Atakan Peker

Scientific Interests and Work

Development of advanced materials for structural and functional applications.

Dr. Peker’s interests focus on the development of advanced materials and their applications, particularly structural applications of bulk metallic glass and its composites. The scope of his material research includes the study of mechanical and dynamic properties, chemical/corrosion properties and net-shape forming of advanced materials. His work will be focused on development, processing and characterization of novel alloys and composites for client specific applications.

Background

During Dr. Peker’s Ph.D. thesis under supervision of Prof. W. L. Johnson, Dr. Peker worked on the development of bulk metallic glass (an amorphous alloy) and discovered Zr-Ti base Vitreloy series alloys, which are considered the most processable bulk metallic glasses to date. After earning his Ph.D., Dr. Peker joined Liquidmetal Technologies where he followed up his thesis research and started commercial development of bulk metallic glass. He worked in various capacities at Liquidmetal Technologies lastly being Vice President of Technology.

At Liquidmetal Technologies, Dr. Peker led several research projects, sponsored both by commercial companies and DoD agencies. He initiated the development of fabrication methods for bulk metallic glass/tungsten composites for the KEP (Kinetic Energy Penetrator) application, which resulted in over $8M DOD funding. He also managed corporate intellectual property and collaborative research activities with research institutes worldwide. Dr. Peker is inventor/co-inventor of over 30 issued or pending patents covering commercial products with over $40 M sales in the last 5 years.

Dr. Peker joined the Institute for Shock Physics’ Applied Sciences Laboratory at Washington State University in August 2007.

Education

Ph.D. (Materials Science) 1994, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
B.S. (Mechanical Engineering and Physics) 1989, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey

Representative Publications

  1. A. Peker & W. L. Johnson, “A Highly Processable Metallic Glass: Zr41.25Ti13.75Cu12.5Ni10.0Be22.5,” Appl. Phys. Lett., 63, 2342 (1993).
  2. A. Peker & W.L. Johnson, “Beryllium Bearing Amorphous Metallic Alloys Formed By Low Cooling Rates,” U.S. Patent No. 5288344, February 1994.
  3. A. Peker, “Method of Forming Molded Articles of Amorphous Alloy with High Elastic Limit,” U.S. Patent No. 6875293, April 2005.
  4. S. Collier & A. Peker, “Encapsulated Ceramic Armor,” U.S. Patent No. 7157158, January 2007.