Professor Hector Basoalto

PhD, B.Eng (Hons)

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Professor of Metallurgy

h.basoalto@sheffield.ac.uk

Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Professor Hector Basoalto
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD

Profile

Hector Basoalto is Professor of Metallurgy and leads the M2i2 (Multiscale Materials Informatics & Innovation) research group. He is currently Beacon Director of the Materials Made Smarter Centre (MMSC). He has an established track-record in micromechanics and multiscale material modelling and their applications to gain better scientific understanding of materials behaviour and to industrial related problems. In particular, his theoretical and computational approaches are being implemented within Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) and Digital Threading frameworks focusing on linking manufacturing processes to materials microstructure and properties. He works closely with a number of R&D intensive industrial partners such as Rolls-Royce, GKN and Airbus. In addition, Prof Basoalto is working closely with researchers in other fields such as mathematicians , physicists and biologists on a range of themes such as physics-based AI for materials and micromechanics of biological membranes.

Professor Basoalto possesses extensive experience in leading research teams in industry and academia: Capability Group Leader at QinetiQ; Technical Director at the HMV Catapult AFRC; Director of the PRISMM computational laboratory at the University of Birmingham.

Research interests

Research activities are centered on advancing the theory and computational physics of material systems, with a specific emphasis on developing and applying multi-scale materials modelling approaches. The primary objective is to establish causal relations between microstructure and properties and a drive to deepen our understanding of the governing principles behind the emergent behaviour of materials, spanning from the evolution of microstructures to the time-dependent properties they exhibit.

In metal plasticity, Professor Basoalto has been working on the mathematical structure of constitutive relations for two-phase alloys. He is working on crystal plasticity approaches as well as on non-local field dislocation mechanics. A mayor aspect of this work is their implementation within finite element schemes and simulate slip band evolution within single and polycrystalline alloys.

His work on modelling additive manufacture of engineering alloys has focuses on the development of a multiscale materials framework to enable to determine numerically correlations between process parameters, microstructure and properties. Melt-pool dynamics induced by a high energy density heat source are simulated through a fluid mechanics volume of fluids framework. Cellular automata codes have been developed to simulate the solidification microstructures. Mean field models of the precipitate size distributions provide information on the particles size and volume fraction. Crystal plasticity modelling based on the predicted microstructures enable determination of the mechanical behaviour of the 3D printed parts.

Another aspect of his work involves the development of digital threading frameworks, which leverage data from embedded sensors to drive computational models for generating 3D microstructures and simulating their associated mechanical properties. These digital workflow provide capabilities to enable the design and deployment of Digital Twins. Furthermore, Professor Basoalto is actively involved in advancing integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) frameworks. Through his research, he addresses intricate industrial challenges related to manufacturing processes and component performance, effectively bridging the gap between academic expertise and the practical needs of industry.

