William (Bill) Gerberich’s contributions to materials science span decades and
encompass a wide range of length scales. During his tenure at the University of
Minnesota, he played a pivotal role in advancing the understanding of fracture
and deformation mechanisms through innovative approaches, diverse materials,
and mentorship of students. Prof. Gerberich was a major force in the fields of
nanoindentation, micromechanics, and small-scall deformation, tackling
challenges in hydrogen embrittlement, ductile-to-brittle transitions, thin-film
delamination, indentation pop-ins, and the deformation of silicon nanospheres.
In addition to his research, he was a passionate educator, inspiring students
of all levels to explore the fundamentals of fracture, deformation, and the
mechanical behavior of materials.
This symposium will celebrate TMS Fellow William (Bill) Gerberich’s legacy, who
passed away in October 2024 and made seminal contributions to the topical area
in his career spanning six decades.
It is planned as a 2-day symposium, with 1 day reserved for Gerberich memorial
sessions where speakers will be invited by the organizers, and the other day
will be featuring talks from contributed abstracts in the topical area of the
symposium as joint sessions planned with Mechanical Behavior at the Nanoscale
VIII (planned topic “Advanced Indentation Methods”).
The planned invited speakers will address the following topics:
• Local analysis of stress and strain around crack tips
• Fracture and deformation of nanostructured materials (thin films, printed
structures, nanocrystalline materials, etc.)
• Size effects on fracture and deformation behavior
• Advancing indentation techniques (high temperatures, low temperatures,
humidity controlled, acoustic emission, high strain rates, mapping, machine
learning, etc.)
• Interface and grain boundary fracture
The mechanical behavior of materials emerges from the aggregate operation of
competing deformation mechanisms that initiate at the nanoscale. Small-scale
mechanics investigations therefore provide critical insights into the
fundamentals of deformation phenomena and form a basis for scaling theories.
Additionally, the reduction of organizational scale often enables activation of
new deformation mechanisms and mechanical behaviors that are not operational in
bulk materials. This symposium will focus on the deformation behavior of
nanostructured materials. A wide variety of nanostructured materials are
considered within this scope, including low-dimensional and 2D materials,
multilayers, nanoarchitectured materials and nanolattices, and nanocrystalline
aggregates. Studies that examine size effects and scaling laws, new nanoscale
deformation phenomena, emerging methods in nanomechanical characterization, and
developments in modeling techniques are welcome.
Topics will include:
� Size effects on elastic properties, strength, plasticity, fracture
mechanisms, strain-induced phase transformations, adhesion, tribology and
fatigue behavior in small-volume and low-dimensional systems, including
nanopillars, nanowires, nanoparticles, nanostructured fibers, 2D materials,
thin films, interface-rich multilayered materials, and nanolattices
� New nanoscale deformation and failure phenomena in emerging materials and
materials systems including concentrated multi-component solutions (e.g. high
entropy alloys), complex alloys, sustainable/lean alloys, 2D materials,
nanotwinned materials, and nanoarchitectured systems
� Emerging studies in nanomechanics-coupled phenomena including the tailoring
of functional properties with size-dependent topologies
� Developments in highly resolved methods (SEM, TEM, synchrotron, neutron,
etc.) techniques that push the limits of nanomechanical characterization
�
� Advancing indentation techniques (high temperatures, low temperatures,
humidity controlled, acoustic emission, high strain rates, mapping, machine
learning, etc.), in conjunction with “Fracture and deformation across length
scales: Celebrating the Legacy of William Gerberich” symposium
� Studies of nanoscale deformation processes using modeling, simulation, and/or
AI/big data approaches and coupling of these techniques to meso/microscale
methods
Materials under extreme conditions - such as high strain rates, cryogenic or
elevated temperatures, or corrosive environments - exhibit unique and often
unexpected mechanical behavior. These environments challenge the limits of
material performance, requiring a deeper understanding of deformation
mechanisms, failure processes, and microstructural evolution across scales.
From the nanoscale, where size and interface-dominated phenomena dictate
responses, to the bulk, where gradients, textures, and microstructural defects
play a central role, studies of these phenomena are critical for developing
materials that can withstand the most demanding environments.
This symposium aims to bring together researchers exploring material behavior
under single or combined extremes to highlight the interplay between
experiments, theory, and simulations. Contributions addressing both fundamental
mechanisms and industrially relevant mechanics challenges are particularly
encouraged. By bridging insights across scales and conditions, this symposium
seeks to build a comprehensive understanding of how materials respond to high
strain rates, extreme temperatures, ion irradiation, and electrochemical
challenges, paving the way for designing resilient, high-performance materials.
Key topics, emphasizing scale-bridging analyses throughout, include, but are
not limited to:
● High strain rate behavior: probing materials from the nanoscale to the bulk
under dynamic loading
● Cryogenic and high-temperature mechanical responses for applications in
aerospace, deep space, and fusion energy systems
● Effects of ion irradiation on nano-to-meso-scale deformation mechanisms and
failure processes to facilitate reactor material selection and performance
prediction
● Environmentally assisted degradation, including hydrogen embrittlement,
stress corrosion cracking, and fatigue in corrosive conditions
● Length scale bridging techniques for probing extreme conditions, such as high
strain rate, high temperature, and cryogenic testing
● Computational modeling and simulation of extreme environment behavior,
bridging atomic to continuum scales
● Length-scale bridging experimental and/or modeling techniques to link
nanoscale mechanisms to bulk properties: understanding the influence of
microstructural gradients, textures, and interfaces on performance
Additive manufacturing has immense potential for design flexibility and new
processing methods from precision, high resolution structures to integration of
spatially tailored nano/microscale features in large-scale components. This
symposium will focus on techniques, feedstock materials, characterization,
predictive simulations, application, and upscaling of additive manufacturing
with micro- and nanometer-scale resolution. The properties of printed materials
and structures, like photonic, catalytic, electrical, magnetic, thermal, and
acoustic properties, mechanical behavior, and lifetime/stability of nano and
micro additively manufactured materials are also of high interest in this
symposium.
