Canada and UK T. Holden [NST, Canada]: Strain measurements; Polycrystalline deformation; Analytical modeling. W. Poole [U. British Columbia, Canada]: Strain measurements. R. Rogge [Chalk River, Canada]: Applied neutron diffraction techniques; Stress measurements. M. Daymond* [ISIS, UK]: ENGIN-X instrument; In-situ studies on deformation mechanisms; Modeling. L. Edwards [Open U., UK]: Fracture mechanics, Residual stresses in welds and large components. E. Oliver [ISIS, UK]: ENGIN-X instrument; In-situ studies on deformation mechanisms; Modeling. J. Santisteban [ISIS, UK]: ENGIN-X instrument; In-situ studies of hydrogen effects; Deformation mechanisms; Modeling. P. Withers [Manchester U., UK]: UK neutron consortium; Composite mechanics; Residual stresses. *M. Daymond has joined the Queen’s University as a Canada Research Chair at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Department, July 2004.

France and Germany A. Lodini [Reims U., France]: Stress evaluation; Mechanical behavior characterization using diffraction. H. Priesmeyer [Kiel U.]: In-situ deformation characterization of intermetallic alloys; Finite element modeling. A. Pyzalla [Tech. Univ. Berlin]: Surface integrity; Residual stresses in large components. W. Reimers [Tech. Univ. Berlin]: Phase, texture, and residual-stress analyses using neutrons.

China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan Z.Q. Hu [Institute of Metals Research]: Mechanical behavior of high-temperature materials. W.H. Wang [C-SNS]: Physical properties of metastable phases under high pressures & low temperatures. K. Xu [Xi’an Jiao Tong Univ]: Deformation mechanisms; Stress measurements. T. Hanabusa [Tokushima Univ.]: Residual-stress measurement; Quenching, casting, peening effects. A. Inoue [Tohoku Univ]:  Synthesis and characterization of bulk-metallic glasses [BMGs]. Y. Morii [JAERI and J-SNS]: RESA diffractometer; Residual-stress measurements; Japanese SNS. K. Tanaka [Nagoya Univ]: Fatigue of ultra-fine grained materials; Life predictions. Y. Yokoyama, [Tohoku Univ.]: Fabrication and mechanical Behavior of BMGs. Y. Choi [KAERI]: High Resolution Powder Diffractometer; Residual-stress measurements. J. Chu [National Taiwan Ocean Univ.]: Manufacture and characterization of thin films. J. Kai [National Tsing Hua University]: Characterization of nuclear materials.

          ANSWER establishes substantive, long-term collaborations, involving academic, industrial, and government laboratories. Numerous joint research activities and proposal preparations among the international participants are currently fostered to develop and/or reinforce funding for neutron-scattering studies through ANSWER.

          ANSWER currently attracts leading materials researchers and actively creates ‘new collaborations’. The examples of such activities are summarized below for the year 2005.

 European Materials Research Society Meeting, Strasbourg, France, May 29 - June 3,           2005

At the meeting, three posters were presented.  Moreover, we have discussed with Prof. Walter Reimers’ group regarding the synchrotron study of Co-based superalloys.  Note that Prof. Reimers is from Germany.  Currently, in our research, neutron studies of the cyclic deformation of a Co-based superalloy have been conducted.  It was found that there was a partial reversibility of the phase transformation from the hexagonal-close-packed [hcp] to face-centered-cubic [fcc] structure within one cyclic loading during the tension-compression low-cycle fatigue deformation. The partial reversibility of the phase transformation could result from the accumulation and dissociation of stacking faults [sfs].  Prof. Reimers will use the synchrotron to further study the mechanisms of the accumulation and dissociation of sfs, which complements our neutron investigations.  Furthermore, Prof. Reimers is preparing a proposal to carry on our joint research. 

With Prof. Phil Withers of England, we have discussed our joint research in the areas of [1] the intergranular-stress evolution of nanostructural materials during tension loading and [2] the phase-transformation characteristics of superalloys during cyclic loading.

International Symposium on Metastable, Mechanically Alloyed Nanocrystalline Materials [ISMANAM 2005], Paris, France, July 3-7 (2005).

Our group gave two oral presentations and one poster at the symposium.  With Prof. Akihisa Inoue of Japan, we have discussed the possibility of conducting the joint research in the following two areas: [1] the fatigue behavior of Cu-based bulk-metallic glasses [BMGs] and the pair-distribution-function investigations of BMGs using neutrons. 

Prof. Yoshihito Yokoyama of Japan has discussed our joint research activities in the area of the relationship between the Poisson’s ratios and fatigue-endurance limits of BMGs.  Prof. Yokoyama will fabricate Zr-based BMGs with high Poisson’s ratios for our fatigue studies.  Moreover, we have discussed our research interactions with Prof. Jinn Chu of Taiwan concerning the influence of amorphous thin films on improving the fatigue resistance of 316 stainless steels. 

Materials World Network 10th Anniversary Meeting, Cancun, Mexico, August 21-    25, 2005

Currently, there are six IMI programs in the USA.  Dr. Carmen Huber of NSF and the IMI Directors/Co-Directors met together to discuss the progresses and plans of IMI programs at the conference.  In particular, we have discussed our joint research activities with Directors Wole Soboyejo, Krishna Rajan, Himanshu Jain, and Tony Cheetham.

