Magnesium Infused with Ceramic Silicon Carbide Nanoparticles Used in Space Exploration

Researchers from the University of California has developed magnesium-based super strong metal also very light weight. This new material composition of magnesium infused with ceramic silicon carbide nanoparticles. This new technique nanoparticles boost the strength materials. Usage of nanoparticles also provides flexibility to the materials.

In order to use this extremely strong and lightweight metal for space-exploration projects, the researchers developed a new method in dispersing and stabilizing nanoparticles in molten metals.

The new metal is formed from magnesium infused with ceramic silicon carbide nanoparticles. The combination has led to something very strong, very light and with a high rating "modulus," which means stiffness-to-weight ratio. Magnesium is a shiny gray solid, and classed as a lightweight metal. Silicon carbide is sometimes referred to as carborundum, and it is a compound of silicon and carbon. Silicon carbide is a semiconductor and it is also used in industrial cutting blades.

Key to creating the new metal was in finding a way to disperse and stabilize nanoparticles in molten metals. Nanoparticles can theoretically boost the strength of any material they bind with, but they have proven hard to evenly disperse and to keep the material flexible — until now. Expanding on this, Xiaochun Li, the lead researcher, told Phys.Org: "It's been proposed that nanoparticles could really enhance the strength of metals without damaging their plasticity, especially light metals like magnesium, but no groups have been able to disperse ceramic nanoparticles in molten metals until now."

"It's been proposed that nanoparticles could really enhance the strength of metals without damaging their plasticity, especially light metals like magnesium, but no groups have been able to disperse ceramic nanoparticles in molten metals until now," Xiaochun Li, the principal investigator on the research and Raytheon Chair in Manufacturing Engineering at UCLA, said. "With an infusion of physics and materials processing, our method paves a new way to enhance the performance of many different kinds of metals by evenly infusing dense nanoparticles to enhance the performance of metals to meet energy and sustainability challenges in today's society."

This new silicon carbide-infused magnesium demonstrated record levels of specific strength. The specific strength had an astonishing weight-to-durability issue. This material can endure high temperature. Silicon carbide is an ultra-hard ceramic that is already used in industrial cutting-blades.

Nanoscale particles can enhance strength while maintain or improving metal's plasticity. However, these ceramic particles also tend to clump together rather than dispersing. To counteract this issues, researchers dispersed particles into a molten magnesium zinc alloy.

"The results we obtained so far are just scratching the surface of the hidden treasure for a new class of metals with revolutionary properties and functionalities," Li said.

The new metal nanocomposite is about 14 percent silicon carbide nanoparticles and 86 percent magnesium. Magnesium is not a rare resource, thus scaling up its use will not cause environmental hazards.