Kip O. Findley

My primary interests in materials engineering are mechanical metallurgy and developing microstructure-mechanical property relationships in advanced metal alloys. There are several engineering models that can accurately estimate mechanical behavior such as stress-strain, fatigue crack initiation and growth rates, fracture toughness, and creep at high temperatures; however, many of those models are fitted mathematical relationships using empirically determined constants that may not fully represent the underlying physical mechanisms governing the specific mechanical property. My research interests involve linking mechanical behavior of metallic materials to microstructural features at a variety of length scales ranging from sub-microscopic to microscopic levels and using this understanding to develop physically-based models. This methodology is applied to Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center projects in the bar, plate, and sheet product areas. As part of this research mission, I was awarded an NSF CAREER Grant to study “The Stability and Influence of Metastable Retained Austenite During Fatigue of Advanced Steel Alloys,” which also involves outreach to local schools and after school programs for Denver area high school students. Through my research and teaching activities, I seek to educate undergraduate and graduate students in core physical metallurgy concepts and maintain the strong relationships between the ASPPRC and the industrial sponsors as well as forge new collaborations as opportunities present themselves.

Education

• B.S. Colorado School of Mines
• Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology

Research Area

• Mechanical metallurgy
• Fatigue and fracture of advanced metal alloys
• Quantitative microstructural characterization

Teaching Focus

I teach both undergraduate and graduate level courses including:

• MT445/505: Mechanical Behavior of Materials
• MT553: Theory of Dislocations and Strengthening Mechanisms
• MT560: Failure Analysis

Publications

• S. Zhang and K.O. Findley, “Quantitative assessment of the effects of microstructure on the stability of retained austenite in TRIP steels,” Acta Materialia, 61(6), April 2013, Pages 1895–1903.
• K.O. Findley, R.L. Cryderman, A.B. Nissan, D.K. Matlock, “The Effects of Inclusions on Fatigue Performance of Steel Alloys,” in AISTech 2013 Proceedings, 2013.
• Enloe, C. M., K. O. Findley, C. M. Parish, M. K. Miller, B. C. De Cooman, and J. G. Speer. “Compositional evolution of microalloy carbonitrides in a Mo-bearing microalloyed steel.” Scripta Materialia, 68: 55-58 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2012.09.027.
• Muckelroy, N. C., Findley, K. O., & Bodnar, R. L. (2013). Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Direct Quenched Versus Conventional Reaustenitized and Quenched Plate. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 22(2), 512-522.
• K.O. Findley, D.K. Matlock, J.G. Speer, “Microstructural Effects on Fatigue Performance of Advanced Line Pipe and Plate Steels,” Proceedings, The International Symposium on the Recent Developments in Plate Steels, AIST, Warrendale, PA, 2011, pp. 51-59.
• K.Partin, K.O. Findley, C.J. Van Tyne, “Microstructural and alloy influence on the low-temperature strengthening behavior of commercial steels used as plates,” Materials Science and Engineering A, Vol. 527, 2010, pp. 5143-5152.
• K.O. Findley, J.L. Evans, A. Saxena, “A critical assessment of fatigue crack nucleation and growth models for Ni- and Ni,Fe-based superalloys”, International Materials Reviews, Vol. 56, (2011), pp. 49-71. DOI: 10.1179/095066010X12777205875796.
• K.O. Findley, A. Saxena., “Low Cycle Fatigue in Rene 88DT at 650°C: Crack Nucleation Mechanisms and Modeling,” Met. and Mat. Trans. A, 37A: 1469-1475 (2006).

Professional Societies

• AIST – Metallurgy, Products, Processing, and Applications Committee
• ASM – Action in Education Committee
• TMS – Mechanical Behavior of Materials Committee
• ASEE