The Grainger College of Engineering
Mechanical Science & Engineering

Maryam Eslami

Maryam Eslami
Maryam Eslami she/her/hers
STAFF RES SCI

Education

  • PhD, Materials, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy, January 2019
  • Master in Materials Science and Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Terhan, Iran, May 2013

Academic Positions

  • Research Scientist, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, October 2026-Present
  • Research Scientist, Applied Research Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, February 2023-September 2026
  • Visiting Researcher, The Center for Sustainable Energy, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, IT, Jan. 2025 – July 2025
  • Research Project Leader, Institute for Corrosion and Multiphase Technology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, September 2021-February 2023
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate, Institute for Corrosion and Multiphase Technology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, October 2019-September 2021
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Trento, Trento, Italy, February 2019-October 2019

Professional Highlights

  • Maryam Eslami received her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Trento, Italy, in 2019. Following her graduation, she worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Trento and subsequently as a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Research Project Leader at the Institute for Corrosion and Multiphase Technology (ICMT) at Ohio University. In February 2023, she joined the Applied Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a Staff Research Scientist. Since October 2026, she has been a Staff Research Scientist in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering. Her research focuses on corrosion science, electrochemistry, materials degradation, surface engineering, and corrosion protection technologies, with applications in aerospace, energy, and industrial infrastructure. Her doctoral research investigated the corrosion behavior and protection of aluminum-silicon alloys manufactured using rheo-high-pressure die casting (Rheo-HPDC), with particular emphasis on cerium-based conversion coatings and electrodeposited polypyrrole coatings. During her time at ICMT, she worked on various research topics, including top-of-the-line corrosion and mitigation, organic corrosion inhibitors, high-temperature CO₂/H₂S corrosion, corrosion in supercritical CO₂ environments, and mechanistic modeling of corrosion processes. At Illinois, her research has expanded to environmentally friendly surface pretreatments and conversion coatings for aluminum alloys and steel, the influence of microstructure on corrosion and fatigue performance, and corrosion mechanisms in biofeedstock processing environments. In 2025, she was a Visiting Researcher at the Center for Sustainable Energy at Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Italy, where she investigated corrosion-resistant, multi-principal-element alloy thin films for hydrogen production through water electrolysis.

Research Interests

  • Alloy Design
  • Mechanistic modeling and prediction of corrosion
  • Hydrogen Catalysts
  • Materials Informatics
  • Alloys for Extreme Environments

