Understanding Atomic Scale Structure in Four Dimensions to Design and Control Mesoscale Morphologies for Oxidation Resistant Alloys

Corrosion is the deterioration of a material (usually metals) and/or its properties due to chemical reactions with the environment. The total cost of corrosion in the United States was $276 Billion in 1998, ~3.15% of GDP, and in 2010, the Department of Defense estimated that corrosion costs the department over $23 billion annually. As recognized in the 2011 report Research Opportunities in Corrosion Science and Engineering by the National Research Council, in the last decade there has been a convergence of forces creating the opportunity to reinvent our understanding of corrosion at the nanoscale. Although some empirical models exist, the quantitative, unit cell level to mesoscale structure–corrosion knowledge with predictive capabilities transferable to many alloys to guide synthesis and hierarchical design of microstructure is lacking. The complexity of the problem requires a broad attack and unique methods and instrumentation. We pose as our goal to understand atomic scale structure in four dimensions to design and control corrosion resistant alloys. This team led by Marks builds on previous collaborations among the PI’s and aims to extend these to this multi-scale challenge. The team members’ areas of expertise include: Miao, UCLA (atomic resolution 3D electron tomography; coherent X-ray diffraction imaging); Marks, NU (TEM, surface science and oxide surfaces); Voorhees, NU (phase field simulations, 4D X-ray tomography); Perepezko, UWM (alloy design and modeling; multiphase microstructures and reaction kinetics); Heinz, UA (MD and Monte Carlo simulations of metal and oxide interfaces); Rondinelli, DU (electronic structure theory of oxides, DFT calculations; materials design), Reinke and Scully, UVA (aqueous corrosion, electrochemistry, scanning probe methods). We hypothesize that the path to new corrosion-resistant alloys will come by deliberately designing the near-surface selvedge region microstructure at the nano to mesoscale. Our target is to und