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Physical Metallurgy and Materials Design Laboratory at University of Pittsburgh

Proudly Part of Pittsburgh.

Welcome to the homepage of the PMMD Lab led by Prof. Wei Xiong, William Kepler Whiteford Faculty Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh. Our research bridges the fundamentals of physical metallurgy and engineering applications, with a core focus on materials development, manufacturing design, phase transformation, and materials informatics. We are committed to innovation and excellence in materials and manufacturing, and we strive to empower our students and researchers to become successful scientists and engineers equipped to tackle the evolving challenges in manufacturing engineering and materials science.

Strongly self-motivated students and researchers with high interests exactly on phase transformations and materials/processing design are welcome to join the PMMD lab.

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Pittsburgh Birdeye View
Pittsburgh Downtown, a Bird's Eye View
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Advanced Materials
We developed advanced materials!
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Next Generation Engineers
We care about next generation engineers
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Prof. Xiong EOS
Prof. Wei Xiong leads the development of advanced Manufacturing
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Laser Lab
PMMD Lab is the hub of materials design for advanced manufacturing
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Casting
We tailor microstructure for advanced materials
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Science and Engineering
We bridge science and engineering through both experiments and modeling!
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Join Us
Welcome to join us!

Facts about PMMD Lab

  • Sept 2016 - Lab established.
  • 35 - H-index of Prof. Wei Xiong as of Aug. 2025.
  • >150 - Scientific publications by the PMMD Lab.
  • 5 - Year on avarage for PhD degree study in the PMMD Lab.
  • >20 - Scientific Research Projects have been taken over by the PMMD Lab.
  • 3 - Best Graduate Student Awards from the PMMD Lab as of Aug. 2025.
  • 4 - Best Paper Awards.

Our logo is designed with five key symbolic elements:

  • The Diamond: Represents our commitment to the highest quality in all our research.
  • The Three-Linked Chain: Symbolizes the core materials science relationship of process, structure, property, and performance.
  • The Inverted Pyramid: The structure of CALPHAD database development, progressing from unary to binary and then to multicomponent systems, is often likened to an inverted pyramid. This analogy highlights the increasing complexity and the exponential growth in the number of systems that must be modeled as the number of components increases.
  • The Triangle: The triangle is a classic symbol in thermodynamics, representing an isothermal section of a ternary phase diagram. This shape directly highlights the PMMD Lab's extensive experience and expertise in this research field.
  • A Heat Source Heating a Point: Reflects our extensive work in additive manufacturing and our dedication to a laser-focused research approach. This embodies our lab's motto: "Work Hard, Have Fun, No Drama."

Contact Us

If you want to join us, or collaborate with us, please feel free to contact us.

Please visit the >> contact us << page for more information.

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