Zou, Yu - Department of Materials Science & Engineering

Yu Zou | B.Eng. (Beihang University), M.Eng. (McGill University), Dr.Sc. (ETH Zurich), Postdoc (MIT)
Associate Professor, Dean's Spark Professor & Canada Research Chair in Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments

Office: PT 172A
T: +1 (416) 946-7236
E: mse.zou@utoronto.ca

Research Group: Laboratory for Extreme Mechanics & Additive Manufacturing

Research Areas

Our group uses novel experimental, analytical, and computational tools to explore materials with extreme properties or under extreme conditions, particularly for metallic materials. Our research themes can be summarized as 4Ms - metals, mechanics, manufacturing, and machine learning, covering many length and time scales. Of particular interest is to advance the fields of vital importance to the society, including aerospace, biomedical, electronic, environment, and energy sectors.

Materials: high-entropy alloys, nanocrystalline alloys, quasicrystals, titanium, aluminium and steels, semiconductors, solid-state batteries and magnetic materials

Mechanics: nanoindentation, in-situ instrumentation, high strain-rate/temperature deformation, fracture and failure analysis.

Manufacturing: additive manufacturing (3D printing), cold spray technology, mechanical alloying, arc melting, and magnetron co-sputtering.

Machine Learning: machine learning for alloy design, computer vision for advanced manufacturing

Research Clusters

Biography

Publications

Professional Memberships

Materials Research Society (MRS)
The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS)
The Metallurgical Society (MetSoc)

Publications

Selected Publications:

C Cheng, R Feng, T Lyu, Y Zou* “Accelerated discovery of (TiZrHf)x(NbTa)1-x high-entropy alloys with superior thermal stability and a new crystallization mechanism” Advanced Materials (2024) https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202403632
H Chen, L Lang, X Shang, SS Dash, Y He, G King, Y Zou*, “Anisotropic co-deformation behavior of nanolamellar structures in additively manufactured eutectic high entropy alloys” Acta Materialia (2024) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2024.119885
K S Kim, M Couillard, Z Tang, C Cheng, L Chen,… Y Zou “Continuous synthesis of high-entropy alloy nanoparticles by in-flight alloying of elemental metals” Nature Communications (2024) https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45731-z
H Chen, Y He, SS Dash, Y Zou* “Additive manufacturing of metals and alloys to achieve heterogeneous microstructures for exceptional mechanical properties” Materials Research Letters (2024) https://doi.org/10.1080/21663831.2024.2305261
M Li, Y Shen, K. Luo, Q An, P Gao, P Xiao, Y Zou*. “Harnessing dislocation motion by an electric field.” Nature Materials (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-023-01572-7
X Shang, Z Liu, J Zhang, T Lyu, Y Zou*. “Deep learning and genetic algorithm framework for tailoring mechanical properties via inverse microstructure optimization.” Materials Today (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2023.09.007
C Cheng, R Feng, MJR Haché, X Zhang, Y Zou. “Phase formability and nanomechanical properties in nanostructured multi-principal element alloys: combinatorial and data-driven studies.” Materials Today Nano (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtnano.2023.100403
X Yan, Y Zhang, Y Zou. “Near-superplastic behavior of a body-centered cubic Zr50Ti35Nb15 multi-principal element alloy via dynamic recrystallization.” Scripta Materialia (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2023.115308
Z Liu, SS Dash, T Lyu, L Lang, J Zhang, DL Chen, Y Zou* “Fatigue crack growth behaviour of an additively manufactured titanium alloy: Effects of spatial and crystallographic orientations of α lamellae.” International Journal of Plasticity (2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijplas.2023.103819
Z Liu, R Li, D Chen, Y Sun, B He, Y Zou*. “Enhanced tensile ductility of an additively manufactured near-α titanium alloy by microscale shear banding.” International Journal of Plasticity (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijplas.2022.103387
H Chen, S Patel, M Vlasea, Y Zou*. “Enhanced tensile ductility of an additively manufactured AlSi10Mg alloy by reducing the density of melt pool boundaries.” Scripta Materialia (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2022.114954
G Niu, …, H Wu, Y Zou*. “Superior fracture toughness in a high-strength austenitic steel with heterogeneous lamellar microstructure.” Acta Materialia (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2022.117642
C Cheng, Y Xiao, MJR Haché, Z Liu, JM Wheeler, Y Zou*. “Probing the Small-Scale Plasticity and Phase Stability of an Icosahedral Quasicrystal I-Al-Pd-Mn at Elevated Temperatures.” Physical Review Materials (2021). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.5.053602
Z Liu, B He, T Lyu and Y Zou*. “A review on additive manufacturing of titanium alloys for aerospace applications: Directed energy deposition and beyond Ti-6Al-4V.” JOM (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-021-04670-6
Y Zou*. “Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing: Microstructure Evolution and Bonding Features.” Accounts of Materials Research (2021). (Invited Review) https://doi.org/10.1021/accountsmr.1c00138
Z Liu, H Wang, MJR Haché, X Chu, E Irissou, Y Zou*. “Prediction of Heterogeneous Microstructural Evolution in Cold-Sprayed Copper Coatings Using Local Zener-Hollomon Parameter and Strain.” Acta Materialia (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2020.04.041
Z Liu, H Wang, MJR Haché, E Irissou, Y Zou*. “Formation of 10-nm grain size in cold sprayed aluminum coatings.” Scripta Materialia (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2019.09.018
Y Zou*. “Nanomechanical studies of high-entropy alloys.” Journal of Materials Research (2018). (Invited Review) https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2018.155
Y Zou, JM Wheeler, H Ma, P Okle, R Spolenak. “Nanocrystalline high entropy alloys: A new paradigm in high temperature strength and stability.” Nano Letters (2017). http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b04716
Y Zou, P Okle, H Yu, T Sumigawa, T Kitamura, S Maiti, W Steurer, R Spolenak. “Fracture properties of a refractory high-entropy alloy: In situ micro-cantilever and atom probe tomography studies.” Scripta Materialia (2017). Doi:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2016.09.036
Y Zou, P Kuczera, A Sologubenko, T Sumigawa, T Kitamura, W Steurer, R Spolenak. “Superior room-temperature ductility of typically brittle quasicrystals at small sizes.” Nature Communications (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12261.
Y Zou, H Ma, R Spolenak. “Ultrastrong, ductile and stable high-entropy alloys at small scales.” Nature Communications (2015). Doi:10.1038/ncomms8748.
Y Zou, R Spolenak. “Size-dependent plasticity in KCl and LiF single crystals: influence of orientation, temperature, pre-straining and doping.” Philosophical Magazine (2015). Doi: 10.1080/14786435.2015.1008068
H Ma, Y Zou, A Sologubenko, R Spolenak. “Copper thin films by ion beam assisted deposition: strong texture, superior thermal stability and enhanced hardness.” Acta Materialia (2015). Doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2015.07.013
Y Zou, S Maiti, W Steurer, R Spolenak. “Size-dependent plasticity in an Nb₂₅Mo₂₅Ta₂₅W₂₅ refractory high-entropy alloy.” Acta Materialia (2014). Doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2013.11.049
Y Zou, D Goldbaum, JA Szpunar, S Yue. “Microstructure and nanohardness of cold-sprayed coatings: Electron backscattered diffraction and nanoindentation studies.” Scripta Materialia (2010). Doi:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2009.11.034
Y Zou, W Qin, E Irissou, J Legoux, S Yue, JA Szpunar. “Dynamic recrystallization in the particle/particle interfacial region of cold-sprayed nickel coating: Electron backscatter diffraction characterization.” Scripta Materialia (2009). Doi:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2009.07.020