The AMMM Research Group is dedicated to exploring the interrelationship between processing, microstructure, and properties in advanced metals through the application of multi-scale ex- and in-situ characterization techniques within the context of advanced manufacturing. Our primary research focus centers on the discovery, synthesis and innovative design of next generation high-performance materials by microstructure engineering, with a particular emphasis on the realm of the lightweight advanced metals and alloys.

We are looking for passionate and motivated undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to join our group.

Latest news

• Publication: Our collaborated paper, Mechanism of Grain Boundary α Precipitation in the Metastable β-Titanium Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr, has been accepted in Acta Materialia. Congratulations to the team!
• Student Award: Deepak has won Best Poster Award in Structural Materials in UNT MRS student poster competition and 1st Prize in UNT MRS Science as Art competition. Congratulations!
• Student Award: Sydney has won Best Graduate Poster in UNT MRS student poster competition. Congratulations!
• Student Award: Dian has won Outstanding Graduate Award in UNT Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 2023-2024. Congratulations!
• Seminar: Prof. Yiliang (Leon) Liao from Iowa State University visited our group and presented seminar, Laser-Assisted Advanced Manufacturing: from Fundamental Mechanisms to Engineering Applications, in MTSE Department.

• Student Award: Sydney has won the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to support her graduate study. Congratulations!

• Publication: Our collaborated paper, Hyper-Elastic Deformation via Martensitic Phase Transformation in CdTe, has been accepted in Advanced Engineering Materials. Congratulations to Dian and our team!
• Seminar: Dr. Stoichko Antonov from National Energy Technology Laboratory visited our group and presented seminar, Designing Next-generation Structural Materials: from Concept to Scale-up, in MTSE Department.

• Student award: Deepak received 1st Place Graduate Outstanding Poster Award and Sydney received 2nd Place Graduate Outstanding Poster Award in the UNT College of Engineering Research Showcase 2024. Congratulations!
• Presentation: Deepak, Sydney and Merbin presented 3 posters at UNT College of Engineering Research Showcase 2024. Well done!

• Grant: We are honored to receive the grant, Understanding the Role of Residual Stress Gradients on Plastic Strain Recovery in Nanocrystalline Thin Films, from National Science Foundation. Look forward to continuing this project at UNT. Thanks NSF for supporting our research!
• Media News: Our NSF DMREF project has been featured by the UNT Research and Innovation, UNT Engineering Professor Leading Multi-institutional Team using AI to Speed Up Alloy Design. 
• Conference: Zheng Group have presented 4 oral presentations and 3 poster presentations in TMS2024 at Orlando, Florida. 

• Publication: Our collaborated paper, Heterogeneous Precipitate Microstructure Design in β-Ti Alloys by Regulating the Cooling Rate, has been accepted in Acta Materialia. Congratulations to the team!
• Seminar: Prof. Liang Qi from University of Michigan visited our group and presented seminar, Design Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloys with Enhanced Strength, Ductility, and Corrosion Resistance, in MTSE Department.
• Student: Dian has successfully defended his PhD thesis Understanding the Role of Defects in the Microstructural Evolution in Metastable Beta Titanium Alloys! Congratulations, Dr. Li!

• Grant: We are honored to receive research grant from Medtronic Inc, to study the bio-medical used alloy and composite. Thanks for supporting our research! 
• Grant: We are honored to receive the grant, Collaborative Research: DMREF: AI-enabled Automated Design of Ultrastrong and Ultraelastic Metallic Alloys, from National Science Foundation. Look forward to the collaboration with Dr. Liang Qi and Dr. Yang Chen from University of Michigan and Dr. Feng Yan from Arizona State University. Thanks NSF for supporting our research!
• Student: Mr. Merbin John joined our group as a PhD student from Spring 2024! Welcome!
• Publication: Our paper, Stability and Growth Kinetics of {112} Twin Embryos in Beta Ti Alloys, has been accepted in Acta Materialia! Congratulations to Dian and team!
• Seminar: Dr. Zheng visited Oklahoma State University and presented an invited seminar, Forging a Sustainable Future: Advancements in Manufacturing, Characterization, and Development of Titanium Alloys for Structural Excellence. 
• Presentation: Congratulations to Dian Li on successfully presenting his thesis research in Phase 3 exam! One step closer to PhD degree!
• Presentation: Deepak has presented his research, Design of Novel High-Strength-and-Ductility Titanium Alloy using High-throughput Manufacturing Technique and Advanced Electron Microscopy, in UNT Research Day
• Conference: Zheng Group have presented 4 oral presentations in MS&T2023 at Columbus, Ohio. Sydney presented her 1st oral presentation as graduate student focusing on Understanding the Microstructure Evolution Pathway during Post Heat Treatment in the Direct Energy Deposited Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr Alloy. 
• Publication: Our collaborated paper, Phase Transformation and microstructure evolution in Al-Mn-Fe-Si 3104 Aluminum Alloy Made by Laser Directed Energy Deposition, has been published in Additive Manufacturing. Congratulations to Dian and team!
• Conference: Dr. Zheng was invited to attend Emerging Leaders Alliance Conference by TMS at Pittsburgh, PA.
• Student award: Deepak received Best Student Poster Award in M&M2023 conference. Congratulations!
• Grant: We are honored to receive the grant, CAREER: Understanding the Role of Nanoprecipitates in Advanced Metastable Titanium Alloys, from National Science Foundation. Thanks NSF for supporting our research!
• Dr. Zheng and the AMMM Group have joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at University of North Texas. Go Mean Green!