Hassani co-authors a featured APR article on high-velocity micro-projectile impact testing

A review paper on the techniques used for high-velocity micro-projectile impact testing, co-authored by Mostafa Hassani, the principal investigator of the Extreme Mechanics, Materials, and Manufacturing Lab of the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, has been selected as a featured article by the editors of Applied Physics Reviews (APR).

The paper, “High-velocity micro-projectile impact testing,” was published March 18 and was also co-authored by researchers from MIT, Stanford, Texas A&M and UMass Amherst. The paper describes experimental techniques for single microparticle impacts, their applications – from spacecraft design to additive manufacturing to drug delivery systems – and the authors’ vision for the future of the research field.

Hassani and co-authors are considered pioneers of the field, with some of their first experiments conducted about a decade ago. Today, the Hassani Group uses micro-projectile impact testing as a platform to study mechanical behavior of materials, energy absorption mechanisms, and micro-mechanism of deformation and failure under impact loading.

“We also exploit the extreme conditions induced by high velocity impacts as a means for solid-state joining of materials, coating deposition, and additive manufacturing,” said Hassani, who added that Cornell is uniquely positioned for research into micro-projectiles because of its High Energy Synchrotron Source – a research facility where high-intensity X-rays can be used to probe the transient state of materials under impact loading.

“Measurements and characterizations of materials that are currently conducted post-mortem can be done in-situ using high-intensity X-rays,” said Hassani. “This enables a significant advance toward a more comprehensive understanding of materials under dynamic loading.”