The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:
• Advances in existing and upcoming AM processes
• Characterization of processing-microstructure-property relationships
• Upscaling and integration with other processing technologies
• Process monitoring
• Process modelling and simulation
• Microarchitecture-mechanics relationships with an emphasis on nanoscale
behavior and size effects
• Multi-material printing, functionally graded, and chemically architected
materials
• Functional metamaterials and metamaterial design
• Machine learning and data analysis of the AM processes and
materials/structures
• Physio-chemical mechanisms underlying small-scale AM processes
• Application and implementation of micro- and nano-AM • Investigation of
micro- and nano-AM for extreme conditions including high impact, extreme
temperatures, radiation, etc.
Applications in critical fields like nuclear, aerospace, and defense often
require operation in harsh conditions, characterized by extreme temperatures,
intense mechanical stress, rapid strain-rate deformation, corrosive
atmospheres, and heavy irradiation. These severe conditions present formidable
challenges to the materials used. Nanostructured materials have emerged as a
promising solution, offering exceptional properties such as high mechanical
strength and superior resistance to irradiation. Their enhanced characteristics
make them promising candidates for use in these demanding environments. This
classification encompasses ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline materials,
along with nanocomposites, including nanolaminates, and
nanoparticle/nanoprecipitation-strengthened materials. However, these materials
face challenges due to a tendency towards coarsening or compound formation,
driven by the high density of interfaces within them. Thus, it's crucial to
develop methods to stabilize these nanostructures.
This symposium aims to deepen our understanding of how nanostructured metallic,
ceramic, and composite materials behave under extreme conditions. We welcome
abstracts on a range of topics related to nanostructured materials, although
our interest is not limited to these areas.
Materials response in high temperature environment
Materials response under high or ultrahigh mechanical load/pressure
Materials response under high strain-rate deformation
Irradiation-induced microstructure evolution
Evolution of mechanical and physical properties under extreme conditions
Corrosion, erosion, and/or stress corrosion cracking resistant nanomaterials
and coatings
Stress corrosion cracking of nanomaterials
In-situ characterization of materials response in harsh environments
Response in simultaneous and coupled multiple extreme environments
Strategies for stabilizing nanostructure in extreme environments
Theory and computational modeling of defect generation and interactions with
interfaces under harsh environment
Defects, such as vacancies, dislocations, and grain boundaries, in many ionic
and covalent crystals, including semiconductors, can carry charges. These
charged defects play essential roles in the mechanical, electrical, optical,
thermal, and phase transition properties of these materials. In addition, local
chemistry segregation in defects such as solute decoration of dislocations may
determine material behavior for both metals and ceramics. These charged and
chemical defects offer opportunities to modify material and device properties,
locally and globally, via external fields. This emerging field of study
provides a novel platform to realize materials, structures, and novel devices.
This Frontiers of Materials Award Symposium covers the topics of novel
experiments, materials theory, and numerical simulations to realize,
characterize, and control charged and chemical defects in a broad range of
materials.
The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:
� Experiments, theories, and simulations on the structures and properties of
charged defects
� Electro-plasticity, plasto-electricity, and photo-plasticity in both
metallic and non-metallic materials
� The coupling of mechanical and functional properties due to charged and
chemical defects
� Quantum effects with dislocations and other defects in a wide range of
materials, including diamond and 2D materials
� Modifying electronic structures of the defects to tune mechanical properties
such as doping
� Local chemical segregations in the defects to tune mechanical and functional
properties
� Grain boundary engineering: manipulating charged and chemical grain
boundaries to achieve exceptional material properties in both metallic and
non-metallic materials
� Dislocation engineering: manipulating dislocation densities and
characteristics to achieve exceptional material properties in both metallic and
non-metallic materials
Additive manufacturing offers an unprecedented level of control over the local
microstructure of printed parts. Processing parameters and strategies provide a
huge design space for fine-tuning the microstructural features and their
spatial distribution in the part to achieve optimum mechanical performance. The
effective utilization of this design freedom is only possible by gaining
insight into the structure-property relationships across the full-length scale.
Micromechanical characterization of AM parts is an essential part of this
route, helping researchers understand how the microscale mechanical behavior
landscape governs the macroscale mechanical behavior. Therefore, this symposium
focuses on the small-scale mechanical characterization of materials and
structures produced by AM. Investigation of the micromechanical properties of
various AM materials (metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites) is of
interest, through experimental techniques such as nanoindentation, micropillar
compression, microcantilever bending, and nanoscratch testing, as well as
modeling, simulation, and data-driven studies to investigate the same. Special
emphasis is on probing the mechanical behavior of interfaces, heterogeneities,
and gradients, and how these features relate to macroscale properties and
failure behavior.
Topics will include:
• Microstructure-mechanical property relationships of AM materials with an
emphasis on micro and nanoscale behavior, and size effects.
• High-resolution property mapping through micro/nano-indentation testing,
investigation of spatial variations in the builds as well as gradients in
multi-material printing.
• Mechanical probing of heterogeneities, grain boundaries, interfaces, and
gradient structures generated by AM techniques.
• Prediction of macroscale mechanical behavior of AM parts by small-scale
testing.
• In-situ nanomechanical measurements of AM materials and structures in
application environments (thermal, electrical, electrochemical, and biological
stimuli).
• Small-scale fracture, fatigue, creep, and impact response of AM
materials/structures and their relation to the macroscale behavior.
• Micromechanics-based modeling and simulations to interpret and predict the
behavior of AM materials and structures.
• Machine learning and data-driven prediction of mechanical behavior by high
throughput micromechanical testing.
Interfaces constitute a key microstructural variable for tuning materials
behavior across a wide range of length scales from nano to macro in single and
multiphase systems, including structural and functional materials. The advent
of novel multi-phase/multi-interface/composite structures holds great potential
for enabling unparalleled performance under coupled extremes. Interfaces often
dominate the material response in nanostructured systems and produce unique
combinations of properties, ranging from enhanced elastic-plastic material
properties through tunable fracture properties to electro/thermal functional
properties. A fundamental understanding of interfacial physics and coupled
phenomena impacting mechanical behavior is necessary to harness new concepts
and methodologies in interface design of novel, multifunctional layered and
composite structures.
