Additive manufacturing (AM) is a transformational technology for fabricating complex metallic shapes directly from 3-D models requiring minimal post-fabrication finishing steps. AM advantages over traditional manufacturing include cost and material savings, as well as the ability to fabricate parts containing features unobtainable through other means. To date, only a limited number of materials have been successfully demonstrated for use in AM and the structural properties of these materials are not well understood. The relationships between the AM process parameters and the resulting structural and dimensional properties also remains unknown. This opportunity focuses on understanding process/product relationships in AM parts with a specific focus on fatigue (both high and low cycle) and fracture. Industrial relevance will be ensured by leveraging NIST’s partnerships with AM industry stakeholders, along with internal partners (NIST Engineering Laboratory), and partners at other national laboratories and academic institutions. Subsequent testing, characterization, and modeling will be performed in our world-class mechanical testing facility, supported by powerful materials modeling expertise and capabilities (ABAQUS and COMSOL). The link between microstructure and properties will be established through the NIST Precision Imaging Facility, which includes a spherical-aberration corrected transmission electron microscope (TEM), a three-dimensional atom probe, a helium-ion microscope, and a focused-ion beam microscope. Our facilities also include more traditional metallurgical instruments including light optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with EBSD and ECCI capabilities, TEM, and x-ray diffraction, as well as access to other world-class NIST facilities such as the NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) and the NIST-run beamlines at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS).

 

key words

Additive manufacturing; Electron microscopy; X-ray diffraction; X-ray computed tomography; Mechanical properties; Fatigue; Fracture; Modeling; Atom probe; Microstructure; Processing;

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants