R. Prakash Kolli
From Northwestern University Center for Atom-Probe Tomography
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| Research: | Nanoscale Precipitation-Strengthened Steels |
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| Education: | B.S., Mechanical Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1991 M.S., Mechanical Engineering University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1993 |
| Publications: | Publications by Kolli in our database |
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Contact | |
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R. Prakash Kolli
Materials Science and Engineering
2220 North Campus Drive Evanston, IL 60208 Phone: 847.491.5946
Email: p-kolli "@" northwestern.edu
Fax: 847.467.2269
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I am a third year graduate student in Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University. My bachelor’s and master’s degrees are both in mechanical engineering. I received my bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and my master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I also earned my Professional Engineer (PE) license in mechanical engineering from the State of Virginia.
My current research interest is nanoscale precipitation strengthening of high-strength-low-alloy (HSLA) steels. The goal is to develop, understand, and characterize a low alloy ferritic steel with a yield strength in excess of 150 ksi, good cryogenic fracture toughness, and explosion resistance. The carbon content of the steel is low, thus avoiding the formation of martensite and preventing the formation of a brittle heat-affected zone (HAZ) during welding. The strengthening of the steel comes from a high density of nanoscale size NbC and Cu-Fe-Ni-Al-Mn precipitates. Precipitation is accomplished by solution treating, quenching, and aging.
I study the mechanical properties by measuring the Vickers Microhardness, tensile properties, and impact toughness. I study the microstructure primarily using the Local Elctrode Atom Probe (LEAP) and the Apex and IVAS analysis softwares. This allows me to produce 3-D reconstructions (visualizations) of the precipitates and other internal structures. Additionally, I am able to determine the temporal evolution of the microstructure to include: morphology, local composition, and interfacial segreation, as the alloy ages. Finally, I will be studying the strain rate behavior over several decades of strain using both a standard hydraulic MTS and a Kolsky bar.