This symposium aims to discuss interface physics that governs mechanical
behavior and coupled phenomena in interfacially-driven multifunctionality in
both single and multiphase materials and composites. Talks are solicited that
cover synthesis, characterization, and modeling of materials with deliberately
designed interfaces and material combinations with particular emphasis on new
insights into fundamental mechanisms, analysis of defects, and their
implications for multifunctional performance. Abstracts on recent developments
in mechanical testing techniques (e.g., in situ straining in TEM, micropillar
testing, etc.) and in high-fidelity modeling techniques (e.g., ab initio,
finite elements, etc.) are also solicited. Topics of interest include, but are
not necessarily limited to:
• Influence of interface structure and chemistry on deformation mechanisms in
single and multiphase nanomaterials/nanocomposites
• Mechanical behavior of low dimensional materials (e.g., thin films,
nanowires, nanotubes, and nanoparticles) described both experimentally and via
modelling
• Physics of phase boundaries in multiphase systems, such as
crystalline-amorphous composites, nanolaminates, nanoparticle/matrix
composites, and nano-porous materials
• Mechanical behavior of grain boundary engineered nanomaterials (e.g. solute
stabilization, grain boundary complexion formation, duplex and gradient
nanostructures)
• Micro, meso, and macroscale modeling of deformation processes and coupled
phenomena as they relate to interface physics (including multi-scale modelling)
• In situ testing methodologies for investigating mechanical behavior and
coupled extremes such as mechanical and irradiation of small volumes of
material
Additive manufacturing has immense potential for design flexibility and
simplified processing for precision, high resolution structures with robust
mechanical properties. This symposium will focus on novel techniques, feedstock
materials, characterization, and predictive simulations for additive
manufacturing of structures with nano to microscale dimensions, as well as bulk
structures with tailored internal nano/microscale features. A designated focus
will be the description and validation of materials performance, in particular,
the mechanical behaviour of manufactured structures.
Topics of interest include additive techniques based on (but not limited to)
multiphoton lithography, laser or e-beam sintering/melting, cold spray, aerosol
deposition, inkjet, electrodeposition and hybrid methods, and material systems
including polymers, metals, ceramics, and nanocomposites. The functional
properties, mechanical behaviour and lifetime of nano and micro additively
manufactured materials and structures are also of high interest in this
symposium.
Applications in critical fields like nuclear, aerospace, and defense often
require operation in harsh conditions, characterized by extreme temperatures,
intense mechanical stress, rapid strain-rate deformation, corrosive
atmospheres, and heavy irradiation. These severe conditions present formidable
challenges to the materials used. Nanostructured materials have emerged as a
promising solution, offering exceptional properties such as high mechanical
strength and superior resistance to irradiation. Their enhanced characteristics
make them promising candidates for use in these demanding environments. This
classification encompasses ultrafine-grained and nanocrystalline materials,
along with nanocomposites, including nanolaminates, and
nanoparticle/nanoprecipitation-strengthened materials. However, these materials
face challenges due to a tendency towards coarsening or compound formation,
driven by the high density of interfaces within them. Thus, it's crucial to
develop methods to stabilize these nanostructures.
This symposium aims to deepen our understanding of how nanostructured metallic,
ceramic, and composite materials behave under extreme conditions. We welcome
abstracts on a range of topics related to nanostructured materials, although
our interest is not limited to these areas.
• Materials response in high temperature environment
• Materials response under high or ultrahigh mechanical load/pressure
• Materials response under high strain-rate deformation
• Irradiation-induced microstructure evolution
• Evolution of mechanical and physical properties under extreme conditions
• Corrosion (and/or erosion) resistant nanomaterials and coatings
• Stress corrosion cracking of nanomaterials
• In-situ characterization of materials response in harsh environments
• Response in simultaneous and coupled multiple extreme environments
• Strategies for stabilizing nanostructure in extreme environments
• Theory and computational modeling of defect generation and interactions with
interfaces under harsh environment
• Methodological development of modeling tools for materials response in
extreme environments
Molecular crystals, solids consisting of individual molecules, rather than just
atoms, sitting on ordered lattice sites, find use in applications ranging from
pharmaceuticals, energetic materials, battery electrodes, to organic
electronics, and may be encountered in exotic environments like the cryogenic
conditions of moons, comets, or exoplanets. A vast richness in molecular
structures gives rise to a wide range of intermolecular bonding possibilities,
which in turn result in crystalline materials with fascinating properties.
Bonding and molecule shape often vary with direction within a single crystal,
leading to anisotropy in defect structures and behaviors. These factors pose
unique challenges to understanding the mechanical properties of these
materials, and consequently the understanding of deformation and fracture
remains generally less developed than in other classes of materials. However,
recent years have seen a substantial increase in both interest and
investigations.
This symposium aims to capture these recent advances in a venue that brings
together investigators from a range of communities: pharmaceuticals, energetic
materials, organic electronics, solid mechanics, and any others interested in
deformation of these materials. Talks are solicited that discuss the roles of
microstructures and defects in the deformation process, from elasticity, to
plastic deformation, and on to fracture. Talks are solicited across time scales
from quasi-static to shock regimes, and from experimental, theoretical, and
computational modeling disciplines. Specific topics of interest include, but
are not necessarily limited to:
• Predictions of crystal structure and mechanical properties (e.g. elastic
constants)
• Defect behavior and plasticity under mechanical loading
• Crack initiation and propagation
• Relationship of single crystal behaviors to bulk processing like milling and
compaction
• Chemical reactions driven by mechanical deformation
There is growing interest in using additive manufacturing (AM) across multiple
industrial sectors that seek to benefit from the possibilities these emerging
technologies can offer. AM offers additional degrees of freedom to “architect”
the material microstructure across many length scales. Owing to this unique
capability, both beam-based processes—such as powder bed fusion (PBF) and
directed energy deposition (DED)—as well as non-beam-based processes—such as
cold spray, additive friction stir deposition, and ultrasonic additive
manufacturing—unlock new opportunities for tailoring mechanical and functional
properties of metals and alloys. The microstructures and hence, mechanical
properties of AM materials can be tailored locally through careful selection of
processing parameters and strategies. Therefore, the characterization of
mechanical behavior across the full-length scale is key to developing novel
materials and structures, particularly Understanding the macroscale mechanical
behavior and properties requires gaining insight into the mechanics at the
small scale. This includes the elastic-plastic response, residual stresses,
creep and relaxation properties, fracture toughness, and fatigue in local
scales in AM materials. This symposium focuses on the mechanical properties of
various AM materials (metals, ceramics, polymers, biological/ bio-inspired
materials, composites) with an emphasis on length scale effects from
experimental, theoretical, modeling, and data science viewpoints.
