Perspective developments of the Laboratory of lightweight materials and structures SPbPU
Research Laboratory of lightweight materials and structures was established at the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in 2014 in frameworks of "Megagrant" program. 90 million rubles grants from the government of the Russian Federation are provided in order to support scientific research, conducted under the supervision of leading scientists at Russian universities. Head of the Laboratory of lightweight materials and structures professor of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg (BTU) (Germany), Vesselin Georgiev Michailov – prominent specialist in the field of thermal, microstructure-forming, thermal diffusion and thermal-mechanical processes in welding.
Laboratory of lightweight materials was opened as a result of cooperation between Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg. In frameworks of collaboration the universities implement double degree masters and postgraduate programs, joint scientific researches and academic exchange. "This laboratory is a center of cooperation between St. Petersburg and Cottbus, which is also engaged in development of lightweight structures and materials. I am the Head of the BTU - Research Centre in Germany. The Centre is the prototype of laboratory that was created here in St. Petersburg" - says Professor Vesselin Michailov.
Studies of research team, headed by Professor Michailov at the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University are focused on development of technologies for creating lightweight materials and structures. Today it is one of the most promising areas of material science and engineering. It is multidisciplinary laboratory. It employs specialists from different areas: physical metallurgy, material testing, plastic metal working and welding. Research at the laboratory are conducted in three areas:
The first area is the study and creation of new generation of materials, which have increased strength properties and yet are lightweight. In this area, there are two groups, one of which is engaged in creating of nano-materials, the second is compacting of these materials and turning it into semi-finished products.
The second area is intensive plastic deformation. This laboratory has unique welding equipment – installation of impulse friction stir welding (IFSW). The method of obtaining welded joints, called "friction stir welding" (FSW) has been developed in 1991 by the British Welding Institute. Friction stir welding is a process of joining materials in the solid phase and therefore lacks the drawbacks, associated with the melting and vaporization of metal. Particularly effective application of friction stir welding and coating by friction stir is the production of massive parts. This method is implemented in high-tech manufacturing industries such as railway car building, ship and aircraft building. Friction stir welding method is also used for joints of copper alloys, such as copper containers for storage of nuclear waste, and copper substrate (a type of heat sink) in equipment for evaporation and others.
"This is a new welding process in which we are able to weld almost all types of materials that can not be welded by other means. The material is welded in solid state without melting, with less heat input. We are able to produce with IFSW large complex structures with high demands on precision and strength properties"- says Professor Michailov. According to scientist, there is another challenge: the creation of so-called "structured surface", which reduces the resistance in moving of such structures in the air and in the water.
The third area is an arc welding. In this regard, this so-called "short arc". Two high-tech robotic welding installation of both melted and unmelted electrode will be purchased.
"We are engaged in the creation of the fundamentals of lightweight materials and their use in construction, which should be lightweight and reliable. In frameworks of the program we are creating a boat. It was designed by our industrial partner – the company "Berkut". We have modified this boat by friction stir welding in order to reduce its weight, reduce fuel consumption and increase efficiency" - mentioned Professor Michailov.
More information:
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