QuesTek Innovations will employ a computational materials design approach to high-temperature aluminum alloys, addressing glass-forming alloys compositions that can be fully devitrified to desired novel dispersions of stable, low-misfit, coherent,multicomponent L12-structured A13X compounds with… More

QuesTek Innovations will employ a computational materials design approach to high-temperature aluminum alloys, addressing glass-forming alloys compositions that can be fully devitrified to desired novel dispersions of stable, low-misfit, coherent,multicomponent L12-structured A13X compounds with… More

"A novel computational materials design approach will be applied to demonstrate the feasibility for the development of a nanostructured high-strength, high-toughness stainless steel that meets the stringent mechanical properties for carrier-based aircraftcomponents. Currently, 300M and the higher… More

A novel computational materials design approach is being applied to create a nanostructured high-strength, high-toughness stainless steel that meets the stringent mechanical properties for carrier-based aircraft components. Currently, the Navy uses AerMet100 for critical aerospace components.… More

This Small Business Innovative Research Phase I project focuses on the computational design of a new class of shape memory alloys (SMAs ). In this project advanced computational design methodology will be used to incorporate precipitation strengthening and demonstrate the feasibility of… More

QuesTek Innovations LLC proposes to demonstrate the feasibility for the rapid development of a low-cost, nanostructured high-strength, high-toughness stainless steel for components of the Marine Corps Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV), which experience severe corrosive and abrasive… More

Current rocket propulsion technology is in large part limited by the materials used in component fabrication. QuesTek Innovations is proposing this Phase I SBIR effort to utilize emerging computational design techniques to predictively design and develop an Al-based amorphous alloy that would… More

The Army's SBIR Phase I solicitation seeks to demonstrate the potential for improved bending and contact fatigue strength of gear alloys for increasing the power density of main helicopter gearboxes. QuesTek Innovations proposes to utilize advances in gear steel technology and surface treatment… More

The goal of this program is to develop and qualify a custom-designed alloy for the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), which experiences severe corrosive and abrasive environments, including seawater and sand. In particular, the spindles on this vehicle are… More

78198S Future nuclear reactors (Generation IV) will operate at higher temperatures to allow for increased economic and energy efficiency, as well as to support thermochemical hydrogen production. Ferritic-martensitic alloys are attractive materials for this application, due to their resistance to… More

QuesTek Innovations is proposing to use its computational materials design technology to demonstrate the feasibility of improving the strength of beryllium-free copper alloys to create a non-toxic substitute for beryllium-copper (BeCu) alloys. Beryllium is a unique element used in various alloys… More

The proposed research would be a collaborative effort combining the gear testing expertise of Penn State's Gear Research Institute with the modeling and alloy design expertise of QuesTek Innovations. Engineers from the V22 manufacturer, Bell Helicopter, would be consulted to establish the desired… More

The goal of this STTR program is to design and demonstrate a new carburized gear steel alloy that improves performance and power density for the V22 rotorcraft transmission compared to the incumbent carburized gear steel, X53. This STTR program is a collaborative effort among materials design… More

7xxx series aluminum alloys are widely used for structural components of aircraft such as wing spars due to their high specific strength. Unfortunately, tempering most 7xxx series alloys to peak strength results in susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Despite utilizing the best… More

The United States Navy (USN) uses a number of high strength steels, primarily AerMet100, in demanding landing gear structural applications. Unfortunately AerMet100 is expensive and, despite impressive mechanical properties, is subject to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and requires toxic plating… More

The overall objective of this SBIR program is to design, develop, and qualify an environmentally-benign, Be-free replacement alloy for BeCu bearing alloy AMS 4534 that is used in sliding, load-bearing components of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) using QuesTek's computational materials design… More

A "smart steel" concept is proposed by QuesTek Innovations to enable a major advance in physics-based gear health prognosis. The concept is based around idea that the decay of stable austenite within the cases of gear steels during high-cycle fatigue (HCF) may provide a "state expressive" signature… More

In this Phase I SBIR program, QuesTek proposes to apply its Materials by Designr technology to the design and development of a new castable titanium alloy. Microstructural concepts for the alloy design will focus on improved castability (near-net-shape formability), improved mechanical strength… More

Main rotor shafts, specifically those used on the CH-47, are among the largest, heaviest, and highly loaded single components on rotorcraft. As the materials technology used in these shafts are decades old, (carburized 9310) there exists an opportunity to redesign the component with state-of-the-art… More

DARPA's successful Accelerated Insertion of Materials (AIM) initiative and QuesTek's Materials by Designr technology have together demonstrated the benefit of an integrated methodology incorporating emerging computational materials simulations to reduce the time and resources required for developing… More

The United States Navy (USN) uses a number of high strength steels, primarily AerMet100, in demanding landing gear structural applications. Unfortunately AerMet100 is expensive and, despite impressive mechanical properties, is subject to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and requires plating… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will design and develop a new high performance Ni superalloy material for high temperature heat exchanger applications. The alloy design will leverage existing QuesTek efforts on Ni superalloy modeling, design, and prototyping, including… More

