Released on January 20, 2010

A research team led by the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis., recently received a grant for a project to produce lighter weight aluminum and magnesium metal castings using nanoparticles.

The team, which also includes metalcaster Eck Industries, Manitowoc, Wis., truck maker Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., Nanostructured & Amorphous Materials Inc., Houston, and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Madison, Wis., intends to make nanocomposite castings that have the strength of cast steel for commercial-scale production.

According to a spokesperson for Oshkosh, the team will use the grant to explore the use of nanoparticles (particles smaller than a human hair or red blood cells) beyond their current use in simple, uncomplicated molds into larger, more complex metal castings. The work will expand on laboratory tests conducted by the Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison.

The research funding was granted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology through the Technology Innovation Program, which is projected to grant nearly $5 million to the team over five years. With the team providing in-kind contribution of engineering resources, the project’s total value is approximately $10 million. The team proposed its research on transformational casting technology for the fabrication of ultra-high performance lightweight aluminum and magnesium nanocomposites under the category of practical application of advanced materials, including nanomaterials, advanced alloys and composites in manufacturing.