Wangshu Zheng (Wayne)

How do processing pathways select and retain useful phases, interfaces, and defects?

I investigate rapid sintering and joining in ceramics, and active cooling in additively manufactured Ni-based alloys. Thermal history, reaction kinetics, interfacial chemistry, and residual stress determine which states survive processing.

Extensions to multifunctional ceramics include transparent ceramics, fibres, and ceramic joints, connected by processing kinetics and state control.

How do matrices and interfaces change phase stability, activation conditions, and strain accommodation?

ZrO₂/NiTi–Al composites reveal how chemistry and matrix constraint regulate phase stability and deformation. The mechanisms differ: martensitic transformation in zirconia, and retained R phase, R-phase reorientation, and particle deformation in NiTi–Al.

Interface design connects phase retention with the transfer of local deformation to the matrix.

When do local transformations and interface responses improve bulk deformation, energy absorption, and damage tolerance?

Collaborative studies connect phase response and interfacial chemistry to strain hardening, energy absorption, and interface fracture. Current work extends these relationships to impact, loading history, and hydrogen environments.

Reversibility motivates a further question: can a useful mechanical response be retained across repeated loading?