surfaces and TiO2 nanostructured surfaces. Nanostructured surfaces have shown substantial improvements in heat transfer rates, which have enormous potential for industrial implementation. This work included investigation of methods for fabricating and tailoring nanostructured surfaces to enhance heat transfer, including control of porosity, testing of thermal transfer properties, and analytical surface characterisation. |
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| Damage associated with very large plastic strain is governed by the nucleation, growth and coalescence of voids. Formation of ultrafine grains during SPD processing increases the volume fraction of grain boundaries and, therefore, the availability of void nucleation sites. The project studies formation of micro-defects under ECAP with Back-pressure using SANS, SEM and TEM techniques. |
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