Skip to main content

Dr. Yifan Zhang

Assistant Professor

Office: 241 Fluor Daniel Building
Phone: (765) 637-3085
Fax: (864) 656-4435
Email: yifan3@clemson.edu

Dr. Yifan Zhang joined the department as an Assistant Professor in August 2024. Before this role, Dr. Zhang served as a Research Scientist at Purdue University. He completed his postdoctoral research at Los Alamos National Laboratory from 2020 to 2023, following the completion of his PhD in Materials Engineering at Purdue University. Dr. Zhang's research focuses on the processing, structure-property relationships, deformation mechanisms, and extreme environmental behaviors of nanostructured and heterostructured materials. His work aims to enhance processing efficiency and improve the overall mechanical performance of emerging structural materials.

Education

PhD, School of Materials Engineering at Purdue University, 2020
MS, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 2016
BS, University of Science and Technology Beijing, 2013

Research Interests

Nanostructured/ Heterostructured materials
Physical metallurgy and structure-property relationships
Nano/Micro mechanics
In situ tests inside scanning/transmission electron microscopes
Advanced characterizations
Sustainable manufacturing and processing

Selected Publications

  1. Y.F. Zhang, T.J. Nizolek, L. Capolungo, N. Li, J. Carpenter, R.J. McCabe, Strong interfaces: the key to high strength in nano metallic laminates, Acta Materialia (2024), 120298. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120298
  2. Y.F. Zhang, M. Zecevic, A. Chakraborty, R.J. McCabe, T.J Nizolek, R.A. Lebensohn, J.S. Carpenter, N Li, L. Capolungo, Unraveling kinking: a plasticity enhancing failure mode in high strength nano metallic laminates, Acta Materialia 260 (2023):119342. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2023.119342
  3. Y.F. Zhang, J.G. Gigax, T.J. Nizolek, J.S. Carpenter, M.M. Schneider, N Li, L. Capolungo, R.J. McCabe, Tensile and failure behaviors of Cu/Nb nanolaminates: the effects of loading direction, layer thickness, and annealing, Acta Materialia. (2022),118346. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2022.118346
  4. Y.F. Zhang, T.J. Niu, N.A. Richter, T. Sun, N. Li, H. Wang, X. Zhang, Tribological behaviors of nanotwinned Al alloys, Applied Surface Science (2022),
  5. Y.F. Zhang, N. Li, M. Schneider, T.J. Nizolek, Laurent Capolungo, R.J. McCabe, Kink mechanism in Cu/Nb nanolaminates explored by in situ pillar compression, Acta Mater. (2022), DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2022.118150
  6. Y.F. Zhang, R. Su, D.Y. Xie, T.J. Niu, S. Xue, Q. Li, Z. Shang, J. Ding, N.A. Richter, J. Wang, H. Wang, X. Zhang, Design of super-strong and thermally stable nanotwinned Al alloys via solute synergy, Nanoscale, 2020, DOI: 10.1039/D0NR05707J
  7. Y.F. Zhang, S. Xue, Q. Li, J. Li, J. Ding, T.J. Niu, R. Su, H. Wang, X. Zhang, Size dependent strengthening in high strength nanotwinned Al/Ti multilayers, Acta Materialia. 175 (2019) 466-476, DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2019.06.028.
Yifan Zhang