Research

My research interest include the application of thermodynamics and characterization methods to investigate material processing, structure, and properties.  Currently, I am working on high temperature corrosion of materials used in petrochemical processing applications with a focus on oxidation in steam and resistance to coking and carbon attack.  This project is in collaboration with ORNL, Duraloy, and MetalTek International and aims to develop cast alumina-forming austenitic stainless steels for this and other applications.

Research tools and techniques applied to this issue include:

  • Customized tube furnaces for steam oxidation testing and exposure of samples to C2H6 / CO / CO2 / H2 / H2O atmospheres for coking studies
  • Capability to test in coking, metal dusting, oxidizing, and reducing conditions
  • Custom thermogravimetric analysis instrumentation
  • Tube furnaces for material processing and oxidation studies
  • Centorr oxygen gettering furnace with PO2 monitor
  • Thermo-Calc and Dictra computational thermodynamics and kinetics software packages


Other interests include materials issues related to energy and the environment.  This includes materials issues for advanced batteries, efficiency gains in processing technologies (e.g. brazing), and lightweight materials for automotive applications.  I am also interested in environmental degradation of materials, processing-structure-property relations in novel and traditional materials, analytical electron microscopy, thermal analysis, and x-ray diffraction.

Additional Lab Instrumentation

  • Netzsch STA449F1 (TGA/DSC), 1,500°C max temp
  • Full optical microscopy lab (sample prep, Nikon Epiphot 300 metallograph with BF/DF/Pol/DIC; optical stereoscope)
  • Struers Duramin A300 Automated Microhardness
  • Spex mill for nano-powder processing
  • Perkin Elmer AAnalyst 200 Atomic Absorption (AA)

Group members are frequent users of the UWM Advanced Analysis Facility.

Looking for other equipment?  Try searching the RM2N equipment database for UW-System resources for Materials Science.