Grant: Strategic Projects - Group
University of British Columbia
$113,000.00
Laser ultrasonics as an innovative sensor for microstructure control
FY 2015-16
Summary
Laser ultrasonics for metallurgy (LUMet) is an emerging Canadian sensor technology that is a noncontact and nondestructive technique for fast and precise in-situ measurements of microstructures - the ""fingerprints"" that give a metal or alloy its unique properties. We are fortunate to have acquired the world's first LUMet system as an attachment to our Gleeble 3500 thermo-mechanical simulator through a successful CFI application (of approximately 1.09 million dollar). This is the first time that LUMet will be used in a laboratory dedicated to metallurgical studies rather than in a laser development laboratory. Laser ultrasonics is the generation and detection of ultrasound using lasers. Currently, standard metallography - the study of the microscopic structure of metals - uses slow and labour-intensive techniques. LUMet offers the potential to transform the nature of metal and alloy processing by accelerating laboratory studies and as an intelligent sensor for microstructure control in an industrial line where currently microstructure is indirectly controlled by temperature measurements. This potential paradigm shift will drive the design of microstructures with highly desirable properties - those needed to produce the innovative materials and products that will put Canada at the forefront of the metallurgical industry worldwide. In the proposed project laser ultrasonics will be further advanced for monitoring grain growth, recrystallization, precipitation and phase transformations in steels, Al, Ti and Mg alloys. Three graduate students will be trained with dedicated laser ultrasonic studies thereby positioning them as champions of this innovative sensor technology in Canada's metallurgical industry. The long term objectives are (i) to establish an international Centre of Excellence on laser ultrasonics for metallurgy at the University of British Columbia and (ii) to promote the LUMet technology as a new standard for in-situ microstructure characterization and control in the metallurgical community.
Program
Strategic Projects - Group
Recipient
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
430128-2012
Name nom
Militzer, Matthias
Department département
Materials Engineering
Organization id
2
Institution établissement
University of British Columbia
Province en
British Columbia
Province fr
Colombie-Britannique
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2015
Competition year année de concours
2012
Award amount
113000
Program id
STPGP
Program name en
Strategic Projects - Group
Program name fr
Projets stratégiques - De groupe
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
1569
Committee name en
Strategic Projects Selection Panel - Manufacturing
Committee name fr
Comité de sélection des projets stratégiques - Fabrication
Area of application code
500
Area of application group en
Manufacturing processes and products
Area of application group fr
Procédés et produits industriels
Area of application en
Manufacturing processes and products
Area of application fr
Procédés et produits industriels
Research subject code
2002
Research subject group en
Materials science and technology
Research subject group fr
Science et technologie des matériaux
Research subject en
Materials processing
Research subject fr
Transformation des matériaux
Partie
3
Nb partie
3
Application title
Laser ultrasonics as an innovative sensor for microstructure control
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
Laser ultrasonics for metallurgy (LUMet) is an emerging Canadian sensor technology that is a noncontact and nondestructive technique for fast and precise in-situ measurements of microstructures - the ""fingerprints"" that give a metal or alloy its unique properties. We are fortunate to have acquired the world's first LUMet system as an attachment to our Gleeble 3500 thermo-mechanical simulator through a successful CFI application (of approximately 1.09 million dollar). This is the first time that LUMet will be used in a laboratory dedicated to metallurgical studies rather than in a laser development laboratory. Laser ultrasonics is the generation and detection of ultrasound using lasers. Currently, standard metallography - the study of the microscopic structure of metals - uses slow and labour-intensive techniques. LUMet offers the potential to transform the nature of metal and alloy processing by accelerating laboratory studies and as an intelligent sensor for microstructure control in an industrial line where currently microstructure is indirectly controlled by temperature measurements. This potential paradigm shift will drive the design of microstructures with highly desirable properties - those needed to produce the innovative materials and products that will put Canada at the forefront of the metallurgical industry worldwide. In the proposed project laser ultrasonics will be further advanced for monitoring grain growth, recrystallization, precipitation and phase transformations in steels, Al, Ti and Mg alloys. Three graduate students will be trained with dedicated laser ultrasonic studies thereby positioning them as champions of this innovative sensor technology in Canada's metallurgical industry. The long term objectives are (i) to establish an international Centre of Excellence on laser ultrasonics for metallurgy at the University of British Columbia and (ii) to promote the LUMet technology as a new standard for in-situ microstructure characterization and control in the metallurgical community.
