Materials For Energy
This research area focuses on the role of materials in the advancement of new and
existing energy sources. Energy is an area where materials technology plays a particularly
important role in meeting the needs of the future. Environmental issues related to
energy generation, conservation, and storage will continue to drive the role of materials
in energy technology. The high priority of energy makes it important to sustain research,
development and modeling of materials for energy applications.
Lithium ion batteries, ceramic battery materials; Surface and interface dynamics; Thin films and nanostructures; Thermodynamics; Magnetic materials; Diffusional instabilities and applications of electron microscopy
Graphene for solar energy; Dye-sensitized solar cells; Photocatalysis; Synthesis of novel solid materials and liquid fuels from CO2; Hydrogen storage materials; Synthesis, structures and properties of nano-structured materials; Heterogeneous catalysis for energy and fuels; Predictions of material properties
Auger electron spectroscopy/microscopy; Corrosion and environmental effects; Fracture and failure of materials; Interfacial segregation and fracture; Intermetallic compounds; Materials joining; Process and synthesis of alloys
Auger electron spectroscopy/microscopy; Corrosion and environmental effects; Fracture and failure of materials; Interfacial segregation and fracture; Intermetallic compounds; Materials joining; Process and synthesis of alloys
Innovations in Materials Processing
Industrial materials result from a complex series of processing steps that transform
natural resources into finished parts or products. This area of materials science
and engineering, known at Materials Processing, can range from refining of the raw
materials, to forming the final engineering component into a desired shape, while
at the same time achieving the required properties for a given application. Research
in this area focuses on the development of new processing techniques or optimization
of traditional operations, with the goal of improving materials performance and reliability,
while minimizing cost and reducing energy consumption.
Adhesion of fine particles; Characterization of materials’ surfaces; Biodegradable implant materials; Wetting of solids and liquids; Colloidal properties of particles; Recycling of materials; Minerals and oil sands processing
Graphene for solar energy; Dye-sensitized solar cells; Photocatalysis; Synthesis of novel solid materials and liquid fuels from CO2; Hydrogen storage materials; Synthesis, structures and properties of nano-structured materials; Heterogeneous catalysis for energy and fuels; Predictions of material properties
Materials Processing; Microwave; Hydrogen Storage Material; Energy; Recycling; Extractive Metallurgy; Environmental Engineering
Microstructural mapping in laser additive manufactured titanium; Modeling and characterization of Nextel® reinforced aluminum metal matrix composites; Reactive synthesis processes; Thermomechanical processing; Co-deformation of multiphase alloys; Mechanisms of strengthening
Alloy design in Al, Cu, Fe, Ni, and MPEAs ; Apply ICME and statistical tools with machine learning and DOEs in alloy optimization; Verify via production through casting, wrought processing (extrusion, rolling, drawing, swaging), and/or (wire) additive manufacturing; Applications in sustainability (recycling), transportation (lightweighting), and efficiency (thermal stability)
Thermodynamics and phase diagram modeling; Diffusion and solid-state reaction kinetics, and the application of these principles to the solution of materials problems
Development of Functional Materials
There is an emerging class of materials having physical and chemical properties which
are sensitive to changes in the environment such as temperature, pressure, electric
field, magnetic field, optical wavelength, and the pH value. We call these Functional
Materials and they are distinctly different from structural materials. This research
focuses on the development of new functional materials for application in the areas
of information science, communication, microelectronics, medical treatment, life science,
energy, and transportation, safety engineering and military technologies.
Lithium ion batteries, ceramic battery materials; Surface and interface dynamics; Thin films and nanostructures; Thermodynamics; Magnetic materials; Diffusional instabilities and applications of electron microscopy
Heteroepitaxial growth on compliant substrates; Fabrication, characterization, and properties of nanoscale layered structures; Integration of dissimilar materials through wafer bonding; The relationship between structural, optical, and electronic properties of heterostructures; Quantitative x-ray diffraction analysis; Materials Science curriculum development at all educational levels; The relationship between information and atoms
Integrated Computational Materials Engineering
A key component to materials education and research is understanding how processes
produce material structures, how these structures give rise to material properties,
and consequently, how best to select a material for a given application. This research
area focuses on how to design materials, and ultimately products, using fundamental
and empirical models at multiple length scales that allow engineers to choose the
optimal materials and the associated materials processing methods.
Lithium ion batteries, ceramic battery materials; Surface and interface dynamics; Thin films and nanostructures; Thermodynamics; Magnetic materials; Diffusional instabilities and applications of electron microscopy
Graphene for solar energy; Dye-sensitized solar cells; Photocatalysis; Synthesis of novel solid materials and liquid fuels from CO2; Hydrogen storage materials; Synthesis, structures and properties of nano-structured materials; Heterogeneous catalysis for energy and fuels; Predictions of material properties
Microstructure Evolution in Crystalline Solids; Solid State Phase Transformations; Magnetic Domains; Single Crystal Diffraction and Diffuse Scattering; Computational Materials Science
Microstructural mapping in laser additive manufactured titanium; Modeling and characterization of Nextel® reinforced aluminum metal matrix composites; Reactive synthesis processes; Thermomechanical processing; Co-deformation of multiphase alloys; Mechanisms of strengthening
Thermodynamics and phase diagram modeling; Diffusion and solid-state reaction kinetics, and the application of these principles to the solution of materials problems
Alloy design in Al, Cu, Fe, Ni, and MPEAs ; Apply ICME and statistical tools with machine learning and DOEs in alloy optimization; Verify via production through casting, wrought processing (extrusion, rolling, drawing, swaging), and/or (wire) additive manufacturing; Applications in sustainability (recycling), transportation (lightweighting), and efficiency (thermal stability)
Phase Transforming Materials for Advanced Properties; In-Situ Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction and Neutron Scattering of Single Crystals, Diffuse Scattering of Nanodomains; Dielectric, Ferroelectric, Magnetoelectric Materials and Composites; Colloidal Self-Assembly in Multi-Liquid-Phase Systems; Modeling and Simulation of Microstructures and Properties
