Carl Jonsson

Thesis Title

Computational Design of Alternate Binders for Tungsten Carbide Hardmetals

Research overview

My research uses an Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) approach to search for alternate binder compositions for tungsten carbide hardmetals using a reduced order model. This model was derived by combining the densification mechanisms present in cobalt containing compacts with the rate enhancing factors governing densification. The model incorporates thermodynamic and kinetic components coupled to a multi-objective genetic algorithm. It allows compositions optimized for sintering to be ranked against those optimized for mechanical properties to form Pareto sets. By incorporating the sinterability and mechanical properties of the system simultaneously, alternatives that are manufacturable using existing procedures can be determined.

Supervisors

Prof Graham Schaffer

Dr Tesfaye Molla

Qualifications

B.Eng. Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australia (2017)