CAREER: Solute Effects on the Oxidation Behavior of Ni Alloys

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

Technical Summary This CAREER award supports an integrated educational and research plan focusing on student outreach, motivation, and creative thinking with goals of excellence in research and teaching in the field of physical metallurgy, environmental degradation of materials, and state-of-the-art microscopy. In the area of structural materials particularly for power generation applications, critical research is needed not merely on the intrinsic properties of structural materials, e.g. strength, toughness, or creep, but more significantly on the extrinsic response to external environments. The proposed philosophy is to unravel and quantify the mechanisms that controls materials properties at the atomic scale and to incorporate this information into alloy design "rules". Focusing on the dynamic segregation theory currently used for explaining the role of rare earth elements, the possible role of Si in the creation of a continuous oxide protective layer, and the competitive nature of thermodynamics and kinetics in defining the "third element effect", the proposed use of high spatial and chemical resolution characterization techniques in combination with theoretical modeling will provide quantitative information needed to answer long-standing open questions on the role of alloying. This new understanding is critically important for validation of computational models and use in design of oxidation resistant materials in a more efficient manner based on new alloy design approaches envisioned in the Materials Genome Initiative. Environmental degradation is ubiquitous; therefore methods, concepts, and training are translatable to a much larger range of materials science or materials engineering issues, from bio-implants to energy production, energy conversion, and light alloys for transportation. Through collaborations with the New York Metropolitan Museum and the French Laboratoire des Monuments Historiques, the proposed teaching and additional research experiences will broaden the scientific scope, by impacting other materials areas where oxidation and corrosion issues are significant, while adding a cultural component to the project. The program will foster the recruitment of under-represented minorities and women in particular into research activities. The exciting collaborative research, teaching, and outreach activities at all levels of the educational spectrum along with the development of open web-based teaching and research tools will provide students, professionals, and colleagues with unique opportunities to excel in their own research endeavors within a diverse setting while inspiring a sustained outreach mindset. Non-technical summary This CAREER award supports an integrated educational and research plan focusing on student outreach, motivation, and creative thinking with goals of excellence in research and teaching in the field of physical metallurgy, environmental degradation of materials, and state-of-the-art microscopy. In the area of structural materials particularly for power generation applications, critical research is needed not merely on the intrinsic properties of structural materials, e.g. strength, toughness, or creep, but more significantly on the extrinsic response to external environments. The effects of specific alloying elements on the oxidation response of model Ni-Al alloys will be investigated through direct imaging techniques allowing structures and chemistry to be visualized with near atomic resolution. In combination with theoretical modeling, this approach will provide quantitative information needed to answer long-standing open questions in the field of metal oxidation. Environmental degradation is ubiquitous; therefore investigation methods, concepts, and training are translatable to a much larger range of materials science or materials engineering issues, from bio-implants to energy production, energy conversion, and light alloys for transportation. Through collaborations with the New York Metropolitan Museum and the French Laboratoire des Monuments Historiques, the proposed teaching and additional research experiences will broaden the scientific scope of the project, by impacting other materials areas where oxidation and corrosion issues are significant. The program will foster the recruitment of under-represented minorities and women in particular into research activities. The exciting collaborative research, teaching and outreach activities at all levels of the educational spectrum and the development of open web-based teaching and research tools will provide students, professionals, and colleagues with unique opportunities to excel in their own research endeavors within a diverse setting while inspiring a sustained outreach mindset.