EPSCoR Research Fellows: NSF: Probing Deformation Mechanisms in Heterogeneous Lamellar Metals for Breaking the Strength-Ductility Trade-off Condition

About This Grant

This Research Infrastructure Improvement EPSCoR Research Fellows project provides a fellowship to an associate professor and training for a graduate student at the University of South Carolina. This work is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Nan Li at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Through the fellowship, the PI will investigate the fundamental deformation mechanisms responsible for the exceptional strength and ductility in heterogeneous lamella-structured (HL) metals. The project will develop an experimentally validated multiscale crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) model to explore the deformation physics of HL metals across multiple material and structural length scales. Complementary micromechanical testing and microstructural characterization at LANL will validate and refine the model. The results of this research will support the development of advanced structural metals for automotive and aerospace applications and the advanced manufacturing sector. Moreover, it will contribute to workforce development by educating a new generation of engineers in the design and processing of high-performance materials. This project focuses on advancing the understanding of deformation mechanisms in HL metals to address the long-standing strength–ductility trade-off in structural materials. The scope includes the development of predictive, multiscale modeling tools validated by cutting-edge micromechanical experiments. The project’s intellectual contribution lies in uncovering how strain gradients and internal back-stress at lamellar interfaces enhance both strength and ductility in HL metals. It will establish a mechanistic framework that links microstructural architecture to macroscopic mechanical performance, offering new design principles for advanced structural materials. This project will enhance research infrastructure through faculty professional development in multiscale modeling and materials mechanics, hands-on training for graduate students in advanced testing and simulation techniques and expanded use of LANL’s world-class facilities. Research activities are closely linked to student training, curriculum enhancement in materials science and manufacturing, and the development of a highly skilled STEM workforce in South Carolina. The fellowship will also strengthen institutional partnerships with LANL and promote long-term collaborative research and educational opportunities. This project is supported by the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: EPSCoR Research Fellows, which supports early- and mid-career investigators in eligible jurisdictions to develop collaborations at the nation’s private, government or academic research institutions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.