Publications

Journal articles

Anderson MJ & Basoalto HC (2023) Automated stereology and uncertainty quantification considering spherical non-penetrating dispersions. Crystals, 13(3).
Anderson MJ, Liao L & Basoalto HC (2022) An assessment of statistical models of competitive growth during transient Ostwald ripening in turbine disc nickel-based superalloys. Modelling and Simulation in Materials Science and Engineering, 30(7).
Muller FM, Fang C, Basoalto HC, Williams S & Bowen P (2022) Modelling and predictions of time-dependent local stress distributions around cracks under dwell loading in a nickel-based superalloy at high temperatures. International Journal of Fatigue, 163.
Lu Y, Turner R, Brooks J & Basoalto H (2022) A study of process-induced grain structures during steady state and non-steady state electron-beam welding of a titanium alloy. Journal of Materials Science & Technology, 113, 117-127.
Afazov S, Roberts A, Wright L, Jadhav P, Holloway A, Basoalto H, Milne K & Brierley N (2022) Metal powder bed fusion process chains: an overview of modelling techniques. Progress in Additive Manufacturing, 7, 289-314.
Fang CZ, Basoalto HC, Anderson MJ, Li HY, Williams SJ & Bowen P (2022) A numerical study on the influence of grain boundary oxides on dwell fatigue crack growth of a nickel-based superalloy. Journal of Materials Science & Technology, 104, 224-235.
Stanger L, Rockett T, Lyle A, Davies M, Anderson M, Todd I, Basoalto H & Willmott JR (2021) Reconstruction of microscopic thermal fields from oversampled infrared images in laser-based powder bed fusion. Sensors, 21(14).
Lu Y, Wang M, Wu Z, Jones IP, Wickins M, Green NR & Basoalto HC (2020) Three-dimensional analysis of dendrites via automated serial sectioning using a Robo-Met.3D. MRS Communications, 10(3), 461-466.
Flint TF, Scotti L, Basoalto HC & Smith MC (2020) A thermal fluid dynamics framework applied to multi-component substrates experiencing fusion and vaporisation state transitions. Communications Physics, 3.
Jantara Junior VL, Basoalto H & Papaelias M (2020) A damage mechanics approach for lifetime estimation of wind turbine gearbox materials. International Journal of Fatigue, 137.
Anderson MJ, Schulz F, Lu Y, Kitaguchi HS, Bowen P, Argyrakis C & Basoalto HC (2020) On the modelling of precipitation kinetics in a Turbine disc nickel based superalloy. Acta Materialia. View this article in WRRO
Anderson MJ, Benson J, Brooks JW, Saunders B & Basoalto HC (2019) Predicting precipitation kinetics during the annealing of additive manufactured inconel 625 components. Integrating Materials and Manufacturing Innovation, 8(2), 154-166. View this article in WRRO
Basoalto HC, Panwisawas C, Sovani Y, Anderson MJ, Turner RP, Saunders B & Brooks JW (2018) A computational study on the three-dimensional printability of precipitate-strengthened nickel-based superalloys. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 474(2220), 20180295-20180295.
Turner RP, Panwisawas C, Lu Y, Dhiman I, Basoalto HC & Brooks JW (2018) Neutron tomography methods applied to a nickel-based superalloy additive manufacture build. Materials Letters, 230, 109-112.
Anderson MJ, Panwisawas C, Sovani Y, Turner RP, Brooks JW & Basoalto HC (2018) Mean-field modelling of the intermetallic precipitate phases during heat treatment and additive manufacture of Inconel 718. Acta Materialia, 156, 432-445. View this article in WRRO
Flint TF, Panwisawas C, Sovani Y, Smith MC & Basoalto HC (2018) Prediction of grain structure evolution during rapid solidification of high energy density beam induced re-melting. Materials & Design, 147, 200-210.
Panwisawas C, Sovani Y, Turner RP, Brooks JW, Basoalto HC & Choquet I (2018) Modelling of thermal fluid dynamics for fusion welding. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 252, 176-182.
Panwisawas C, Qiu C, Anderson MJ, Sovani Y, Turner RP, Attallah MM, Brooks JW & Basoalto HC (2017) Mesoscale modelling of selective laser melting: Thermal fluid dynamics and microstructural evolution. Computational Materials Science, 126, 479-490.
Turner RP, Panwisawas C, Sovani Y, Perumal B, Ward RM, Brooks JW & Basoalto HC (2016) An Integrated Modeling Approach for Predicting Process Maps of Residual Stress and Distortion in a Laser Weld: A Combined CFD–FE Methodology. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, 47(5), 2954-2962.
Turner RP, Howe D, Thota B, Ward RM, Basoalto HC & Brooks JW (2016) Calculating the energy required to undergo the conditioning phase of a titanium alloy inertia friction weld. Journal of Manufacturing Processes, 24, 186-194.
Basoalto H & Anderson M (2016) An extension of mean-field coarsening theory to include particle coalescence using nearest-neighbour functions. Acta Materialia, 117, 122-134. View this article in WRRO
Anderson MJ, Rowe A, Wells J & Basoalto HC (2016) Application of a multi-component mean field model to the coarsening behaviour of a nickel-based superalloy. Acta Materialia, 114, 80-96. View this article in WRRO
Turner RP, Villa M, Sovani Y, Panwisawas C, Perumal B, Ward RM, Brooks JW & Basoalto HC (2016) An Improved Method of Capturing the Surface Boundary of a Ti-6Al-4V Fusion Weld Bead for Finite Element Modeling. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, 47(1), 485-494.
Qiu C, Panwisawas C, Ward M, Basoalto HC, Brooks JW & Attallah MM (2015) On the role of melt flow into the surface structure and porosity development during selective laser melting. Acta Materialia, 96, 72-79.
Panwisawas C, Qiu CL, Sovani Y, Brooks JW, Attallah MM & Basoalto HC (2015) On the role of thermal fluid dynamics into the evolution of porosity during selective laser melting. Scripta Materialia, 105, 14-17.
Zhu Z, Basoalto H, Warnken N & Reed RC (2012) A model for the creep deformation behaviour of nickel-based single crystal superalloys. Acta Materialia, 60(12), 4888-4900.
Coakley J, Dye D & Basoalto H (2011) Creep and creep modelling of a multimodal nickel-base superalloy. Acta Materialia, 59(3), 854-863.
Coakley J, Basoalto H & Dye D (2010) Coarsening of a multimodal nickel-base superalloy. Acta Materialia, 58(11), 4019-4028.
Basoalto HC, Brooks JW & Di Martino I (2009) Multiscale microstructure modelling for nickel based superalloys. Materials Science and Technology, 25(2), 221-227.
Basoalto HC, Ardakani M, Ghosh RN & McLean M (2002) MULTIAXIAL LIFETIME PREDICTIONS OF SINGLE-CRYSTAL SUPERALLOYS: USE OF REFERENCE STRESSES. Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 17(4), 519-528.
Ardakani MG, Basoalto H, Shollock BA & McLean M () Characterisation and Modelling of Crystal Rotations during Multiaxial Creep in Single Crystal Superalloys. Materials Science Forum, 426-432, 797-802.
Basoalto H, Ardakani MG, Ghosh RN, Shollock BA & McLean M () Extension of an Anisotropic Model of Creep in Single Crystal Superalloys to Variable Loading and Multiaxial Loading. Key Engineering Materials, 171-174, 545-552.

