Statistical Analysis and Control of Ultrasonic-based Aluminum Nano-composite Fabrication Processes

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This project focuses on process control and variation reduction issues of the ultrasonic cavitation based nanocomposite fabrication process and targets bringing this process from lab environment to a scale-up industrial environment. The ultrasonic cavitation based dispersion of nanoparticles in aluminum and magnesium alloy melts has been shown to be a very promising process of producing metal matrix nano-composites. The scientific objective is to discover the fundamental processing/microstructure/property relationship in this fabrication process through the integration of statistical methods and physical analysis, and then utilize the relationship for process optimization and control. This research will focus on the specific tasks as follows: (i) Quantitative assessment of the nano-particle dispersion within the microstructure. (ii) In-situ process sensing signal processing and characterization. (iii) In-situ process monitoring and optimization. The knowledge generated in this project will reveal the influence of non-linear effects (cavitation and streaming) on the nanoparticle dispersion, micro/nano-structures, and mechanical properties of aluminum matrix nanocomposites and will enable the production of high performance bulk Al matrix nanocomposites at the scale-up industrial level. The success of the project will catalyze a transition from traditional process control techniques to a generic model-based diagnostic paradigm and contribute to a new scientific base for scale-up nano-manufacturing. Successful implementation of this project will result in providing our nation's manufacturing base with new, more energy-efficient production methods while at the same time enabling new products (e.g., automotive engine block) that themselves are more energy efficient in comparison to products available today. This project can also provide students the unique opportunity to obtain interdisciplinary training in various fields including mechanical engineering, material science, system science, and statistics.