This proposal requests a five year renewal (phase II) of NSF funding for the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) Center for Friction Stir Processing (CFSP) site. Missouri S&T was added as a university site in 2005.
CFSP is currently comprised of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T) as the lead institution, with Brigham Young University (BYU), the University of South Carolina (USC), Wichita State University (WSU), and Missouri S&T as research partners. These institutions were brought together to establish the Friction Stir Processing (FSP) I/UCRC to focus on the needs of the aerospace, aeronautic, energy, military and commercial industries in developing emerging solid-state metals joining and processing technology.
The CFSP has performed basic and applied research programs that address the implementation needs of its industrial and government sponsors. Missouri S&T focuses on the fundamental processing microstructure-properties relationships. Also, this site is the primary site for development of friction stir processing technology for non-joining applications. In addition to the success indicated by academic publications, notable commercial successes have resulted from the Missouri S&T site.
The broader impacts on the community are strongly built into the proposal through university, local, regional, national and international participation in the center activities. The renewing Missouri S&T CFSP site PI has worked as an organizer of FSW/P symposium during TMS meetings, edited the first book on FSW/P published by ASM, organized a Viewpoint Set in Scripta Materialia on the fundamentals of friction stir process as a Guest Editor and co-authored the first review paper on FSW/P. FSW/P symposium during TMS meeting is organized every two years and CFSP students participate in large numbers. All these activities help the broader goal of CFSP in generation and dissemination of fundamental and applied knowledge regarding the friction stir process. The renewing Missouri S&T CFSP Site has two post-docs in the research projects. During May 2010 IAB meeting, it was formalized that each site will develop and implement its own post-doc mentoring program. Missouri S&T site's mentoring program includes steps to develop post-doc's skills to transition into academia or research institutions.
