Pursue "magnesium" all his life and persist in doing useful scientific research-- A record of Ding Wenjiang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor of Shanghai Jiaotong University

"I don't deserve to be the most beautiful scientific and technological worker, but magnesium is what I pursue all my life." Learning that he was selected as the "most beautiful scientific and technological worker" in Shanghai in 2021, Ding Wenjiang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor of Shanghai Jiaotong University, quipped. From flame retardant magnesium alloys to main load-bearing magnesium-rare earth alloys, from lightweight structural materials to various functional materials, magnesium alloys have more and more applications in the fields of transportation, electronic information, aerospace, medicine and health, and even agriculture. Under the guidance of the long-term research of Ding Wenjiang and his team, magnesium has got rid of its tangible body and become a magical substance full of personality and magic.

"combine the essence with the material, the material should be made into material, the material should be made into a device, and the device should be easy to use." This is the 16-character scientific research thought of material science summed up by Ding Wenjiang. He believes that material science research must pursue "usefulness", basic research must serve engineering scientific research, and then use the benefits obtained from the transformation of scientific and technological achievements to feed basic research.

Let "Chinese magnesium" take the lead in the world

High performance magnesium alloy is the core of Ding Wenjiang's research for decades. He said that when he entered this field in the 1980s, he was influenced by Santana cars. "there are two parts made of magnesium on the car, so light, so rich in features, it's really novel." Lightweight is the goal of almost all industrial fields, and the economic value of 1 gram reduced by rockets is equal to 1 gram of gold. The proportion of magnesium in practical metal structural materials is the smallest, which is only 2 to 3 of aluminum and 1 to 4 of steel. What is more rare is that China is also a big country of magnesium metal, accounting for more than 90% of the world's reserves and production.

It is imperative to develop "Chinese magnesium". After repeated experiments, Ding Wenjiang found that by adding two kinds of heavy rare earths, the ignition point of magnesium alloy can be greatly increased from 520 ℃ to 935 ℃, and the tensile strength is more than 500 MPA. The "open-hanging" magnesium alloy realizes the subversive leap from the non-load-bearing structure to the main load-bearing structure, and can be used to manufacture helicopter casing, automobile engine and so on. Recalling his initial R & D experience, he said with emotion: "because technology is an international initiative, from furnace body, materials to technology, we have to go through each step slowly."

Nowadays, magnesium alloy materials in China have been found in many fields, such as aerospace, national defense industry, energy, medical treatment, agriculture and so on.

Constantly open up the boundary of "magnesium"

In addition to being light, magnesium can also be used as a solid-state memory for hydrogen. Pointing to the silver-gray "tablets" stored in a small glass bottle on the bookshelf, Ding Wenjiang told me that it was filled with "recycled hydrogen storage magnesium alloy", and each piece was full of "energy." It turns out that one magnesium atom can carry two hydrogen atoms. The magnesium-based hydrogen storage material developed by Ding Wenjiang's team can store hydrogen in solid form and release it under certain conditions. As soon as this is received and released, it is a hydrogen fuel cell. In the case of drones, for example, the flight time of drones, which used to be only half an hour at a time, can now be extended to four to six hours and can fly 300 kilometers in one breath.

Magnesium-hydrogen bonding material is a new field that Ding Wenjiang team is developing and applying. "you girls are all very concerned about beauty. If you combine magnesium with hydrogen, you can also make skin care products." He said that as long as the magnesium hydrogen "small tablets" into the spray water, you can get a bottle of transparent beauty water, because hydrogen can selectively neutralize harmful free radicals. Magnesium hydrogen materials can also be made into solid drinks to participate in human magnesium supplements, because magnesium is an essential element in our body, and many diseases caused by hormone secretion difficulties are related to magnesium deficiency.

It is reported that the hydrogen Science Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University started operation in June 2018, focusing on key scientific issues in the fields of hydrogen energy, hydrogen medicine and hydrogen agronomy. In July this year, the Shanghai hydrogen Science and Technology Research Association was established, which will build a platform for the development of hydrogen science and technology.

Usefulness is the Soul of material Research

Ding Wenjiang often teaches students that when making materials, they must persevere and "go deep into their nature" instead of looking at "money." He also said that "materials are useful materials, and usefulness is the soul of material research." he, who is engaged in basic research in colleges and universities, attaches great importance to the transformation of his achievements.

In a conversation with a doctor, Ding Wenjiang noticed that many patients with fractures or heart disease had metal stents buried in their bodies after recovery, and many people had to endure the second pain and then operate to remove the stents. He had a flash: magnesium is not only degradable, but also a beneficial element for the human body, can magnesium alloy replace the traditional medical metal stent? As a result, he immediately led the team to develop a new generation of controllable degradable medical magnesium alloys. After a year of tackling key problems, he finally developed intraosseous plant instruments and cardiovascular prototypes with international advanced level. At present, animal experiments have been successful. Magnesium alloy bone nail products have been carried out in 16 human clinical trials, all of which have been successful.

"We need to do effective scientific research, not Bubble scientific research, and our research needs to be closely linked to the actual needs and problems." This is the original intention of Ding Wenjiang to do scientific research. In the scientific research front facing the frontiers of science and technology of the world, the major needs of the country, the main battlefield of the economy, and the life and health of the people, he is still moving forward in pursuit of magnesium.