Technology

DWA's Micro & Nano MMCs are micro and nano phase particle reinforced aluminum matrix composites made by powder metallurgy (P/M) processes. They are lightweight and have high specific strength and stiffness, high fatigue resistance, high wear resistance, and low Coefficients of Thermal Expansion ("CTE").

Although MMCs have been available for approximately 30 years, the MMC technology developed and introduced by DWAT represents a quantum leap forward in materials and MMC technology. The most studied MMCs have been micro ceramic particle reinforced aluminum matrix composites, processed by ingot metallurgy (I/M). I/M MMCs have increased modulus and decreased CTE but suffer from low strength, low fatigue resistance, low ductility, poor machineability and limited choice of reinforcement materials. I/M MMCs have been used in the automobile and sporting goods markets, but most are no longer used due to their poor performance characteristics.   

P/M MMCs have fundamentally better properties than I/M MMCs and have been used in aerospace and defense applications for years. In particular, P/M composites exhibit significant increases in fatigue resistance.   However, the high cost of traditional P/M MMCs has limited their applications in other markets.  DWA has successfully addressed this issue by developing patent and patent pending processes to dramatically reduce the production cost of P/M MMCs, providing for the first time a cost/benefit relationship that allows its use in a broad range of consumer and consumer related performance markets.