Benjamin Young, graduate student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University was selected to receive a 2017 fellowship from the International Organization on Shape Memory and Superelastic Technology, an affiliate society of the American Society of Metals.
Young’s proposal titled, Actuation Fatigue and Fracture of High Temperature Shape Memory Alloys, studied the failure mechanisms and fracture mechanics of NiTiHf High Temperature Shape Memory Alloys.
“Shape Memory Alloys are promising for use as small, high-power output solid-state actuators, but their actuation-induced failure and fracture properties are completely unknown and must first be understood for the effective design and performance of actuators,” Young said.
The results of Young’s work will provide the knowledge needed to optimize these alloys for engineering applications, as well as other phase-transforming materials.
“This award will allow me to pursue an area of research that I am passionate about and initiate interest in this unique path of research for shape memory alloys,” Young said.
The fellowship includes a $50,000 stipend to be distributed over two years to further the work for Young’s research proposal.