Conference proceedings papers

Brooks JW, Basoalto HC, Sahota R & Tranter P (2010) Probabilistic Property Prediction of Aero-Engine Components for Fatigue. Volume 6: Structures and Dynamics, Parts A and B, 14 June 2010 - 18 June 2010.
Basoalto H, Sondhi SK, Dyson BF & McLean M (2004) A Generic Microstructure-Explicit Model of Creep in Nickel-Base Superalloys. Superalloys 2004 (Tenth International Symposium), 19 September 2004 - 23 September 2004.

Research group

Multiscale Materials Informatics and Innovation (M2i2)

M2i2 members:
Professor Hector Basoalto, M2i2 Lead, Technical Director

Prashant Jadhav

Lucia Scotti

Sourabh Supanekar

Miguel Espadero Sanchez-Crespo

Hugh Banes

Connor E Cladingboel

Yanheng Xie

Bonaventure C Ugwuanyi

Zeyu Cao

Mostafa Salem

Dan Calderwood

Dominic Brennan

Vlad Mogilev

Orhan Bicek

Teaching interests

Finite element modelling

Introduction to programming

Metals and alloys: Introduction to deformation mechanics

Diffusion

Solidification processes

Professional activities and memberships

Professor Hector Basoalto and his team have been awarded the following international prizes:

NIST AM-Bench Challenge 2022 – 1^st prize: “Modeling results predicting phase evolution during post-build heat treatments of IN718 test artifacts produced using laser powder bed fusion”. Winning team: Magnus Anderson, Prashat Jadhav, Hector Basoalto.

NIST AM-Bench Challenge 2022 – 2^nd prize: “Modeling results predicting residual elastic strain components at select locations internal to an as-built IN718 bridge structure”. Winning team: Prashant Jadhav, Chizhou Fang, Hector Basoalto,

NIST AM-Bench Challenge 2018 – 1^st prize: “Best modeling results predicting the phase evolution during residual stress annealing of an as-built IN625 bridge structure”. Winning Team: Magnus Anderson, Jonathan Benson, Hector Basoalto.