Emerging Methods To Understand Mechanical Behavior at 2008 TMS Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 9-13, 2008

You are cordially invited to submit an abstract to the symposium on “Emerging Methods To Understand Mechanical Behavior” at 2008 TMS annual meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 9-13, 2008.  

Our understanding of the material properties and mechanisms associated with mechanical behavior of materials is ultimately tied to and limited by the available methods.  To this end, many researchers in the field of mechanical behavior devote much of their time to the development and implementation of new methods.  In fact, many important discoveries in mechanical behavior can be traced back to enabling methodologies.  Current researchers have techniques available that were absent or undeveloped a decade ago.  For example, the development of electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) over the past decade has ushered in a new era of readily available information regarding the role of microstructure, texture, and crystallography on mechanical behavior.  This symposium focuses on the new and maturing methods that are emerging for use in the understanding of mechanical behavior.  Emphasis will be placed on (a) developing a thorough, robust interpretation of the results provided by these new techniques and (b) applying these new techniques to develop insight into mechanical behavior that has been heretofore elusive.    

A partial list of some of the emerging methods in mechanical behavior includes, but is not limited to: 

-  Digital image correlation methods for strain mapping at various size scales

-  In-situ instrumented stages for microscopies and spectroscopies

-  Neutron and x-ray techniques for combined strain, crystallography, and chemical information.

-  Dynamic mechanical test methods and relation to conventional techniques

-  Nanoindentation-based techniques and interpretation (extraction of constitutive properties, residual stresses, etc.)

-  Focused-Ion Beam enabled techniques such as the micro-Pillar compression method

-  microfabricated test beds and structures for evaluating MEMS and NEMS 

Proceedings from this symposium are expected to be full-length peer reviewed journal articles for submission in a special issue of Experimental Mechanics.

Abstract Submission Deadline: July 15, 2007

Sponsors:  TMS Mechanical Behavior of Materials Commitee, Nanomechanical Materials Behavior Committees, and Advanced Characterization, Testing, and Simulation Committee. 

Organizers:     Brad Boyce, Sandia National Laboratories; Erica Lilleodden, GKSS; Xiaodong Li, University of South Carolina; Mark Bourke, Los Alamos National Laboratory