{"id":429,"date":"2024-08-23T15:22:33","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T19:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mse.ncsu.edu\/gwalani\/?page_id=429"},"modified":"2025-09-15T13:24:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T17:24:06","slug":"research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mse.ncsu.edu\/gwalani\/research\/","title":{"rendered":"Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

The Gwalani Research Lab designs and develops advanced metallic alloys and composites that can endure extreme environments while maintaining critical structural and functional properties. By combining equilibrium and non-equilibrium processing routes with high-throughput discovery techniques, the group explores how defects form, how materials degrade, and how these processes impact long-term performance. Their work spans sustainable and cost-effective manufacturing, alloy design for durability, and multi-scale characterization to unlock new pathways for high-performance structural and functional materials.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sustainable Manufacturing<\/h2>\n

We focus on minimizing the environmental impact of metal processing by conserving energy and resources. Key strategies include energy efficiency, reducing waste, using clean technologies, and promoting eco-friendly product design.<\/p>\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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Cost-Effective Manufacturing Routes<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Our manufacturing processes are designed for cost-efficiency and energy savings, focusing on microstructural modification and alloy composition through deformation-based processing techniques. We employ friction-assisted solid phase processing methods to produce non-equilibrium and compositionally graded alloys.<\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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Recycling Technologies<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Our method involves high-speed stirring of metallic scrap, which leads to frictional and adiabatic heating, followed by consolidative extrusion (Solid Stir Extrusion, SSE). This process allows us to create multi-material and multifunctional structures without bulk melting, providing an attractive solution for the eco-friendly recycling of complex waste streams and the advancement of advanced alloys\/composites.<\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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\"Multi-stimuli
Multi-stimuli processing; solid-state reactive processing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Friction
Friction stirring tool<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n
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Advanced Alloys for Extremes<\/h2>\n

Our manufacturing processes are designed for cost-efficiency and energy savings, focusing on microstructural modification and alloy composition through deformation-based processing techniques. We employ friction-assisted solid phase processing methods to produce non-equilibrium and compositionally graded alloys<\/p>\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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Alloy Design for Equilibrium and Non-Equilibrium Processing Routes<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Design strategies include microstructural control by designing heat treatments for specific microstructural templates, composition selection informed by thermodynamic modeling, and heat treatment and thermomechanical processing cycles.<\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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High-Throughput Techniques for Material Discovery<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Our approach aims to create combinatorial material libraries, automated friction stir systems, In-situ monitoring, and characterization, and use Design of Experiments (DOE) for a comprehensive exploration of material and process space.<\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Base alloy plate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Multi-Scale Materials Characterization<\/h2>\n

Our approach combines ex-situ and in-situ methods to observe materials at the mesoscopic to atomic scale in real-world conditions. We focus on dissecting the root causes of defect formation and the mechanisms behind material failure through comprehensive multi-scale characterization. Our expertise lies in devising tailored compositional and processing strategies to advance the development of future-oriented materials.<\/p>\n \n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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Probing Materials at Multiple Length Scales<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

The multi-scale approach involves examining materials from the atomic and molecular level up to the macroscopic level, providing insights into how different length scales influence material characteristics.<\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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Diverse Testing Modalities<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

We conduct tensile, compressive, and shear tests under various temperatures and environments.<\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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Nano-Scale Property Assessment<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Our use of precise, site-specific in situ testing methods enables us to evaluate localized properties meticulously. Our nano-mechanical testing facilities allow us to introduce and monitor well-defined defects, allowing for detailed analysis of the material\u2019s response.<\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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\n \"Gwalani-Group\"\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
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Meet the Gwalani Research Lab<\/h3>\n \n\n \n

Read more<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n

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\n Selected Publications\n <\/h2>\n