Sandia materials scientists are creating scientifically tailored materials for U.S. energy applications and critical defense needs.
Sandia’s focus on scientifically tailored materials capitalizes on our expertise in solid-state sciences, advanced atomic-level diagnostics, and materials synthesis and processing science. Our research uses Sandia’s experimental, theoretical, and computational capabilities to establish the state of the art in materials science and technology.
Materials science professionals at Sandia perform fundamental research to discover and exploit properties and structures. They also apply microstructural, analytical chemistry, and surface analysis techniques to characterize materials, components, and processes. Our materials scientists develop materials with enhanced performance properties, design new materials-processing technologies at the nano- and microscale, and investigate the chemical and physical mechanisms that cause materials properties to change.
Sandia’s national security missions rely extensively on applied materials science. Our needs range from structural materials, such as metals, ceramics, and composites, to electronics and photonics. Polymeric materials — such as adhesives, foams, encapsulants, and conformal coatings — are also used extensively. Other areas of interest include joining technologies, soldering, thermal management, sensor materials, dielectrics, and tribology.
Key areas for materials scientists at Sandia
- Electronic, optical, and nanostructured materials
- Thin films and spray coatings
- Materials characterization and reliability analysis
- Corrosion and failure analysis
- Catalysis and reaction processes
- Polymer synthesis, processing, and characterization
- Metallic interfaces and dislocations
- Polymer performance and aging
- Surface dynamics and tribology