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Andrew D. Iams, PhD (Fed)
Materials Research Engineer
Andrew D. Iams is a materials research engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the Material Measurement Laboratory's Material Science and Engineering Division. Andrew uses a range of both experimental and computational techniques to investigate the thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transformations within materials. He possesses expertise in electron microscopy techniques, which he utilizes to investigate the microstructural characteristics of a range of materials (metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers) from the meso- to the atomic-scales. Prior to NIST, Andrew was a senior engineering at the Westinghouse Electric Company – Material Center of Excellence where he led various materials and manufacturing projects for the commercial nuclear industry.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=VH-62OwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Current Projects:
Sustainable Metallurgy: Leading ongoing research projects in sustainable metallurgy, with a particular focus on the steel industry, which accounts for nearly 7% of global CO2 emissions. This research aims to support the scientific foundation for direct reduction iron-making, a process that reduces CO2 emissions compared to traditional blast furnace methods. By combining computational and experimental approaches, phase transformations involved in the direct reduction of iron ores to iron are investigated. Utilizing NIST’s unique environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) facility, an atomic-level understanding of these transformations is pursued. Recently the NIST Sustainable Metallurgy Team held a workshop related to this topic titled, “Material Challenges in Developing a Sustainable Metal Processing Infrastructure”. More information can be found at the link below: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/events/2024/07/material-challenges-developing-sustainable-metal-processing
In-Space Manufacturing: Leading a project focused on utilizing in-space resources to produce feedstock materials for space manufacturing. The research combines experimental and theoretical work to explore fundamental extractive metallurgy processes capable of producing quality feedstocks in the harsh conditions of space. The goal is to develop methods for extracting and refining raw materials from extraterrestrial sources to create reliable feedstocks for manufacturing essential components in space, reducing reliance on Earth-based resources and supporting sustainable long-term space exploration.
Other research interests include:
- metals additive manufacturing
- welding and joining