Mechanical and electrical properties of nanocrystalline metals and alloys

Interdisciplinary Areas: Future Manufacturing, Micro-, Nano-, and Quantum Engineering, Power, Energy, and the Environment

Project Description

Nanocrystalline (NC) metals typically possess high strength, but low ductility and poor thermal stability. This project offers great potential to deliver high strength, ductile, thermally stable, and electrically conducting nanocomposites via the formation of 3D interlocking network of phase boundaries. The proposed studies include the following major tasks: (1) synthesize NC metals with PBs via combinatorial synthesis technique, (2) explore the influence of phase boundaries on mechanical behavior of NC metals, (3) investigate electrical conductivity of nanocrystalline metals and alloys, (4) Molecular dynamics simulations will couple intimately with experimental studies to reveal deformation and fracture mechanisms at the atomistic level.

Start Date

March, 2020

Postdoc Qualifications

Promising candidates shall have Ph.D. in materials science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or related subject, with prior knowledge in characterization of materials, and has experience in modeling the mechanical behavior of materials by molecular dynamics simulations.

Co-advisors

Xinghang Zhang
xzhang98@purdue.edu
School of Materials Engineering
Purdue University
https://engineering.purdue.edu/MSE/people/ptProfile?id=139184

Guang Lin
guanglin@purdue.edu
Director of Data Science Consulting Service
Dept. Mathematics
Purdue University
https://www.math.purdue.edu/~lin491/

References

Jie Ding, Q. Li, Jin Li, S. Xue, Z. Fan, H. Wang, X. Zhang, Mechanical behavior of structurally gradient nickel alloy, Acta Materialia, 149 (2018) 57-67.
 
Cuncai Fan, Dongyue Xie, Jin Li, Zhongxia Shang, Youxing Chen, Sichuang Xue, Jian Wang, Meimei Li, Anter El-Azab, Haiyan Wang, Xinghang Zhang, 9R phase enabled superior radiation stability of nanotwinned Cu alloys via in situ radiation at elevated temperature, Acta Materialia, 167 (2019) 248-256. 
 
Qiang Li, Sichuang Xue, Jian Wang, Shuai Shao, Anthony H Kwong, Adenike Giwa, Zhe Fan, Yue Liu, Zhimin Qi, Jie Ding, Han Wang, Julia R Greer, Haiyan Wang, Xinghang Zhang, High‐Strength Nanotwinned Al Alloys with 9R Phase, Advanced Materials, 30 (2018) 1704629.
 
Zhe Fan, Qiang Li, Jin Li, Sichuang Xue, Haiyan Wang, Xinghang Zhang, Tailoring plasticity of metallic glasses via interfaces in Cu/amorphous CuNb laminates, J. Mater. Research, 32 (2017) 2680-2689. (Invited feature article)
 
Y. F. Zhang, Q. Li, S. C. Xue, Jie Ding, D. Y. Xie, Jin Li, Tongjun Niu, Han Wang, Haiyan Wang, J. Wang and X. Zhang, Ultra-strong nanotwinned Al–Ni solid solution alloys with significant plasticity, Nanoscale, 10 (2018) 22025.