MSE 298 Seminar: Electrified Ultrahigh-Temperature Manufacturing of High Entropy Alloys

Abstract: Traditional industrial processes heavily rely on fossil fuels to generate thermal energy, leading to high CO₂ emissions (>35 billion tons/year) that contribute to global warming. Electrified processes powered by renewable energy sources are becoming more sustainable and cost-effective. In this presentation, I will discuss the use of electrified ultrahigh-temperature heating as an alternative to traditional fossil fuel-based manufacturing. This process achieves ultrahigh temperatures through Joule heating (up to 3000 K) with rapid heating and cooling rates (105 K/s) and high temporal and spatial resolution. These conditions are especially ideal for non-equilibrium syntheses, enabling the fabrication of materials in meta stable states that are not accessible at thermo dynamic equilibrium conditions. I will discuss the use of this disruptive electrified Joule heating platform for the design, synthesis and manufacturing of a variety of advanced materials including support-free high entropy alloy nanoparticles for applications in energy and catalysis. The process also allows for morphology control of nanoparticles during rapid heating resulting in the synthesis of hollow high entropy alloy nanoparticles that feature a high ratio of active sites per mass for catalysis. In addition to nanomanufacturing, I will also discuss the exploration of the electrified ultrahigh-temperature platform for the direct melt printing of bulk multi-principal elemental alloys toward metal additive manufacturing. The ultrahigh-temperature non-equilibrium process is crucial for preventing phase separation and achieving the formation of single-phase high entropy alloys. This electrified ultrahigh-temperature platform offers a promising tool for new materials research and manufacturing in emerging energy and environmental technologies.

Bio: Xizheng (Zoe) Wang is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UCI, as of 2023. Prior to joining UCI, Wang held the position of assistant research scientist in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Center for Materials Innovation at the University of Maryland, College Park. Wang received her B.S. in chemical physics from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2013 and her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2018. During her doctoral studies, Wang focused on exploring the fundamental mechanisms behind the strong reactivity of oxidizers in energetic reactions using ultrafast and ultrahigh-temperature apparatus. After earning her doctorate, she joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Maryland as a postdoctoral researcher. Her research focuses on electrified ultrahigh-temperature synthesis, manufacturing and processing for energy and catalysis, in-depth exploration of emerging materials formation through ultrafast, ultrahigh-temperature apparatus as well as the development of sustainable wood-based nanomaterials.