Innovators are at the forefront of creating a shape-memory ceramic that can be manufactured at scale without breaking. Theoretically, a strong, defect-free material could phase-shift under stress to dissipate energy and, unlike normally brittle ceramics, can be 3D-printed in bulk with full density in the as-printed state. This would then open up possibilities for practical applications in defense, infrastructure, aerospace, and even high-performance sporting equipment.
Hang Yu, associate professor of materials science and engineering, Virginia Tech, along with Ph.D. student Donnie Erb ’15, M.S. ’18 and postdoctoral researcher Nikhil Gotawala, had a breakthrough.
The team has used an advanced manufacturing technique called additive friction stir deposition to embed functional ceramic particles into metal. The new approach embeds tiny shape-memory ceramic particles into metal, “like putting chocolate chips into cookie dough,” Yu said. The mixture is then fed into an additive friction stir deposition machine, an advanced manufacturing tool that spins raw materials fast enough that they meld together without melting.
Here is how this can help:
- Evenly distributed ceramics that can shift without breaking the whole structure.
- Bridge the gap between academic innovation and real-world applications in industry.
- One example: a ceramics-embedded metal could be used in the shaft of a golf club to reduce vibration while maintaining a light weight.
Looking to the future, we are going to see new innovations in the areas of materials and 3D printing. The sweet spot will be finding new applications to leverage this innovation in industry because the opportunities are always endless.