Naresh N. Thadhani Professor and Associate Chair Georgia Institute of Technology Materials Science and Engineering 771 Ferst Drive, N.W. Atlanta, GA 30332-0245 Office:  Love Bldg., Room 166 Phone: 404.894.2651  |   Fax: 404.894.9140 naresh.thadhani@mse.gatech.edu www.hsrlab.gatech.edu B.E. Metallurgical Engineering, 1980, University of Rajasthan, India M.S. Metallurgical Engineering, 1981, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Ph.D. Physical Metallurgy, 1984, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Dr. Thadhani is Professor and Associate Chair in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. He also holds a joint appointment in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. Research Interests Processing of non-equilibrium phases and alloys with unique microstructures through shock-induced phase transformations and chemical reactions Probing mechanical properties of metals, ceramics, polymer, and composite materials under dynamic high-pressure and high-strain-rate impact loading Design, testing, and analysis of energy-releasing and energy-absorbing materials Dr. Thadhani joined the faculty in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech in September, 1992. His research focuses on studies of shock-induced physical, chemical, and mechanical changes for processing of novel materials and for probing the deformation and fracture response of metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites, subjected to high-rate impact loading conditions. He has developed state-of-the-art high-strain-rate laboratory which includes 80-mm and 7.62-mm diameter single-stage gas-guns, and a laser-accelerated thin-foil set-up, to perform impact experiments at velocities of 70 to 1200 m/s. The experiments employ time-resolved diagnostics to monitor shock-initiated events with nanosecond resolution employing piezoelectric and piezoresistive stress gauges, VISAR interferometry, Photonic-doppler-velocimetry, and high-speed digital imaging, combined with the ability to recover impacted materials for post-mortem microstructural characterization and determination of other properties. He has built computational capabilities employing continuum simulations for design of experiments and development and validation of constitutive equations, as well as for meso-scale discrete particle numerical analysis (using CTH and ALE3D codes) to determine the effects observed during shock compression of heterogeneous materials, using real microstructures. His current research projects (pictured below) include (a) dynamic shock consolidation of nano-sized and nanocrystalline powders for fabrication of bulk nanocomposite permanent magnets with high energy products; (b) design, processing, characterization and evaluation of structural energetic materials (based on intermetallics, ceramics, thermites, and polymer-composites) and including determining their pressure-volume compressibility characteristics and constitutive mechanochemical behaviro; (c) Phase transition and high strain rate mechanical properties of bulk metallic glasses and their composites; and (d) development and validation of constitutive models for high-strain-rate mechanical property characterization of various fcc, bcc, and hcp metals. Dr. Thadhani’s current research group includes two post-doctoral fellows, two visiting scientists, nine graduate students, and three undergraduate students. He has graduated more than 20 Ph.D. and M.S. students. Dr. Thadhani is fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) and of ASM International. He is author of more than two hundred publications in journals and proceedings, including several authoritative reviews and book articles. He is Editor of Springer Series on Shock Compression, Associate Editor of Shock Waves: An International Journal, Key Reader for Metallurgical and Materials Transactions, Past Chair of the APS-SCCM Awards committee, and Past President of the Alpha Sigma Mu, Materials Honor Society. He has served as a consultant for various industries, and has been on advisory boards and organizing committees for many international conferences. Selected Publications N.N. Thadhani, "Shock-induced Chemical Reactions and Synthesis of Materials," Progress in Materials Science, Vol. 27 (2), pp. 117-226, 1993. N.N. Thadhani, "Mechanisms of Shock-Assisted and Shock-Induced Chemical Reactions in Elemental Powder Mixtures," J. of Applied Physics, Vol. 76 (4), pp. 2129 -2138, 1994. N.N. Thadhani, R.A. Graham, T. Royal, E. Dunbar, M.U. Anderson, and G.T. Holman, Shock-induced Chemical Reactions in Ti-Si Powder Mixtures: Time-Resolved Pressure Measurements and Materials Analysis, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 82 (3), (1997) pp. 1113-1128. T. Chen, J. Hampikian, and N.N. Thadhani, Synthesis, Microstructure, and Properties of Shock Compacted Nanocrystalline NiAl alloy, Acta Materilia, Vol. 47, No. 8, pp. 2567-2579, 1999. K.V. Vandersall and N.N. Thadhani, “Time-Resolved Measurements of the shock-compression response of Mo+2Si Elemental Powder Mixtures,” Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 94, No. 3 (2003) pp. 1575-1583. Xiao Xu and Naresh N. Thadhani, “Investigation of shock-induced reaction behavior of as-blended and ball-milled Ni+Ti powder mixtures using time-resolved stress measurements ,” Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 96(4); 2004, pp. 2000-2009. Z.Q. Jin, K.H. Chen, J. Li, H. Zeng, S-F. Cheng, J.P. Liu, Z.L. Wang, N.N. Thadhani, “Shock compression response of magnetic nanocomposite powders,” ACTA MATER. 52: (8) 2147-2154 2004 D. Eakins, N.N. Thadhani, Instrumented Anvil-On-Rod Impact Tests for Validating Applicability of Standard Strength Models to Transient Deformation States, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 100, No. 7, 2006, pp. 073503-1-8. D. Eakins and N.N. Thadhani, “Shock-Induced Reaction In A Flake Nickel + Spherical Aluminum Powder Mixture”, Journal of Applied Physics, V. 100, No. 11, 2006, pp. 113521-25. D. Eakins and N.N. Thadhani, “Discrete Particle Simulation of Shock Wave Propagation in a Binary Ni+Al Powder Mixture”, Journal of Applied Physics, 2007, Vol. 101 (200) 043508-18. M. Martin, T. Sekine, T. Kobayashi, L. Kecskes, and N.N. Thadhani, High Pressure Equation of State of a Zirconium-Based Bulk Metallic Glass, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions, Vol. 38A(11), (2007), pp. 2689-2696. L. Ferranti and N.N. Thadhani, “Dynamic Mechanical Behavior Characterization of Epoxy -Cast Al+Fe2O3 Thermite Mixtures,” Metallurgical and Materials Transactions, Vol. 38A(11), (2007), pp. 2697-2715. M. Martin, L. Kecskes, and N.N. Thadhani, “High-Strain-Rate Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of a Bulk Metallic Glass Composite,” Journal of Materials Research, Vol. 23, No. 4, April, 2008, pp. 998-1008. C. Dai, D.Eakins, and N.N. Thadhani, “Dynamic Densification Behavior of nano-iron powders under shock compression,” Journal of Applied Physics, 103 (9), 2008, Article No. 093503. M. Martin, T. Shen, N.N. Thadhani, “Applicability of instrumented anvil-on-rod impact experiments for validating the Steinberg-Guinan constitutive strength model for simulating transient dynamic deformation response of metals,” Materials Science & Engineering A 494 (2008), pp. 416-424. Return to top