Thixomat, Inc., an
Ann Arbor, MI based technology development company, is introducing its new Nanomag
technology for the production and marketing of high strength, light weight magnesium
sheet with nanometer microstructures. The process is applicable to the automotive,
aerospace, military, biomedical and other markets. Nanomag material exhibits
the strength of steel at one-fourth the weight.
The process, developed in conjunction with the Department of Material Science
& Engineering at the University of Michigan under the sponsorship of the
National Science Foundation, offers numerous advantages in material integrity
and cost savings over any other product now available, according to Dr. Stephen
LeBeau, Thixomat's President and CEO. NanoMag is a subsidiary of Thixomat.
The foundation of the NanoMag technology is the unique Thixomolding® Thermal
Mechanical Process, TTMP. TTMP is the magnesium industry equivalent of the mini-mill
used to produce lower cost, high quality steel products. The process enables
NanoMag to market its product at extremely favorable pricing according to LeBeau.
Thixomolding is the injection molding of magnesium alloys.
The major advantage of the NanoMag technology is its ability to create fine-grained
strengthening of magnesium alloys at low cost. The net result is a stronger,
more reliable, more formable and lighter weight magnesium sheet with properties
similar to steel and with a comparable strength to density ratio as that of
steel.
Because of its lighter weight, substituting magnesium sheet for aluminum and
other materials reduces vehicle weight and improves fuel consumption. It also
offers greater personal protection as body armor in military applications LeBeau
said.
In addition to military, automotive, aviation and aerospace applications, NanoMag
is applicable as a base material to the manufacture of fuel cells and electronic
products. LeBeau believes the process also will gain wide acceptance in the
biomedical industry as temporary internal body connecting pins and plates since
magnesium dissolves in the body with no adverse effects.
"We've learned that the density and strength of Nanomag material is more
like human bone than virtually any other currently popular implant materials
LeBeau said. Because of this, he sees the possibility of the use of the process
as biodegradable implants for hard tissue."
Posted May 17th, 2009
