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Zachary Buck (Fed)
Physicist
My current research is in the materials testing in extreme environments project, with a focus on investigating hydrogen-assisted failure mechanisms of embrittlement in pipeline steels and welds. Various microscopy techniques such as, SEM, AFM, and Scanning Kelvin Probe are used to study the fracture surface of specimens mechanically loaded in or treated with hydrogen-rich environments. Neutron and x-ray scattering experiments are also frequently performed as a part of my research as such techniques offer a unique understanding of the structural and dynamic information by probing deep into the microstructure to quantify localized strain and dislocation densities, in addition to mapping hydrogen kinetics and residual stresses in a wide range of materials.
Research interests and other passions:
Mechanical testing of materials - Fatigue crack growth rate, fracture toughness, fully-reversed strain life, Charpy impact
Microscopy - Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy on hydrogen-charged metals
Neutron Scattering - Diffraction and residual stress mapping, quasi-elastic scattering, Helium-3 neutron spin filters
Institutional Development - Postdoctoral and Early Career Association of Researchers (PEAR), Front Range Industry and Postdoc Summit (FRIPS)
External links:
Awards
MML Postdoctoral Fellow Award (2023)
National Research Council Fellowship (2020)
Boain Ph.D. Dissertation Award (2018)
DOE SCGSR Internship (2016)
MU Chancellor's Award for Public Outreach (2013)
NSF IGERT Fellowship (2012)