Sigma Division Graduate Student

Sigma Division is a unique capability at Los Alamos National Laboratory working in both fundamental and applied materials research, materials processing development, and metallurgical applications in support of national security.

The Division is organized into ten Teams, each with a distinct specialty. The Teams are focused in the following areas:

• Ceramic Processing Science Team:
  The team works with both metals and ceramic materials to fabricate components to support many different programs. Much of the work is performed in glove boxes and high temperature furnaces.
• Materials Assessment and Compatibility Team:
  The team studies how materials interact with their environment, fielding complex experiments designed to replicate real world conditions and developing predictive science to tell designers how long a system can remain in service. Each problem is distinct and requires novel experimentation, instrumentation, and analysis.
• Foundry & Solidification Science Team:
  The team utilizes vacuum induction melting (VIM), Vacuum arc remelting (VAR), and plasma arc melting (PAM) as standard tools to cast prototypes from ingots to near net shape cast components. Work typically involved radioactive materials such as depleted uranium and thorium.
• Machining & Inspection Team:
  The team houses a fully equipped machine shop and inspection lab to machine a wide range of metals and metal alloys (including depleted uranium and uranium alloys), as well as composite materials, plastics, foams, rubber, graphite, and other materials.
• Thermomechanical Processing Science Team:
  The team utilizes equipment to roll, form and heat treat many different components. Equipment commonly used includes rolling mills, hydraulic presses, heat treatment furnaces, swagers, shears, wire-drawing equipment, and mechanical testing equipment (including dilatometers, hydraulic test frames, hardness testers, impact testers, etc.).
• Analytical Sciences Team:
  The team utilizes a variety of equipment and techniques to apply diverse analytical techniques in the analysis of metal and powder samples. This work typically involves analyzing routine samples, as well as developing methods and procedures to analyze novel samples.
• Characterization Team:
  The Characterization Team supports Sigma's fabrication efforts through microstructural analysis (optical microscopy, SEM, TEM), mechanical property testing (tensile, hardness, compression), and compositional/phase analysis (XRD, EDS). This work includes metallography sample prep and quality assurance to confirm that fabricated components meet required specifications for structure, purity, and performance.
• Electrochemistry & Corrosion Team:
  The electrochemistry team operates a state-of-the-art electro-finishing facility to electroplate, polish, anodize, and modify metallic surfaces across the period table. Activities span from the beaker scale to industrial sized chemical and electrolyte tanks.
• Welding & Joining Team:
  The team encompasses many types of welding and joining, including electron beam welding, laser welding, laser marking, laser cutting and ablation, manual and semi-automatic arc welding, brazing, and associated processing. The team also supports computational efforts, both internal to the team and in collaboration with other LANL experts, to investigate compensation, residual stresses, material composition, and microstructure development.
• Additive Manufacturing Science:
  The team oversees a wide variety of solutions to meet research and customer requirements, including metal spray coatings, laser powder bed fusion, electron beam additive manufacturing, ceramic additive manufacturing, and associated processing. Team members often work in multiple disciplines and have the…