Event Type:
MSE Seminar
Date:
Talk Title:
Alloy design at Apple
Location:
College of Computing RM 016

YurkoAlloy Design at Apple

Jim Yurko, Senior Distinguished Engineer, Apple Materials Engineering

Apple products have benefited from the development of new alloys and engineered surfaces harnessing the power of computational materials design methodologies. The materials engineering team at Apple has developed high performance alloys and finishes that have impacted almost every Apple product. These materials are designed, qualified, and deployed with the quality and precision required of Apple products, including a particular emphasis on delivering a reduced environmental impact. This talk highlights Apple materials innovations that utilize these materials design methods.

As part of Apple’s Product Design Materials Engineering group, Jim Yurko leads the Alloy Engineering Team, which is responsible for alloy design and engineered surface development of all Apple products. From the most recent materials and surface finishes of iPhone to the launch of highly recycled aluminum alloys on Macbook, iPad, and Watch, the Alloy Team’s contributions emphasize performance, cosmetics, and environmental impact of these iconic products using industry-leading accelerated materials design methodologies. 

Prior to joining Apple in 2015, he served as Vice President of Technology at Materion Corporation and co-founded Boston Electrometallurgical Corporation (now Boston Metal) in 2012. Jim’s career has focused on materials design and application, as well as process development and sustainability in a number of materials systems including aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, magnesium, zirconium-bulk metallic glasses, and beryllium. 

Jim earned his B.S.E. from the University of Michigan and Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both in Materials Science and Engineering. An active TMS (The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society) member, Jim served previously as chair of the Process Technology and Modeling Committee and received the Vittorio de Nora Prize for Environmental Improvements in Metallurgical Industries in 2012, the Brimacombe Medal in 2016, and the TMS Young Leader Award in 2010. Jim serves on a number of materials science and engineering external advisory boards offering industry perspectives to these organizations and consortia at Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, and UC Irvine. In 2022, Jim was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.