Research Areas

• Physical & Mechanical Metallurgy
• Fatigue, Fracture Mechanics and Creep
• Processing of Metal Matrix Composites
• Thermophysical Properties
• Finite Element Modeling and Analysis

Prior Affiliations

• Research Scientist: Materials Research Division, Universal Energy Systems (UES), Inc., 4401, Dayton-Xenia Road, Dayton, OH (June 1993 - March 1995)
• National Research Council Research Fellow: Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH (January 1989 - May 1993)
• Research Associate: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Metallurgy Department, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India (April 1988 - January 1989)

Awards/Honors

• Outstanding Teaching Award, Dept. of Metallurgical Engineering, University of Utah, 1996-97
• NRC Fellowship Award,U. S. National Research Council, U. S. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, 1989-92
• Dr. A. K. Bose Gold Medal, Indian Institute of Metals (for the best M. Eng. Thesis in India in 1984-85)
• Prof. K. P. Abraham Medal, Indian Institute of Science (for the highest GPA in M. Eng. in 1984-85)
• Prof. A. A. Krishnan Medal, Indian Institute of Science (for the best M. Eng. Thesis in the department in 1984-85)
• Best B. Eng. Thesis award, Directorate of Technical Education, Madras (for the best B.Eng. Thesis in the State in 1983-84

Current Funded Research Programs

• "Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of in-situ Ti-TiB composites," funded by Division of Materials Science, Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, NC.
  For three years, from July 1999
• "Application of Laser Interferometric Technique to Probe the Microstructural Aspects of Small Fatigue Cracks, " funded by Division of Materials Research, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA For four years, from May 1997
• "Fatigue of Beta Titanium Alloys," funded by Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D. C For three years, from March 1996 (closed)
• "Fatigue of TiAl Lamellar Polycrystals," funded by Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D. C For six months, from May 2000
• "Research & Develoment Activities on Magnesium and Its Alloys," funded by Magnesium Corporation of America, UT From May 2000,

Students in My Group

• Kyongjun An, Ph.D.,Graduated in Dec. 1998, Thermal Conductivity of Multilayer Thermal Barrier Coatings made by PS and PVD
• Revti Atri, Ph.D.,Graduated in July 2000, Finite Element Modeling of Ti-TiB Functionally Graded Materials for Armor
• Sushant K. Jha, Ph.D., Fatigue of Beta Titanium Alloys (in progress)
• Shankar Srinivasan, Ph.D., Role of Anisotropy on Fatigue of Beta Treated Titanium Alloys (in progress)
• Firdosh Kavarana, M. S., Structure and Properties of Nanoscale Steel-Brass Multilayers made by Cold Rolling (in progress)
• Krutibas Panda, M. S., Insitu Synthesis of Novel TiB Whisker Reinforced Beta Titanium Alloy Matrix Composites (in progress)
• Vikrant Bansore, M. S., Electromigration in Cu Alloys
• Imad Barsoum, M. S., Ti-TiB Functionally Graded Materials (starting August 2000)

Recent Publications

Edited Conference Proceedings/Handbook Reviews

• Small Fatigue Cracks: Mechanics, Mechanisms and Applications, Proceedings of an International Engineering Foundation Conference, edited by K. S. Ravichandran, R. O. Ritchie and Y. Murakami, Elsevier Science Ltd., London, UK, 1999, 497 pages
• K. S. Ravichandran, "Effect of Crack Shape on Crack Growth," in ASM Fatigue and Fracture Handbook, American Society for Materials International, Vol. 19, 1996, p. 159
• K. S. Ravichandran and A. K. Vasudevan, "Fracture Resistance of Structural Alloys," in ASM Fatigue and Fracture Handbook, American Society for Materials International, Vol. 19, 1996, p. 381