The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:
• Microstructure-mechanical property relationships of AM materials with an
emphasis on micro and nanoscale behavior and size effects
• Location-specific property characterization in AM materials through
micro/nano-indentation testing
• High-speed micro/nano-indentation mapping of AM materials
• Probing of heterogeneous microstructure-property relationships in AM
materials/structures through small-scale testing
• Full-scale mechanical assessment of AM-built components and experimental
geometries powered by micro/nano-mechanical testing
• In-situ nanomechanical measurements in application environments (thermal,
electrical, electrochemical, and biological stimuli)
• Small scale quasi-static tests (tension, compression, bending, and torsional
tests)
• Small scale fracture, fatigue, creep, and impact tests of AM
materials/structures
• Nano-scale measurements of strain and stress
• Micromechanics-based modeling in additive manufacturing
• Machine learning and data analysis of the micromechanical response of the AM
materials/structures
This symposium will focus on modeling, experimental methods, and their
integration to understand atomic structures of defects and planar interfaces in
crystalline solids, with a focus on the mechanical and physical behavior
dominated by defect-interface interactions, including fundamental understanding
of non-linear behavior at dislocation cores, interfaces, and crack tips.
Response of materials to extreme conditions of high stress, irradiation, and
embrittlement (e.g., due to helium, hydrogen, etc.) driven by defects and
interfaces will be highlighted.
The symposium will be partially a tribute to the memory of TMS Fellow Richard
(Dick) G. Hoagland who passed away in September 2022 and made seminal
contributions to this topical area in his career spanning nearly six decades.
The symposium is planned as 4 sessions (2 days) in Dick’s memory and another 4
sessions (2 days) for more general topics.
Symposium topics include, but are not limited to:
• Characterization and modeling of atomic structures of dislocations and
grain/interphase Boundaries
• Characterization and modeling of dislocation-interface interactions
• Multiscale characterization of interface-dominated deformation and fracture
mechanisms
• Multiscale modeling of interface-dominated mechanical behaviors
• Nanomechanics
The mechanical behavior of materials emerges from the aggregate operation of
competing deformation mechanisms that initiate at the nanoscale. Small-scale
mechanics investigations therefore provide critical insights into the
fundamentals of deformation phenomena and form a basis for scaling theories.
Additionally, the reduction of organizational scale often enables activation of
new deformation mechanisms and mechanical behaviors that are not operational in
bulk materials. This symposium will focus on the deformation behavior of
nanostructured materials. A wide variety of nanostructured materials are
considered within this scope, including low-dimensional and 2D materials,
multilayers, nanoarchitectured materials and nanolattices, and bulk
nanocrystalline aggregates. Studies that examine size effects and scaling laws,
new nanoscale deformation phenomena, emerging methods in nanomechanical
characterization, and developments in modeling techniques are welcomed.
Topics will include:
- Size effects on elastic properties, strength, plasticity, fracture
mechanisms, adhesion, tribology and fatigue behavior in small-volume and
low-dimensional systems, including nanopillars, nanowires, nanoparticles,
nanostructured fibers, 2D materials, thin films, multilayered materials, and
nanolattices
- New nanoscale deformation and failure phenomena in emerging materials and
materials systems including concentrated multi-component solutions (e.g. high
entropy alloys), complex alloys, sustainable/lean alloys, 2D materials,
nanotwinned materials, and nanoarchitectured systems
- Emerging studies in nanomechanics-coupled phenomena including the tailoring
of functional properties with size-dependent topologies
- Transitions in deformation mechanisms due to scaling effects such as
activation of interface-mediated mechanisms, exhaustion of deformation sources,
and size effects on strain-induced phase transformations
- Developments in ex situ and in situ (SEM, TEM, synchrotron, neutron, etc.)
techniques that push the limits of nanomechanical characterization (e.g. for
extreme conditions such as high temperatures and/or high strain rates)
- Studies of nanoscale deformation processes using modeling, simulation, and/or
AI/big data approaches and coupling of these techniques to meso/microscale
methods
Additive manufacturing has immense potential for design flexibility and
simplified processing for precision, high resolution structures with robust
mechanical properties. This symposium will focus on novel techniques, feedstock
materials, characterization and predictive simulations for additive
manufacturing of structures with nano to microscale dimensions, as well as bulk
structures with tailored internal nano/microscale features. Topics of interest
include additive techniques based on (but not limited to) multiphoton
lithography, laser or e-beam sintering/melting, cold spray, aerosol deposition,
inkjet, electrodeposition and hybrid methods, material systems including
polymers, metals, ceramics, and nanocomposites. The mechanical behavior and
lifetime of nano and micro additively manufactured materials and structures are
also of interest in this symposium.
