Materials Structure and Processing Science

The Materials Structure and Processing Science Section conducts fundamental and applied materials research for energy and national security related programs and technologies including sustainable energy sources, fossil energy, fusion energy, nuclear power, extreme materials and processes, Department of Defense activities, and space exploration. Basic and applied research programs utilize multiple industrial scale processing facilities and research tools, focusing on the areas of: 

  • Creation and development of new metallic, ceramic, and composite materials 
  • Developing novel joining techniques with emphasis on creating expertise and capabilities
  • Understanding and modeling materials joining interactions across multi-spatial and temporal scales 
  • Innovation and development of advanced coatings, surface functionalization, and fluid technologies for enhanced wear/corrosion protection and thermal management 
  • Development of new designed synthesis and advanced manufacturing techniques with emphasis on processing impact on multiscale material properties

Vision

Advance scientific understanding of multiscale material interactions that create new materials and processing science to enable revolutionary performance enhancements

Mission

Innovate and develop new alloys, processing capabilities, coatings, ceramics, fluids, and materials for enhanced multiscale properties and interactions in various transportation, energy, and national security applications

 

The Materials Structure and Processing Science Section focuses on understanding, developing and applying advanced processing techniques to obtain desired materials structures and properties across length scales. 

This section encompasses the following research groups:

Alloy Behavior and Design Group — Develops fundamental understanding of how to design and synthesize structural and functional alloys (e.g. HEA) for extreme environments based on advanced microstructural characterization, and modelling and design techniques.

Materials for Advanced Manufacturing Group — Designs, fabricates and characterizes the next generation of materials for use in advanced manufacturing.

Materials Joining Group — Advances materials joining science through development of new joining technologies by understanding weld microstructure evolution, properties and performance.

Metals and Composites Processing Group — Designs and develops next generation advanced processing techniques for development of hybrid and refractory materials for application in extreme environments by understanding processing pathways and thermodynamic/kinetics (e.g., CVD, CVI, densification).

Surface Engineering And Tribology Group — Performs basic and applied research to create and develop innovative coatings, fluids, colloids, and nanomaterial technologies for enhanced wear/corrosion protection and thermal management.