Anodization process produces opaque, reflective coatings on aluminum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1965-01-01

Opaque, reflective coatings are produced on aluminum articles by an anodizing process wherein the anodizing bath contains an aqueous dispersion of finely divided insoluble inorganic compounds. These particles appear as uniformly distributed occlusions in the anodic deposit on the aluminum.

Nanostructuring of Aluminum Alloy Powders by Cryogenic Attrition with Hydrogen-Free Process Control Agent

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-01

Nanostructuring of Aluminum Alloy Powders by Cryogenic Attrition with Hydrogen-Free Process Control Agent by Frank Kellogg , Clara Hofmeister...Process Control Agent Frank Kellogg Bowhead Science and Technology Clara Hofmeister Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center...NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Frank Kellogg , Clara Hofmeister, Anit Giri, and Kyu Cho 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e

Fabrication of Ordered Blue Nanostructure by Anodization of an Aluminum Plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurashima, Yuichi; Yokota, Yoshihiko; Miyamoto, Iwao; Itatani, Taro

2007-03-01

Colors in organisms are created by chemical interactions of molecular pigments and by optical interactions of incident light with biological nanostructures. The latter classes are called structural colors and form an important component of the phenotypes of many animals and even some plants. In this paper, we report on the fabrication of an ordered blue nanostructure by the anodization of an Al plate. In the fabrication of such an ordered nanostructure by the anodization of an Al plate, ordered nanostructures with a pitch and an alumina thickness of approximately 100 nm were produced on the Al plate. The ordered nanostructures on the Al plate showed no colors. However, an ordered nanostructure deposited with a Pt thin film with a thickness of approximately 10 nm showed a blue reflection with a peak reflectivity of approximately 370 nm. We conclude that this blue nanostructure on the Al plate is caused by an interference between the Al surface and the Pt surface.

Method for producing nanostructured metal-oxides

DOEpatents

Tillotson, Thomas M.; Simpson, Randall L.; Hrubesh, Lawrence W.; Gash, Alexander

2006-01-17

A synthetic route for producing nanostructure metal-oxide-based materials using sol-gel processing. This procedure employs the use of stable and inexpensive hydrated-metal inorganic salts and environmentally friendly solvents such as water and ethanol. The synthesis involves the dissolution of the metal salt in a solvent followed by the addition of a proton scavenger, which induces gel formation in a timely manner. Both critical point (supercritical extraction) and atmospheric (low temperature evaporation) drying may be employed to produce monolithic aerogels and xerogels, respectively. Using this method synthesis of metal-oxide nanostructured materials have been carried out using inorganic salts, such as of Fe.sup.3+, Cr.sup.3+, Al.sup.3+, Ga.sup.3+, In.sup.3+, Hf.sup.4+, Sn.sup.4+, Zr.sup.4+, Nb.sup.5+, W.sup.6+, Pr.sup.3+, Er.sup.3+, Nd.sup.3+, Ce.sup.3+, U.sup.3+ and Y.sup.3+. The process is general and nanostructured metal-oxides from the following elements of the periodic table can be made: Groups 2 through 13, part of Group 14 (germanium, tin, lead), part of Group 15 (antimony, bismuth), part of Group 16 (polonium), and the lanthanides and actinides. The sol-gel processing allows for the addition of insoluble materials (e.g., metals or polymers) to the viscous sol, just before gelation, to produce a uniformly distributed nanocomposites upon gelation. As an example, energetic nanocomposites of Fe.sub.xO.sub.y gel with distributed Al metal are readily made. The compositions are stable, safe, and can be readily ignited to thermitic reaction.

A laboratory means to produce tough aluminum sheet from powder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singleton, O. R.; Royster, D. M.; Thomas, J. R.

1990-01-01

The rapid solidification of aluminum alloys as powder and the subsequent fabrication processes can be used to develop and tailor alloys to satisfy specific aerospace design requirements, including high strength and toughness. Laboratory procedures to produce aluminum powder-metallurgy (PM) materials are efficient but require evidence that the laboratory methods used can produce a product with superior properties. This paper describes laboratory equipment and procedures which can be used to produce tough aluminum PM sheet. The processing of a 2124 + 0.9 percent Zr aluminum alloy powder is used as an example. The fully hardened sheet product is evaluated in terms of properties and microstructure. The key features of the vacuum hot press pressing operation used to consolidate the powder are described. The 2124 + 0.9 percent Zr - T8 temper aluminum sheet produced was both strong (460-490 MPa yield strength) and tough (Kahn Tear unit-propagation- energy values over three times those typical for ingot metallurgy 2024-T81). Both the longitudinal and longitudinal-transverse directions of the sheet were tested. The microstructure was well refined with subgrains of one or two micrometers. Fine dispersoids of Al3Zr in the precipitate free regions adjacent to boundaries are believed to contribute to the improved toughness.

Mechanically durable superoleophobic aluminum surfaces with microstep and nanoreticula hierarchical structure for self-cleaning and anti-smudge properties.

PubMed

Peng, Shan; Bhushan, Bharat

2016-01-01

Superoleophobic aluminum surfaces are of interest for self-cleaning, anti-smudge (fingerprint resistance), anti-fouling, and corrosion resistance applications. In the published literature on superoleophobic aluminum surfaces, mechanical durability, self-cleaning, and anti-smudge properties data are lacking. Microstep structure has often been used to prepare superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces which produce the microstructure. The nanoreticula structure has also been used, and is reported to be able to trap air-pockets, which are desirable for a high contact angle. In this work, the microstep and nanoreticula structures were produced on aluminum surfaces to form a hierarchical micro/nanostructure by a simple two-step chemical etching process. The hierarchical structure, when modified with fluorosilane, made the surface superoleophobic. The effect of nanostructure, microstructure, and hierarchical structure on wettability and durability were studied and compared. The superoleophobic aluminum surfaces were found to be wear resistant, self-cleaning, and have anti-smudge and corrosion resistance properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Growth and characterization of Cu2ZnSnS4 nanostructures using anodized aluminum as the growth mask

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, C. P.; Chen, Z.; Lam, H.; Surya, C.

2009-08-01

In this paper we report the growth and characterization of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) nanostructures by co-electrodeposition technique using CuCl2, SnCl2 and ZnCl2 as sources and choline-based ionic liquid (IL) as the electrolyte. X-ray diffraction analysis of CZTS thin films grown by this technique indicated that the films have a kesterite structure with preferred grain orientation along (112). It is found that the energy bandgap of the material is about 1.49eV and the optical absorption coefficient is in the order of 104cm-1. Anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) was used as the growth mask for the growth of the nanostructures. Anodization of the aluminum foil was carried out in phosphoric acid solution at 1°C and a potential of 40 to 100V was applied. Sulfurization of the rods was performed in elemental sulfur vapor at 450°C for four hours using N2 as the ambient gas. Experimental results show that nanotubes were formed using the technique and the diameter can be well controlled by varying the applied potential in the anodization process. Electron diffraction experiments show that a mixture of single- and poly-crystalline nanostructures was found.

Helical Growth of Aluminum Nitride: New Insights into Its Growth Habit from Nanostructures to Single Crystals

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xing-Hong; Shao, Rui-Wen; Jin, Lei; Wang, Jian-Yu; Zheng, Kun; Zhao, Chao-Liang; Han, Jie-Cai; Chen, Bin; Sekiguchi, Takashi; Zhang, Zhi; Zou, Jin; Song, Bo

2015-01-01

By understanding the growth mechanism of nanomaterials, the morphological features of nanostructures can be rationally controlled, thereby achieving the desired physical properties for specific applications. Herein, the growth habits of aluminum nitride (AlN) nanostructures and single crystals synthesized by an ultrahigh-temperature, catalyst-free, physical vapor transport process were investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The detailed structural characterizations strongly suggested that the growth of AlN nanostructures including AlN nanowires and nanohelixes follow a sequential and periodic rotation in the growth direction, which is independent of the size and shape of the material. Based on these experimental observations, an helical growth mechanism that may originate from the coeffect of the polar-surface and dislocation-driven growth is proposed, which offers a new insight into the related growth kinetics of low-dimensional AlN structures and will enable the rational design and synthesis of novel AlN nanostructures. Further, with the increase of temperature, the growth process of AlN grains followed the helical growth model. PMID:25976071

Utilization of Drinking Water Treatment Slurry to Produce Aluminum Sulfate Coagulant.

PubMed

Fouad, Mahmoud M; Razek, Taha M A; Elgendy, Ahmed S

2017-02-01

  In Egypt, water treatment consumes about 365 000 tons of aluminum sulfate and produces more than 100 million tons of sludge per year. The common disposal system of sludge in Egypt is to discharge it into natural waterways. Toxicity of aluminum, environmental regulations and costs of chemicals used in water treatment and sludge treatment processes led to an evaluation of coagulant recovery and subsequent reuse. The present work aimed at aluminum recovery from sludge of El-Shiekh Zayd water treatment plant (WTP) to produce aluminum sulfate coagulant. Sludge was characterized and the effect of five variables was tested and the process efficiency was evaluated at different operating conditions. Maximum recovery is 94.2% at acid concentration 1.5 N, sludge weight 5 g, mixing speed 60 rpm, temperature 60 °C and leaching time 40 min. Then optimum conditions were applied to get maximum recovery for aluminum sulfate and compared to commercial coagulant on raw water of El-Shiekh Zayd (WTP).

Plasmonic resonances in hybrid systems of aluminum nanostructured arrays and few layer graphene within the UV-IR spectral range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Campuzano, R.; Saniger, J. M.; Mendoza, D.

2017-11-01

The size-controllable and ordered Al nanocavities and nanodomes arrays were synthesized by electrochemical anodization of aluminum using phosphoric acid, citric acid and mixture both acids. Few layer graphene (FLG) was transferred directly on top of Al nanostructures and their morphology were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The interaction between FLG and the plasmonic properties of Al nanostructures arrays were investigated based on specular reflectivity in the ultraviolet-visible-infrared range and Raman spectroscopy. We found that their optical reflectivity was dramatically reduced as compared with unstructured Al. At the same time pronounced reflectivity dips were detectable in the 200-896 nm wavelength range, which were ascribed to plasmonic resonances. The plasmonic properties of these nanostructures do not exhibit evident changes by the presence of FLG in the UV-vis range of the electromagnetic spectrum. By contrast, the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of FLG was observed in nanocavities and nanodomes structures that result in an intensity increase of the characteristic G and 2D bands of FLG induced by the plasmonic properties of Al nanostructures.

Air-Impregnated Nanoporous Anodic Aluminum Oxide Layers for Enhancing the Corrosion Resistance of Aluminum.

PubMed

Jeong, Chanyoung; Lee, Junghoon; Sheppard, Keith; Choi, Chang-Hwan

2015-10-13

Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide layers were fabricated on aluminum substrates with systematically varied pore diameters (20-80 nm) and oxide thicknesses (150-500 nm) by controlling the anodizing voltage and time and subsequent pore-widening process conditions. The porous nanostructures were then coated with a thin (only a couple of nanometers thick) Teflon film to make the surface hydrophobic and trap air in the pores. The corrosion resistance of the aluminum substrate was evaluated by a potentiodynamic polarization measurement in 3.5 wt % NaCl solution (saltwater). Results showed that the hydrophobic nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide layer significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of the aluminum substrate compared to a hydrophilic oxide layer of the same nanostructures, to bare (nonanodized) aluminum with only a natural oxide layer on top, and to the latter coated with a thin Teflon film. The hydrophobic nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide layer with the largest pore diameter and the thickest oxide layer (i.e., the maximized air fraction) resulted in the best corrosion resistance with a corrosion inhibition efficiency of up to 99% for up to 7 days. The results demonstrate that the air impregnating the hydrophobic nanopores can effectively inhibit the penetration of corrosive media into the pores, leading to a significant improvement in corrosion resistance.

Nano-engineering of superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces for anti-corrosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Chanyoung

Metal corrosion is a serious problem, both economically and operationally, for engineering systems such as aircraft, automobiles, pipelines, and naval vessels. In such engineering systems, aluminum is one of the primary materials of construction due to its light weight compared to steel and good general corrosion resistance. However, because of aluminum's relatively lower resistance to corrosion in salt water environments, protective measures such as thick coatings, paints, or cathodic protection must be used for satisfactory service life. Unfortunately, such anti-corrosion methods can create other concerns, such as environmental contamination, protection durability, and negative impact on hydrodynamic efficiency. Recently, a novel approach to preventing metal corrosion has emerged, using superhydrophobic surfaces. Superhydrophobic surfaces create a composite interface to liquid by retaining air within the surface structures, thus minimizing the direct contact of the liquid environment to the metal surface. The result is a highly non-wetting and anti-adherent surface that can offer other benefits such as biofouling resistance and hydrodynamic low friction. Prior research with superhydrophobic surfaces for corrosion applications was based on irregular surface roughening and/or chemical coatings, which resulted in random surface features, mostly on the micrometer scale. Such microscale surface roughness with poor controllability of structural dimensions and shapes has been a critical limitation to deeper understanding of the anti-corrosive effectiveness and optimized application of this approach. The research reported here provides a novel approach to producing controlled superhydrophobic nanostructures on aluminum that allows a systematic investigation of the superhydrophobic surface parameters on the corrosion resistance and hence can provide a route to optimization of the surface. Electrochemical anodization is used to controllably modulate the oxide layer

Broadband antireflective silicon nanostructures produced by spin-coated Ag nanoparticles

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

We report the fabrication of broadband antireflective silicon (Si) nanostructures fabricated using spin-coated silver (Ag) nanoparticles as an etch mask followed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching process. This fabrication technique is a simple, fast, cost-effective, and high-throughput method, making it highly suitable for mass production. Prior to the fabrication of Si nanostructures, theoretical investigations were carried out using a rigorous coupled-wave analysis method in order to determine the effects of variations in the geometrical features of Si nanostructures to obtain antireflection over a broad wavelength range. The Ag ink ratio and ICP etching conditions, which can affect the distribution, distance between the adjacent nanostructures, and height of the resulting Si nanostructures, were carefully adjusted to determine the optimal experimental conditions for obtaining desirable Si nanostructures for practical applications. The Si nanostructures fabricated using the optimal experimental conditions showed a very low average reflectance of 8.3%, which is much lower than that of bulk Si (36.8%), as well as a very low reflectance for a wide range of incident angles and different polarizations over a broad wavelength range of 300 to 1,100 nm. These results indicate that the fabrication technique is highly beneficial to produce antireflective structures for Si-based device applications requiring low light reflection. PMID:24484636

Patterned titania nanostructures produced by electrochemical anodization of titanium sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Junzhe; Ariyanti, Dessy; Gao, Wei; Niu, Zhenjiang; Weil, Emeline

2017-07-01

A two-step anodization method has been used to produce patterned arrays of TiO2 on the surface of Ti sheet. Hexagonal ripples were created on Ti substrate after removing the TiO2 layer produced by first-step anodization. The shallow concaves were served as an ideal position for the subsequent step anodization due to their low electrical resistance, resulting in novel hierarchical nanostructures with small pits inside the original ripples. The mechanism of morphology evolution during patterned anodization was studied through changing the anodizing voltages and duration time. This work provides a new idea for controlling nanostructures and thus tailoring the photocatalytic property and wettability of anodic TiO2.

Chemical milling solution produces smooth surface finish on aluminum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorenzen, H. C.

1966-01-01

Elementary sulfur mixed into a solution of caustic soda and salts produces an etchant which will chemically mill end-grain surfaces on aluminum plate. This composition results in the least amount of thickness variation and pitting.

Polymer nanoimprinting using an anodized aluminum mold for structural coloration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikuchi, Tatsuya; Nishinaga, Osamu; Natsui, Shungo; Suzuki, Ryosuke O.

2015-06-01

Polymer nanoimprinting of submicrometer-scale dimple arrays with structural coloration was demonstrated. Highly ordered aluminum dimple arrays measuring 530-670 nm in diameter were formed on an aluminum substrate via etidronic acid anodizing at 210-270 V and subsequent anodic oxide dissolution. The nanostructured aluminum surface led to bright structural coloration with a rainbow spectrum, and the reflected wavelength strongly depends on the angle of the specimen and the period of the dimple array. The reflection peak shifts gradually with the dimple diameter toward longer wavelength, reaching 800 nm in wavelength at 670 nm in diameter. The shape of the aluminum dimple arrays were successfully transferred to a mercapto-ester ultra-violet curable polymer via self-assembled monolayer coating and polymer replications using a nanoimprinting technique. The nanostructured polymer surfaces with positively and negatively shaped dimple arrays also exhibited structural coloration based on the periodic nanostructure, and reflected light mostly in the visible region, 400-800 nm. This nanostructuring with structural coloration can be easily realized by simple techniques such as anodizing, SAM coating, and nanoimprinting.

Fabrication of nano-structured super-hydrophobic film on aluminum by controllable immersing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Ruomei; Liang, Shuquan; Pan, Anqiang; Yuan, Zhiqing; Tang, Yan; Tan, Xiaoping; Guan, Dikai; Yu, Ya

2012-06-01

Aluminum alloy surface can be etched easily in acid environment, but the microstructure of alloy surface hardly meets the customers' demand. In this work, a facile acidic-assistant surface oxidation technique has been employed to form reproducible super-hydrophobic surfaces on aluminum alloy plates. The samples immersed in three different acid solutions at ambient temperatures are studied and the results demonstrated that the aqueous mixture solution of oxalic acid and hydrochloric is easier to produce better faces and better stability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurement are used to investigate the morphologies, microstructures, chemical compositions and hydrophobicity of the produced films on aluminum substrates. The surfaces, configured of a labyrinth structure with convexity and concavity, are in different roughness and gloss because of the different recipe acid solutions used. Better roughness of the surface can be obtained by adjusting the concentration of Clˉ and oxalate ions in acid solutions. The present research work provides a new strategy for the controllable preparation super-hydrophobic films of general materials on aluminum alloy for practical industrial applications.

Plasmonic nanostructures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Ruiqian

In the last three decades, a large number of different plasmonic nanostructures have attracted much attention due to their unique optical properties. Those plasmonic nanostructures include nanoparticles, nanoholes and metal nanovoids. They have been widely utilized in optical devices and sensors. When the plasmonic nanostructures interact with the electromagnetic wave and their surface plasmon frequency match with the light frequency, the electrons in plasmonic nanostructures will resonate with the same oscillation as incident light. In this case, the plasmonic nanostructures can absorb light and enhance the light scattering. Therefore, the plasmonic nanostructures can be used as substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to enhance the Raman signal. Using plasmonic nanostructures can significantly enhance Raman scattering of molecules with very low concentrations. In this thesis, two different plasmonic nanostructures Ag dendrites and Au/Ag core-shell nanoparticles are investigated. Simple methods were used to produce these two plasmonic nanostructures. Then, their applications in surface enhanced Raman scattering have been explored. Ag dendrites were produced by galvanic replacement reaction, which was conducted using Ag nitrate aqueous solution and copper metal. Metal copper layer was deposited at the bottom side of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane. Silver wires formed inside AAO channels connected Ag nitrate on the top of AAO membrane and copper layer at the bottom side of AAO. Silver dendrites were formed on the top side of AAO. The second plasmonic nanostructure is Au/Ag core-shell nanoparticles. They were fabricated by electroless plating (galvanic replacement) reaction in a silver plating solution. First, electrochemically evolved hydrogen bubbles were used as template through electroless deposition to produce hollow Au nanoparticles. Then, the Au nanoparticles were coated with Cu shells in a Cu plating solution. In the following step, a Ag

Inability to produce a model of dialysis encephalopathy in the rat by aluminum administration.

PubMed

Perry, T L; Yong, V W; Godolphin, W J; Sutter, M; Hansen, S; Kish, S J; Foulks, J G; Ito, M

1987-04-01

We attempted to produce a rat model of brain aluminum toxicity in order to explore whether or not aluminum accumulation produces the neurochemical changes observed in brains of patients who die with dialysis encephalopathy. Daily subcutaneous injection of Al(OH)3 caused marked elevation of serum aluminum concentrations, but did not increase brain aluminum contents, either in rats with normal renal function, or in rats with unilateral or 5/6 nephrectomies. LiCl pretreatment, which has been reported to cause irreversible renal failure, did not impair renal function nor aid in achieving elevated brain aluminum contents. No reductions in brain contents of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or in glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD, E.C.4.1.1.15) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT, E.C.2.3.1.6) activities were observed in aluminum-treated rats. We conclude that the rat is not a suitable laboratory animal to explore the role of aluminum toxicity in causing the GABA and ChAT deficits present in brains of hemodialyzed human patients.

Three-dimensional block copolymer nanostructures by the solvent-annealing-induced wetting in anodic aluminum oxide templates.

PubMed

Chu, Chiang-Jui; Chung, Pei-Yun; Chi, Mu-Huan; Kao, Yi-Huei; Chen, Jiun-Tai

2014-09-01

Block copolymers have been extensively studied over the last few decades because they can self-assemble into well-ordered nanoscale structures. The morphologies of block copolymers in confined geometries, however, are still not fully understood. In this work, the fabrication and morphologies of three-dimensional polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane (PS-b-PDMS) nanostructures confined in the nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates are studied. It is discovered that the block copolymers can wet the nanopores using a novel solvent-annealing-induced nanowetting in templates (SAINT) method. The unique advantage of this method is that the problem of thermal degradation can be avoided. In addition, the morphologies of PS-b-PDMS nanostructures can be controlled by changing the wetting conditions. Different solvents are used as the annealing solvent, including toluene, hexane, and a co-solvent of toluene and hexane. When the block copolymer wets the nanopores in toluene vapors, a perpendicular morphology is observed. When the block copolymer wets the nanopores in co-solvent vapors (toluene/hexane = 3:2), unusual circular and helical morphologies are obtained. These three-dimensional nanostructures can serve as naontemplates for refilling with other functional materials, such as Au, Ag, ZnO, and TiO2 . © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Cathode for a hall-heroult type electrolytic cell for producing aluminum

DOEpatents

Brown, Craig W.

2004-04-13

A method of producing aluminum from alumina in an electrolytic cell including using a cathode comprised of a base material having low electrical conductivity and wettable with molten aluminum to form a reaction layer having a high electrical conductivity on said base layer and a cathode bar extending from said reaction layer through said base material to conduct electrical current from said reaction layer.

Development of batch producible hot embossing 3D nanostructured surface-enhanced Raman scattering chip technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chu-Yu; Tsai, Ming-Shiuan

2017-09-01

The main purpose of this study is to develop a batch producible hot embossing 3D nanostructured surface-enhanced Raman chip technology for high sensitivity label-free plasticizer detection. This study utilizing the AAO self-assembled uniform nano-hemispherical array barrier layer as a template to create a durable nanostructured nickel mold. With the hot embossing technique and the durable nanostructured nickel mold, we are able to batch produce the 3D Nanostructured Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering Chip with consistent quality. In addition, because of our SERS chip can be fabricated by batch processing, the fabrication cost is low. Therefore, the developed method is very promising to be widespread and extensively used in rapid chemical and biomolecular detection applications.

Nanostructured tracers for laser-based diagnostics in high-speed flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghaemi, S.; Schmidt-Ott, A.; Scarano, F.

2010-10-01

The potential application of aggregates of nanoparticles for high-speed flow diagnostics is investigated. Aluminum nanoparticles around 10 nm in diameter are produced by spark discharge in argon gas. Through rapid coagulation and oxidation, aggregates of small effective density are formed. They are characterized by microscopy and their aerodynamics and optical properties are theoretically evaluated. The performance of the aggregates is experimentally investigated across an oblique shock wave in a supersonic wind tunnel of 3 × 3 cm2 cross-section at Mach 2. Particle image velocimetry is used to quantify the time response of the aggregates. The investigations are also carried out on compact titanium agglomerates to provide a base for comparison. The results yield a relaxation time of 0.27 µs for the nanostructured aluminum aggregates, which is an order of magnitude reduction with respect to the compact titanium nanoparticles. This work demonstrates the applicability of nanostructured aggregates for laser-based diagnostics in supersonic and hypersonic flows.

Asymmetric cryorolling for fabrication of nanostructural aluminum sheets

PubMed Central

YU, Hailiang; LU, Cheng; TIEU, Kiet; LIU, Xianghua; SUN, Yong; YU, Qingbo; KONG, Charlie

2012-01-01

Nanostructural Al 1050 sheets were produced using a novel method of asymmetric cryorolling under ratios of upper and down rolling velocities (RUDV) of 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4. Sheets were rolled to about 0.17 mm from 1.5 mm. Both the strength and ductility of Al 1050 sheets increase with RUDVs. Tensile strength of Al sheets with the RUDV 1.4 is larger 22.3% of that for RUDV 1.1, which is 196 MPa. The TEM observations show the grain size is 360 nm when the RUDV is 1.1, and 211 nm for RUDV 1.4. PMID:23101028

SERS analysis of Ag nanostructures produced by ion-beam deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atanasov, P. A.; Nedyalkov, N. N.; Nikov, Ru G.; Grüner, Ch; Rauschenbach, B.; Fukata, N.

2018-03-01

This study deals with the development of a novel technique for formation of advanced Ag nanostructures (NSs) to be applied to high-resolution analyses based on surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). It has direct bearing on human health and food quality, e.g., monitoring small amount or traces of pollutants or undesirable additives. Three types of nanostructured Ag samples were produced using ion-beam deposition at glancing angle (GLAD) on quartz. All fabricated structures were covered with BI-58 pesticide (dimethoate) or Rhodamine 6G (R6G) for testing their potential for use as substrates for (SERS).

Effects of oxidation on the plasmonic properties of aluminum nanoclusters.

PubMed

Douglas-Gallardo, Oscar A; Soldano, Germán J; Mariscal, Marcelo M; Sánchez, Cristián Gabriel

2017-11-16

The scouting of alternative plasmonic materials able to enhance and extend the optical properties of noble metal nanostructures is on the rise. Aluminum is endowed with a set of interesting properties which turn it into an attractive plasmonic material. Here we present the optical and electronic features of different aluminum nanostructures stemming from a multilevel computational study. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations using a reactive force field (ReaxFF), carefully validated with Density Functional Theory (DFT), were employed to mimic the oxidation of icosahedral aluminum nanoclusters. Resulting structures with different oxidation degrees were then studied through the Time-Dependent Density Functional Tight Binding (TD-DFTB) method. A similar approach was used in aluminum nanoclusters with a disordered structure to study how the loss of crystallinity affects the optical properties. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that addresses this issue from the fully atomistic time-dependent approach by means of two different and powerful simulation tools able to describe quantum and physicochemical properties associated with nanostructured particles.

Crystal structure and oxidation behavior of Aluminum-containing stainless steel coatings produced by cryomilling and spark plasma sintering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdulaziz, Al-Mathami

Three austenitic 316LSS alloys containing 0, 2 and 6wt% Al were prepared by cryomilling and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). It was shown that aluminum influences the FCC to BCC strain induced phase transformation that occurs during milling and also the FCC recovery during heat treatment and SPS consolidation. The Al-containing SS had accelerated strain induced transformation in the early stage of milling, while the rate of transformation became similar thereafter for all systems. The degree to which the induced BCC structure reverted to FCC was found dependent upon the Al content. Complete recovery of the FCC during heat treatment was achieved between 565 to 594°C for nSS6Al and 605 to 618°C for nSS2Al, depending on the heating rate. However, heat treatment of nSS0Al up to 1000°C resulted in incomplete reversion of the strain induced structure. The SPS process was found to minimally influence the FCC recovery compared to conventional powder consolidation heat treatments. The energy supplied by the SPS process was insufficient to overcome the activation energy governing the rearrangement of dislocations required to complete the FCC recovery. The modification of the composition of 316LSS combined with a grain refinement to the nanometer level was investigated to determine the potential gain in oxidation resistance on coatings produced using the SPS technique. For the base alloy, the increased number of diffusion paths present in nanostructured materials yielded a thicker oxide scale, when compared to conventional SS, and this independently on the tested oxidation temperature (500°C, 800°C and 1000°C). For the nanostructured SS, the scale had an enriched Cr-content which improves the resistance to static and cyclic oxidation, and adherence to the substrate. Aluminum was also added at concentrations of 2 and 6 wt% to the base SS, which caused the scale composition to change to a continuous double layer consisting of an inner Al2O3 and an outer Cr2O3 for both alloys

Carbothermic Aluminum Production Using Scrap Aluminum As A Coolant

DOEpatents

LaCamera, Alfred F.

2002-11-05

A process for producing aluminum metal by carbothermic reduction of alumina ore. Alumina ore is heated in the presence of carbon at an elevated temperature to produce an aluminum metal body contaminated with about 10-30% by wt. aluminum carbide. Aluminum metal or aluminum alloy scrap then is added to bring the temperature to about 900-1000.degree. C. and precipitate out aluminum carbide. The precipitated aluminum carbide is filtered, decanted, or fluxed with salt to form a molten body having reduced aluminum carbide content.

Influence of Nanostructuration on the Sound Velocity in Aluminum Al_99.50

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cazac, A. M.; Alexandru, A.; Baciu, C.; Sandu, A. V.; Bejinariu, C.

2018-06-01

The paper proposes is a multidisciplinary study on the influence of nanostructured material obtained by cyclic closed die forging process, in this case the aluminum with a purity of 99.50% (Al_99.50), on the sound velocity. The study of nanomaterials is a branch of material science on the basis of which nanotechnology can be approached. Severe plastic deformation (SPD) is a generic term describing a group of metal and alloy processing techniques involving very high stresses without including significant changes in the overall dimensions of the model or workpiece. The sample is of a regular quadrangular prism shape with the side square of a = 10 mm and the height of h = 16 mm, so with a dimensional factor h / a = 1.6. For each sample, a number of 7 determinations were performed to establish a mean value for the sound velocity. As a result of the microstructure analysis, it is observed that at the deformation cycle 4 the grains have an average size between 250 and 500 nm.

Cu--Ni--Fe anode for use in aluminum producing electrolytic cell

DOEpatents

Bergsma, S. Craig; Brown, Craig W.; Bradford, Donald R; Barnett, Robert J.; Mezner, Michael B.

2006-07-18

A method of producing aluminum in an electrolytic cell containing alumina dissolved in an electrolyte, the method comprising the steps of providing a molten salt electrolyte at a temperature of less than 900.degree. C. having alumina dissolved therein in an electrolytic cell having a liner for containing the electrolyte, the liner having a bottom and walls extending upwardly from said bottom. A plurality of non-consumable Cu--Ni--Fe anodes and cathodes are disposed in a vertical direction in the electrolyte, the cathodes having a plate configuration and the anodes having a flat configuration to compliment the cathodes. The anodes contain apertures therethrough to permit flow of electrolyte through the apertures to provide alumina-enriched electrolyte between the anodes and the cathodes. Electrical current is passed through the anodes and through the electrolyte to the cathodes, depositing aluminum at the cathodes and producing gas at the anodes.

Polarization-tuned Dynamic Color Filters Incorporating a Dielectric-loaded Aluminum Nanowire Array

PubMed Central

Raj Shrestha, Vivek; Lee, Sang-Shin; Kim, Eun-Soo; Choi, Duk-Yong

2015-01-01

Nanostructured spectral filters enabling dynamic color-tuning are saliently attractive for implementing ultra-compact color displays and imaging devices. Realization of polarization-induced dynamic color-tuning via one-dimensional periodic nanostructures is highly challenging due to the absence of plasmonic resonances for transverse-electric polarization. Here we demonstrate highly efficient dynamic subtractive color filters incorporating a dielectric-loaded aluminum nanowire array, providing a continuum of customized color according to the incident polarization. Dynamic color filtering was realized relying on selective suppression in transmission spectra via plasmonic resonance at a metal-dielectric interface and guided-mode resonance for a metal-clad dielectric waveguide, each occurring at their characteristic wavelengths for transverse-magnetic and electric polarizations, respectively. A broad palette of colors, including cyan, magenta, and yellow, has been attained with high transmission beyond 80%, by tailoring the period of the nanowire array and the incident polarization. Thanks to low cost, high durability, and mass producibility of the aluminum adopted for the proposed devices, they are anticipated to be diversely applied to color displays, holographic imaging, information encoding, and anti-counterfeiting. PMID:26211625

A Process for Producing Highly Wettable Aluminum 6061 Surfaces Compatible with Hydrazine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, N. R.; Ferraro, N. W.; Yue, A. F.; Estes, R. H.

2007-01-01

NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is an ongoing Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) project whose basic objective is to improve global precipitation measurements. The space-based portion of the mission architecture consists of a primary or core spacecraft and a constellation of NASA and contributed spacecrafts. The efforts described in this paper refer to the core spacecraft (hereafter referred to as simply GPM) which is to be fabricated at GSFC. It has been decided that the GPM spacecraft is to be a "design-for-demise-spacecraft." This requirement resulted in the need for a propellant tank that would also demise or ablate to an appropriate degree upon re-entry. Composite overwrapped aluminum lined propellant tanks with aluminum propellant management devices (PMD) were shown by analyses to demise and thus became the baseline configuration for GPM. As part of the GPM tank development effort, long term compatibility and wettability testing with hydrazine was performed on Al6061 and 2219 coupons fabricated and cleaned by conventional processes. Long term compatibility was confirmed. However, the wettability of the aluminum as measured by contact angle produced higher than desired angles (greater than 30 deg.) with excessive scatter. The availability of PMD materials exhibiting consistently low contact angles aids in the design of simple PMDs. Two efforts performed by Angeles Crest Engineering and funded by GSFC were undertaken to reduce the risk of using aluminum for the GPM PMD. The goal of the first effort was to develop a cleaning or treatment process to produce consistently low contact angles. The goal of the second effort was to prove via testing that the processed aluminum would retain compatibility with hydrazine and retain low contact angle after long term exposure to hydrazine. Both goals were achieved. This paper describes both efforts and the results achieved.

Mechanical, Corrosion and Biological Properties of Room-Temperature Sputtered Aluminum Nitride Films with Dissimilar Nanostructure.

PubMed

Besleaga, Cristina; Dumitru, Viorel; Trinca, Liliana Marinela; Popa, Adrian-Claudiu; Negrila, Constantin-Catalin; Kołodziejczyk, Łukasz; Luculescu, Catalin-Romeo; Ionescu, Gabriela-Cristina; Ripeanu, Razvan-George; Vladescu, Alina; Stan, George E

2017-11-17

Aluminum Nitride (AlN) has been long time being regarded as highly interesting material for developing sensing applications (including biosensors and implantable sensors). AlN, due to its appealing electronic properties, is envisaged lately to serve as a multi-functional biosensing platform. Although generally exploited for its intrinsic piezoelectricity, its surface morphology and mechanical performance (elastic modulus, hardness, wear, scratch and tensile resistance to delamination, adherence to the substrate), corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility are also essential features for high performance sustainable biosensor devices. However, information about AlN suitability for such applications is rather scarce or at best scattered and incomplete. Here, we aim to deliver a comprehensive evaluation of the morpho-structural, compositional, mechanical, electrochemical and biological properties of reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtered AlN nanostructured thin films with various degrees of c -axis texturing, deposited at a low temperature (~50 °C) on Si (100) substrates. The inter-conditionality elicited between the base pressure level attained in the reactor chamber and crystalline quality of AlN films is highlighted. The potential suitability of nanostructured AlN (in form of thin films) for the realization of various type of sensors (with emphasis on bio-sensors) is thoroughly probed, thus unveiling its advantages and limitations, as well as suggesting paths to safely exploit the remarkable prospects of this type of materials.

Mechanical, Corrosion and Biological Properties of Room-Temperature Sputtered Aluminum Nitride Films with Dissimilar Nanostructure

PubMed Central

Besleaga, Cristina; Dumitru, Viorel; Trinca, Liliana Marinela; Popa, Adrian-Claudiu; Negrila, Constantin-Catalin; Ionescu, Gabriela-Cristina; Ripeanu, Razvan-George; Stan, George E.

2017-01-01

Aluminum Nitride (AlN) has been long time being regarded as highly interesting material for developing sensing applications (including biosensors and implantable sensors). AlN, due to its appealing electronic properties, is envisaged lately to serve as a multi-functional biosensing platform. Although generally exploited for its intrinsic piezoelectricity, its surface morphology and mechanical performance (elastic modulus, hardness, wear, scratch and tensile resistance to delamination, adherence to the substrate), corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility are also essential features for high performance sustainable biosensor devices. However, information about AlN suitability for such applications is rather scarce or at best scattered and incomplete. Here, we aim to deliver a comprehensive evaluation of the morpho-structural, compositional, mechanical, electrochemical and biological properties of reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtered AlN nanostructured thin films with various degrees of c-axis texturing, deposited at a low temperature (~50 °C) on Si (100) substrates. The inter-conditionality elicited between the base pressure level attained in the reactor chamber and crystalline quality of AlN films is highlighted. The potential suitability of nanostructured AlN (in form of thin films) for the realization of various type of sensors (with emphasis on bio-sensors) is thoroughly probed, thus unveiling its advantages and limitations, as well as suggesting paths to safely exploit the remarkable prospects of this type of materials. PMID:29149061

A technique to produce aluminum color bands for avian research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koronkiewicz, T.J.; Paxton, E.H.; Sogge, M.K.

2005-01-01

We developed a technique to produce metal (aluminum) color bands, in response to concerns about leg injuries caused by celluloid-plastic color bands applied to Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii). The technique involves color-anodized aluminum bands (unnumbered blanks and federal numbered bands), with auto pin-striping tape and flexible epoxy sealant, to create a variety of solid, half- and triple-split colors. This allows for hundreds of unique, high-contrast color combinations. During six consecutive years of application, these colored metal bands have resisted color fade compared to conventional celluloid-plastic bands, and have reduced leg injuries in the flycatcher. Although not necessarily warranted for all color-banding studies, these metal bands may provide a lower-impact option for studies of species known to be impacted by plastic color bands.

Low-Cost and Rapid Fabrication of Metallic Nanostructures for Sensitive Biosensors Using Hot-Embossing and Dielectric-Heating Nanoimprint Methods.

PubMed

Lee, Kuang-Li; Wu, Tsung-Yeh; Hsu, Hsuan-Yeh; Yang, Sen-Yeu; Wei, Pei-Kuen

2017-07-02

We propose two approaches-hot-embossing and dielectric-heating nanoimprinting methods-for low-cost and rapid fabrication of periodic nanostructures. Each nanofabrication process for the imprinted plastic nanostructures is completed within several seconds without the use of release agents and epoxy. Low-cost, large-area, and highly sensitive aluminum nanostructures on A4 size plastic films are fabricated by evaporating aluminum film on hot-embossing nanostructures. The narrowest bandwidth of the Fano resonance is only 2.7 nm in the visible light region. The periodic aluminum nanostructure achieves a figure of merit of 150, and an intensity sensitivity of 29,345%/RIU (refractive index unit). The rapid fabrication is also achieved by using radio-frequency (RF) sensitive plastic films and a commercial RF welding machine. The dielectric-heating, using RF power, takes advantage of the rapid heating/cooling process and lower electric power consumption. The fabricated capped aluminum nanoslit array has a 5 nm Fano linewidth and 490.46 nm/RIU wavelength sensitivity. The biosensing capabilities of the metallic nanostructures are further verified by measuring antigen-antibody interactions using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and anti-BSA. These rapid and high-throughput fabrication methods can benefit low-cost, highly sensitive biosensors and other sensing applications.

Low-Cost and Rapid Fabrication of Metallic Nanostructures for Sensitive Biosensors Using Hot-Embossing and Dielectric-Heating Nanoimprint Methods

PubMed Central

Lee, Kuang-Li; Wu, Tsung-Yeh; Hsu, Hsuan-Yeh; Yang, Sen-Yeu; Wei, Pei-Kuen

2017-01-01

We propose two approaches—hot-embossing and dielectric-heating nanoimprinting methods—for low-cost and rapid fabrication of periodic nanostructures. Each nanofabrication process for the imprinted plastic nanostructures is completed within several seconds without the use of release agents and epoxy. Low-cost, large-area, and highly sensitive aluminum nanostructures on A4 size plastic films are fabricated by evaporating aluminum film on hot-embossing nanostructures. The narrowest bandwidth of the Fano resonance is only 2.7 nm in the visible light region. The periodic aluminum nanostructure achieves a figure of merit of 150, and an intensity sensitivity of 29,345%/RIU (refractive index unit). The rapid fabrication is also achieved by using radio-frequency (RF) sensitive plastic films and a commercial RF welding machine. The dielectric-heating, using RF power, takes advantage of the rapid heating/cooling process and lower electric power consumption. The fabricated capped aluminum nanoslit array has a 5 nm Fano linewidth and 490.46 nm/RIU wavelength sensitivity. The biosensing capabilities of the metallic nanostructures are further verified by measuring antigen–antibody interactions using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and anti-BSA. These rapid and high-throughput fabrication methods can benefit low-cost, highly sensitive biosensors and other sensing applications. PMID:28671600

Observation of extraordinary transmission in deep UV region from aluminum film coated two dimensional photonic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatesh, A.; Piragash Kumar, R. M.; Moorthy, V. H. S.

2018-05-01

We report the first observation of extraordinary transmission of deep-UV light (λ = 289nm) through 20nm aluminum film coated two-dimensional photonic crystals. The two-dimensional photonic crystals are made of self-assembled hexagonally arranged monolayer of 200 nm polystyrene spheres fabricated using drop casting method. The high quality photonic crystal exhibits a well-defined photonic band gap of 4.59 eV (λ = 270nm) and the aluminum coated two-dimensional photonic crystal displays extraordinary transmission in the deep-UV region at λ = 289 nm. The fabricated aluminum nanostructure produces a sensitivity of 42nm/RIU and 57nm/RIU when the refractive index of the surrounding medium is changed from 1 (= air) to 1.36 (= ethanol) and 1.49 (=toluene), respectively. Therefore, the aluminum film coated two-dimensional photonic crystals could be utilized to fabricate cost-effective and ultrasensitive chemical sensors.

Nanoscale microstructure effects on hydrogen behavior in rapidly solidified aluminum alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tashlykova-Bushkevich, Iya I.

2015-12-31

The present work summarizes recent progress in the investigation of nanoscale microstructure effects on hydrogen behavior in rapidly solidified aluminum alloys foils produced at exceptionally high cooling rates. We focus here on the potential of modification of hydrogen desorption kinetics in respect to weak and strong trapping sites that could serve as hydrogen sinks in Al materials. It is shown that it is important to elucidate the surface microstructure of the Al alloy foils at the submicrometer scale because rapidly solidified microstructural features affect hydrogen trapping at nanostructured defects. We discuss the profound influence of solute atoms on hydrogen−lattice defectmore » interactions in the alloys. with emphasis on role of vacancies in hydrogen evolution; both rapidly solidified pure Al and conventionally processed aluminum samples are considered.« less

Passivated aluminum nanohole arrays for label-free biosensing applications.

PubMed

Canalejas-Tejero, Víctor; Herranz, Sonia; Bellingham, Alyssa; Moreno-Bondi, María Cruz; Barrios, Carlos Angulo

2014-01-22

We report the fabrication and performance of a surface plasmon resonance aluminum nanohole array refractometric biosensor. An aluminum surface passivation treatment based on oxygen plasma is developed in order to circumvent the undesired effects of oxidation and corrosion usually found in aluminum-based biosensors. Immersion tests in deionized water and device simulations are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the passivation process. A label-free bioassay based on biotin analysis through biotin-functionalized dextran-lipase conjugates immobilized on the biosensor-passivated surface in aqueous media is performed as a proof of concept to demonstrate the suitability of these nanostructured aluminum films for biosensing.

Influence of Alumina Addition to Aluminum Fins for Compact Heat Exchangers Produced by Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farjam, Aslan; Cormier, Yannick; Dupuis, Philippe; Jodoin, Bertrand; Corbeil, Antoine

2015-10-01

In this work, aluminum and aluminum-alumina powder mixtures were used to produce pyramidal fin arrays on aluminum substrates using cold spray as an additive manufacturing process. Using aluminum-alumina mixtures instead of pure aluminum powder could be seen as a cost-effective measure, preventing nozzle clogging or the need to use expensive polymer nozzles that wear out rapidly during cold spray. The fin geometries that were produced were observed using a 3D digital microscope to determine the flow passages width and fins' geometric details. Heat transfer and pressure drop tests were carried out using different ranges of appropriate Reynolds numbers for the sought commercial application to compare each fin array and determine the effect of alumina content. It was found that the presence of alumina reduces the fins' performance when compared to pure aluminum fins but that they were still outperforming traditional fins. Numerical simulations were performed to model the fin arrays and were used to predict the pressure loss in the fin array and compare these results with experimental values. The numerical model opens up new avenues in predicting different applicable operating conditions and other possible fin shapes using the same fin composition, instead of performing costly and time-consuming experiments.

