9/8/2025 Jackson Brunner
Dhruv Anjaria, a Ph.D. candidate, has won a prestigious 2025 Acta Student Award for his groundbreaking research on plastic deformation in nickel-based superalloys at cryogenic temperatures. His work, which uses high-resolution digital image correlation to study how metals behave under extreme cold conditions, uncovered a previously unknown deformation mechanism that could improve the design of next-generation structural metals for aerospace and energy applications.
Written by Jackson Brunner
Dhruv Anjaria, a Ph.D. candidate from a research group led by Assistant Professor Jean-Charles Stinville of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has received a 2025 Acta Student Award for his key contributions to the paper, “Plastic deformation delocalization at cryogenic temperatures in a nickel-based superalloy.”
The honor recognizes outstanding student-led work published in the Acta journals, widely regarded as top-tier publications in materials science and engineering.
Inside the research
Anjaria’s study focuses on how plastic deformation occurs in metallic materials — specifically, a nickel-based superalloy — when subjected to mechanical stress at cryogenic temperatures.
While researchers have long understood how metals deform at room temperature, behavior at cryogenic temperatures, such as those used in liquefied gas storage or space applications, remains less explored. Anjaria’s work tackles this gap.
“One of the key techniques we use is called high-resolution digital image correlation,” he explained. “That allows us to capture the plastic response of these metallic materials.”
This method captures fine-scale surface strain patterns during deformation, making it possible to observe how localized or delocalized the strain becomes. In cryogenic environments, materials often become more brittle, but the mechanisms behind this shift are complex. Anjaria’s research quantifies these deformation patterns and provides statistical insight into how the material’s internal structure responds under extreme cold when deformed. “
"We perform quantitative and statistical analysis of the plasticity,” he said. “That gives us more insights into the kinds of deformation mechanisms operating in the materials we investigate.”
Through this analysis, the study uncovered a previously unrecognized deformation mechanism: a competition between nanotwinning and dislocation glide. Importantly, this mechanism was shown to promote homogenization of plastic deformation in the nickel-based alloy.
Such behavior has significant implications for designing next-generation structural metals, as it points to strategies for achieving more uniform plasticity and, ultimately, improved mechanical performance under demanding service conditions.
Why it matters
Understanding how advanced metals deform in extreme environments is critical for improving the safety and reliability of systems used in aerospace and energy applications.
Anjaria’s paper stood out for both its technical rigor, new fundamental understanding and potential real-world applications, earning him one of only a handful of student awards given out each year by the Acta journals.
The award includes a $2,000 prize, recognition at the Acta Symposium at TMS 2026, and reimbursement for travel expenses.
What’s next
Anjaria will present a poster of his award-winning work at the Acta Symposium during the TMS 2026 conference in San Diego, where he’ll join other top materials scientists from around the world.
Grainger Engineering Affiliations
Jean-Charles Stinville is an Illinois Grainger Engineering assistant professor of materials science and engineering and is affiliated with the Materials Research Laboratory.