Many critically important applications (such as nuclear, aerospace and defense)
involve extreme environments where high temperature, high mechanical stress,
high strain-rate deformation, corrosive atmosphere and intense irradiation are
present. Such extreme environments pose significant challenges to the materials
being used. Nanostructured materials, including ultrafine-grained and
nanocrystalline materials, nanotwinned metals and alloys, nanolayered
materials, nanoparticles or nanoprecipitates strengthened materials, etc., have
exhibited many excellent properties like high mechanical strength and superior
irradiation resistance and attracted a lot of research. Their improved
properties make them promising candidates for applications in extreme
environments. In addition, from the aspect of fundamental research,
nanostructured materials in harsh environment offer exciting opportunities to
investigate how microstructures respond to the environment and how this
eventually affects the mechanical and physical properties. However, there are
strong driving forces for irreversible processes such as coarsening or compound
formation in nanostructured materials due to the existing high density of
interfaces in them. Therefore, strategies need to be developed for the
stabilization of the nanostructures.
This symposium will focus on understanding the unique aspects of the
response of nanostructured metallic, ceramic and composite materials in extreme
environments. Abstracts are solicited in, but not necessarily limited to, the
following areas with respect to nanostructured materials:
• Response in high temperature environment
• Response under high or ultrahigh mechanical load/pressure
• Response under high strain-rate deformation
• Irradiation response and defect generation and migration, as well as
microstructure evolution during irradiation
• Evolution of mechanical and physical properties under extreme conditions
• Corrosion (and/or erosion) resistant nanomaterials and coatings
• Stress corrosion cracking of nanomaterials
• In-situ characterization of materials response in harsh environments
• Response in simultaneous and coupled multiple extreme environments
• Diffusive and displacive phase transformations in harsh environments
• Strategies for stabilizing nanostructure in extreme environments
• Theory and computational modeling of defect generation and interactions with
interfaces under harsh environment
• Methodological development of modeling tools for materials response in
extreme environments
This symposium will highlight emerging experimental and computational
techniques that are rapidly changing the design process for materials that
function in a broad array of thermomechanical environments. New in-situ
micromechanical test techniques, rapid property screening approaches and 3D
structural probes that provide new mechanistic insights on dislocation
dynamics, the role of material structure across lengthscales and the connection
to macroscale properties will be featured. The challenges of integrating of
multiple, heterogenous, high volume streams of materials data will be
discussed. Presentations will highlight new methodologies and workflows that
can guide the design of lightweight, high temperature, fatigue resistant and
architected materials and structures.
This award symposium was established to honor Professor William D. Nix and the
tremendous legacy that he has developed and shared with the minerals, metals,
and materials community and to highlight and promote continued progress and
innovation relevant to research into the underlying mechanisms and mechanical
behavior of macro-, micro-, and nanoscale materials. This symposium
specifically recognizes Professor Nix’s influential roles in micromechanics of
deformation and materials science for more than half a century.
Professor Nix’s research and seminal contributions to structural materials,
thin films, and nanoscale plasticity have had significant impact on critical
U.S. industries, spawned new fields of study, and motivated generations of
researchers working in fields that span from aerospace to microelectronics.
Breakthroughs in technologies for these critical industries depend heavily on
the availability of advanced materials that can be engineered and optimized at
the nanoscale. Professor Nix’s groundbreaking contributions have allowed us to
characterize, understand, and predict the mechanical behavior and reliability
of such materials and have been critical enablers of these key technologies.
Interface as typical planar defect in solids forms between two spatial regions
occupied by different matter or by matter in different physical states. With
reducing characteristic dimension of each matter, the density of interfaces
increases. Especially nanostructured materials contain much high density of
interfaces, and mechanical properties and other functionalities are heavily
related to interfaces. An interface may be in thermal equilibrium or
non-equilibrium depending on formation conditions. Correspondingly, an
interface may possess multiple structures with different compositions, and thus
exhibits various thermomechanical properties. Especially for ultra-fine and
nanoscale structural materials, tailoring interface complexities has been
demonstrated to be a powerful strategy in realizing unusual thermos-mechanical
properties and other functionalities of materials. For example, interfacial
segregation may change the elastic stress field and local chemical bonding
along an interface. Atomic structures, excess free volume, and energy state of
the interface consequently impact defect-interface interactions. Tailoring
interfacial defects can mediate deformation modes, such as twinning, phase
transformation, and dislocations because interfacial defects act as nucleation
sources.
Of interest in this symposium are experimental and computational studies that
probe:
i) Interface kinetics associated with the formation and evolution of
interface structures and compositions
ii) Structures and energetics of characteristic interfaces
iii) Interface-dominated phenomena during interface formation
iv) Defects-interface interactions
v) Interface-mediated deformation mechanisms
vi) Interfacial segregation and Interface-assisted precipitation
vii) Interface stability (structure and composition) at extreme deformation,
high temperature, and ion irradiation
There is growing interest in the use of additive manufacturing (AM) across
multiple industrial sectors that seek to benefit from the multiple
possibilities that these emerging technologies can offer. The microstructures
and hence, mechanical properties of AM materials can be tailored locally
through careful selection of processing parameters and strategies. Therefore,
the characterization of mechanical behaviors across the full-length scale is
critical for the fundamental understanding of material behavior. This includes
the elastic-plastic response, residual stresses, creep and relaxation
properties, fracture toughness, and fatigue in local scales in AM materials.
This symposium focuses on the properties of various AM materials (metals,
ceramics, polymers, biological/ bio-inspired materials, composites) across
multiple length scales from both theoretical/modeling and experimental
viewpoints. The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:
• Microstructure-mechanical property relationships of AM materials
• Location-specific property characterization in AM materials through
micro/nano-indentation testing
• Full-scale mechanical assessment of AM built components and experimental
geometries
• In-situ nanomechanical measurements in application environments (thermal,
electrical, electrochemical, and biological stimuli)
• Small scale quasi-static tests (tension, compression, bending, and torsional
tests)
• Small scale fatigue, creep, and impact tests
• Nano-scale measurements of strain and stress
• Micromechanics-based modeling in additive manufacturing
Understanding the mechanisms that govern deformation at small length scales
provides a basis for exploring new multiscale phenomena that originate at these
length scales but bridges to large scales in advanced technological bulk
materials. Studying these mechanisms in the context of their unique
microstructures and their evolution, will shed light on the effects of size on
the macroscopic mechanical strength and deformation mechanisms. This symposium
will focus on experimental, theoretical, and computational studies of
deformation mechanisms and mechanical properties of small-volume and
low-dimensional materials, as well as bulk nanocrystalline aggregates and
nanoscale based hierarchical materials.
