Nanoparticles set to enable new metal alloys
New method aims to combine metals that were previously incompatible
Researchers are developing a process that allows metals previously unable to be combined to be mixed. The aim is to create novel materials with special properties for applications in sectors such as energy, electronics and aviation.
At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), a team is researching a method to bring together metals that have previously been impossible to combine into stable alloys. Metal nanoparticles serve as a kind of mediator: through extremely rapid chemical reactions close to room temperature, different metals are to be uniformly mixed within fractions of a second before they can separate again. The aim is to create material combinations that were previously considered impossible.
Focus on new material properties
The research could enable new materials with unusual properties, for example by combining light, reactive metals with hard and heat-resistant materials. Applications in energy, electronics, aerospace or mobility technologies are conceivable. Furthermore, the findings could advance the development of new catalysts, metallic glasses or so-called high-entropy materials. The project is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) over a period of five years.
