Computational materials engineering firm QuesTek Innovations has released its Niobium Suite within the ICMD materials design and engineering platform.
The new capability builds on a series of successful client engagements involving Niobium-containing materials and an additional collaboration with CBMM, a global leader in Niobium production and technology. QuesTek anticipates it will open up applications in such sectors as additive manufacturing.
According to QuesTek, the Niobium Suite expands ICMD’s capabilities by incorporating advanced models and data specific to Niobium-based alloy systems. This allows engineers and materials scientists to evaluate performance trade-offs more efficiently, predict behaviour in extreme environments, and design materials tailored to specific applications. QuesTek expects it to significantly reduce development timelines and reliance on expensive trial-and-error experimentation.
Since niobium plays a key role in enhancing strength, durability, and high-temperature performance in advanced materials, QuesTek believes customers will be able to unlock new applications and optimise existing systems across industries including aerospace, energy, and additive manufacturing.
By leveraging ICMD, QuesTek says organisations can rapidly simulate how Niobium-based materials influence microstructure and performance, enabling faster iteration and more confident decision-making early in the development process.
"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,"said Bill Mahoney, Chief Operating Officer, QuesTek Innovations.
The development of the Niobium Suite is grounded in QuesTek’s hands-on work with clients tackling complex materials challenges. QuesTek has worked with CBMM to expand understanding of niobium's role in advanced materials such as nickel-based superalloys, while collaborating with government agencies and industry to advance computational materials design for extreme-environment applications.
In collaboration with ARPA-E, QuesTek created a 'state-of-the-art' CALPHAD database and modelling suite for Nb-based alloys, validated against a novel Nb-superalloy on the ULTIMATE program. This capability enables aerospace and space companies to more accurately model and optimise both established alloys like C-103 and next-generation Nb-superalloys for high-temperature applications, including jet engines and in-space thrusters.
“At CBMM, we believe that innovation in materials is essential to address global challenges. 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,” added Adam Young, Global Business Development Manager, Superalloys & Metals at CBMM.
