The award recognizes the graduate student author who submits the best original technical paper contributing to the advancement of science and engineering related to the atomic nucleus. Graduating in summer 2015, Miao currently is a postdoctoral researcher in the Nuclear Engineering Division at Argonne National Laboratory.
Miao’s paper is based on his dissertation, in which he developed a unique approach to understanding the nature of high temperature strengthening in stainless steels with oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) particles. These microscopic ceramic particles are embedded inside a metallic material. Since they are ceramic, they will not melt at high temperature, and provide a great deal of additive strength to metal even as it approaches its melting point.
In addition, the tiny particles are an important contribution to the material’s resistance to irradiation. The particle interfaces provide an excellent place for absorbing metal atoms that radiation displaces, and prevents the displaced atoms from binding together to form internal defect clusters.
To gain this understanding, Miao performed in situ deformation transmission electron microscopy experiments as well as in situ tensile deformation experiments at the Advanced Phonon Source at Argonne. He also performed atom probe tomography (APT) studies at Oak Ridge National and Idaho National laboratories.
His recent papers are “On the microstructure and strengthening mechanism in oxide dispersion-strengthened 316 steel: A coordinated electron microscopy, atom probe tomography and in situ synchrotron tensile investigation,” and “In situ synchrotron tensile investigations on the phase responses within an oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) 304 steel” in the journal, Materials Science and Engineering A, and “The interfacial orientation relationship of oxide nanoparticles in a hafnium-containing oxide dispersion-strengthened austenitic stainless steel,” in the journal, Materials Characterization.