Prof. Liang Tian
Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
Title: Developing metal-based conductive composites for applications in electric power transmission cables and flexible printed electronics
Abstract:
High-performance conductive composites are essential components in key fields such as renewable energy utilization, high-voltage power transmission, flexible printed electronic devices, and brain-computer interfaces. These materials typically require both high electrical conductivity and superior mechanical properties. Using a novel centrifugal atomization technique and specialized equipment, the authors successfully prepared highly reactive pure calcium metal powder at the micrometer scale. Based on this, they developed a new lightweight, high-strength, and highly conductive aluminum-based pure calcium composite. Compared to conventional industrial aluminum-based cable materials, this composite exhibits a 28% reduction in density, a 58% increase in strength, and a 28% improvement in conductivity, while reducing power transmission losses by 22%. These enhancements contribute to greater reliability in conductive cable materials and improved energy efficiency in high-voltage power transmission. Additionally, the authors developed a new conductive composite ink composed of metal/2D materials. After printing, the flexible circuits’ electrical conductivity is 41.5% higher compared to conventional conductive silver paste under the same printing and sintering conditions, the composite paste demonstrated excellent printability and adhesion to the substrate.
Biography:
Professor Liang Tian, PhD Supervisor, Xi'an Jiaotong University Young Talent (Type A). 2010: B.Eng. in Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University. 2011: M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, USA.2012: M.S. in Engineering Mechanics, Iowa State University, USA.2015: Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University / Ames National Laboratory, USA. From 2015, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and Purdue University, USA. In 2020, he assumed a full-time position as a Senior Engineer in Permanent High-Performance Computing in the United States. His research has been positively featured by international authoritative media such as Advanced Science News, the U.S. Department of Energy, and phys.org. He has published papers in reputable journals (Matter, Acta Materialia, FlexMat, Small), independently developed two computational materials methodology software tools and participated in three U.S. Department of Energy research projects. He has served as the conference co-chairs for 4 times, the conference session co-chairs about 20 times, delivered 2 keynote talks and about 30 invited talks. His research focus on the conductive composite materials for cables at various length scales, conductive nanomaterials for flexible sensors, conductive electrodes for flexible batteries. He has won the prestigious international award Advanced Materials Scientist Medal from IAAM.