Studies on emerging topics in novel mechanical testing techniques, in situ
imaging, diffraction and spectroscopy, high-and low-temperature deformation
mechanisms, and mechanical property characterization of materials, as well as
recent advances in atomistic and multiscale modeling of nanomaterials are
welcome.
Topics will include:
• Size effects on elastic properties, strength, plasticity, fracture
mechanisms, adhesion, tribology and fatigue behavior in small-volume and
low-dimensional systems including nanopillars, nanowires, nanoparticles,
nanostructured fibers, 2D materials, thin films, multilayered materials, and
nanoarchitectured systems
• Size effect on deformation- and stress-induced phase transformations
• Changes in deformation types or patterns due to changes in scale, changes in
density and types of interfaces, as well as evolution of defects
• Advancements in ex-situ and in-situ small scale characterization techniques
for extreme conditions such as high temperatures, high pressure, and/or high
strain rates
• Modeling and simulation of deformation processes and mechanical properties at
the nanoscale, including coupling to meso/microscale methods
Many critically important applications (such as nuclear, aerospace and defense)
involve extreme environments where high temperature, high mechanical stress,
high strain-rate deformation, corrosive atmosphere and intense irradiation are
present. Such extreme environments pose significant challenges to the materials
being used. Nanostructured materials, including ultrafine-grained and
nanocrystalline materials, nanotwinned metals and alloys, nanolayered
materials, nanoparticles or nanoprecipitates strengthened materials, etc., have
exhibited many excellent properties like high mechanical strength and superior
irradiation resistance and attracted a lot of research. Their improved
properties make them promising candidates for applications in extreme
environments. In addition, from the aspect of fundamental research,
nanostructured materials in harsh environment offer exciting opportunities to
investigate how microstructures respond to the environment and how this
eventually affects the mechanical and physical properties. However, there are
strong driving forces for irreversible processes such as coarsening or compound
formation in nanostructured materials due to the existing high density of
interfaces in them. Therefore, strategies need to be developed for the
stabilization of the nanostructures.
This symposium will focus on understanding the unique aspects of the response
of nanostructured metallic, ceramic and composite materials in extreme
environments. Abstracts are solicited in, but not necessarily limited to, the
following areas with respect to nanostructured materials:
• Response in high temperature environment
• Irradiation response and defect generation and migration, as well as
microstructure evolution during irradiation
• Evolution of mechanical and physical properties under extreme conditions
• Corrosion (and/or erosion) resistant nanomaterials and coatings
• Stress corrosion cracking of nanomaterials
• In-situ characterization of materials response in harsh environments
• Response in simultaneous and coupled multiple extreme environments
• Diffusive and displacive phase transformations in harsh environments
• Strategies for stabilizing nanostructure in extreme environments
• Theory and computational modeling of defect generation and interactions with
interfaces under harsh environment
• Methodological development of modeling tools for materials response in
extreme environments
Bioinspiration and biomimetics are concerned with unraveling the fascinating
workings of biological evolution: the resulting robust materials and “device”
solutions, arrived at by blind trial and error, usually carry an impressive
simplicity and elegance. What’s more, their built-in resource efficiency and
sustainability are additional benefits vital for the continued existence of our
environment. This symposium will highlight some outstanding examples of lessons
learnt from nature, e.g. for contact, robotics, and medicine. It will focus on
the science behind them and on how their application are beginning to make a
difference in everyday life.
This award symposium was established to honor Professor William D. Nix and the
tremendous legacy that he has developed and shared with the minerals, metals,
and materials community and to highlight and promote continued progress and
innovation relevant to research into the underlying mechanisms and mechanical
behavior of macro-, micro-, and nanoscale materials. This symposium recognizes
Professor Nix’s hallmark of combining model-driven insight with predictive
capabilities for achieving elegant materials solutions.
Professor Nix’s research and seminal contributions to structural materials,
thin films, and nanoscale plasticity have had significant impact on critical
U.S. industries, spawned new fields of study, and motivated generations of
researchers working in fields that span from aerospace to microelectronics.
Breakthroughs in technologies for these critical industries depend heavily on
the availability of advanced materials that can be engineered and optimized at
the nanoscale. Professor Nix’s groundbreaking contributions have allowed us to
characterize, understand, and predict the mechanical behavior and reliability
of such materials and have been critical enablers of these key technologies.
The origin of nanoindentation can be traced to the 1980s with the development
of the first instrumented hardness testers providing submicrometer accuracy.
However, it took the 1992 seminal publication by W.C. Oliver and G.M. Pharr to
effectively launch the field. Their novel data evaluation procedure, later
dubbed the “Oliver-Pharr method”, has directly enabled numerous transformative
research efforts in a diverse range of fields spanning materials science,
geology, biology and medicine. Up to now, it remains indispensable for ensuring
the service performance and lifetime of essential small components, such as
thin films and coatings, electronic sensors and MEMS.
This symposium aims at bringing together the different generations of
researchers, as well as the different fields and applications. It will
highlight the amazing range of applications and the robustness of the
Oliver-Pharr method. A mixture of well-established invited speakers and
promising younger researchers will address how everything started, how
nanoindentation is currently used, and what the future of small-scale
mechanical testing might look like.
Topics of interest:
• General aspects of nanoindentation including historical background
• Nanoindentation in-method development, standardization
• New approaches towards data science
• Dynamic nanoindentation (CSM, CMX, dynamics….)
• Refinements in understanding
• Indentation Size Effects
• Thermally activated deformation behavior
• Extreme testing environments, e.g. high and low temperatures, irradiation,
electrochemical or high strain rates
• Complex loading conditions, such as cyclic fatigue, fracture testing
• In-situ testing in SEM, TEM or synchrotron
• Stress-strain measurements, e.g. from spherical nanoindentation
• Structural and functional materials; thin films, metals, ceramics, amorphous
& crystalline
• Soft and viscoelastic materials behavior
Additive manufacturing technologies enable microstructure and hence, mechanical
properties to be tailored locally through careful selection of processing
parameters and strategies. The characterization of mechanical properties
behavior at both the micro- and nano-scales is critical for the fundamental
understanding of relationships between processing, structure, and properties.
