Project Grant 2310306

The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York (RF SUNY), doing business as Stony Brook University, received a three-year $420,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences program to conduct collaborative research on deformation mechanisms in microstructurally tailored high strength alloys. The grant aims to develop a fundamental understanding of rate-limiting dislocation nucleation and propagation mechanisms to enable metallic materials with near-ideal strength through nanostructuring and synergistic doping. Researchers will investigate important transition states and energy barriers for dislocation behavior at solute-decorated interfaces and within nanoscale alloy crystals composed of aluminum and copper. Using atomistic modeling, multi-modal characterization, and unique micromechanical testing, the project seeks to define new strengthening paradigms by establishing the mechanistic underpinnings of solute-biased interfacial energy landscapes governing dislocation physics in confined slip environments. Outcomes from this research are applicable to advanced materials with increased chemical complexity desired for modern engineering applications. The NSF Mathematical and Physical Sciences program supports increasing scientific knowledge and enhancing understanding of major problems through basic research and education in these fields.