Self healing in steels with added gold
Themes: Materials
Basic research
A TRL is a measure to indicate the matureness of a developing technology. When an innovative idea is discovered it is often not directly suitable for application. Usually such novel idea is subjected to further experimentation, testing and prototyping before it can be implemented. The image below shows how to read TRL’s to categorise the innovative ideas.
Click to enlarge
Why?
Extending the lifetime of steel components under demanding high temperature applications.
How?
Like biological systems, steels can also repair themselves. When a nanoscale crack appears, mobile gold atoms move to the damage site to fill the crack and thereby prevent failure.
When?
Currently a proof of principle. 10-15 years to translate this into products.
Dr. ir. Niels van Dijk