Salar Niknafs, Rian Dippenaar

School of Mechanical, Materials and Mechatronics Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences,
University of Wollongong, Australia

I conducted the solidification research at the Materials Process Engineering Group, University of Wollongong. The group is based around Prof Rian Dippenaar and principally involves in applied research and education in the field of physical metallurgy.

Materials Process Engineering Group specializes in high-temperature processing with special emphasis on in-situ observations using unique experimental facilities such as the state-of-art high-temperature laser-scanning confocal microscopy (HT-LSCM), computational engineering (MICRESS®, Thermo-CalcTM, DictraTM) and has access to a range of sophisticated instruments within the UOW and at the collaborative organizations.  The group has actively facilitated a large number of joint industry-university research projects in Australia, North-America, Asia and Europe, established collaborations with a number of science & research centers and maintained an international contact at a high academic level.

Environmental friendly artificial slag Recrystallization of a fluorine-free slag observed in real-time and at temperature. Photo by Salar Niknafs, courtesy of the University of Wollongong. (above)

Massive-type phase transformation

Volume change during the high-temperature delta-ferrite to austenite phase transformation causes cracks in slabs.