C. J. Kuehmann, QuesTek Innovations LLC, Evanston, IL; G. B. Olson, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
QuesTek Innovations has applied computational modeling and simulation to the design and development of high-performance steels, high-strength aluminum alloys, high-temperature nickel superalloys and amorphous metals using Materials by Design® technology. For high-performance alloys, numerical implementation of materials science, applied mechanics and quantum physics principles provides a hierarchy of computational models defining subsystem design parameters that are integrated through multicomponent computational thermodynamics and kinetics. The approach integrates these design oriented process/structure and structure/property relations to determine optimal microstructures, meeting specified material property goals. The process then finds available processing paths to access the desired dynamic multilevel structures. A serial sequence of design-prototype-evaluate refines a design through subsequent iterations, providing a solution in less time and lower cost than traditional empirical methods that employ the parallel evaluation of a large matrix of material candidates. Examples of Materials by Design in steels, aluminum and nickel alloys will be discussed.
Summary: QuesTek Innovations applies computational modeling and simulation to the design and development of high-performance steels, high-strength aluminum alloys, high-temperature nickel superalloys and amorphous metals. Modeling methods and implementation will be reviewed, and the application to relevant alloy design problems demonstrated.
