Prof. Chandran has been recently awarded new Phase II funding (~$3M) for his ARPA-E project on the design and development of high temperature niobium alloys for gas turbines and other structural applications. The Phase II funding will make the cumulative ARPA-E funding, since 2021, as about $4.5M. Dr. Chandran’s proposal was one of the four selected and funded after the Phase II competition nationwide. Significant accomplishments of Chandran’s group in Phase-I practical alloy development, as well as plans for commercialization by a leading commercial producer, have been the major factors for the Phase II award. The research will support several graduate students in Dr. Chandran’s group. The ARPA-E funding also supports the acquisition of advanced mechanical testing equipment and a high temperature vacuum heat-treating furnace, with a cost of about $0.5M, in support of the advanced physical metallurgy research in the department.