Sb-Te alloy nanostructures produced on a graphite surface by a simple annealing process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuwahara, Masashi; Uratsuji, Hideaki; Abe, Maho; Sone, Hayato; Hosaka, Sumio; Sakai, Joe; Uehara, Yoichi; Endo, Rie; Tsuruoka, Tohru

2015-08-01

We have produced Sb-Te alloy nanostructures from a thin Sb2Te3 layer deposited on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrate using a simple rf-magnetron sputtering and annealing technique. The size, shape, and chemical composition of the structures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), respectively. The shape of the nanostructures was found to depend on the annealing temperature; nanoparticles appear on the substrate by annealing at 200 °C, while nanoneedles are formed at higher temperatures. Chemical composition analysis has revealed that all the structures were in the composition of Sb:Te = 1:3, Te rich compared to the target composition Sb2Te3, probably due to the higher movability of Te atoms on the substrate compared with Sb. We also tried to observe the production process of nanostructures in situ using SEM. Unfortunately, this was not possible because of evaporation in vacuum, suggesting that the formation of nanostructures is highly sensitive to the ambient pressure.

Porous aluminum room temperature anodizing process in a fluorinated-oxalic acid solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhahri, S.; Fazio, E.; Barreca, F.; Neri, F.; Ezzaouia, H.

2016-08-01

Anodizing of aluminum is used for producing porous insulating films suitable for different applications in electronics and microelectronics. Porous-type aluminum films are most simply realized by galvanostatic anodizing in aqueous acidic solutions. The improvement in application of anodizing technique is associated with a substantial reduction of the anodizing voltage at appropriate current densities as well as to the possibility to carry out the synthesis process at room temperature in order to obtain a self-planarizing dielectric material incorporated in array of super-narrow metal lines. In this work, the anodizing of aluminum to obtain porous oxide was carried out, at room temperature, on three different substrates (glass, stainless steel and aluminum), using an oxalic acid-based electrolyte with the addition of a relatively low amount of 0.4 % of HF. Different surface morphologies, from nearly spherical to larger porous nanostructures with smooth edges, were observed by means of scanning electron microscopy. These evidences are explained by considering the formation, transport and adsorption of the fluorine species which react with the Al3+ ions. The behavior is also influenced by the nature of the original substrate.

High-strength laser welding of aluminum-lithium scandium-doped alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malikov, A. G.; Ivanova, M. Yu.

2016-11-01

The work presents the experimental investigation of laser welding of an aluminum alloy (system Al-Mg-Li) and aluminum alloy (system Al-Cu-Li) doped with Sc. The influence of nano-structuring of the surface layer welded joint by cold plastic deformation on the strength properties of the welded joint is determined. It is founded that, regarding the deformation degree over the thickness, the varying value of the welded joint strength is different for these aluminum alloys. The strength of the plastically deformed welded joint, aluminum alloys of the Al-Mg-Li and Al-Cu-Li systems reached 0.95 and 0.6 of the base alloy strength, respectively.

Development of topologically structured membranes of aluminum oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bankova, A.; Videkov, V.; Tzaneva, B.

2014-05-01

In recent years, nanomembranes have become one of the most widely used construction material for ultrasensitive and ultrathin applications in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and other sensor structures due to their remarkable mechanical properties. Among these, the mechanical stability is of particular importance. We present an approach to the analysis of the stability of nanostructured anodic aluminum oxide free membranes subjected to mechanical bending. The membranes tested were with a thickness of 500 nm to 15 urn in various topological shapes; we describe the technological schemes of their preparation. Bends were applied to membranes prepared by using a selective process of etching and anodizing. The results of the preparation of the membranes are discussed, together with the influence of the angle of deflection, and the number of bendings. The results obtained can be used in designing MEMS structures and sensors which use nanostructured anodic aluminum oxide.

Nanostructures based on alumina hydroxides inhibit tumor growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fomenko, A. N.; Korovin, M. S.

2017-09-01

Nanoparticles and nanostructured materials are one of the most promising developments for cancer therapy. Gold nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles based on iron and its oxides and other metal oxides have been widely used in diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Much less research attention has been payed to nanoparticles and nanostructures based on aluminum oxides and hydroxides as materials for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However recent investigations have shown promising results regarding these objects. Here, we review the antitumor results obtained with AlOOH nanoparticles.

Properties of welded joints in laser welding of aeronautic aluminum-lithium alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malikov, A. G.; Orishich, A. M.

2017-01-01

The work presents the experimental investigation of the laser welding of the aluminum-lithium alloys (system Al-Mg-Li) and aluminum alloy (system Al-Cu-Li) doped with Sc. The influence of the nano-structuring of the surface layer welded joint by the cold plastic deformation method on the strength properties of the welded joint is determined. It is founded that, regarding the deformation degree over the thickness, the varying value of the welded joint strength is different for these aluminum alloys.

Anemone-like nanostructures for non-lithographic, reproducible, large-area, and ultra-sensitive SERS substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daglar, Bihter; Demirel, Gokcen Birlik; Khudiyev, Tural; Dogan, Tamer; Tobail, Osama; Altuntas, Sevde; Buyukserin, Fatih; Bayindir, Mehmet

2014-10-01

The melt-infiltration technique enables the fabrication of complex nanostructures for a wide range of applications in optics, electronics, biomaterials, and catalysis. Here, anemone-like nanostructures are produced for the first time under the surface/interface principles of melt-infiltration as a non-lithographic method. Functionalized anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes are used as templates to provide large-area production of nanostructures, and polycarbonate (PC) films are used as active phase materials. In order to understand formation dynamics of anemone-like structures finite element method (FEM) simulations are performed and it is found that wetting behaviour of the polymer is responsible for the formation of cavities at the caps of the structures. These nanostructures are examined in the surface-enhanced-Raman-spectroscopy (SERS) experiment and they exhibit great potential in this field. Reproducible SERS signals are detected with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 7.2-12.6% for about 10 000 individual spots. SERS measurements are demonstrated at low concentrations of Rhodamine 6G (R6G), even at the picomolar level, with an enhancement factor of ~1011. This high enhancement factor is ascribed to the significant electric field enhancement at the cavities of nanostructures and nanogaps between them, which is supported by finite difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations. These novel nanostructured films can be further optimized to be used in chemical and plasmonic sensors and as a single molecule SERS detection platform.The melt-infiltration technique enables the fabrication of complex nanostructures for a wide range of applications in optics, electronics, biomaterials, and catalysis. Here, anemone-like nanostructures are produced for the first time under the surface/interface principles of melt-infiltration as a non-lithographic method. Functionalized anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes are used as templates to provide large-area production of

Preparation and Photocatalytic Activity of Potassium-Incorporated Titanium Oxide Nanostructures Produced by the Wet Corrosion Process Using Various Titanium Alloys

PubMed Central

Lee, So Yoon; Lee, Choong Hyun; Kim, Do Yun; Locquet, Jean-Pierre; Seo, Jin Won

2015-01-01

Nanostructured potassium-incorporated Ti-based oxides have attracted much attention because the incorporated potassium can influence their structural and physico-chemical properties. With the aim of tuning the structural and physical properties, we have demonstrated the wet corrosion process (WCP) as a simple method for nanostructure fabrication using various Ti-based materials, namely Ti–6Al–4V alloy (TAV), Ti–Ni (TN) alloy and pure Ti, which have 90%, 50% and 100% initial Ti content, respectively. We have systematically investigated the relationship between the Ti content in the initial metal and the precise condition of WCP to control the structural and physical properties of the resulting nanostructures. The WCP treatment involved various concentrations of KOH solutions. The precise conditions for producing K-incorporated nanostructured titanium oxide films (nTOFs) were strongly dependent on the Ti content of the initial metal. Ti and TAV yielded one-dimensional nanowires of K-incorporated nTOFs after treatment with 10 mol/L-KOH solution, whereas TN required a higher concentration (20 mol/L-KOH solution) to produce comparable nanostructures. The obtained nanostructures revealed a blue-shift in UV absorption spectra due to the quantum confinement effects. A significant enhancement of the photocatalytic activity was observed via the chromomeric change and the intermediate formation of methylene blue molecules under UV irradiation. This study demonstrates the WCP as a simple, versatile and scalable method for the production of nanostructured K-incorporated nTOFs to be used as high-performance photocatalysts for environmental and energy applications. PMID:28347071

Transition from poor ductility to room-temperature superplasticity in a nanostructured aluminum alloy.

PubMed

Edalati, Kaveh; Horita, Zenji; Valiev, Ruslan Z

2018-04-30

Recent developments of nanostructured materials with grain sizes in the nanometer to submicrometer range have provided ground for numerous functional properties and new applications. However, in terms of mechanical properties, bulk nanostructured materials typically show poor ductility despite their high strength, which limits their use for structural applications. The present article shows that the poor ductility of nanostructured alloys can be changed to room-temperature superplastisity by a transition in the deformation mechanism from dislocation activity to grain-boundary sliding. We report the first observation of room-temperature superplasticity (over 400% tensile elongations) in a nanostructured Al alloy by enhanced grain-boundary sliding. The room-temperature grain-boundary sliding and superplasticity was realized by engineering the Zn segregation along the Al/Al boundaries through severe plastic deformation. This work introduces a new boundary-based strategy to improve the mechanical properties of nanostructured materials for structural applications, where high deformability is a requirement.

Superhydrophobic surface prepared by micro-milling and WEDM on aluminum alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanling, Wan; Jian, Yang; Huadong, Yu

2018-06-01

To simulate the hydrophobic microstructure of rice leaf surface, high-speed precision micro-milling machine was used to fabricate micro groove array structure on the surface of aluminum alloy. The micro-and nanostructure was constructed on the surface of the grooved convex platform by Wire Cut Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM). The surface morphology and hydrophobic properties of the aluminum alloy microstructures fabricated by two processing methods were observed respectively, and the hydrophobic mechanism was analyzed. The results show that the contact angle was effectively improved from 49° up to 158.4° in the vertical direction, and 146.7° in the parallel direction. The change of surface wettability from hydrophilic to hydrophobic was realized. By comparison, the micro-and nanostructure fabricated by WEDM had improved the hydrophobic stability of the aluminum alloy surface while enlarging the contact Angle, and the micro-milling groove structure further amplified the contact angle and greatly reduced the contact area of the water droplet, it was also observed that the drop took longer to completely spread on the sample after WEDM.

Laser-driven proton acceleration with nanostructured targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallières, Simon; Morabito, Antonia; Veltri, Simona; Scisciò, Massimiliano; Barberio, Marianna; Antici, Patrizio

2017-05-01

Laser-driven particle acceleration has become a growing field of research, in particular for its numerous interesting applications. One of the most common proton acceleration mechanism that is obtained on typically available multi-hundred TW laser systems is based on the irradiation of thin solid metal foils by the intense laser, generating the proton acceleration on its rear target surface. The efficiency of this acceleration scheme strongly depends on the type of target used. Improving the acceleration mechanism, i.e. enhancing parameters such as maximum proton energy, laminarity, efficiency, monocromaticy, and number of accelerated particles, is heavily depending on the laser-to-target absorption, where obviously cheap and easy to implement targets are best candidates. In this work, we present nanostructured targets that are able to increase the absorption of light compared to what can be achieved with a classical solid (non-nanostructured) target and are produced with a method that is much simpler and cheaper than conventional lithographic processes. Several layers of gold nanoparticles were deposited on solid targets (aluminum, Mylar and multiwalled carbon nanotube buckypaper) and allow for an increased photon absorption. This ultimately permits to increase the laser-to-particle energy transfer, and thus to enhance the yield in proton production. Experimental characterization results on the nanostructured films are presented (UV-Vis spectroscopy and AFM), along with preliminary experimental proton spectra obtained at the JLF-TITAN laser facility at LLNL.

High quality optically polished aluminum mirror and process for producing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyons, III, James J. (Inventor); Zaniewski, John J. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

A new technical advancement in the field of precision aluminum optics permits high quality optical polishing of aluminum monolith, which, in the field of optics, offers numerous benefits because of its machinability, lightweight, and low cost. This invention combines diamond turning and conventional polishing along with india ink, a newly adopted material, for the polishing to accomplish a significant improvement in surface precision of aluminum monolith for optical purposes. This invention guarantees the precise optical polishing of typical bare aluminum monolith to surface roughness of less than about 30 angstroms rms and preferably about 5 angstroms rms while maintaining a surface figure accuracy in terms of surface figure error of not more than one-fifteenth of wave peak-to-valley.

High quality optically polished aluminum mirror and process for producing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyons, III, James J. (Inventor); Zaniewski, John J. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

A new technical advancement in the field of precision aluminum optics permits high quality optical polishing of aluminum monolith, which, in the field of optics, offers numerous benefits because of its machinability, lightweight, and low cost. This invention combines diamond turning and conventional polishing along with india ink, a newly adopted material, for the polishing to accomplish a significant improvement in surface precision of aluminum monolith for optical purposes. This invention guarantees the precise optical polishing of typical bare aluminum monolith to surface roughness of less than about 30 angstroms rms and preferably about 5 angstroms rms while maintaining a surface figure accuracy in terms of surface figure error of not more than one-fifteenth of wave peak-to-valley.

Oil-Impregnated Oxide Nanostructures for Aluminum Corrosion Prevention

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-18

and self- healing capability. Figure 1 illustrates the key idea proposed in this research , i.e., employing oil instead of air for the interfacial...the preparation of polyaniline nanostructures and their applications in anticorrosive coatings. RSC Advances 2014, 4 (54), 28195-28208. 23. Solomon ...2), 263-269. 38. Maroo, S. C.; Chung, J., Negative pressure characteristics of an evaporating meniscus at nanoscale. Nanoscale Research Letters

Electrically conductive anodized aluminum coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alwitt, Robert S. (Inventor); Liu, Yanming (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A process for producing anodized aluminum with enhanced electrical conductivity, comprising anodic oxidation of aluminum alloy substrate, electrolytic deposition of a small amount of metal into the pores of the anodized aluminum, and electrolytic anodic deposition of an electrically conductive oxide, including manganese dioxide, into the pores containing the metal deposit; and the product produced by the process.

Synthesis, characterization, and applications of electroactive polymeric nanostructures for organic coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryawanshi, Abhijit Jagnnath

Electroactive polymers (EAP) such as polypyrrole (PPy) and polyaniline (PANI) are being explored intensively in the scientific community. Nanostructures of EAPs have low dimensions and high surface area enabling them to be considered for various useful applications. These applications are in several fields including corrosion inhibition, capacitors, artificial muscles, solar cells, polymer light emitting diodes, and energy storage devices. Nanostructures of EAPs have been synthesized in different morphologies such as nanowires, nanorods, nanotubes, nanospheres, and nanocapsules. This variety in morphology is traditionally achieved using soft templates, such as surfactant micelles, or hard templates, such as anodized aluminum oxide (AAO). Templates provide stability and groundwork from which the polymer can grow, but the templates add undesirable expense to the process and can change the properties of the nanoparticles by integrating its own properties. In this study a template free method is introduced to synthesize EAP nanostructures of PPy and PANI utilizing ozone oxidation. The simple techniques involve ozone exposure to the monomer solution to produce aqueous dispersions of EAP nanostructures. The synthesized nanostructures exhibit uniform morphology, low particle size distribution, and stability against agglomeration. Ozone oxidation is further explored for the synthesis of silver-PPy (Ag-PPy) core-shell nanospheres (CSNs). Coatings containing PPy nanospheres were formulated to study the corrosion inhibition efficiency of PPy nanospheres. Investigation of the coatings using electrochemical techniques revealed that the PPy nanospheres may provide corrosion inhibition against filiform corrosion by oxygen scavenging mechanism. Finally, organic corrosion inhibitors were incorporated in PPy to develop efficient corrosion inhibiting systems, by using the synergistic effects from PPy and organic corrosion inhibitors.

Densely packed aluminum-silver nanohelices as an ultra-thin perfect light absorber

PubMed Central

Jen, Yi-Jun; Huang, Yu-Jie; Liu, Wei-Chih; Lin, Yueh Weng

2017-01-01

Metals have been formed into nanostructures to absorb light with high efficiency through surface plasmon resonances. An ultra-thin plasmonic structure that exhibits strong absorption over wide ranges of wavelengths and angles of incidence is sought. In this work, a nearly perfect plasmonic nanostructure is fabricated using glancing angle deposition. The difference between the morphologies of obliquely deposited aluminum and silver nanohelices is exploited to form a novel three-dimensional structure, which is an aluminum-silver nanohelix array on a pattern-free substrate. With a thickness of only 470 nm, densely distributed nanohelices support rod-to-rod localized surface plasmons for broadband and polarization-independent light extinction. The extinctance remains high over wavelengths from 400 nm to 2000 nm and angles of incidence from 0° to 70°. PMID:28045135

One step process for producing dense aluminum nitride and composites thereof

DOEpatents

Holt, J. Birch; Kingman, Donald D.; Bianchini, Gregory M.

1989-01-01

A one step combustion process for the synthesis of dense aluminum nitride compositions is disclosed. The process comprises igniting pure aluminum powder in a nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of about 1000 atmospheres or higher. The process enables the production of aluminum nitride bodies to be formed directly in a mold of any desired shape.

Properties of plasmonic arrays produced by pulsed-laser nanostructuring of thin Au films

PubMed Central

Siuzdak, Katarzyna; Atanasov, Peter A; Bittencourt, Carla; Dikovska, Anna; Nedyalkov, Nikolay N; Śliwiński, Gerard

2014-01-01

Summary A brief description of research advances in the area of short-pulse-laser nanostructuring of thin Au films is followed by examples of experimental data and a discussion of our results on the characterization of structural and optical properties of gold nanostructures. These consist of partially spherical or spheroidal nanoparticles (NPs) which have a size distribution (80 ± 42 nm) and self-organization characterized by a short-distance order (length scale ≈140 nm). For the NP shapes produced, an observably broader tuning range (of about 150 nm) of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band is obtained by renewal thin film deposition and laser annealing of the NP array. Despite the broadened SPR bands, which indicate damping confirmed by short dephasing times not exceeding 4 fs, the self-organized Au NP structures reveal quite a strong enhancement of the optical signal. This was consistent with the near-field modeling and micro-Raman measurements as well as a test of the electrochemical sensing capability. PMID:25551038

One step process for producing dense aluminum nitride and composites thereof

DOEpatents

Holt, J.B.; Kingman, D.D.; Bianchini, G.M.

1989-10-31

A one step combustion process for the synthesis of dense aluminum nitride compositions is disclosed. The process comprises igniting pure aluminum powder in a nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of about 1,000 atmospheres or higher. The process enables the production of aluminum nitride bodies to be formed directly in a mold of any desired shape.

Low reflection and field localization over surface plasmon device with subwavelength patterned aluminum film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Ying; Peng, Sha; Long, Huabao; Liu, Runhan; Wei, Dong; Zhang, Xinyu; Wang, Haiwei; Xie, Changsheng

2018-02-01

In this paper, we propose a new device composed of patterned sub-wavelength arrays to investigate surface plasmons (SPs) over sub-wavelength metal nano-structures. The device consists of silicon substrate and sub-wavelength patterns fabricated on a layer of aluminum film with nanometer thickness. Each sub-wavelength pattern formed in aluminum film is composed of a basic nano-square and twelve triangles for shaping single nano-pattern, which are uniformly distributed on the four sides of each square. Reflectance spectra and electric field distribution in infrared region are simulated. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the device can efficiently lower its reflectance in infrared spectrum, and the response frequency can be controlled by only changing the device parameters such as square side length and then triangle vertex angle. Besides, the simulated electric field distribution of the device shows obviously field localization effect at the edges of aluminum film nano-structure. The electric filed around the tips of aluminum triangles is localized into sub-wavelength scale, so as to be beyond the common diffraction limitation. Our work will help to reveal the interesting properties of SPs device, and also bring new prospect of photonic device.

Influence of femtosecond laser produced nanostructures on biofilm growth on steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Epperlein, Nadja; Menzel, Friederike; Schwibbert, Karin; Koter, Robert; Bonse, Jörn; Sameith, Janin; Krüger, Jörg; Toepel, Jörg

2017-10-01

Biofilm formation poses high risks in multiple industrial and medical settings. However, the robust nature of biofilms makes them also attractive for industrial applications where cell biocatalysts are increasingly in use. Since tailoring material properties that affect bacterial growth or its inhibition is gaining attention, here we focus on the effects of femtosecond laser produced nanostructures on bacterial adhesion. Large area periodic surface structures were generated on steel surfaces using 30-fs laser pulses at 790 nm wavelength. Two types of steel exhibiting a different corrosion resistance were used, i.e., a plain structural steel (corrodible) and a stainless steel (resistant to corrosion). Homogeneous fields of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were realized utilizing laser fluences close to the ablation threshold while scanning the sample under the focused laser beam in a multi-pulse regime. The nanostructures were characterized with optical and scanning electron microscopy. For each type of steel, more than ten identical samples were laser-processed. Subsequently, the samples were subjected to microbial adhesion tests. Bacteria of different shape and adhesion behavior (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) were exposed to laser structures and to polished reference surfaces. Our results indicate that E. coli preferentially avoids adhesion to the LIPSS-covered areas, whereas S. aureus favors these areas for colonization.

Metal/Carbon Hybrid Nanostructures Produced from Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition over Nafion-Supported Electrochemically Deposited Cobalt Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Achour, Amine; Saeed, Khalid; Djouadi, Mohamed Abdou

2018-01-01

In this work, we report development of hybrid nanostructures of metal nanoparticles (NP) and carbon nanostructures with strong potential for catalysis, sensing, and energy applications. First, the etched silicon wafer substrates were passivated for subsequent electrochemical (EC) processing through grafting of nitro phenyl groups using para-nitrobenzene diazonium (PNBT). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) and atomic force microscope (AFM) studies confirmed presence of few layers. Cobalt-based nanoparticles were produced over dip or spin coated Nafion films under different EC reduction conditions, namely CoSO4 salt concentration (0.1 M, 1 mM), reduction time (5, 20 s), and indirect or direct EC reduction route. Extensive AFM examination revealed NP formation with different attributes (size, distribution) depending on electrochemistry conditions. While relatively large NP with >100 nm size and bimodal distribution were obtained after 20 s EC reduction in H3BO3 following Co2+ ion uptake, ultrafine NP (<10 nm) could be produced from EC reduction in CoSO4 and H3BO3 mixed solution with some tendency to form oxides. Different carbon nanostructures including few-walled or multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon nanosheets were grown in a C2H2/NH3 plasma using the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique. The devised processing routes enable size controlled synthesis of cobalt nanoparticles and metal/carbon hybrid nanostructures with unique microstructural features. PMID:29702583

Spectral response characteristics of the transmission-mode aluminum gallium nitride photocathode with varying aluminum composition.

PubMed

Hao, Guanghui; Liu, Junle; Ke, Senlin

2017-12-10

In order to research spectral response characteristics of transmission-mode nanostructure aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) photocathodes, the AlGaN photocathodes materials with varied aluminum (Al) composition were grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and its optical properties were measured. The Al compositions of each AlGaN film of the photocathodes were analyzed from their adsorption properties curves; their thickness was also calculated by the matrix formula of thin-film optics. The nanostructure AlGaN photocathodes were activated with the Caesium-Oxygen (Cs-O) alternation, and after the photocathode was packaged in vacuum, their spectrum responses were measured. The experimental results showed that the trend of spectrum response curves first increased and then decreased along with the increasing of the incident light wavelength. The peak spectrum response value was 17.5 mA/W at 255 nm, and its quantum efficiency was 8.5%. The lattice defects near the interface of the AlGaN heterostructure could impede the electron motion crossing this region and moving toward the photocathode surface; this was a factor that reduces the electron emission performance of the photocathodes. Also, the experimental result showed that the thickness of each AlGaN layer affected the electron diffusion characteristics; this was a key factor that influenced the spectrum response performance.

Production of anhydrous aluminum chloride composition

DOEpatents

Vandergrift, G.F. III; Krumpelt, M.; Horwitz, E.P.

1981-10-08

A process is described for producing an anhydrous aluminum chloride composition from a water-based aluminous material such as a slurry of aluminum hydroxide in a multistage extraction process in which the aluminum ion is first extracted into an organic liquid containing an acidic extractant and then extracted from the organic phase into an alkali metal chloride or chlorides to form a melt containing a mixture of chlorides of alkali metal and aluminum. In the process, the organic liquid may be recycled. In addition, the process advantageously includes an electrolysis cell for producing metallic aluminum and the alkali metal chloride or chlorides may be recycled for extraction of the aluminum from the organic phase.

Purifying Aluminum by Vacuum Distillation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Du Fresne, E. R.

1985-01-01

Proposed method for purifying aluminum employs one-step vacuum distillation. Raw material for process impure aluminum produced in electrolysis of aluminum ore. Impure metal melted in vacuum. Since aluminum has much higher vapor pressure than other constituents, boils off and condenses on nearby cold surfaces in proportions much greater than those of other constituents.

Production of aluminum metal by electrolysis of aluminum sulfide

DOEpatents

Minh, N.Q.; Loutfy, R.O.; Yao, N.P.

1982-04-01

Metallic aluminum may be produced by the electrolysis of Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/ at 700 to 800/sup 0/C in a chloride melt composed of one or more alkali metal chlorides, and one or more alkaline earth metal chlorides and/or aluminum chloride to provide improved operating characteristics of the process.

Patterned FePt nanostructures using ultrathin self-organized templates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Chen Hua; Zhang, Min; Wang, Fang; Xu, Xiao Hong

2018-02-01

Patterned magnetic thin films are both scientifically interesting and technologically useful. Ultrathin self-organized anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template can be used to fabricate large area nanodot and antidot arrays. The magnetic properties of these nanostructures may be tuned by the morphology of the AAO template, which in turn can be controlled by synthetic parameters. In this work, ultrathin AAO templates were used as etching masks for the fabrication of both FePt nanodot and antidot arrays with high areal density. The perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of L10 FePt thin films are preserved in the nanostructures.

Orbital fabrication of aluminum foam and apparatus therefore

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, Dennis S. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A process for producing foamed aluminum in space comprising the steps of: heating aluminum until it is molten; applying the force of gravity to the molten aluminum; injecting gas into the molten aluminum to produce molten foamed aluminum; and allowing the molten foamed aluminum to cool to below melting temperature. The apparatus for carrying out this invention comprises: a furnace which rotates to simulate the force of gravity and heats the aluminum until it is molten; a door on the furnace, which is opened for charging the aluminum into the furnace, closed for processing and opened again for removal of the foamed aluminum; a gas injection apparatus for injecting gas into the molten aluminum within the furnace; and an extraction apparatus adjacent the door for removing the foamed aluminum from the furnace.

Rapid growth and photoluminescence properties of doped ZnS one-dimensional nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuo, R. F.; Feng, H. T.; Yan, D.; Chen, J. T.; Feng, J. J.; Liu, J. Z.; Yan, P. X.

2008-06-01

In this paper we report the synthesis of doped ZnS one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures by well-established technique of chemical vapor deposition using Zn and S powder as precursors. The ZnS 1D nanostructures were grown on the surface of Au particle-filled anodic aluminum oxide templates, catalyst-free graphite sheets and silicon substrates. ZnS 1D nanostructures with Mn, Cu and Fe as dopants were prepared via a rapid process of 15-20 min. The morphologies of ZnS nanostructures synthesized on different substrates and at different growth temperatures have distinct dissimilarities. The size of ZnS nanowires originated from the Au catalysts could be varied by altering the size of membrane nanopores as well as the embedded Au particles. Room-temperature photoluminescence measurements reveal strong blue, green and yellow-orange light emissions from the doped ZnS 1D nanostructures.

Nanostructured composite reinforced material

DOEpatents

Seals, Roland D [Oak Ridge, TN; Ripley, Edward B [Knoxville, TN; Ludtka, Gerard M [Oak Ridge, TN

2012-07-31

A family of materials wherein nanostructures and/or nanotubes are incorporated into a multi-component material arrangement, such as a metallic or ceramic alloy or composite/aggregate, producing a new material or metallic/ceramic alloy. The new material has significantly increased strength, up to several thousands of times normal and perhaps substantially more, as well as significantly decreased weight. The new materials may be manufactured into a component where the nanostructure or nanostructure reinforcement is incorporated into the bulk and/or matrix material, or as a coating where the nanostructure or nanostructure reinforcement is incorporated into the coating or surface of a "normal" substrate material. The nanostructures are incorporated into the material structure either randomly or aligned, within grains, or along or across grain boundaries.

Powder containing 2H-type silicon carbide produced by reacting silicon dioxide and carbon powder in nitrogen atmosphere in the presence of aluminum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuramoto, N.; Takiguchi, H.

1984-01-01

The production of powder which contains silicon carbide consisting of 40% of 2H-type silicon carbide, beta type silicon carbide and less than 3% of nitrogen is discussed. The reaction temperature to produce the powder containing 40% of 2H-type silicon carbide is set at above 1550 degrees C in an atmosphere of aluminum or aluminum compounds and nitrogen gas or an antioxidation atmosphere containing nitrogen gas. The mixture ratio of silicon dioxide and carbon powder is 0.55 - 1:2.0 and the contents of aluminum or aluminum compounds within silicon dioxide is less than 3% in weight.

Aluminum structural applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lucas, G.

Extensive research by aluminum producers and automakers in the 1980s resulted in the development of technologies that enable building of aluminum cars that meet and exceed all the expectations of today`s drivers and passengers, yet weigh several hundred pounds less than their steel counterparts. The Acura NSX sports car, the Audi A8, and the Jaguar XJ220 have all been introduced. Ford has built 40 aluminum-intensive automobiles based on the Taurus/Sable for test purposes, and General Motors recently announced an aluminum-structured electric vehicle. The design flexibility that aluminum allows is shown by these examples. Each uses a somewhat different technology thatmore » is particularly suited to the vehicle and its market.« less

Preparation and analysis of anodic aluminum oxide films with continuously tunable interpore distances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Xiufang; Zhang, Jinqiong; Meng, Xiaojuan; Deng, Chenhua; Zhang, Lifang; Ding, Guqiao; Zeng, Hao; Xu, Xiaohong

2015-02-01

Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxides are often used as templates for preparation of nanostructures such as nanodot, nanowire and nanotube arrays. The interpore distance of anodic aluminum oxide is the most important parameter in controlling the periodicity of these nanostructures. Herein we demonstrate a simple and yet powerful method to fabricate ordered anodic aluminum oxides with continuously tunable interpore distances. By using mixed solution of citric and oxalic acids with different molar ratio, the range of anodizing voltages within which self-ordered films can be formed were extended to between 40 and 300 V, resulting in the interpore distances change from 100 to 750 nm. Our work realized very broad range of interpore distances in a continuously tunable fashion and the experiment processes are easily controllable and reproducible. The dependence of the interpore distances on acid ratios in mixed solutions was discussed through analysis of anodizing current and it was found that the effective dissociation constant of the mixed acids is of great importance. The interpore distances achieved are comparable to wavelengths ranging from UV to near IR, and may have potential applications in optical meta-materials for photovoltaics and optical sensing.

Technology for High Pure Aluminum Oxide Production from Aluminum Scrap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambaryan, G. N.; Vlaskin, M. S.; Shkolnikov, E. I.; Zhuk, A. Z.

2017-10-01

In this study a simple ecologically benign technology of high purity alumina production is presented. The synthesis process consists of three steps) oxidation of aluminum in water at temperature of 90 °C) calcinations of Al hydroxide in atmosphere at 1100 °C) high temperature vacuum processing of aluminum alpha oxide at 1750 °C. Oxidation of aluminum scrap was carried out under intensive mixing in water with small addition of KOH as a catalyst. It was shown that under implemented experimental conditions alkali was continuously regenerated during oxidation reaction and synergistic effect of low content alkali aqueous solution and intensive mixing worked. The product of oxidation of aluminum scrap is the powder of Al(OH)3. Then it can be preliminary granulated or directly subjected to thermal treatment deleting the impurities from the product (aluminum oxide). It was shown the possibility to produce the high-purity aluminum oxide of 5N grade (99.999 %). Aluminum oxide, synthesized by means of the proposed method, meets the requirements of industrial manufacturers of synthetic sapphire (aluminum oxide monocrystals). Obtained high pure aluminum oxide can be also used for the manufacture of implants, artificial joints, microscalpels, high-purity ceramics and other refractory shapes for manufacture of ultra-pure products.

Aluminum-stabilized NB3SN superconductor

DOEpatents

Scanlan, Ronald M.

1988-01-01

An aluminum-stabilized Nb.sub.3 Sn superconductor and process for producing same, utilizing ultrapure aluminum. Ductile components are co-drawn with aluminum to produce a conductor suitable for winding magnets. After winding, the conductor is heated to convert it to the brittle Nb.sub.3 Sn superconductor phase, using a temperature high enough to perform the transformation but still below the melting point of the aluminum. This results in reaction of substantially all of the niobium, while providing stabilization and react-in-place features which are beneficial in the fabrication of magnets utilizing superconducting materials.

Ionic pH and glucose sensors fabricated using hydrothermal ZnO nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jyh-Liang; Yang, Po-Yu; Hsieh, Tsang-Yen; Juan, Pi-Chun

2016-01-01

Hydrothermally synthesized aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) nanostructures have been adopted in extended-gate field-effect transistor (EGFET) sensors to demonstrate the sensitive and stable pH and glucose sensing characteristics of AZO-nanostructured EGFET sensors. The AZO-nanostructured EGFET sensors exhibited the following superior pH sensing characteristics: a high current sensitivity of 0.96 µA1/2/pH, a high linearity of 0.9999, less distortion of output waveforms, a small hysteresis width of 4.83 mV, good long-term repeatability, and a wide sensing range from pHs 1 to 13. The glucose sensing characteristics of AZO-nanostructured biosensors exhibited the desired sensitivity of 60.5 µA·cm-2·mM-1 and a linearity of 0.9996 up to 13.9 mM. The attractive characteristics of high sensitivity, high linearity, and repeatability of using ionic AZO-nanostructured EGFET sensors indicate their potential use as electrochemical and disposable biosensors.

Analysis of periodically patterned metallic nanostructures for infrared absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Sha; Yuan, Ying; Long, Huabao; Liu, Runhan; Wei, Dong; Zhang, Xinyu; Wang, Haiwei; Xie, Changsheng

2018-02-01

With rapid advancement of infrared detecting technology in both military and civil domains, the photo-electronic performances of near-infrared detectors have been widely concerned. Currently, near-infrared detectors demonstrate some problems such as low sensitivity, low detectivity, and relatively small array scale. The current studies show that surface plasmons (SPs) stimulated over the surface of metallic nanostructures by incident light can be used to break the diffraction limit and thus concentrate light into sub-wavelength scale, so as to indicate a method to develop a new type of infrared absorber or detector with very large array. In this paper, we present the design and characterization of periodically patterned metallic nanostructures that combine nanometer thickness aluminum film with silicon wafer. Numerical computations show that there are some valleys caused by surface plasmons in the reflection spectrum in the infrared region, and both red shift and blue shift of the reflection spectrum were observed through changing the nanostructural parameters such as angle α and diameters D. Moreover, the strong E-field intensity is located at the sharp corner of the nano-structures.

Conductive aluminum line formation on aluminum nitride surface by infrared nanosecond laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozioł, Paweł E.; Antończak, Arkadiusz J.; Szymczyk, Patrycja; Stępak, Bogusz; Abramski, Krzysztof M.

2013-12-01

In this paper the fabrication of conductive aluminum paths on AlN ceramic's surface due to the interaction of laser radiation Nd:YAG (1.064 μm) is presented. The metallization process produces an appropriate power value on the ceramics surface to ensure the correct temperature (2200 °C) for which aluminum and nitrogen bonds are broken. Studies have been undertaken on creating low-ohmic structures depending on the parameters such as radiation power, scanning speed, the coverage of subsequent pulses and the environmental impact of the process (air, nitrogen, argon). Furthermore, with regards to the application of this method, it was significant to determine the thickness of the functional layer. A structure of the resistivity of ρ = 0.64 × 10-6 Ω m and aluminum layer thickness of 10 μm was achieved for the process carried out on the inert gas, argon. In addition, a quantitative analysis of nitrogen and aluminum for laser-treated structures was conducted. The performed tests confirmed that the highest amount of aluminum was produced on the surface treated by laser radiation in the environment of the process gas, argon.

Growth and optical properties of silver nanostructures obtained on connected anodic aluminum oxide templates.

PubMed

Giallongo, G; Durante, C; Pilot, R; Garoli, D; Bozio, R; Romanato, F; Gennaro, A; Rizzi, G A; Granozzi, G

2012-08-17

Ag nanostructures are grown by AC electrodeposition on anodic alumina oxide (AAO) connected membranes acting as templates. Depending on the thickness of the template and on the voltage applied during the growth process, different Ag nanostructures with different optical properties are obtained. When AAO membranes about 1 μm thick are used, the Ag nanostructures consist in Ag nanorods, at the bottom of the pores, and Ag nanotubes departing from the nanorods and filling the pores almost for the whole length. When AAO membranes about 3 μm thick are used, the nanostructures are Ag spheroids, at the bottom of the pores, and Ag nanowires that do not reach the upper part of the alumina pores. The samples are characterized by angle resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis and Raman spectroscopies. A simple NaOH etching procedure, followed by sonication in ethanol, allows one to obtain an exposed ordered array of Ag nanorods, suitable for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, while in the other case (3 μm thick AAO membranes) the sample can be used in localized surface plasmon resonance sensing.

Growth and optical properties of silver nanostructures obtained on connected anodic aluminum oxide templates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giallongo, G.; Durante, C.; Pilot, R.; Garoli, D.; Bozio, R.; Romanato, F.; Gennaro, A.; Rizzi, G. A.; Granozzi, G.

2012-08-01

Ag nanostructures are grown by AC electrodeposition on anodic alumina oxide (AAO) connected membranes acting as templates. Depending on the thickness of the template and on the voltage applied during the growth process, different Ag nanostructures with different optical properties are obtained. When AAO membranes about 1 μm thick are used, the Ag nanostructures consist in Ag nanorods, at the bottom of the pores, and Ag nanotubes departing from the nanorods and filling the pores almost for the whole length. When AAO membranes about 3 μm thick are used, the nanostructures are Ag spheroids, at the bottom of the pores, and Ag nanowires that do not reach the upper part of the alumina pores. The samples are characterized by angle resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis and Raman spectroscopies. A simple NaOH etching procedure, followed by sonication in ethanol, allows one to obtain an exposed ordered array of Ag nanorods, suitable for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, while in the other case (3 μm thick AAO membranes) the sample can be used in localized surface plasmon resonance sensing.

Metal Fluorides, Metal Chlorides and Halogenated Metal Oxides as Lewis Acidic Heterogeneous Catalysts. Providing Some Context for Nanostructured Metal Fluorides.

PubMed

Lennon, David; Winfield, John M

2017-01-28

Aspects of the chemistry of selected metal fluorides, which are pertinent to their real or potential use as Lewis acidic, heterogeneous catalysts, are reviewed. Particular attention is paid to β-aluminum trifluoride, aluminum chlorofluoride and aluminas γ and η, whose surfaces become partially fluorinated or chlorinated, through pre-treatment with halogenating reagents or during a catalytic reaction. In these cases, direct comparisons with nanostructured metal fluorides are possible. In the second part of the review, attention is directed to iron(III) and copper(II) metal chlorides, whose Lewis acidity and potential redox function have had important catalytic implications in large-scale chlorohydrocarbons chemistry. Recent work, which highlights the complexity of reactions that can occur in the presence of supported copper(II) chloride as an oxychlorination catalyst, is featured. Although direct comparisons with nanostructured fluorides are not currently possible, the work could be relevant to possible future catalytic developments in nanostructured materials.

Degradation of Al/SiCp composites produced with rice-hull ash and aluminum cans.

PubMed

Escalera-Lozano, R; Gutiérrez, C A; Pech-Canul, M A; Pech-Canul, M I

2008-01-01

The use of recycling aluminum from beverage containers and rice-hull ash (RHA) offers to be an attractive alternative for the economic production of Al/SiCp composites. However, corrosion phenomena in the composites represent technological barriers yet to be resolved before they can be exploited to their full potential. A simple methodology involving characterization by XRD, SEM, EDX, FTIR and ICP was designed in order to investigate the causes of the rapid degradation in a humid environment of Al/SiCp composites produced with RHA and aluminum cans. Results reveal that the use of RHA was beneficial to avoid degradation through the formation and subsequent hydration of the Al4C3 phase. However with condensed moisture acting as an electrolyte, localized corrosion took place with aggressive damage manifested by the disintegration of the composite into a powdery mixture. The relevant corrosion mechanism was mainly attributed to microgalvanic coupling between the Mg2Si intermetallic compound and the matrix (although other phases such as SiC, Si, MgAl2O4 could also work as microcathodes).

Aluminum-stabilized Nb/sub 3/Sn superconductor

DOEpatents

Scanlan, R.M.

1984-02-10

This patent discloses an aluminum-stabilized Nb/sub 3/Sn superconductor and process for producing same, utilizing ultrapure aluminum. Ductile components are co-drawn with aluminum to produce a conductor suitable for winding magnets. After winding, the conductor is heated to convert it to the brittle Nb/sub 3/Sn superconductor phase, using a temperature high enough to perform the transformation but still below the melting point of the aluminum. This results in reaction of substantially all of the niobium, while providing stabilization and react-in-place features which are beneficial in the fabrication of magnets utilizing superconducting materials.

Aluminum-stabilized Nb[sub 3]Sn superconductor

DOEpatents

Scanlan, R.M.

1988-05-10

Disclosed are an aluminum-stabilized Nb[sub 3]Sn superconductor and process for producing same, utilizing ultrapure aluminum. Ductile components are co-drawn with aluminum to produce a conductor suitable for winding magnets. After winding, the conductor is heated to convert it to the brittle Nb[sub 3]Sn superconductor phase, using a temperature high enough to perform the transformation but still below the melting point of the aluminum. This results in reaction of substantially all of the niobium, while providing stabilization and react-in-place features which are beneficial in the fabrication of magnets utilizing superconducting materials. 4 figs.

Scientific Background for Processing of Aluminum Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kononchuk, Olga; Alekseev, Alexey; Zubkova, Olga; Udovitsky, Vladimir

2017-11-01

Changing the source of raw materials for producing aluminum and the emergence of a huge number of secondary alumina waste (foundry slag, sludge, spent catalysts, mineral parts of coal and others that are formed in various industrial enterprises) require the creation of scientific and theoretical foundations for their processing. In this paper, the aluminum alloys (GOST 4784-97) are used as an aluminum raw material component, containing the aluminum component produced as chips in the machine-building enterprises. The aluminum waste is a whole range of metallic aluminum alloys including elements: magnesium, copper, silica, zinc and iron. Analysis of the aluminum waste A1- Zn-Cu-Si-Fe shows that depending on the content of the metal the dissolution process of an aluminum alloy should be treated as the result of the chemical interaction of the metal with an alkaline solution. It is necessary to consider the behavior of the main components of alloys in an alkaline solution as applied to the system Na2O - Al2O3 - SiO2 - CO2 - H2O.

Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites Produced by High-Energy Ball Milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Travessa, Dilermando N.; da Rocha, Geovana V. B.; Cardoso, Kátia R.; Lieblich, Marcela

2017-05-01

Although multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are promising materials to strengthen lightweight aluminum matrix composites, their dispersion into the metallic matrix is challenge. In the present work, MWCNT were dispersed into age-hardenable AA6061 aluminum alloy by high-energy ball milling and the blend was subsequently hot-extruded. The composite bars obtained were heat-treated by solution heat treatment at 520 °C and artificially aged at 177 °C for 8 h, in order to reach the T6 temper. Special attention was given to the integrity of the MWCNT along the entire composite production. The microstructure of the obtained bars was evaluated by optical and scanning electron microscopy, and the mechanical properties were evaluated by Vickers microhardness tests. Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were employed to evaluate the structural integrity of MWCNT. It was found that milling time is critical to reach a proper dispersion of the reinforcing phase. The composite hardness increased up to 67% with the dispersion of 2% in weight of MWCNT, when comparing with un-reinforced bars produced by similar route. However, age hardening was not observed in composite bars after heat treatment. It was also found that MWCNT continuously degraded along the process, being partially converted into Al4C3 in the final composite.

Use of low-cost aluminum in electric energy production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuk, Andrey Z.; Sheindlin, Alexander E.; Kleymenov, Boris V.; Shkolnikov, Eugene I.; Lopatin, Marat Yu.

Suppression of the parasitic corrosion while maintaining the electrochemical activity of the anode metal is one of the serious problems that affects the energy efficiency of aluminum-air batteries. The need to use high-purity aluminum or special aluminum-based alloys results in a significant increase in the cost of the anode, and thus an increase in the total cost of energy generated by the aluminum-air battery, which narrows the range of possible applications for this type of power source. This study considers the process of parasitic corrosion as a method for hydrogen production. Hydrogen produced in an aluminum-air battery by this way may be further employed in a hydrogen-air fuel cell (Hy-air FC) or in a heat engine, or it may be burnt to generate heat. Therefore, anode materials may be provided by commercially pure aluminum, commercially produced aluminum alloys, and secondary aluminum. These materials are much cheaper and more readily available than special anode alloys of aluminum and high-purity aluminum. The aim of present study is to obtain experimental data for comparison of energy and cost parameters of some commercially produced aluminum alloys, of high-purity aluminum, and of a special Al-ln anode alloy in the context of using these materials as anodes for an Al-air battery and for combined production of electrical power and hydrogen.