Research Areas

  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Manufacturing

Selected Articles in Journals

  • M. Eslami, X. Wang, Y–S. Choi, “Influence of CO2 Partial Pressure on Electrochemical Behavior of Stainless–Steel Alloys for Use in Supercritical CO2 Storage Systems”, Submitted to International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control.
  • Z. Lyu, S. Shrivastav, J. Li, C. Qian, L. Yao, N. Shah, M. Eslami, C. Liu, S. Ismail, J. Shabaker, E. Doskocil, D.V. Krogstad, J.A. Krogstad, Q. Chen. “Microstructure–Dependent Anisotropic Corrosion Dynamics of Carbon Steel Corrosion in Biofeedstocks Revealed by Liquid–Phase Electron Microscopy.” ACS Nano, 19 (2025), 28315–28325.
  • M. Eslami, D. Ellis, V. Pachchigar, R. Wilson, M. Sankaran, D.V. Krogstad, “Conversion Treatment of Carbon Steel Using an Atmospheric Plasma–based Process”, Corrosion, 81 (6) (2025), 634-646.
  • M. Eslami, V. Pachchigar, M. Sankaran, D. V. Krogstad, “Critical Influence of Chemical Pretreatments on the Deposition and Effectiveness of Zr–based Conversion Coating on Aluminum Alloy 2024–T3”, Applied Surface Science, 697 (2025) 163018.
  • D. Ellis, M. Eslami, M. Sankaran, D.V. Krogstad, “Zirconia–based coatings on mild steel fabricated by atmospheric–pressure plasma processing for corrosion protection”, Thin Solid films, (2025) 140630.
  • M. Eslami, M. Pan, D. Young, M. Singer, “Corrosion at Top–of–the–Line in High Pressure and Dense CO2 Environments”, Corrosion, 80 (10) (2024) 998–1012.
  • S. Ayyagari, M. Eslami, F. Madani Sani, Y–S. Choi, B. Brown, S. Nesic, “Effect of formic acid on aqueous corrosion mechanisms of mild steel”, Electrochimica Acta, 503 (2024), 144863.
  • M. Eslami, S. Sharma, D. Young, M. Singer, Efficiency of volatile corrosion inhibitors in the presence of n-heptane: An experimental and molecular simulation study, Corrosion Journal 80 (6) (2024) 615–629.
  • E DelVecchio, T Liu, YT Chang, Y Nie, M Eslami, MA Charpagne, Metastable cellular structures govern localized corrosion damage development in additive manufactured stainless steel, npj Materials Degradation 8 (1) (2024), 45.
  • M. Eslami, Y-S. Choi, S. Nesic, R. Breining, Effect of formic acid (HCOOH) on the corrosion protectiveness of magnetite (Fe3O4) at elevated temperature, Corrosion Science 229 (2024) 111868
  • T. Pojtanabuntoeng, M. Eslami, M. Singer, S. Nesic, Influence of co-condensations of water and hydrocarbon on top of the line corrosion, Corrosion Journal 78 (4) (2022) 295-306
  • V. Fajardo, M. Eslami, Y-S. Choi, B. Brown, S. Nesic, Influence of acetic acid on the integrity and protectiveness by an iron carbonate (FeCO3) corrosion product layer, Corrosion Journal 77 (1) (2021) 97-111
  • M. Eslami, G. Speranza, F. Deflorian, C. Zanella, Polypyrrole coatings on rheocast aluminum-silicon alloy: a correlation between properties and electrodeposition conditions, Surface and Interface Analysis 52 (1-2) (2020) 4-15
  • M. Eslami, F. Deflorian, C. Zanella, Electrochemical behavior of conventional and rheo-high pressure die cast low silicon aluminum alloys in NaCl Solutions, Corrosion Journal 75 (11) (2019) 1339-1353
  • M. Eslami, F. Deflorian, C. Zanella, Electrochemical performance of polypyrrole coatings electrodeposited on rheocast aluminum-silicon components, Progress in Organic Coatings 137 (2019) 105307.
  • M. Eslami, G. Speranza, M. Fedel, N-E. Andersson, F. Deflorian, S. Omanovic, C. Zanella, Electropolymerization and possible corrosion protection effect of polypyrrole coatings on AA1050 (UNS A91050) in NaCl solutions, Corrosion Journal 75 (7) (2019) 745-755
  • M. Eslami, M. Payandeh, F. Deflorian, A. E. W. Jarfors, C. Zanella, Effect of segregation and surface condition on corrosion of Rheo-HPDC Al-Si alloys, Metals 8 (4) (2018) 209
  • M. Eslami, M. Fedel, G. Speranza, F. Deflorian, N-E. Andersson, C. Zanella, Study of selective deposition mechanism of cerium-based conversion coating on Rheo-HPDC aluminium-silicon alloys, Electrochimica Acta 255 (2017) 449-462
  • M. Eslami, M. Fedel, G. Speranza, F. Deflorian, C. Zanella, Deposition and characterization of cerium-based conversion coating on HPDC low Si content aluminum alloy, Journal of The Electrochemical Society 164 (9) (2017) C581-C590
  • M. Eslami, H. Saghafian, F. Golestani-fard, Alain Robin, Effect of electrodeposition conditions on the properties of Cu-Si3N4 composite coatings", Applied Surface Science 300 (2014) 129-140
  • M. Eslami, F. Golestani-fard, H. Saghafian, A. Robin, Study on tribological behavior of electrodeposited Cu-Si3N4 composite coatings, Materials and Design 58 (2014) 557-569