QuesTek plans Niobium Suite for ICMD platform
QuesTek Innovations LLC, Evanston, Illinois, USA, has announced plans to release a Niobium Suite for its ICMD materials design and engineering platform. The development follows work with clients on niobium-containing materials, including a collaboration with niobium supplier CBMM, Araxá, Brazil.
The Niobium Suite will add models and data for niobium-based alloy systems to the ICMD platform. QuesTek states that the tools will allow engineers and materials scientists to evaluate performance trade-offs, model material behaviour in extreme environments, and develop materials for specific applications.
According to QuesTek, the capability is intended to support work in sectors including aerospace and energy, as well as applications involving Additive Manufacturing. The company also worked with CBMM on the use of niobium in advanced materials, including nickel-based superalloys.
“At CBMM, we believe that innovation in materials is essential to address global challenges,” stated Adam Young, Global Business Development Manager, Superalloys & Metals at CBMM. “By combining our expertise in niobium with QuesTek’s advanced computational design capabilities, we are enabling the accelerated development of high-performance materials that can meet the demands of the energy transition and next-generation industrial applications.”
QuesTek states that ICMD can be used to model the influence of niobium on material microstructure and performance, supporting evaluation during the early stages of materials development.
The Niobium Suite also draws on QuesTek’s previous work with government agencies and industry on computational materials design for extreme-environment applications.
In collaboration with the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), QuesTek developed a CALPHAD database and modelling suite for Nb-based alloys, which the company states was validated against an Nb superalloy as part of the ULTIMATE programme. QuesTek states that the resulting capability can be used to model established alloys such as C-103, as well as next-generation Nb superalloys intended for high-temperature applications, including jet engines and in-space thrusters.
Bill Mahoney, Chief Operating Officer, QuesTek Innovations, stated, “The Niobium Suite reflects QuesTek’s commitment to helping customers solve complex materials challenges faster and more predictably. By enabling better decisions earlier in development, we’re helping organisations reduce risk, shorten development cycles, and bring advanced materials to market more efficiently.”
