Bio
Dr. Xiang (Frank) Chen is a Senior R&D staff member within the Materials Science & Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In his role, he leads the Materials Research Pathway for the Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program. Additionally, Dr. Chen acts as the principal investigator for various U.S. Department of Energy initiatives, including those focused on Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Light Water Reactor Sustainability, and Fusion Energy Science.
His research focuses on understanding the mechanical behavior of structural materials in extreme environments, as well as establishing connections between mechanical properties and materials microstructure. With a wealth of expertise, Dr. Chen has contributed significantly to the field, boasting over 140 publications in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, conference proceedings, and technical reports.
Dr. Chen's contributions extend beyond publications, as he holds two patents for advanced high-strength steels designed for use in automobile applications. His academic background includes a Ph.D. degree and an M.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, complemented by a B.E. degree in Nuclear Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Professional Experience
- Lead for the Materials Research Pathway of the DOE-NE Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program (03/2023 – present)
- Senior Research Staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (04/2025 – present)
- Research Staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (01/2022 – 03/2025)
- Research Associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (06/2016-12/2021)
- Research Engineer at ArcelorMittal East Chicago Global R&D (10/2014 – 06/2016)
- Postdoctoral Research Associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (07/2012 – 09/2014)
Awards
- DOE Secretary’s Honor Achievement Award for DecaBDE Response Team, 2024
- Covered in the ASM International news coverage for the development of fracture toughness analysis software which was added into the ASTM standard, 2020
- Covered in LWRS newsletter for the development of fracture toughness analysis software which was added into the ASTM standard, 2020
- Covered in ORISE newsletter for mentoring summer intern student in developing fracture toughness analysis software which was added into the ASTM standard, 2020
- Cover page appearance of April 2014 Issue of Advanced Materials & Processes, 2014
- Outstanding contribution in reviewing for the Journal of Nuclear Materials, 2014
- Alpha Nu Sigma nuclear engineering honor society, 2010-present
- American Nuclear Society Graduate Scholarship Award, 2010-2011
- University of Illinois graduate college conference travel award, 2008 & 2010
- University of Pisa, Italy scholarship for the development of sensors for the measurement of diffusible hydrogen in steels, 2009
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University bulletin board system “Study Abroad” program vice president, 2005
- China National Scholarship, 2003-2004 (top 5% in the College of Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University)
Education
- PhD, Nuclear Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2012
- MS, Nuclear Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008
- BE, Nuclear Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2005
Professional Service
- ASTM E08 and E10 committee members. Co-chair for the ASTM E08.07.06 task group in charge of ductile-brittle transition fracture toughness. Participate standard development activities for ASTM standards E399, E900, E1820, and E1921 by joining working groups and round-robin testing, attending committee meetings and giving technical presentations, casting votes for ballots, etc. Made significant contributions in adding Annex 18 related to the application of DCPD technique into the ASTM E1820 standard and the revision of the ASTM E900 standard
- International advisory committee for 21st International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials (ICFRM-21)
- Session chair for the irradiation damage session of the 21st International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors
- Co-chaired ASME 2022-2023 PVP conference MF-06 sessions entitled "Materials and Technologies for Nuclear Power Plants." and CS-22 session entitled "Fracture Toughness and Other Small Specimen Mechanical Properties."
- Participant of IAEA Coordinated Research Project on “Towards the Standardization of Small Specimen Test Techniques for Fusion Applications.” Lead the task group for applying the ASTM E1921 Master Curve method for fracture toughness characterization of small size specimens
- Reviewer for more than ten academic journals, including ASTM Selected Technical Papers, ASME PVP, Materials Science and Engineering: A, Metallurgical and Materials Transaction A, Journal of Nuclear Materials, Fusion Engineering and Design, etc.
Professional Affiliations
- ASTM International
- American Nuclear Society
Specialized Equipment
Fracture mechanics testing, Charpy impact, Fatigue, Tensile, digital image correlation, hot cell PIE
Trademarks and Patents
- O. Yakubovsky, D. Fan, H.J. Jun, N. Pottore, X. Chen, COLD ROLLED AND COATED STEEL SHEET AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THEREOF, WO 2020/245627 A1, 10 December 2020
- H. J. Jun, N. Pottore, D. Fan, X. Chen, O. Yakubovsky, COLD ROLLED AND COATED STEEL SHEET AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THEREOF, WO 2020/245678 A1, 10 December 2020