In the Reliability and Mechanics of Failure Lab (RMFLab) we study how materials break under stresses. At RMFLab you learn the physics behind the failure mechanisms by stressing material beyond their limits. We use a variety of destructive and non-destructive testing and evaluation techniques to detect crack initiation and propagation from micro to macroscale.
We use advanced materials testing and characterizations along with physics-based computational modeling to improve our understanding for lifing materials. The overarching theme of our research group is to explore the effects of complex microstructure on emergent physical properties in engineering materials. Exquisite control over microscopic properties, such as local elastic anisotropy or the geometry and topology of the microstructure, enables the design of functional local mechanical properties.
Current Research Effort
- Understanding the Effect of Build Orientation and Residual Stresses on Corrosion Resistance of Additively Manufactured Stainless Steel 304L
- Understanding the Threshold of Environmental Crack Initiation in Additively Manufactured Metals
- Integrated Computational Modeling to Advance Fundamental Understanding of Defect Formation and its Influence on Material Properties in Additive Manufacturing Process
- Machine Learning Approach to Defect-based Fatigue and Fracture of Additively Manufactured Metals
- Understanding multiaxial corrosion-fatigue of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V through an Integrated Experimental and Computational Approach
- Development of a Multiphysics Simulation Framework for Metals Additive Manufacturing (2020 AFRL Summer Faculty Fellowship)