
Speaker: Dr. Adam Pilchak
Senior Fellow, Materials
& Processes, Pratt & Whitney
East Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Abstract:
Beta annealed Ti 6 Al 4 V is used extensively for airframe structural applications due to its good damage tolerance capabilities Recently, there has been an uptick in the number of parts rejected due to the formation of large prior beta grains that exceed the specification limit This presentation will cover the phenomenology of coarse grain formation and explore the underlying mechanisms with experiments (interrupted heat treatments EBSD) and modeling ( VPSC, and Monte Carlo Grain Growth)
Bio-data of the speaker:
Dr. Adam Pilchak is a classically trained metallurgist with expertise in composition, process, microstructure, and property relationships for metallic materials. He promotes the use of advanced characterization methods and computational modeling tools to understand the fundamental mechanisms that drive material behavior and how they can be manipulated by thermomechanical processing to achieve the right balance of properties. He is a strong advocate for Integrated Computational Materials Engineering and model based material definitions. He has participated in multiple RCCA investigations and is currently leading an internal effort under the Additive Manufacturing IPMT to streamline the airworthiness process for AM components in commercial and military engines. Adam is active in multiple professional societies (TMS & ASM) and represents the Alloys Group in the Jet Engine Nickel and Titanium Quality Committees (JENQC and JETQC, respectively) under the auspices of the FAA. He is also committed to educating the future workforce. In this capacity, he has served on numerous PhD committees for leading institutions and teaches a course on Fatigue & Fracture of Materials at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining P&W, Adam was a Senior Materials Research Engineer in the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and held several roles during his tenure including Research Lead for the Metallic Materials & Processes team and Turbine Engine Sustainment Lead. In these roles, he conceived, executed, and managed basic and applied R&D programs (internal and external) related to microstructure characterization tools, alloy development, nondestructive characterization of microstructure, process modeling, and behavior and life prediction.
Organized by:
InSIS and Center for Structural Integrity of Safety Critical Systems, IIT Madras

