NSF-DMREF: Metastablity Engineering in Refractory Multi-Principle Element Alloys

Research Goals

This National Science Foundation (NSF) - Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF) project aims to establish a transformative framework for the development of structural alloys that simultaneously achieve high strength at high temperatures and enhanced ductility at room temperature.

The research focuses on a relatively new class of metallic materials known as refractory multi-principal element alloys (RMPEAs), which are recognized for their high-temperature strength but typically suffer from limited plasticity under ambient conditions. The team will develop the new alloy design paradigm through a concept called “metastability engineering,” which activates novel nano-scale deformation mechanisms by controlling dislocation dynamics and phase stability.

The research integrates combinatorial synthesis, advanced in-situ experiments, atomistic and mesoscale simulations, and machine learning (ML)-guided discovery. The resulting framework will enable accelerated design of high-performance RMPEAs across broad temperature ranges. In parallel, the project will contribute to training a new generation of materials scientists in experimental, computational, and data-driven methods, while supporting outreach and international collaboration through partnerships with five US universities and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.