This includes the elastic-plastic response, residual stresses, creep and
relaxation properties, fracture toughness, and fatigue in local scales in
additively manufactured materials. This symposium focuses on the properties of
various additively manufactured materials (metals, ceramics, polymers,
biological/ bio-inspired materials, composites) at small length-scales from
both theoretical/modeling and experimental viewpoints. The scope includes, but
not limited to, the following areas:
• Microstructure-micromechanics relationships of additive manufactured materials
• Location-specific property characterization in additive manufacturing through
micro/nano-indentation testing
• In-situ nanomechanical measurements in application environments (thermal,
electrical, electrochemical, and biological stimuli)
• Small scale quasi-static tests (tension, compression, bending, and torsional
tests)
• Small scale fatigue, creep, and impact tests
• Nano-scale measurements of strain and stress
• Micromechanics-based modeling in additive manufacturing
Evaluating the evolution of nuclear fuel during reactor operation is essential
to foster the scientific understanding of fuel behavior. This can provide the
data needed to enhance the burn-up of current fuels, enable the use of new
accident tolerant fuel forms and metallic fuels. With this research motivation
many research facilities worldwide have developed their ability to characterize
fresh and irradiated fuels utilizing advanced electron microscopy and thermal
characterization techniques.
The application of these techniques has led to fuels being studied before and
after service providing new knowledge and ideas to enhance burnup and fuel
utilization or investigate new fuel forms. In addition, these tools have been
applied to evaluate the movement of fission products and further the
understanding of the fuel clad chemical interactions and are now ready to be
deployed in other fields of research as well.
In parallel, model development and implementation of the data generated with
advanced techniques in physics-based models for fuel performance codes is
becoming increasingly important, both for current fuel burnup extension and
advanced fuel development.
This symposium aims to take a closer look at the evolution of the
microstructure and thermo-physical properties of nuclear fuels during service,
including the interaction region between fuel and cladding. Correspondingly,
the synergy with materials modeling in advancing and understanding fuels
performance under normal and accident conditions will be considered in the
symposium.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
Scanning electron microscopy characterization of nuclear fuels and its
associated techniques such as Energy dispersive spectroscopy and
Wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Electron backscatter diffraction
Transmission electron microscopy characterization of nuclear fuels
3D reconstructions of electron backscatter diffraction or scanning election
microscopy images of nuclear fuels
Thermo-physical property measurements of both fresh and irradiated nuclear fuels
Modeling of nuclear fuel behavior during operation
The mechanical behavior of materials emerges from the aggregate operation of
competing deformation mechanisms that initiate at the nanoscale. Small-scale
mechanics investigations therefore provide critical insights into the
fundamentals of deformation phenomena and form a basis for scaling theories.
Additionally, the reduction of organizational scale often yields new
deformation mechanisms and mechanical behaviors that are not present in bulk
materials. This symposium will focus on the deformation behavior of
nanostructured materials. A wide variety of nanostructured materials are
considered within this scope including low-dimensional and 2D materials,
multilayers, nanoarchitectured materials and nanolattices, and bulk
nanocrystalline aggregates. Studies that examine size effects and scaling laws,
new nanoscale deformation phenomena, emerging methods in nanomechanical
characterization, and developments in modeling techniques are welcomed.
Topics will include:
• Size effects on elastic properties, strength, plasticity, fracture
mechanisms, adhesion, tribology and fatigue behavior in small-volume and
low-dimensional systems including nanopillars, nanowires, nanoparticles,
nanostructured fibers, 2D materials, thin films, multilayered materials, and
nanolattices
• New nanoscale deformation phenomena in emerging materials and materials
systems including concentrated multi-component solutions (e.g. high entropy
alloys), complex alloys, 2D materials, nanotwinned materials, and
nanoarchitectured systems
• Transitions in deformation mechanisms due to scaling effects such as
activation of interface-mediated mechanisms, exhaustion of deformation sources,
and size effects on strain-induced phase transformations
• Developments in ex situ and in situ (SEM, TEM, synchrotron, neutron, etc.)
techniques that push the limits of nanomechanical characterization (e.g. for
extreme conditions such as high temperatures and/or high strain rates)
• Modeling and simulation of deformation processes and mechanical properties at
the nanoscale, including coupling to meso/microscale methods
This symposium will highlight recent advances in nanoindentation and related
small-scale mechanical testing methods that have enhanced our fundamental
understanding of the deformation mechanisms that underpin the mechanical
behavior of macro-, micro-, and nanoscale materials. Presentations will
include studies of new testing systems and methods and their application in the
study of fundamental processes that control mechanical behavior at the nano-
and micro- scales. Efforts to characterize, understand, and predict the
mechanical behavior across length scales will be emphasized.
This award symposium was established to honor Professor William D. Nix and the
tremendous legacy that he has developed and shared with the minerals, metals,
and materials community and to highlight and promote continued progress and
innovation relevant to research into the underlying mechanisms and mechanical
behavior of macro-, micro-, and nanoscale materials. Professor Nix's seminal
paper with M.F. Doerner in 1986 set the stage for the development of
nanoindentation as a primary enabling tool in this important area of research.
Professor Nix’s research and seminal contributions to structural materials,
thin films, and nanoscale plasticity have had significant impact on critical
U.S. industries, spawned new fields of study, and motivated generations of
researchers working in fields that span from aerospace to microelectronics.
Breakthroughs in technologies for these critical industries depend heavily on
the availability of advanced materials that can be engineered and optimized at
the nanoscale. Professor Nix’s groundbreaking contributions have allowed us to
characterize, understand, and predict the mechanical behavior and reliability
of such materials and have been critical enablers of these key technologies.
