SYMPOSIUM 30 – Bulk Microstructure Design of High-Interfacial Materials for Extreme Environment Applications

The macroscopic functional properties of ceramic materials—such as strength, toughness, thermal conductivity, electrical behavior, and resistance to degradation—are profoundly governed by the density, structure, chemistry, and stability of internal interfaces, including grain boundaries, phase boundaries, and defect networks. This symposium focuses on the intentional design and synthesis of bulk nanostructured materials, composites, and multiphase architectures with high volumetric interfacial density as a strategy to engineer superior, tailored bulk properties for demanding applications. Central to this theme is understanding how advanced processing techniques (e.g., spark plasma sintering, severe plastic deformation, additive manufacturing, reactive infiltration, and vapor-phase synthesis) control the formation, evolution, and long-term stability of these internal interfaces under extreme conditions of temperature, mechanical stress, and aggressive environments.

Session Topics:

Interface structure and chemistry: Atomic structure, chemistry, bonding configuration, defect and segregation behavior, in-situ microscopy evaluation
Microstructure evolution: Thermal stability, chemical stability, material properties
Processing parameters: Mechanical and electric fields (SPS, FAST, HIP, etc.), extreme temperatures (cold sintering, SPS, etc.), environments (oxygen, hydrogen, etc.)

Symposium Organizer(s):

James Wollmershauser, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, USA
Edward Gorzkowski, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, USA
Amanda Krause, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Hadas Sternlicht, Pennsylvania State University, USA

Point(s) of Contact:

James Wollmershauser; james.a.wollmershauser.civ@us.navy.mil
Edward Gorzkowski; edward.p.gorzkowski.civ@us.navy.mi
Amanda Krause; amandakr@andrew.cmu.edu
Hadas Sternlicht; hsternlicht@psu.edu

Division Sponsor(s):

Basic Science Division