BRIGE: Interfacial Defects and the Failure of Nanostructured Metals

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This Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grant in Engineering (BRIGE) award provides funding for the development of failure-resistant nanocrystalline materials through interfacial engineering. Nanocrystalline materials are extremely strong, but often fracture catastrophically. This research program aims to improve the failure resistance of these materials by controlling atomic-level grain boundary structure and chemistry through intelligent alloy design and post-processing treatments. High-quality nanocrystalline metals will be synthesized and heat-treated, followed by thorough characterization of the grain boundary states. The ability of each alloy to sustain stable plastic flow and resist fast crack propagation will be measured with micro-scale compression and fracture experiments. The insights obtained here will be used to develop new materials theory which connects interfacial details to failure mechanisms and to optimize the design of damage-resistant nanostructured materials.This research program will facilitate the creation of nanocrystalline materials with both extreme strength and toughness. The primary goal of the research is to quantify how different grain boundary defect states alter the onset of failure in nanocrystalline alloys, so that the deformation physics of highly disordered engineering materials will be more fully understood. As nanomaterials are becoming increasingly integrated into present day technologies, the development of innovative strategies for controlling their properties is of utmost importance. This work will provide a roadmap for creating nanostructured materials with an ideal combination of mechanical properties, in order to enable new high-performance technologies. In addition to scientific deliverables, this project supports an outreach program to broaden the participation of underrepresented minorities and women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. A multi-tiered approach will be implemented to engage and empower high school students and teachers, as well as undergraduate university students.