Advanced alloys and production processes (A2P2) Staff: Jan Van Humbeeck (coordinator) Ludo Froyen The activities of the research group are related to the development of new and improved alloy systems and advanced production methods. The starting point is the physical metallurgy (crystallographic structures, microstructure features, phase transformations,...) and its relation to material synthesis, forming properties and performance. This includes focusing attention on the process optimisation of solidification processes and powder metallurgical techniques. Thermal analysis, measurement of physical properties and microscopy in a broad sense (LOM, SEM, TEM) are the main research tools for understanding the properties and the functional behaviour of the materials. There is a strong interaction with the "Deformation Processing and Mechanical Behaviour of Metals" research group.   Research topics: Solidification: multi-component alloys, metal matrix composites including in situ synthesis, porous metals Intermetallics Powder metallurgy: aluminium based alloys, reactive sintering, iron based alloys and soft magnetic powders, intermetallics, atomisation, mechanical alloying Biomaterials: bone tissue engineering, bioreactors, scaffolds, surface coatings, biosensors and drug delivery systems Shape memory alloys: stability, functional properties and new alloy systems Interaction material-process during thermo-physical manufacturing: Electro-Discharge Machining (EDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Laser Beam Machining (LBM) Recent publications Projects Specific equipment and expertise

 

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