Comparison of Maraging Steel Micro- and Nanostructure Produced Conventionally and by Laser Additive Manufacturing.

PubMed

Jägle, Eric A; Sheng, Zhendong; Kürnsteiner, Philipp; Ocylok, Sörn; Weisheit, Andreas; Raabe, Dierk

2016-12-24

Maraging steels are used to produce tools by Additive Manufacturing (AM) methods such as Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM). Although it is well established that dense parts can be produced by AM, the influence of the AM process on the microstructure-in particular the content of retained and reversed austenite as well as the nanostructure, especially the precipitate density and chemistry, are not yet explored. Here, we study these features using microhardness measurements, Optical Microscopy, Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Atom Probe Tomography (APT) in the as-produced state and during ageing heat treatment. We find that due to microsegregation, retained austenite exists in the as-LMD- and as-SLM-produced states but not in the conventionally-produced material. The hardness in the as-LMD-produced state is higher than in the conventionally and SLM-produced materials, however, not in the uppermost layers. By APT, it is confirmed that this is due to early stages of precipitation induced by the cyclic re-heating upon further deposition-i.e., the intrinsic heat treatment associated with LMD. In the peak-aged state, which is reached after a similar time in all materials, the hardness of SLM- and LMD-produced material is slightly lower than in conventionally-produced material due to the presence of retained austenite and reversed austenite formed during ageing.

Comparison of Maraging Steel Micro- and Nanostructure Produced Conventionally and by Laser Additive Manufacturing

PubMed Central

Jägle, Eric A.; Sheng, Zhendong; Kürnsteiner, Philipp; Ocylok, Sörn; Weisheit, Andreas; Raabe, Dierk

2016-01-01

Maraging steels are used to produce tools by Additive Manufacturing (AM) methods such as Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM). Although it is well established that dense parts can be produced by AM, the influence of the AM process on the microstructure—in particular the content of retained and reversed austenite as well as the nanostructure, especially the precipitate density and chemistry, are not yet explored. Here, we study these features using microhardness measurements, Optical Microscopy, Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Atom Probe Tomography (APT) in the as-produced state and during ageing heat treatment. We find that due to microsegregation, retained austenite exists in the as-LMD- and as-SLM-produced states but not in the conventionally-produced material. The hardness in the as-LMD-produced state is higher than in the conventionally and SLM-produced materials, however, not in the uppermost layers. By APT, it is confirmed that this is due to early stages of precipitation induced by the cyclic re-heating upon further deposition—i.e., the intrinsic heat treatment associated with LMD. In the peak-aged state, which is reached after a similar time in all materials, the hardness of SLM- and LMD-produced material is slightly lower than in conventionally-produced material due to the presence of retained austenite and reversed austenite formed during ageing. PMID:28772369

High-Performance Aluminum-Ion Battery with CuS@C Microsphere Composite Cathode.

PubMed

Wang, Shuai; Jiao, Shuqiang; Wang, Junxiang; Chen, Hao-Sen; Tian, Donghua; Lei, Haiping; Fang, Dai-Ning

2017-01-24

On the basis of low-cost, rich resources, and safety performance, aluminum-ion batteries have been regarded as a promising candidate for next-generation energy storage batteries in large-scale energy applications. A rechargeable aluminum-ion battery has been fabricated based on a 3D hierarchical copper sulfide (CuS) microsphere composed of nanoflakes as cathode material and room-temperature ionic liquid containing AlCl 3 and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([EMIm]Cl) as electrolyte. The aluminum-ion battery with a microsphere electrode exhibits a high average discharge voltage of ∼1.0 V vs Al/AlCl 4 - , reversible specific capacity of about 90 mA h g -1 at 20 mA g -1 , and good cyclability of nearly 100% Coulombic efficiency after 100 cycles. Such remarkable electrochemical performance is attributed to the well-defined nanostructure of the cathode material facilitating the electron and ion transfer, especially for chloroaluminate ions with large size, which is desirable for aluminum-ion battery applications.

Tailoring metal/metal oxide nanostructures for ultra-sensitive detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrill, Andrew Reese

This thesis presents three diverse approaches to harnessing the material properties of nanostructures to produce ultra-sensitive detection platforms. In this work we have utilized nanostructure synthesis as the launching point for the creation of nanodevices with applications in chemical and biological sensing, catalysis and metrology. Silver nanowires were electrodeposited into a porous aluminum oxide (PAO) template. When these templates are chemically etched the nanowires become exposed and eventually collapse into bundles that harbor interstices that function as "hot-spots" for Raman field enhancement. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy experiments were carried out on these substrates in two ways using benzenethiol as the Raman probe. In both experiments the SERS spectra show significant (˜25 and ˜50 fold respectively) increase in intensity over the initial value (when the tips were barely exposed). Nanostructured titania (NST) thin films were produced by oxidizing titanium with hydrogen peroxide. These films are particularly well suited for integration into microfabricated sensing devices. The formation of NST relies on a re-deposition process in which an adequate amount of Ti-peroxo species must be generated and remain at the solid-solution interface. To reliably produce arrays of micro-patterned NST films on the wafer scale a patterning guide was developed and tested. Wafer scale arrays of NST micro gas-sensors have been fabricated using standard thin film techniques. Sensing elements are 20 mum on a side. High sensitivity to hydrogen is achieved by modification of the sensors with platinum nanoparticles. When exposed to 10 mT of hydrogen at 250°C, the functionalized devices exhibit more than one order of magnitude decrease in resistance with a response time of ˜7 seconds. Both NST and tin (IV) oxide nanowires were coated in aminosilane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) which have many applications in binding biomolecules. There has been a plethora of

Multi-scale characterization of nanostructured sodium aluminum hydride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

NaraseGowda, Shathabish

Complex metal hydrides are the most promising candidate materials for onboard hydrogen storage. The practicality of this class of materials is counter-poised on three critical attributes: reversible hydrogen storage capacity, high hydrogen uptake/release kinetics, and favorable hydrogen uptake/release thermodynamics. While a majority of modern metallic hydrides that are being considered are those that meet the criteria of high theoretical storage capacity, the challenges lie in addressing poor kinetics, thermodynamics, and reversibility. One emerging strategy to resolve these issues is via nanostructuring or nano-confinement of complex hydrides. By down-sizing and scaffolding them to retain their nano-dimensions, these materials are expected to improve in performance and reversibility. This area of research has garnered immense interest lately and there is active research being pursued to address various aspects of nanostructured complex hydrides. The research effort documented here is focused on a detailed investigation of the effects of nano-confinement on aspects such as the long range atomic hydrogen diffusivities, localized hydrogen dynamics, microstructure, and dehydrogenation mechanism of sodium alanate. A wide variety of microporous and mesoporous materials (metal organic frameworks, porous silica and alumina) were investigated as scaffolds and the synthesis routes to achieve maximum pore-loading are discussed. Wet solution infiltration technique was adopted using tetrahydrofuran as the medium and the precursor concentrations were found to have a major role in achieving maximum pore loading. These concentrations were optimized for each scaffold with varying pore sizes and confinement was quantitatively characterized by measuring the loss in specific surface area. This work is also aimed at utilizing neutron and synchrotron x-ray characterization techniques to study and correlate multi-scale material properties and phenomena. Some of the most advanced

Two-Step Cycle for Producing Multiple Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) Films with Increasing Long-Range Order

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes are being used for an increasing number of applications. However, the original two-step anodization method in which the first anodization is sacrificial to pre-pattern the second is still widely used to produce them. This method provides relatively low throughput and material utilization as half of the films are discarded. An alternative scheme that relies on alternating anodization and cathodic delamination is demonstrated that allows for the fabrication of several AAO films with only one sacrificial layer thus greatly improving total aluminum to alumina yield. The thickness for which the cathodic delamination performs best to yield full, unbroken AAO sheets is around 85 μm. Additionally, an image analysis method is used to quantify the degree of long-range ordering of the unit cells in the AAO films which was found to increase with each successive iteration of the fabrication cycle. PMID:28630684

Two-Step Cycle for Producing Multiple Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) Films with Increasing Long-Range Order.

PubMed

Choudhary, Eric; Szalai, Veronika

2016-01-01

Nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes are being used for an increasing number of applications. However, the original two-step anodization method in which the first anodization is sacrificial to pre-pattern the second is still widely used to produce them. This method provides relatively low throughput and material utilization as half of the films are discarded. An alternative scheme that relies on alternating anodization and cathodic delamination is demonstrated that allows for the fabrication of several AAO films with only one sacrificial layer thus greatly improving total aluminum to alumina yield. The thickness for which the cathodic delamination performs best to yield full, unbroken AAO sheets is around 85 μm. Additionally, an image analysis method is used to quantify the degree of long-range ordering of the unit cells in the AAO films which was found to increase with each successive iteration of the fabrication cycle.

Doping-Based Stabilization of the M2 Phase in Free-Standing VO2 Nanostructures at Room Temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strelcov, Evgheni; Tselev, Alexander; Ivanov, Ilia N

2012-01-01

A new high-yield method of doping VO2 nanostructures with aluminum is proposed, which renders possible stabilization of the monoclinic M2 phase in free-standing nanoplatelets in ambient conditions and opens an opportunity for realization of a purely electronic Mott Transition Field-Effect Transistor without an accompanying structural transition. The synthesized free-standing M2-phase nanostructures are shown to have very high crystallinity and an extremely sharp temperature-driven metal-insulator transition. A combination of x-ray microdiffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy, Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and four-probe electrical measurements allowed thorough characterization of the doped nanostructures. Light is shed onto some aspects of the nanostructure growth, and the temperature-doping levelmore » phase diagram is established.« less

Mineral of the month: aluminum

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plunkert, Patricia A.

2005-01-01

Aluminum is the second most abundant metallic element in Earth’s crust after silicon. Even so, it is a comparatively new industrial metal that has been produced in commercial quantities for little more than 100 years. Aluminum is lightweight, ductile, malleable and corrosion resistant, and is a good conductor of heat and electricity. Weighing about one-third as much as steel or copper per unit of volume, aluminum is used more than any other metal except iron. Aluminum can be fabricated into desired forms and shapes by every major metalworking technique to add to its versatility.

Broadband angle-independent antireflection coatings on nanostructured light trapping solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez-Guardado, Abraham; Boroumand, Javaneh; Franklin, Daniel; Chanda, Debashis

2018-03-01

Backscattering from nanostructured surfaces greatly diminishes the efficacy of light trapping solar cells. While the analytical design of broadband, angle-independent antireflection coatings on nanostructured surfaces proved inefficient, numerical optimization proves a viable alternative. Here, we numerically design and experimentally verify the performance of single and bilayer antireflection coatings on a 2D hexagonal diffractive light trapping pattern on crystalline silicon substrates. Three well-known antireflection coatings, aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxide, which also double as high-quality surface passivation materials, are studied in the 400-1000 nm band. By varying thickness and conformity, the optimal parameters that minimize the broadband total reflectance (specular and scattering) from the nanostructured surface are obtained. The design results in a single-layer antireflection coating with normal-angle wavelength-integrated reflectance below 4% and a bilayer antireflection coating demonstrating reflection down to 1.5%. We show experimentally an angle-averaged reflectance of ˜5.2 % up to 60° incident angle from the optimized bilayer antireflection-coated nanostructured surface, paving the path toward practical implementation of the light trapping solar cells.

49 CFR 229.51 - Aluminum main reservoirs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Aluminum main reservoirs. 229.51 Section 229.51... as follows: (1) The heads and shell shall be made of Aluminum Association Alloy No. 5083-0, produced.... (4) Each aluminum main reservoir shall have at least two inspection openings to permit complete...

The feasibility of producing aluminum-lithium structures for cryogenic tankage applications by laser beam welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martukanitz, R. P.; Lysher, K. G.

1993-01-01

Aluminum-lithium alloys exhibit high strength, high elastic modulus, and low density as well as excellent cryogenic mechanical properties making them ideal material candidates for cryogenic tanks. NASA has proposed the use of 'built-up' structure for panels fabricated into cryogenic tanks replacing current conventional machining. Superplastically formed stiffeners would be joined to sheet (tank skin) that had been roll formed to the radius of the tank in order to produce panels. Aluminum-lithium alloys of interest for producing the built-up structure include alloy 2095-T6 stiffeners to 2095-T8 sheet and alloy 8090-T6 stiffeners to 2090-T83 sheet. Laser welding, with comparable joint properties, offers the following advantages over conventional welding: higher production rates, minimal degradation within the heat affected zones, and full process automation. This study established process parameters for laser beam welding, mechanical property determinations, metallographic characterization, and fabrication of prototype panels. Tensile tests representing partial penetration of the skin alloys provided joint efficiencies between 65 and 77 percent, depending upon alloy and degree of penetration. Results of tension shear tests of lap welds indicated that the combination of 2095-T6 to 2090-T8 exhibited significantly higher weld shear strength at the interface in comparison to welds of 8090-T6 to 2090-T83. The increased shear strength associated with 2095 is believed to be due to the alloy's ability to precipitation strengthening (naturally age) after welding.

Self-limiting and complete oxidation of silicon nanostructures produced by laser ablation in water

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vaccaro, L.; Messina, F.; Camarda, P.

2016-07-14

Oxidized Silicon nanomaterials produced by 1064 nm pulsed laser ablation in deionized water are investigated. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy allows to characterize the structural and chemical properties at a sub-nanometric scale. This analysis clarifies that laser ablation induces both self-limiting and complete oxidation processes which produce polycrystalline Si surrounded by a layer of SiO{sub 2} and amorphous fully oxidized SiO{sub 2}, respectively. These nanostructures exhibit a composite luminescence spectrum which is investigated by time-resolved spectroscopy with a tunable laser excitation. The origin of the observed luminescence bands agrees with the two structural typologies: Si nanocrystalsmore » emit a μs-decaying red band; defects of SiO{sub 2} give rise to a ns-decaying UV band and two overlapping blue bands with lifetime in the ns and ms timescale.« less

Carbide coated fibers in graphite-aluminum composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Imprescia, R. J.; Levinson, L. S.; Reiswig, R. D.; Wallace, T. C.; Williams, J. M.

1975-01-01

Thin, uniform coats of titanium carbide, deposited on graphite fibers by chemical vapor deposition with thicknesses up to approximately 0.1 microns were shown to improve fiber strength significantly. For greater thicknesses, strength was degraded. The coats promote wetting of the fibers and infiltration of the fiber yarns with aluminum alloys, and act as protective barriers to inhibit reaction between the fibers and the alloys. Chemical vapor deposition was used to produce silicon carbide coats on graphite fibers. In general, the coats were nonuniform and were characterized by numerous surface irregularities. Despite these irregularities, infiltration of these fibers with aluminum alloys was good. Small graphite-aluminum composite samples were produced by vacuum hot-pressing of aluminum-infiltrated graphite yarn at temperatures above the metal liquidus.

Influence of the microstructure on the physicomechanical properties of the aluminum alloy Al-Mg-Si nanostructured under severe plastic deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavlyutov, A. M.; Kasatkin, I. A.; Murashkin, M. Yu.; Valiev, R. Z.; Orlova, T. S.

2015-10-01

The microstructural features, strength, and electrical conductivity of the electrotechnical aluminum alloy 6201 of the Al-Mg-Si system was investigated. The alloy was nanostructured using severe plastic deformation by high pressure torsion at different temperatures and in different deformation regimes. As a result, the samples had an ultrafine-grain structure with nanoinclusions of secondary phases, which provided an excellent combination of high strength (conventional yield strength σ0.2 = 325-410 MPa) and electrical conductivity (55-52% IACS). The contributions from different mechanisms to the strengthening were analyzed. It was experimentally found that the introduction of an additional dislocation density (an increase from 2 × 1013 to 5 × 1013 m-2) with the same basic parameters of the ultrafine-grain structure (grain size, size and distribution of particles of secondary strengthening phases) leads to an increase in the strength of the alloy by ~15%, while the electrical conductivity of the material changes insignificantly. The contribution from grain boundaries to the electrical resistivity of the alloy with an ultrafine-grain structure upon the change in their state, most likely, due to a change in the degree of nonequilibrium was estimated.

Corrosion Protection of Aluminum

DOEpatents

Dalrymple, R. S.; Nelson, W. B.

1963-07-01

Treatment of aluminum-base metal surfaces in an autoclave with an aqueous chromic acid solution of 0.5 to 3% by weight and of pH below 2 for 20 to 50 hrs at 160 to 180 deg C produces an extremely corrosion-resistant aluminum oxidechromium film on the surface. A chromic acid concentration of 1 to 2% and a pH of about 1 are preferred.

Nanostructured gold microelectrodes for extracellular recording from electrogenic cells.

PubMed

Brüggemann, D; Wolfrum, B; Maybeck, V; Mourzina, Y; Jansen, M; Offenhäusser, A

2011-07-01

We present a new biocompatible nanostructured microelectrode array for extracellular signal recording from electrogenic cells. Microfabrication techniques were combined with a template-assisted approach using nanoporous aluminum oxide to develop gold nanopillar electrodes. The nanopillars were approximately 300-400 nm high and had a diameter of 60 nm. Thus, they yielded a higher surface area of the electrodes resulting in a decreased impedance compared to planar electrodes. The interaction between the large-scale gold nanopillar arrays and cardiac muscle cells (HL-1) was investigated via focused ion beam milling. In the resulting cross-sections we observed a tight coupling between the HL-1 cells and the gold nanostructures. However, the cell membranes did not bend into the cleft between adjacent nanopillars due to the high pillar density. We performed extracellular potential recordings from HL-1 cells with the nanostructured microelectrode arrays. The maximal amplitudes recorded with the nanopillar electrodes were up to 100% higher than those recorded with planar gold electrodes. Increasing the aspect ratio of the gold nanopillars and changing the geometrical layout can further enhance the signal quality in the future.

Aluminum powder metallurgy processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flumerfelt, Joel Fredrick

In recent years, the aluminum powder industry has expanded into non-aerospace applications. However, the alumina and aluminum hydroxide in the surface oxide film on aluminum powder require high cost powder processing routes. A driving force for this research is to broaden the knowledge base about aluminum powder metallurgy to provide ideas for fabricating low cost aluminum powder components. The objective of this dissertation is to explore the hypothesis that there is a strong linkage between gas atomization processing conditions, as-atomized aluminum powder characteristics, and the consolidation methodology required to make components from aluminum powder. The hypothesis was tested with pure aluminum powders produced by commercial air atomization commercial inert gas atomization and gas atomization reaction synthesis (GARS). The commercial atomization methods are bench marks of current aluminum powder technology. The GARS process is a laboratory scale inert gas atomization facility. A benefit of using pure aluminum powders is an unambiguous interpretation of the results without considering the effects of alloy elements. A comparison of the GARS aluminum powders with the commercial aluminum powders showed the former to exhibit superior powder characteristics. The powders were compared in terms of size and shape, bulk chemistry, surface oxide chemistry and structure, and oxide film thickness. Minimum explosive concentration measurements assessed the dependence of explosibility hazard on surface area, oxide film thickness, and gas atomization processing conditions. The GARS aluminum powders were exposed to different relative humidity levels, demonstrating the effect of atmospheric conditions on post-atomization oxidation of aluminum powder. An Al-Ti-Y GARS alloy exposed in ambient air at different temperatures revealed the effect of reactive alloy elements on post-atomization powder oxidation. The pure aluminum powders were consolidated by two different routes, a

Self-Ordered Nanoporous Alumina Templates Formed by Anodization of Aluminum in Oxalic Acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vida-Simiti, Ioan; Nemes, Dorel; Jumate, Nicolaie; Thalmaier, Gyorgy; Sechel, Niculina

2012-10-01

Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes with highly ordered nanopores serve as ideal templates for the formation of various nanostructured materials. The procedure of the template preparation is based on a two-step self-organized anodization of aluminum. In the current study, AAO templates were fabricated in 0.3 M oxalic acid under the anodizing potential range of 30-60 V at an electrolyte temperature of ~5°C. The AAO templates were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential thermal analysis. The as obtained layers are amorphous; the mean pore size is between 40 nm and 75 nm and increases with the increase of the anodization potential. Well-defined pores across the whole aluminum template, a pore density of ~1010 pores/cm2, and a tendency to form a porous structure with hexagonal symmetry were observed.

Microwave-Assisted Green Synthesis of Silver Nanostructures

EPA Science Inventory

This account summarizes a microwave (MW)-assisted synthetic approach for producing silver nanostructures. The rapid and in-core MW heating has received considerable attention as a promising new method for the one-pot synthesis of metallic nanostructures in solutions. Conceptually...

CORROSION PROTECTION OF ALUMINUM

DOEpatents

Dalrymple, R.S.; Nelson, W.B.

1963-07-01

Treatment of aluminum-base metal surfaces in an autoclave with an aqueous chromic acid solution of 0.5 to 3% by weight and of pH below 2 for 20 to 50 hrs at 160 to 180 deg C produces an extremely corrosion-resistant aluminum oxidechromium film on the surface. A chromic acid concentration of 1 to 2% and a pH of about 1 are preferred. (D.C.W.)

Metal oxide nanostructures with hierarchical morphology

DOEpatents

Ren, Zhifeng; Lao, Jing Yu; Banerjee, Debasish

2007-11-13

The present invention relates generally to metal oxide materials with varied symmetrical nanostructure morphologies. In particular, the present invention provides metal oxide materials comprising one or more metallic oxides with three-dimensionally ordered nanostructural morphologies, including hierarchical morphologies. The present invention also provides methods for producing such metal oxide materials.

ZnO Nanostructure Templates as a Cost-Efficient Mass-Producible Route for the Development of Cellular Networks

PubMed Central

Makarona, Eleni; Peter, Beatrix; Szekacs, Inna; Tsamis, Christos; Horvath, Robert

2016-01-01

The development of artificial surfaces which can regulate or trigger specific functions of living cells, and which are capable of inducing in vivo-like cell behaviors under in vitro conditions has been a long-sought goal over the past twenty years. In this work, an alternative, facile and cost-efficient method for mass-producible cellular templates is presented. The proposed methodology consists of a cost-efficient, two-step, all-wet technique capable of producing ZnO-based nanostructures on predefined patterns on a variety of substrates. ZnO—apart from the fact that it is a biocompatible material—was chosen because of its multifunctional nature which has rendered it a versatile material employed in a wide range of applications. Si, Si3N4, emulated microelectrode arrays and conventional glass cover slips were patterned at the micrometer scale and the patterns were filled with ZnO nanostructures. Using HeLa cells, we demonstrated that the fabricated nanotopographical features could promote guided cellular adhesion on the pre-defined micron-scale patterns only through nanomechanical cues without the need for further surface activation or modification. The basic steps of the micro/nanofabrication are presented and the results from the cell adhesion experiments are discussed, showing the potential of the suggested methodology for creating low-cost templates for engineered cellular networks. PMID:28773382

Template synthesis of indium nanowires using anodic aluminum oxide membranes.

PubMed

Chen, Feng; Kitai, Adrian H

2008-09-01

Indium nanowires with diameters approximately 300 nm have been synthesized by a hydraulic pressure technique using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. The indium melt is injected into the AAO template and solidified to form nanostructures. The nanowires are dense, continuous and uniformly run through the entire approximately 60 microm thickness of the AAO template. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals that the nanowires are polycrystalline with a preferred orientation. SEM is performed to characterize the morphology of the nanowires.

Treatments To Produce Stabilized Aluminum Mirrors for Cryogenic Uses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zewari, Wahid; Barthelmy, Michael; Ohl, Raymond

2005-01-01

Five metallurgical treatments have been tested as means of stabilizing mirrors that are made of aluminum alloy 6061 and are intended for use in cryogenic applications. Aluminum alloy 6061 is favored as a mirror material by many scientists and engineers. Like other alloys, it shrinks upon cool-down from room temperature to cryogenic temperature. This shrinkage degrades the optical quality of the mirror surfaces. Hence, the metallurgical treatments were tested to determine which one could be most effective in minimizing the adverse optical effects of cooldown to cryogenic temperatures. Each of the five metallurgical treatments comprises a multistep process, the steps of which are interspersed with the steps of the mirror-fabrication process. The five metallurgical-treatment/fabrication.- process combinations were compared with each other and with a benchmark fabrication process, in which a mirror is made from an alloy blank by (1) symmetrical rough machining, (2) finish machining to within 0.006 in. (. 0.15 mm) of final dimensions, and finally (3) diamond turning to a mirror finish.

Fabrication and characterization of ordered arrays of nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larson, Preston

2005-11-01

Nanostructures are currently of great interest because of their unique properties and potential applications in a wide range of areas such as opto-electronic and biomedical devices. Current research in nanotechnology involves fabrication and characterization of these structures, as well as theoretical and experimental studies to explore their unique and novel properties. Not only do nanostructures have the potential to be both evolutionary (state-of-the-art ICs have more and more features on the nanoscale) but revolutionary (quantum computing) as well. In this thesis, a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches is explored to fabricate ordered arrays of nanostrucutures. The bottom-up approach involves the growth of self-organized porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) films. AAO films consist of a well ordered hexagonal array of close-packed pores with diameters and spacings ranging from around 5 to 500 nm. Via a top-down approach, these AAO films are then used as masks or templates to fabricate ordered arrays of nanostructures (i.e. dots, holes, meshes, pillars, rings, etc.) of various materials using conventional deposition and/or etching techniques. Using AAO films as masks allows a simple and economical method to fabricate arrays of structures with nano-scale dimensions. Furthermore, they allow the fabrication of large areas (many millimeters on a side) of highly uniform and well-ordered arrays of nanostructures, a crucial requirement for most characterization techniques and applications. Characterization of these nanostructures using various techniques (electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence, capacitance-voltage measurements, magnetization hysteresis curves, etc.) will be presented. Finally, these structures provide a unique opportunity to determine the single and collective properties of nanostructure arrays and will have various future applications including but not limited to: data storage, light

Method of winning aluminum metal from aluminous ore

DOEpatents

Loutfy, Raouf O.; Keller, Rudolf; Yao, Neng-Ping

1981-01-01

Aluminous ore such as bauxite containing alumina is blended with coke or other suitable form of carbon and reacted with sulfur gas at an elevated temperature. For handling, the ore and coke can be extruded into conveniently sized pellets. The reaction with sulfur gas produces molten aluminum sulfide which is separated from residual solid reactants and impurities. The aluminum sulfide is further increased in temperature to cause its decomposition or sublimation, yielding aluminum subsulfide liquid (AlS) and sulfur gas that is recycled. The aluminum monosulfide is then cooled to below its disproportionation temperature to again form molten aluminum sulfide and aluminum metal. A liquid-liquid or liquid-solid separation, depending on the separation temperature, provides product aluminum and aluminum sulfide for recycle to the disproportionation step.

FABRICATION OF URANIUM-ALUMINUM ALLOYS

DOEpatents

Saller, H.A.

1959-12-15

A process is presented for producing a workable article of a uranium- aluminum alloy in which the uranium content is between 14 and 70% by weight; aluminum powder and powdered UAl/sub 2/, UAl/sub 3/, UAl/sub 5/, or UBe/sub 9/ are mixed, and the mixture is compressed into the shape desired and sintered at between 450 and 600 deg C.

Nanoparticles of wurtzite aluminum nitride from the nut shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qadri, S. B.; Gorzkowski, E. P.; Rath, B. B.; Feng, C. R.; Amarasinghe, R.

2016-11-01

Nanoparticles of aluminum nitride were produced from a thermal treatment of a mixture of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and shells of almond, cashew, coconuts, pistachio, and walnuts in a nitrogen atmosphere at temperatures in excess of 1450 °C. By selecting the appropriate ratios of each nut powder to Al2O3, it is shown that stoichiometric aluminum nitride can be produced by carbo-thermal reduction in nitrogen atmosphere. Using x-ray diffraction analysis, Raman scattering and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, it is demonstrated that aluminum nitride consists of pure wurtzite phase. Transmission electron microscopy showed the formation of nanoparticles and in some cases nanotubes of AlN.

Characterization of molybdenum particles reinforced Al6082 aluminum matrix composites with improved ductility produced using friction stir processing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Selvakumar, S., E-mail: lathaselvam1963@gmail.com

Aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) reinforced with various ceramic particles suffer a loss in ductility. Hard metallic particles can be used as reinforcement to improve ductility. The present investigation focuses on using molybdenum (Mo) as potential reinforcement for Mo(0,6,12 and 18 vol.%)/6082Al AMCs produced using friction stir processing (FSP). Mo particles were successfully retained in the aluminum matrix in its elemental form without any interfacial reaction. A homogenous distribution of Mo particles in the composite was achieved. The distribution was independent upon the region within the stir zone. The grains in the composites were refined considerably due to dynamic recrystallization andmore » pinning effect. The tensile test results showed that Mo particles improved the strength of the composite without compromising on ductility. The fracture surfaces of the composites were characterized with deeply developed dimples confirming appreciable ductility. - Highlights: •Molybdenum particles used as reinforcement for aluminum composites to improve ductility. •Molybdenum particles were retained in elemental form without interfacial reaction. •Homogeneous dispersion of molybdenum particles were observed in the composite. •Molybdenum particles improved tensile strength without major loss in ductility. •Deeply developed dimples on the fracture surfaces confirmed improved ductility.« less

Production of anhydrous aluminum chloride composition and process for electrolysis thereof

DOEpatents

Vandegrift, George F.; Krumpelt, Michael; Horwitz, E. Philip

1983-01-01

A process for producing an anhydrous aluminum chloride composition from a water-based aluminous material such as a slurry of aluminum hydroxide in a multistage extraction process in which the aluminum ion is first extracted into an organic liquid containing an acidic extractant and then extracted from the organic phase into an alkali metal chloride or chlorides to form a melt containing a mixture of chlorides of alkali metal and aluminum. In the process, the organic liquid may be recycled. In addition, the process advantageously includes an electrolysis cell for producing metallic aluminum and the alkali metal chloride or chlorides may be recycled for extraction of the aluminum from the organic phase.

Electrodeposition of magnesium and magnesium/aluminum alloys

DOEpatents

Mayer, Anton

1988-01-01

Electrolytes and plating solutions for use in processes for electroplating and electroforming pure magnesium and alloys of aluminum and magnesium and also electrodeposition processes. An electrolyte of this invention is comprised of an alkali metal fluoride or a quaternary ammonium halide, dimethyl magnesium and/or diethyl magnesium, and triethyl aluminum and/or triisobutyl aluminum. An electrolyte may be dissolved in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent to form a plating solution. The proportions of the component compounds in the electrolyte are varied to produce essentially pure magnesium or magnesium/aluminum alloys having varying selected compositions.

Electrodeposition of magnesium and magnesium/aluminum alloys

DOEpatents

Mayer, A.

1988-01-21

Electrolytes and plating solutions for use in processes for electroplating and electroforming pure magnesium and alloys of aluminum and magnesium and also electrodeposition processes. An electrolyte of this invention is comprised of an alkali metal fluoride or a quaternary ammonium halide, dimethyl magnesium and/or diethyl magnesium, and triethyl aluminum and/or triisobutyl aluminum. An electrolyte may be dissolved in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent to form a plating solution. The proportions of the component compounds in the electrolyte are varied to produce essentially pure magnesium or magnesium/aluminum alloys having varying selected compositions.

Combined flame and electrodeposition synthesis of energetic coaxial tungsten-oxide/aluminum nanowire arrays.

PubMed

Dong, Zhizhong; Al-Sharab, Jafar F; Kear, Bernard H; Tse, Stephen D

2013-09-11

A nanostructured thermite composite comprising an array of tungsten-oxide (WO2.9) nanowires (diameters of 20-50 nm and lengths of >10 μm) coated with single-crystal aluminum (thickness of ~16 nm) has been fabricated. The method involves combined flame synthesis of tungsten-oxide nanowires and ionic-liquid electrodeposition of aluminum. The geometry not only presents an avenue to tailor heat-release characteristics due to anisotropic arrangement of fuel and oxidizer but also eliminates or minimizes the presence of an interfacial Al2O3 passivation layer. Upon ignition, the energetic nanocomposite exhibits strong exothermicity, thereby being useful for fundamental study of aluminothermic reactions as well as enhancing combustion characteristics.

Lightweight Aluminum/Nano composites for Automotive Drive Train Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chelluri, Bhanumathi; Knoth, Edward A.; Schumaker, Edward J.

2012-12-14

During Phase I, we successfully processed air atomized aluminum powders via Dynamic Magnetic Compaction (DMC) pressing and subsequent sintering to produce parts with properties similar to wrought aluminum. We have also showed for the first time that aluminum powders can be processed without lubes via press and sintering to 100 % density. This will preclude a delube cycle in sintering and promote environmentally friendly P/M processing. Processing aluminum powders via press and sintering with minimum shrinkage will enable net shape fabrication. Aluminum powders processed via a conventional powder metallurgy process produce too large a shrinkage. Because of this, sinter partsmore » have to be machined into specific net shape. This results in increased scrap and cost. Fully sintered aluminum alloy under this Phase I project has shown good particle-to-particle bonding and mechanical properties. We have also shown the feasibility of preparing nano composite powders and processing via pressing and sintering. This was accomplished by dispersing nano silicon carbide (SiC) powders into aluminum matrix comprising micron-sized powders (<100 microns) using a proprietary process. These composite powders of Al with nano SiC were processed using DMC press and sinter process to sinter density of 85-90%. The process optimization along with sintering needs to be carried out to produce full density composites.« less

Double core-hole emissivity of transient aluminum plasmas produced in the interaction with ultra-intense x-ray laser pulse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Cheng; Zeng, Jiaolong; Yuan, Jianmin

2015-11-01

Emissivity of single core-hole (SCH) and double core-hole (DCH) states of aluminum plasmas produced in the interaction with ultra-intense x-ray laser pulse interaction are investigated systematically by solving the time-dependent rate equation implemented in the detailed level accounting approximation. We first demonstrated the plasma density effects on level populations and charge state distribution. Compared with recent experiments, it is shown that the plasma density effects play important roles in the evolution dynamics. Then we systematically investigated the emissivity of the transient aluminum plasmas produced by the x-ray laser pulses with a few photon energies above the threshold photon energy to create DCH states. For the laser photon energy where there are resonant absorptions (RA), 1s-np transitions with both full 1s and SCH 1s states play important roles in time evolution of the population and DCH emission spectroscopy. The significant RA effects are illustrated in detail for x-ray pulses, which creates the 1s-2p resonant absorption from the SCH states of Al VII. With the increase of the photon energy, the emissions from lower charge states become larger.

Electrolytic production of high purity aluminum using inert anodes

DOEpatents

Ray, Siba P.; Liu, Xinghua; Weirauch, Jr., Douglas A.

2001-01-01

A method of producing commercial purity aluminum in an electrolytic reduction cell comprising inert anodes is disclosed. The method produces aluminum having acceptable levels of Fe, Cu and Ni impurities. The inert anodes used in the process preferably comprise a cermet material comprising ceramic oxide phase portions and metal phase portions.

Method of winning aluminum metal from aluminous ore

DOEpatents

Loutfy, R.O.; Keller, R.; Yao, N.P.

Aluminous ore such as bauxite containing alumina is blended with coke or other suitable form of carbon and reacted with sulfur gas at an elevated temperature. For handling, the ore and coke can be extruded into conveniently sized pellets. The reaction with sulfur gas produces molten aluminum sulfide which is separated from residual solid reactants and impurities. The aluminum sulfide is further increased in temperature to cause its decomposition or sublimation, yielding aluminum subsulfide liquid (A1S) and sulfur gas that is recycled. The aluminum monosulfide is then cooled to below its disproportionation temperature to again form molten aluminum sulfide and aluminum metal. A liquid-liquid or liquid-solid separation, depending on the separation temperature, provides product aluminum and aluminum sulfide for recycle to the disproportionation step.

The influence of different nanostructured scaffolds on fibroblast growth

PubMed Central

Chung, I-Cheng; Li, Ching-Wen; Wang, Gou-Jen

2013-01-01

Skin serves as a protective barrier, modulating body temperature and waste discharge. It is therefore desirable to be able to repair any damage that occurs to the skin as soon as possible. In this study, we demonstrate a relatively easy and cost-effective method for the fabrication of nanostructured scaffolds, to shorten the time taken for a wound to heal. Various scaffolds consisting of nanohemisphere arrays of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), polylactide and chitosan were fabricated by casting using a nickel (Ni) replica mold. The Ni replica mold is electroformed using the highly ordered nanohemisphere array of the barrier-layer surface of an anodic aluminum oxide membrane as the template. Mouse fibroblast cells (L929s) were cultured on the nanostructured polymer scaffolds to investigate the effect of these different nanohemisphere arrays on cell proliferation. The concentration of collagen type I on each scaffold was then measured through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to find the most effective scaffold for shortening the wound-healing process. The experimental data indicate that the proliferation of L929 is superior when a nanostructured PLGA scaffold with a feature size of 118 nm is utilized. PMID:27877586

Al/sub 2/S/sub 3/ preparation and use in electrolysis process for aluminum production

DOEpatents

Hsu, C.C.; Loutfy, R.O.; Yao, N.P.

A continuous process for producing aluminum sulfide and for electrolyzing the aluminum sulfide to form metallic aluminum in which the aluminum sulfide is produced from aluminum oxide and COS or CS/sub 2/ in the presence of a chloride melt which also serves as the electrolysis bath. Circulation between the reactor and electrolysis cell is carried out to maintain the desired concentration of aluminum sulfide in the bath.

Inverse metal-assisted chemical etching produces smooth high aspect ratio InP nanostructures.

PubMed

Kim, Seung Hyun; Mohseni, Parsian K; Song, Yi; Ishihara, Tatsumi; Li, Xiuling

2015-01-14

Creating high aspect ratio (AR) nanostructures by top-down fabrication without surface damage remains challenging for III-V semiconductors. Here, we demonstrate uniform, array-based InP nanostructures with lateral dimensions as small as sub-20 nm and AR > 35 using inverse metal-assisted chemical etching (I-MacEtch) in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4), a purely solution-based yet anisotropic etching method. The mechanism of I-MacEtch, in contrast to regular MacEtch, is explored through surface characterization. Unique to I-MacEtch, the sidewall etching profile is remarkably smooth, independent of metal pattern edge roughness. The capability of this simple method to create various InP nanostructures, including high AR fins, can potentially enable the aggressive scaling of InP based transistors and optoelectronic devices with better performance and at lower cost than conventional etching methods.

Reactor and method for production of nanostructures

DOEpatents

Sunkara, Mahendra Kumar; Kim, Jeong H.; Kumar, Vivekanand

2017-04-25

A reactor and method for production of nanostructures, including metal oxide nanowires or nanoparticles, are provided. The reactor includes a regulated metal powder delivery system in communication with a dielectric tube; a plasma-forming gas inlet, whereby a plasma-forming gas is delivered substantially longitudinally into the dielectric tube; a sheath gas inlet, whereby a sheath gas is delivered into the dielectric tube; and a microwave energy generator coupled to the dielectric tube, whereby microwave energy is delivered into a plasma-forming gas. The method for producing nanostructures includes providing a reactor to form nanostructures and collecting the formed nanostructures, optionally from a filter located downstream of the dielectric tube.

Study of the phase composition of nanostructures produced by the local anodic oxidation of titanium films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Avilov, V. I.; Ageev, O. A.; Konoplev, B. G.

2016-05-15

The results of experimental studies of the phase composition of oxide nanostructures formed by the local anodic oxidation of a titanium thin film are reported. The data of the phase analysis of titanium-oxide nanostructures are obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in the ion profiling mode of measurements. It is established that the surface of titanium-oxide nanostructures 4.5 ± 0.2 nm in height possesses a binding energy of core levels characteristic of TiO{sub 2} (458.4 eV). By analyzing the titanium-oxide nanostructures in depth by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the formation of phases with binding energies of core levels characteristic of Ti{sub 2}O{submore » 3} (456.6 eV) and TiO (454.8 eV) is established. The results can be used in developing the technological processes of the formation of a future electronic-component base for nanoelectronics on the basis of titanium-oxide nanostructures and probe nanotechnologies.« less

Interfacial Interaction in Anodic Aluminum Oxide Templates Modifies Morphology, Surface Area, and Crystallization of Polyamide-6 Nanofibers.

PubMed

Xue, Junhui; Xu, Yizhuang; Jin, Zhaoxia

2016-03-08

Here, we demonstrated that, when the precipitation process of polyamide-6 (PA6) solution happens in cylindrical channels of an anodized aluminum oxide membrane (AAO), interface interactions between a solid surface, solvent, non-solvent, and PA6 will influence the obtained polymer nanostructures, resulting in complex morphologies, increased surface area, and crystallization changes. With the enhancing interaction of PA6 and the AAO surface, the morphology of PA6 nanostructures changes from solid nanofibers, mesoporous, to bamboo-like, while at the same time, metastable γ-phase domains increase in these PA6 nanostructures. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas of solid, bamboo-like, and mesoporous PA6 nanofibers rise from 16, 20.9, to 25 m(2)/g. This study shows that interfacial interaction in AAO template fabrication can be used in manipulating the morphology and crystallization of one-dimensional polymer nanostructures. It also provides us a simple and novel method to create porous PA6 nanofibers with a large surface area.

Toward mass producible ordered bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices.

PubMed

Kim, Taeyong; Yoon, Hyunsik; Song, Hyung-Jun; Haberkorn, Niko; Cho, Younghyun; Sung, Seung Hyun; Lee, Chang Hee; Char, Kookheon; Theato, Patrick

2012-12-13

A strategy to fabricate nanostructured poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) films for organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells by a direct transfer method from a reusable soft replica mold is presented. The flexible polyfluoropolyether (PFPE) replica mold allows low-pressure and low- temperature process condition for the successful transfer of nanostructured P3HT films onto PEDOT/PSS-coated ITO substrates. To reduce the fabrication cost of masters in large area, we employed well-ordered anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as a template. Also, we provide a method to fabricate reversed nanostructures by exploiting the self-replication of replica molds. The concept of the transfer method in low temperature with a flexible and reusable replica mold obtained from an AAO template will be a firm foundation for a low-cost fabrication process of ordered OPVs. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Aggregate nanostructures of organic molecular materials.

PubMed

Liu, Huibiao; Xu, Jialiang; Li, Yongjun; Li, Yuliang

2010-12-21

Conjugated organic molecules are interesting materials because of their structures and their electronic, electrical, magnetic, optical, biological, and chemical properties. However, researchers continue to face great challenges in the construction of well-defined organic compounds that aggregate into larger molecular materials such as nanowires, tubes, rods, particles, walls, films, and other structural arrays. Such nanoscale materials could serve as direct device components. In this Account, we describe our recent progress in the construction of nanostructures formed through the aggregation of organic conjugated molecules and in the investigation of the optical, electrical, and electronic properties that depend on the size or morphology of these nanostructures. We have designed and synthesized functional conjugated organic molecules with structural features that favor assembly into aggregate nanostructures via weak intermolecular interactions. These large-area ordered molecular aggregate nanostructures are based on a variety of simpler structures such as fullerenes, perylenes, anthracenes, porphyrins, polydiacetylenes, and their derivatives. We have developed new methods to construct these larger structures including organic vapor-solid phase reaction, natural growth, association via self-polymerization and self-organization, and a combination of self-assembly and electrochemical growth. These methods are both facile and reliable, allowing us to produce ordered and aligned aggregate nanostructures, such as large-area arrays of nanowires, nanorods, and nanotubes. In addition, we can synthesize nanoscale materials with controlled properties. Large-area ordered aggregate nanostructures exhibit interesting electrical, optical, and optoelectronic properties. We also describe the preparation of large-area aggregate nanostructures of charge transfer (CT) complexes using an organic solid-phase reaction technique. By this process, we can finely control the morphologies and

Zinc-oxide-based nanostructured materials for heterostructure solar cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bobkov, A. A.; Maximov, A. I.; Moshnikov, V. A., E-mail: vamoshnikov@mail.ru

Results obtained in the deposition of nanostructured zinc-oxide layers by hydrothermal synthesis as the basic method are presented. The possibility of controlling the structure and morphology of the layers is demonstrated. The important role of the procedure employed to form the nucleating layer is noted. The faceted hexagonal nanoprisms obtained are promising for the fabrication of solar cells based on oxide heterostructures, and aluminum-doped zinc-oxide layers with petal morphology, for the deposition of an antireflection layer. The results are compatible and promising for application in flexible electronics.

Structure formation and properties of a copper-aluminum joint produced by ultrasound-assisted explosive welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuz'min, E. V.; Peev, A. P.; Kuz'min, S. V.; Lysak, V. I.

