Education

• Ph.D. 1988. Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University.
• M.E.1984. Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Carnegie Mellon University.
• B.E.S. 1980. Materials Sciences and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University

Previous appointments

• Jan-1988 to Dec-1989: NRC Post-Doctoral Fellow, Applied and Computational Mathematics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland
• Jan-1990 to Sep-1996: Assistant Professor, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Research Statement

Computational and Theoretical Materials Processing Science

The theme of our research is the mathematical modeling of material behavior during processing for the purpose of gaining understanding of the observed phenomena. Almost all of the processes in which we are interested involve phase transitions, interfacial phenomena and thin film hydrodynamics. Methods of asymptotic and numerical analysis are some of the tools used to obtain solutions to the models developed. The solutions obtained have both practical impact and are of intrinsic interest! Listed below are our research foci.

Dynamics and stability of metallic foams

Gas-liquid metallic foams that are frozen into solid cellular materials have potential for use in a wide variety of applications, such as transportation vehicles where fuel consumption depends on vehicle weight. Our work involves the study of gas-liquid foam fluid dynamics and interfacial phenomena. Topics include liquid lamellar drainage, lamellar stability and rupture dynamics, solidification of thin liquid films.

Spin coating for photovoltaic and other device applications

Spin-coating is a materials process commonly used to create thin films and is accomplished by delivering liquid material onto a substrate, the rotation of which causes the film to thin as it spreads. Current industry spin-coating practice can produce layers on the scale of nanometers leading to novel behavior. Topics include spin-coat layer thinning, stability and pattern formation, phase separation in spin-coated polymer blends.

Self assembly of colloidal suspensions for photonic crystals and environmental sensing applications

Colloidal crystals have been attracting much attention due to their novel use as 3D-photonic crystals and to their structural color. A key issue for industry is the scaling-up of the processing of high-quality colloidal crystal films. Our work is also investigating the use of the films as environmental sensors. Topics include evaporative self-assembly, Brownian dynamics and interfacial driven flows.

Crystal growth from the melt and from solution

Crystal growth kinetics and crystal morphologies are affected by external forces such as applied electric current or, in solution, by biological substances such as adsorbing proteins or polypeptides. Our research is focused on the development of models to study the influence of these phenomena on crystal growth. Topics include interfacial adsorption during crystal growth, interface stability, dynamics and pattern formation of growing multicomponent crystals.

Select publications

1. "Concentrated crystallization of closely packed colloidal crystal films from aqueous suspension immersed in silicone oil", by H. Fudouzi, T. Sawada & L. N. Brush, Proceedings of the Materials Research Society: Evaporative Self-Assembly of Polymers, Nanoparticles and DNA Symposium, April (2010).
2. "Foam mechanics: spontaneous rupture of thinning liquid films with Plateau borders", by A.M. Anderson, L.N. Brush & S.H. Davis, accepted for publication, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, March (2010).
3. "Spin-coating of vertically stratified Newtonian thin films", by A. McIntyre & L.N. Brush, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 647 (2010) 265-285.
4. "Efficient thermal field computation in phase field models", by J-R. Li, D. Calhoun & L.N. Brush, Journal of Computational Physics, 228 (2009) 8945-8957.
5. "Collaborative Research: Dynamics and Stability of Metallic Foams: Network Modeling" by L.N. Brush & S.H. Davis, Proceedings of the 2009 NSF Engineering Research and Innovation Conference, June (2009).
6. "The thinning of lamella in surfactant-free foams with non-Newtonian liquid phase'', by L.N. Brush & S.M. Roper, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 616 (2008) 235-262.
7. "The intrinsic effect of the thermoelectric power on classical morphological stability theory", by L. N. Brush, Journal of Crystal Growth, 310(18) (2008) 4328-4243.
8. "The effect of crystal-melt surface energy on the stability of ultra-thin melt films", by M. Beerman & L.N. Brush, Mathematical Modeling of Natural Phenomena, 3(1), (2008) 75-97.
9. "Dynamics and solidification of metallic foams", by Anthony M. Anderson, Lucien N. Brush & Stephen H. Davis, Proceedings of CHT-08 ISHMT International Symposium on Advances in Computational Heat Transfer, Marrakech, Morocco, May (2008).
10. "Oscillatory instability and rupture in a thin melt film on its crystal subject to melting and freezing'', by M. Beerman & L.N. Brush, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 586 (2007) 423-448.
11. "Solidification dynamics of spherical drops in a free fall environment", by R. N. Grugel & L. N. Brush, Microgravity Science and Technology, XIX-1 (2007) 32-44.
12. "Computation of crystal growth arrest by an adsorption-inhibition mechanism", by L.N. Brush & E. Le, Crystal Growth and Design, 6(3) (2006) p. 643-646.
13. "A new thinning law in foam dynamics'', by L.N. Brush & S.H. Davis, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 534 (2005), 227-236
14. "Crystal growth with electric current'', by L.N. Brush & B. T. Murray, Journal of Crystal Growth, 250 (2003) p. 170-173.
15. "A phase field model with electric current'', by L.N. Brush, Journal of Crystal Growth, 247 (2003) p. 587-597.
16. "The Observation of Macrosegregation in Directionally Solidified Dendritic Alloys", by R.N. Grugel & L.N. Brush, The Journal of Metals, March (1997).
17. "The Effect of an Electric Current on Rod-Eutectic Solidification in Sn-0.9 wt. pct. Cu Alloys", by L. N. Brush & R. N. Grugel, Materials Science and Engineering A 238 (1997) 176-181.
18. "A Boundary Integral Equation Technique for the Calculation of Weld Pool Shapes in Thin Plates", by J.Y. Yeh & L.N. Brush, Computational Materials Science, 6 (1996) 92-102.
19. "On the Nucleation of an Intermediate Phase at an Interface in the Presence of a Concentration Gradient", by J.J. Hoyt & L.N. Brush, Journal of Applied Physics, 78(3), (1995) 1589-1594.
20. "Tailoring Structure and Properties of Composites Synthesized In-Situ using Displacement Reactions" by C.H. Henager, J.L. Brimhall & L.N. Brush, Materials Science and Engineering A 195 (1995) 65-74.

Honors & awards

• UW Materials Science & Engineering Faculty of the Year: 2008, 2003 & 1998
• Visiting scientist at the National Institute of Materials Science in Tsukuba, Japan, 2009
• Visitor at the Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics Department, Northwestern University
• Member of the UW Institute of Advanced Materials Science and Technology, 2007 - present
• President ASMI, Puget Sound Chapter, 1997-98
• Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories Affiliated Staff Scientist, 1994-1997
• Associated Western Universities Professor, 1993-1997
• Northwest College and University Association for Science Professor, 1992-1993
• Boeing Welliver Faculty Fellow, 2000
• NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellow, 1997-1999
• National Research Council Post-Doctoral Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Applied and Computational Mathematics Division, 1988-1990