On June 26, we were honored to host Professor David Srolovitz, Dean of Engineering and Chair of Materials Theory at the University of Hong Kong, as the distinguished speaker for our 2025 Distinguished Lecture on Materials Research.
Prof. Srolovitz delivered an insightful and thought-provoking talk titled “Why Grain Growth Is Not Curvature Flow”, drawing a full house of faculty, researchers, and students from across campus.
About the Talk
Grain size plays a pivotal role in determining the physical and mechanical properties of polycrystalline materials, making grain size control a fundamental goal in materials processing. Traditional theories suggest that grain growth is driven by capillarity, where grain boundaries migrate along mean curvature. However, Prof. Srolovitz presented compelling evidence from both simulations and experiments showing that this classical model falls short.
His research demonstrates that shear coupling, the shear deformation inherently linked to grain boundary motion, is a crucial factor in understanding grain growth. Using large-scale simulations based on crystallographically accurate mechanisms of boundary migration, Prof. Srolovitz’s work reveals significant deviations from mean curvature flow that are consistent with recent experimental observations. His findings offer critical insights for the accurate prediction of microstructure evolution and materials design.
About the Speaker
David Srolovitz is internationally recognized for his pioneering contributions to materials theory. He has authored over 550 research publications, with an h-index exceeding 110 and over 45,000 citations. He is a member of both the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences.
Prof. Srolovitz is a Fellow of MRS, TMS, ASM, and the Institute of Physics, and a recipient of the MRS Materials Theory Award and the TMS Hume-Rothery Award. He has previously held faculty positions at Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan, and held leadership roles in both academic and research institutions worldwide. His current research focuses on crystal defects, interface dynamics, deformation, microstructure evolution, and the application of AI in materials science.