A new generation of nanostructured aluminium alloy with ultrahigh strength and large plasticity

Description

High strength and high ductility are often mutually exclusive properties for structural metallic materials. A recent study led by the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) revealed a new strategy to overcome this trade-off dilemma. Aided by molecular dynamics simulations, the research team developed a hierarchical nanostructured aluminium alloy composed of amorphous-nanocrystalline structures. This new aluminium alloy achieves the highest strength and high ductility of its kind so far. It can be applied to micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) for flexible wearable devices in the future.