The potential of new materials for the transportation industry is vast and exciting. This includes materials for reduced weight (composites, aluminum, magnesium, and combinations of these); materials for increased strength (for smaller engines running at increasing pressures for instance); materials and manufacturing processes with a gentler footprint on the environment, including recyclability; and, materials as solutions or enablers for improved processes and devices, from sensors and injectors to fuel cells and heat-recovery systems. The University of Alabama is proud of its work specifically in the following areas:
- Composites
- Magnesium and other lighter-weight metals
- Joining of different materials, to build parts with higher strength where needed and less weight where appropriate
- Diamond coating of tools for advanced manufacturing
- Plastic and composite manufacturing processes with lower environmental impact, and with recyclability as a goal