Research Activities

My research centers on the composition–structure–property relationships of high-temperature structural materials, particularly those designed for demanding thermal and mechanical environments.
My work combines physical metallurgy, high-temperature oxidation, microstructural characterization, and mechanical behavior to better understand how advanced alloys respond to extreme conditions.
I am especially interested in bridging fundamental mechanisms and materials design for long-term structural performance.

Recent research activities:
https://sites.google.com/view/sae-matsunaga/home
https://www.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/information/category/press/0029889.html
https://www.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/information/category/press/10551.html

Literature

Selected publications
1. Matsunaga, S., Ajina, A., and Yamabe-Mitarai, Y. (2026). The roles of Nb2O5 phase evolution and solute interactions in temperature-dependent oxidation degradation mechanisms of Nb-based alloys, Corrosion Science, 268, 113898.
2. Matsunaga, S., Shimizu, O., Liang, S., Shen, Y.N. and Yamabe-Mitarai, Y. (2024). The effect of constituent phases on microstructure and high temperature deformation mechanisms of IrRhRuWMo complex concentrated alloys, Materials Science and Engineering: A, 913, 147018.
3. Matsunaga, S., Komamura, K., and Yamabe-Mitarai, Y. (2023). Phase Equilibrium and High-Temperature Mechanical Properties of Nb–Si–X Ternary Alloys. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 54(12), 4598-4605.
4. Wang, C.Y., Matsunaga, S., Toda, Y., Murakami, H., Yeh, A.C. and Yamabe-Mitarai, Y. (2024). Effect of Alloying Elements on the High-Temperature Yielding Behavior of Multicomponent γ′-L12 Alloys. Materials, 17(10), 2280.
5. Matsunaga, S., Huang, D., Inman, S. B., Mason, J. C., Konitzer, D., Johnson, D. R., Titus, M. S. (2020). Planar Front Growth of Single Crystal Ni-Based Superalloy René N515. JOM, 72(5), 1794-1802.
6. Wen, D., Chang, C. H., Matsunaga, S., Park, G., Ecker, L., Gill, S. K., Topsakal, M., Okuniewski, M.A., Antonov, S., Johnson, D.R., Titus, M.S. (2020). Structure and Tensile Properties of Mx(MnFeCoNi)100-x Solid Solution Strengthened High Entropy Alloys, Materialia 9 (2020): 100539.
7. Matsunaga, S., Serizawa, A., & Yamabe-Mitarai, Y. (2016). Effect of Zr on microstructure and oxidation behavior of α and α+ α2 Ti-Al-Nb Alloys. Materials Transactions, 57(11), 1902-1907.

Other Activities

The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), TMS Emerging Professionals Committee member
Japan Institute of Metals and Materials (JIMM) (Sendai, Japan): Council for gender equality in STEM, Council member

Future Plan

The development of ultra-high-temperature alloys (UHTAs) remains limited by an incomplete understanding of how composition and microstructure govern environmental degradation and long-term thermomechanical stability. By integrating multiscale characterization with computational approaches, I aim to determine how alloy composition and phase stability control oxidation, creep, deformation, and defect formation.
These insights will establish design principles for UHTAs with improved environmental resistance and thermomechanical reliability.