Medium Entropy Alloy (MEA)-based Cubic Shell Lattice Metamaterials for Lightweight, Impact Resistance Applications

Professor Lu, Yang   (Principal Investigator (PI))

Fan Rong   (Co-Investigator)

Song Xu   (Co-Investigator)

Wang Michael   (Co-Investigator)

Zhao Shijun   (Co-Investigator)

Lei Zhang   (Co-Investigator)

Chen Wei   (Co-Investigator)

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2024-06-30

2551979

Medium Entropy Alloy (MEA)-based Cubic Shell Lattice Metamaterials for Lightweight, Impact Resistance Applications

1) Medium Entropy Alloy 2) Cubic Shell Lattice 3) Additive Manufacturing 4) High Impact Resistance 5) Mechanical Metamaterial

MaterialsProduction and Manufacturing

Engineering (E)

C7074-23G

Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) - Group Research Project 2023/2024

2024

On-going

1. Design a new class of open-cell mechanical metamaterials ""cubic shell lattices"". We willdevelop a versatile geometric modelling method for shell lattices beyond the known triplyperiodic minimal surface (TPMS); and develop analysis and optimization tools to characterizeand optimize the key mechanical properties by incorporating purpose-built semi-analyticalmethods for membrane thin-shells, advanced homogenization, and finite element method; anddiscover new cubic shell unit cells with varying shell morphologies (ribbed or corrugatedshells) by topology and shape optimization to achieve unprecedented performance ofstiffness, strength, and toughness, or combination thereof.2. Materials design and optimization for a microalloyed CoCrNi-based medium entropy alloy(MEA) system. Combined with computational and experimental methods, we will employ ahigh-throughput alloy development method based on our start-of-art simulation methodologiesand customized micro-SLM platform to conduct the CoCrNi MEA microalloying ratiooptimization, and then examine the elastic, plastic and impact responses of the MEA samplesand evaluate the flaws and fracture propagation of this material system during actual additivemanufacturing and deformation processes.3. Scalable fabrication of cubic shell lattices based on the developed MEA with controlledporosity by our micro-SLM technology, to meet lightweight, density-targeted performancerequirements. We will consider the elastic and plastic anisotropic properties of the printedMEA shell lattices during the lattice design stage, and predict the possible structure distortionby the meso-macroscopic process model, via which the optimal process parameter set will beidentified and used in the experiments to minimize distortion and achieve greater precision andstructural integrity. Consider the various defects/flaws during the printing processes andoptimize their mechanical performance and structural integrity effects when scaled up.4. Through multiscale, multi-field characterization methods, develop a comprehensiveunderstanding on the multiscale MEA shell lattice metamaterials for practical applicationsunder service environment, including structural integrity and defect control,microstructure/phase evolution, strengthening mechanisms and performance optimization, suchas enhanced impact resistance and low temperature ductility/toughness. Together with theindustrial collaborators, the newly developed MEA shell lattice metamaterial components shallbe preliminarily demonstrated for light