1. Fundamental concepts
     Nanophase effects on metals processing and manufacturing    Nanophase effects on materials properties    Nanophases synthesis and production    Nanoparticles and molten metal interactions    Solidification of metals containing nanophases   Thermomechanical processing  

2. Current research activities

3. Applications

4. See also

5. References

Nanotech Metallurgy (also called Nanotechnological Metallurgy, Nanotechnology Enabled Metallurgy or Nanometallurgy) is an emerging interdisciplinary domain of materials science and engineering (especially metallurgy), manufacturing, and nanoscience and engineering to study how nanophases (both ex situ and in situ) can be engineered and applied to significantly improve the processing/manufacturing, micro/nano-structures, and physical/chemical/mechanical behaviors of metals and alloys. This definition was first proposed by [https://www.mae.ucla.edu/xiaochun-li Professor Xiaochun Li] at University of California, Los Angeles in 2018.

High performance metals and alloys offer tremendous potential to improve energy efficiency and system performance for numerous applications. While the field of metallurgy has made tremendous contribution to human civilization in the past thousands of years, conventional metallurgical methods have reached certain limits. Nanotech Metallurgy is emerging to break the traditional barriers and to revolutionize the metals processing and manufacturing technologies. It should be noted that Nanotech Metallurgy has a much wider scientific and technological reach beyond the concept of metal matrix nanocomposites, which focuses on how nanoparticles (generally of high volume fractions) are used to tune the material properties only. With the rapid development of more scalable methods of nanophase synthesis, incorporation, and dispersion for mass manufacturing, the metals and alloys produced by Nanotech Metallurgy are becoming more and more economical. Recently the discovery of a nanoparticle self-dispersion and stabilization mechanism in molten metals further paves a scientific and technical foundation for scalable manufacturing in Nanotechn Metallurgy [1]. Nanotech Metallurgy is creating exciting new processing/manufacturing space while pushing the performance envelope of metals to meet energy and sustainability challenges in human society.

Fundamental concepts

Nanotech Metallurgy covers research areas such as nanophase effects on processing/manufacturing, materials properties (e.g. mechanical, physical and chemical properties), synthesis and production of nanophases (both in situ and ex situ), interaction between nanophases and molten metal, solidification, and thermomechanical processing of metals containing nanophases.

Nanophase effects on metals processing and manufacturing

Nanophases can be effectively used to tune microstructures of metals and alloys during solidification and thermomechanical deformation, to control recrystallization at elevated temperatures, and to break traditional metallurgical barriers, thus creating exciting new spaces in processing and manufacturing, such as in casting, thermoplastic deformation, welding/joining, heat treatment, and machining, etc..

Nanophase effects on materials properties

Nanophases have significant effects on mechanical, physical and chemical properties of metals. As compared with conventional metal matrix composites (MMCs) that are reinforced by micro-scale phases, the addition of nanophases is promising to overcome many disadvantages of MMCs such as poor ductility, machinability and low fracture toughness. For example, a super-strong but lightweight metal with extremely high specific strength and modulus was developed by disperse ceramic silicon carbide nanoparticles in magnesium^[1].

Nanophases synthesis and production

Nanotech metallurgy covers the synthesis, production and incorporation of nanophases (e.g. nanoparticles, nanowires, nanosheets, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, etc). To utilize the cutting edge nanotechnology to metallurgy, the scalability and cost of the nanophases are the major concerning factors to evaluate the feasibility. It is worth to mention that, with the rapid development of nanophase synthesis, production, incorporation, and dispersion, the cost of nanophases are becoming more and more economical for metallurgy. Recent studies [Ref: molten sate reaction, in-situ reaction etc.] on molten salt based nanophase synthesis and incorporation paved a new pathway to reduce the cost of nanophases and thus open up the wide applications of nanotech metallurgy.

Nanoparticles and molten metal interactions

The interactions between nanophases and molten metal include wetting, incorporation, mixing and dispersion.

• Wetting is the key factor for effective incorporation and dispersion.
• Incorporation method (Ref: Molten salt enabled incorporation, ultrasonic, semi-solid)
• Mixing: mechanical mixing by propeller, ultrasonic streaming effect and electromagnetic stirring
• Dispersion and stabilization of nanoparticles in melts [1]

Solidification of metals containing nanophases

• Nucleation^[2]
• Phase growth control^[3]
• Pushing/Capture^[4]
• Viscosity^[5]

Thermomechanical processing

• Heat treatment
• Extrusion
• Rolling
• Welding^[6]
• Other Machining

Current research activities

• In situ and ex situ synthesis, production, and incorporation of nanoparticles
• Pseudo phase diagrams of alloys with nanoparticles
• Materials design and modelling
• Nanoparticle dispersion and distribution in metals and alloys
• Fundamental study on nanoparticle interactions with molten metal and solidification fronts (e.g. nanoparticle incorporation, wettability, mixing, distribution, dispersion, stability, pushing and capture, etc)
• Nanoparticle induced micro/nano-structure refinement and modification
• Nanoparticle effects on thermomechanical processing and manufacturing, including heat treatment, thermoplastic deformation, welding/joining, and machining, etc.
• Nanoparticle effect on mechanical/physical/chemical behaviours of metals and alloys, such as strengthening mechanisms, fatigue resistance, electrical and thermal performance, and corrosion resistance, etc.
• Additive Manufacturing of metals with nanoparticles
• Processing of metal powders containing nanoparticles
• High energy beam interactions with metals containing nanoparticles
• Development and integration of scale up processing and manufacturing systems
• Functional testing methods
• Sustainability and life cycle analysis

Applications

Nanotech Metallurgy can be applied to a wide range applications including automobile, sports, biomedical, electrical and electronics, aerospace, and defenses, etc.

See also

References

• Mereology
• Mereotopology
• Merepeka Raukawa-Tait
• Mere Poulard
• Mere poulard
• Mereschk.
• Meret
• Meret Oppenheim
• Meretrices
• Meretrix
• Meretseger
• MERETZ
• Mere (weapon)
• Merewether High School
• Mere, Wiltshire
• Merf
• Merfolk
• Merfyn Frych
• Merfyn Jones
• Merfyn the Freckled
• Merganetta
• Merganetta armata
• Merganser
• Merge
• Merge algorithm