The U.S. Army Research Laboratory is collaborating with the University of North Texas to use the new method to optimize materials for specific applications, promote the development of ballistics, and provide the U.S. Army with the required solutions.
The US Army`s modernization strategy has identified “material design” as a priority research area to address future threats. Funded by Congress, this research will carry out basic research to explore the relationship between metal processing and ballistic impact response, linking changes in material processing to the main deformation mechanism and the impact of its elastic properties. High-entropy alloys are usually composed of five or more elements mixed in equal or relatively large proportions. The researchers evaluated seven high-entropy alloys, combining expertise in the fields of materials science, high strain rate failure mechanics, and terminal ballistics, and found through experiments that these alloys can have unique properties. The study also used different mechanical testing methods, through the ballistic impact test to make the material withstand extreme loads.
The researchers said that they have developed a process to design metal sheets through advanced calculation methods and tests, which can complete all ballistic and microstructure characterization within two weeks. In addition, they are developing atomic methods that can quickly evaluate potential candidate materials, as well as high-volume manufacturing and testing methods for performance development.
This collaboration benefits from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory ’s open campus program, which establishes a science and technology ecosystem that promotes breakthrough progress in basic and applied research related to the Army.