Francisco Andrade Chavez
Francisco joined UIUC and Jessica Krogstad’s group in August 2018. He received his MS degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 2017. His work focuses on developing a fundamental approach to control and tune different microstructural features of nanotwinned alloys to systematically study twin-dislocation interactions. Additionally, he is also studying the implications of mechanically anisotropic crystal structures on the durability of solid electrolytes (SE) and SE/anode interfaces.
Education
BS in Industrial Engineering, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)
BS in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, UTEP (2014)
MS in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, UTEP (2017)
Projects
– Towards Nanomanufacturing of Materials with Coherent Interfaces
– Temperature Insensitive High-Energy Density Lithium-Ion Batteries
Research Areas
At UTEP, Francisco worked in the the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation where he performed research to develop novel materials for additive manufacturing, including different polymer blends (https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2018.1550694) and organic-inorganic polymer hybrids (https://doi.org/10.1177/0892705719864150). His work there involved using single and twin screw extruders to fabricate blends of polymer matrix composites and performing mechanical testing and characterization techniques (SEM, DMA, FTIR, XRD) on different polymeric materials.
Francisco currently works on quantifying the mechanical properties of solid electrolytes using nanoindentation experiments, electron microscopy and orientation mapping techniques. Evaluation and quantification of the mechanical and elastic anisotropic constants of solid electrolytes is not just a crucial design parameter, they also have a pivotal role in processing, assembly and operation of solid-state batteries. Additionally, Francisco has been working on manufacturing, mechanical testing and characterization of nanotwinned NiTi alloys in the form of thin films and in bulk samples.
Awards
Mexican National Council for Science and Technology Scholarship (2015-2017)
Edgar Jimenez/Coca-Cola Endowed Scholarship Fund (2016-2018)
Racheff Teaching Fellowship (2021, 2022)