QuesTek proposes to apply its Materials by Designr technology to the development of a multiscale modeling architecture of ultra-high strength (UHS) steel corrosion behavior. In Phase I, models developed within this architecture will consider the underlying microstructure and nanostructure of the… More

Most aerospace aluminum alloys are anodized in order to enhance corrosion resistance. Unfortunately, anodization can reduce fatigue strength by as much as 40%, and also results in a hazardous materials waste-stream. Under this proposed SBIR program, QuesTek Innovations LLC, a leader in the field of… More

QuesTek proposes to apply its Materials by Designf technology to the design and development of a new high performance soft magnetic material. Working closely with our OEM partner (Hamilton Sundstrand) and with our research institution collaborator (Northwestern University), we will identify the… More

Cathodic protection methods, employing a sacrificial anode, are used to prevent corrosion of iron-based structural components in marine environments. However, as a consequence of galvanic coupling, hydrogen charging of high-strength steels occurs leading to hydrogen embrittlement and… More

QuesTek proposes to apply its Materials by Designr technology to the design and development of a new material for Navy railgun armature applications. Microstructural concepts for new alloy designs will focus on improved strength, on improved conductivity (electrical and thermal), increased heat… More

Rising natural gas prices, concerns about CO2 and NOx emissions, and a desire to efficiently utilize coal resources have increased interest in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and other advanced power plant technologies that promise to be environmentally friendly, to emit lower levels… More

This Phase I project applies QuesTek's unique computational materials design technology to the development of ductile, oxidation-resistant, and creep-resistant MoCr superalloys for use at 1300oC and above. Mo-Si-B or Nb-based systems developed for such demanding structural applications have… More

QuesTek will evaluate the feasibility of using Ferrium S53r as the main rotor shaft mast material in Navy helicopters to eliminate the need for toxic cadmium plating, reduce weight and increase toughness (durability), fatigue resistance, general corrosion resistance and SCC resistance. The alloys… More

To meet the increasing performance requirements of modern aeroturbine engines, a significant opportunity exists with the Dual Microstructure Heat Treatment (DMHT) technology for nickel-based aeroturbine disks. However, use of DMHT results in gradient microstructures and a major hurdle in perfecting… More

Aircraft wheels and brakes are subject to high energy braking events and harsh operating conditions. Constant improvements are being sought in key material properties for this demanding application in order to enable component weight reductions and reduce life-cycle costs. Under this proposed SBIR… More

Increasing the steam temperature of supercritical boilers from 1,000°F to 1,400°F can raise the operating efficiency of next-generation coal-fired power plants from about 32% to about 42%. However, traditional ferritic, austenitic, and nickel-based alloys struggle to meet 1,400°F (and… More

Silicon (Si) based ceramic matrix composites (CMC) are one of the leading candidates for structural components in next generation gas turbine engines. There are several driving forces behind the introduction of ceramics in the hot-structure zone in jet engines including (i) the demand for higher… More

In this proposed Phase II STTR program, QuesTek will apply its Materials by Design(TM) technology to the continued development of new high performance soft magnetic alloys. Working closely with the Air Force, with our OEM partner (Hamilton Sundstrand) and with our STTR research institution… More

QuesTek Innovations LLC proposes to expand its computational Materials by Design technology by developing a"design toolkit"that enables the computational design and development of oxidation- and creep-resistant ductile multicomponent Molybdenum-based superalloys for use at 1300 &… More

In this Phase II SBIR program, QuesTek will apply its Materials by Designr technology to the final design and development of a new castable titanium alloy for Army applications. Using cast Ti-6Al-4V as a property goal baseline, the aim is to develop a new castable alloy composition, exploring design… More

Main rotor shafts, specifically those used on the CH-47, are among the largest, heaviest, and highly loaded single components on rotorcraft. As the materials technology used in these shafts are decades old, (carburized 9310) there exists an opportunity to redesign the component with state-of-the-art… More

Aircraft wheels are subject to high energy braking events and harsh operating conditions. Constant improvements are being sought in key material properties for this demanding application in order to enable component weight reductions and reduce life-cycle costs. In the Phase I SBIR program, QuesTek… More

Under this SBIR program, QuesTek proposes to develop novel thermo-mechanical processing techniques to enhance the bending and contact fatigue resistance of high strength secondary hardening matensitic steels such as FerriumAr C64 for rotorcraft drive train components. A systems-engineering approach… More

Cathodic protection methods, employing a sacrificial anode, are used to prevent corrosion of iron-based structural components in marine environments. However, as a consequence of galvanic coupling, hydrogen charging of high-strength steels occurs leading to hydrogen embrittlement and… More

