Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Faculty
Director, Mechanical Properties Research Laboratory and Chair of Georgia Tech Materials Council
NanoTECH Research Area Affiliations
Research Summary
Nanoscale-oriented research focuses on discrete atomistic and continuum modeling of defect fields in metallic crystals, including point defects and general line defects (dislocations and disclinations), nanoscale level fracture mechanisms of grain boundaries and interfaces, and nanocrystalline material deformation mechanisms under monotonic and cyclic loading. Methods for coupling atomistic modeling results with reduced order thermodynamic continuum theories for evolving microstructure (constrained equilibrium states) are being pursued. Thermoplastic polymer network models are being extended to incorporate results from discrete simulations to better capture statistical aspects of chain entanglement slippage, strain-induced crystallization, and rate dependence.
