Linn W. Hobbs

Professor of Materials
Professor of Nuclear Engineering

B.Sc. Materials Science, Northwestern University, 1966
D.Phil. Materials, Oxford University, 1972

Room 13-4054, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA  02139
617-253-6835 (phone) 617-252-1020 (fax)
hobbs@mit.edu
H.H. Uhlig Corrosion Laboratory

Prof. Hobbs' research activities center on characterization, using electron microscopy and diffraction methods, of atomic and extended defect structures and microstructures of inorganic non-metals introduced by radiation, implantation, or chemically-driven compositional change. 

A major program of his addresses the effects of strong radiation fields, such as found in nuclear reactors, radioactive waste storage, or ion implantation, on the microstructural integrity of ceramics and semiconductors. An important emphasis of this effort is on radiation-induced crystal-to-glass transformations and on the description and modelling of glass structure using topological and combinatorial approaches. A second major program focuses on the microstructural evolution of oxide and sulfide scales formed as corrosion products during high-temperature corrosion of metals. Materials studied include high-temperature alloys for jet engines and energy production and lightweight intermetallic compounds for aerospace applications. A third program addresses characterization of the interfaces between orthopedic and prosthodontic implant materials and natural bone tissue. 

Selected Publications

"The Effects of Various Oxide Dispersions on the Phase Composition and Morphology of Al₂O₃ Scales Grown on β-NiAl," Oxid. Metals 47: 1-20 (1997) (with others). 

"Radiation Effects in Glasses for High-Level Waste and Plutonium Disposition," J. Mater. Res. 12 (8): 1946-75 (1997) (with others). 

"Ultrastructure and Architecture of Bone Mineral and Selected Synthetic Bone Substitutes Revealed by Low-Voltage High-Resolution SEM," Trans. Soc. for Biomaterials 20: 140 (1997) (with others).

Teaching Involvements

Fall 2006 3.014 Materials Laboratory
Spring 2007 3.022 Microstructural Evolution
Spring 2007 3.024 Electronic Properties
Spring 2007 3.094 Materials in Human Experience