Engineers Edge – Engineers have found that by applying a strong Magnetic field to ferrous metals and other materials that are electrically conductive that they can stabilize the materials grain structure reducing the chance of forming stress cracks.

This discovery and eventual developed application could improve the working stresses and strains of a wide variety of materials used within common machines, such as; aircraft, automotive, industrial power transmission products, electronic devices and medical products.

The study was led by Dimitrios Maroudas, whom is a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was published within the January 25 edition of Physical Review Letters. The research team includes doctoral student Vivek Tomar and M. Rauf Gungor, a research associate professor.

Within metals and other crystalline solid materials that are electrically conductive, stress is generally concentrated on the surface of the material; this is due in part by the manufacturing processes utilized to create the geometry and material. Stress is also induced by assembly of the components interfaces where the materials are joined. By applying an electric field while the materials are under stress one can stabilize the surface or interface, reducing the chance of forming cracks.

“Traditionally, improving crack resistance has relied on improving the physical properties of the surface through polishing, heat treating, coatings, or strengthening the interfaces,” says Maroudas. “Our study proposes a drastically different approach to improving crack resistance and increasing the lifetime of components and devices.”

The process works by applying an electric or magnetic field that will improve the crack resistance by causing atoms on the surface of the material to migrate when hit by the flow of electricity or “electron wind”. This process is similar to sand grains being blown across a beach. When properly applied, the electric field stabilizes the surface of the stressed solid material by transporting material to different areas.

“This finding can have dramatic effects on structures used in modern electronics and nanofabrication technologies,” says Maroudas. “And the broader implications of this work are very exciting. For example, one can consider using magnetic fields for magnetic materials or light for optical materials.”