The SONG Lab: Science Of Next-Gen Manufacturing

About the Lab

Our research focuses on the design, manufacturing, and diagnostics of extreme materials, particularly ceramics and composites, that operate under harsh thermal and mechanical conditions. Our research aims to advance next-generation additive manufacturing systems with embedded intelligence for multiscale tunability and real-time adaptability. Our group develops novel additive manufacturing processes and employs multiscale in situ experimental tools, including high-speed optical imaging and high-speed spectroscopy, to probe material dynamics during processing and under operando conditions. Some unique manufacturing capabilities developed by our lab include:

• Sustainable AM of large-scale ceramics. Our hydrothermal-assisted jet fusion (HJF) process utilizes a selective cold sintering mechanism to fabricate complex ceramic structures and holds the potential to print ceramics under significantly reduced temperatures and on a larger scale.
• Versatile AM of dissimilar-phase composites. Our hydrothermal-assisted multi jet fusion (HMJF) process can seamlessly integrate dissimilar materials in a single volume, including ceramic-polymer, ceramic-metal, etc., enabling novel structural and functional properties.
• Versatile AM of energetic composites. Our pressure-assisted multi-jet fusion (P-MJF) process can locally tailor energetic crystals at the microscale, achieving energetic composites with highly tailorable compositions and microstructures.