2017-08-01

The effect of ultrasound-assisted explosive welding on the structure formation and the properties of copper-aluminum joints is studied. Ultrasound-assisted explosive welding improves the quality of formed copper-aluminum joints, i.e., enhances their strength and significantly reduces the amount of fused metal over the entire weldability range. It is shown that ultrasound-assisted explosive welding can noticeably extend the weldability range of the copper-aluminum pair to obtain equal-in-strength joints with minimum structural heterogeneity in the wide welding range.

"Ripples" in an Aluminum Pool?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohr, James; Wang, Si-Yin; Nesterenko, Vitali F.

2018-05-01

Our motivation for this article is for students to realize that opportunities for discovery are all around them. Discoveries that can still puzzle present day researchers. Here we explore an observation by a middle school student concerning the production of what appears to be water-like "ripples" produced in aluminum foil when placed between two colliding spheres. We both applaud and explore the student's reasoning that the ripples were formed in a melted aluminum pool.

Tuning the Composition and Nanostructure of Pt/Ir Films via Anodized Aluminum Oxide Templated Atomic Layer Deposition

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

12 ] to dictate fi lm morphology. Such templated deposition is typically con- ducted by either electrodeposition or elec- troless deposition, with...non-enzymatic glucose sensing. [ 34–36 ] In particular, the syn- thesis of such nanostructured fi lms is delineated with a focus on the precise...deposited using alternating exposures to trimethylaluminum and H 2 O to provide a uniform nucleation layer for Pt and Ir fi lms. Nanostructured Pt fi

Antibacterial Carbon Nanotubes by Impregnation with Copper Nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palza, Humberto; Saldias, Natalia; Arriagada, Paulo; Palma, Patricia; Sanchez, Jorge

2017-08-01

The addition of metal-based nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes (CNT) is a relevant method producing multifunctional materials. In this context, CNT were dispersed in an ethanol/water solution containing copper acetate for their impregnation with different copper nanostructures by either a non-thermal or a thermal post-synthesis treatment. Our simple method is based on pure CNT in an air atmosphere without any other reagents. Particles without thermal treatment were present as a well-dispersed layered copper hydroxide acetate nanostructures on CNT, as confirmed by scanning and transmission (TEM) electron microscopies, and showing a characteristic x-ray diffraction peak at 6.6°. On the other hand, by thermal post-synthesis treatment at 300°C, these layered nanostructures became Cu2O nanoparticles of around 20 nm supported on CNT, as confirmed by TEM images and x-ray diffraction peaks. These copper nanostructures present on the CNT surface rendered antibacterial behavior to the resulting hybrid materials against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. These findings present for the first time a simple method for producing antibacterial CNT by direct impregnation of copper nanostructures.

An experimental aluminum-fueled power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlaskin, M. S.; Shkolnikov, E. I.; Bersh, A. V.; Zhuk, A. Z.; Lisicyn, A. V.; Sorokovikov, A. I.; Pankina, Yu. V.

2011-10-01

An experimental co-generation power plant (CGPP-10) using aluminum micron powder (with average particle size up to 70 μm) as primary fuel and water as primary oxidant was developed and tested. Power plant can work in autonomous (unconnected from industrial network) nonstop regime producing hydrogen, electrical energy and heat. One of the key components of experimental plant is aluminum-water high-pressure reactor projected for hydrogen production rate of ∼10 nm3 h-1. Hydrogen from the reactor goes through condenser and dehumidifier and with -25 °C dew-point temperature enters into the air-hydrogen fuel cell 16 kW-battery. From 1 kg of aluminum the experimental plant produces 1 kWh of electrical energy and 5-7 kWh of heat. Power consumer gets about 10 kW of electrical power. Plant electrical and total efficiencies are 12% and 72%, respectively.

Hierarchically ordered self-lubricating superhydrophobic anodized aluminum surfaces with enhanced corrosion resistance.

PubMed

Vengatesh, Panneerselvam; Kulandainathan, Manickam Anbu

2015-01-28

Herein, we report a facile method for the fabrication of self-lubricating superhydrophobic hierarchical anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) surfaces with improved corrosion protection, which is greatly anticipated to have a high impact in catalysis, aerospace, and the shipping industries. This method involves chemical grafting of as-formed AAO using low surface free energy molecules like long chain saturated fatty acids, perfluorinated fatty acid (perfluorooctadecanoic acid, PFODA), and perfluorosulfonicacid-polytetrafluoroethylene copolymer. The pre and post treatment processes in the anodization of aluminum (Al) play a vital role in the grafting of fatty acids. Wettability and surface free energy were analyzed using a contact angle meter and achieved 161.5° for PFODA grafted anodized aluminum (PFODA-Al). This study was also aimed at evaluating the surface for corrosion resistance by Tafel polarization and self-lubricating properties by tribological studies using a pin-on-disc tribometer. The collective results showed that chemically grafted AAO nanostructures exhibit high corrosion resistance toward seawater and low frictional coefficient due to low surface energy and self-lubricating property of fatty acids covalently linked to anodized Al surfaces.

Scientific and Technological Foundations for Scaling Production of Nanostructured Metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowe, Terry C.; Davis, Casey F.; Rovira, Peter M.; Hayne, Mathew L.; Campbell, Gordon S.; Grzenia, Joel E.; Stock, Paige J.; Meagher, Rilee C.; Rack, Henry J.

2017-05-01

Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) has been explored in a wide range of metals and alloys. However, there are only a few industrial scale implementations of SPD for commercial alloys. To demonstrate and evolve technology for producing ultrafine grain metals by SPD, a Nanostructured Metals Manufacturing Testbed (NMMT) has been established in Golden, Colorado. Machines for research scale and pilot scale Equal Channel Angular Pressing-Conform (ECAP-C) technology have been configured in the NMMT to systematically evaluate and evolve SPD processing and advance the foundational science and technology for manufacturing. We highlight the scientific and technological areas that are critical for scale up of continuous SPD of aluminum, copper, magnesium, titanium, and iron-based alloys. Key areas that we will address in this presentation include the need for comprehensive analysis of starting microstructures, data on operating deformation mechanisms, high pressure thermodynamics and phase transformation kinetics, tribological behaviors, temperature dependence of lubricant properties, adaptation of tolerances and shear intensity to match viscoplastic behaviors, real-time process monitoring, and mechanics of billet/tooling interactions.

Electrolytic production of high purity aluminum using ceramic inert anodes

DOEpatents

Ray, Siba P.; Liu, Xinghua; Weirauch, Douglas A.; DiMilia, Robert A.; Dynys, Joseph M.; Phelps, Frankie E.; LaCamera, Alfred F.

2002-01-01

A method of producing commercial purity aluminum in an electrolytic reduction cell comprising ceramic inert anodes is disclosed. The method produces aluminum having acceptable levels of Fe, Cu and Ni impurities. The ceramic inert anodes used in the process may comprise oxides containing Fe and Ni, as well as other oxides, metals and/or dopants.

Biocidal Defeat Agents Produced by Silver-Iodine Nanoenergetic Gas Generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davila, Ivan

Nanostructured aluminum (Al), iodine pentoxide (I2O5) nano-rods, and silver oxide (Ag2O) nanoparticles, (Al-I2O5-Ag 2O) were used to compose the ternary thermite composition that serves as a Nanoenergetic Gas Generator (NGG). This composition produces biocidal gases giving the mixture the ability to destroy highly pathogenic microorganisms or bacteria. The dissemination of the biocidal gas in combustion chamber was observed using a high-speed camera. The testing of NGG combustion process against the living Escherichia coli (E.coli) K-12 strain cells, that were cultivated/placed on the sample/chamber surfaces, demonstrated that iodine and silver atoms clouds were deposited to the bacteria surface. The 10/75/15 wt % of I2O5/Ag2O/Al composition demonstrated the best performance for destroying of E.coli with efficiency over 99 %. The results of the experiments showed that gaseous silver and iodine generated from NGG combustion produces a strong biocidal environment that has a great potential to neutralize highly pathogenic microorganisms and bacteria.

Continuous fabrication of nanostructure arrays for flexible surface enhanced Raman scattering substrate

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chengpeng; Yi, Peiyun; Peng, Linfa; Lai, Xinmin; Chen, Jie; Huang, Meizhen; Ni, Jun

2017-01-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been a powerful tool for applications including single molecule detection, analytical chemistry, electrochemistry, medical diagnostics and bio-sensing. Especially, flexible SERS substrates are highly desirable for daily-life applications, such as real-time and in situ Raman detection of chemical and biological targets, which can be used onto irregular surfaces. However, it is still a major challenge to fabricate the flexible SERS substrate on large-area substrates using a facile and cost-effective technique. The roll-to-roll ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (R2R UV-NIL) technique provides a solution for the continuous fabrication of flexible SERS substrate due to its high-speed, large-area, high-resolution and high-throughput. In this paper, we presented a facile and cost-effective method to fabricate flexible SERS substrate including the fabrication of polymer nanostructure arrays and the metallization of the polymer nanostructure arrays. The polymer nanostructure arrays were obtained by using R2R UV-NIL technique and anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) mold. The functional SERS substrates were then obtained with Au sputtering on the surface of the polymer nanostructure arrays. The obtained SERS substrates exhibit excellent SERS and flexibility performance. This research can provide a beneficial direction for the continuous production of the flexible SERS substrates. PMID:28051175

In-line characterization of nanostructured mass-produced polymer components using scatterometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skovlund Madsen, Jonas; Højlund Thamdrup, Lasse; Czolkos, Ilja; Hansen, Poul Erik; Johansson, Alicia; Garnaes, Jørgen; Nygård, Jesper; Hannibal Madsen, Morten

2017-08-01

Scatterometry is used as an in-line metrology solution for injection molded nanostructures to evaluate the pattern replication fidelity. The method is used to give direct feedback to an operator when testing new molding parameters and for continuous quality control. A compact scatterometer has been built and tested at a fabrication facility. The scatterometry measurements, including data analysis and handling of the samples, are much faster than the injection molding cycle time, and thus, characterization does not slow down the production rate. Fabrication and characterization of 160 plastic parts with line gratings are presented here, and the optimal molding temperatures for replication of nanostructures are found for two polymers. Scatterometry results are compared to state of the art metrology solutions: atomic force and scanning electron microscopy. It is demonstrated that the scatterometer can determine the structural parameters of the samples with an accuracy of a few nanometers in less than a second, thereby enabling in-line characterization.

Production of fullerenic nanostructures in flames

DOEpatents

Howard, Jack B.; Vander Sande, John B.; Chowdhury, K. Das

1999-01-01

A method for the production of fullerenic nanostructures is described in which unsaturated hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen are combusted in a burner chamber at a sub-atmospheric pressure, thereby establishing a flame. The condensibles of the flame are collected at a post-flame location. The condensibles contain fullerenic nanostructures, such as single and nested nanotubes, single and nested nanoparticles and giant fullerenes. The method of producing fullerenic soot from flames is also described.

Use of aluminum oxide as a permeation barrier for producing thin films on aluminum substrates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Provo, James L., E-mail: jlprovo@verizon.net

2016-07-15

Aluminum has desirable characteristics of good thermal properties, good electrical characteristics, good optical properties, and the characteristic of being nonmagnetic and having a low atomic weight (26.98 g atoms), but because of its low melting point (660 °C) and ability as a reactive metal to alloy with most common metals in use, it has been ignored as a substrate material for use in processing thin films. The author developed a simple solution to this problem, by putting a permeation barrier of alumina (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) onto the surface of pure Al substrates by using a standard chemical oxidation process of the surfacemore » (i.e., anodization), before additional film deposition of reactive metals at temperatures up to 500 °C for 1-h, without the formation of alloys or intermetallic compounds to affect the good properties of Al substrates. The chromic acid anodization process used (MIL-A-8625) produced a film barrier of ∼(500–1000) nm of alumina. The fact that refractory Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} can inhibit the reaction of metals with Al at temperatures below 500 °C suggests that Al is a satisfactory substrate if properly oxidized prior to film deposition. To prove this concept, thin film samples of Cr, Mo, Er, Sc, Ti, and Zr were prepared on anodized Al substrates and studied by x-ray diffraction, Rutherford ion back scattering, and Auger/argon sputter surface profile analysis to determine any film substrate interactions. In addition, a major purpose of our study was to determine if ErD{sub 2} thin films could be produced on Al substrates with fully hydrided Er films. Thus, a thin film of ErD{sub 2} on an anodized Al substrate was prepared and studied, with and without the alumina permeation barrier. Films for study were prepared on 1.27 cm diameter Al substrates with ∼500 nm of the metals studied after anodization. Substrates were weighed, cleaned, and vacuum fired at 500 °C prior to use. The Al substrates were deposited using standard

Melanin-templated rapid synthesis of silver nanostructures

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background As a potent antimicrobial agent, silver nanostructures have been used in nanosensors and nanomaterial-based assays for the detection of food relevant analytes such as organic molecules, aroma, chemical contaminants, gases and food borne pathogens. In addition silver based nanocomposites act as an antimicrobial for food packaging materials. In this prospective, the food grade melanin pigment extracted from sponge associated actinobacterium Nocardiopsis alba MSA10 and melanin mediated synthesis of silver nanostructures were studied. Based on the present findings, antimicrobial nanostructures can be developed against food pathogens for food industrial applications. Results Briefly, the sponge associated actinobacterium N. alba MSA10 was screened and fermentation conditions were optimized for the production of melanin pigment. The Plackett-Burman design followed by a Box-Behnken design was developed to optimize the concentration of most significant factors for improved melanin yield. The antioxidant potential, reductive capabilities and physiochemical properties of Nocardiopsis melanin was characterized. The optimum production of melanin was attained with pH 7.5, temperature 35°C, salinity 2.5%, sucrose 25 g/L and tyrosine 12.5 g/L under submerged fermentation conditions. A highest melanin production of 3.4 mg/ml was reached with the optimization using Box-Behnken design. The purified melanin showed rapid reduction and stabilization of silver nanostructures. The melanin mediated process produced uniform and stable silver nanostructures with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against food pathogens. Conclusions The melanin pigment produced by N. alba MSA10 can be used for environmentally benign synthesis of silver nanostructures and can be useful for food packaging materials. The characteristics of broad spectrum of activity against food pathogens of silver nanostructures gives an insight for their potential applicability in incorporation of food

Shockwave Consolidation of Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prasad, Narasimha S.; Taylor, Patrick; Nemir, David

2014-01-01

Nanotechnology based thermoelectric materials are considered attractive for developing highly efficient thermoelectric devices. Nano-structured thermoelectric materials are predicted to offer higher ZT over bulk materials by reducing thermal conductivity and increasing electrical conductivity. Consolidation of nano-structured powders into dense materials without losing nanostructure is essential towards practical device development. Using the gas atomization process, amorphous nano-structured powders were produced. Shockwave consolidation is accomplished by surrounding the nanopowder-containing tube with explosives and then detonating. The resulting shock wave causes rapid fusing of the powders without the melt and subsequent grain growth. We have been successful in generating consolidated nano-structured bismuth telluride alloy powders by using the shockwave technique. Using these consolidated materials, several types of thermoelectric power generating devices have been developed. Shockwave consolidation is anticipated to generate large quantities of nanostructred materials expeditiously and cost effectively. In this paper, the technique of shockwave consolidation will be presented followed by Seebeck Coefficient and thermal conductivity measurements of consolidated materials. Preliminary results indicate a substantial increase in electrical conductivity due to shockwave consolidation technique.

Plasmonic nanostructures through DNA-assisted lithography

PubMed Central

Shen, Boxuan; Linko, Veikko; Tapio, Kosti; Pikker, Siim; Lemma, Tibebe; Gopinath, Ashwin; Gothelf, Kurt V.; Kostiainen, Mauri A.; Toppari, J. Jussi

2018-01-01

Programmable self-assembly of nucleic acids enables the fabrication of custom, precise objects with nanoscale dimensions. These structures can be further harnessed as templates to build novel materials such as metallic nanostructures, which are widely used and explored because of their unique optical properties and their potency to serve as components of novel metamaterials. However, approaches to transfer the spatial information of DNA constructions to metal nanostructures remain a challenge. We report a DNA-assisted lithography (DALI) method that combines the structural versatility of DNA origami with conventional lithography techniques to create discrete, well-defined, and entirely metallic nanostructures with designed plasmonic properties. DALI is a parallel, high-throughput fabrication method compatible with transparent substrates, thus providing an additional advantage for optical measurements, and yields structures with a feature size of ~10 nm. We demonstrate its feasibility by producing metal nanostructures with a chiral plasmonic response and bowtie-shaped nanoantennas for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. We envisage that DALI can be generalized to large substrates, which would subsequently enable scale-up production of diverse metallic nanostructures with tailored plasmonic features. PMID:29423446

Transition-Metal Decorated Aluminum Nanocrystals.

PubMed

Swearer, Dayne F; Leary, Rowan K; Newell, Ryan; Yazdi, Sadegh; Robatjazi, Hossein; Zhang, Yue; Renard, David; Nordlander, Peter; Midgley, Paul A; Halas, Naomi J; Ringe, Emilie

2017-10-24

Recently, aluminum has been established as an earth-abundant alternative to gold and silver for plasmonic applications. Particularly, aluminum nanocrystals have shown to be promising plasmonic photocatalysts, especially when coupled with catalytic metals or oxides into "antenna-reactor" heterostructures. Here, a simple polyol synthesis is presented as a flexible route to produce aluminum nanocrystals decorated with eight varieties of size-tunable transition-metal nanoparticle islands, many of which have precedence as heterogeneous catalysts. High-resolution and three-dimensional structural analysis using scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron tomography shows that abundant nanoparticle island decoration in the catalytically relevant few-nanometer size range can be achieved, with many islands spaced closely to their neighbors. When coupled with the Al nanocrystal plasmonic antenna, these small decorating islands will experience increased light absorption and strong hot-spot generation. This combination makes transition-metal decorated aluminum nanocrystals a promising material platform to develop plasmonic photocatalysis, surface-enhanced spectroscopies, and quantum plasmonics.

Selective growth of palladium and titanium dioxide nanostructures inside carbon nanotube membranes.

PubMed

Hevia, Samuel; Homm, Pía; Cortes, Andrea; Núñez, Verónica; Contreras, Claudia; Vera, Jenniffer; Segura, Rodrigo

2012-06-25

Hybrid nanostructured arrays based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) and palladium or titanium dioxide materials have been synthesized using self-supported and silicon-supported anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) as nanoporous template. It is well demonstrated that carbon nanotubes can be grown using these membranes and hydrocarbon precursors that decompose at temperatures closer to 600°C without the use of a metal catalyst. In this process, carbonic fragments condensate to form stacked graphitic sheets, which adopt the shape of the pores, yielding from these moulds' multi-walled carbon nanotubes. After this process, the ends of the tubes remain open and accessible to other substances, whereas the outer walls are protected by the alumina. Taking advantage of this fact, we have performed the synthesis of palladium and titanium dioxide nanostructures selectively inside carbon nanotubes using these CNT-AAO membranes as nanoreactors.

Selective growth of palladium and titanium dioxide nanostructures inside carbon nanotube membranes

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Hybrid nanostructured arrays based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) and palladium or titanium dioxide materials have been synthesized using self-supported and silicon-supported anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) as nanoporous template. It is well demonstrated that carbon nanotubes can be grown using these membranes and hydrocarbon precursors that decompose at temperatures closer to 600°C without the use of a metal catalyst. In this process, carbonic fragments condensate to form stacked graphitic sheets, which adopt the shape of the pores, yielding from these moulds' multi-walled carbon nanotubes. After this process, the ends of the tubes remain open and accessible to other substances, whereas the outer walls are protected by the alumina. Taking advantage of this fact, we have performed the synthesis of palladium and titanium dioxide nanostructures selectively inside carbon nanotubes using these CNT-AAO membranes as nanoreactors. PMID:22731888

Selective growth of palladium and titanium dioxide nanostructures inside carbon nanotube membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hevia, Samuel; Homm, Pía; Cortes, Andrea; Núñez, Verónica; Contreras, Claudia; Vera, Jenniffer; Segura, Rodrigo

2012-06-01

Hybrid nanostructured arrays based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) and palladium or titanium dioxide materials have been synthesized using self-supported and silicon-supported anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) as nanoporous template. It is well demonstrated that carbon nanotubes can be grown using these membranes and hydrocarbon precursors that decompose at temperatures closer to 600°C without the use of a metal catalyst. In this process, carbonic fragments condensate to form stacked graphitic sheets, which adopt the shape of the pores, yielding from these moulds' multi-walled carbon nanotubes. After this process, the ends of the tubes remain open and accessible to other substances, whereas the outer walls are protected by the alumina. Taking advantage of this fact, we have performed the synthesis of palladium and titanium dioxide nanostructures selectively inside carbon nanotubes using these CNT-AAO membranes as nanoreactors.

Multifunctional substrate of Al alloy based on general hierarchical micro/nanostructures: superamphiphobicity and enhanced corrosion resistance.

PubMed

Li, Xuewu; Shi, Tian; Liu, Cong; Zhang, Qiaoxin; Huang, Xingjiu

2016-10-24

Aluminum alloys are vulnerable to penetrating and peeling failures in seawater and preparing a barrier coating to isolate the substrate from corrosive medium is an effective anticorrosion method. Inspired by the lotus leaves effect, a wetting alloy surface with enhanced anticorrosion behavior has been prepared via etch, deposition, and low-surface-energy modification. Results indicate that excellent superamphiphobicity has been achieved after the modification of the constructed hierarchical labyrinth-like microstructures and dendritic nanostructures. The as-prepared surface is also found with good chemical stability and mechanical durability. Furthermore, superior anticorrosion behaviors of the resultant samples in seawater are investigated by electrochemical measurements. Due to trapped air in micro/nanostructures, the newly presented solid-air-liquid contacting interface can help to resist the seawater penetration by greatly reducing the interface interaction between corrosive ions and the superamphiphobic surface. Finally, an optimized two-layer perceptron artificial neural network is set up to model and predict the cause-and-effect relationship between preparation conditions and the anticorrosion parameters. This work provides a great potential to extend the applications of aluminum alloys especially in marine engineering fields.

Multifunctional substrate of Al alloy based on general hierarchical micro/nanostructures: superamphiphobicity and enhanced corrosion resistance

PubMed Central

Li, Xuewu; Shi, Tian; Liu, Cong; Zhang, Qiaoxin; Huang, Xingjiu

2016-01-01

Aluminum alloys are vulnerable to penetrating and peeling failures in seawater and preparing a barrier coating to isolate the substrate from corrosive medium is an effective anticorrosion method. Inspired by the lotus leaves effect, a wetting alloy surface with enhanced anticorrosion behavior has been prepared via etch, deposition, and low-surface-energy modification. Results indicate that excellent superamphiphobicity has been achieved after the modification of the constructed hierarchical labyrinth-like microstructures and dendritic nanostructures. The as-prepared surface is also found with good chemical stability and mechanical durability. Furthermore, superior anticorrosion behaviors of the resultant samples in seawater are investigated by electrochemical measurements. Due to trapped air in micro/nanostructures, the newly presented solid-air-liquid contacting interface can help to resist the seawater penetration by greatly reducing the interface interaction between corrosive ions and the superamphiphobic surface. Finally, an optimized two-layer perceptron artificial neural network is set up to model and predict the cause-and-effect relationship between preparation conditions and the anticorrosion parameters. This work provides a great potential to extend the applications of aluminum alloys especially in marine engineering fields. PMID:27775053

Multifunctional substrate of Al alloy based on general hierarchical micro/nanostructures: superamphiphobicity and enhanced corrosion resistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xuewu; Shi, Tian; Liu, Cong; Zhang, Qiaoxin; Huang, Xingjiu

2016-10-01

Aluminum alloys are vulnerable to penetrating and peeling failures in seawater and preparing a barrier coating to isolate the substrate from corrosive medium is an effective anticorrosion method. Inspired by the lotus leaves effect, a wetting alloy surface with enhanced anticorrosion behavior has been prepared via etch, deposition, and low-surface-energy modification. Results indicate that excellent superamphiphobicity has been achieved after the modification of the constructed hierarchical labyrinth-like microstructures and dendritic nanostructures. The as-prepared surface is also found with good chemical stability and mechanical durability. Furthermore, superior anticorrosion behaviors of the resultant samples in seawater are investigated by electrochemical measurements. Due to trapped air in micro/nanostructures, the newly presented solid-air-liquid contacting interface can help to resist the seawater penetration by greatly reducing the interface interaction between corrosive ions and the superamphiphobic surface. Finally, an optimized two-layer perceptron artificial neural network is set up to model and predict the cause-and-effect relationship between preparation conditions and the anticorrosion parameters. This work provides a great potential to extend the applications of aluminum alloys especially in marine engineering fields.

On the Role of Processing Parameters in Producing Recycled Aluminum AA6061 Based Metal Matrix Composite (MMC-AlR) Prepared Using Hot Press Forging (HPF) Process.

PubMed

Ahmad, Azlan; Lajis, Mohd Amri; Yusuf, Nur Kamilah

2017-09-19

Solid-state recycling, which involves the direct recycling of scrap metal into bulk material using severe plastic deformation, has emerged as a potential alternative to the conventional remelting and recycling techniques. Hot press forging has been identified as a sustainable direct recycling technique that has fewer steps and maintains excellent material performance. An experimental investigation was conducted to explore the hardness and density of a recycled aluminum-based metal matrix composite by varying operating temperature and holding time. A mixture of recycled aluminum, AA6061, and aluminum oxide were simultaneously heated to 430, 480, and 530 °C and forged for 60, 90, and 120 min. We found a positive increase in microhardness and density for all composites. The hardness increased approximately 33.85%, while density improved by about 15.25% whenever the temperature or the holding time were increased. Based on qualitative analysis, the composite endures substantial plastic deformation due to the presence of hardness properties due to the aluminum oxide embedded in the aluminum matrix. These increases were significantly affected by the operating temperature; the holding time also had a subordinate role in enhancing the metal matrix composite properties. Furthermore, in an effort to curb the shortage of primary resources, this study reviewed the promising performance of secondary resources produced by using recycled aluminum and aluminum oxide as the base matrix and reinforcement constituent, respectively. This study is an outline for machining practitioners and the manufacturing industry to help increase industry sustainability with the aim of preserving the Earth for our community in the future.

On the Role of Processing Parameters in Producing Recycled Aluminum AA6061 Based Metal Matrix Composite (MMC-AlR) Prepared Using Hot Press Forging (HPF) Process

PubMed Central

Ahmad, Azlan; Lajis, Mohd Amri

2017-01-01

Solid-state recycling, which involves the direct recycling of scrap metal into bulk material using severe plastic deformation, has emerged as a potential alternative to the conventional remelting and recycling techniques. Hot press forging has been identified as a sustainable direct recycling technique that has fewer steps and maintains excellent material performance. An experimental investigation was conducted to explore the hardness and density of a recycled aluminum-based metal matrix composite by varying operating temperature and holding time. A mixture of recycled aluminum, AA6061, and aluminum oxide were simultaneously heated to 430, 480, and 530 °C and forged for 60, 90, and 120 min. We found a positive increase in microhardness and density for all composites. The hardness increased approximately 33.85%, while density improved by about 15.25% whenever the temperature or the holding time were increased. Based on qualitative analysis, the composite endures substantial plastic deformation due to the presence of hardness properties due to the aluminum oxide embedded in the aluminum matrix. These increases were significantly affected by the operating temperature; the holding time also had a subordinate role in enhancing the metal matrix composite properties. Furthermore, in an effort to curb the shortage of primary resources, this study reviewed the promising performance of secondary resources produced by using recycled aluminum and aluminum oxide as the base matrix and reinforcement constituent, respectively. This study is an outline for machining practitioners and the manufacturing industry to help increase industry sustainability with the aim of preserving the Earth for our community in the future. PMID:28925963

Simulating and discussion on surface plasmon typical optical properties of patterned periodic metallic nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Runhan; Yuan, Ying; Long, Huabao; Peng, Sha; Wei, Dong; Zhang, Xinyu; Wang, Haiwei; Xie, Changsheng

2018-02-01

The intense surface plasmons (SPs) can be generated by patterned metal nano-structure arrays, through coupling incident light onto the functioned metal surface, so as to construct highly constrained surface electromagnetic modes. Therefore, a localized micro-nano-field array with a highly compressed surface electron distribution, can also be shaped and even nano-focused over the surface, which will lead to a lot of special physical effects such as anti-reflection effect, and thus indicate many new potential applications in the field of nano-photonics and -optoelectronics. In this paper, several typical patterned sub-wavelength metal nano-structure arrays were designed according to the process, in which common silicon wafer was employed as the substrate material and aluminum as the metal film with different structural size and arrangement circle. In addition, by adjusting the dielectric constant of metal material appropriately, the power control effect on metallic nanostructure was simulated. The key properties such as the excitation intensity of the surface plasmons were studied by simulating the reflectivity characteristic curves and the electric field distribution of the nanostructure excited by incident infrared beams. It is found that the angle of corners, the arrangement cycle and the metal material properties of the patterned nano-structures can be utilized as key factors to control the excitation intensity of surface plasmons.

Ordered biological nanostructures formed from chaperonin polypeptides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trent, Jonathan D. (Inventor); McMillan, R. Andrew (Inventor); Paavola, Chad D. (Inventor); Kagawa, Hiromi (Inventor)

2010-01-01

The following application relates to nanotemplates, nanostructures, nanoarrays and nanodevices formed from wild-type and mutated chaperonin polypeptides, methods of producing such compositions, methods of using such compositions and particular chaperonin polypeptides that can be utilized in producing such compositions.

Maintaining molten salt electrolyte concentration in aluminum-producing electrolytic cell

DOEpatents

Barnett, Robert J.; Mezner, Michael B.; Bradford, Donald R

2005-01-04

A method of maintaining molten salt concentration in a low temperature electrolytic cell used for production of aluminum from alumina dissolved in a molten salt electrolyte contained in a cell free of frozen crust wherein volatile material is vented from the cell and contacted and captured on alumina being added to the cell. The captured volatile material is returned with alumina to cell to maintain the concentration of the molten salt.

Aluminum Alloy and Article Cast Therefrom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jonathan A. (Inventor); Chen, Po-Shou (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A cast article from an aluminum alloy, which has improved mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, has the following composition in weight percent: Silicon 14 - 25.0, Copper 5.5 - 8.0, Iron 0.05 - 1.2, Magnesium 0.5 - 1.5, Nickel 0.05 - 0.9, Manganese 0.05 - 1.0, Titanium 0.05 - 1.2, Zirconium 0.05 - 1.2, Vanadium 0.05 - 1.2, Zinc 0.05 - 0.9, Phosphorus 0.001 - 0.1, and the balance is Aluminum, wherein the silicon-to-magnesium ratio is 10 - 25, and the copper-to-magnesium ratio is 4 - 15. The aluminum alloy contains a simultaneous dispersion of three types of Al3X compound particles (X=Ti, V, Zr) having a LI2, crystal structure, and their lattice parameters are coherent to the aluminum matrix lattice. A process for producing this cast article is also disclosed, as well as a metal matrix composite, which includes the aluminum alloy serving as a matrix and containing up to about 60% by volume of a secondary filler material.

Process for strengthening aluminum based ceramics and material

DOEpatents

Moorhead, Arthur J.; Kim, Hyoun-Ee

2000-01-01

A process for strengthening aluminum based ceramics is provided. A gaseous atmosphere consisting essentially of silicon monoxide gas is formed by exposing a source of silicon to an atmosphere consisting essentially of hydrogen and a sufficient amount of water vapor. The aluminum based ceramic is exposed to the gaseous silicon monoxide atmosphere for a period of time and at a temperature sufficient to produce a continuous, stable silicon-containing film on the surface of the aluminum based ceramic that increases the strength of the ceramic.

Corrosion behavior of ultrafine-grained AA2024 aluminum alloy produced by cryorolling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laxman Mani Kanta, P.; Srivastava, V. C.; Venkateswarlu, K.; Paswan, Sharma; Mahato, B.; Das, Goutam; Sivaprasad, K.; Krishna, K. Gopala

2017-11-01

The objectives of this study were to produce ultrafine-grained (UFG) AA2024 aluminum alloy by cryorolling followed by aging and to evaluate its corrosion behavior. Solutionized samples were cryorolled to 85% reduction in thickness. Subsequent aging resulted in a UFG structure with finer precipitates of Al2CuMg in the cryorolled alloy. The (1) solutionized and (2) solutionized and cryorolled samples were uniformly aged at 160°C/24 h and were designated as CGPA and CRPA, respectively; these samples were subsequently subjected to corrosion studies. Potentiodynamic polarization studies in 3.5wt% NaCl solution indicated an increase in corrosion potential and a decrease in corrosion current density for CRPA compared to CGPA. In the case of CRPA, electrochemical impedance spectroscopic studies indicated the presence of two complex passive oxide layers with a higher charge transfer resistance and lower mass loss during intergranular corrosion tests. The improved corrosion resistance of CRPA was mainly attributed to its UFG structure, uniform distribution of fine precipitates, and absence of coarse grain-boundary precipitation and associated precipitate-free zones as compared with the CGPA alloy.

Ion flux enhancements and oscillations in spatially confined laser produced aluminum plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, S. C.; Fallon, C.; Hayden, P.; Mujawar, M.; Yeates, P.; Costello, J. T.

2014-09-01

Ion signals from laser produced plasmas (LPPs) generated inside aluminum rectangular cavities at a fixed depth d = 2 mm and varying width, x = 1.0, 1.6, and 2.75 mm were obtained by spatially varying the position of a negatively biased Langmuir probe. Damped oscillatory features superimposed on Maxwellian distributed ion signals were observed. Depending on the distance of the probe from the target surface, three to twelve fold enhancements in peak ion density were observed via confinement of the LPP, generated within rectangular cavities of varying width which constrained the plasma plume to near one dimensional expansion in the vertical plane. The effects of lateral spatial confinement on the expansion velocity of the LPP plume front, the temperature, density and expansion velocity of ions, enhancement of ion flux, and ion energy distribution were recorded. The periodic behavior of ion signals was analyzed and found to be related to the electron plasma frequency and electron-ion collision frequency. The effects of confinement and enhancement of various ion parameters and expansion velocities of the LPP ion plume are explained on the basis of shock wave theory.

Prospects of target nanostructuring for laser proton acceleration

PubMed Central

Lübcke, Andrea; Andreev, Alexander A.; Höhm, Sandra; Grunwald, Ruediger; Ehrentraut, Lutz; Schnürer, Matthias

2017-01-01

In laser-based proton acceleration, nanostructured targets hold the promise to allow for significantly boosted proton energies due to strong increase of laser absorption. We used laser-induced periodic surface structures generated in-situ as a very fast and economic way to produce nanostructured targets capable of high-repetition rate applications. Both in experiment and theory, we investigate the impact of nanostructuring on the proton spectrum for different laser–plasma conditions. Our experimental data show that the nanostructures lead to a significant enhancement of absorption over the entire range of laser plasma conditions investigated. At conditions that do not allow for efficient laser absorption by plane targets, i.e. too steep plasma gradients, nanostructuring is found to significantly enhance the proton cutoff energy and conversion efficiency. In contrast, if the plasma gradient is optimized for laser absorption of the plane target, the nanostructure-induced absorption increase is not reflected in higher cutoff energies. Both, simulation and experiment point towards the energy transfer from the laser to the hot electrons as bottleneck. PMID:28290479

Prospects of target nanostructuring for laser proton acceleration.

PubMed

Lübcke, Andrea; Andreev, Alexander A; Höhm, Sandra; Grunwald, Ruediger; Ehrentraut, Lutz; Schnürer, Matthias

2017-03-14

In laser-based proton acceleration, nanostructured targets hold the promise to allow for significantly boosted proton energies due to strong increase of laser absorption. We used laser-induced periodic surface structures generated in-situ as a very fast and economic way to produce nanostructured targets capable of high-repetition rate applications. Both in experiment and theory, we investigate the impact of nanostructuring on the proton spectrum for different laser-plasma conditions. Our experimental data show that the nanostructures lead to a significant enhancement of absorption over the entire range of laser plasma conditions investigated. At conditions that do not allow for efficient laser absorption by plane targets, i.e. too steep plasma gradients, nanostructuring is found to significantly enhance the proton cutoff energy and conversion efficiency. In contrast, if the plasma gradient is optimized for laser absorption of the plane target, the nanostructure-induced absorption increase is not reflected in higher cutoff energies. Both, simulation and experiment point towards the energy transfer from the laser to the hot electrons as bottleneck.

Prospects of target nanostructuring for laser proton acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lübcke, Andrea; Andreev, Alexander A.; Höhm, Sandra; Grunwald, Ruediger; Ehrentraut, Lutz; Schnürer, Matthias

2017-03-01

In laser-based proton acceleration, nanostructured targets hold the promise to allow for significantly boosted proton energies due to strong increase of laser absorption. We used laser-induced periodic surface structures generated in-situ as a very fast and economic way to produce nanostructured targets capable of high-repetition rate applications. Both in experiment and theory, we investigate the impact of nanostructuring on the proton spectrum for different laser-plasma conditions. Our experimental data show that the nanostructures lead to a significant enhancement of absorption over the entire range of laser plasma conditions investigated. At conditions that do not allow for efficient laser absorption by plane targets, i.e. too steep plasma gradients, nanostructuring is found to significantly enhance the proton cutoff energy and conversion efficiency. In contrast, if the plasma gradient is optimized for laser absorption of the plane target, the nanostructure-induced absorption increase is not reflected in higher cutoff energies. Both, simulation and experiment point towards the energy transfer from the laser to the hot electrons as bottleneck.

Technological, Economic, and Environmental Optimization of Aluminum Recycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ioana, Adrian; Semenescu, Augustin

2013-08-01

The four strategic directions (referring to the entire life cycle of aluminum) are as follows: production, primary use, recycling, and reuse. Thus, in this work, the following are analyzed and optimized: reducing greenhouse gas emissions from aluminum production, increasing energy efficiency in aluminum production, maximizing used-product collection, recycling, and reusing. According to the energetic balance at the gaseous environment level, the conductive transfer model is also analyzed through the finished elements method. Several principles of modeling and optimization are presented and analyzed: the principle of analogy, the principle of concepts, and the principle of hierarchization. Based on these principles, an original diagram model is designed together with the corresponding logic diagram. This article also presents and analyzes the main benefits of aluminum recycling and reuse. Recycling and reuse of aluminum have the main advantage that it requires only about 5% of energy consumed to produce it from bauxite. The aluminum recycling and production process causes the emission of pollutants such as dioxides and furans, hydrogen chloride, and particulate matter. To control these emissions, aluminum recyclers are required to comply with the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Secondary Aluminum Production. The results of technological, economic, and ecological optimization of aluminum recycling are based on the criteria function's evaluation in the modeling system.

Comments on the origin of acoustic emission in fatigue testing of aluminum alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heiple, C. R.; Carpenter, S. H.; Armentrout, D. L.

The size of acoustic emission (AE) signals expected from inclusion fracture during fatigue testing of 7075 aluminum has been estimated on the basis of previous measurements of AE produced by the fracture of boron particles incorporated into 2219 aluminum. The AF signal size expected from deformation in the plastic zone ahead of the fatigue crack was estimated from the results of tensile tests on 7075 aluminum. The signals predicted from both processes are near or below the noise level in the fatigue experiments and are therefore far too small to account for the signals actually observed. Nearly simultaneous fracture of multiple inclusions could produce signals as large as those observed in fatigue tests of 7075 aluminum, however, fatigue tests of 7050 aluminum produced signals as large or larger than in 7075. Since 7050 has substantially fewer inclusions than 7075, the simultaneous failure of multiple inclusions is unlikely to be a major AE source in fatigue testing of either aluminum alloy. Thus, the most probable source of acoustic emission during fatigue testing of 7075 and 7050 aluminum is the crack advance itself. The measured crack advance per cycle is large enough to release sufficient elastic energy to account for the AE signals observed.

Deep ultraviolet photoluminescence studies of aluminum-rich aluminum gallium nitride and aluminum nitride epilayers and nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nepal, Neeraj

Deep ultraviolet (UV) photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy has been employed to study optical properties of AlGaN alloys, undoped and doped AlN epilayers and nanostructure AlN photonics crystals (PCs). Using a deep UV laser system with an excitation wave length at 197 nm, continuous wave PL, temperature dependent, and time-resolved PL have been carried out on these AlGaN and AlN epilayers and nanostructures. We have measured the compositional and temperature dependence of the energy bandgap of AlxGa1-xN alloys covering the entire alloy range of x, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 and fitted with the Varshni equation. Varshni coefficients, alpha and beta, in AlGaN alloys have a parabolic dependence with alloy concentration x. Based on the experimental data, an empirical relation was thus obtained for the energy gap of AlGaN alloys for the entire alloy concentration and at any temperature below 800 K. The exciton localization energy in AlxGa1-xN alloys the entire composition range (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) has been measured by fitting the band edge emission peak energy with the Varshni equation. Deviations of the excitonic emission peak energy from the Varshni equation at low temperatures provide directly the exciton localization energies, ELoc in AlGaN alloys. It was found that ELoc increases with x for x ≤ 0.7, and decreases with x for x ≥ 0.8. The relations between the exciton localization energy, the activation energy, and the emission linewidth have been established. It thus provides three different and independent methods to determine the exciton localization energies in AlGaN alloys. Impurity transitions in AlGaN alloys have also been investigated. Continuous wave (CW) PL spectra of Si and undoped AlGaN alloys reveals groups of impurity transitions that have been assigned to the recombination between shallow donors and an isolated triply charged cation-vacancy (VIII)3-, a doubly charged cation-vacancy-complex (VIII-complex)2- , and a singly charged cation-vacancy-complex (VIII

Aluminum low temperature smelting cell metal collection

DOEpatents

Beck, Theodore R.; Brown, Craig W.

2002-07-16

A method of producing aluminum in an electrolytic cell containing alumina dissolved in an electrolyte. The method comprises the steps of providing a molten salt electrolyte in an electrolytic cell having an anodic liner for containing the electrolyte, the liner having an anodic bottom and walls including at least one end wall extending upwardly from the anodic bottom, the anodic liner being substantially inert with respect to the molten electrolyte. A plurality of non-consumable anodes is provided and disposed vertically in the electrolyte. A plurality of cathodes is disposed vertically in the electrolyte in alternating relationship with the anodes. The anodes are electrically connected to the anodic liner. An electric current is passed through the anodic liner to the anodes, through the electrolyte to the cathodes, and aluminum is deposited on said cathodes. Oxygen bubbles are generated at the anodes and the anodic liner, the bubbles stirring the electrolyte. Molten aluminum is collected from the cathodes into a tubular member positioned underneath the cathodes. The tubular member is in liquid communication with each cathode to collect the molten aluminum therefrom while excluding electrolyte. Molten aluminum is delivered through the tubular member to a molten aluminum reservoir located substantially opposite the anodes and cathodes. The molten aluminum is collected from the cathodes and delivered to the reservoir while avoiding contact of the molten aluminum with the anodic bottom.

Chronic aluminum intake causes Alzheimer's disease: applying Sir Austin Bradford Hill's causality criteria.

PubMed

Walton, J R

2014-01-01

Industrialized societies produce many convenience foods with aluminum additives that enhance various food properties and use alum (aluminum sulfate or aluminum potassium sulfate) in water treatment to enable delivery of large volumes of drinking water to millions of urban consumers. The present causality analysis evaluates the extent to which the routine, life-long intake, and metabolism of aluminum compounds can account for Alzheimer's disease (AD), using Austin Bradford Hill's nine epidemiological and experimental causality criteria, including strength of the relationship, consistency, specificity, temporality, dose-dependent response, biological rationale, coherence with existing knowledge, experimental evidence, and analogy. Mechanisms that underlie the risk of low concentrations of aluminum relate to (1) aluminum's absorption rates, allowing the impression that aluminum is safe to ingest and as an additive in food and drinking water treatment, (2) aluminum's slow progressive uptake into the brain over a long prodromal phase, and (3) aluminum's similarity to iron, in terms of ionic size, allows aluminum to use iron-evolved mechanisms to enter the highly-active, iron-dependent cells responsible for memory processing. Aluminum particularly accumulates in these iron-dependent cells to toxic levels, dysregulating iron homeostasis and causing microtubule depletion, eventually producing changes that result in disconnection of neuronal afferents and efferents, loss of function and regional atrophy consistent with MRI findings in AD brains. AD is a human form of chronic aluminum neurotoxicity. The causality analysis demonstrates that chronic aluminum intake causes AD.

Fume generation rates for stainless steel, nickel and aluminum alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Castner, H.R.