During the conference, Dr. Huber greatly introduced our IMI programs to the international participants.  We have discussed the joint international research and proposal-writing opportunities with Dr. Carmen Huber of USA and Dr. Kwang Lung Lin of Taiwan. 

Following the meeting, an international proposal, "Materials World Network: A Mechanistic Study of Fatigue-Resistance Enhancements by Nanocrystalline Phase-Containing Metallic-Glass Thin-Film Coatings," has been prepared and submitted to NSF of USA and NSF-Equivalent of Taiwan by Prof. Yanfei Gao of USA and Prof. Jinn Chu of Taiwan. 

EUROMAT Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, September 5-8, 2005

An oral presentation was given at the conference.  We have discussed with Prof. Ji-Jung Kai of Taiwan regarding the possibility of developing a neutron beamline at the Spallation Neutron Source [SNS], Oak Ridge, Tennessee.  As a result, Prof. Kai will visit UT and SNS to further discuss the development of the neutron beam line, December 10-13, 2005.  During this visit, Prof. Kai will meet Dean Way Kuo of UT and Director Thom Mason of SNS.  Our IMI team members will give Prof. Kai presentations and poster shows concerning the neutron studies of mechanical behaviors and microstructural evolutions. 

Sixth International Workshop on Advanced Intermetallics and Metallic Materials, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China, October 9-16, 2005

There are about three hundred people attending the conference from several countries, including England, China, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and USA.  Our group presented one oral presentation and two posters.  Furthermore, we were invited to give a presentation on our IMI program at the Central South University of Technology, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China, October 6, 2005.  President Bayun Huang of the Central South University of Technology is very interested in the joint research regarding neutron studies of carbon and carbon [C-C] composites.  Currently, we are discussing the possibility of conducting the joint research on C-C composites with President Huang.

At the meeting, we have discussed the possibility of writing a book on bulk-metallic glasses [BMGs] with Prof. Akihisa Inoue of Japan.  Prof. Inoue is very interested in writing a book chapter on the applications of BMGs.

International MECA SENS III Conference, Santa Fe, New Mexico, October 17-19,   2005

This symposium is the third in a series on the stress investigation using neutron and synchrotron X-ray radiation.  The goal of the MECA SENS symposium is to bring together scientists from the academic world and industries to study topics in the area of stress measurements by neutron and synchrotron radiation. Approximately one hundred and fifty researchers were attending the conference from England, Japan, Germany, Australia, Canada, and USA. 

During the meeting, Dr. Carmen Huber gave an excellent presentation regarding the NSF international programs.  Research interactions with Prof. Phil Withers of Manchester University, England, have been established.  In particular, one of our IMI Ph.D. students, Mr. Chuck Woo, will visit Prof. Withers in modeling the residual stresses of friction-stir welds.  Moreover, two joint neutron proposals are being prepared for the submission to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility [ESRF].  The two proposals include [1] the study of intergranular stresses of nanostructural materials and [2] the phase transformation of superalloys, respectively.  We discussed with Dr. A. Pyzalla of Germany concerning the synchrotron tomographical investigation of the cavitation behavior of crept samples.

International materials network on the science and application of neutron and synchrotron x-ray diffraction for the materials research at the MECASEN conference in Santa Fe, NM in October 2005.

International Conference on Neutron Scattering [ICNS] Conference, Sydney,              Australia, November 27 - December 2, 2005

Approximately six hundred people were attending the conference from many countries, including Australia, England, China, Germany, France, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and USA.  Our group presented one oral presentation and two posters.  Moreover, we were invited to give a presentation on our IMI program at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization [ANSTO].  Note that ANSTO is constructing a new reactor source for the neutron research. 

The international materials network was established among Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and USA.  Specifically our IMI students could do the neutron research with Dr. Maurice Ripley at ANSTO.  A research interaction with Dr. Hirohiko Shimizu of Japan has been discussed regarding neutron studies of amorphous thin films coated on stainless steels.  With Prof. Chi Han Lee of Taiwan, we have further discussed the possibility of developing the neutron beamline at the Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Neutron and Bulk-Metallic Glass Workshops, Hsin-Chu and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, January 3-8, 2006

Following Prof. Ji-Jung Kai’s visit to the University of Tennessee [UT], Knoxville, and the Spallation Neutron Source [SNS], Oak Ridge, Tennessee, December 10-13, 2005, Prof. Peter Liaw will give an invited presentation on our IMI program and the neutron study of mechanical behavior at the National Tsing Hua University [NTHU], Hsin-Chu, Taiwan, January 4, 2006.  Prof. Kai and his colleagues of NTHU and Prof. Liaw of UT will discuss the plans for developing a neutron beamline at SNS.  Note that Prof. Liaw obtained his B.S. degree in Physics from NTHU. 

The faculty members of UT, Profs. Chain Liu, Tai Nieh, and Peter Liaw, will give invited presentations on bulk-metallic glasses [BMGs] at a workshop, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, January 5-8, 2006.  Moreover, joint research interactions on BMGs between Taiwan and USA will be discussed.