PhD candidate Chris Tandoc (advisor: Yong-Jie Hu) has received a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) award for the project, “Connecting local chemical fluctuations in refractory high entropy alloys to tensile ductility" to be conducted at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) over six months beginning in June 2024.
Chris’ work delves into the realm of high entropy alloys (HEAs), novel materials composed of multiple principal elements in concentrated proportions. Specifically, his focus is on refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs), which possess promising mechanical properties at high temperatures. These alloys are of interest for applications to enhance fuel efficiency in power facilities. A significant challenge, however, lies in their poor tensile ductility – the ability to endure stress without breaking, which is essential for manufacturability.
Chris’ proposed research aims to develop a computational framework to better understand the role of random fluctuations in local chemistry on RHEA tensile ductility. This framework will connect the atomistic level defect energetics to macroscopic mechanical properties, providing insights into the deformation mechanisms underlying RHEAs. The research seeks to fill critical knowledge gaps in modeling plastic deformation mechanisms and predicting alloy ductility. This project is well aligned with the scopes of the computational metallurgy research of Dr. Michael Gao’s team at NETL.
SCGSR awards are made in recognition of outstanding academic accomplishments and the merit of the proposed research. They reflect the awardee’s potential to advance his/her PhD studies and make important contributions to the mission of the DOE Office of Science.