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Christopher
Muhlstein
Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering;
Corning
Faculty Fellow
202B Steidle Bldg.
814-865-1523
muhlstein@matse.psu.edu |
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Biographical
Sketch:
Christopher Muhlstein received his doctoral degree in
Materials Science and Engineering from the University of
California, Berkeley in 2002. Later that year he
joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering
at the Pennsylvania State University as an Assistant Professor.
Dr. Muhlstein’s research focuses on the fracture
and fatigue behavior of thin films and nanomaterials with
an emphasis on the durability and performance of microelectromechanical
systems (MEMS). The studies explore the degradation mechanisms
in metallic, ceramic, polymeric, and composite materials
systems and provide a basis for engineering nanomaterials.
He has authored more than 20 professional publications
and has edited a book and several special issues of academic
journals. Dr. Muhlstein is a member of the Alpha Sigma
Mu and Keramos honor societies and is a recipient of a
National Science Foundation CAREER award. |
Research
Interests:
• Mechanical
behavior
• Fracture
• Fatigue
• MEMS
• Thin films |
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Areas
of research:
Dr. Muhlstein's research explores the mechanical behavior
of bulk, thin film, and nanoscale materials. In addition
to evaluating the deformation and fracture behavior of
materials, his work also explores how they degrade via
processes such as fatigue, stress corrosion cracking, and
creep. The wide range of materials, characterization techniques,
and modeling approaches used by Dr. Muhlstein mirrors the
multitude of uses for structural materials.How materials
degrade and fail is an important consideration for aerospace,
biomedical, and other engineering disciplines. However,
the development of nanotechnologies has made mechanical
behavior a critical issue for thin films and micro/nanomechanical
systems. The deterioration of materials under cyclic loading
conditions, known as fatigue, is one of the most commonly
encountered modes of failure during service. One of the
primary objectives of Dr. Muhlstein’s research is
to understand the underlying mechanisms of degradation
phenomena such as fatigue. Recent work by Dr. Muhlstein
has delved into the fatigue behavior of thin films and
nanostructured materials such as nanocrystalline nickel,
organic monolayers, and silicon films. His experiments
have shown that unique failure modes can be observed in
small samples. For example, bulk silicon does not degrade
under cyclic loading conditions at room temperature. However,
micro- and nanometer-scale silicon thin films can accumulate
damage in the nanoscale oxide layer that forms on their
surfaces after exposure to air. This “reaction-layer
fatigue” process is an important consideration when
engineering materials for state-of-the-art structural applications.
Dr. Muhlstein’s research will help to establish the
capabilities and limitations of future structural materials. |
Technologies
impacted by research :
The results of Dr. Muhlstein’s
mechanical behavior research are used for the design of high
performance components in the aerospace, power generation,
medical device, and micromechanical industries. Recent studies
of the fatigue of thin films directly affect the long-term
performance and reliability of airbag accelerometers and
other micro/nanomechanical systems. |
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Journal
Articles and Publications:
1. Muhlstein, C.L., Stach, E.A. and Ritchie, R.O., "A
reaction-layer mechanism for the delayed failure of micron-scale
polycrystalline
silicon structural films subjected to high-cycle fatigue loading," Acta
Materialia, 2002, 50, 3579-3595.
2. Muhlstein, C.L., Stach,
E.A. and Ritchie, R.O., "Mechanism
of fatigue in micron scale films of polycrystalline silicon
for microelectromechanical systems," Applied Physics Letters,
2002, 80, 1532-1534.
3. Muhlstein, C.L., Brown, S.B. and Ritchie,
R.O., "High-cycle
fatigue and durability of polycrystalline silicon films in
ambient air," Sensors and Actuators A, 2001, 94, 177-188.
4. Muhlstein,
C.L., Brown, S.B. and Ritchie, R.O., "High-cycle
fatigue of single crystal silicon thin films," Journal
of Microelectromechanical Systems, 2001, 10, 593-600.
5. Kurtz,
S.M., Muhlstein, C.L. and Edidin, A.A., "Surface
morphology and wear mechanisms of four clinically relevant
biomaterials after hip simulator testing," Journal of
Biomedical Materials Research, 2000, 52, 447-459. |
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