1996-12-01

This paper describes a study of the effects of pulsed welding current on fume produced during gas metal arc welding (GMAW) of stainless steel, nickel, and aluminum alloys. This is an extension of earlier studies of mild steel electrode wire. Reduction of welding fume is important because steady current GMAW of stainless steels and nickel alloys may produce fume that exceeds recommended worker exposure limits for some of the fume constituents. Fume generation from aluminum alloy ER5356 was studied because steady current welding with this alloy produces much higher fume generation rates than ER4043 alloy electrode wire. This work showsmore » that pulsed current can reduce GMAW fume generation rates for Er308L, ER310, and ER312 stainless steel, ERNiCr-3 nickel alloy, and ER5356 aluminum-magnesium alloy electrode wires.« less

Prediction of electrocatalytic activity of boron nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owens, Frank J.

2018-01-01

The dissociation of O2 and HO2 are important reactions that occur at the cathode of fuel cells producing H2O and use platinum as a catalyst. There is a need to replace platinum with less expensive catalysts. Here the possibility of boron nanostructures as catalysts for the reactions is considered using density functional theory. The calculations show that the bond dissociation energies to remove O and OH from O2 and O2H bonded to boron nanostructures are less than those necessary to dissociate free O2 and O2H indicating that some of the boron nanostructures could be catalysts for the dissociation of O2 and HO2.

Beryllium-aluminum alloys for investment castings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nachtrab, W.T.; Levoy, N.

1997-05-01

Beryllium-aluminum alloys containing greater than 60 wt % beryllium are very favorable materials for applications requiring light weight and high stiffness. However, when produced by traditional powder metallurgical methods, these alloys are expensive and have limited applications. To reduce the cost of making beryllium-aluminum components, Nuclear Metals Inc. (NMI) and Lockheed Martin Electronics and Missiles have recently developed a family of patented beryllium-aluminum alloys that can be investment cast. Designated Beralcast, the alloys can achieve substantial weight savings because of their high specific strength and stiffness. In some cases, weight has been reduced by up to 50% over aluminum investmentmore » casting. Beralcast is now being used to make thin wall precision investment castings for several advanced aerospace applications, such as the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter and F-22 jet fighter. This article discusses alloy compositions, properties, casting method, and the effects of cobalt additions on strength.« less

Aluminum ions induce oat protoplasts to produce an extracellular (1 yields 3). beta. -D-glucan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schaeffer, H.J.; Walton, J.D.

1990-09-01

Aluminum chloride induced mesophyll protoplasts of oat (Avena sativa) to produce an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS). EPS induced by AlCl{sub 3} appeared identical to that produced in response to the phytotoxin victorin. Al ions at 1 millimolar were toxic to protoplasts, but maximum EPS production occurred at a sublethal concentration of 200 micromolar, assayed at pH 6.0. As measured by incorporation of ({sup 14}C)glucose, AlCl{sub 3} stimulated EPS production 10- to 15-fold. Pretreatment of protoplasts with cycloheximide prevented EPS production but not cell death in response to AlCl{sub 3}, indicating that protein synthesis was necessary for EPS production but not formore » the phytotoxicity of Al ions. The trivalent salts of Y, Yb, Gd, and In also induced EPS production but those of Sc, Fe, Ga, Cr, and La did not. Mesophyll protoplasts from an acid-soil tolerant oat cultivar produced less EPS in response to AlCl{sub 3} than the acid-soil sensitive cultivar Fla 501. EPS was also produced by wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) protoplasts in response to AlCl{sub 3}. An Al-tolerant cultivar of wheat, Atlas, produced less EPS than an Al-sensitive cultivar, Scout, but an Al-tolerant cultivar of barley, Dayton, produced more than the Al-sensitive cultivar Kearney. Therefore, production of EPS by protoplasts in response to Al ions did not appear to be related to Al ion tolerance at the level of whole plants. EPS fluoresced in the presence of Calcofluor and Sirofluor and was degraded by purified laminarinase ((1{yields}3){beta}-D-glucanase) but did not pectinase (polygalacturonase). EPS was composed solely of glucose in 1{yields}3 linkages; hence it is a (1{yields}3){beta}-D-glucan (callose).« less

Plasmon-induced optical switching of electrical conductivity in porous anodic aluminum oxide films encapsulated with silver nanoparticle arrays.

PubMed

Huang, Chen-Han; Lin, Hsing-Ying; Lau, Ben-Chao; Liu, Chih-Yi; Chui, Hsiang-Chen; Tzeng, Yonhua

2010-12-20

We report on plasmon induced optical switching of electrical conductivity in two-dimensional (2D) arrays of silver (Ag) nanoparticles encapsulated inside nanochannels of porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) films. The reversible switching of photoconductivity greatly enhanced by an array of closely spaced Ag nanoparticles which are isolated from each other and from the ambient by thin aluminum oxide barrier layers are attributed to the improved electron transport due to the localized surface plasmon resonance and coupling among Ag nanoparticles. The photoconductivity is proportional to the power, and strongly dependent on the wavelength of light illumination. With Ag nanoparticles being isolated from the ambient environments by a thin layer of aluminum oxide barrier layer of controlled thickness in nanometers to tens of nanometers, deterioration of silver nanoparticles caused by environments is minimized. The electrochemically fabricated nanostructured Ag/AAO is inexpensive and promising for applications to integrated plasmonic circuits and sensors.

Luminescence parameters of InP/ZnS@AAO nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savchenko, S. S.; Vokhmintsev, A. S.; Weinstein, I. A.

2016-03-01

Nanostructured membranes of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) with InP/ZnS semiconductor nanocrystals deposited in pores were synthesized by electrochemical technique, physical deposition and post processing in an ultrasonic bath. Photoluminescence spectra of the samples were studied. Fluorescent properties of the quantum dots are found to be retained after the deposition. The color range is illustrated that can be covered using membranes annealed at temperatures < 900°C and by varying the concentration of the deposited InP/ZnS nanocrystals. Chromaticity coordinates and correlated color temperature for the fabricated white InP/ZnS@AAO phosphor are (0.21, 0.26) and 4115 K, respectively.

Filler wire for aluminum alloys and method of welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bjorkman, Jr., Gerald W. O. (Inventor); Cho, Alex (Inventor); Russell, Carolyn K. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A weld filler wire chemistry has been developed for fusion welding 2195 aluminum-lithium. The weld filler wire chemistry is an aluminum-copper based alloy containing high additions of titanium and zirconium. The additions of titanium and zirconium reduce the crack susceptibility of aluminum alloy welds while producing good weld mechanical properties. The addition of silver further improves the weld properties of the weld filler wire. The reduced weld crack susceptibility enhances the repair weldability, including when planishing is required.

Enhanced light absorption of silicon solar cells with dielectric nanostructured back reflector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Rui; Zhong, Zheng

2018-06-01

This paper investigates the light absorption property of nanostructured dielectric reflectors in silicon thin film solar cells using numerical simulation. Flat thin film solar cell with ZnO nanostructured back reflector can produce comparable photocurrent to the control model with Ag nanostructured back reflector. Furthermore, when it is integrated with nano-pillar surface decoration, a photocurrent density of 29.5 mA/cm2 can be achieved, demonstrating a photocurrent enhancement of 5% as compared to the model with Ag nanostructured back reflector.

Aluminum Carbothermic Technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bruno, Marshall J.

2005-03-31

This report documents the non-proprietary research and development conducted on the Aluminum Carbothermic Technology (ACT) project from contract inception on July 01, 2000 to termination on December 31, 2004. The objectives of the program were to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of a new carbothermic process for producing commercial grade aluminum, designated as the ''Advanced Reactor Process'' (ARP). The scope of the program ranged from fundamental research through small scale laboratory experiments (65 kW power input) to larger scale test modules at up to 1600 kW power input. The tasks included work on four components of the process, Stagesmore » 1 and 2 of the reactor, vapor recovery and metal alloy decarbonization; development of computer models; and economic analyses of capital and operating costs. Justification for developing a new, carbothermic route to aluminum production is defined by the potential benefits in reduced energy, lower costs and more favorable environmental characteristics than the conventional Hall-Heroult process presently used by the industry. The estimated metrics for these advantages include energy rates at approximately 10 kWh/kg Al (versus over 13 kWh/kg Al for Hall-Heroult), capital costs as low as $1250 per MTY (versus 4,000 per MTY for Hall-Heroult), operating cost reductions of over 10%, and up to 37% reduction in CO2 emissions for fossil-fuel power plants. Realization of these benefits would be critical to sustaining the US aluminum industries position as a global leader in primary aluminum production. One very attractive incentive for ARP is its perceived ability to cost effectively produce metal over a range of smelter sizes, not feasible for Hall-Heroult plants which must be large, 240,000 TPY or more, to be economical. Lower capacity stand alone carbothermic smelters could be utilized to supply molten metal at fabrication facilities similar to the mini-mill concept employed by the steel industry. Major

Metal sulfide and rare-earth phosphate nanostructures and methods of making same

DOEpatents

Wong, Stanislaus; Zhang, Fen

2014-05-13

The present invention provides a method of producing a crystalline metal sulfide nanostructure. The metal is a transitional metal or a Group IV metal. In the method, a porous membrane is placed between a metal precursor solution and a sulfur precursor solution. The metal cations of the metal precursor solution and sulfur ions of the sulfur precursor solution react, thereby producing a crystalline metal sulfide nanostructure.

Development and optimization of iron- and zinc-containing nanostructured powders for nutritional applications.

PubMed

Hilty, F M; Teleki, A; Krumeich, F; Büchel, R; Hurrell, R F; Pratsinis, S E; Zimmermann, M B

2009-11-25

Reducing the size of low-solubility iron (Fe)-containing compounds to nanoscale has the potential to improve their bioavailability. Because Fe and zinc (Zn) deficiencies often coexist in populations, combined Fe/Zn-containing nanostructured compounds may be useful for nutritional applications. Such compounds are developed here and their solubility in dilute acid, a reliable indicator of iron bioavailability in humans, and sensory qualities in sensitive food matrices are investigated. Phosphates and oxides of Fe and atomically mixed Fe/Zn-containing (primarily ZnFe2O4) nanostructured powders were produced by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP). Chemical composition and surface area were systematically controlled by varying precursor concentration and feed rate during powder synthesis to increase solubility to the level of ferrous sulfate at maximum Fe and Zn content. Solubility of the nanostructured compounds was dependent on their particle size and crystallinity. The new nanostructured powders produced minimal color changes when added to dairy products containing chocolate or fruit compared to the changes produced when ferrous sulfate or ferrous fumarate were added to these foods. Flame-made Fe- and Fe/Zn-containing nanostructured powders have solubilities comparable to ferrous and Zn sulfate but may produce fewer color changes when added to difficult-to-fortify foods. Thus, these powders are promising for food fortification and other nutritional applications.

Self-assembly of amorphous biophotonic nanostructures by phase separation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dufresne, Eric R.; Noh, Heeso; Saranathan, Vinodkumar

2009-04-23

Some of the most vivid colors in the animal kingdom are created not by pigments, but by wavelength-selective scattering of light from nanostructures. Here we investigate quasi-ordered nanostructures of avian feather barbs which produce vivid non-iridescent colors. These {beta}-keratin and air nanostructures are found in two basic morphologies: tortuous channels and amorphous packings of spheres. Each class of nanostructure is isotropic and has a pronounced characteristic length scale of variation in composition. These local structural correlations lead to strong backscattering over a narrow range of optical frequencies and little variation with angle of incidence. Such optical properties play important rolesmore » in social and sexual communication. To be effective, birds need to precisely control the development of these nanoscale structures, yet little is known about how they grow. We hypothesize that multiple lineages of birds have convergently evolved to exploit phase separation and kinetic arrest to self-assemble spongy color-producing nanostructures in feather barbs. Observed avian nanostructures are strikingly similar to those self-assembled during the phase separation of fluid mixtures; the channel and sphere morphologies are characteristic of phase separation by spinodal decomposition and nucleation and growth, respectively. These unstable structures are locked-in by the kinetic arrest of the {beta}-keratin matrix, likely through the entanglement or cross-linking of supermolecular {beta}-keratin fibers. Using the power of self-assembly, birds can robustly realize a diverse range of nanoscopic morphologies with relatively small physical and chemical changes during feather development.« less

Methods of making metal oxide nanostructures and methods of controlling morphology of same

DOEpatents

Wong, Stanislaus S; Hongjun, Zhou

2012-11-27

The present invention includes a method of producing a crystalline metal oxide nanostructure. The method comprises providing a metal salt solution and providing a basic solution; placing a porous membrane between the metal salt solution and the basic solution, wherein metal cations of the metal salt solution and hydroxide ions of the basic solution react, thereby producing a crystalline metal oxide nanostructure.

Metal sulfide and rare-earth phosphate nanostructures and methods of making same

DOEpatents

Wong, Stanislaus; Zhang, Fen

2016-06-28

The present invention provides a method of producing a crystalline rare earth phosphate nanostructure. The method comprising: providing a rare earth metal precursor solution and providing a phosphate precursor solution; placing a porous membrane between the metal precursor solution and the phosphate precursor solution, wherein metal cations of the metal precursor solution and phosphate ions of the phosphate precursor solution react, thereby producing a crystalline rare earth metal phosphate nanostructure.

Metal-matrix radiation-protective composite materials based on aluminum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherdyntsev, V. V.; Gorshenkov, M. V.; Danilov, V. D.; Kaloshkin, S. D.; Gul'bin, V. N.

2013-05-01

A method of mechanical activation providing a homogeneous distribution of reinforcing boron-bearing components and tungsten nanopowder in the matrix is recommended for making an aluminum-based radiation- protective material. Joint mechanical activation and subsequent extrusion are used to produce aluminum- based composites. The structure and the physical, mechanical and tribological characteristics of the composite materials are studied.

Fabrication of Aluminum-Based Thermal Radiation Plate for Thermoelectric Module Using Aluminum Anodic Oxidization and Copper Electroplating.

PubMed

Choi, Yi Taek; Bae, Sung Hwa; Son, Injoon; Sohn, Ho Sang; Kim, Kyung Tae; Ju, Young-Wan

2018-09-01

In this study, electrolytic etching, anodic oxidation, and copper electroplating were applied to aluminum to produce a plate on which a copper circuit for a thermoelectric module was formed. An oxide film insulating layer was formed on the aluminum through anodic oxidation, and platinum was coated by sputtering to produce conductivity. Finally, copper electroplating was performed directly on the substrate. In this structure, the copper plating layer on the insulating layer served as a conductive layer in the circuit. The adhesion of the copper plating layer was improved by electrolytic etching. As a result, the thermoelectric module fabricated in this study showed excellent adhesion and good insulation characteristics. It is expected that our findings can contribute to the manufacture of plates applicable to thermoelectric modules with high dissipation performance.

Fabrication and characterization of nanostructured Mg-doped CdS/AAO nanoporous membrane for sensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaban, Mohamed; Mustafa, Mona; Hamdy, Hany

2016-04-01

In this study, Mg-doped CdS nanostructure was deposited onto anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane substrate using sol-gel spin coating method. The AAO membrane was prepared by a two-step anodization process combined with pore widening process. The morphology, chemical composition, and structure of the spin- coated CdS nanostructure have been studied. The morphology of the fabricated AAO membrane and the deposited Mg-doped CdS nanostructure was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM of AAO illustrates a typical hexagonal and smooth nanoporous alumina membrane with interpore distance of ~ 100 nm, the pore diameter of ~ 60 nm. SEM of Mgdoped CdS shows porous nanostructured film of CdS nanoparticles. This film well adherents and covers the AAO substrate. The energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) pattern exhibits the signals of Al, O from AAO membrane and Mg, Cd, and S from the deposited CdS. This indicates the high purity of the fabricated membrane and the deposited Mg-doped CdS nanostructure. Using X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern, Scherrer equation was used to calculate the average crystallite size. Additionally, the texture coefficients and density of dislocations were calculated. The fabricated CdS/AAO was applied to detect glucose of different concentrations. The proposed method has some advantages such as simple technology, low cost of processing, and high throughput. All of these factors facilitate the use of the prepared films in sensing applications.

High energy density aluminum-oxygen cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rudd, E. J.; Gibbons, D. W.

1993-01-01

An alternative to a secondary battery as the power source for vehicle propulsion is a fuel cell. An example of this is the metal-air fuel cell using metals such as aluminum, zinc, or iron. Aluminum is a particularly attractive candidate, having high energy and power densities, being environmentally acceptable, and having a large, established industrial base for production and distribution. An aluminum-oxygen system is currently under development for a UUV test vehicle, and recent work has focussed upon low corrosion aluminum alloys and an electrolyte management system for processing the by-products of the energy-producing reactions. This paper summarizes the progress made in both areas. Anode materials capable of providing high utilization factors over current densities ranging from S to 150 mA/sq cm have been identified. These materials are essential to realizing an acceptable mission life for the UUV. With respect to the electrolyte management system, a filter/precipitator unit has been successfully operated for over 250 hours in a large scale, half-cell system.

Understanding the biological responses of nanostructured metals and surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowe, Terry C.; Reiss, Rebecca A.

2014-08-01

Metals produced by Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) offer distinct advantages for medical applications such as orthopedic devices, in part because of their nanostructured surfaces. We examine the current theoretical foundations and state of knowledge for nanostructured biomaterials surface optimization within the contexts that apply to bulk nanostructured metals, differentiating how their microstructures impact osteogenesis, in particular, for Ultrafine Grained (UFG) titanium. Then we identify key gaps in the research to date, pointing out areas which merit additional focus within the scientific community. For example, we highlight the potential of next-generation DNA sequencing techniques (NGS) to reveal gene and non-coding RNA (ncRNA) expression changes induced by nanostructured metals. While our understanding of bio-nano interactions is in its infancy, nanostructured metals are already being marketed or developed for medical devices such as dental implants, spinal devices, and coronary stents. Our ability to characterize and optimize the biological response of cells to SPD metals will have synergistic effects on advances in materials, biological, and medical science.

Aluminum anode for aluminum-air battery - Part I: Influence of aluminum purity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Young-Joo; Park, In-Jun; Lee, Hyeok-Jae; Kim, Jung-Gu

2015-03-01

2N5 commercial grade aluminum (99.5% purity) leads to the lower aluminum-air battery performances than 4N high pure grade aluminum (99.99% purity) due to impurities itself and formed impurity complex layer which contained Fe, Si, Cu and others. The impurity complex layer of 2N5 grade Al declines the battery voltage on standby status. It also depletes discharge current and battery efficiency at 1.0 V which is general operating voltage of aluminum-air battery. However, the impurity complex layer of 2N5 grade Al is dissolved with decreasing discharge voltage to 0.8 V. This phenomenon leads to improvement of discharge current density and battery efficiency by reducing self-corrosion reaction. This study demonstrates the possibility of use of 2N5 grade Al which is cheaper than 4N grade Al as the anode for aluminum-air battery.

Rinne revisited: steel versus aluminum tuning forks.

PubMed

MacKechnie, Cheryl A; Greenberg, Jesse J; Gerkin, Richard C; McCall, Andrew A; Hirsch, Barry E; Durrant, John D; Raz, Yael

2013-12-01

(1) Determine whether tuning fork material (aluminum vs stainless steel) affects Rinne testing in the clinical assessment of conductive hearing loss (CHL). (2) Determine the relative acoustic and mechanical outputs of 512-Hz tuning forks made of aluminum and stainless steel. Prospective, observational. Outpatient otology clinic. Fifty subjects presenting May 2011 to May 2012 with negative or equivocal Rinne in at least 1 ear and same-day audiometry. Rinne test results using aluminum and steel forks were compared and correlated with the audiometric air-bone gap. Bench top measurements using sound-level meter, microphone, and artificial mastoid. Patients with CHL were more likely to produce a negative Rinne test with a steel fork than with an aluminum fork. Logistic regression revealed that the probability of a negative Rinne reached 50% at a 19 dB air-bone gap for stainless steel versus 27 dB with aluminum. Bench top testing revealed that steel forks demonstrate, in effect, more comparable air and bone conduction efficiencies while aluminum forks have relatively lower bone conduction efficiency. We have found that steel tuning forks can detect a lesser air-bone gap compared to aluminum tuning forks. This is substantiated by observations of clear differences in the relative acoustic versus mechanical outputs of steel and aluminum forks, reflecting underlying inevitable differences in acoustic versus mechanical impedances of these devices, and thus efficiency of coupling sound/vibratory energy to the auditory system. These findings have clinical implications for using tuning forks to determine candidacy for stapes surgery.

Disorder in convergent floral nanostructures enhances signalling to bees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyroud, Edwige; Wenzel, Tobias; Middleton, Rox; Rudall, Paula J.; Banks, Hannah; Reed, Alison; Mellers, Greg; Killoran, Patrick; Westwood, M. Murphy; Steiner, Ullrich; Vignolini, Silvia; Glover, Beverley J.

2017-10-01

Diverse forms of nanoscale architecture generate structural colour and perform signalling functions within and between species. Structural colour is the result of the interference of light from approximately regular periodic structures; some structural disorder is, however, inevitable in biological organisms. Is this disorder functional and subject to evolutionary selection, or is it simply an unavoidable outcome of biological developmental processes? Here we show that disordered nanostructures enable flowers to produce visual signals that are salient to bees. These disordered nanostructures (identified in most major lineages of angiosperms) have distinct anatomies but convergent optical properties; they all produce angle-dependent scattered light, predominantly at short wavelengths (ultraviolet and blue). We manufactured artificial flowers with nanoscale structures that possessed tailored levels of disorder in order to investigate how foraging bumblebees respond to this optical effect. We conclude that floral nanostructures have evolved, on multiple independent occasions, an effective degree of relative spatial disorder that generates a photonic signature that is highly salient to insect pollinators.

Blue reflectance in tarantulas is evolutionarily conserved despite nanostructural diversity

PubMed Central

Hsiung, Bor-Kai; Deheyn, Dimitri D.; Shawkey, Matthew D.; Blackledge, Todd A.

2015-01-01

Slight shifts in arrangement within biological photonic nanostructures can produce large color differences, and sexual selection often leads to high color diversity in clades with structural colors. We use phylogenetic reconstruction, electron microscopy, spectrophotometry, and optical modeling to show an opposing pattern of nanostructural diversification accompanied by unusual conservation of blue color in tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae). In contrast to other clades, blue coloration in phylogenetically distant tarantulas peaks within a narrow 20-nm region around 450 nm. Both quasi-ordered and multilayer nanostructures found in different tarantulas produce this blue color. Thus, even within monophyletic lineages, tarantulas have evolved strikingly similar blue coloration through divergent mechanisms. The poor color perception and lack of conspicuous display during courtship of tarantulas argue that these colors are not sexually selected. Therefore, our data contrast with sexual selection that typically produces a diverse array of colors with a single structural mechanism by showing that natural selection on structural color in tarantulas resulted in convergence on similar color through diverse structural mechanisms. PMID:26702433

A nanostructural basis for gloss of avian eggshells

PubMed Central

Igic, Branislav; Fecheyr-Lippens, Daphne; Xiao, Ming; Chan, Andrew; Hanley, Daniel; Brennan, Patricia R. L.; Grim, Tomas; Waterhouse, Geoffrey I. N.; Hauber, Mark E.; Shawkey, Matthew D.

2015-01-01

The role of pigments in generating the colour and maculation of birds' eggs is well characterized, whereas the effects of the eggshell's nanostructure on the visual appearance of eggs are little studied. Here, we examined the nanostructural basis of glossiness of tinamou eggs. Tinamou eggs are well known for their glossy appearance, but the underlying mechanism responsible for this optical effect is unclear. Using experimental manipulations in conjunction with angle-resolved spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and chemical analyses, we show that the glossy appearance of tinamou eggshells is produced by an extremely smooth cuticle, composed of calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate and, potentially, organic compounds such as proteins and pigments. Optical calculations corroborate surface smoothness as the main factor producing gloss. Furthermore, we reveal the presence of weak iridescence on eggs of the great tinamou (Tinamus major), an optical effect never previously documented for bird eggs. These data highlight the need for further exploration into the nanostructural mechanisms for the production of colour and other optical effects of avian eggshells. PMID:25505139

Bottom-up multiferroic nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Shenqiang

Multiferroic and especially magnetoelectric (ME) nanocomposites have received extensive attention due to their potential applications in spintronics, information storage and logic devices. The extrinsic ME coupling in composites is strain mediated via the interface between the piezoelectric and magnetostrictive components. However, the design and synthesis of controlled nanostructures with engineering enhanced coupling remain a significant challenge. The purpose of this thesis is to create nanostructures with very large interface densities and unique connectivities of the two phases in a controlled manner. Using inorganic solid state phase transformations and organic block copolymer self assembly methodologies, we present novel self assembly "bottom-up" techniques as a general protocol for the nanofabrication of multifunctional devices. First, Lead-Zirconium-Titanate/Nickel-Ferrite (PZT/NFO) vertical multilamellar nanostructures have been produced by crystallizing and decomposing a gel in a magnetic field below the Curie temperature of NFO. The ensuing microstructure is nanoscopically periodic and anisotropic. The wavelength of the PZT/NFO alternation, 25 nm, agrees within a factor of two with the theoretically estimated value. The macroscopic ferromagnetic and magnetoelectric responses correspond qualitatively and semi-quantitatively to the features of the nanostructure. The maximum of the field dependent magnetoelectric susceptibility equals 1.8 V/cm Oe. Second, a magnetoelectric composite with controlled nanostructures is synthesized using co-assembly of two inorganic precursors with a block copolymer. This solution processed material consists of hexagonally arranged ferromagnetic cobalt ferrite (CFO) nano-cylinders within a matrix of ferroelectric Lead-Zirconium-Titanate (PZT). The initial magnetic permeability of the self-assembled CFO/PZT nanocomposite changes by a factor of 5 through the application of 2.5 V. This work may have significant impact on the

Rapid Solid-State Metathesis Routes to Nanostructured Silicon-Germainum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, Marc (Inventor); Kaner, Richard B. (Inventor); Bux, Sabah K. (Inventor); Fleurial, Jean-Pierre (Inventor)

2014-01-01

Methods for producing nanostructured silicon and silicon-germanium via solid state metathesis (SSM). The method of forming nanostructured silicon comprises the steps of combining a stoichiometric mixture of silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) and an alkaline earth metal silicide into a homogeneous powder, and initating the reaction between the silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) with the alkaline earth metal silicide. The method of forming nanostructured silicon-germanium comprises the steps of combining a stoichiometric mixture of silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) and a germanium based precursor into a homogeneous powder, and initiating the reaction between the silicon tetraiodide (SiI4) with the germanium based precursors.

Engineering Nano-Structured Multiferroic Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, Pui Lam

Multiferroics exhibit remarkable tunabilities in their ferromagnetic, ferroelectric and magnetoelectric properties that provide the potential in enabling the control of magnetizations by electric field for the next generation non-volatile memories, antennas and motors. In recent research and developments in integrating single-phase ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials, multiferroic composite demonstrated a promising magnetoelectric (ME) coupling for future applications. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique, on the other hand, allows fabrications of complex multiferroic nanostructures to investigate interfacial coupling between the two materials. In this work, radical-enhanced ALD of cobalt ferrite (CFO) and thermal ALD of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) were combined in fabricating complex multiferroic architectures in investigating the effect of nanostructuring and magnetic shape anisotropy on improving ME coupling. In particular, 1D CFO nanotubes and nanowires; 0D-3D CFO/PZT mesoporous composite; and 1D-1D CFO/PZT core-shell nanowire composite were studied. The potential implementation of nanostructured multiferroic composites into functioning devices was assessed by quantifying the converse ME coupling coefficient. The synthesis of 1D CFO nanostructures was realized by ALD of CFO in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes. This work provided a simple and inexpensive route to create parallel and high aspect ratio ( 55) magnetic nanostructures. The change in magnetic easy axis of (partially filled) CFO nanotubes from perpendicular to parallel in (fully-filled) nanowires indicated the significance of the geometric factor in controlling magnetizations and ME coupling. The 0D-3D CFO/PZT mesoporous composite demonstrated the optimizations of the strain transfer could be achieved by precise thickness control. 100 nm of mesoporous PZT was synthesized on Pt/TiOx/SiO2/Si using amphiphilic diblock copolymers as a porous ferroelectric template (10 nm pore diameter) for

Achieving Carbon Neutrality in the Global Aluminum Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Subodh

2012-02-01

In the 21st century, sustainability is widely regarded as the new corporate culture, and leading manufacturing companies (Toyota, GE, and Alcoa) and service companies (Google and Federal Express) are striving towards carbon neutrality. The current carbon footprint of the global aluminum industry is estimated at 500 million metric tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq), representing about 1.7% of global emissions from all sources. For the global aluminum industry, carbon neutrality is defined as a state where the total "in-use" CO2eq saved from all products in current use, including incremental process efficiency improvements, recycling, and urban mining activities, equals the CO2eq expended to produce the global output of aluminum. This paper outlines an integrated and quantifiable plan for achieving "carbon neutrality" in the global aluminum industry by advocating five actionable steps: (1) increase use of "green" electrical energy grid by 8%, (2) reduce process energy needs by 16%, (3) deploy 35% of products in "in-use" energy saving applications, (4) divert 6.1 million metric tonnes/year from landfills, and (5) mine 4.5 million metric tonnes/year from aluminum-rich "urban mines." Since it takes 20 times more energy to make aluminum from bauxite ore than to recycle it from scrap, the global aluminum industry could set a reasonable, self-imposed energy/carbon neutrality goal to incrementally increase the supply of recycled aluminum by at least 1.05 metric tonnes for every tonne of incremental production via primary aluminum smelter capacity. Furthermore, the aluminum industry can and should take a global leadership position by actively developing internationally accepted and approved carbon footprint credit protocols.

Aluminum Lithium Alloy 2195 Fusion Welding Improvements with New Filler Wire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, Carolyn; Bjorkman, Gerry; McCool, Carolyn (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

A viewgraph presentation outlines NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Lockheed Martin Michoud Space Systems, and McCook Metals' development an aluminum-copper weld filler wire for fusion welding 2195 aluminum lithium. The aluminum-copper based weld filler wire has been identified as B218, which is the result of six years of weld filler wire development funded by NASA, Lockheed Martin, and McCook Metals. The Super Lightweight External Tank for the NASA Space Shuttle Program consists of 2195 welded with 4043 aluminum-silicon weld filler wire. The B218 filler wire chemistry was developed to produce enhanced 2195 weld and repair weld mechanical properties. An initial characterization of the B218 weld filler wire was performed consisting of initial weld and repair weld evaluation comparing B218 and 4043. The testing involved room temperature and cryogenic tensile testing along with fracture toughness testing. B218 weld filler wire proved to produce enhanced initial and repair weld tensile and fracture properties over 4043. B218 weld filler wire has proved to be a superior weld filler wire for welding 2195 and other aluminum lithium alloys over 4043.

Synthesis and processing of nanostructured BN and BN/Ti composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horvath, Robert Steven

Superhard materials, such as cubic-BN, are widely used in machine tools, grinding wheels, and abrasives. Low density combined with high hardness makes c-BN and its composites attractive candidate materials for personnel and vehicular armor. However, improvements in toughness, and ballistic-impact performance, are needed to meet anticipated performance requirements. To achieve such improvements, we have targeted for development nanostructured c-BN, and its composites with Ti. Current research utilizes an experimental high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) method to produce these materials on a laboratory scale. Results from this work should transfer well into the industrial arena, utilizing high-tonnage presses used in the production of synthetic diamond and c-BN. Progress has been made in: (1) HPHT synthesis of cBN powder using Mg as catalyst; (2) HPHT consolidation of cBN powder to produce nanostructured cBN; (3) reactive-HPHT consolidation of mixed cBN/Ti powder to produce nanostructured Ti- or TiB2/TiN-bonded cBN; and (4) reactive-HPHT consolidation of mixed hBN/Ti powder to produce nanostructured Ti-bonded TiB2/TiN or TiB2/TiN. Even so, much remains to be done to lay a firm scientific foundation to enable the reproducible fabrication of large-area panels for armor applications. To this end, Rutgers has formed a partnership with a major producer of hard and superhard materials. The ability to produce hard and superhard nanostructured composites by reacting cBN or hBN with Ti under high pressure also enables multi-layered structures to be developed. Such structures may be designed to satisfy impedance-mismatch requirements for high performance armor, and possibly provide a multi-hit capability. A demonstration has been made of reactive-HPHT processing of multi-layered composites, consisting of alternating layers of superhard Ti-bonded cBN and tough Ti. It is noteworthy that the pressure requirements for processing Ti-bonded cBN, Ti-bonded TiB2/TiN, and their

PHOTONICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY Laser nanostructuring of materials surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavestovskaya, I. N.

2010-12-01

This paper reviews results of experimental and theoretical studies of surface micro- and nanostructuring of metals and other materials irradiated directly by short and ultrashort laser pulses. Special attention is paid to direct laser action involving melting of the material (with or without ablation), followed by ultrarapid surface solidification, which is an effective approach to producing surface nanostructures. Theoretical analysis of recrystallisation kinetics after irradiation by ultrashort laser pulses makes it possible to determine the volume fraction of crystallised phase and the average size of forming crystalline structures as functions of laser treatment regime and thermodynamic properties of the material. The present results can be used to optimise pulsed laser treatment regime in order to ensure control nanostructuring of metal surfaces.

Photoemission study of tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum/aluminum oxide/tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum interface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ding Huanjun; Zorba, Serkan; Gao Yongli

2006-12-01

The evolution of the interface electronic structure of a sandwich structure involving aluminum oxide and tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq), i.e. (Alq/AlO{sub x}/Alq), has been investigated with photoemission spectroscopy. Strong chemical reactions have been observed due to aluminum deposition onto the Alq substrate. The subsequent oxygen exposure releases some of the Alq molecules from the interaction with aluminum. Finally, the deposition of the top Alq layer leads to an asymmetry in the electronic energy level alignment with respect to the AlO{sub x} interlayer.

Characterization and analysis of thermoelectric transport using SPB model in nanostructured aluminum doped zinc tellurium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaskar, Ankam; Pai, Yi-Hsuan; Liu, Chia-Jyi

2017-11-01

Low-temperature electronic and thermal transport measurements are carried out on nanostructured Zn1-x Al x Te (0  ⩽  x  ⩽  0.15) fabricated using hydrothermal synthesis followed by evacuated-and-encapsulated sintering. A single parabolic band with acoustic phonon scattering is used to analyze thermoelectric transport data. It is found that reduced Fermi energy gets closer to the valence band edge and density of states effective mass, effective density of states, and Hall factor decrease with increasing x in doped samples. The chemical carrier concentration, carrier density independent mobility, β, and theoretical zT values increase with increasing x in doped samples. The nanostructured Zn1-x Al x Te exhibits significant reduction of thermal conductivity at 300 K (1.82-3.71 W m-1 K-1) as compared to bulk ZnTe (18 W m-1 K-1). The point-defect scattering and phonon-grain scattering play an important role in reducing the lattice thermal conductivity. In addition, partial substitution of Al3+ for Zn2+ significantly improves both the power factor and zT values.

Absorptive coating for aluminum solar panels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desmet, D.; Jason, A.; Parr, A.

1979-01-01

Method for coating forming coating of copper oxide from copper component of sheet aluminum/copper alloy provides strong durable solar heat collector panels. Copper oxide coating has solar absorption characteristics similar to black chrome and is much simpler and less costly to produce.

Monolayer boron-aluminum compacted sheet material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sumner, E. V.

1973-01-01

The manufacturing techniques, basic materials used, and equipment required to produce monolayer boron-aluminum composites are described. Tentative materials and process specifications are included. Improvements in bonding and filament spacing obtained through use of brazing powder in the fugitive binder are discussed.

Au nanostructure fabrication by pulsed laser deposition in open air: Influence of the deposition geometry.

PubMed

Nikov, Rumen G; Dikovska, Anna Og; Nedyalkov, Nikolay N; Avdeev, Georgi V; Atanasov, Petar A

2017-01-01

We present a fast and flexible method for the fabrication of Au nanocolumns. Au nanostructures were produced by pulsed laser deposition in air at atmospheric pressure. No impurities or Au compounds were detected in the resulting samples. The nanoparticles and nanoaggregates produced in the ablated plasma at atmospheric pressure led to the formation of chain-like nanostructures on the substrate. The dependence of the surface morphology of the samples on the deposition geometry used in the experimental set up was studied. Nanocolumns of different size and density were produced by varying the angle between the plasma plume and the substrate. The electrical, optical, and hydrophobic properties of the samples were studied and discussed in relation to their morphology. All of the nanostructures were conductive, with conductivity increasing with the accumulation of ablated material on the substrate. The modification of the electrical properties of the nanostructures was demonstrated by irradiation by infrared light. The Au nanostructures fabricated by the proposed technology are difficult to prepare by other methods, which makes the simple implementation and realization in ambient conditions presented in this work more ideal for industrial applications.

Response to Thermal Exposure of Ball-Milled Aluminum-Borax Powder Blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birol, Yucel

2013-04-01

Aluminum-borax powder mixtures were ball milled and heated above 873 K (600 °C) to produce Al-B master alloys. Ball-milled powder blends reveal interpenetrating layers of deformed aluminum and borax grains that are increasingly refined with increasing milling time. Thermal exposure of the ball-milled powder blends facilitates a series of thermite reactions between these layers. Borax, dehydrated during heating, is reduced by Al, and B thus generated reacts with excess Al to produce AlB2 particles dispersed across the aluminum grains starting at 873 K (600 °C). AlB2 particles start to form along the interface of the aluminum and borax layers. Once nucleated, these particles grow readily to become hexagonal-shaped crystals that traverse the aluminum grains with increasing temperatures as evidenced by the increase in the size as well as in the number of the AlB2 particles. Ball milling for 1 hour suffices to achieve a thermite reaction between borax and aluminum. Ball milling further does not impact the response of the powder blend to thermal exposure. The nucleation-reaction sites are multiplied, however, with increasing milling time and thus insure a higher number of smaller AlB2 particles. The size of the AlB2 platelets may be adjusted with the ball milling time.

"Ripples" in an Aluminum Pool?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohr, James; Wang, Si-Yin; Nesterenko, Vitali F.

2018-01-01

Our motivation for this article is for students to realize that opportunities for discovery are all around them. Discoveries that can still puzzle present day researchers. Here we explore an observation by a middle school student concerning the production of what appears to be water-like "ripples" produced in aluminum foil when placed…

SLM processing-microstructure-mechanical property correlation in an aluminum alloy produced by additive manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alejos, Martin Fernando

Additive manufacturing has become a highly researched topic in recent years all over the world. The current research evaluates the merits of additive manufacturing based on the mechanical, microstructural, and fracture properties of additive manufactured AlSi10Mg test specimens. The additive manufactured build plates consisted of tensile and fatigue test specimens. They were printed in the 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° orientations relative to the build platform. Tensile and dynamic fatigue tests were conducted followed by microstructural characterization and fracture analysis. A wrought 6061 T6 aluminum alloy was also tested for comparison. Tensile tests revealed similar ultimate tensile strengths for all aluminum tensile specimens (350-380 MPa). Fatigue strength was greatest for wrought 6061 T6 aluminum (175 MPa). The fatigue behavior was a strong function of build orientation for the additive manufactured specimens. The 0°, 30°, and 60° orientations had fatigue strengths close to 104 MPa while the 90° orientation had a fatigue strength of 125 MPa. All test specimens failed primarily in a ductile manner. The effect of laser power, hatch spacing, and scan speed were also studied using microstructural analysis. Increasing laser power decreased grain size and void size. Increasing scan speed led to the formation of columnar grains. Increasing hatch spacing decreased grain size and the amount of voids present in the microstructure.

Strengthening Mechanisms in Nanostructured Al/SiCp Composite Manufactured by Accumulative Press Bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amirkhanlou, Sajjad; Rahimian, Mehdi; Ketabchi, Mostafa; Parvin, Nader; Yaghinali, Parisa; Carreño, Fernando

2016-10-01

The strengthening mechanisms in nanostructured Al/SiCp composite deformed to high strain by a novel severe plastic deformation process, accumulative press bonding (APB), were investigated. The composite exhibited yield strength of 148 MPa which was 5 and 1.5 times higher than that of raw aluminum (29 MPa) and aluminum-APB (95 MPa) alloys, respectively. A remarkable increase was also observed in the ultimate tensile strength of Al/SiCp-APB composite, 222 MPa, which was 2.5 and 1.2 times greater than the obtained values for raw aluminum (88 MPa) and aluminum-APB (180 MPa) alloys, respectively. Analytical models well described the contribution of various strengthening mechanisms. The contributions of grain boundary, strain hardening, thermal mismatch, Orowan, elastic mismatch, and load-bearing strengthening mechanisms to the overall strength of the Al/SiCp microcomposite were 64.9, 49, 6.8, 2.4, 5.4, and 1.5 MPa, respectively. Whereas Orowan strengthening mechanism was considered as the most dominating strengthening mechanism in Al/SiCp nanocomposites, it was negligible for strengthening the microcomposite. Al/SiCp nanocomposite showed good agreement with quadratic summation model; however, experimental results exhibited good accordance with arithmetic and compounding summation models in the microcomposite. While average grain size of the composite reached 380 nm, it was less than 100 nm in the vicinity of SiC particles as a result of particle-stimulated nucleation mechanism.

Biological activity and photostability of biflorin micellar nanostructures.

PubMed

Santana, Edson R B; Ferreira-Neto, João P; Yara, Ricardo; Sena, Kêsia X F R; Fontes, Adriana; Lima, Cláudia S A

2015-05-13

Capraria biflora L. is a shrub from the Scrophulariaceae family which produces in its roots a compound named biflorin, an o-naphthoquinone that shows activity against Gram-positive bacteria and fungi and also presents antitumor and antimetastatic activities. However, biflorin is hydrophobic and photosensitive. These properties make its application difficult. In this work we prepared biflorin micellar nanostructures looking for a more effective vehiculation and better preservation of the biological activity. Biflorin was obtained, purified and characterized by UV-Vis, infrared (IR) and 1H- and 13C-NMR. Micellar nanostructures of biflorin were then assembled with Tween 80®, Tween 20® and saline (0.9%) and characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The results showed that the micellar nanostructures were stable and presented an average size of 8.3 nm. Biflorin micellar nanostructures' photodegradation was evaluated in comparison with biflorin in ethanol. Results showed that the biflorin in micellar nanostructures was better protected from light than biflorin dissolved in ethanol, and also indicated that biflorin in micelles were efficient against Gram-positive bacteria and yeast species. In conclusion, the results showed that the micellar nanostructures could ensure the maintenance of the biological activity of biflorin, conferring photoprotection. Moreover, biflorin vehiculation in aqueous media was improved, favoring its applicability in biological systems.

75 FR 22114 - Aluminum Extrusions from the People's Republic of China: Initiation of Countervailing Duty...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-27

... sampling method. Section 771(4)(A) of the Act defines the ``industry'' as the producers as a whole of a... the PRC. At this time, given the unique nature of the alleged subsidy and the complex methodological... process, such as aluminum products produced by a method of casting. Cast aluminum products are properly...

Cerium-based, intermetallic-strengthened aluminum casting alloy: High-volume co-product development

DOE PAGES

Sims, Zachary C.; Weiss, David; McCall, S. K.; ...

2016-05-23

Here, several rare earth elements are considered by-products to rare earth mining efforts. By using one of these by-product elements in a high-volume application such as aluminum casting alloys, the supply of more valuable rare earths can be globally stabilized. Stabilizing the global rare earth market will decrease the long-term criticality of other rare earth elements. The low demand for Ce, the most abundant rare earth, contributes to the instability of rare earth extraction. In this article, we discuss a series of intermetallic-strengthened Al alloys that exhibit the potential for new high-volume use of Ce. The castability, structure, and mechanicalmore » properties of binary, ternary, and quaternary Al-Ce based alloys are discussed. We have determined Al-Ce based alloys to be highly castable across a broad range of compositions. Nanoscale intermetallics dominate the microstructure and are the theorized source of the high ductility. In addition, room-temperature physical properties appear to be competitive with existing aluminum alloys with extended high-temperature stability of the nanostructured intermetallic.« less

The use of aluminum nitride to improve Aluminum-26 Accelerator Mass Spectrometry measurements and production of Radioactive Ion Beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janzen, Meghan S.; Galindo-Uribarri, Alfredo; Liu, Yuan; Mills, Gerald D.; Romero-Romero, Elisa; Stracener, Daniel W.

2015-10-01

We present results and discuss the use of aluminum nitride as a promising source material for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs) science applications of 26Al isotopes. The measurement of 26Al in geological samples by AMS is typically conducted on Al2O3 targets. However, Al2O3 is not an ideal source material because it does not form a prolific beam of Al- required for measuring low-levels of 26Al. Multiple samples of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN), mixed Al2O3-AlN as well as aluminum fluoride (AlF3) were tested and compared using the ion source test facility and the stable ion beam (SIB) injector platform at the 25-MV tandem electrostatic accelerator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Negative ion currents of atomic and molecular aluminum were examined for each source material. It was found that pure AlN targets produced substantially higher beam currents than the other materials and that there was some dependence on the exposure of AlN to air. The applicability of using AlN as a source material for geological samples was explored by preparing quartz samples as Al2O3 and converting them to AlN using a carbothermal reduction technique, which involved reducing the Al2O3 with graphite powder at 1600 °C within a nitrogen atmosphere. The quartz material was successfully converted to AlN. Thus far, AlN proves to be a promising source material and could lead towards increasing the sensitivity of low-level 26Al AMS measurements. The potential of using AlN as a source material for nuclear physics is also very promising by placing 26AlN directly into a source to produce more intense radioactive beams of 26Al.

