Current Research:
Robert’s main focus has been directed towards the advancement and development of the Duel Beam Focused Ion Beam (DBFIB) to prepare TEM specimens and perform serial sectioning on a variety of titanium alloys, as well as nickel based superalloys. In conjunction with the microscopy advancement, Robert is working towards 3-D reconstruction of microstructures in titanium alloys and nickel based superalloys using the serial section data from the DBFIB along with external tomographic and rendering software. Robert hopes that accurate 3-D reconstructions will help add to the neural network development of the group as well as give metallurgists and modelers a better conceptual understanding of the morphology of the microstructure in the observed specimens. In the future Robert would like to work towards the development of accurate, quantitative measurements directly from the 3-D recreated microstructures or improve the current stereological procedure to more precisely represent the microstructure. Robert greatly enjoys characterizing materials with the excellent facilities available in the CEOF and has become proficient in sample prep for SEM application and to some extent TEM. Robert is supported by the STW-21 program and works in conjunction with researchers from the materials directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.