This symposium will highlight nanomechanics and mechanomaterials that aim to
proactively deploy mechanical forces and designed geometries during fabrication
to program properties of materials from the nanoscale and up. This is a
paradigm shift from conventional mechanics of materials approaches which
largely focus on passively describing the behaviors of materials in response to
mechanical forces. Presentations will include recent developments of designed
materials and structures to achieve targeted mechanical properties and
functionalities including strength, toughness, fatigue resistance, lightweight,
flexibility, and robust/reversible adhesion among others.
This award symposium was established to honor Professor William D. Nix and the
tremendous legacy that he has developed and shared with the minerals, metals,
and materials community and to highlight and promote continued progress and
innovation relevant to research into the underlying mechanisms and mechanical
behavior of macro-, micro-, and nanoscale materials. This symposium
specifically recognizes Professor Nix’s influential roles at the interface of
mechanics and materials science for more than half a century.
Professor Nix’s research and seminal contributions to structural materials,
thin films, and nanoscale plasticity have had significant impact on critical
U.S. industries, spawned new fields of study, and motivated generations of
researchers working in fields that span from aerospace to microelectronics.
Breakthroughs in technologies for these critical industries depend heavily on
the availability of advanced materials that can be engineered and optimized at
the nanoscale. Professor Nix’s groundbreaking contributions have allowed us to
characterize, understand, and predict the mechanical behavior and reliability
of such materials and have been critical enablers of these key technologies.
While today’s materials scientists know the Griffith criteria and its eventual
impact on basic research, many may not be aware on how little impact it
initially had on basic and applied research. Particularly, there was little
academic instruction, and industry relied on the Charpy V-notch test as a
standard. One could tell the impact by examining Timoshenkso’s 1941 book. Here
it was mentioned that Griffith admitting that “very fine scratches on glass do
not produce a weakening effect was because there were internal defects in the
glass with just as high a stress concentration factor.” Following Timoshenko
was Nadai’s 1951 book which demonstrated some advances in experimental insight,
as electron microscopy and sophisticated test systems for fracture analysis
were in their infancy. It was not until the rapid advances in aerospace and
aeronuatics in the late 50’s that basic research was able to widely take
advantage of the Griffith methodology at large research enterprises and
establish the ASTM E-24 fracture toughness standard. While this was largely a
response to needing improved aircraft and “deeper” space probes, it provided
all engineering and basic science an order of magnitude increase in
sophistication. In recognition of the importance of Griffith’s work on the
materials community, this symposium will provide researchers the opportunity to
provide of fundamental and practical advances in fracture, with a focus on
small scales, dynamics, expanded temperature and time, and imaging advances,
and to provide historical context to their current work.
The subject areas of the symposium include, but are not limited to:
• Local analysis of stress and strain around crack tips
• Fracture of nanostructured materials (thin films, printed structures,
nanocrystalline materials, …)
• Size effects on fracture behavior
• New developments in fracture testing techniques using coupled in-situ
measurements (electrical, optical, mechanical, etc.) or in enhanced
environments (high temperatures, humidity controlled, etc.)
• Atomistic and finite element modelling of fracture
• Brittle fracture in heterogeneous materials
• Strategies to avoid brittle fracture
• Interface and grain boundary fracture
Current and future generation nuclear reactors require improved structural
materials that improve efficiency during in-service conditions, allow for long
reactor lifetimes, and increase safety during accidents. Given the increasingly
large number of reactor design being considered (e.g. fusion, molten salt,
LWRs, etc.), a series of distinct material concepts have been proposed to
address these needs. Effects of reactor environments on mechanical behavior
will be a key component to predicting strength and performance of materials in
the aforementioned circumstances.
This symposium aims to take a closer look at the mechanical behavior of reactor
components across length scales. With recent advancements and increased use of
in-situ techniques, more is known about irradiation effects on strength than
ever before. Simultaneously, ex-situ techniques are critical to probe
component-sized parts, and validate the use of a material for inclusion within
a reactor. Furthermore, synergy with materials modeling is advancing the
prediction of material performance under normal and accident conditions, as
well as reactor lifetimes.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Mechanical behavior testing, including tension, compression, bend, bulge,
creep, fatigue, and fracture
• Effects of environment on strength, including dose, dose rate, temperature,
and corrosion
• Hardness testing, including nanohardness and microhardness
• Development of microstructure sensitive material strength models
• Modeling and simulation of irradiation defect interactions during mechanical
testing
• Macroscopic component modeling for full scale performance
• In-situ mechanical testing, including micromechanical and nanomechanical
compression and tension
• Novel techniques to probe material strength under reactor conditions
Understanding the mechanics of materials in small volumes is of fundamental
importance because it simultaneously allows for the exploration of new
properties at the smallest of length scales as well as provides a basis for
understanding multiscale phenomena that originate at these length scales
acknowledging an interplay between size and properties. This symposium will
focus on the mechanical properties of small-volume and low-dimensional
materials, as well as bulk materials that are comprised of or are aggregates of
these materials including bulk nanostructured materials and nanoscale based
hierarchical materials. Studies that discuss sample size effects, changes in
mechanical properties at the nanoscale, applications of nanoscale mechanical
testing and the associated characterization, as well as modeling that addresses
the mechanical properties of these materials are welcome. Properties of
interest include, but are not limited to: elasticity, strength, plastic flow,
fatigue, and fracture.
Topics will include:
•Size effects on elasticity, strength, plastic flow, fracture and fatigue in
low dimensional materials including nanopillars, nanowires, nanoparticles, thin
films, multilayered materials, graded materials, and architecture-designed
materials.
•Changes in deformation types or patterns due to changes in scale including
those due to size affected phase transformations, changes in density and types
of interfaces, as well as available deformation sources.
•Nanomechanical testing of emerging materials, including high-entropy alloys,
complex metallic alloys, nano-twinned metals, for understanding their bulk
properties.
•Ex-situ and in-situ (SEM, TEM, XRD, neutron, etc.) mechanical characterization
methods.
•Modeling and simulation at all scales, as well as coupled scale modeling, of
mechanical behavior of nanostructured materials