Carbon nanotubes for stabilization of nanostructured lipid particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaunt, Nicholas P.; Patil-Sen, Yogita; Baker, Matthew J.; Kulkarni, Chandrashekhar V.

2014-12-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly studied for innovative biotechnological applications particularly where they are combined with essential biological materials like lipids. Lipids have been used earlier for enhancing the dispersibility of CNTs in aqueous solutions. Here we report a novel application of CNTs for stabilization of internally self-assembled nanostructured lipid particles of 2-5 μm size. Single-walled (pristine) as well as -OH and -COOH functionalized multi-walled CNTs were employed to produce nanostructured emulsions which stayed stable for months and could be re-dispersed after complete dehydration. Concentrations of CNTs employed for stabilization were very low; moreover CNTs were well-decorated with lipid molecules. These features contribute towards reducing their toxicity and improving biocompatibility for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Our approach paves the way for future development of combination therapies employing both CNTs and nanostructured lipid self-assembly together as carriers of different drugs.Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly studied for innovative biotechnological applications particularly where they are combined with essential biological materials like lipids. Lipids have been used earlier for enhancing the dispersibility of CNTs in aqueous solutions. Here we report a novel application of CNTs for stabilization of internally self-assembled nanostructured lipid particles of 2-5 μm size. Single-walled (pristine) as well as -OH and -COOH functionalized multi-walled CNTs were employed to produce nanostructured emulsions which stayed stable for months and could be re-dispersed after complete dehydration. Concentrations of CNTs employed for stabilization were very low; moreover CNTs were well-decorated with lipid molecules. These features contribute towards reducing their toxicity and improving biocompatibility for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Our approach paves the way for future development

Effect of Surfactant on the Morphology of ZnO/Al:ZnO Nanostructures and Their Ethanol Sensing Applications at Room Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chitra, M.; Uthayarani, K.; Rajasekaran, N.; Neelakandeswari, N.; Girija, E. K.; Padiyan, D. Pathinettam

2016-11-01

Zinc oxide (ZnO) and aluminum (Al) doped ZnO nanostructures with and without surfactant have been successfully prepared via sol-gel route. The effect of the surfactant glyoxalic acid and various concentration of Al on the structural property of ZnO was analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The morphology of the samples was recorded using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The uniform distribution of ZnO nanostructures with hexagonal facets is facilitated by the surfactant and the grain growth is further inhibited by the increase in concentration of Al. The ethanol (0-300ppm) sensing characteristics of the as-prepared samples were systematically investigated at room temperature. Surfactant-assisted ZnO/Al:ZnO nanostructures show higher sensitivity of 94% at room temperature than ZnO/Al:ZnO nanostructures without surfactant. Faster response at 68s and recovery at 50s is also achieved by the samples. The surfactant-assisted ZnO nanostructures exhibit sharp selective detection towards ethanol when compared to the samples without surfactant. The enhanced ethanol sensing property may be ascribed to the larger surface area which is due to uniform and smaller crystallite size of the surfactant-assisted sample.

Gallium arsenide/gold nanostructures deposited using plasma method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mangla, O.; Physics Department, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007; Roy, S.

2016-05-23

The fabrication of gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanostructures on gold coated glass, quartz and silicon substrates using the high fluence and highly energetic ions has been reported. The high fluence and highly energetic ions are produced by the hot, dense and extremely non-equilibrium plasma in a modified dense plasma focus device. The nanostructures having mean size about 14 nm, 13 nm and 18 nm are deposited on gold coated glass, quartz and silicon substrates, respectively. The optical properties of nanostructures studied using absorption spectra show surface plasmon resonance peak of gold nanoparticles. In addition, the band-gap of GaAs nanoparticles is more than that ofmore » bulk GaAs suggesting potential applications in the field of optoelectronic and sensor systems.« less

Experimental investigation on the combustion characteristics of aluminum in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Yunchao; Xia, Zhixun; Huang, Liya; Yan, Xiaoting

2016-12-01

With the aim of revealing the detailed process of aluminum combustion in air, this paper reports an experimental study on the combustion of aluminum droplets. In this work, the aluminum wires were exposed and heated by a CO2 laser to produce aluminum droplets, and then these droplets were ignited and burnt in air. The changing processes of aluminum wires, droplets and flames were directly recorded by a high-speed camera, which was equipped with a high magnification zoom lens. Meanwhile, the spectrum distribution of the flame was also registered by an optical spectrometer. Besides, burning residuals were collected and analyzed by the methods of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS). Experimental results show that, during combustion, the aluminum droplet is covered by a spherical vapor-phase flame, and the diameter of this flame is about 1.4 times of the droplet diameter, statistically. In the later stages of combustion, the molten aluminum and condensed oxide products can react to generate gaseous Al and Al2O spontaneously. Little holes are found on the surface of residuals, which are the transport channels of gaseous products, namely the gaseous Al and Al2O. The combustion residuals are consisted by lots of aluminum oxide particles with diameters less than 1 μm.

Strengthening of Aluminum Wires Treated with A206/Alumina Nanocomposites.

PubMed

Florián-Algarín, David; Marrero, Raúl; Li, Xiaochun; Choi, Hongseok; Suárez, Oscar Marcelo

2018-03-10

This study sought to characterize aluminum nanocomposite wires that were fabricated through a cold-rolling process, having potential applications in TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding of aluminum. A206 (Al-4.5Cu-0.25Mg) master nanocomposites with 5 wt % γAl₂O₃ nanoparticles were first manufactured through a hybrid process combining semi-solid mixing and ultrasonic processing. A206/1 wt % γAl₂O₃ nanocomposites were fabricated by diluting the prepared master nanocomposites with a monolithic A206 alloy, which was then added to a pure aluminum melt. The fabricated Al-γAl₂O₃ nanocomposite billet was cold-rolled to produce an Al nanocomposite wire with a 1 mm diameter and a transverse area reduction of 96%. Containing different levels of nanocomposites, the fabricated samples were mechanically and electrically characterized. The results demonstrate a significantly higher strength of the aluminum wires with the nanocomposite addition. Further, the addition of alumina nanoparticles affected the wires' electrical conductivity compared with that of pure aluminum and aluminum-copper alloys. The overall properties of the new material demonstrate that these wires could be an appealing alternative for fillers intended for aluminum welding.

Aluminum-lithium alloys in helicopters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, A.F.

1997-10-01

Aluminium-lithium alloys are widely applied on the EH101 helicopter, designed and built jointly by GKN Westland Helicopters of England and Agusta S.p.A. of Italy. With the exception of the powder metallurgy alloy AA 5091, all the current commercially available aluminum-lithium alloys are produced by direct-chill casting, and require a precipitation-aging heat treatment to achieve the required properties. In aluminum-lithium alloys containing greater than 1.3% (by weight) of lithium, the intermetallic phase {delta}{prime}-Al{sub 3}Li precipitates upon natural or artificial aging, but the associated strengthening effect is insufficient to meet the medium or high strength levels usually required (the damage tolerant tempermore » in AA 8090 is an exception).« less

Gas phase electrodeposition: a programmable multimaterial deposition method for combinatorial nanostructured device discovery.

PubMed

Lin, En-Chiang; Cole, Jesse J; Jacobs, Heiko O

2010-11-10

This article reports and applies a recently discovered programmable multimaterial deposition process to the formation and combinatorial improvement of 3D nanostructured devices. The gas-phase deposition process produces charged <5 nm particles of silver, tungsten, and platinum and uses externally biased electrodes to control the material flux and to turn deposition ON/OFF in selected domains. Domains host nanostructured dielectrics to define arrays of electrodynamic 10 × nanolenses to further control the flux to form <100 nm resolution deposits. The unique feature of the process is that material type, amount, and sequence can be altered from one domain to the next leading to different types of nanostructures including multimaterial bridges, interconnects, or nanowire arrays with 20 nm positional accuracy. These features enable combinatorial nanostructured materials and device discovery. As a first demonstration, we produce and identify in a combinatorial way 3D nanostructured electrode designs that improve light scattering, absorption, and minority carrier extraction of bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic cells from domains with long and dense nanowire arrays improve the relative power conversion efficiency by 47% when compared to flat domains on the same substrate.

Membrane Purification Cell for Aluminum Recycling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

David DeYoung; James Wiswall; Cong Wang

2011-11-29

Recycling mixed aluminum scrap usually requires adding primary aluminum to the scrap stream as a diluent to reduce the concentration of non-aluminum constituents used in aluminum alloys. Since primary aluminum production requires approximately 10 times more energy than melting scrap, the bulk of the energy and carbon dioxide emissions for recycling are associated with using primary aluminum as a diluent. Eliminating the need for using primary aluminum as a diluent would dramatically reduce energy requirements, decrease carbon dioxide emissions, and increase scrap utilization in recycling. Electrorefining can be used to extract pure aluminum from mixed scrap. Some example applications includemore » producing primary grade aluminum from specific scrap streams such as consumer packaging and mixed alloy saw chips, and recycling multi-alloy products such as brazing sheet. Electrorefining can also be used to extract valuable alloying elements such as Li from Al-Li mixed scrap. This project was aimed at developing an electrorefining process for purifying aluminum to reduce energy consumption and emissions by 75% compared to conventional technology. An electrolytic molten aluminum purification process, utilizing a horizontal membrane cell anode, was designed, constructed, operated and validated. The electrorefining technology could also be used to produce ultra-high purity aluminum for advanced materials applications. The technical objectives for this project were to: - Validate the membrane cell concept with a lab-scale electrorefining cell; - Determine if previously identified voltage increase issue for chloride electrolytes holds for a fluoride-based electrolyte system; - Assess the probability that voltage change issues can be solved; and - Conduct a market and economic analysis to assess commercial feasibility. The process was tested using three different binary alloy compositions (Al-2.0 wt.% Cu, Al-4.7 wt.% Si, Al-0.6 wt.% Fe) and a brazing sheet scrap composition

Electronic transport properties of nanostructured MnSi-films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schroeter, D.; Steinki, N.; Scarioni, A. Fernández; Schumacher, H. W.; Süllow, S.; Menzel, D.

2018-05-01

MnSi, which crystallizes in the cubic B20 structure, shows intriguing magnetic properties involving the existence of skyrmions in the magnetic phase diagram. Bulk MnSi has been intensively investigated and thoroughly characterized, in contrast to MnSi thin film, which exhibits widely varying properties in particular with respect to electronic transport. In this situation, we have set out to reinvestigate the transport properties in MnSi thin films by means of studying nanostructure samples. In particular, Hall geometry nanostructures were produced to determine the intrinsic transport properties.

Nanostructures produced by phase-separation during growth of (III-V).sub.1-x(IV.sub.2).sub.x alloys

DOEpatents

Norman, Andrew G [Evergreen, CO; Olson, Jerry M [Lakewood, CO

2007-06-12

Nanostructures (18) and methods for production thereof by phase separation during metal organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE). An embodiment of one of the methods may comprise providing a growth surface in a reaction chamber and introducing a first mixture of precursor materials into the reaction chamber to form a buffer layer (12) thereon. A second mixture of precursor materials may be provided into the reaction chamber to form an active region (14) on the buffer layer (12), wherein the nanostructure (18) is embedded in a matrix (16) in the active region (14). Additional steps are also disclosed for preparing the nanostructure (18) product for various applications.

Fabrication of transition metal-containing nanostructures via polymer templates for a multitude of applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Jennifer Qing

Nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes and semiconducting nanowires offer great technological promise due to their remarkable properties. The lack of a rational synthesis method prevents fabricating these nanostructures with desirable and consistent properties at predefined locations for device applications. In this thesis, employing polymer templates, a variety of highly ordered catalytically active transition metal nanostructures, ranging from single metallic nanoparticles of Fe, Co, Ni, Au and bimetallic nanoparticles of Ni/Fe and Co/Mo to Fe-rich silicon oxide nanodomains with uniform and tunable size and spacing have been successfully synthesized. These nanostructures have been demonstrated to be excellent catalyst systems for the synthesis of carbon nanotube and silicon nanowire. High quality, small diameter carbon nanotubes and nanowires with narrow size distribution have been successfully attained. Because these catalytically active nanostructures are uniformly distributed and do not agglomerate at the growth temperatures, uniform, high density and high quality carbon nanotube mats have been obtained. Since this polymer template approach is fully compatible with conventional top-down photolithography, lithographically selective growth of carbon nanotubes on a surface or suspended carbon nanotubes across trenches have been produced by using existing semiconductor processing. We have also shown the feasibility of producing carbon nanotubes and silicon nanowires at predefined locations on a wafer format and established a wafer-level carbon nanotube based device fabrication process. The ability of the polymer template approach to control catalyst systems at the nano-, micro- and macro-scales paves a pathway for commercialization of these 1D nanostructure-enabled devices. Beside producing well-defined, highly ordered discrete catalytically active metal-containing nanostructures by the polymer template approach, Au and Ag nanotextured surfaces have also been

Biologically inspired LED lens from cuticular nanostructures of firefly lantern

PubMed Central

Kim, Jae-Jun; Lee, Youngseop; Kim, Ha Gon; Choi, Ki-Ju; Kweon, Hee-Seok; Park, Seongchong; Jeong, Ki-Hun

2012-01-01

Cuticular nanostructures found in insects effectively manage light for light polarization, structural color, or optical index matching within an ultrathin natural scale. These nanostructures are mainly dedicated to manage incoming light and recently inspired many imaging and display applications. A bioluminescent organ, such as a firefly lantern, helps to out-couple light from the body in a highly efficient fashion for delivering strong optical signals in sexual communication. However, the cuticular nanostructures, except the light-producing reactions, have not been well investigated for physical principles and engineering biomimetics. Here we report a unique observation of high-transmission nanostructures on a firefly lantern and its biological inspiration for highly efficient LED illumination. Both numerical and experimental results clearly reveal high transmission through the nanostructures inspired from the lantern cuticle. The nanostructures on an LED lens surface were fabricated by using a large-area nanotemplating and reconfigurable nanomolding with heat-induced shear thinning. The biologically inspired LED lens, distinct from a smooth surface lens, substantially increases light transmission over visible ranges, comparable to conventional antireflection coating. This biological inspiration can offer new opportunities for increasing the light extraction efficiency of high-power LED packages. PMID:23112185

Facile design of ultra-thin anodic aluminum oxide membranes for the fabrication of plasmonic nanoarrays.

PubMed

Hao, Qi; Huang, Hao; Fan, Xingce; Hou, Xiangyu; Yin, Yin; Li, Wan; Si, Lifang; Nan, Haiyan; Wang, Huaiyu; Mei, Yongfeng; Qiu, Teng; Chu, Paul K

2017-03-10

Ultra-thin anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes are efficient templates for the fabrication of patterned nanostructures. Herein, a three-step etching method to control the morphology of AAO is described. The morphological evolution of the AAO during phosphoric acid etching is systematically investigated and a nonlinear growth mechanism during unsteady-state anodization is revealed. The thickness of the AAO can be quantitatively controlled from ∼100 nm to several micrometers while maintaining the tunablity of the pore diameter. The AAO membranes are robust and readily transferable to different types of substrates to prepare patterned plasmonic nanoarrays such as nanoislands, nanoclusters, ultra-small nanodots, and core-satellite superstructures. The localized surface plasmon resonance from these nanostructures can be easily tuned by adjusting the morphology of the AAO template. The custom AAO template provides a platform for the fabrication of low-cost and large-scale functional nanoarrays suitable for fundamental studies as well as applications including biochemical sensing, imaging, photocatalysis, and photovoltaics.

Facile design of ultra-thin anodic aluminum oxide membranes for the fabrication of plasmonic nanoarrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Qi; Huang, Hao; Fan, Xingce; Hou, Xiangyu; Yin, Yin; Li, Wan; Si, Lifang; Nan, Haiyan; Wang, Huaiyu; Mei, Yongfeng; Qiu, Teng; Chu, Paul K.

2017-03-01

Ultra-thin anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes are efficient templates for the fabrication of patterned nanostructures. Herein, a three-step etching method to control the morphology of AAO is described. The morphological evolution of the AAO during phosphoric acid etching is systematically investigated and a nonlinear growth mechanism during unsteady-state anodization is revealed. The thickness of the AAO can be quantitatively controlled from ˜100 nm to several micrometers while maintaining the tunablity of the pore diameter. The AAO membranes are robust and readily transferable to different types of substrates to prepare patterned plasmonic nanoarrays such as nanoislands, nanoclusters, ultra-small nanodots, and core-satellite superstructures. The localized surface plasmon resonance from these nanostructures can be easily tuned by adjusting the morphology of the AAO template. The custom AAO template provides a platform for the fabrication of low-cost and large-scale functional nanoarrays suitable for fundamental studies as well as applications including biochemical sensing, imaging, photocatalysis, and photovoltaics.

Process for the synthesis of nanophase dispersion-strengthened aluminum alloy

DOEpatents

Barbour, John C.; Knapp, James Arthur; Follstaedt, David Martin; Myers, Samuel Maxwell

1998-12-15

A process for fabricating dispersion-strengthened ceramic-metal composites is claimed. The process comprises in-situ interaction and chemical reaction of a metal in gaseous form with a ceramic producer in plasma form. Such composites can be fabricated with macroscopic dimensions. Special emphasis is placed on fabrication of dispersion-strengthened aluminum oxide-aluminum composites, which can exhibit flow stresses more characteristic of high strength steel.

Functionalizing aluminum substrata by quaternary ammonium for antifouling performances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xiaoyan; Suo, Xinkun; Bai, Xiuqin; Yuan, Chengqing; Li, Hua

2018-05-01

Due to the great loss induced by biofouling, developing new strategies for combating biofouling has attracted extensive attention. Quaternary ammonium salts are potent cationic antimicrobials used in consumer products and their use for surface immobilization could create a contact-active antimicrobial layer. Here we report the facile preparation of a contact-active antifouling coating by tethering polyethyleneimine (PEI) onto flat/nanostructured aluminum surface by hydrogen bonding between PEI and AlOOH. Quaternized PEI (QPEI) is obtained through quaternization reactions. Biofouling testing suggests excellent antifouling performances of the samples by declining the adhesion of 95% Phaeodactylum tricornutum and 98% of Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The antifouling properties of PEI/QPEI are attributed predominately to their hydrophilic and antimicrobial nature. The technical route of PEI/QPEI surface grafting shows great potential for modifying marine infrastructures for enhanced antifouling performances.

PREFACE: Self-organized nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rousset, Sylvie; Ortega, Enrique

2006-04-01

the EUROCORES SONS Programme under the auspices of the European Science Foundation and the VI Framework Programme of the European Community. It was also funded by CNRS `formation permanente'. Major topics relevant to self-organization are covered in these papers. The first two papers deal with the physics of self-organized nucleation and growth. Both metal and semiconductor templates are investigated. The paper by Meyer zu Heringdorf focuses on the mesoscopic patterns formed by the Au-induced faceting of vicinal Si (001). Repain et al describe how uniform and long-range ordered nanostructures are built on a surface by using nucleation on a point-defect array. Electronic properties of such self-organized systems are reviewed by Mugarza and Ortega. The next three papers deal with molecules and self-organization. In the paper presented by Kröger, molecules are deposited on vicinal Au surfaces and are studied by STM. A very active field in self-organized nanostructures is the chemical route for nanoparticle synthesis. The paper by Piléni deals with self-organization of inorganic crystals produced by evaporation of a solution, also called colloids. Their physical properties are also treated. Gacoin et al illustrate chemical synthesis, including the template approach, using organized mesoporous silica films for the production of semiconductor or metal arrays of particles. An alternative method is developed in the paper by Allongue and Maroun which is the electrochemical method of building arrays of nanostructures. Ultimately, self-organization is a very interdisciplinary field. There is also an attempt in this issue to present some of the challenges using biology. The paper by Belamie et al deals with the self-assembly of biological macromolecules, such as chitin and collagen. Finally, Molodtsov and co-workers describe how a biological template can be used in order to achieve novel materials made of hybrid metallo-organic nanostructures.

Synthesis of carbon nanostructures from high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste by chemical vapour deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatta, M. N. M.; Hashim, M. S.; Hussin, R.; Aida, S.; Kamdi, Z.; Ainuddin, AR; Yunos, MZ

2017-10-01

In this study, carbon nanostructures were synthesized from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste by single-stage chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method. In CVD, iron was used as catalyst and pyrolitic of carbon source was conducted at temperature 700, 800 and 900°C for 30 minutes. Argon gas was used as carrier gas with flow at 90 sccm. The synthesized carbon nanostructures were characterized by FESEM, EDS and calculation of carbon yield (%). FESEM micrograph shows that the carbon nanostructures were only grown as nanofilament when synthesized from PET waste. The synthesization of carbon nanostructure at 700°C was produced smooth and the smallest diameter nanofilament compared to others. The carbon yield of synthesized carbon nanostructures from PET was lower from HDPE. Furthermore, the carbon yield is recorded to increase with increasing of reaction temperature for all samples. Elemental study by EDS analysis were carried out and the formation of carbon nanostructures was confirmed after CVD process. Utilization of polymer waste to produce carbon nanostructures is beneficial to ensure that the carbon nanotechnology will be sustained in future.

Design and fabrication of Ni nanowires having periodically hollow nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sada, Takao; Fujigaya, Tsuyohiko; Nakashima, Naotoshi

2014-09-01

We propose a concept for the design and fabrication of metal nanowires having periodically hollow nanostructures inside the pores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane using a sacrificial metal. In this study, nickel (Ni) and silver (Ag) were used as the base metal and the sacrificial metal, respectively. Alternating an applied potential between -0.4 and -1.0 V provided alternatively deposited Ni and Ag segments in a Ni-Ag `barcode' nanowire with a diameter of 18 or 35 nm. After etching away the Ag segments, we fabricated Ni nanowires with nanopores of 12 +/- 5.3 nm. Such nanostructure formation is explained by the formation of a Ni shell layer over the surface of the Ag segments due to the strong affinity of Ni2+ for the interior surfaces of AAO. The Ni shell layer allows the Ni segments to remain even after dissolution of the Ag segments. Because the electroplating conditions can be easily controlled, we could carefully adjust the size and pitch of the periodically hollow nanospaces. We also describe a method for the fabrication of Ni nanorods by forming an Ag shell instead of a Ni shell on the Ni-Ag barcode nanowire, in which the interior of the AAO surfaces was modified with a compound bearing a thiol group prior to electroplating.We propose a concept for the design and fabrication of metal nanowires having periodically hollow nanostructures inside the pores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane using a sacrificial metal. In this study, nickel (Ni) and silver (Ag) were used as the base metal and the sacrificial metal, respectively. Alternating an applied potential between -0.4 and -1.0 V provided alternatively deposited Ni and Ag segments in a Ni-Ag `barcode' nanowire with a diameter of 18 or 35 nm. After etching away the Ag segments, we fabricated Ni nanowires with nanopores of 12 +/- 5.3 nm. Such nanostructure formation is explained by the formation of a Ni shell layer over the surface of the Ag segments due to the strong affinity of Ni2+ for the

The Oxidation Products of Aluminum Hydride and Boron Aluminum Hydride Clusters

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-04

AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2016-0075 The Oxidation Products of Aluminum Hydride and Boron Aluminum Hydride Clusters KIT BOWEN JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV BALTIMORE MD...Hydride and Boron Aluminum Hydride Clusters 5a.  CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.  GRANT NUMBER FA9550-14-1-0324 5c.  PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 61102F 6. AUTHOR(S) KIT...of both Aluminum Hydride Cluster Anions and Boron Aluminum Hydride Cluster Anions with Oxygen: Anionic Products The anionic products of reactions

Systems study of transport aircraft incorporating advanced aluminum alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sakata, I. F.

1982-01-01

A study was performed to quantify the potential benefits of utilizing advanced aluminum alloys in commercial transport aircraft and to define the effort necessary to develop fully the alloys to a viable commercial production capability. The comprehensive investigation (1) established realistic advanced aluminum alloy property goals to maximize aircraft systems effectiveness (2) identified performance and economic benefits of incorporating the advanced alloy in future advanced technology commercial aircraft designs (3) provided a recommended plan for development and integration of the alloys into commercial aircraft production (4) provided an indication of the timing and investigation required by the metal producing industry to support the projected market and (5) evaluate application of advanced aluminum alloys to other aerospace and transit systems as a secondary objective. The results of the investigation provided a roadmap and identified key issues requiring attention in an advanced aluminum alloy and applications technology development program.

Structural Diversity of Arthropod Biophotonic Nanostructures Spans Amphiphilic Phase-Space

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saranathan, Vinod Kumar; Seago, Ainsley E.; Sandy, Alec

2015-05-04

Many organisms, especially arthropods, produce vivid interference colors using diverse mesoscopic (100-350 nm) integumentary biophotonic nanostructures that are increasingly being investigated for technological applications. Despite a century of interest, precise structural knowledge of many biophotonic nanostructures and the mechanisms controlling their development remain tentative, when such knowledge can open novel biomimetic routes to facilely self-assemble tunable, multifunctional materials. Here, we use synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering and electron microscopy to characterize the photonic nanostructure of 140 integumentary scales and setae from ~127 species of terrestrial arthropods in 85 genera from 5 orders. We report a rich nanostructural diversity, including triply periodicmore » bicontinuous networks, close-packed spheres, inverse columnar, perforated lamellar, and disordered spongelike morphologies, commonly observed as stable phases of amphiphilic surfactants, block copolymer, and lyotropic lipid-water systems. Diverse arthropod lineages appear to have independently evolved to utilize the self-assembly of infolding lipid-bilayer membranes to develop biophotonic nanostructures that span the phase-space of amphiphilic morphologies, but at optical length scales.« less

Superhydrophilic nanostructure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mao, Samuel S; Zormpa, Vasileia; Chen, Xiaobo

2015-05-12

An embodiment of a superhydrophilic nanostructure includes nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are formed into porous clusters. The porous clusters are formed into aggregate clusters. An embodiment of an article of manufacture includes the superhydrophilic nanostructure on a substrate. An embodiment of a method of fabricating a superhydrophilic nanostructure includes applying a solution that includes nanoparticles to a substrate. The substrate is heated to form aggregate clusters of porous clusters of the nanoparticles.

High Strength Discontinuously Reinforced Aluminum For Rocket Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pandey, A. B.; Shah, S. R.; Shadoan, M.

2003-01-01

This study presents results on the development of a new aluminum alloy with very high strength and ductility. Five compositions of Al-Mg-Sc-Gd-Zr alloy were selected for this purpose. These alloys were also reinforced with 15 volume percent silicon-carbide and boron-carbide particles to produce Discontinuously Reinforced Aluminum (DRA) materials. Matrix alloys and DRA were processed using a powder metallurgy process. The helium gas atomization produced very fine powder with cellular-dentritic microstructure. The microstructure of matrix alloys showed fine Al3Sc based precipitate which provides significant strengthening in these alloys. DRA showed uniform distribution of reinforcement in aluminum matrix. DRA materials were tested at -320 F, 75 F in air and 7S F in gaseous hydrogen environments and matrix alloys were tested at 75 F in air. DRA showed high strengths in the range of 89-111 ksi (614-697 MPa) depending on alloy compositions and test environments. Matrix alloys had a good combination of strength, 84-89 ksi (579-621 MPa) and ductility, 4.5-6.5%. The properties of these materials can further be improved by proper control of processing parameters.

Concurrent design of quasi-random photonic nanostructures

PubMed Central

Lee, Won-Kyu; Yu, Shuangcheng; Engel, Clifford J.; Reese, Thaddeus; Rhee, Dongjoon; Chen, Wei

2017-01-01

Nanostructured surfaces with quasi-random geometries can manipulate light over broadband wavelengths and wide ranges of angles. Optimization and realization of stochastic patterns have typically relied on serial, direct-write fabrication methods combined with real-space design. However, this approach is not suitable for customizable features or scalable nanomanufacturing. Moreover, trial-and-error processing cannot guarantee fabrication feasibility because processing–structure relations are not included in conventional designs. Here, we report wrinkle lithography integrated with concurrent design to produce quasi-random nanostructures in amorphous silicon at wafer scales that achieved over 160% light absorption enhancement from 800 to 1,200 nm. The quasi-periodicity of patterns, materials filling ratio, and feature depths could be independently controlled. We statistically represented the quasi-random patterns by Fourier spectral density functions (SDFs) that could bridge the processing–structure and structure–performance relations. Iterative search of the optimal structure via the SDF representation enabled concurrent design of nanostructures and processing. PMID:28760975

Carbonaceous cathode with enhanced wettability for aluminum production

DOEpatents

Keller, Rudolf; Gatty, David G.; Barca, Brian J.

2003-09-09

A method of preparing carbonaceous blocks or bodies for use in a cathode in an electrolytic cell for producing aluminum wherein the cell contains an electrolyte and has molten aluminum contacting the cathode, the cathode having improved wettability with molten aluminum. The method comprises the steps of providing a carbonaceous block and a boron oxide containing melt. The carbonaceous block is immersed in the melt and pressure is applied to the melt to impregnate the melt into pores in the block. Thereafter, the carbonaceous block is withdrawn from the melt, the block having boron oxide containing melt intruded into pores therein, the boron oxide capable of reacting with a source of titanium or zirconium or like metal to form titanium or zirconium diboride during heatup or operation of said cell.

Acoustic emission from a solidifying aluminum-lithium alloy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henkel, D. P.; Wood, J. D.

1992-01-01

Physical phenomena associated with the solidification of an AA2090 Al-Li alloy have been characterized by AE methods. Repeatable patterns of AE activity as a function of solidification time are recorded and explained for ultrahigh-purity (UHP) aluminum and an Al-4.7 wt pct Cu binary alloy, in addition to the AA2090 Al-Li alloy, by the complementary utilization of thermal, AE, and metallographic methods. One result shows that the solidification of UHP aluminum produces one discrete period of high AE activity as the last 10 percent of solid forms.

High Strength and Thermally Stable Nanostructured Magnesium Alloys and Nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Yuan-Wei

Magnesium and its alloys are currently in the spotlight of global research because of the need to limit energy consumption and reduce the environmental impact. In particular, their low densities compared to other structural metals make them a very attractive alternative in the automobile and aerospace industries. However, their low strength compared to other structural materials (e.g. Al and steels) has limited their widespread application. This dissertation presents the results of developing and investigation of a high strength nanostructured magnesium-aluminum alloy and composite. The nanostructured magnesium alloy is prepared by cryomilling and consolidated by spark-plasma-sintering. Focused ion beam is used to prepare micropillars with different diameters ranging from 1.5 to 8 mum and micro-compression test is conducted by nanoindenter in order to evaluate the mechanical properties. The yield strength obtained in the present study is around three times higher than conventional magnesium alloys (120 MPa vs. 370 MPa). The yield strength of the nanostructured magnesium alloy is further improved through hot extrusion, resulting in a yield strength of 550 MPa and an ultimate strength of 580 MPa. The nanostructured magnesium alloy exhibits a strong size-dependence, and a significant improvement in strength is observed when the pillar diameter is reduced to below 3.5 mum. The deformation mechanisms of the compressed pillars were characterized using transmission electron microscopy. The size-induced strengthening is attributed to a less number of dislocation sources along with a higher activity of non-basal deformation mechanisms. We have also developed a high strength and thermally stable nanostructured magnesium composite by adding diamantane. A yield strength of 500 MPa is achieved, moreover, excellent thermal stability is demonstrated in the magnesium alloy containing diamantanes. The strength and grain size are thermally stable after annealing at 400°C for 100

Accelerated sintering in phase-separating nanostructured alloys

PubMed Central

Park, Mansoo; Schuh, Christopher A.

2015-01-01

Sintering of powders is a common means of producing bulk materials when melt casting is impossible or does not achieve a desired microstructure, and has long been pursued for nanocrystalline materials in particular. Acceleration of sintering is desirable to lower processing temperatures and times, and thus to limit undesirable microstructure evolution. Here we show that markedly enhanced sintering is possible in some nanocrystalline alloys. In a nanostructured W–Cr alloy, sintering sets on at a very low temperature that is commensurate with phase separation to form a Cr-rich phase with a nanoscale arrangement that supports rapid diffusional transport. The method permits bulk full density specimens with nanoscale grains, produced during a sintering cycle involving no applied stress. We further show that such accelerated sintering can be evoked by design in other nanocrystalline alloys, opening the door to a variety of nanostructured bulk materials processed in arbitrary shapes from powder inputs. PMID:25901420

Aluminum reference electrode

DOEpatents

Sadoway, Donald R.

1988-01-01

A stable reference electrode for use in monitoring and controlling the process of electrolytic reduction of a metal. In the case of Hall cell reduction of aluminum, the reference electrode comprises a pool of molten aluminum and a solution of molten cryolite, Na.sub.3 AlF.sub.6, wherein the electrical connection to the molten aluminum does not contact the highly corrosive molten salt solution. This is accomplished by altering the density of either the aluminum (decreasing the density) or the electrolyte (increasing the density) so that the aluminum floats on top of the molten salt solution.

Aluminum reference electrode

DOEpatents

Sadoway, D.R.

1988-08-16

A stable reference electrode is described for use in monitoring and controlling the process of electrolytic reduction of a metal. In the case of Hall cell reduction of aluminum, the reference electrode comprises a pool of molten aluminum and a solution of molten cryolite, Na[sub 3]AlF[sub 6], wherein the electrical connection to the molten aluminum does not contact the highly corrosive molten salt solution. This is accomplished by altering the density of either the aluminum (decreasing the density) or the electrolyte (increasing the density) so that the aluminum floats on top of the molten salt solution. 1 fig.

Diffuse Parenchymal Diseases Associated With Aluminum Use and Primary Aluminum Production

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Aluminum use and primary aluminum production results in the generation of various particles, fumes, gases, and airborne materials with the potential for inducing a wide range of lung pathology. Nevertheless, the presence of diffuse parenchymal or interstitial lung disease related to these processes remains controversial. The relatively uncommon occurrence of interstitial lung diseases in aluminum-exposed workers—despite the extensive industrial use of aluminum—the potential for concurrent exposure to other fibrogenic fibers, and the previous use of inhaled aluminum powder for the prevention of silicosis without apparent adverse respiratory effects are some of the reasons for this continuing controversy. Specific aluminum-induced parenchymal diseases described in the literature, including existing evidence of interstitial lung diseases, associated with primary aluminum production are reviewed. PMID:24806728

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for identification and characterization of aluminum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimas Prasetya, Oki; Maulana, Trisna; Khumaeni, Ali

2018-05-01

Identification of aluminum is required to evaluate the quality of metallic products in industry. In this study, identification and characterization of aluminum has been carried out by using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). LIBS can be analyzed elements in metal rapidly and does not require more sample preparation, and is a low-cost compared to other conventional methods. The samples used in this study were pure aluminum plate and Indonesian currency coin. Experimentally, a pulse neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG laser, 1064 nm) was irradiated on a metal sample surface at a reduced pressure of air to produce a luminous plasma. The plasma was then detected by optical multichannel analyzer to get emission spectrum. Emission spectrum of neutral and ionic aluminum (Al) lines of Al I (309,28 nm), Al II (359,75 nm), Al I (396,15 nm), Al II (448,98 nm), Al II (561,32 nm), Al II (660,96 nm), Al II (781,23 nm) was clearly detected from the pure aluminum plate. The same spectrum of Al was also detected from the Indonesian currency coin. However, the emission intensity of Al is lower for Indonesian currency coin.

Strengthening of Aluminum Wires Treated with A206/Alumina Nanocomposites

PubMed Central

Marrero, Raúl; Li, Xiaochun; Choi, Hongseok

2018-01-01

This study sought to characterize aluminum nanocomposite wires that were fabricated through a cold-rolling process, having potential applications in TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding of aluminum. A206 (Al-4.5Cu-0.25Mg) master nanocomposites with 5 wt % γAl2O3 nanoparticles were first manufactured through a hybrid process combining semi-solid mixing and ultrasonic processing. A206/1 wt % γAl2O3 nanocomposites were fabricated by diluting the prepared master nanocomposites with a monolithic A206 alloy, which was then added to a pure aluminum melt. The fabricated Al–γAl2O3 nanocomposite billet was cold-rolled to produce an Al nanocomposite wire with a 1 mm diameter and a transverse area reduction of 96%. Containing different levels of nanocomposites, the fabricated samples were mechanically and electrically characterized. The results demonstrate a significantly higher strength of the aluminum wires with the nanocomposite addition. Further, the addition of alumina nanoparticles affected the wires’ electrical conductivity compared with that of pure aluminum and aluminum–copper alloys. The overall properties of the new material demonstrate that these wires could be an appealing alternative for fillers intended for aluminum welding. PMID:29534441

EUV lithographic radiation grafting of thermo-responsive hydrogel nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farquet, Patrick; Padeste, Celestino; Solak, Harun H.; Gürsel, Selmiye Alkan; Scherer, Günther G.; Wokaun, Alexander

2007-12-01

Nanostructures of the thermoresponsive poly( N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and of PNIPAAm-block-poly(acrylic acid) copolymers were produced on poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-ethyelene) (ETFE) films using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic exposure with subsequent graft-polymerization. The phase transition of PNIPAAm nanostructures at the low critical solution temperature (LCST) at 32 °C was imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM) phase contrast measurements in pure water. Results show a higher phase contrast for samples measured below the LCST temperature than for samples above the LCST, proving that the soft PNIPAAm hydrogel transforms into a much more compact conformation above the LCST. EUV lithographic exposures were combined with the reversible addition-fragment chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated polymerization using cyanoisopropyl dithiobenzoate (CPDB) as chain transfer agent to synthesize PNIPAAm block-copolymer nanostructures.

Colour-producing β-keratin nanofibres in blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) feathers

PubMed Central

D'Alba, Liliana; Saranathan, Vinodkumar; Clarke, Julia A.; Vinther, Jakob A.; Prum, Richard O.; Shawkey, Matthew D.

2011-01-01

The colours of living organisms are produced by the differential absorption of light by pigments (e.g. carotenoids, melanins) and/or by the physical interactions of light with biological nanostructures, referred to as structural colours. Only two fundamental morphologies of non-iridescent nanostructures are known in feathers, and recent work has proposed that they self-assemble by intracellular phase separation processes. Here, we report a new biophotonic nanostructure in the non-iridescent blue feather barbs of blue penguins (Eudyptula minor) composed of parallel β-keratin nanofibres organized into densely packed bundles. Synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering and two-dimensional Fourier analysis of electron micrographs of the barb nanostructure revealed short-range order in the organization of fibres at the appropriate size scale needed to produce the observed colour by coherent scattering. These two-dimensional quasi-ordered penguin nanostructures are convergent with similar arrays of parallel collagen fibres in avian and mammalian skin, but constitute a novel morphology for feathers. The identification of a new class of β-keratin nanostructures adds significantly to the known mechanisms of colour production in birds and suggests additional complexity in their self-assembly. PMID:21307042

Colour-producing [beta]-keratin nanofibres in blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) feathers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D; Alba, Liliana; Saranathan, Vinodkumar

2012-03-26

The colours of living organisms are produced by the differential absorption of light by pigments (e.g. carotenoids, melanins) and/or by the physical interactions of light with biological nanostructures, referred to as structural colours. Only two fundamental morphologies of non-iridescent nanostructures are known in feathers, and recent work has proposed that they self-assemble by intracellular phase separation processes. Here, we report a new biophotonic nanostructure in the non-iridescent blue feather barbs of blue penguins (Eudyptula minor) composed of parallel {beta}-keratin nanofibres organized into densely packed bundles. Synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering and two-dimensional Fourier analysis of electron micrographs of the barbmore » nanostructure revealed short-range order in the organization of fibres at the appropriate size scale needed to produce the observed colour by coherent scattering. These two-dimensional quasi-ordered penguin nanostructures are convergent with similar arrays of parallel collagen fibres in avian and mammalian skin, but constitute a novel morphology for feathers. The identification of a new class of {beta}-keratin nanostructures adds significantly to the known mechanisms of colour production in birds and suggests additional complexity in their self-assembly.« less

Low-cost fabrication technologies for nanostructures: state-of-the-art and potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, A.; Deen, M. J.; Marsal, L. F.

2015-01-01

In the last decade, some low-cost nanofabrication technologies used in several disciplines of nanotechnology have demonstrated promising results in terms of versatility and scalability for producing innovative nanostructures. While conventional nanofabrication technologies such as photolithography are and will be an important part of nanofabrication, some low-cost nanofabrication technologies have demonstrated outstanding capabilities for large-scale production, providing high throughputs with acceptable resolution and broad versatility. Some of these nanotechnological approaches are reviewed in this article, providing information about the fundamentals, limitations and potential future developments towards nanofabrication processes capable of producing a broad range of nanostructures. Furthermore, in many cases, these low-cost nanofabrication approaches can be combined with traditional nanofabrication technologies. This combination is considered a promising way of generating innovative nanostructures suitable for a broad range of applications such as in opto-electronics, nano-electronics, photonics, sensing, biotechnology or medicine.

The structural properties of flower-like ZnO nanostructures on porous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eswar, Kevin Alvin; Suhaimi, Mohd Husairi Fadzillah; Guliling, Muliyadi; Mohamad, Maryam; Khusaimi, Zuraida; Rusop, M.; Abdullah, Saifollah

2018-05-01

The flower-like zinc oxide (ZnO) were successfully synthesized on porous silicon (PSi) via hydrothermal method. The characteristic of ZnO nanostructures was investigated using field emission scanning microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (X-Ray). The FESEM images show the flower-like ZnO nanostructures composed ZnO nanoparticles. The X-ray diffraction shows that strong intensity of (100), (002) and (101) peaks. The structural analysis revealed that the peaks angles were shifted due to the stress or imperfection of the crystalline of ZnO nanostructures. The crystalline sizes in range of 42.60 to 54.09 nm were produced.

The use of aluminum nitride to improve Aluminum-26 Accelerator Mass Spectrometry measurements and production of Radioactive Ion Beams

DOE PAGES

Janzen, Meghan S.; Galindo-Uribarri, Alfredo; Liu, Yuan; ...

2015-06-29

In this paper, we present results and discuss the use of aluminum nitride as a promising source material for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) and Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs) science applications of 26Al isotopes. The measurement of 26Al in geological samples by AMS is typically conducted on Al 2O 3 targets. However, Al 2O 3 is not an ideal source material because it does not form a prolific beam of Al - required for measuring low-levels of 26Al. Multiple samples of aluminum oxide (Al 2O 3), aluminum nitride (AlN), mixed Al 2O 3–AlN as well as aluminum fluoride (AlF 3) weremore » tested and compared using the ion source test facility and the stable ion beam (SIB) injector platform at the 25-MV tandem electrostatic accelerator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Negative ion currents of atomic and molecular aluminum were examined for each source material. It was found that pure AlN targets produced substantially higher beam currents than the other materials and that there was some dependence on the exposure of AlN to air. The applicability of using AlN as a source material for geological samples was explored by preparing quartz samples as Al 2O 3 and converting them to AlN using a carbothermal reduction technique, which involved reducing the Al 2O 3 with graphite powder at 1600°C within a nitrogen atmosphere. The quartz material was successfully converted to AlN. Thus far, AlN proves to be a promising source material and could lead towards increasing the sensitivity of low-level 26Al AMS measurements. In conclusion, the potential of using AlN as a source material for nuclear physics is also very promising by placing 26AlN directly into a source to produce more intense radioactive beams of 26Al.« less

Nanostructured layers of thermoelectric materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Urban, Jeffrey J.; Lynch, Jared; Coates, Nelson

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to thermoelectric materials. In one aspect, a method includes providing a plurality of nanostructures. The plurality of nanostructures comprise a thermoelectric material, with each nanostructure of the plurality of nanostructures having first ligands disposed on a surface of the nanostructure. The plurality of nanostructures is mixed with a solution containing second ligands and a ligand exchange process occurs in which the first ligands disposed on the plurality of nanostructures are replaced with the second ligands. The plurality of nanostructures is deposited on a substrate to form a layer. The layer is thermallymore » annealed.« less

Water and oil wettability of anodized 6016 aluminum alloy surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, S. P.; Alves, C. F. Almeida; Cavaleiro, A.; Carvalho, S.

