UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1109

Research Mentor Information
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Primary Research Mentor Name: Junliang Liu
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Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): jliu@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Position Title: Faculty
FSU College (if applicable): FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering
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Additional Research Mentor(s)
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Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above): {Empty}
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Overall Project Details
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Title of the Project: Evaluate Corrosion Behavior of Materials under Fusion Reactor Conditions
Project Keywords: Corrosion; High-Magnetic Field; High Temperature; Nuclear Fusion
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: Yes
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 3
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
Open to all, but preferably with knowledge in Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering.

Project Location:: On FSU Main Campus
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation?: {Empty}
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s):: In-person
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 5-10 hours
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work?: Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description:
Fusion energy is a type of power that holds tremendous potential for solving some of the most pressing energy challenges facing humanity. Liquid metals (e.g., Li or LiPb) and molten salts (e.g., FLiBe) are promising candidates for both coolant and tritium breeding materials in deuterium–tritium fusion reactors. However, their highly corrosive nature, combined with the extreme conditions inside fusion reactors such as high temperatures, strong magnetic fields and high neutron flux, poses significant challenges for material durability. 

Through collaborations with internal laboratories such as the Applied Superconductivity Center (ASC) and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL), as well as leading external fusion research institutions including Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS), and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), this project will investigate the corrosion behavior of candidate structural materials under a range of fusion reactor conditions. 

Undergraduate research assistants will have the opportunity to design specialized liquid metal and molten salt corrosion crucibles for high-temperature, air-free testing, with the added capability of operating in magnetic fields of up to 8.5 tesla. Corroded fusion materials will be analyzed using state-of-the-art characterization techniques at FSU and at national user facilities such as ORNL. 


Research Tasks:
•	Literature Review – Review of previous studies on liquid metal (Li and Li–Pb) and molten salt (FLiBe) corrosion, focusing on corrosion testing facilities, testing conditions, candidate structural materials, and their corrosion performance.
•	Build a High-Temperature Corrosion Crucible for High-Magnetic Field Environments – Assist in designing a compact, high-temperature furnace (600–1000°C) for operation inside superconducting magnets (up to 8.5 T). Tasks include selecting non-magnetic, high-field-compatible insulating materials, creating CAD designs, and assembling components.
•	Corrosion Testing – Support corrosion experiments in air-free environments. Responsibilities include preparing samples for tests, setting up corrosion tests, performing post-test handling in an argon glove box, and cleaning samples to reveal corroded surfaces.
•	Assessment and Characterization of Corroded Materials – Evaluate corrosion performance through weight-change measurements and use characterization techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) to reveal microstructural changes.
•	Data Analysis and Dissemination – Analyze results to identify degradation mechanisms. Contribute to figures, reports, and publications, and present findings at group meetings and conferences. 


Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
Required:
•	Basic laboratory safety knowledge.
•	Basic computer skills (e.g., Excel or Origin) for data analysis.
•	Ability to follow experimental protocols, maintain accurate records, and work in controlled environments such as glove boxes.

Recommended:
•	Familiarity with CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, AutoCAD) for designing experimental setups.
•	Develop an understanding of corrosion and electrochemical principles – rather fascinating since corrosion is always with us.


Mentoring Philosophy:
I build my research group on collaboration, mutual respect, and transparency in our relationships. My mentoring philosophy is grounded in a clear understanding of wanting to understand my students’ interests, motivations, and background. Working together, we will set clear experimental plans and milestones. Weekly one-on-one meetings will be scheduled to track progress and provide feedback on experiments, data collection and interpretation. Questions are strongly encouraged at every stage, and (inevitable) mistakes are treated as learning opportunities. Unexpected results and negative data are always part of research and will be examined without blame to extract mechanisms, improve methods, and update plans.

Students will be asked to prepare summary reports and will be given opportunities to practise their presentation skills by sharing results at group meetings. Once promising results are generated and they are ready, they will be supported to present at more formal external conferences. Overall, I hope students learn and enjoy the group and feel motivated to continue their passion for research.


Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=nAdPx_kAAAAJ&hl=en
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Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable?: Yes
Roundtable times and Zoom links:
UROP Zoom Meeting I, Thursday September 4,  5:00 - 5:30 PM, https://fsu.zoom.us/j/99543915767
UROP Zoom Meeting II, Thursday September 4, 5:30 - 6:00 PM, https://fsu.zoom.us/j/97605357610


Roundtable Info:
- Day: Thursday, September 4
  Start Time: 5:00
  End Time: 5:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/99543915767
- Day: Thursday, September 4
  Start Time: 5:30
  End Time: 6:00
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/97605357610

UROP Program Elements
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Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes

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Year: 2025
update url: https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=XWtMQfAON9oMZdfWIN9ML48NX9zW46Nzs05_0jkIT2Q