Advanced Behavior and Life Prediction of Aerospace Materials

The objective of the program is to conduct on-site research at AFRL/RXC to develop a comprehensive understanding of the performance of aerospace materials under anticipated usage conditions in order to: a) understand and predict the influence of processing and material variation on the resulting material performance; b) develop next-generation validated deformation, damage initiation and evolution, and material property/performance probabilistic prediction methodologies incorporating multiscale and other characteristics necessary for forecasting initial performance, durability, and reliability during service; c) characterize and accurately model/simulate the variability in material behavior and properties to enable design and field usage assessment of aerospace propulsion and structural components along with components of weapons systems; and d) accelerate the development and insertion of materials that have been optimized for critical location-specific properties through advanced manufacturing techniques such as additive manufacturing.

Aerospace materials systems subject to investigation include, but are not limited to, aluminum, titanium, steel, high entropy alloys, nickel-based alloys, advanced intermetallics, ceramics, ceramic matrix composites, silicon carbide (SiC) fibers and matrices, advanced structural fibers, carbon-carbon composites, inorganic polymers and their composites, and polymer matrix composites.