2017-11-01

This paper reports on the control of wettability behaviour of a 6000 series aluminum (Al) alloy surface (Al6016-T4), which is widely used in the automotive and aerospace industries. In order to induce the surface micro-nanostructuring of the surface, a combination of prior mechanical polishing steps followed by anodization process with different conditions was used. The surface polishing with sandpaper grit size 1000 promoted aligned grooves on the surface leading to static water contact angle (WCA) of 91° and oil (α-bromonaphthalene) contact angle (OCA) of 32°, indicating a slightly hydrophobic and oleophilic character. H2SO4 and H3PO4 acid electrolytes were used to grow aluminum oxide layers (Al2O3) by anodization, working at 15 V/18° C and 100 V/0 °C, respectively, in one or two-steps configuration. Overall, the anodization results showed that the structured Al surfaces were hydrophilic and oleophilic-like with both WCA and OCA below 90°. The one-step configuration led to a dimple-shaped Al alloy surface with small diameter of around 31 nm, in case of H2SO4, and with larger diameters of around 223 nm in case of H3PO4. The larger dimples achieved with H3PO4 electrolyte allowed to reach a slight hydrophobic surface. The thicker porous Al oxide layers, produced by anodization in two-step configuration, revealed that the liquids can penetrate easily inside the non-ordered porous structures and, thus, the surface wettability tended to superhydrophilic and superoleophilic character (CA < 10°). These results indicate that the capillary-pressure balance model, described for wettability mechanisms of porous structures, was broken. Moreover, thicker oxide layers with narrow pores of about 29 nm diameter allowed to achieve WCA < OCA. This inversion in favour of the hydrophilic-oleophobic surface behaviour is of great interest either for lubrication of mechanical components or in water-oil separation process.

In vitro toxicity analysis of nanoscale aluminum: Particle size and shape effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palazuelos Jorganes, Maria

2007-12-01

Nanostructured materials promise to revolutionize many key areas of science and technology. As our ability to manipulate matter at the nanoscale increases, there is a need to assess the effects of these materials on human health and the environment. Materials at the nanoscale are interesting and useful because they possess properties that are different from the equivalent bulk or molecular scale. These same properties can make toxicological profiles very different from those of the same materials on a different scale. There is a rising consensus that toxicity analysis of nanomaterials should start from a thorough physicochemical characterization of the materials under investigation in order to be able to establish a proper correlation between the nanoparticles characteristics and their effects and behavior in physiological environments. This research is a clear example of the necessity of comprehensive studies when investigating the toxicity of nanomaterials. Aluminum nanoparticles are being extensively used for their very unique energetic properties. These materials offer a very promising market that is fostering many startup companies which are expected to consolidate on strong technological positions. Aluminum is generally recognized as a non-toxic material to humans and it is widely used for applications which imply direct human contact. The effect of aluminum nanoparticles in human health is still an unknown. My research consisted of an in vitro toxicity screening of aluminum materials from nano to micron size, including spherical irregularly shaped particles. Several issues relating to size, shape, detection and characterization of nanoparticles in the different environments relevant to in vitro toxicity analysis were addressed and suitable protocols were developed. Lung human epithelial cells were exposed to different concentrations of these materials and the effects were analyzed by means of various toxicity tests. Some of the materials investigated caused

Study of Plastic Deformation in Binary Aluminum Alloys by Internal-Friction Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, E. C.; Maringer, R. E.; Marsh, L. L.; Manning, G. K.

1959-01-01

The damping capacity of several aluminum-copper alloys has been investigated during tensile elongation. This damping is shown to depend on strain rate, strain, temperature, alloy content, and heat treatment. A tentative hypothesis, based on the acceleration of solute atom diffusion by deformation-produced vacancies, is proposed to account for the observed behavior. Internal-friction maxima are observed in deformed aluminum and aluminum-copper alloys at -70 deg and -50 deg C. The peaks appear to be relatively insensitive to frequency and alloy content, but they disappear after annealing at temperatures nearing the recrystallization temperature.

76 FR 18521 - Aluminum Extrusions From the People's Republic of China: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-04

... People's Republic of China: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination AGENCY: Import... producers and exporters of aluminum extrusions from the People's Republic of China (the PRC). For... Aluminum Extrusions From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative Countervailing Duty...

Fatigue behavior in rheocast aluminum 357 suspension arms using the SEED process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samuel, Ehab; Zheng, Chang-Qing; Bouaicha, Amine; Bouazara, Mohamed

Extensive studies have been devoted to the use of aluminum alloys in the automotive industry, by virtue of the favourable mechanical properties that can be attained. Moreover, the aluminum casting method employed has also been the subject of scrutiny, given the multitude of casting options available. The present work serves to illustrate the advancements made in the area of rheocasting, using the SEED method, as carried out at the National Research Council Canada — Aluminum Technology Centre. The SEED (Swirled Enthalpy Equilibration Device) process, which relies on heat extraction of the liquid aluminum alloy via mechanical agitation in a confined cylinder to form the semi-solid billet, has already proven successful in producing sound aluminum castings having an excellent combination of strength and ductility. Moreover, fatigue testing on the cast alloy parts has shown enormous potential for this emerging technology.

Weldability of extruded aluminum-alumina composites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gedeon, S.A.; Lane, C.; Altshuller, B.

1994-12-31

Acceptable procedure were developed for welding the following types of aluminum particle-reinforced aluminum: 6061/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/10p-T6, 6061/Al{sub x}/O{sub 3}20p-T6, and 7005Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/10p-T6,. Automated and manual procedures were developed and using both gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), with a cold wire feed, and gas metal arc welding (GMAW). The effect of welding procedures on porosity, reinforcing particulate distribution, and mechanical properties was determined. Postweld heat treatment and microhardness testing were used to understand the effect of the welded microstructure on the strength and ductility of the joint. Fracture surfaces and transverse microsections of mechanical test specimens were examined to determinemore » the origins and mechanisms of failure. Cleanliness of the joint and weld wire were found to be essential to eliminate porosity. Based on these experimentally determined data, general guidelines for welding aluminum oxide particle-reinforced aluminum composites are proposed. Discussion includes proper selection of weld joint geometry, filler metals, travel speed, voltage, and current ranges. These parameters are compared to those used in an actual production environment for composite products. Distinctions between welding these composites and others produced via powder metallurgy or with silicon carbide reinforcements are also discussed.« less

Gas-Phase Combustion Synthesis of Aluminum Nitride Powder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Axelbaum, R. L.; Lottes, C. R.; Huertas, J. I.; Rosen, L. J.

1996-01-01

Due to its combined properties of high electrical resistivity and high thermal conductivity aluminum nitride (AlN) is a highly desirable material for electronics applications. Methods are being sought for synthesis of unagglomerated, nanometer-sized powders of this material, prepared in such a way that they can be consolidated into solid compacts having minimal oxygen content. A procedure for synthesizing these powders through gas-phase combustion is described. This novel approach involves reacting AlCl3, NH3, and Na vapors. Equilibrium thermodynamic calculations show that 100% yields can be obtained for these reactants with the products being AlN, NaCl, and H2. The NaCl by-product is used to coat the AlN particles in situ. The coating allows for control of AlN agglomeration and protects the powders from hydrolysis during post-flame handling. On the basis of thermodynamic and kinetic considerations, two different approaches were employed to produce the powder, in co-flow diffusion flame configurations. In the first approach, the three reactants were supplied in separate streams. In the second, the AlCl3 and NH3 were premixed with HCl and then reacted with Na vapor. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra of as-produced powders show only NaCl for the first case and NaCl and AlN for the second. After annealing at 775 C tinder dynamic vacuum, the salt was removed and XRD spectra of powders from both approaches show only AlN. Aluminum metal was also produced in the co-flow flame by reacting AlCl3 with Na. XRD spectra of as-produced powders show the products to be only NaCl and elemental aluminum.

Etching Behavior of Aluminum Alloy Extrusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Hanliang

2014-11-01

The etching treatment is an important process step in influencing the surface quality of anodized aluminum alloy extrusions. The aim of etching is to produce a homogeneously matte surface. However, in the etching process, further surface imperfections can be generated on the extrusion surface due to uneven materials loss from different microstructural components. These surface imperfections formed prior to anodizing can significantly influence the surface quality of the final anodized extrusion products. In this article, various factors that influence the materials loss during alkaline etching of aluminum alloy extrusions are investigated. The influencing variables considered include etching process parameters, Fe-rich particles, Mg-Si precipitates, and extrusion profiles. This study provides a basis for improving the surface quality in industrial extrusion products by optimizing various process parameters.

The mineralogy of bauxite for producing smelter-grade alumina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Authier-Martin, M.; Forte, G.; Ostap, S.; See, J.

2001-12-01

Aluminum-producing companies rely on low-cost, high-purity, smelter-grade alumina (aluminum oxide), and alumina production utilizes the bulk of bauxites mined world-wide. The mineralogy of the bauxites has a significant impact on the operation of the Bayer process for alumina production. Typically, the Bayer process produces smelter-grade alumina of 99.5% Al2O3, starting from bauxite containing 30% to 60% Al2O3. The main objective of the Bayer process is to extract the maximum amount of aluminum from the bauxite at as high an aluminate concentration in solution as possible, while limiting any troublesome side reactions. Only with a better understanding of the chemistry of the mineral species and a strict control of the operating/processing conditions can the Bayer process produce efficiently, a low cost, high-quality alumina with minimum detrimental environmental impact.

Orange peel + nanostructured zero-valent-iron composite for the removal of hexavalent chromium in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olea-Mejía, O.; Cabral-Prieto, A.; Salcedo-Castillo, U.; López-Tellez, G.; Olea-Cardoso, O.; López-Castañares, R.

2017-11-01

In this work we used the Pulsed Plasma in Liquid technique to synthesize zero-valent iron nanostructures. We used a DC Power Source to produce such plasma on water and methanol. The obtained particles were characterized by TEM to determine their shape and size and Mossbauer Spectroscopy to investigate the chemical state of the iron present. We found that 80% of the particles produced in water are composed of metallic iron and when methanol is used 97% of the particles are metallic iron. Once the Fe colloid was formed, orange skin was impregnated with these nanostructures for the removal of in water solution. The Cr(VI) removal experiments were done in a batch system in the presence of the composites at an inicial concentration of 50 ppm of Cr(VI). When using the iron nanostructures supported on the orange peel, the percentage of removal is 100% in the case of nanostructures formed in water and 96% when obtained in methanol.

Development and Characterization of Nanostructured Cermet Coatings Produced by Co-electrodeposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrokhzad, Mohammad Ali

Nanostructured cermet (ceramic-metallic) coatings are a group of materials that combine properties possessed by ceramics, such as oxidation resistance and high hardness, and the properties of metals such as strength and ductility. These coatings consist of nano-sized metal-oxide particles (i.e. Al2 O3) dispersed into a corrosion resistant metal matrix such as nickel. Cermet coatings have been used in many industrial applications such as cutting tools and jet engines where high temperature and erosion resistance performance are required. However, despite the promising properties, the lack of experimental data and theories on high temperature oxidation and mechanical properties of cermet coatings have restricted their full potential to be used in technologies for oil sand production such as In-Situ Combustion (ISC). In this study, the structure of cermet coatings was investigated to identify the characteristics that give rise to oxidation performance and wear resistance properties of cermet coatings. The experimental oxidation results on the single-component oxide cermet coatings showed that when Al2O3 and TiO2 were combined in the electrolyte, the new combination can improve oxidation performance (less mass gain) as compared to a pure Ni coating. Based on the oxidation and micro-hardness results, a new group of nanostructured cermet coatings (double-component oxides) was developed and investigated using long term oxidation tests, thermo-gravimetric analysis in mixed gas, thermal cycling, micro-hardness and abrasive wear tests. The mechanical analysis of the newly developed coatings showed improved resistance against wear and thermal cycling compared to single-component oxide cermet and pure Ni coatings. Furthermore, some new theoretical analysis were also put forward that aims at a new explanation of high temperature oxidation for cermet coatings.

Soft Nanoimprint Lithography for Direct Printing of Crystalline Metal Oxide Nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kothari, Rohit; Beaulieu, Michael; Watkins, James

2015-03-01

We demonstrate a solution-based soft nanoimprint lithography technique to directly print dimensionally-stable crystalline metal oxide nanostructures. A patterned PDMS stamp is used in combination with a UV/thermal cure step to imprint a resist containing high concentrations of crystalline nanoparticles in an inorganic/organic binder phase. The as-imprinted nanostructures are highly crystalline and therefore undergo little shrinkage (less than 5% in some cases) upon thermal annealing. High aspect ratio nanostructures and sub-100 nm features are easily realized. Residual layer free direct imprinting (no etching) was achieved by choosing the resist with the appropriate surface energy to ensure dewetting at stamp-substrate interface. The technique was further extended to stack the nanostructures by deploying a layer-by-layer imprint strategy. The method is scalable and can produce large area device quality nanostructures in a rapid fashion at a low cost. CeO2, ITO and TiO2 nanopatterns are illustrated for their potential use in fuel cell electrodes, solar cell electrodes and photonic devices, respectively.

Laser reflection from oxide-coated aluminum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, M. D.

1982-01-01

The theory of reflection from an oxide-coated metal is combined with experimentally measured parameters of aluminum to produce useful amplitude and phase shift information applicable to the concentration and direction of laser light. Amplitude and phase are plotted vs angle of incidence for several important laser wavelengths in the near UV, visible, and IR spectral regions.

Failure Analysis of Alumina Reinforced Aluminum Microtruss and Tube Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chien, Hsueh Fen (Karen)

The energy absorption capacity of cellular materials can be dramatically increased by applying a structural coating. This thesis examined the failure mechanisms of alumina reinforced 3003 aluminum alloy microtrusses and tubes. Alumina coatings were produced by hard anodizing and by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). The relatively thin and discontinuous oxide coating at the hinge acted as a localized weak spot which triggered a chain reaction of failure, including oxide fracture, oxide spallation, oxide penetration to the aluminum core and severe local plastic deformation of the core. For the PEO microtrusses, delamination occurred within the oxide coating resulting in a global strut buckling failure mode. A new failure mode for the anodized tubes was observed: (i) axisymmetric folding of the aluminum core, (ii) longitudinal fracture, and (iii) alumina pulverization. Overall, the alumina coating enhanced the buckling resistance of the composites, while the aluminum core supported the oxide during the damage propagation.

Folic acid improve developmental toxicity induced by aluminum sulphates.

PubMed

Yassa, Heba A; George, Safaa M; Mohamed, Heba K

2017-03-01

Aluminum sulphate has a significant toxic effects for humans. Aluminum is one of the most abundant metal on the Earth crust. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of short term exposure to aluminum sulphate on the bone development of the fetuses in rats, and if folic acid has a protective role upon that effects or not. Forty female rats were used, ten per group, GI served as negative control (receive nothing except normal feeding and water), GII served as positive control (receive water by gastric gavage), GIII treated with aluminum sulphate orally by gastric gavage and GIV treated with aluminum sulphate with folic acid. Mating occurred and known by presence of vaginal plug in the female rats. Rats were killed on day 18 of gestation. The female rats weight were significantly reduced in the treated group if compared with the control group (p>0.001), all parameters of the fetuses, fetal weight, malformation and the crown rump length reduced significantly p value were <0.000, <0.001, and <0.000 respectively. In histopathological results the aluminum treated group showed severe limited area of preossfication in fetuses vertebrae. Folic acid gave a protective role for all the hazardous effects of aluminum sulphate and prove the diameters measured and also the histopathological effects. Aluminum sulphate can produce hazardous effects on bone of the fetuses, which may affect the life style of these fetuses later on. Folic acid might give a protective role and so should be given to females who tried to conceive. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micropatterned nanostructures: a bioengineered approach to mass-produce functional myocardial grafts.

PubMed

Serpooshan, Vahid; Mahmoudi, Morteza

2015-02-13

Cell-based therapies are a recently established path for treating a wide range of human disease. Tissue engineering of contractile heart muscle for replacement therapy is among the most exciting and important of these efforts. However, current in vitro techniques of cultivating functional mature cardiac grafts have only been moderately successful due to the poor capability of traditional two-dimensional cell culture systems to recapitulate necessary in vivo conditions. In this issue, Kiefer et al introduce a laser-patterned nanostructured substrate (Al/Al2O3 nanowires) for efficient maintenance of oriented human cardiomyocytes, with great potential to open new roads to mass-production of contractile myocardial grafts for cardiovascular tissue engineering.

Micropatterned nanostructures: a bioengineered approach to mass-produce functional myocardial grafts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serpooshan, Vahid; Mahmoudi, Morteza

2015-02-01

Cell-based therapies are a recently established path for treating a wide range of human disease. Tissue engineering of contractile heart muscle for replacement therapy is among the most exciting and important of these efforts. However, current in vitro techniques of cultivating functional mature cardiac grafts have only been moderately successful due to the poor capability of traditional two-dimensional cell culture systems to recapitulate necessary in vivo conditions. In this issue, Kiefer et al [1] introduce a laser-patterned nanostructured substrate (Al/Al2O3 nanowires) for efficient maintenance of oriented human cardiomyocytes, with great potential to open new roads to mass-production of contractile myocardial grafts for cardiovascular tissue engineering.

Addressing the instability of DNA nanostructures in tissue culture.

PubMed

Hahn, Jaeseung; Wickham, Shelley F J; Shih, William M; Perrault, Steven D

2014-09-23

DNA nanotechnology is an advanced technique that could contribute diagnostic, therapeutic, and biomedical research devices to nanomedicine. Although such devices are often developed and demonstrated using in vitro tissue culture models, these conditions may not be compatible with DNA nanostructure integrity and function. The purpose of this study was to characterize the sensitivity of 3D DNA nanostructures produced via the origami method to the in vitro tissue culture environment and identify solutions to prevent loss of nanostructure integrity. We examined whether the physiological cation concentrations of cell culture medium and the nucleases present in fetal bovine serum (FBS) used as a medium supplement result in denaturation and digestion, respectively. DNA nanostructure denaturation due to cation depletion was design- and time-dependent, with one of four tested designs remaining intact after 24 h at 37 °C. Adjustment of medium by addition of MgSO4 prevented denaturation. Digestion of nanostructures by FBS nucleases in Mg(2+)-adjusted medium did not appear design-dependent and became significant within 24 h and when medium was supplemented with greater than 5% FBS. We estimated that medium supplemented with 10% FBS contains greater than 256 U/L equivalent of DNase I activity in digestion of DNA nanostructures. Heat inactivation at 75 °C and inclusion of actin protein in medium inactivated and inhibited nuclease activity, respectively. We examined the impact of medium adjustments on cell growth, viability, and phenotype. Adjustment of Mg(2+) to 6 mM did not appear to have a detrimental impact on cells. Heat inactivation was found to be incompatible with in vitro tissue culture, whereas inclusion of actin had no observable effect on growth and viability. In two in vitro assays, immune cell activation and nanoparticle endocytosis, we show that using conditions compatible with cell phenotype and nanostructure integrity is critical for obtaining reliable

Wettability transition induced transformation and entrapment of polymer nanostructures in cylindrical nanopores.

PubMed

Feng, Xunda; Mei, Shilin; Jin, Zhaoxia

2011-12-06

We apply the concept of wettability transition to manipulate the morphology and entrapment of polymer nanostructures inside cylindrical nanopores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes. When AAO/polystyrene (PS) hybrids, i.e., AAO/PS nanorods or AAO/PS nanotubes, are immersed into a polyethylene glycol (PEG) reservoir above the glass transition temperature of PS, a wettability transition from wetting to nonwetting of PS can be triggered due to the invasion of the more wettable PEG melt. The wettability transition enables us to develop a nondestructive method to entrap hemispherically capped nanorods inside nanopores. Moreover, we can obtain single nanorods with the desired aspect ratio by further dissolving the AAO template, in contrast to the drawbacks of nonuniformity or destructiveness from the conventional ultrasonication method. In the case of AAO/PS nanotubes, the wettability transition induced dewetting of PS nanotube walls results in the disconnection and entrapment of nonwetting PS domains (i.e., nanospheres, nanocapsules, or capped nanorods). Moreover, PEG is then washed to recover the pristine wettability of PS on the alumina surface; further annealing of the PS nanospheres inside AAO nanopores under vacuum can generate some unique nanostructures, particularly semicylindrical nanorods. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Mechanisms of boron removal from hydraulic fracturing wastewater by aluminum electrocoagulation.

PubMed

Sari, Mutiara Ayu; Chellam, Shankararaman

2015-11-15

Boron uptake from highly saline hydraulic fracturing wastewater by freshly precipitated amorphous Al(OH)3 precipitates is due to ligand exchange and complexation with surface hydroxyl groups. Consequently, aluminum electrocoagulation can be a feasible approach to remove boron from flowback/produced water. Actual hydraulic fracturing wastewater containing ∼120mg/L boron from the Eagle Ford shale play was employed. Electrocoagulation was performed over a range of aluminum dosages (0-1350mg/L), pH 6.4 and 8, and high current densities (20-80mA/cm(2)) using a cylindrical aluminum anode encompassed by a porous cylindrical 316-stainless steel cathode. Direct measurements of boron uptake along with its chemical state and coordination were made using Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. Boron removal increased monotonically with aluminum dosage and was higher at pH 8, but remained relatively constant at ⩾20mA/cm(2). Chloride ions induced anodic pitting and super-Faradaic (131% efficiency) aluminum dissolution and their electrooxidation produced free chlorine. ATR-FTIR suggested outer-sphere and inner-sphere complexation of trigonal B(OH)3 with Al(OH)3, which was confirmed by the BO bond shifting toward lower binding energies in XPS. Severe AlO interferences precluded evidence for tetrahedral B(OH)4(-) complexation. No evidence for co-precipitation was obtained. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Progress in Nano-Engineered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane Development.

PubMed

Poinern, Gerrard Eddy Jai; Ali, Nurshahidah; Fawcett, Derek

2011-02-25

The anodization of aluminum is an electro-chemical process that changes the surface chemistry of the metal, via oxidation, to produce an anodic oxide layer. During this process a self organized, highly ordered array of cylindrical shaped pores can be produced with controllable pore diameters, periodicity and density distribution. This enables anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes to be used as templates in a variety of nanotechnology applications without the need for expensive lithographical techniques. This review article is an overview of the current state of research on AAO membranes and the various applications of nanotechnology that use them in the manufacture of nano-materials and devices or incorporate them into specific applications such as biological/chemical sensors, nano-electronic devices, filter membranes and medical scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Progress in Nano-Engineered Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane Development

PubMed Central

Poinern, Gerrard Eddy Jai; Ali, Nurshahidah; Fawcett, Derek

2011-01-01

The anodization of aluminum is an electro-chemical process that changes the surface chemistry of the metal, via oxidation, to produce an anodic oxide layer. During this process a self organized, highly ordered array of cylindrical shaped pores can be produced with controllable pore diameters, periodicity and density distribution. This enables anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes to be used as templates in a variety of nanotechnology applications without the need for expensive lithographical techniques. This review article is an overview of the current state of research on AAO membranes and the various applications of nanotechnology that use them in the manufacture of nano-materials and devices or incorporate them into specific applications such as biological/chemical sensors, nano-electronic devices, filter membranes and medical scaffolds for tissue engineering. PMID:28880002

Effect of geometric nanostructures on the absorption edges of 1-D and 2-D TiO₂ fabricated by atomic layer deposition.

PubMed

Chang, Yung-Huang; Liu, Chien-Min; Cheng, Hsyi-En; Chen, Chih

2013-05-01

2-Dimensional (2-D) TiO2 thin films and 1-dimensional (1-D) TiO2 nanotube arrays were fabricated on Si and quartz substrates using atomic layer deposition (ALD) with an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template at 400 °C. The film thickness and the tube wall thickness can be precisely controlled using the ALD approach. The intensities of the absorption spectra were enhanced by an increase in the thickness of the TiO2 thin film and tube walls. A blue-shift was observed for a decrease in the 1-D and 2-D TiO2 nanostructure thicknesses, indicating a change in the energy band gap with the change in the size of the TiO2 nanostructures. Indirect and direct interband transitions were used to investigate the change in the energy band gap. The results indicate that both quantum confinement and interband transitions should be considered when the sizes of 1-D and 2-D TiO2 nanostructures are less than 10 nm.

Aluminum Hydroxide

MedlinePlus

Aluminum hydroxide is used for the relief of heartburn, sour stomach, and peptic ulcer pain and to ... Aluminum hydroxide comes as a capsule, a tablet, and an oral liquid and suspension. The dose and ...

Synthesizing Aluminum alloys by double mechanical alloying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Froyen, L.; Delaey, L.; Niu, X. P.; Le Brun, P.; Peytour, C.

1995-03-01

A new synthesis technique, namely double mechanical alloying (dMA), has been developed to fabricate aluminum alloys containing the finely distributed intermetallic compounds and inert dispersoids Al4C3 and Al2O3 The technique consists mainly of three steps: a primary milling stage of elemental powders (MAI) followed by a heat treatment to promote the formation of intermetallic phases, a secondary milling stage (MA2) to refine the microstructure, and consolidation of the produced powders. The results of mechanical and tribological properties of the resulting materials indicate that the dMA is a promising technique for the fabrication of aluminum alloys for applications requiring wear resistance and high-temperature performance.

Solvent-annealing-induced nanowetting in templates: towards tailored polymer nanostructures.

PubMed

Chen, Jiun-Tai; Lee, Chih-Wei; Chi, Mu-Huan; Yao, I-Chun

2013-02-25

We study the solvent-annealing-induced nanowetting in templates using porous anodic aluminum oxide membranes. The morphology of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) nanostructures can be controlled, depending on whether the swollen polymers are in the partial or complete wetting regimes, which are characterized by the spreading coefficient. When the swollen polymers are in the partial wetting regime, polymers wet the nanopores by capillary action, resulting in the formation of polymer nanorods. When the swollen polymers are in the complete wetting regime, polymers form wetting layers in the nanopores, resulting in the formation of polymer nanotubes. The solubility parameters of polymers and solvents are also used to predict the wetting behavior of swollen polymers in cylindrical geometry. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Energy-producing electro-flocculation for harvest of Dunaliella salina.

PubMed

Liu, Qing; Zhang, Meng; Lv, Tao; Chen, Hongjun; Chika, Anthony Okonkwo; Xiang, Changli; Guo, Minxue; Wu, Minghui; Li, Jianjun; Jia, Lishan

2017-10-01

In this study, an efficient electro-flocculation process for Dunaliella salina with energy production by aluminum-air battery has been successfully applied. The formed aluminum hydroxide hydrates during discharging of battery were positively charged, which have a great potential for microalgae flocculation. The precipitation of aluminum hydroxide hydrates by algae also could improve the performance of aluminum-air battery. The harvesting efficiency could reach 97% in 20mins with energy production of 0.11kWh/kg. This discharging electro-flocculation (DEF) technology provides a new energy producing process to effectively harvest microalgae. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using laser-driven flyer plates to study the shock initiation of nanoenergetic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, William; Dlott, Dana

2013-06-01

A tabletop system has been developed to launch aluminum laser-driven flyer plates at speeds up to 4 km/s. The flyer plates are used to initiate a variety of nanoenergetic materials including aluminum/iron oxide particles produced by arrested ball milling, and multi-layer nano-thermites produced by sputtering. The initiation process is probed by a variety of high-speed diagnostics including time-resolved emission spectroscopy. Impact velocity initiation thresholds for different thickness flyer plates, producing different duration shocks, were determined. The durations of the emission bursts and the effects of nanostructure and microstructure on these bursts were used to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of impact initiation.

Pbte Nanostructures for Spin Filtering and Detecting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grabecki, G.

2005-08-01

An uniqueness of lead telluride PbTe relies on combination of excellent semiconducting properties, like high electron mobility and tunable carrier concentration, with paraelectric behavior leading to huge dielectric constant at low temperatures. The present article is a review of our experimental works performed on PbTe nanostructures. The main result is observation of one-dimensional quantization of the electron motion at much impure conditions than in any other system studied so far. We explain this in terms of dielectric screening of Coulomb potentials produced by charged defects. Furthermore, in an external magnetic field, the conductance quantization steps show very pronounced spin splitting, already visible at several kilogauss. This indicates that PbTe nanostructures have a potential as local spin filtering devices.

Improved microstructure and mechanical properties in gas tungsten arc welded aluminum joints by using graphene nanosheets/aluminum composite filler wires.

PubMed

Fattahi, M; Gholami, A R; Eynalvandpour, A; Ahmadi, E; Fattahi, Y; Akhavan, S

2014-09-01

In the present study, different amounts of graphene nanosheets (GNSs) were added to the 4043 aluminum alloy powders by using the mechanical alloying method to produce the composite filler wires. With each of the produced composite filler wires, one all-weld metal coupon was welded using the gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding process. The microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture surface morphology of the weld metals have been evaluated and the results are compared. As the amount of GNSs in the composition of filler wire is increased, the microstructure of weld metal was changed from the dendritic structure to fine equiaxed grains. Furthermore, the tensile strength and microhardness of weld metal was improved, and is attributed to the augmented nucleation and retarded growth. From the results, it was seen that the GNSs/Al composite filler wire can be used to improve the microstructure and mechanical properties of GTA weld metals of aluminum and its alloys. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High Temperature Fracture Characteristics of a Nanostructured Ferritic Alloy (NFA)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Byun, Thak Sang; Kim, Jeoung H; Ji Hyun, Yoon

2010-01-01

High temperature fracture behavior has been investigated for the nanostructured ferritic alloy 14YWT (SM10). The fracture toughness of the alloy was above 140 MPa m at low temperatures, room temperature (RT) and 200 C, but decreased to a low fracture toughness range of 52 82 MPa m at higher temperatures up to 700 C. This behavior was explained by the fractography results indicating that the unique nanostructure of 14YWT alloy produced shallow plasticity layers at high temperatures and a low-ductility grain boundary debonding occurred at 700 C.

Silicon and aluminum doping effects on the microstructure and properties of polymeric amorphous carbon films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaoqiang; Hao, Junying; Xie, Yuntao

2016-08-01

Polymeric amorphous carbon films were prepared by radio frequency (R.F. 13.56 MHz) magnetron sputtering deposition. The microstructure evolution of the deposited polymeric films induced by silicon (Si) and aluminum(Al) doping were scrutinized through infrared spectroscopy, multi-wavelength Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The comparative results show that Si doping can enhance polymerization and Al doping results in an increase in the ordered carbon clusters. Si and Al co-doping into polymeric films leads to the formation of an unusual dual nanostructure consisting of cross-linked polymer-like hydrocarbon chains and fullerene-like carbon clusters. The super-high elasticity and super-low friction coefficients (<0.002) under a high vacuum were obtained through Si and Al co-doping into the films. Unconventionally, the co-doped polymeric films exhibited a superior wear resistance even though they were very soft. The relationship between the microstructure and properties of the polymeric amorphous carbon films with different elements doping are also discussed in detail.

Development of CdS Nanostructures by Thermal Decomposition of Aminocaproic Acid-Mixed Cd-Thiourea Complex Precursor: Structural, Optical and Photocatalytic Characterization.

PubMed

Patel, Jayesh D; Mighri, Frej; Ajji, Abdellah; Chaudhuri, Tapas K

2015-04-01

The present work deals with two different CdS nanostructures produced via hydrothermal and solvothermal decompositions of aminocaproic acid (ACA)-mixed Cd-thiourea complex precursor at 175 °C. Both nanostructures were extensively characterized for their structural, morphological and optical properties. The powder X-ray diffraction characterization showed that the two CdS nanostructures present a wurtzite morphology. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray characterizations revealed that the hydrothermal decomposition produced well-shaped CdS flowers composed of six dendritic petals, and the solvothermal decomposition produced CdS microspheres with close stoichiometric chemical composition. The UV-vis absorption and photoluminescence spectra of CdS dendritic flowers and microsphere nanostructures showed that both nanostructures present a broad absorption between 200 and 700 nm and exhibit strong green emissions at 576 and 520 nm upon excitations at 290 nm and 260 nm, respectively. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) characterizations confirmed that CdS microspheres were mesoporous and were composed of small nanocrystals. A possible growth mechanism in the formation of the CdS nanostructures was proposed based on morphology evolution as a function of the reaction time. Furthermore, the as-synthesized CdS nanostructures were found to exhibit highly efficient photocatalytic activities for the degradation of methyl orange (MeO) and rhodamine B (RhB) dyes.

Fabrication of the micro/nano-structure superhydrophobic surface on aluminum alloy by sulfuric acid anodizing and polypropylene coating.

PubMed

Wu, Ruomei; Liang, Shuquan; Liu, Jun; Pan, Anqiang; Yu, Y; Tang, Yan

2013-03-01

The preparation of the superhydrophobic surface on aluminum alloy by anodizing and polypropylene (PP) coating was reported. Both the different anodizing process and different PP coatings of aluminum alloy were investigated. The effects of different anodizing conditions, such as electrolyte concentration, anodization time and current on the superhydrophobic surface were discussed. By PP coating after anodizing, a good superhydrophobic surface was facilely fabricated. The optimum conditions for anodizing were determined by orthogonal experiments. After the aluminium-alloy was grinded with 600# sandpaper, pretreated by 73 g/L hydrochloric acid solution at 1 min, when the concentration of sulfuric acid was 180 g/L, the concentration of oxalic acid was 5 g/L, the concentration of potassium dichromate was 10 g/L, the concentration of chloride sodium was 50 g/L and 63 g/L of glycerol, anodization time was 20 min, and anodization current was 1.2 A/dm2, anodization temperature was 30-35 degrees C, the best micro-nanostructure aluminum alloy films was obtained. On the other hand, the PP with different concentrations was used to the PP with different concentrations was used to coat the aluminum alloy surface after anodizing. The results showed that the best superhydrophobicity was achieved by coating PP, and the duration of the superhydrophobic surface was improved by modifying the coat the aluminum alloy surface after anodizing. The results showed that the best superhydrophobicity was surface with high concentration PP. The morphologies of micro/nano-structure superhydrophobic surface were further confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The material of PP with the low surface free energy combined with the micro/nano-structures of the surface resulted in the superhydrophobicity of the aluminum alloy surface.

Template-Free Electroless Plating of Gold Nanowires: Direct Surface Functionalization with Shape-Selective Nanostructures for Electrochemical Applications.

PubMed

Muench, Falk; Schaefer, Sandra; Hagelüken, Lorenz; Molina-Luna, Leopoldo; Duerrschnabel, Michael; Kleebe, Hans-Joachim; Brötz, Joachim; Vaskevich, Alexander; Rubinstein, Israel; Ensinger, Wolfgang

2017-09-13

Metal nanowires (NWs) represent a prominent nanomaterial class, the interest in which is fueled by their tunable properties as well as their excellent performance in, for example, sensing, catalysis, and plasmonics. Synthetic approaches to obtain metal NWs mostly produce colloids or rely on templates. Integrating such nanowires into devices necessitates additional fabrication steps, such as template removal, nanostructure purification, or attachment. Here, we describe the development of a facile electroless plating protocol for the direct deposition of gold nanowire films, requiring neither templates nor complex instrumentation. The method is general, producing three-dimensional nanowire structures on substrates of varying shape and composition, with different seed types. The aqueous plating bath is prepared by ligand exchange and partial reduction of tetrachloroauric acid in the presence of 4-dimethylaminopyridine and formaldehyde. Gold deposition proceeds by nucleation of new grains on existing nanostructure tips and thus selectively produces curvy, polycrystalline nanowires of high aspect ratio. The nanofabrication potential of this method is demonstrated by producing a sensor electrode, whose performance is comparable to that of known nanostructures and discussed in terms of the catalyst architecture. Due to its flexibility and simplicity, shape-selective electroless plating is a promising new tool for functionalizing surfaces with anisotropic metal nanostructures.

Uni-directional liquid spreading on asymmetric nanostructured surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Kuang-Han; Xiao, Rong; Wang, Evelyn N.

2010-05-01

Controlling surface wettability and liquid spreading on patterned surfaces is of significant interest for a broad range of applications, including DNA microarrays, digital lab-on-a-chip, anti-fogging and fog-harvesting, inkjet printing and thin-film lubrication. Advancements in surface engineering, with the fabrication of various micro/nanoscale topographic features, and selective chemical patterning on surfaces, have enhanced surface wettability and enabled control of the liquid film thickness and final wetted shape. In addition, groove geometries and patterned surface chemistries have produced anisotropic wetting, where contact-angle variations in different directions resulted in elongated droplet shapes. In all of these studies, however, the wetting behaviour preserves left-right symmetry. Here, we demonstrate that we can harness the design of asymmetric nanostructured surfaces to achieve uni-directional liquid spreading, where the liquid propagates in a single preferred direction and pins in all others. Through experiments and modelling, we determined that the spreading characteristic is dependent on the degree of nanostructure asymmetry, the height-to-spacing ratio of the nanostructures and the intrinsic contact angle. The theory, based on an energy argument, provides excellent agreement with experimental data. The insights gained from this work offer new opportunities to tailor advanced nanostructures to achieve active control of complex flow patterns and wetting on demand.

A new, bright and hard aluminum surface produced by anodization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Fengyan; Hu, Bo; Tay, See Leng; Wang, Yuxin; Xiong, Chao; Gao, Wei

2017-07-01

Anodized aluminum (Al) and Al alloys have a wide range of applications. However, certain anodized finishings have relatively low hardness, dull appearance and/or poor corrosion resistance, which limited their applications. In this research, Al was first electropolished in a phosphoric acid-based solution, then anodized in a sulfuric acid-based solution under controlled processing parameters. The anodized specimen was then sealed by two-step sealing method. A systematic study including microstructure, surface morphology, hardness and corrosion resistance of these anodized films has been conducted. Results show that the hardness of this new anodized film was increased by a factor of 10 compared with the pure Al metal. Salt spray corrosion testing also demonstrated the greatly improved corrosion resistance. Unlike the traditional hard anodized Al which presents a dull-colored surface, this newly developed anodized Al alloy possesses a very bright and shiny surface with good hardness and corrosion resistance.

Diameter-dependent optical constants of gold mesoparticles electrodeposited on aluminum films containing copper.

PubMed

Brevnov, Dmitri A; Bungay, Corey

2005-08-04

Electrodeposition of gold mesoparticles on anodized and chemically etched aluminum/copper films deposited on silicon wafers proceeds by instantaneous nucleation and with no diffusion limitations. Both of these phenomena favor the formation of relatively monodispersed gold particles. Under the reported electrodeposition conditions, the relative standard deviation of the particle diameter is 25%. The particle coverage is 7 x 10(8) particles cm(-2). The mean particle diameter varies as a function of electrodeposition time in the range of 40-80 nm. Optical constants of gold mesoparticles are resolved by spectroscopic ellipsometry. A two-layer optical model is constructed to determine both extinction coefficients and refractive indexes of gold mesoparticles as a function of the mean particle diameter. The absorption peak, associated with surface plasmons, is modeled with two Lorentz oscillators. Absorption peak maximums shift from 610 to 675 nm as the mean particle diameter increases from 42 to 74 nm. Electrodeposition of gold particles on technologically relevant substrates, such as aluminum/copper films, is expected to increase the utility of gold particles and facilitate their incorporation in nanostructured materials and a variety of electronic and optical devices.

Is the Aluminum Hypothesis Dead?

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The Aluminum Hypothesis, the idea that aluminum exposure is involved in the etiology of Alzheimer disease, dates back to a 1965 demonstration that aluminum causes neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of rabbits. Initially the focus of intensive research, the Aluminum Hypothesis has gradually been abandoned by most researchers. Yet, despite this current indifference, the Aluminum Hypothesis continues to attract the attention of a small group of scientists and aluminum continues to be viewed with concern by some of the public. This review article discusses reasons that mainstream science has largely abandoned the Aluminum Hypothesis and explores a possible reason for some in the general public continuing to view aluminum with mistrust. PMID:24806729

Nanostructures having high performance thermoelectric properties

DOEpatents

Yang, Peidong; Majumdar, Arunava; Hochbaum, Allon I.; Chen, Renkun; Delgado, Raul Diaz

2015-12-22

The invention provides for a nanostructure, or an array of such nanostructures, each comprising a rough surface, and a doped or undoped semiconductor. The nanostructure is an one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructure, such a nanowire, or a two-dimensional (2-D) nanostructure. The nanostructure can be placed between two electrodes and used for thermoelectric power generation or thermoelectric cooling.

Nanostructures having high performance thermoelectric properties

DOEpatents

Yang, Peidong; Majumdar, Arunava; Hochbaum, Allon I; Chen, Renkun; Delgado, Raul Diaz

2014-05-20

The invention provides for a nanostructure, or an array of such nanostructures, each comprising a rough surface, and a doped or undoped semiconductor. The nanostructure is an one-dimensional (1-D) nanostructure, such a nanowire, or a two-dimensional (2-D) nanostructure. The nanostructure can be placed between two electrodes and used for thermoelectric power generation or thermoelectric cooling.

Effect of S-phase precipitates on deformation nanostructuring and hardening of 2xxx aluminum alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markushev, Michael; Krymskiy, Stanislav; Avtokratova, Elena; Ilyasov, Rafis; Sitdikov, Oleg

2017-12-01

The influence of preliminary heat treatment, involving quenching and further aging at 190°C for 10 h, on the grain structure, hardness, and tensile strength of hot-pressed commercial D16 alloy severely deformed via room-temperature high pressure torsion (HPT) (10 revolutions under P = 6 GPa) was investigated. In spite of higher deformation strengthening, owing to the formation of a more developed nanostructure in the prequenched material, the alloy hardness and strength in both HPT conditions (i.e. after quenching and further aging) were quite similar. The nature of the alloy structure-property relations found is discussed.

Using optical techniques to measure aluminum burning in post-detonation explosive fireballs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peuker, Jennifer Mott

are on the fireball surface, then more AlO emission is measured. However, the end-loaded aluminum does not add to the energy output enhancement as much as the pre-loaded aluminum charges since the peak pressures and initial impulse are similar for different amounts of aluminum. A grease layer on the tip of the charge reduces the amount of AlO emission measured by 90 percent, but has the same energy output in the initial blast wave as the same charge not having a grease layer, indicating that the material at the tip of a charge changes the breakout and subsequent AlO emission production. In addition, the overpressure measurements indicate that four distinct stages of aluminum combustion exist. The first stage is the detonation and the activation of the aluminum. In the second stage the aluminum burns to enhance the blast wave which is indicated by higher peak pressures and initial impulses than a charge not containing aluminum. During the third stage, the aluminum continues to burn to increase the overpressure of the chamber. The fireball cools during the fourth stage and any aluminum oxidation does not add to the energy release. The variations in how much AlO emission is measured indicate that interpreting AlO emission measurements from explosive fireballs is not straightforward with respect to correctly determining the amount of aluminum combusted, how long the aluminum reacted, or the energy released. If aluminum is available to burn and AlO emission is measured, then the aluminum is burning---even taking into account AlO emission from the oxide layer. However, when no AlO emission is measured, it does not necessarily mean that the aluminum is not burning. When AlO emission is measured it indicates that the temperatures are high enough to sustain aluminum combustion which produces AlO, and that oxidizers are present which react to produce the AlO emission. The relative intensities for the same time frame of AlO emission measured could be indicators about the

77 FR 74466 - Aluminum Extrusions From the People's Republic of China: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-14

... mandatory respondents comprise a significant portion of the Chinese extruded aluminum producers and exporters and thus are representative of the Chinese extruded aluminum industry as a whole.\\11\\ The CIT held...

Boron-carbide-aluminum and boron-carbide-reactive metal cermets

DOEpatents

Halverson, Danny C.; Pyzik, Aleksander J.; Aksay, Ilhan A.

1986-01-01

Hard, tough, lightweight boron-carbide-reactive metal composites, particularly boron-carbide-aluminum composites, are produced. These composites have compositions with a plurality of phases. A method is provided, including the steps of wetting and reacting the starting materials, by which the microstructures in the resulting composites can be controllably selected. Starting compositions, reaction temperatures, reaction times, and reaction atmospheres are parameters for controlling the process and resulting compositions. The ceramic phases are homogeneously distributed in the metal phases and adhesive forces at ceramic-metal interfaces are maximized. An initial consolidation step is used to achieve fully dense composites. Microstructures of boron-carbide-aluminum cermets have been produced with modulus of rupture exceeding 110 ksi and fracture toughness exceeding 12 ksi.sqroot.in. These composites and methods can be used to form a variety of structural elements.

The effect of zinc on the aluminum anode of the aluminum-air battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Yougen; Lu, Lingbin; Roesky, Herbert W.; Wang, Laiwen; Huang, Baiyun

Aluminum is an ideal material for batteries, due to its excellent electrochemical performance. Herein, the effect of zinc on the aluminum anode of the aluminum-air battery, as an additive for aluminum alloy and electrolytes, has been studied. The results show that zinc can decrease the anodic polarization, restrain the hydrogen evolution and increase the anodic utilization rate.

