Monday, 5th March 2007 (3292 views)

New research methods are enabling scientists to better understand the balance between the strength and resistance of materials – a process which could be important for the gold industry.

Tests carried out by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Ohio State University, has allowed for an investigation into the properties of nano-designed materials.

It was found that materials are affected by what is referred to as the twin boundary, which the influencing of could produce a stronger and more ductile material.

"You can trick the material and optimise both strength and ductility by modifying the interactions between dislocations and these nano-scale twin boundaries inside the grain," said Subra Suresh, the Ford professor of engineering in the department of materials science and engineering.

Led by Mr Suresh, the researchers were able view the deformation of materials for minutes rather than nano-seconds.

Mr Suresh said that previous experiments had been "bogged down" by the inability to view the material in there breaking down for long enough.

 

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