Kip O. Findley
Position: Assistant Professor, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department 
Education:
- B.S. Colorado School of Mines
- Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology
Office Phone: (303) 273-3906
Fax: (303) 273-3016
Email: kfindley@mines.edu
Mailing Address:
Kip O. Findley
ASPPRC
George S. Ansell Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO 80401
USA
Research Area: Mechanical Metallurgy, Fatigue and Fracture of Advanced Metal Alloys, Quantitative Microstructural Characterization
Technical Focus
My primary interests in materials engineering are mechanical metallurgy and developing microstructure-mechanical property relationships in advanced metal alloys. There are several engineering models that can accurately estimate mechanical property behavior such as stress-strain relationships, fatigue crack initiation and growth rates, fracture toughness, and creep at high temperatures; however, many of those models are fitted mathematical relationships using empirically determined constants that may not fully represent the underlying physical mechanisms governing the specific mechanical property. My research interests involve linking mechanical behavior of metallic materials to microstructural features at a variety of length scales ranging from sub-microscopic to microscopic levels and using this understanding to develop physically-based models. Depending on the model and the mechanical property, microstructural characterization may be performed on very local areas of the material or at a more global scale. This knowledge base and methodology is applied to Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center projects in areas such as processing of plate steels, surface hardening, simulation of hot forging, and advanced high strength sheet steels. As part of this research mission, I was recently awarded an NSF CAREER Grant to study "The Stability and Influence of Metastable Retained Austenite During Fatigue of Advanced Steel Alloys," which will also involve outreach to local high schools and after school programs for Denver area high school students. I am also interested in developing steel technology solutions that lead to energy savings in areas such as transportation, nuclear energy, and wind energy. Through these activities, I seek to maintain the strong relationships between the ASPPRC and the industrial sponsors and forge new relationships as opportunities present themselves.
Teaching Focus:
Following my research interests, I teach both undergraduate and graduate level courses including:
- MT445/505: Mechanical Behavior of Materials
- MT553: Theory of Dislocations and Strengthening Mechanisms
- MT560: Failure Analysis
Representative Publications
K.O. Findley, A. Saxena., “Low Cycle Fatigue in Rene 88DT at 650°C: Crack Nucleation Mechanisms and Modeling,” Met. and Mat. Trans. A, 37A: 1469-1475 (2006).
K.O. Findley, G. Krauss, D.K. Matlock, “Predicting Fatigue Lives of Carburized Steels Based on Residual Stress Profiles and Microstructural Influences,” Proceedings of 2009 International Conference on Fracture, Ottawa, Canada.
K.O. Findley, J.L. Evans, A. Saxena, “A Critical Assessment of Fatigue Crack Nucleation and Growth Models for Ni- and Ni,Fe-Base Superalloys,” invited by and submitted to International Materials Reviews (July 2009).
D.K. Matlock, K.O. Findley, J. Speer, “Recent Advances Leading to Improved Fatigue Performance of Automotive Steels,” Proceedings of International Symposium on Emerging Challenges for Metals & Materials: Engineering & Technology (2009).
K.O. Findley, K. Partin, N. Muckelroy, C.J. Van Tyne, “Low Temperature Strengthening Mechanisms in Plate Steels,” Proceedings of International Conference on Steel Science, Kyoto, Japan (2009).
S.P. Coryell, K.O. Findley, M.C. Mataya, “Flow Behavior of Superalloy 945 During High Temperature Deformation,” Proceedings of TMS Annual Conference - Global Innovations in Manufacturing of Aerospace Materials Symposium, 2010.
S.D. Antolovich, K.O. Findley, “A New Look at Attractive/Repulsive Junctions and Cleavage Crack Formation in BCC Materials, Part I: Interaction of Two Glissile Dislocations,” Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 77: 201-216 (2009).
Professional Societies
- AIST – Metallurgy, Products, Processing, and Applications Committee
- ASM – Action in Education Committee
- TMS – Mechanical Behavior of Materials Committee
- ASEE