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Corrosion of Metals in Thin Electrolyte Layers with and without Particulate (Department of Energy-OCRWM)

As part of a DOE Corrosion Co-operative that is based at Case Western Reserve University (led by Prof. Joe Payer), Prof. Kelly is looking for a PDRA and a PhD student. The successful applicants will study the composition, electrochemistry, and corrosion processes within thin electrolyte layers. The application of the knowledge will be improvement of the scientific basis for long-term storage of nuclear waste at the Yucca Mountain Repository. Specifically, we will establish a scientific basis for the extent to which the rates of localized corrosion can be supported by cathodic reactions within a particulate layer by advanced mass transport calculations. In addition, we will be designing a means by which the various modeling activities of the cooperative will be integrated with those that describe the effects of thermohydraulic processes. Finally, the confocal microscope will be used to assist in the assessment of a corrosion damage function in collaboration with Prof. Shoesmith of the University of Western Ontario .

Post-doctoral Research Associate

Ph.D. in chemistry, materials science, or chemical engineering. Experience with mass transport calculations, confocal microscopy, and electrochemistry preferred. Superior research performance as demonstrated by archival publications, presentations at national meetings, honors and awards. Please send a current curriculum vitae, a list of three references (with email addresses), and a statement of interest and availability electronically to rgkelly#virginia.edu (replace # with @). Position available immediately. Appointment will be for a year with up to two years renewal possible based on performance and availability of funds.

Ph.D. student: B.S. in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or physics. Prefer some experience with research as undergraduate. Superior academic performance as demonstrated by grade point average, honors/awards. Please send a current curriculum vitae (including grade point average), a list of three references (with email addresses), and a statement of interest and availability electronically to rgkelly#virginia.edu (replace # with @). Admission to the graduate program in Materials Science or Engineering Physics required.

Next-Generation Modeling of Corrosion Damage Evolution (Office of Naval Research)

Prof. Kelly is looking for a MS or PhD student to work on the development of an advanced model of corrosion damage evolution. The project seeks to establish a methodology for predicting and understanding the spatial-temporal development of corrosion damage on metal surfaces. In other words, why isn’t uniform corrosion truly uniform? What causes pits to form at some inclusions and not others? The project is jointly managed with Prof. Don Brown (Chair, Systems and Information Engineering) who currently has a PhD student using spatial-temporal point process modeling using feature extraction to analyze corrosion damage data. The MSE graduate student will perform experimental work to characterize the way in which corrosion damage develops under both uniform and localized corrosion. The primary experimental tool will be the confocal laser scanning microscope which allows a quantitative, three-dimensional map of surfaces to be created with sub-micron resolution in all three spatial dimensions. The application of the knowledge will be improved corrosion prediction to allow improved safety and readiness of structures.

Master’s or PhD Student

Ph.D. in chemistry, materials science, or chemical engineering. Experience with electrochemistry, corrosion, and/or optical microscopy a plus. Prefer some experience with research as undergraduate. Superior academic performance as demonstrated by grade point average, honors/awards. Please send a current curriculum vitae (including grade point average), a list of three references (with email addresses), and a statement of interest and availability electronically to rgkelly#virginia.edu (replace # with @). Admission to the graduate program in Materials Science or Engineering Physics required.

Atomistic Modeling of Ni-Water Electrochemistry Using Ab InitioMethods (Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory) Prof. Kelly is looking for a MS or PhD student to work with him and Prof. Matt Neurock (Chemical Engineering) to elucidate the atomic scale mechanisms, electrochemical processes, and thermodynamic parameters that can influence the stress-corrosion cracking behavior of nickel-base alloys exposed to high-purity, high-temperature, deaerated water. Specifically, this research shall focus on understanding the atomic scale structure, dynamics, and reactivity of the metal/water interface as a function of both temperature and structure. The research shall investigate the effects of both twist and tilt grain boundaries on the pertinent electrochemical reactions. The student will build on the substantial body of work at UVa in the advancement of Density Functional Theory (DFT) to the metal/electrolyte interface. The MSE/EP PhD student will extend the calculations previously performed on single crystal Ni in pure water to Ni surfaces with various crystal defects in order to understand the effects of these defects on nickel oxidation, water reduction, and hydrogen uptake in Ni and Ni alloys.

Master’s of PhD Student Ph.D. in chemistry, materials science, or chemical engineering. Experience with atomistic modeling and quantum mechanics a plus. Prefer some experience with research as undergraduate. Superior academic performance as demonstrated by grade point average, honors/awards. Please send a current curriculum vitae (including grade point average), a list of three references (with email addresses), and a statement of interest and availability electronically to rgkelly#virginia.edu (replace # with @). Admission to the graduate program in Materials Science or Engineering Physics required.

Nanoscale Corrosion Mechanisms in Amorphous Metallic Glasses as a function of Devitrification

One to two GRA project positions are available to study nano-scale corrosion processes in amorphous alloys which are devitrified to form either solute rich or polymorphous (phase change from amorphous to crystalline without change in composition) phases embedded in corrosion sites. Each project involves a combination of metallurgy, surface science, corrosion-electrochemistry, and microscopy. The student may tailor the project towards their interests within in these areas. These projects are suitable for either a M.S., Ph.D. student or part-time work by a post-doctoral researcher. The projects provide an excellent training ground in materials science and engineering. A third project area will focus on corrosion of “relaxed” but not devitrified amorphous glasses. This project area will involve the use of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) at a national synchrotron light source facility to characterize devitrified structures and correlate these with corrosion properties characterized at UVA. These projects must be filled immediately. The successful candidate will collaborate with a team of graduate students as well as Professors Gary Shiflet and Jim Fitzgerald. Amorphous materials are an exciting area in materials science with the recent discovery of bulk metallic glasses in many alloy compositions.

Diversity in gender and race are highly sought.

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