UNT Researchers’ Breakthrough Alloy Withstands Heat, Pressure

A team of UNT researchers developed a nanocrystalline alloy that may redefine the way materials are made in aerospace, energy, and other sectors.

A team of University of North Texas researchers developed a nanocrystalline alloy that may redefine the way materials are made in aerospace, energy, and other sectors.

Materials science and engineering professor Rajiv Mishra and UNT College of Engineering post-doctoral researcher Mageshwari Komarasamy created this divergent alloy while conducting experimental research on creep deformation theory, according to a UNT news release.

“Nanocrystalline alloys are inherently unstable at high temperature, but we found a way to get them stable and that is a major breakthrough.” 

Rajiv Mishra

Creep deformation theory states that all solids are slowly and continuously deforming while under constant stress. However, the new nanocrystalline alloy maintains its strength and keeps its shape even at high temperatures.

To develop the alloy that is more stable at high temperatures, the researchers processed a metallic alloy using elements that don’t generally mix.

“Nanocrystalline alloys are inherently unstable at high temperature, but we found a way to get them stable and that is a major breakthrough,” Mishra said in the release. “These results will have a profound impact on how materials are designed for high-temperature applications such as power plants and engines.”


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