Light metal

With demand for light metals tipped to soar in the next 15 years, a new Monash University-led research centre will look at how the Australian industry can become more competitive.

The ARC Centre of Excellence For Design In Light Metals has been opened at the Clayton campus of Monash University.

Dr Astrid Nordmann from Monash's Department of Materials Engineering is the centre's chief operating officer. She said the centre would investigate the development of light alloys and light hybrid materials based on three metals - aluminium, magnesium and titanium.

The CSIRO forecasts global demand for these metals will soar by the year 2020, with a 200% rise for magnesium and a 30% rise for aluminium. It believes the sky is the limit for Australia's emerging titanium industry.

Dr Nordmann said the centre aimed to make light metal alloys perform better and develop a wider range of uses for them, such as in automotive and aerospace applications, and in packaging applications such as computer casings.

One of five major programs the centre will conduct is a study of potential uses for powdered titanium. Titanium has the potential to be used in a range of applications requiring high strength, lightweight materials, but at the moment it is not widely used in manufacturing because the cost is prohibitive. The centre will be looking at developing both cheaper raw materials and cheaper processing routes.

The centre will operate on a budget of more than $21 million for the period 2006-2010, with almost $15 million of federal funding through the Australian Research Council. The balance will come from the Victorian government and contributions from the five universities also taking part.

Monash's partners in the project are the University of Queensland, Deakin University, the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne.