Walter P. Murphy and Technological Institute Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering in Service and Member of the Graduate Faculty

BS, metallurgical engineering, 1940,
MS, physical metallurgy, 1942,
PhD, physical metallurgy, 1943, University of Minnesota

Contact Info

 

Alloy design and development; Alloys strengthened by nano precipitates

     We are working on the design and development of precipitation strengthened alloys, particularly those with nanoscale precipitates. High-strength steels that are precipitation-hardened with Cu and other coherent precipitates are being developed. Such steels do not require carbon for their strength and are much easier to weld than quenched and tempered high-strength steels. NUCu steel, a 70 ksi-yield strength steel developed at Northwestern, has been used to rehab a bridge in Illinois and has been specified for a new bridge in the state.
     We are currently researching still stronger steels by introducing additional precipitates and modifying the composition of the nanoscale copper precipitates. Improved high-temperature aluminum based creep resistant alloys are being designed that depend on nanoscale precipitates that are more stable at high temperatures than in present alloys. This research is being done in a collaboration with other faculty members.

Associations and Awards

Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering (emeritus)

Member, National Academy of Engineering

Fellow, American Physical Society, 1963; ASM, 1970; TMS, 1975; ACerS, 1976; and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1978

ASM Edward DeMille Campbell Memorial Lecturer, 1979

Mathewson Gold Medal of the Metallurgical Society of AIME for outstanding publications in Metallurgical Transactions on fatigue of metals, 1981

AIME James Douglas Gold Medal for research on nonferrous metals, 1982

ASM Gold Medal, 1986

Honorary member, Japan Institute of Metals, 1992

Educator Award, TMS, 1993

Honorary member, AIME, 1995

R. F. Mehl Award, Institute of Metals, 1996; annual lecture designee

Publications

With M.S. Gagliano, "Characterization of the Nucleation and Growth Behavior of Copper Precipitates in Low-Carbon Steels", Met and Mat Trans A, vol. 35A, Aug. 2004, pp. 2323 to 2330.

With R.A. Gagliano, "Thickening Kinetics of Interfacial Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn Layers during Reaction of Liquid Tin with Solid Copper" , J. of Electronic Materials, vol. 32, Dec. 2003, pp.1441 to 1447.

"Physical Basis of Mechanical Propoerties of Solders" in "Handbook of Lead-Free Solder Technology for Microelectronic Assemblies" edited by K.J Puttlitz and K.A. Stalter, published by Marcel Dekkkar, Inc., New York, 2004, pp. 211 to 238.