The United States Navy (USN) currently uses a low-alloyed high strength steels, 4330V, for tailhook (shoe) applications. Unfortunately, there have been issues with the wear and thermal resistivity of 4330V that have led to short component lifetimes of 100-200 uses, as well as significant… More

Environmental barrier coated (EBC) SiC fiber-based ceramic matrix composites (CMC) are targeted for use in propulsion and power applications because of their high temperature capability, creep resistance and high thermal conductivity. However EBCs have been shown to be highly susceptible to foreign… More

QuesTek Innovations LLC, a leader in the field of computational materials design, proposes to develop a new liner material and manufacturing processes, enabling a fully-lined machine gun barrel system to withstand the extreme conditions of sustained fire. Currently, warfighters must typically carry… More

Rising natural gas prices, concerns about CO2 and NOx emissions, and a desire to efficiently utilize natural resources have increased interest in nuclear energy technology. However, next generation fission and fusion energy will require advanced new structural alloys with the ability to maintain… More

Increasing the steam temperature of supercritical boilers from 1,000F to 1,400F can raise the operating efficiency of next-generation AUSC coal-fired power plants from about 32% to about 42% and address compelling environmental issues, while also enhancing national security, domestic employment,… More

ABSTRACT: Isothermal and cyclic oxidation at elevated temperatures could severely limit performance of high temperature materials and components for aerospace application. With ever increasing engine operating temperatures for better fuel efficiency, oxidation and its interaction with fracture… More

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is pursuing high-performance aluminum castings for structural components of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV). Aluminum alloy A206 has been considered for these applications; however, this alloy is susceptible to hot tearing during casting, and has… More

Flight-critical components in aircraft and helicopters experience complex service and loading conditions comprising of spectrum (variable amplitude) loading during their lifetime. Due to complex interaction of several life-limiting factors during spectrum loading, particularly, multiple fatigue… More

Lightweight, high-strength aluminum alloys are widely used for structural components of aircraft and ships. However all high-strength aluminum alloys, such as 7050-T74, are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and general corrosion in chloride environments, and the repair and maintenance… More

The Phase II.5 program will focus on production of demonstration T-45 hook shank components from the alloy, Ferrium M54, developed under the Phase II SBIR Program. The goals of the Phase II.5 program are to produce demonstration components from Ferrium M54, complete rig testing of the components at… More

QuesTek will evaluate the feasibility of using Ferrium S53 as the main rotor shaft mast material in Navy helicopters to eliminate the need for toxic cadmium plating, reduce weight and increase toughness (durability), fatigue resistance, general corrosion resistance and SCC resistance. The alloys… More

In this proposed Phase II SBIR program, QuesTek Innovations will work to qualify its advanced, secondary-hardening steels for demanding Navy arresting gear tailhook applications (without the requirement for specialized coatings that provide thermal/wear resistance).

In Phase I of this SBIR program, QuesTek successfully demonstrated a novel thermomechanical processing technique to enhance the bending fatigue resistance of Ferrium C64 steel. A systems-engineering approach was followed to identify key microstructure attributes (e.g., nonmetallic inclusions) that… More

A notable failure mechanism in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) is the attack by calcium-magnesium-alumino silicate (CMAS) deposits resulting from the ingestion of siliceous minerals with the intake of air. Existing TBC systems such as yittria partially stabilized zirconia (YSZ) are highly… More

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is actively funding research to significantly enhance the thermal efficiency of coal-fired steam boilers for power generation through the use of advanced ultra-supercritical (A-USC) steam temperatures and pressures. Since coal fired power plants are the dominant… More

The development of a reliable and safe fusion energy source will require advances in a number of technological areas, including high temperature materials with good mechanical properties that are also resistant to radiation embrittlement. Because tungsten has the highest melting point (3410C) and… More

Under this SBIR program, QuesTek Innovations LLC will apply its computational alloy design methodology and experience with high-Cr stainless ferritic alloy and oxidation modeling to create a novel low-cost alloy for SOFC with low Cr volatility and high oxidation resistance that is also weldable, to… More

High performance gear and bearing materials are necessary to achieve long life and efficient operation of aerospace drive system turbine machinery operating in a marine environment. Current materials capable of providing fatigue and pitting resistance do not provide the desired corrosion resistance.… More

High-performance, stainless bearing steel is needed to achieve long life and efficient operation of aerospace drive system turbine machinery operating in a corrosive environment. Available aerospace gear alloys such as Pyrowear 53, 9310, and Ferrium C64 are not corrosion resistant. Other options may… More

A high-performance, stainless bearing steel is needed to reduce maintenance inspection intervals and increase life of MH-60S hanger bearings operating in a corrosive environment. Available bearing alloys such as 440C, Pyrowear 675, etc. provide some level of corrosion resistance, but ultimately,… More

Turbo-shaft engines operating in desert environments are continuously exposed to erosive media, such as sand particles. This environment leads to compressor airfoil erosion resulting in significant performance loss of the engine, reducing fleet readiness and increasing maintenance costs.… More