INL - Researchers - Clinton Van Siclen

Clinton Van Siclen

Materials Science Department
Idaho National Laboratory
P. O. Box 1625
Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2211
USA

Phone: (208) 526-0617
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Current Projects

Collaboration with Denis Clark (INL) and Bettis Atomic Power to understand the behavior and deleterious consequences of dilute sulfur in nickel-based alloys. This work is motivated by the problem of ductility dip cracking in welds. I am performing first-principles calculations (using the codes CASTEP and DMol3) to determine the diffusivity of sulfur in bulk nickel and at various grain boundaries, and the segregation of sulfur to those boundaries.
Collaboration with Helen Farrell (INL) to calculate (again using CASTEP and DMol3) thermodynamic properties of nanoparticles.
Development of a stochastic model to simulate solute diffusion in three-dimensional polycrystals. The simulations will reveal the influence of crystallographic-imposed spatial correlation of special and general grain boundaries on intergranular corrosion in polycrystalline materials.

Grain boundary engineering.
Defects in solids and at surfaces.
Classical transport properties (e.g., conductivity, diffusivity, permeability) of heterogeneous media (e.g., composites, fractured or porous rock).
Development of stochastic (Monte Carlo) models and techniques for materials research.
Application of statistical physics techniques and concepts (e.g., fractal descriptions, percolation theory, scaling laws, correlation lengths) to materials research.
Computational materials science in general.

BA (double) in Mathematics and Physics, 1975, Vanderbilt University.
PhD in Physics, 1982, Johns Hopkins University. Thesis in theoretical atomic/solid state physics: "Radiative interference effects and crystal field splitting for ions in crystals"
Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1982-84, Johns Hopkins University.

U.S. Patent No. 5,490,187 - Method for Gas Bubble and Void Control and Removal from Metals (with Richard N. Wright).