MURI Objectives: To determine how the atomic structure of grain-boundary interphases—interphase complexions—affect the mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of a wide range of strategic engineering materials.

“This new funding will allow us to extend our studies to determine the role that interphase complexions play in the properties of a wide range of materials such as nickel alloys and tungsten carbide—cobalt composites whose properties are well known,” M. Harmer (PI) says.

“Our ultimate goal is the creation of entirely new classes of materials, such as, nano-grained metal-complexionized ceramics that exhibit both the hardness of a ceramic and superior toughness of a metal. Such a combination is not yet available even with today’s most advanced material systems.”

The results of this MURI and the methodology developed will have broad impact on the mission of all branches of the DoD, especially the Navy, with the potential to create "designer" materials with unique property sets and/or vastly improved specific properties and performance, such as enhanced oxidation, corrosion and impact resistance and improved energy density storage, for application in materials systems used in ships,submersibles, aircraft, land­based transport and hypersonic vehicles.