An ad hoc committee will convene a 2-day public workshop to discuss issues in defense materials, manufacturing, and infrastructure, including Emerging Capabilities and Research Objectives for Ultra-Strong Molecules, High-Entropy Materials, and Nanoelectronics. The workshop topics will highlight some recent developments in the fields.
- High-Entropy Materials: Discovered in Taiwan in 2003, high-entropy alloys typically contain five or more metals, each with a composition of more than 5 percent (but usually less than 35 percent). These material systems have recently become a focus of active research because of their potential for being lighter weight than other metal alloys while exhibiting desirable combinations of properties such as high strength, high fracture toughness, and corrosion resistance. They often have simple crystal structures (face centered or body centered cubic) that are stabilized by a high entropy of mixing. While global research on these materials is starting to rapidly accelerate, much remains to be discovered, including a mapping (and prediction) of the compositional-temperature-time space of their existence, the study and optimization of mechanical, transport, and magnetic properties, and their corrosion behavior. Many companies are just beginning to assess the commercial prospects for these materials, while their potentially significant defense applications remain largely unexplored.