Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created an aluminium alloy that is five times stronger than standard aluminium as well as suitable for Additive Manufacturing (AM), and this could change the way high-performance metals are manufactured. This new aluminium alloy may transform industries such as aerospace, automotive and energy.
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Alloy designed through machine learning
The research team combined aluminium with other elements using advanced simulations and machine learning. Instead of testing over one million possible material combinations, they needed to evaluate only forty compositions before identifying their ideal mix, the report states.
When the material was additively manufactured and tested, it showed strength levels on par with the strongest aluminium alloys produced through casting today. More importantly, the new material remains stable under high temperatures, a major requirement for demanding applications like jet engines and automotive components.
“If we can use lighter, high-strength material, this would save a considerable amount of energy for the transportation industry,” said Mohadeseh Taheri-Mousavi, who led the work as a postdoc at MIT and is now an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University.
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A potential alternative to titanium in the aerospace?
Today, fan blades for jet engines are typically made from titanium, which is over 50 per cent heavier and up to 10x more expensive. The new alloy could offer a cost-efficient and lighter alternative, potentially cutting fuel consumption.
John Hart, head of MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, noted, “Because 3D printing can produce complex geometries, save material, and enable unique designs, we see this printable alloy as something that could also be used in advanced vacuum pumps, high-end automobiles, and cooling devices for data centres.”
AM driving the aluminium revolution
Metal 3D printing, also called metal additive manufacturing, enables seamless, intricate designs with aluminium as a key element. This method, once limited to prototypes, is now widely adopted across aerospace, EV and pharmaceutical sectors due to its speed and cost-effectiveness.
Powder metallurgy and AM are closely linked. Aluminium alloys such as AlSi10Mg, made using Selective Laser Melting (SLM), already serve EV and aerospace needs. The new MIT alloy could accelerate this trend.
This breakthrough paves the way for lighter, stronger and more temperature-resistant parts. It could reduce energy use in transport, improve performance in advanced machinery, and lower costs in manufacturing.
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