The main objectives of the proposed research are to (i) identify the key processes and variables for laser peening of bulk-metallic glasses (BMGs); (ii) optimize laser-peening processes; (iii) characterize residual stresses, structures, and mechanical properties of the treated surfaces; (iv) establish relationships between the laser peening and macroscopic-mechanical properties of BMGs; (v) model the interactions between the laser-peening process and BMGs; and (vi) elucidate the mechanisms of the laser-peening modification on BMGs. The research Program will improve the understanding of the effects of laser peening on structures and properties of surface layers and bulk BMG samples.
The current research on the laser-peening processes of BMGs will enrich the research and teaching efforts in advanced materials. The presentations at professional conferences and the publications in academic journals will achieve the wide national and international impact. The education, human-resource development, and outreach activities will be the integral part of this Program. The graduate student in the Program will develop a comprehensive knowledge of advanced processing and materials, and learn how to plan and conduct scientific research. The results of the Project will be disseminated through avenues accessible to the scientific community and to the general public with an emphasis on middle- and high-school students and teachers, as well as women and minority students and teachers. The efforts will not only increase the public awareness of the advanced laser processing and bulk-metallic-glass materials, and their scientific importance, but also stimulate the interests of the students in pursuing science, engineering, and technology fields of study.
This proposed research are to (1) employ laser shock peening (LSP) to improve the plasticity of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), (2) characterize structural changes after LSP using state-of-art techniques, (3) establish relationships between the laser peening and macroscopic-mechanical properties of BMGs, (4) model the interactions between the laser-peening process and BMGs, and (5) elucidate the mechanisms of the laser-peening modification on BMGs. The research Program will improve the understanding of the effects of laser peening on structures and properties of surface layers and bulk BMG samples. The intellectual merit: The proposed study of the laser-peening modification on BMGs will (i) open up a novel approach to improve mechanical behaviors of BMGs; (ii) advance the fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of the laser-peening modification on BMGs; and (iii) significantly promote the engineering applications of BMGs. In the present study, the mechanistic study of the laser-peening effects on structures and mechanical properties of surface layers and bulk BMG samples has been performed. This program has unutilized the expertise and resources at the University of Tennessee, Purdue University, The University of Manchester, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Tohoku University, and University of Kentucky. The synergetic efforts have facilitated the effectiveness and progress of the proposed research. 77 papers were published. This research Program is expected to have a transformative impact on the research, development, and applications of BMGs. The broader impacts: The current research on the laser-peening processes of BMGs will enrich the research and teaching efforts in advanced materials at The University of Tennessee and collaborator's institutions. The presentations at professional conferences and the publications in academic journals will achieve the wide national and international impact. The education, human-resource development, and outreach activities will be the integral part of this Program. The graduate student in the Program will develop a comprehensive knowledge of advanced processing and materials, and learn how to plan and conduct scientific research. The results of the Project will be disseminated through avenues accessible to the scientific community and to the general public with an emphasis on middle- and high-school students and teachers, as well as women and minority students and teachers. All results will be saved digitally in the forms of figures, tables, data files, and videos, and can be easily found in each corresponding category on our laboratory server. The results would serve as a data base for the future study of laser effects on the BMGs.
