ABSTRACT: Mg-alloys are becoming increasingly important based on the technological advantages given their low density compared to current structural metals such as Al- and Fe-based alloys. However, unlike their fcc and bcc counterparts, little has been done to investigate the processing, underlying deformation mechanisms and properties of nanocrystalline/nanostructured hcp Mg-based alloys.  This presentation will present innovative processing approaches to the nanostructuring of Mg-alloys via “bottom-up" powder processing and "top-down" severe plastic deformation methods and highlight the support of computational tools for each endeavor. Thoughts and correlations on the linkages between the fundamental deformation mechanisms and resultant mechanical properties will be given along with the benefits and limitations of each processing approach. The initial experimental outcomes point to unprecedented increases in strength, control of texture and anisotropy, and increased formability at low temperatures. These results forecast promising tactics for the design of Mg-alloys with superior strength and ductility for advanced structural and transportation applications.

Biography:  Suveen Mathaudhu is a professor in the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department at the Colorado School of Mines. Mathaudhu’s career trajectory has spanned diverse roles, with his primary areas of interest centering around powder and deformation processing of metallic alloys and composite materials with foci on nanocrystalline materials, lightweight alloys and refractory metals, materials science education and outreach, and advocacy for diversity and inclusion in STEM. Prior to Colorado School of Mines, Mathaudhu was a professor and chair of the MSE Program at the University of California, Riverside (2014–2021); a program manager at the U.S. Army Research Office, Materials Science Division (2010–2014); and a postdoc and then materials engineer at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (2006–2010). Mathaudhu received his B.S.E. from Walla Walla University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M University, all in mechanical engineering.

Zoom Link: https://argonne.zoomgov.com/j/1609166022