Atom-probe tomography studies of the nanostructures of aluminum alloys

This research program is funded by the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), which resulted from the six-month stay of Dr. Jae-Gil Jung (KIMS) working in David Seidman’s laboratory at Northwestern University, where Dr. Jung utilized atom-probe tomography (APT) in parallel with other characterization tools (optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution TEM, energy dispersive spectroscopy, etc.) to study different commercial aluminum alloys, which are subjected to different thermal processing treatments. The aim of this research is to significantly increase the mechanical properties of commercial aluminum alloys at ambient and elevated temperatures, specifically the yield strength, plasticity, creep resistance, and the coarsening resistance of the nanoscale strengthening precipitates, which exist at a very high number density. APT is employed because of its unique ability to detect both embryos and nuclei of the precipitating nanoprecipitates, which are as small as 0.5 nm in diameter. Additionally, APT is capable of detecting all the elements in the periodic table with a detection efficiency of 80%, implying its unique ability to measure concentrations as small as 10 atomic ppm, for all elements in the periodic table. This research program will involve one Ph.D. student, who will perform this research mainly at Northwestern University with annual stays at KIMS, where he will interact with Dr. Jung and his research team. Another goal of this initial research effort, with Dr. Jung and his team at KIMS, is to further strengthen the scientific and engineering relationships between KIMS and the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (MEAS).