ERI: Manufacturing USA: Additive Manufacturing of Iron based Shape Memory Alloy

Advances in additive manufacturing have enabled the processing of functionally graded materials and shape memory alloy systems that were previously difficult to process using conventional methods. This Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) grant will support fundamental research in the fabrication of iron-based shape memory alloy using heat-assisted additive manufacturing, which will lay the theoretical foundation for material design and manufacturing. The research outcome will enable new industrial applications that are sensitive to extreme temperatures, such as batteries, biomedical devices, robotics, and others. Partnership with LIFT Manufacturing USA center will offer training opportunities to graduate students, promote undergraduate research and outreach to diverse groups of younger students. This grant will impact the manufacturing industry by facilitating the implementation of metal additive manufacturing and promoting its consistency, while training future leaders of advanced manufacturing. Compared to well-studied nickel titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy systems, iron-based shape memory alloys offer a higher strain recovery percentage and enable new strain recovery behavior that is less dependent on the environment temperature. The cost of iron-based shape memory alloy is significantly lower compared to its NiTi counterpart. However, the processing of iron-based shape memory alloy using additive manufacturing is not well understood. This research aims to understand the effect of processing parameters and material composition on fabrication of iron-based shape memory alloys. The project includes three research tasks: (1) understanding the impact of additive manufacturing processing parameters on the mechanical properties of fabricated iron-based shape memory alloy; (2) identifying the transformation temperatures and strain recovery behavior, as well as their relationship to the material composition, (3) developing an in-situ thermal tomography monitoring and modeling framework for additively manufactured iron-based shape memory alloys to define tailored material properties and responses. The research will fill the knowledge gap needed to design iron-based shape memory alloys amenable to additive manufacturing and advance the understanding of strain recovery behaviors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.