THERMEC 2025 – Celebrating Scientific Excellence in Tours

The THERMEC-2025 conference, held during the first week of July in Tours, France, featured some of the highest-level scientific presentations in the field of materials science and engineering. It was an exceptional opportunity to engage with leading researchers and innovators. We were honored to network during the gala dinner with several distinguished award recipients, including Brian Kanter, Professor Adachi, and others. Notably, K.-D. Liss had the privilege of presenting an award to Dr. Jien-Wei Yeh, a pioneer in the field of high-entropy alloys. Dr. Megumi Kawasaki served as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, guiding the event with elegance and professionalism.

Joshua Norton joins the lab

Joshua D. Norton joined the lab as a PhD student in January 2025. Josh holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and is now pursuing graduate studies in Materials Science and Engineering. He brings a strong mechanical background to the team and is particularly interested in investigating the thermo-mechanical behavior of materials using in situ neutron and synchrotron X-ray techniques. In parallel, he is also involved in the synthesis and characterization of novel materials, which will serve as model systems for these advanced in situ studies.

Collaborative Synchrotron Experiments at DESY in Germany

In a collaboration, Klaus-Dieter Liss (UT-ORII) and Megumi Kawasaki (Oregon State University) traveled to Germany for experiments at the PETRA-III synchrotron at DESY. They were awarded competitive beam time at beamline P61A for the investigation of ultrasonic fatigue characterization of metals in an unprecedented setup, bringing a self-engineered ultrasonic high-cycle fatigue tester from their home labs. The goal to see strain amplitudes with 5 microsecond time resolution has been achieved. Moreover, they could use beamline P07B in parallel for scanning and mapping high-pressure-torsion specimens position-resolved, as well as the latest alloys developed at the MRSEC at UTK. Large amounts of data have been taken on both instruments, awaiting in-depth analysis in the new year. Overall, the experiments have been very successful and will contribute to the forefront in the fields.

We would like to thank Drs. Guilherme Abreu Faria (P61A) and Andreas Stark (P07B) for their excellent support and collaboration.

Kabra and Liss meet again at ORNL

Drs. Saurabh Kabra and Klaus-Dieter Liss met again at ORNL, here in front of the lab mural. Kabra and Liss worked together from 2008 to 2012 at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and published many papers together. Their interpretation of neutron scattering from zirconium alloys at very high temperatures led to a method allowing the investigation of defect kinetics in the material, such as dislocation annihilation upon heating, as well as the nucleation and growth of a second phase upon cooling. This was achieved by employing the dynamical theory of diffraction, leading to lattice strain sensitivity of 10^-6. The two collaborators went separate career paths through various countries and coincidentally both started positions at or around ORNL based on their expertise. Both are involved in neutron diffraction at the Spallation Neutron Source SNS.

Liss Lab Participates in REU Program

This year, in 2024, the Liss Lab participates in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program of the Center for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (CAMM). We are glad to welcome Erin James from Nashville, who is assisting in setting up an ultrasonic fatigue equipment. The setup is a lab-made system consisting of a commercial transducer stack, a self-designed ultrasonic horn, and fatigue specimens.

Currently, we are establishing an impedance measurement system using a Red Pitaya and the Bode analyzer command-line software. The learning outcomes for Erin will include understanding background theories on waves and vibrations, hands-on experience with hardware and software, and interpreting impedance spectra that change with specimen type, boundary conditions, and damping.

This is the first equipment being installed in the Liss Lab designed for in-situ neutron and synchrotron measurements on materials subjected to strong ultrasound.

Forging New Collaborations with Oregon State University

Prof. Megumi Kawasaki from Oregon State University visited our lab to brainstorm new collaborations with the University of Tennessee. Initial novel materials were exchanged with Prof. Peter Liaw's group, depicted here with Hugh Shortt, for grain refinement to the nanoscale through high-pressure torsion processing and further tailoring of their microstructure and properties. These preliminary studies aim to develop larger research projects between the groups. In the past, Liss and Kawasaki have successfully published papers in this field, now merging with the expertise of the Liaw group.

Prof. Liss Starting as a Volunteer

Starting with the month of June, Prof. Klaus-Dieter Liss has joined the Vols at the University of Tennessee, within the Oak Ridge Innovation Institute. On his first day, a visit to Neyland Stadium was a must-see. The stadium is still empty, just like the Liss Lab, which will gradually be filled with people, collaborations, and science. However, the stadium can fill very quickly, looking forward to exciting times!