About

Mohammed A. Zikry is the Zan Prevost Smith Professor at North Carolina State University in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego, his M.S. from Johns Hopkins University, and his B.S. from the University of Kansas. His research focuses on microstructural design, microstructural interactions, and the behavior of advanced materials, including refractory metals, CNT-PDMS systems, and additively manufactured alloys. He has contributed to understanding dislocation-density interactions, microstructural evolution, and high strain-rate behavior of materials, with applications spanning aerospace, defense, and structural engineering. Dr. Zikry has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Jefferson Science Award, Senior Research Fulbright Award, and the Ralph Teetor Research Award, and is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He also serves as a regional editor for Mechanics of Materials and co-chairs the Executive Committee of ASME's National Materials Division, reflecting his leadership in the field.

Research topics

• Materials science
• Composite material
• Nanotechnology
• Metallurgy
• Thermodynamics

Selected publications

• Dislocation-Density Interactions and Binary Junction Population Formation and Evolution in BCC Refractory Metals with Random Low and High Angle Grain-Boundaries

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2026-01-01

  preprintOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• An integrated microstructural high strain-rate experimental and computational analysis of the spall behavior of additively manufactured niobium C-103 alloys

  Additive manufacturing · 2025-08-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Niobium alloys, such as C-103, have been used for high-temperature applications due to their oxidation resistance, high-temperature behavior, and ductility. These characteristics also render C-103 as an attractive material for additive manufacturing (AM) processing. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding of how defects, such as dislocation density and dislocation density interactions, and texture affect high strain-rate and spall behavior in body-centered cubic (b.c.c.) AM processed C-103 alloys. To address these challenges, electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF) was used to process and fabricate C-103 samples with highly textured columnar grains. Disc-shaped plate-impact test specimens were extracted from the AM-fabricated samples, with the grains oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the build direction, for experiments with loading velocities of up to 600 m/s. The tests were instrumented with a photonic Doppler velocimetry (PDV) system to obtain time-resolved free surface velocity data of the sample and compute the spall strength of C-103 across a wide range of loading rates. These experimental measurements were then integrated with computational predictions based on a dislocation-based crystalline plasticity (DCP) approach coupled with a fracture formulation to understand how defects, such as dislocation densities, affect the spall strength and the defect behavior of C-103. The predictive framework provided insights into how spall cracks nucleate due to a combination of tensile wave reflection and dislocation-density accumulation, and how immobile dislocation accumulation ahead of multiple crack fronts can blunt spall propagation. This interrelated approach provides an understanding of high strain-rate and dynamic fracture of textured AM b.c.c. microstructures that can be tailored to mitigate high-impact velocity and spall in niobium alloys.

  PublisherDOI

• An Integrated Microstructural High Strain-Rate Experimental and Computational Analysis of the Spall Behavior of Additively Manufactured Niobium C-103 Alloys

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Hyperelastic superomniphobic surfaces <i>via</i> microprotrusion-induced stress redistribution

  Materials Horizons · 2025-01-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  In this work, we report hyperelastic superomniphobic surfaces that have been engineered to retain superomniphobicity, without coating delamination, even at 400% strain and after thousands of stretch-release cycles. To achieve such hyperelastic superomniphobic surfaces, we introduce a novel design - an array of discrete microprotrusions on the hyperelastic material that redistribute the stresses out-of-plane during elongation. Such an out-of-plane redistribution of stresses results in nearly stress-free tops of the microprotrusions, allowing the coating to be virtually intact even after 5000 stretch-release cycles. Furthermore, through systematic experiments and theoretical analysis, we studied the influence of elongation on contact angles, sliding angles and breakthrough pressures on our hyperelastic superomniphobic surfaces. We envision that our robust hyperelastic superomniphobic surfaces will have a wide range of applications in wearable electronics, textiles, artificial skins, droplet manipulation and protective wraps.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The mechanical behavior and fracture of chromium film-zirconium alloy substrate systems

  Journal of Nuclear Materials · 2025-05-16

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  A microstructurally-based dislocation crystalline plasticity (DCP) approach was integrated with a fracture approach to predict and understand how fracture nucleation and propagation at different length scales affects the mechanical behavior of a thin chromium film on a zirconium alloy substrate, which is a system representative of systems used for harsh environments, such as those pertaining to nuclear cladding systems. The grain-morphologies and orientations are based on experimental observations and these morphologies in combination with the crystalline mismatches of a b.c.c. chromium thin film and an h.c.p. zirconium alloy have a significant effect on fracture nucleation and growth. The predictions were validated with experimental observations and measurements. Transgranular fracture modes first nucleated in the chromium layer and propagated to the to the substrate. These validated results indicate that chromium coatings can delay the onset of failure in zirconium substrates or claddings, but eventually the film will be degraded due to nucleated population fracture cracks.

