High Strength Ceramics

Network of dislocation loops in AlN generated around the penetration path during a hypervelocity impact
Nanocrystalline SiC samples of different average grain sizes used to evaluate ductility and creep properties
Dislocation forest generated at the interface of transformed and unstransformed material during hypervelocity impact. Back surface of the model is displayed on top and all untransformed atoms far from defects and surfaces are removed for clarity
Failure of nanocrystalline diamond as a function of temperature for tensile and shear loading

Wanghui Li, Eric N. Hahn, Paulo S. Branicio, Xiaohu Yao, Timothy C. Germann, Biao Feng, Xiaoqing Zhang, Defect reversibility regulates dynamic tensile strength in silicon carbide at high strain rates, Scripta Materialia, 213, 114593, 2022.
Lanxi Feng, Wanghui Li, Eric N. Hahn, Paulo S. Branicio, Xiaoqing Zhang, Xiaohu Yao, Structural phase transition and amorphization in hexagonal SiC subjected to dynamic loading, Mechanics of Materials, 164, 104139, 2022.
Aoyan Liang , Chang Liu , and Paulo S. Branicio, Hot-press sintering of aluminum nitride nanoceramics, Physical Review Materials, 5, 096001, 2021.
Saeed Zare Chavoshi, Paulo S. Branicio, and Qi An, Transition between Hall-Petch and inverse Hall-Petch behavior in nanocrystalline silicon carbide, Physical Review Materials, 5, 073606, 2021.
Wanghui Li, Eric N. Hahn, Paulo S. Branicio, Xiaohu Yao, Xiaoqing Zhang, Biao Feng, Timothy C. Germann Rate dependence and anisotropy of SiC response to ramp and wave-free quasi-isentropic compression, International Journal of Plasticity, 138, 102923, 2021.
Saeed Z. Chavoshi, Mark A. Tschopp, Paulo S. Branicio, Transition of deformation mechanisms in nanotwinned single crystalline SiC, Philosophical Magazine, 99, 2636, 2019.
P.S. Branicio, J.Y. Zhang, A. Nakano, R. Kalia, P. Vashishta Shock-induced microstructural response of mono- and nanocrystalline SiC ceramics, Journal of Applied Physics, 123, 145902, 2018.
P.S. Branicio, J. Zhang, J.P. Rino, A. Nakano, R.K. Kalia, P. Vashishta Plane shock loading on mono- and nano-crystalline silicon carbide, Applied Physics Letters, 112, 111909, 2018.
W. H. Li, X. H. Yao, P. S. Branicio, X. Q. Zhang, N. B. Zhang, Shock-induced spall in single and nanocrystalline SiC, Acta Materialia, 140, 274, 2017.
J. Y. Zhang, Z. D. Sha, P. S. Branicio, Y. W. Zhang, V. Sorkin, Q. X. Pei, D.J. Srolovitz, Superplastic Nanocrystalline Ceramics at Room Temperature and High Strain Rates, Scripta Materialia, 69, 525, 2013.
P. S. Branicio, A. Nakano, R. K. Kalia, and P. Vashishta, Shock Loading on AlN Ceramics: A Large Scale Molecular Dynamics Study, International Journal of Plasticity, 51, 122, 2013.
P. S. Branicio, Atomistic mechanisms in silicon carbide nanostructures, Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience, 9, 1870, 2012.
Z. D. Sha, P. S. Branicio, V. Sorkin, Q. X. Pei, Y. W. Zhang, Effects of grain size and temperature on mechanical and failure properties of ultrananocrystalline diamond, Diamond and Related Materials, 20, 1303, 2011.
H. Tsuzuki, P. S. Branicio, J. P. Rino, Dynamic behaviour of silicon carbide nanowires under high and extreme strain rates: a molecular dynamics study, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 44, 055405, 2011.
P. S. Branicio, R. K. Kalia, A. Nakano, and P. Vashishta, Nanoductility induced brittle fracture in shocked high performance ceramics, Applied Physics Letters, 97, 111903, 2010.
P. S. Branicio, R. K. Kalia, A. Nakano, P. Vashishta, F. Shimojo, and J. P. Rino, Atomistic damage mechanisms during hypervelocity projectile impact on AlN: A large-scale parallel molecular dynamics simulation study, Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 56, 1955, 2008.
P. S. Branicio, R. K. Kalia, A. Nakano, P. Vashishta, Shock-Induced Structural Phase Transition, Plasticity, and Brittle Cracks in Aluminum Nitride Ceramics. Physical Review Letters, 96, 065502, 2006.
H. Kikuchi, R. K. Kalia, A. Nakano, P. Vashishta, P. S. Branicio, F. Shimojo. Dynamic fracture of crystalline cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) via molecular dynamics simulation, Journal of Applied Physics, 98, 103524, 2005.
J. P. Rino, I. Ebbjo, P. S. Branicio, R. K. Kalia, A. Nakano, F. Shimojo, P. Vashishta. Short- and intermediate-range structural correlations in amorphous silicon carbide: A molecular dynamics study, Physical Review B, 70, 045207, 2004.