Nikhil Gupta

Nikhil Gupta is a materials scientist, researcher, and professor based in Brooklyn, New York. Gupta is a professor at New York University Tandon School of Engineering department of mechanical and aerospace engineering. He is an elected Fellow of ASM International and the American Society for Composites. He is one of the leading researchers on lightweight foams and has extensively worked on hollow particle filled composite materials called syntactic foams. Gupta developed a new functionally graded syntactic foam material and a method to create multifunctional syntactic foams. His team has also created an ultralight magnesium alloy syntactic foam that is able to float on water. In recent years, his work has focused on digital manufacturing methods for composite materials and manufacturing cybersecurity.

Gupta has appeared on Discovery Channel and in National Geographic as a materials science expert, particularly for lightweight materials.

Education In 1996, Gupta graduated from the Malaviya National Institute of Technology-Jaipur with a Bachelor of Engineering degree. Use of polymer matrix syntactic foams in USS Zumwalt for lightweight and stealth has been reported.

Gupta worked on the use of fly ash hollow particles (cenospheres) in creating syntactic foams. Fly ash is an environmental pollutant and beneficial uses of this material are desired. The work of fly ash utilization in composite materials was featured in National Geographic and Fast Company magazine.

Metal matrix syntactic foams Gupta has studied aluminum, magnesium, iron and invar matrix syntactic foams. Gupta and his team were the first to create this lightweight metal matrix composite with no porosity in the matrix, which received media attention. At this density level, metal matrix composites can compete against polymer matrix composites but also provide higher temperature withstanding capabilities. His team was also the first to report synthesis of a metal matrix syntactic foam core sandwich composite.

Studies on high strain rate properties of materials Gupta studied several composites that have applications as protective materials in civilian and military vehicles. The change in the direction of fracture as the strain rate increases was reported as one of the novel findings in these studies. Gupta studied the response of bones and tissue for high strain rate properties and his research showed that the fracture of bones can be very different at high strain rate compression, such as high speed car crash or bomb blast. His research was covered in LiveScience and Scientific American. The sensor, based on intensity modulation in optical fiber through a curved section, is capable of measuring displacement or strain. Due to small size of this sensor, it can be integrated with composite materials. Gupta wrote an article about helmets used in professional sports and recreation and was featured in a video produced by NBC Learn in his lab on helmets used in Olympic sports.

Award recognition Gupta has been recognized by various professional societies with awards such as TMS Brimacombe Medalist Award, ASM-International Silver Medal, TMS Professional Development Award, ASM–Indian Institute of Metals (ASM-IIM) Visiting Lectureship, and Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship for his research and lectureship. He is an elected Fellow of ASM International and the American Society for Composites in the class of 2022. He also received the ASNT Fellowship award in 2022.