Research

However, this scarcity has the effect of creating price volatility and international conflict in a race to electrify sectors like transportation, aerospace, and defense. To solve this, there is a demand to make new types of electric devices free of critical elements. Our lab aims to develop the materials and methods to enable such devices.

One solution to the crisis of critical elements is to design new material systems that can replace critical elements while minimizing the loss in performance. This balances the tradeoff of using less expensive materials against the loss in performance. Advanced manufacturing methods allow for more precise control of material microstructure and functional properties. By tailoring the manufacturing method to the material, new materials can be commercialized with properties rivaling those of their conventional counterparts.