Journal Publications 

• S. K. Jha and K. S. Ravichandran, "A Mystery in Fatigue: Duality of the S-N Curve in a Titanium Alloy," Acta Materialia, (To be published)
• R. Atri, J. Li, S. Sahay, B. Chen and K. S. Ravichandran, "Finite Element Analysis of Thermal Stresses and Cracking in Ti-TiB Functionally Graded Material," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, (submitted 2000)
• R. Atri and K. S. Ravichandran, "The Nature of Thermal Expansion in Ti-TiB insitu Processeed Composites," J. Material Research, (submitted 2000)
• F. Kavarana, K. S. Ravichandran and S. Sahay, "Nanoscale Steel-Brass Multilayer Laminates Made by Cold Rolling: Microstructure and Tensile Properties," Scripta Materialia, Vol. X, 2000, pp.
• K. S. Ravichandran and Xu-Dong Li, "Fracture Mechanical Character of Small Cracks in Polycrystalline Materials: Concept and Numerical K Calculations," Acta Materialia, Vol. 48, 2000, pp. 525-540.
• S. K. Jha and K. S. Ravichandran, "Effect of Aging on the Mean Stress Dependence of Fatigue Crack Growth Behavior in a Beta Titanium Alloy: Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al," Metallurgical and Materials Transactions, 1999, in press
• S. S. Sahay, K. S. Ravichandran, R. Atri, B. Chen and J. Rubin, "Evolution of Microstructure and Phases in In-situ Processed Ti-TiB Composites Containing High Volume Fractions of TiB whiskers," J. Material Research, Vol. 14, 1999, pp. 4214-4223
• R. Atri, K. S. Ravichandran and S. K. Jha, "Elastic Properties of In-situ Processed Ti-TiB Composites Measured by Impulse Excitation of Vibration," Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. A271, 1999, pp. 150-159
• K. S. Ravichandran, K. An, R. E. Dutton and S. L. Semiatin, "Thermal Conductivity of Plasma Sprayed Monolithic and Multilayer Coatings of Al2O3 and ZrO2," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol. 82, 1999, pp. 673-682
• K. An, K. S. Ravichandran, R. E. Dutton and S. L. Semiatin, "Microstructure, Texture and Thermal Conductivity of Single and Multilayer Coatings of Al2O3 and ZrO2 made by Physical Vapor Deposition" Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol. 82, 1999 pp. 399-406
• K. S. Ravichandran, "Three-Dimensional Crack-Shape Effects During the Growth of Small Surface Cracks Under Fatigue in a Titanium-Base Alloy," Fracture and Fatigue of Engineering Materials and Structures, Vol. 20, 1997, p. 1423
• K. S. Ravichandran, "Effects of Crack Aspect Ratio on the Behavior of Small Surface Cracks in Fatigue. Part I: Simulation," Metallurgical and Materials Transactions, Vol. 28A, 1997, p. 149
• K. S. Ravichandran and J. M. Larsen, "Effects of Crack Aspect Ratio on the Behavior of Small Surface Cracks in Fatigue. Part II: Experiments on a Titanium (Ti-8Al) Alloy," Metallurgical and Materials Transactions, Vol. 28A, 1997, p. 157

Facilities at Our Mechanical Behavior Laboratory

MTS Materials Test System with Laser Interferometer This facility is used to perform small crack fatigue experiments, strain measurements on thin specimens as well as crack opening displacement profiles. Specific Features: Programmable PC controller Laser interferometric displacement system

MTS System with Teststar Digital Controller This equipment is used to conduct fatigue and fracture mechanics experiments. Specific Features: High speed data acquisition and control Toughness (Kic, Jic, Rcurve) and FCG test programs Various grips and fixtures

Instron High Temperature Materials Test System This facility is used to conduct high temperature tensile and creep experiments on titanium alloys and metal matrix composites. Specific Features: Test temperature up to 1500°C Inert atmosphere Precise displacement control

On the basis of over 15 years of materials and metallurgy experience, I can help you to resolve materials and metallurgical issues, in particular:

• Materials Properties and Selection for Industry, especially Steel, Titanium, Aluminum and Magnesium
• Diagnosis of material and component degradation, failures and fractures
• Metallurgical Coatings, Surface treatments and Surface Modification Problems
• Expert witness and guidance in litigation
• Microstructure and Chemistry determination and analysis
• Heat treatment and microstructure control
• Mechanical Testing and Analysis per ASTM standards
• Materials Standards and Equivalents
• Problems with Titanium Biomedical Implants