Madison Gianelle (SECOND PLACE)

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) (a.k.a. high entropy alloys) have attracted intense research interest due to their potential for enhanced properties versus conventional alloys.  To date, the vast majority of the MPEA compositions studied have been prepared by casting of a molten mixture of the elemental metals. The present work describes a novel solid-state technique whereby a bulk equimolar FeCoCuNi MPEA was processed by the reduction of metal oxides. The influence of heat-treatment parameters on the resulting microstructure of the ceramic derived alloy will be presented. Compared to similar alloys fabricated by melt processing, interesting differences emerged with regard to the composition and distribution of the phases. These will be examined in the light of the different fabrication methods. The potential advantages of the ceramic derived process will be discussed, together with the extension of this technique to other MPEA compositions. 

 

Madison Gianelle is a Lehigh University senior studying Materials Science and Engineering with minors in Nanotechnology and Studio Art. After graduating this upcoming May, Madison will pursue a Masters in Materials Science and Engineering at Lehigh University. Currently she is an undergraduate research assistant for Professor Helen Chan and has been since summer of 2018. Her work focuses on attempting to discover a novel ceramic derived processing route for multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) (a.k.a. high entropy alloys). Throughout her research experience, Madison has competed in Lehigh's Materials Science and Engineering (MS&E) undergraduate micrograph competition in 2019, entered in TMS 2019 Ceramographic competition in Portland, OR and won, been selected to give an oral presentation at the World's 1st HEA conference in 2019 in Seattle, WA, and presented her research at the 2020 MS&E undergraduate speaking competition against fellow students. Outside of research and her academics, Madison has been president of the Lehigh Equestrian Team (LUET) for the past three years as well as a member of Alpha Gamma Delta.