Opportunity: Additive Manufacturing of Functionally Graded Materials for High-Temperature Applications

This project supports DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory priorities in foundational research on extreme materials. Specifically, it addresses the need to understand and develop material systems capable of maintaining structural and thermal performance in hypersonic applications. This capstone project will investigate direct energy deposition pathways for functionally graded materials (FGMs) that transition from conventional hot-structure materials to refractory thermal-barrier material systems for hypersonic vehicle applications. The research will investigate their high-temperature capability, density, thermal conductivity, oxidation resistance, manufacturability, and probable failure mechanisms under hypersonic thermal environments. Particular attention will be given to graded material interfaces, coefficient-of-thermal-expansion mismatch, residual stress development, cracking, and oxidation protection. The project will also assess how fabrication methods influence material microstructure, bonding quality, and performance across compositional gradients. The final product will identify promising FGM architectures and manufacturing approaches that could improve the thermal durability, structural integrity, and service life of future hypersonic vehicle hot structures. Student skills developed may include CALPHAD-based thermodynamic/kinetic modeling, thermal modeling, and introductory aerodynamic-heating analysis.