  PublisherDOI

• A microstructural design framework using deep convolution-generative adversarial networks for predicting the behavior of CNT-PDMS systems

  APL Machine Learning · 2025-07-02

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Imaging techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), are used to understand the morphology and microstructure of material systems. However, large datasets are needed to relate the microstructure and composition of the material system to overall behavior. Depending on the complexity and cost of the material system and imaging techniques, accurate datasets are difficult to obtain. Generative adversarial networks (GANs) can provide a framework to understand the relation between the morphology and microstructural behavior of material systems. Deep convolution GANs (DC-GANs) can be trained from experimentally characterized datasets to predict the morphology of various material systems. Hence, in this investigation, a limited dataset of 48 SEM images for PDMS with various weight fractions of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was obtained and used to train a DC-GAN. Iterative image augmentation techniques were then used to accurately extend the limited dataset. SEM micrographs of CNT-PDMS were then generated from the trained DC-GAN to predict the morphology and microstructure for different magnifications and weight fractions of CNTs. Error analysis approaches based on generator and discriminator losses were used to assess the accuracy and reliability of the trained sets. This proposed approach provides a verifiable framework for training experimentally obtained SEM microstructural datasets of any dimension that can be trained to understand the behavior of CNT-polymer systems and to augment experimental imaging predictions.

  PublisherDOI

• Seismic Assessment of the Onset of Structural Collapse in Cross-Laminated Timber Buildings

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• An Integrated Microstructural High Strain-Rate Experimental and Computational Analysis of the Spall Behavior of Additively Manufactured Niobium C-103 Alloys

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Numerical Study of the Influence of the Structural Parameters on the Stress Dissipation of 3D Orthogonal Woven Composites under Low-Velocity Impact

  Technologies · 2024-04-05 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  This study investigates the effects of the number of layers, x-yarn (weft) density, and z-yarn (binder) path on the mechanical behavior of E-glass 3D orthogonal woven (3DOW) composites during low-velocity impacts. Meso-level finite element (FE) models were developed and validated for 3DOW composites with different yarn densities and z-yarn paths, providing analyses of stress distribution within reinforcement fibers and matrix, energy absorption, and failure time. Our findings revealed that lower x-yarn densities led to accumulations of stress concentrations. Furthermore, changing the z-yarn path, such as transitioning from plain weaves to twill or basket weaves had a noticeable impact on stress distributions. The research highlights the significance of designing more resilient 3DOW composites for impact applications by choosing appropriate parameters in weaving composite designs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Impact Performance of 3D Orthogonal Woven Composites: A Finite Element Study on Structural Parameters

  Journal of Composites Science · 2024-05-21 · 10 citations

  articleOpen access

  This study uses the finite element method (FEM) to investigate the effect of key structural parameters on the impact resistance of E-glass 3D orthogonal woven (3DOW) composites subjected to low-velocity impact. These structural parameters include the number of y-yarn layers, the path of the binder yarn (z-yarn), and the density of the x-yarn. Using ABAQUS, yarn-level finite element (FE) models are created based on the measured geometrical parameters and validated for energy absorption and damage behavior from experimental data gathered from the previous study. The results from finite element analysis (FEA) indicate that the x-yarn density and the binder path substantially influenced the composites’ damage behavior and impact performance. Increasing x-yarn density in 3DOW leads to a 15% increase in energy absorption compared to models with reduced x-yarn densities. Moreover, as the x-yarn density increases, crack lengths at the back face of the resin matrix decrease in the y-yarn direction but increase in the x-yarn direction. The basket weave structure absorbs less energy than plain and 2 × 1 twill structures due to the less constrained weft primary yarns. These results underscore the importance of these structural parameters in optimizing 3DOW composite for better impact performance, providing valuable insights for the design of advanced composite structures.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Kara Peters

  43 shared

• A. M. Rajendran

  B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science & Technology

  37 shared

• O. Rezvanian

  SunEdison (United States)

  22 shared

• Stephen M. Schultz

  Brigham Young University

  21 shared

• Richard H. Selfridge

  KTH Royal Institute of Technology

  21 shared

• Bruce LaMattina

  American Society For Engineering Education

  20 shared

• James Pearson

  Applied Research Associates (United States)

  20 shared

• Avinash M. Dongare

  17 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering

  University of California, San Diego

Awards & honors

• Jefferson Science Award as a senior science advisor to the U…
• Senior Research Fulbright Award to Egypt and France
• ALCOA Distinguished Research Award
• Research Excellence Award (NCSU)
• Ralph Teetor Research Award from the Society of Automotive E…