Materials mechanics has always been a source of wonderfully challenging problems. It has stimulated the development of new mechanics theories, experimental methods and modeling techniques. Few ongoing projects in the M3D group are listed below,
Title: Modeling the collaborative effect of microstructure and corrosion on crack growth resistance and pattern
Sponsor: American Chemical Society – Petroleum Research Fund
Description: The energy transportation network of the United States consists of over 2.5 million miles of buried pipelines. The crack growth resistance and pattern in the materials used in the buried pipelines are highly sensitive to the corrosive environment. Depending on the corrosive process these materials may undergo intergranular or transgranular, brittle or quasi-cleavage fracture. These same materials undergo transgranular ductile fracture prior to being exposed to in-service conditions. The goal of this project is to understand the collaborative effects of microstructure and corrosion on the material’s crack growth resistance and pattern.
Title: Multi-Information Source Value of Information Based Design of Multiphase Structural Materials
Sponsor: National Science Foundation, CMMI-DEMS
Collaborators: Douglas Allaire (MEEN, TAMU), Raymundo Arroyave (MSEN, TAMU), Ibrahim Karaman (MSEN, TAMU)
Description: The goal of this research project is to create a multi-information source value-of-information based framework for the design of complex, multi-component, multi-phase advanced steels. In materials science a material design problem that exploits the chemistry-processing-microstructure-properties paradigm is often expensive, time consuming and limited by the available resources. Thus, to achieve a design goal, one must carefully select the information source to query, which could be an experiment, a computational simulation, elicitation of expert opinion, etc., based on the value added to the design problem, as well as the time/cost associated with performing the query. The specific objective is to exploit the chemistry-processing-microstructure-properties paradigm in materials design within a framework that facilitates the integration of multiple information sources.
Title: Microstructure-based modeling of ductile fracture of steel sheets under bending
Sponsor: ArcelorMittal Global R&D
Description: The fracture characteristics of steel sheets under bending are determined, partly by the microstructural features such as size, shape, distribution and properties of inclusions and partly by the extent of near surface variations in properties due to galvanized and/or decarburized layers. The objective of this project is to quantify the collaborative effects of microstructural features and near surface variations in properties on ductile fracture resistance of steel sheets under bending.
Title: Accelerated Development of Damage Tolerant and Oxidation Resistant Alumina-Forming MAX Phases
Sponsor: National Science Foundation, DMREF
Collaborators: Miladin Radovic (MSEN, TAMU), Raymundo Arroyave (MSEN, TAMU), Michel Barsoum (MSEN, Drexel)
Description: Materials capable of withstanding harsh environments have the potential to enable a wide range of important technologies. A family of ceramic carbide and nitride materials referred to as MAX phases possess unusual and often unique sets of properties that combine some of the best attributes of ceramics and metals. These are light, stiff, stable and able to resist high temperatures like typical ceramics, but also damage tolerant, ductile at high temperatures and as readily machinable as metals. In addition, some of the MAX phases form protective layers when heated in air, that are extremely resistant to thermal shock, thermal cycling and chemical attack. This overarching goal of this project is to incorporate computational simulations and experimental synthesis and characterization to build the knowledge base for the accelerated development and design of MAX phase materials with outstanding mechanical properties for high temperature applications.
Title: QUANTIFY – Unraveling the role of anisotropy in material failure
Sponsor: European Commission, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange
Collaborators: José A. Rodríguez-Martínez (University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain)*, Christophe Czarnota (University of Lorraine, France), Shmuel Osovski (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel), Katarzyna Kowalczyk-Gajewska (Instytut Podstawowych Problemow Techniki Polskiej Akademii Nauk, Poland), Haim Waisman (Columbia University, USA), Oana Cazacu (University of Florida – REEF, USA), Ayoub Soulami (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA). [*Lead organization]
Description: The overall objective of the QUANTIFY action is to form an international network of 8 organizations (4 European beneficiaries and 4 US partner organizations), working on a joint research program in the field of Solid Mechanics. The specific project is focused on understanding and modeling the effect of anisotropy in the dynamic mechanical failure of lightweight metallic materials used in the transportation and civilian-security industries.