Blake Whitley, Ph.D. - Senior Associate - Materials and Corrosion Engineering

Contact Blake

Academic Credentials

Ph.D., Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 2017
B.S., Metallurgical Engineering, University of Alabama, 2012

Professional Affiliations

ASM International
TMS
AIST

Dr. Whitley's areas of technical expertise center around the physical and mechanical metallurgy of structural alloys. His experience includes heat treatment, thermomechanical process optimization, metallurgical failure analysis, fracture mechanics, corrosion, and advanced characterization techniques across a range of alloy systems.

Dr. Whitley's work has supported the automotive, aerospace, oil and gas, locomotive, and metals production industries.

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Whitley worked as a Senior Metallurgical Engineer with ATI Specialty Materials. During that time, he served as Project Lead and Technical Lead on multiple next generation alloy development efforts for the jet engine market. His primary focus at ATI was powder-based nickel superalloy development, with supporting roles in titanium alloy development and high speed steel process optimization. Dr. Whitley oversaw projects from initial concept, through the Research & Development phase, and into full-scale manufacturing.

Dr. Whitley's academic work at the Colorado School of Mines investigated the effects of thermomechanical processing routes and heat treatments for optimizing the induction hardening response of automotive shafts using microalloyed steels. During this time, he operated and managed a Gleeble 3500 thermomechanical simulator laboratory, and collaborated on projects involving thermomechanical processing of carbon and stainless steels, aluminum, titanium, niobium, and nickel alloys. Dr. Whitley has presented his work at 6 international technical conferences, and has delivered 4 invited lectures. His technical writing has earned recognition as the Bodycote Best Paper in Heat Treating, and American Foundry Society's Best Paper Award.

Dr. Whitley is active within ASM and has served as a student member on the Board of Trustees of ASM International and the ASM Heat Treating Society. He has also served on ASM technical committees and as an ASM local chapter Executive Board Member.

B. M. Whitley, J. G. Speer, R. Cryderman, J. Klemm-Toole, Understanding Microstructural Evolution During Rapid Heat Treatment of Microalloyed Steels Through Computational Modeling, Advanced Physical Simulation, and Multiscale Characterization Techniques, Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 2019.
J. G. Speer, B. M. Whitley, S. L. Kaster, K.O. Findley, D. K. Matlock, E. De Moor, Selected Developments in Nb-Microalloyed Long Products and Forgings, 11th International Rolling Conference, 2019.
B. M. Whitley, J. G. Speer, R. L. Cryderman, R. C. Goldstein, K. O. Findley, D. K. Matlock, Effects of Microalloy Additions and Thermomechanical Processing on Austenite Grain Size Control in Induction-Hardenable Medium Carbon Steel Bar Rolling, International Conference on Processing & Manufacturing of Advanced Materials Processing, Fabrication, Properties & Applications (Thermec), Materials Science Forum, Vol 879, 2016, pp. 2094-2099.
R. Cryderman, B. Whitely, and J. Speer, Microstructural Evolution in Microalloyed Steels with High-Speed Thermomechanical Bar and Rod Rolling, in International Federation of Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering, Proceedings of the 23rd IFHTSE Congress, 2016.
B. M. Whitley, A. L. Araujo, J. G. Speer, K. O. Findley, D. K. Matlock, Analysis of Microstructure in Hot Torsion Simulation, Materials Performance and Characterization, ASTM, Vol. 4, No. 3, 2015, pp. 307-321.
B. M. Whitley, C. T. Easter, R. L. Cryderman, J. G. Speer, Thermomechanical Simulation and Microstructural Analysis of Microalloyed Medium Carbon Bar Steels, in Advances in Metallurgy of Long and Forged Products, Vail, CO, 2015, pp. 48-58.
B. M. Whitley, Novel Three-Dimensional Modeling Technology for Advanced Simulation, Printing, and Casting of A356 Impeller, International Journal of Metalcasting, 2013.
Technical Presentations
B. M. Whitley, J. G. Speer, R. L. Cryderman, K. O. Findley, Effects of Thermomechanical Processing, Microalloying, and Rapid Heat Treatment on Microstructural Development, Carbonitride Precipitation, and Mechanical Behavior of Medium Carbon Steels, Materials Science & Technology Conference, 2019.
B. M. Whitley, B. Antolovich, L. Wilwert, Progress Toward Developing and Producing a Precipitation-Hardened Martensitic Steel Alloy for Engine Shafts, ATI technical presentation, 2018.
B. M. Whitley, F. G. Coury, J. Foltz, N. Philips, J. Avallone, Relationships Between the Thermodynamic and Thermomechanical Behavior of a Niobium-based Refractory Alloy for Rocketry Applications, ATI technical presentation, 2018.
B. M. Whitley, R. S. Minisandram, J. Shelton, Pilot Scale Development of Next Generation Nickel Powder Disk Alloys, ATI Technology Conference, 2017.
A. Tabei, B. M. Whitley, E. McDevitt, Development of a Conversion Process for Burn Resistant Ni-based Superalloy, ATI Technology Conference, 2017.
B. M. Whitley, J. G. Speer, R. L. Cryderman, Invited talk, Processing Factors Associated with Post-Induction Grain Size Refinement in Medium Carbon Steels, Semi-annual Review Conference of the Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center, 2017.
B. M. Whitley, J. G. Speer, R. L. Cryderman, R. C. Goldstein, K. O. Findley, D. K. Matlock, Effects of Microalloy Additions and Thermomechanical Processing on Austenite Grain Size Control in Medium Carbon Steel Bar Rolling, International Conference on Processing & Manufacturing of Advanced Materials Processing, Fabrication, Properties & Applications (Thermec), 2016.
B. M. Whitley, C. T. Easter, R. L. Cryderman, J. G. Speer, Thermomechanical Simulation and Microstructural Analysis of Microalloyed Medium Carbon Bar Steels, International Symposium on New Developments in Long and Forged Products (AIST), 2015.
B. M. Whitley, J. G. Speer, Physical Simulation of the Thermo-Mechanical Rolling Process, Invited Lecture at the Institute of Roll Design Conference, 2015.
B. M. Whitley, J. G. Speer, R. L. Cryderman, Thermomechanical Processing of Microalloyed Bar Steels for Induction Hardened Components, Invited Lecture for the Gerdau Metallurgical Research & Development Department, 2014.
B. M. Whitley, R. L. Cryderman, Simulating Induction Hardening on a Laboratory Scale for Analysis of Microstructural Evolution, Lecture for the Induction Engineering Team at Inductoheat, 2014
B. M. Whitley, L. Nastac, Novel Three-Dimensional Printing Technology for Advanced Modeling and Casting of A356 Impeller, Materials Science & Technology Conference, 2011
B. M. Whitley, Casting Smarter, Not Harder: Advanced Modeling and Casting of an Aluminum 356 Impeller, Invited Lecturer for Introduction to Materials Course, 2011.
B. M. Whitley, K. Castleberry, A. Murphy, B. Freeman, A356 Impeller: A Prototype Part Cast in a Silica Sand-Furan Mold, American Foundry Society Meeting, 2011.

Blake Whitley

Publications

Prior Experiences