mohsenzaeem's blog

The premature failure of shape memory ceramics (SMCs) under cyclic loading is a critical issue limiting their applications as actuators and thermal protection layers. Martensitic phase transformation (MPT), essential for superelasticity and shape memory functionalities in SMCs, induces localized plastic deformations due to phase expansion. In polycrystalline materials, the accumulation of localized plastic strain serves as the primary mechanism for fatigue crack initiation under cyclic loading.

Solidification phenomenon has been an integral part of the manufacturing processes of metals, where the quantification ofstochastic variations and manufacturing uncertainties is critically important. Accurate molecular dynamics (MD) simulations ofmetal solidification and the resulting properties require excessive computational expenses for probabilistic stochastic analyseswhere thousands of random realizations are necessary.

I am happy to share with you our recent paper on kinetic phase-field modeling of non-equilibrium crystal growth, which is just published in Acta Materialia, it is open access:

S. Kavousi, V. Ankudinov, P. K. Galenko, M. Asle Zaeem. Atomistic-informed kinetic phase-field modeling of non-equilibrium crystal growth during rapid solidification. Acta Materialia 253 (2023) 118960 (11 pages).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359645423002914

We present the first mixed mode phase-field model of ductile fracture. The contribution of crack opening and shearing deformations to the propagation of a crack is expressed by introducing two phase fields. Constitutive relations are then introduced to couple and distinguish these phase fields. Special attention is given to the maximum shear stress and its effect on the development of fractures. The proposed model is validated by tensile testing experiments found in the literature on Al 2024 T-351.

This work presents a modified phase-field model for accurate coupling of phase transformation and cracking in shape memory ceramics. The existing phase-field models underestimate the elastic response at the beginning of the mechanical response. We modified the chemical free energy to control the rate of phase transformation and consequently obtain a physical elastic response before initiation of phase transformation. First, the forward and reverse martensitic phase transformation in a superelastic single crystal 3 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia is studied.

Large deformation of shape-memory polymer-based lattice metamaterials. International Journal of Mechanical Sciences (2022) 107593  

A PostDoc/Research Associate Position is available immediately at Colorado School of Mines. The applicants should have a PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science or a relevant field, with a strong background in phase-field modeling and/or MD simulations, especially in the area of diffusionless phase transformation and ferroelasticity. Knowledge of machine learning and data analysis is a plus.

G. Azizi, S. Kavousi, and M. Asle Zaeem. Interactive effects of interfacial energy anisotropy and solute transport on solidification patterns of Al-Cu alloys. Acta Materialia 231 (2022) 117859 (15 pages). 

A PostDoc/Research Associate Position is available immediately at Colorado School of Mines. The applicants should have a PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science or a relevant field, with a strong background in MD simulations and/or phase-field modeling. The project involves developing new models for diffusionless phase transformation and ferroelasticity. Knowledge of machine learning and data analysis is a plus.