ERI: Comparative Mechanisms of Dynamic Strain Aging in Face-Centered Cubic (FCC) and Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) Metals

NSF Award Search · 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $200,000 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

Understanding how metals deform under varying temperatures and loading conditions is essential to advancing the engineering of materials used in critical infrastructure, transportation, and energy systems. One important phenomenon influencing the reliability of structural materials is dynamic strain aging, which arises from interactions between moving crystal defects and diffusing atoms, often leading to unstable deformation and reduced ductility. Despite extensive prior research, the mechanisms governing dynamic strain aging remain incompletely understood, particularly across materials with different crystal structures. This Engineering Research Initiation (ERI) project seeks to establish a fundamental understanding of how crystal structure affects dynamic strain aging and the resulting mechanical response. The research will advance the engineering design of materials with improved reliability and performance in demanding environments. In addition to advancing fundamental knowledge, the project will contribute to national priorities by enabling safer and more efficient engineering systems. It will also support the education and training of undergraduate and graduate students in mechanics of materials, integrating computational modeling with experimental analysis, and will include outreach activities in science and engineering. The objective of this project is to develop a mechanism-based constitutive modeling framework to describe deformation instabilities associated with dynamic strain aging in metallic systems with different crystal structures. The research will combine experimental data analysis, atomistic simulations, and continuum modeling to quantify key physical parameters, including solute diffusion rates, dislocation–solute interaction energies, and temperature-dependent dislocation mobility. The framework will explicitly account for differences in dislocation behavior across crystal structures, such as edge-dominated motion in face-centered cubic syste

Key facts

NSF award ID
2553204
Awardee
University of Alabama in Huntsville (AL)
SAM.gov UEI
HB6KNGVNJRU1
PI
Yooseob Song
Primary program
01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
SOLID MECHANICS, MATERIALS DESIGN, EXP PROG TO STIM COMP RES, RESEARCH INITIATION AWARD
Estimated total
$200,000
Funds obligated
$200,000
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
06/01/2026 → 05/31/2028