Attend a seminar on Microstructural Evolution of Additively Manufactured Metal Matrix Composites during Heat Treatment, Sept. 11

About

Minglei Qu is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and a graduate faculty member of materials science and engineering in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. He earned his doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, followed by a postdoctoral appointment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Qu’s research lies at the intersection of metal additive manufacturing, in situ characterization and materials science. He uses advanced in situ characterization tools, including synchrotron X-ray imaging and diffraction and neutron diffraction, to investigate process dynamics, fundamental physics and materials science during additive manufacturing. He also uses in situ characterization tools to study material responses under extreme environments, including mechanical loading and heating. Based on these insights, he develops innovative methods to control defects and design advanced materials in metal additive manufacturing.

Abstract

Additively manufactured metal matrix composites exhibit superior mechanical properties but often retain highly nonequilibrium microstructures. Understanding how these microstructures evolve during heating is critical to assessing high-temperature stability and designing heat treatments that further improve performance.

This talk presents a study combining in situ neutron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, particle-matrix stress interaction modeling and kinetic modeling to investigate the microstructural evolution of additively manufactured 316L with titanium carbide and aluminum 6061 with titanium carbide metal matrix composites during heating. The study reveals the temperature-dependent evolution and underlying mechanisms of key microstructural changes, including thermal misfit stress relaxation, chemical redistribution, phase precipitation and dislocation evolution. It also identifies distinct heating responses induced by nonequilibrium microstructures.

These findings provide quantitative insights into the microstructural evolution of additively manufactured metal matrix composites during heating and offer critical guidance for designing heat treatments to optimize performance for diverse applications.

Microstructural Evolution of Additively Manufactured Metal Matrix Composites during Heat Treatment seminar
Friday, Sept. 11, 2026
10:30 a.m.–noon
Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 (ITSB 12) room 215, Polytechnic campus [map]