Cross-Discipline Bio-Nanostructured Enhanced Photonic Multimode-Sensor Science

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-23

experimental study aimed to combine soft material science with nanotechnology and multi-physics modeling to produce adaptable bio-nanostructure based on...degradation through optical analysis and tracking programs Protein and DNA engineering . - The properties of proteins to be used in sensors were studies

Nanostructured hematite for photoelectrochemical water splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Yichuan

Solar water splitting is an environmentally friendly reaction of producing hydrogen gas. Since Honda and Fujishima first demonstrated solar water splitting in 1972 by using semiconductor titanium dioxide (TiO2) as photoanode in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell, extensive efforts have been invested into improving the solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency and lower the production cost of photoelectrochemical devices. In the last few years, hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) nanostructures have been extensively studied as photoanodes for PEC water splitting. Although nanostructured hematite can improve its photoelectrochemical water splitting performance to some extent, by increasing active sites for water oxidation and shortening photogenerated hole path length to semiconductor/electrolyte interface, the photoactivity of pristine hematite nanostructures is still limited by a number of factors, such as poor electrical conductivities and slow oxygen evolution reaction kinetics. Previous studies have shown that tin (Sn) as an n-type dopant can substantially enhance the photoactivity of hematite photoanodes by modifying their optical and electrical properties. In this thesis, I will first demonstrate an unintentional Sn-doping method via high temperature annealing of hematite nanowires grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate to enhance the donor density. In addition to introducing extrinsic dopants into semiconductors, the carrier densities of hematite can also be enhanced by creating intrinsic defects. Oxygen vacancies function as shallow donors for a number of hematite. In this regard, I have investigated the influence of oxygen content on thermal decomposition of FeOOH to induce oxygen vacancies in hematite. In the end, I have studied low temperature activation of hematite nanostructures.

Study of nanodispersed aluminum and iron alcosols by photoacoustic spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, Vladimir; de Izarra, Charles; Saveliev, Gennady

2011-06-01

Nanodispersed aluminum and iron alcosols were prepared by ultrasonic dispersion of nanodispersed aluminum and iron powders in absolute ethanol. The photoacoustic signal (PAS) produced in modulated CO2 laser irradiation (1.026 and 1.096 kHz) of alcosols depends on the nature and method of nanoparticle fabrication and does not depend on their concentration in ethanol (within 1-5 g/l). Chemical interaction between metal nanoparticles and ethanol activated by laser irradiation or/and ultrasound is considered as the cause of the PAS.

Continuous internal channels formed in aluminum fusion welds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gault, J.; Sabo, W.

1967-01-01

Process produces continuous internal channel systems on a repeatable basis in 2014-T6 aluminum. Standard machining forms the initial channel, which is filled with tungsten carbide powder. TIG machine fusion welding completes formation of the channel. Chem-mill techniques enlarge it to the desired size.

Whole Wafer Design and Fabrication for the Alignment of Nanostructures for Chemical Sensor Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biaggi-Labiosa, Azlin M.; Hunter, Gary W.

2013-01-01

A major objective in aerospace sensor development is to produce sensors that are small in size, easy to batch fabricate and low in cost, and have low power consumption The fabrication of chemical sensors involving nanostructured materials can provide these properties as well as the potential for the development of sensor systems with unique properties and improved performance. However, the fabrication and processing of nanostructures for sensor applications currently is limited in the ability to control their location on the sensor. Currently, our group at NASA Glenn Research Center has demonstrated the controlled placement of nanostructures in sensors using a sawtooth patterned electrode design. With this design the nanostructures are aligned between opposing sawtooth electrodes by applying an alternating current.

Tunable growth of TiO2 nanostructures on Ti substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Xinsheng; Wang, Jingpeng; Thomas, Dan F.; Chen, Aicheng

2005-10-01

A simple and facile method is described to directly synthesize TiO2 nanostructures on titanium substrates by oxidizing Ti foil using small organic molecules as the oxygen source. The effect of reaction temperature and oxygen source on the formation of the TiO2 nanostructures has been studied using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and water contact angle measurement. Polycrystalline grains are formed when pure oxygen and formic acid are used as the oxygen source; elongated micro-crystals are produced when water vapour is used as the oxygen source; oriented and aligned TiO2 nanorod arrays are synthesized when ethanol, acetaldehyde or acetone are used as the oxygen source. The growth mechanism of the TiO2 nanostructures is discussed. The diffusion of Ti atoms to the oxide/gas interface via the network of the grain boundaries of the thin oxide layer is the determining factor for the formation of well-aligned TiO2 nanorod arrays. The wetting properties of the TiO2 nanostructured surfaces formed are dictated by their structure, varying from a hydrophilic surface to a strongly hydrophobic surface as the surface structure changes from polycrystalline grains to well-aligned nanorod arrays. This tunable growth of TiO2 nanostructures is desirable for promising applications of TiO2 nanostructures in the development of optical devices, sensors, photo-catalysts and self-cleaning coatings.

High Strength and Wear Resistant Aluminum Alloy for High Temperature Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jonathan A.; Munafo, Paul M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

In this paper, a new high strength and wear resistant aluminum cast alloy invented by NASA-MSFC for high temperature applications will be presented. Developed to meet U.S. automotive legislation requiring low-exhaust emission, the novel NASA 398 aluminum-silicon alloy offers dramatic improvement in tensile and fatigue strengths at elevated temperatures (500 F-800 F), enabling new pistons to utilize less material, which can lead to reducing part weight and cost as well as improving performance. NASA 398 alloy also offers greater wear resistance, surface hardness, dimensional stability, and lower thermal expansion compared to conventional aluminum alloys for several commercial and automotive applications. The new alloy can be produced economically using permanent steel molds from conventional gravity casting or sand casting. The technology was developed to stimulate the development of commercial aluminum casting products from NASA-developed technology by offering companies the opportunity to license this technology.

Adhesion Improvement between Polyethylene and Aluminum Using Eco-Friendly Plasma Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popelka, Anton; Krupa, Igor; Novák, Igor; Ouederni, Mabrouk; Abdulaqder, Fatima; Al-Yazedi, Shrooq; Al-Gunaid, Taghreed; Al-Senani, Thuraya

Polyethylene (PE) belongs among the most widely used polymers in many industrial applications, such as in building, packaging or transport industry. Qatar is one of the largest producers of PE in the world. Composite laminates consisting of PE and metal materials, such as aluminum (Al) lead to an improvement of various mechanical and physical properties necessary for special applications in building industry. Aluminum composite panel (ACP) represents type of flat panel that consists of two thin aluminum sheets bonded to a non-aluminum core, often made from PE. ACPs are frequently used for external cladding or facades of buildings. The main problem relates the adhesion between both materials. In this research work the improvement of adhesion properties of composite laminates prepared from PE and Al using plasma treatment was investigated. This surface treatment led to the significantly increase of peel strength of PE-Al adhesive joints.

Design issues for lunar in situ aluminum/oxygen propellant rocket engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Michael L.

1992-01-01

Design issues for lunar ascent and lunar descent rocket engines fueled by aluminum/oxygen propellant produced in situ at the lunar surface were evaluated. Key issues are discussed which impact the design of these rockets: aluminum combustion, throat erosion, and thrust chamber cooling. Four engine concepts are presented, and the impact of combustion performance, throat erosion and thrust chamber cooling on overall engine design are discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of each engine concept are presented.

Coating of 6028 Aluminum Alloy Using Aluminum Piston Alloy and Al-Si Alloy-Based Nanocomposites Produced by the Addition of Al-Ti5-B1 to the Matrix Melt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Labban, Hashem F.; Abdelaziz, M.; Mahmoud, Essam R. I.

2014-10-01

The Al-12 pctSi alloy and aluminum-based composites reinforced with TiB2 and Al3Ti intermetallics exhibit good wear resistance, strength-to-weight ratio, and strength-to-cost ratio when compared to equivalent other commercial Al alloys, which make them good candidates as coating materials. In this study, structural AA 6028 alloy is used as the base material. Four different coating materials were used. The first one is Al-Si alloy that has Si content near eutectic composition. The second, third, and fourth ones are Al-6 pctSi-based reinforced with TiB2 and Al3Ti nano-particles produced by addition of Al-Ti5-B1 master alloy with different weight percentages (1, 2, and 3 pct). The coating treatment was carried out with the aid of GTAW process. The microstructures of the base and coated materials were investigated using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope equipped with EDX analyzer. Microhardness of the base material and the coated layer were evaluated using a microhardness tester. GTAW process results in almost sound coated layer on 6028 aluminum alloy with the used four coating materials. The coating materials of Al-12 pct Si alloy resulted in very fine dendritic Al-Si eutectic structure. The interface between the coated layer and the base metal was very clean. The coated layer was almost free from porosities or other defects. The coating materials of Al-6 pct Si-based mixed with Al-Ti5-B1 master alloy with different percentages (1, 2, and 3 pct), results in coated layer consisted of matrix of fine dendrite eutectic morphology structure inside α-Al grains. Many fine in situ TiAl3 and TiB2 intermetallics were precipitated almost at the grain boundary of α-Al grains. The amounts of these precipitates are increased by increasing the addition of Al-Ti5-B1 master alloy. The surface hardness of the 6028 aluminum alloy base metal was improved with the entire four used surface coating materials. The improvement reached to about 85 pct by the first type of

High energy density aluminum battery

DOEpatents

Brown, Gilbert M.; Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans; Dai, Sheng; Dudney, Nancy J.; Manthiram, Arumugan; McIntyre, Timothy J.; Sun, Xiao-Guang; Liu, Hansan

2016-10-11

Compositions and methods of making are provided for a high energy density aluminum battery. The battery comprises an anode comprising aluminum metal. The battery further comprises a cathode comprising a material capable of intercalating aluminum or lithium ions during a discharge cycle and deintercalating the aluminum or lithium ions during a charge cycle. The battery further comprises an electrolyte capable of supporting reversible deposition and stripping of aluminum at the anode, and reversible intercalation and deintercalation of aluminum or lithium at the cathode.

Electrolytic Cell For Production Of Aluminum Employing Planar Anodes.

DOEpatents

Barnett, Robert J.; Mezner, Michael B.; Bradford, Donald R

2004-10-05

A method of producing aluminum in an electrolytic cell containing alumina dissolved in an electrolyte, the method comprising providing a molten salt electrolyte having alumina dissolved therein in an electrolytic cell. A plurality of anodes and cathodes having planar surfaces are disposed in a generally vertical orientation in the electrolyte, the anodes and cathodes arranged in alternating or interleaving relationship to provide anode planar surfaces disposed opposite cathode planar surfaces, the anode comprised of carbon. Electric current is passed through anodes and through the electrolyte to the cathodes depositing aluminum at the cathodes and forming carbon containing gas at the anodes.

Formation of nitrile species on Ag nanostructures supported on a-Al2O3: a new corrosion route for silver exposed to the atmosphere.

PubMed

Peláez, R J; Espinós, J P; Afonso, C N

2017-04-28

The aging of supported Ag nanostructures upon storage in ambient conditions (air and room temperature) for 20 months has been studied. The samples are produced on glass substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD); first a 15 nm thick buffer layer of amorphous aluminum oxide (a-Al 2 O 3 ) is deposited, followed by PLD of Ag. The amount of deposited Ag ranges from that leading to a discontinuous layer up to an almost-percolated layer with a thickness of <6 nm. Some regions of the as-grown silver layers are converted, by laser induced dewetting, into round isolated nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters of up to ∼25 nm. The plasmonic, structural and chemical properties of both as-grown and laser exposed regions upon aging have been followed using extinction spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The results show that the discontinuous as-grown regions are optically and chemically unstable and that the metal becomes oxidized faster, the smaller the amount of Ag. The corrosion leads to the formation of nitrile species due to the reaction between NO x species from the atmosphere adsorbed at the surface of Ag, and hydrocarbons adsorbed in defects at the surface of the a-Al 2 O 3 layer during the deposition of the Ag nanostructures by PLD that migrate to the surface of the metal with time. The nitrile formation thus results in the main oxidation mechanism and inhibits almost completely the formation of sulphate/sulphide. Finally, the optical changes upon aging offer an easy-to-use tool for following the aging process. They are dominated by an enhanced absorption in the UV side of the spectrum and a blue-shift of the surface plasmon resonance that are, respectively, related to the formation of a dielectric overlayer on the Ag nanostructure and changes in the dimensions/features of the nanostructures, both due to the oxidation process.

Boron-based nanostructures: Synthesis, functionalization, and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedasso, Eyrusalam Kifyalew

Boron-based nanostructures have not been explored in detail; however, these structures have the potential to revolutionize many fields including electronics and biomedicine. The research discussed in this dissertation focuses on synthesis, functionalization, and characterization of boron-based zero-dimensional nanostructures (core/shell and nanoparticles) and one-dimensional nanostructures (nanorods). The first project investigates the synthesis and functionalization of boron-based core/shell nanoparticles. Two boron-containing core/shell nanoparticles, namely boron/iron oxide and boron/silica, were synthesized. Initially, boron nanoparticles with a diameter between 10-100 nm were prepared by decomposition of nido-decaborane (B10H14) followed by formation of a core/shell structure. The core/shell structures were prepared using the appropriate precursor, iron source and silica source, for the shell in the presence of boron nanoparticles. The formation of core/shell nanostructures was confirmed using high resolution TEM. Then, the core/shell nanoparticles underwent a surface modification. Boron/iron oxide core/shell nanoparticles were functionalized with oleic acid, citric acid, amine-terminated polyethylene glycol, folic acid, and dopamine, and boron/silica core/shell nanoparticles were modified with 3-(amino propyl) triethoxy silane, 3-(2-aminoethyleamino)propyltrimethoxysilane), citric acid, folic acid, amine-terminated polyethylene glycol, and O-(2-Carboxyethyl)polyethylene glycol. A UV-Vis and ATR-FTIR analysis established the success of surface modification. The cytotoxicity of water-soluble core/shell nanoparticles was studied in triple negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and the result showed the compounds are not toxic. The second project highlights optimization of reaction conditions for the synthesis of boron nanorods. This synthesis, done via reduction of boron oxide with molten lithium, was studied to produce boron nanorods without any

Characterization of B4C-composite-reinforced aluminum alloy composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Ram; Rai, R. N.

2018-04-01

Dry sliding wear tests conducted on Pin-on-disk wear test machine. The rotational speed of disc is ranging from (400-600rpm) and under loads ranging from (30-70 N) the contact time between the disc and pin is constant for each pin specimen of composites is 15 minute. In all manufacturing industries the uses of composite materials has been increasing globally, In the present study, an aluminum 5083 alloy is used as the matrix and 5% of weight percentage of Boron Carbide (B4C) as the reinforcing material. The composite is produced using stir casting technique. This is cost effective method. The aluminum 5083 matrix can be strengthened by reinforcing with hard ceramic particles like silicon carbide and boron carbide. In this experiment, aluminum 5083 alloy is selected as one of main material for making parts of the ship it has good mechanical properties, good corrosion resistance and it is can welded very easily and does have good strength. The samples are tested for hardness and tensile strength. The mechanical properties like Hardness can be increased by reinforcing aluminum 5083alloy 5% boron carbide (B4C) particles and tensile strength. Finally the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis and EDS is done, which helps to study topography of composites and it produces images of a sample by scanning it with a focused beam of electrons and the presence of composition found in the matrix.

Rapid fabrication of self-ordered porous alumina with 10-/sub-10-nm-scale nanostructures by selenic acid anodizing

PubMed Central

Nishinaga, Osamu; Kikuchi, Tatsuya; Natsui, Shungo; Suzuki, Ryosuke O.

2013-01-01

Anodic porous alumina has been widely investigated and used as a nanostructure template in various nanoapplications. The porous structure consists of numerous hexagonal cells perpendicular to the aluminum substrate and each cell has several tens or hundreds of nanoscale pores at its center. Because the nanomorphology of anodic porous alumina is limited by the electrolyte during anodizing, the discovery of additional electrolytes would expand the applicability of porous alumina. In this study, we report a new self-ordered nanoporous alumina formed by selenic acid (H2SeO4) anodizing. By optimizing the anodizing conditions, anodic alumina possessing 10-nm-scale pores was rapidly assembled (within 1 h) during selenic acid anodizing without any special electrochemical equipment. Novel sub-10-nm-scale spacing can also be achieved by selenic acid anodizing and metal sputter deposition. Our new nanoporous alumina can be used as a nanotemplate for various nanostructures in 10-/sub-10-nm-scale manufacturing. PMID:24067318

A Generalizable Top-Down Nanostructuring Method of Bulk Oxides: Sequential Oxygen-Nitrogen Exchange Reaction.

PubMed

Lee, Lanlee; Kang, Byungwuk; Han, Suyoung; Kim, Hee-Eun; Lee, Moo Dong; Bang, Jin Ho

2018-05-27

A thermal reaction route that induces grain fracture instead of grain growth is devised and developed as a top-down approach to prepare nanostructured oxides from bulk solids. This novel synthesis approach, referred to as the sequential oxygen-nitrogen exchange (SONE) reaction, exploits the reversible anion exchange between oxygen and nitrogen in oxides that is driven by a simple two-step thermal treatment in ammonia and air. Internal stress developed by significant structural rearrangement via the formation of (oxy)nitride and the creation of oxygen vacancies and their subsequent combination into nanopores transforms bulk solid oxides into nanostructured oxides. The SONE reaction can be applicable to most transition metal oxides, and when utilized in a lithium-ion battery, the produced nanostructured materials are superior to their bulk counterparts and even comparable to those produced by conventional bottom-up approaches. Given its simplicity and scalability, this synthesis method could open a new avenue to the development of high-performance nanostructured electrode materials that can meet the industrial demand of cost-effectiveness for mass production. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tuning the field distribution and fabrication of an Al@ZnO core-shell nanostructure for a SPR-based fiber optic phenyl hydrazine sensor.

PubMed

Tabassum, Rana; Kaur, Parvinder; Gupta, Banshi D

2016-05-27

We report the fabrication and characterization of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based fiber optic sensor that uses coatings of silver and aluminum (Al)-zinc oxide (ZnO) core-shell nanostructure (Al@ZnO) for the detection of phenyl hydrazine (Ph-Hyd). To optimize the volume fraction (f) of Al in ZnO and the thickness of the core-shell nanostructure layer (d), the electric field intensity along the normal to the multilayer system is simulated using the two-dimensional multilayer matrix method. The Al@ZnO core-shell nanostructure is prepared using the laser ablation technique. Various probes are fabricated with different values of f and an optimized thickness of core-shell nanostructure for the characterization of the Ph-Hyd sensor. The performance of the Ph-Hyd sensor is evaluated in terms of sensitivity. It is found that the Ag/Al@ZnO nanostructure core-shell-coated SPR probe with f = 0.25 and d = 0.040 μm possesses the maximum sensitivity towards Ph-Hyd. These results are in agreement with the simulated ones obtained using electric field intensity. In addition, the performance of the proposed probe is compared with that of probes coated with (i) Al@ZnO nanocomposite, (ii) Al nanoparticles and (iii) ZnO nanoparticles. It is found that the probe coated with an Al@ZnO core-shell nanostructure shows the largest resonance wavelength shift. The detailed mechanism of the sensing (involving chemical reactions) is presented. The sensor also manifests optimum performance at pH 7.

Design and fabrication of Ni nanowires having periodically hollow nanostructures.

PubMed

Sada, Takao; Fujigaya, Tsuyohiko; Nakashima, Naotoshi

2014-10-07

We propose a concept for the design and fabrication of metal nanowires having periodically hollow nanostructures inside the pores of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane using a sacrificial metal. In this study, nickel (Ni) and silver (Ag) were used as the base metal and the sacrificial metal, respectively. Alternating an applied potential between -0.4 and -1.0 V provided alternatively deposited Ni and Ag segments in a Ni-Ag 'barcode' nanowire with a diameter of 18 or 35 nm. After etching away the Ag segments, we fabricated Ni nanowires with nanopores of 12 ± 5.3 nm. Such nanostructure formation is explained by the formation of a Ni shell layer over the surface of the Ag segments due to the strong affinity of Ni(2+) for the interior surfaces of AAO. The Ni shell layer allows the Ni segments to remain even after dissolution of the Ag segments. Because the electroplating conditions can be easily controlled, we could carefully adjust the size and pitch of the periodically hollow nanospaces. We also describe a method for the fabrication of Ni nanorods by forming an Ag shell instead of a Ni shell on the Ni-Ag barcode nanowire, in which the interior of the AAO surfaces was modified with a compound bearing a thiol group prior to electroplating.

Periodic nanostructures formed on a poly-methyl methacrylate surface with a femtosecond laser for biocompatibility improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takenaka, Keisuke; Tsukamoto, Masahiro; Sato, Yuji; Ooga, Takahiro; Asai, Satoru; Murai, Kensuke

2018-06-01

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is widely used as a biomaterial. The formation of periodic nanostructures on the surface is necessary to improve the biocompatibility. A method was proposed and developed to form periodic nanostructures on a PMMA surface. A PMMA plate was placed on titanium (Ti) plate, and then the Ti plate was irradiated with a laser through the PMMA plate. We try to effectively produce periodic nanostructures on PMMA with a femtosecond laser at a fundamental wavelength by increasing the contact pressure and using titanium (Ti) plate. The contact pressure between PMMA and Ti required to form a periodic nanostructure is 300 kPa, and for a contact pressure of 2400 kPa, periodic nanostructures are formed in 62% of the laser-irradiated area on the PMMA surface. These results suggest that the formation efficiency of the periodic nanostructure depends on the laser conditions and the contact pressure.

Nanostructured thick 3D nanofibrous scaffold can induce bone.

PubMed

Eap, Sandy; Morand, David; Clauss, François; Huck, Olivier; Stoltz, Jean-François; Lutz, Jean-Christophe; Gottenberg, Jacques-Eric; Benkirane-Jessel, Nadia; Keller, Laetitia; Fioretti, Florence

2015-01-01

Designing unique nanostructured biomimetic materials is a new challenge in modern regenerative medicine. In order to develop functional substitutes for damaged organs or tissues, several methods have been used to create implants able to regenerate robust and durable bone. Electrospinning produces nonwoven scaffolds based on polymer nanofibers mimicking the fibrillar organization of bone extracellular matrix. Here, we describe a biomimetic 3D thick nanofibrous scaffold obtained by electrospinning of the biodegradable, bioresorbable and FDA-approved polymer, poly(ε-caprolactone). Such scaffold presents a thickness reaching one centimeter. We report here the demonstration that the designed nanostructured implant is able to induce in vivo bone regeneration.

High-harmonic generation by field enhanced femtosecond pulses in metal-sapphire nanostructure

PubMed Central

Han, Seunghwoi; Kim, Hyunwoong; Kim, Yong Woo; Kim, Young-Jin; Kim, Seungchul; Park, In-Yong; Kim, Seung-Woo

2016-01-01

Plasmonic high-harmonic generation (HHG) drew attention as a means of producing coherent extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation by taking advantage of field enhancement occurring in metallic nanostructures. Here a metal-sapphire nanostructure is devised to provide a solid tip as the HHG emitter, replacing commonly used gaseous atoms. The fabricated solid tip is made of monocrystalline sapphire surrounded by a gold thin-film layer, and intended to produce EUV harmonics by the inter- and intra-band oscillations of electrons driven by the incident laser. The metal-sapphire nanostructure enhances the incident laser field by means of surface plasmon polaritons, triggering HHG directly from moderate femtosecond pulses of ∼0.1 TW cm−2 intensities. The measured EUV spectra exhibit odd-order harmonics up to ∼60 nm wavelengths without the plasma atomic lines typically seen when using gaseous atoms as the HHG emitter. This experimental outcome confirms that the plasmonic HHG approach is a promising way to realize coherent EUV sources for nano-scale near-field applications in spectroscopy, microscopy, lithography and atto-second physics. PMID:27721374

Cast Aluminum Alloys for High Temperature Applications Using Nanoparticles Al2O3 and Al3-X Compounds (X = Ti, V, Zr)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jonathan A.

2009-01-01

In this paper, the effect of nanoparticles Al2O3 and Al3-X compounds (X = Ti, V, Zr) on the improvement of mechanical properties of aluminum alloys for elevated temperature applications is presented. These nanoparticles were selected based on their low cost, chemical stability and low diffusions rates in aluminum at high temperatures. The strengthening mechanism at high temperature for aluminum alloy is based on the mechanical blocking of dislocation movements by these nanoparticles. For Al2O3 nanoparticles, the test samples were prepared from special Al2O3 preforms, which were produced using ceramic injection molding process and then pressure infiltrated by molten aluminum. In another method, Al2O3 nanoparticles can also be homogeneously mixed with fine aluminum powder and consolidated into test samples through hot pressing and sintering. With the Al3-X nanoparticles, the test samples are produced as precipitates from in-situ reactions with molten aluminum using conventional permanent mold or die casting techniques. It is found that cast aluminum alloy using nanoparticles Al3-X is the most cost effective method to produce high strength aluminum alloys for high temperature applications in comparison to nanoparticles Al2O3. Furthermore, significant mechanical properties retention in high temperature environment could be achieved with Al3-X nanoparticles, resulting in tensile strength of nearly 3 times higher than most 300- series conventional cast aluminum alloys tested at 600 F.

Investigation of Methods for Selectively Reinforcing Aluminum and Aluminum-Lithium Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bird, R. Keith; Alexa, Joel A.; Messick, Peter L.; Domack, Marcia S.; Wagner, John A.

2013-01-01

Several studies have indicated that selective reinforcement offers the potential to significantly improve the performance of metallic structures for aerospace applications. Applying high-strength, high-stiffness fibers to the high-stress regions of aluminum-based structures can increase the structural load-carrying capability and inhibit fatigue crack initiation and growth. This paper discusses an investigation into potential methods for applying reinforcing fibers onto the surface of aluminum and aluminum-lithium plate. Commercially-available alumina-fiber reinforced aluminum alloy tapes were used as the reinforcing material. Vacuum hot pressing was used to bond the reinforcing tape to aluminum alloy 2219 and aluminum-lithium alloy 2195 base plates. Static and cyclic three-point bend testing and metallurgical analysis were used to evaluate the enhancement of mechanical performance and the integrity of the bond between the tape and the base plate. The tests demonstrated an increase in specific bending stiffness. In addition, no issues with debonding of the reinforcing tape from the base plate during bend testing were observed. The increase in specific stiffness indicates that selectively-reinforced structures could be designed with the same performance capabilities as a conventional unreinforced structure but with lower mass.

Process for Producing a Cast Article from a Hypereutectic Aluminum-Silicon Alloy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jonathan A. (Inventor); Chen, Po-Shou (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A process for making a cast article from an aluminum alloy includes first casting an article from an alloy having the following composition, in weight percent: Silicon (Si) 14.0-25.0, Copper (CU) 5.5-8.0, Iron (Fe) 0-0.8, Magnesium (Mg) 0.5-1.5, Nickel (Ni) 0.05-1.2, Manganese (Mn) 0-1.0, Titanium (Ti) 0.05-1.2, Zirconium (Zr) 0.12-1.2, Vanadium (V) 0.05-1.2, Zinc (Zn) 0-0.9, Phosphorus (P) 0.001-0.1, Aluminum, balance. In this alloy the ration of Si:Mg is 15-35, and the ratio of Cu:Mg is 4-15. After an article is cast from the alloy, the cast article is aged at a temperature within the range of 400 F to 500 F for a time period within the range of four to 16 hours. It has been found especially advantageous if the cast article is first exposed to a solutionizing step prior to the aging step. This solutionizing step is carried out by exposing the cast article to a temperature within the range of 875 F to 1025 F for a time period of fifteen minutes to four hours. It has also been found to be especially advantageous if the solutionizing step is followed directly with a quenching step, wherein the cast article is quenched in a quenching medium such as water at a temperature within the range of 120 F to 300 F. The resulting cast article is highly suitable in a number of high temperature applications, such as heavy-duty pistons for internal combustion engines.

One-dimensional ZnO nanostructures.

PubMed

Jayadevan, K P; Tseng, T Y

2012-06-01

The wide-gap semiconductor ZnO with nanostructures such as nanoparticle, nanorod, nanowire, nanobelt, nanotube has high potential for a variety of applications. This article reviews the fundamentals of one-dimensional ZnO nanostructures, including processing, structure, property, application and their processing-microstructure-property correlation. Various fabrication methods of the ZnO nanostructures including vapor-liquid-solid process, vapor-solid growth, solution growth, solvothermal growth, template-assisted growth and self-assembly are introduced. The characterization and properties of the ZnO nanostructures are described. The possible applications of these nanostructures are also discussed.

The role of processing route on the microstructure of 14YWT nanostructured ferritic alloy

DOE PAGES

Mazumder, B.; Parish, C. M.; Bei, H.; ...

2015-06-03

Nanostructured ferritic alloys (NFAs) have outstanding high temperature creep properties and extreme tolerance to radiation damage. To achieve these properties, NFAs are fabricated by mechanical alloying of metallic and yttria powders. Atom probe tomography has demonstrated that milling times of at least 40 h are required to produce a uniform distribution of solutes in the flakes. After milling and hot extrusion, the microstructure consists of -Fe, high number densities of Ti-Y-O-vacancy-enriched nanoclusters, and coarse Y2Ti2O7 and Ti(O,C,N) precipitates on the grain boundaries. In contrast, the as-cast condition consists of -Fe with 50-100 m irregularly-shaped Y2Ti2O7 pyrochlore precipitates with smaller embeddedmore » precipitates with the Al5Y3O12 (yttrium-aluminum garnet) crystal structure indicating that this traditional processing route is not a viable approach to achieve the desired microstructure. The nano-hardnesses were also substantially different, i.e., 4 and 8 GPa for the as-cast and as-extruded conditions, respectively. These differences can be explained by the differences in the microstructure and the effects of the high vacancy content introduced by mechanical alloying, and the strong binding energy of vacancies with O, Ti, and Y atoms retarding diffusion.« less

The role of processing route on the microstructure of 14YWT nanostructured ferritic alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazumder, B.; Parish, C. M.; Bei, H.; Miller, M. K.

2015-10-01

Nanostructured ferritic alloys have outstanding high temperature creep properties and enhanced tolerance to radiation damage over conventional ferritic alloys. To achieve these properties, NFAs are fabricated by mechanical alloying of metallic and yttria powders. Atom probe tomography has demonstrated that milling times of at least 40 h are required to produce a uniform distribution of solutes in the flakes. After milling and hot extrusion, the microstructure consists of α-Fe, high number densities of Ti-Y-O-vacancy-enriched nanoclusters, and coarse Y2Ti2O7 and Ti(O,C,N) precipitates on the grain boundaries. In contrast, the as-cast condition consists of α-Fe with 50-100 μm irregularly-shaped Y2Ti2O7 pyrochlore precipitates with smaller embedded precipitates with the Y3Al5O12 (yttrium-aluminum garnet) crystal structure indicating that this traditional processing route is not a viable approach to achieve the desired microstructure. The nano-hardnesses were also substantially different, i.e., 4 and 8 GPa for the as-cast and as-extruded conditions, respectively. These variances can be explained by the microstructural differences and the effects of the high vacancy content introduced by mechanical alloying, and the strong binding energy of vacancies with O, Ti, and Y atoms that retard diffusion.

Degradation Mechanisms in Aluminum Matrix Composites: Alumina/Aluminum and Boron/Aluminum. Ph.D. Thesis - North Carolina State Univ. at Raleigh

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, G. C.

1981-01-01

The effects of fabrication and long term thermal exposure (up to 10,000 hours at 590 K) on two types of aluminum matrix composites were examined. An alumina/aluminum composite, was made of continuous alpha Al2O3 fibers in a matrix of commercially pure aluminum alloyed with 2.8% lithium. The mechanical properties of the material, the effect of isothermal exposure, cyclic thermal exposure, and fatigue are presented. Two degradation mechanisms are identified. One was caused by formation of a nonstoichiometric alumina during fabrication, the other by a loss of lithium to a surface reaction during long term thermal exposure. The other composite, boron/aluminum, made of boron fibers in an aluminum matrix, was investigated using five different aluminum alloys for the matrices. The mechanical properties of each material and the effect of isothermal and cyclic thermal exposure are presented. The effects of each alloy constituent on the degradation mechanisms are discussed. The effects of several reactions between alloy constituents and boron fibers on the composite properties are discussed.

Effects of anodic aluminum oxide membrane on performance of nanostructured solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Hongmei; Singh, Vijay

2015-05-01

Three nanowire solar cell device configurations have been fabricated to demonstrate the effects of the host anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane on device performance. The three configurations show similar transmittance spectra, indicating that AAO membrane has negligible optical absorption. Power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the device is studied as a function of the carrier transport and collection in cell structures with and without AAO membrane. Free standing nanowire solar cells exhibit PCE of 9.9%. Through inclusion of AAO in solar cell structure, interface defects and traps caused by humidity and oxygen are reduced, and direct contact of CdTe tentacles with SnO2 and formation of micro shunt shorts are prevented; hence PCE is improved to 11.1%-11.3%. Partially embedded nanowire solar cells further reduce influence of non-ideal and non-uniform nanowire growth and generate a large amount of carriers in axial direction and also a small quantity of carriers in lateral direction, thus becoming a promising solar cell structure. Thus, including AAO membrane in solar cell structure provides favorable electro-optical properties as well as mechanical advantages.

Epitaxial growth of hybrid nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Chaoliang; Chen, Junze; Wu, Xue-Jun; Zhang, Hua

2018-02-01

Hybrid nanostructures are a class of materials that are typically composed of two or more different components, in which each component has at least one dimension on the nanoscale. The rational design and controlled synthesis of hybrid nanostructures are of great importance in enabling the fine tuning of their properties and functions. Epitaxial growth is a promising approach to the controlled synthesis of hybrid nanostructures with desired structures, crystal phases, exposed facets and/or interfaces. This Review provides a critical summary of the state of the art in the field of epitaxial growth of hybrid nanostructures. We discuss the historical development, architectures and compositions, epitaxy methods, characterization techniques and advantages of epitaxial hybrid nanostructures. Finally, we provide insight into future research directions in this area, which include the epitaxial growth of hybrid nanostructures from a wider range of materials, the study of the underlying mechanism and determining the role of epitaxial growth in influencing the properties and application performance of hybrid nanostructures.

Low temperature aluminum reduction cell using hollow cathode

DOEpatents

Brown, Craig W.; Frizzle, Patrick B.

2002-08-20

A method of producing aluminum in an electrolytic cell containing alumina dissolved in an electrolyte. A plurality of non-consumable anodes are disposed substantially vertically in the electrolyte along with a plurality of monolithic hollow cathodes. Each cathode has a top and bottom and the cathodes are disposed vertically in the electrolyte and the anodes and the cathodes are arranged in alternating relationship. Each of the cathodes is comprised of a first side facing a first opposing anode and a second side facing a second opposing anode. The first and second sides are joined by ends to form a reservoir in the hollow cathode for collecting aluminum therein deposited at the cathode.

Simple mass production of zinc oxide nanostructures via low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghasaban, Samaneh; Atai, Mohammad; Imani, Mohammad

2017-03-01

The specific properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have attracted much attention within the scientific community as a useful material for biomedical applications. Hydrothermal synthesis is known as a useful method to produce nanostructures with certain particle size and morphology however, scaling up the reaction is still a challenging task. In this research, large scale hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanostructures (60 g) was performed in a 5 l stainless steel autoclave by reaction between anionic (ammonia or sodium hydroxide) and cationic (zinc acetate dehydrate) precursors in low temperature. Hydrothermal reaction temperature and time were decreased to 115 °C and 2 or 6 h. In batch repetitions, the same morphologies (plate- and needle-like) with reproducible particle size were obtained. The nanostructures formed were analyzed by powder x-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive x-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy and BET analysis. The nanostructures formed were antibacterially active against Staphylococcus aureus.

Investigation of intrinsic and extrinsic defects effective role on producing intense red emission in ZnO:Eu nanostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Najafi, Mehrdad, E-mail: najafi@shahroodut.ac.ir; Haratizadeh, Hamid

2015-05-15

Highlights: • Effective role of defects on producing red emission at indirect excitation. • V{sub Zn} and V{sub O} defects have important role on energy transfer. • Mg related defects and Zn{sub i} defects were responsible for blue emission. • Extrinsic and intrinsic defects mediated energy transfer to sensitize Eu{sup 3+} ions. • Decrease of red emission because of diminishing in oxygen vacancy. - Abstract: Europium doped ZnO nanorads and nanosheets were synthesized by hydrothermal method. Effects of Mg doping, morphology and annealing in oxygen ambient on structural and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD),more » particle size analysis (PSA), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), differential thermo gravimetry (DTG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). This study recommends that both of intrinsic and extrinsic defects facilitate energy transfer (ET) from the ZnO host to Eu{sup 3+} ions and consequently have efficient role on producing intense red emission at indirect excitation. The results also showed that annealing process improved the crystal structure of ZnO nanosheets due to decrease of surface defects; however decreased ET and red emission because of diminishing in oxygen vacancy. In addition in ZnO nanorods sample with more surface area in comparison with ZnO nanosheets sample deep level emissions are enhanced.« less

Formation of quasi-single crystalline porous ZnO nanostructures with a single large cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Seungho; Kim, Semi; Jung, Dae-Won; Lee, Kun-Hong

2011-09-01

We report a method for synthesizing quasi-single crystalline porous ZnO nanostructures containing a single large cavity. The microwave-assisted route consists of a short (about 2 min) temperature ramping stage (from room temperature to 120 °C) and a stage in which the temperature is maintained at 120 °C for 2 h. The structures produced by this route were 200-480 nm in diameter. The morphological yields of this method were very high. The temperature- and time-dependent evolution of the synthesized powders and the effects of an additive, vitamin C, were studied. Spherical amorphous/polycrystalline structures (70-170 nm in diameter), which appeared transitorily, may play a key role in the formation of the single crystalline porous hollow ZnO nanostructures. Studies and characterization of the nanostructures suggested a possible mechanism for formation of the quasi-single crystalline porous ZnO nanostructures with an interior space.We report a method for synthesizing quasi-single crystalline porous ZnO nanostructures containing a single large cavity. The microwave-assisted route consists of a short (about 2 min) temperature ramping stage (from room temperature to 120 °C) and a stage in which the temperature is maintained at 120 °C for 2 h. The structures produced by this route were 200-480 nm in diameter. The morphological yields of this method were very high. The temperature- and time-dependent evolution of the synthesized powders and the effects of an additive, vitamin C, were studied. Spherical amorphous/polycrystalline structures (70-170 nm in diameter), which appeared transitorily, may play a key role in the formation of the single crystalline porous hollow ZnO nanostructures. Studies and characterization of the nanostructures suggested a possible mechanism for formation of the quasi-single crystalline porous ZnO nanostructures with an interior space. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: TEM images and the corresponding SAED image of a Zn

Aluminum and Young Artists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Thomas

1980-01-01

The author suggests a variety of ways in which aluminum and aluminum foil can be used in elementary and junior high art classes: relief drawing and rubbing; printing; repousse; sculpture; mobiles; foil sculpture; and three dimensional design. Sources of aluminum supplies are suggested. (SJL)

Structurally controllable spin spatial splitter in a hybrid ferromagnet and semiconductor nanostructure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, Mao-Wang, E-mail: maowanglu@126.com; Cao, Xue-Li; Huang, Xin-Hong

2014-05-07

We theoretically investigate modulation of a tunable δ-potential to the lateral displacement of electrons across a magnetically modulated semiconductor nanostructure. Experimentally, this nanostructure can be produced by depositing a nanosized ferromagnetic stripe with in-plane magnetization on top of a semiconductor heterostructure, while the δ-potential can be realized by means of the atomic layer doping technique. Theoretical analysis reveals that this δ-doping can break the intrinsic symmetry in nanostructure and a considerable spin polarization in the lateral displacement will appear. Numerical calculations demonstrate that both magnitude and sign of spin polarization can be manipulated by changing the height and/or position ofmore » the δ-doping, giving rise to a structurally tunable spin spatial splitter.« less

Nanostructures and functional materials fabricated by interferometric lithography.

PubMed

Xia, Deying; Ku, Zahyun; Lee, S C; Brueck, S R J

2011-01-11

Interferometric lithography (IL) is a powerful technique for the definition of large-area, nanometer-scale, periodically patterned structures. Patterns are recorded in a light-sensitive medium, such as a photoresist, that responds nonlinearly to the intensity distribution associated with the interference of two or more coherent beams of light. The photoresist patterns produced with IL are a platform for further fabrication of nanostructures and growth of functional materials and are building blocks for devices. This article provides a brief review of IL technologies and focuses on various applications for nanostructures and functional materials based on IL including directed self-assembly of colloidal nanoparticles, nanophotonics, semiconductor materials growth, and nanofluidic devices. Perspectives on future directions for IL and emerging applications in other fields are presented.

Microstructural Evaluation of Inductively Sintered Aluminum Matrix Nanocomposites Reinforced with Silicon Carbide and/or Graphene Nanoplatelets for Tribological Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Mohammad; Khalid, Yasir; Ahmad, Iftikhar; Almajid, Abdulhakim A.; Achour, Amine; Dunn, Theresa J.; Akram, Aftab; Anwar, Saqib

2018-04-01

Silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles (NP) and/or graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) were incorporated into the aluminum matrix through colloidal dispersion and mixing of the powders, followed by consolidation using a high-frequency induction heat sintering process. All the nanocomposite samples exhibited high densification (> 96 pct) with a maximum increase in Vickers microhardness by 92 pct relative to that of pure aluminum. The tribological properties of the samples were determined at the normal frictional forces of 10 and 50 N. At relatively low load of 10 N, the adhesive wear was found to be the predominant wear mechanism, whereas in the case of a 50 N normal load, there was significant contribution from abrasive wear possibly by hard SiC NP. From wear tests, the values for the coefficient of friction (COF) and the normalized wear rate were determined. The improvement in hardness and wear resistance may be attributed to multiple factors, including high relative density, uniform SiC and GNP dispersion in the aluminum matrix, grain refinement through GNP pinning, as well as inhibition of dislocation movement by SiC NP. The nanocomposite sample containing 10 SiC and 0.5 GNP (by wt pct) yielded the maximum wear resistance at 10 N normal load. Microstructural characterization of the nanocomposite surfaces and wear debris was performed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The synergistic effect of the GNP and SiC nanostructures accounts for superior wear resistance in the aluminum matrix nanocomposites.

Microstructural Evaluation of Inductively Sintered Aluminum Matrix Nanocomposites Reinforced with Silicon Carbide and/or Graphene Nanoplatelets for Tribological Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Mohammad; Khalid, Yasir; Ahmad, Iftikhar; Almajid, Abdulhakim A.; Achour, Amine; Dunn, Theresa J.; Akram, Aftab; Anwar, Saqib

2018-07-01

Silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles (NP) and/or graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) were incorporated into the aluminum matrix through colloidal dispersion and mixing of the powders, followed by consolidation using a high-frequency induction heat sintering process. All the nanocomposite samples exhibited high densification (> 96 pct) with a maximum increase in Vickers microhardness by 92 pct relative to that of pure aluminum. The tribological properties of the samples were determined at the normal frictional forces of 10 and 50 N. At relatively low load of 10 N, the adhesive wear was found to be the predominant wear mechanism, whereas in the case of a 50 N normal load, there was significant contribution from abrasive wear possibly by hard SiC NP. From wear tests, the values for the coefficient of friction (COF) and the normalized wear rate were determined. The improvement in hardness and wear resistance may be attributed to multiple factors, including high relative density, uniform SiC and GNP dispersion in the aluminum matrix, grain refinement through GNP pinning, as well as inhibition of dislocation movement by SiC NP. The nanocomposite sample containing 10 SiC and 0.5 GNP (by wt pct) yielded the maximum wear resistance at 10 N normal load. Microstructural characterization of the nanocomposite surfaces and wear debris was performed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The synergistic effect of the GNP and SiC nanostructures accounts for superior wear resistance in the aluminum matrix nanocomposites.

Strengthening Aluminum Alloys for High Temperature Applications Using Nanoparticles of Al203 and Al3-X Compounds (X= Ti, V, Zr)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jonathan A.

2007-01-01

In this paper the effect of nanoparticles A12O3 and A13-X compounds (X= Ti, V, Zr) on the improvement of mechanical properties of aluminum alloys for elevated temperature applications is presented. These nanoparticles were selected based on their chemical stability and low diffusions rates in aluminum matrix at high temperatures. The strengthening mechanism for aluminum alloy is based on the mechanical blocking of dislocation movements by these nanoparticles. Samples were prepared from A12O3 nanoparticle preforms, which were produced using ceramic injection molding process and pressure infiltrated by molten aluminum. A12O3 nanoparticles can also be homogeneously mixed with aluminum powder and consolidated into samples through hot pressing and sintering. On the other hand, the Al3-X nanoparticles are produced as precipitates via in situ reactions with molten aluminum alloys using conventional casting techniques. The degree of alloy strengthening using nanoparticles will depend on the materials, particle size, shape, volume fraction, and mean inter-particle spacing.

Mechanical behavior of nanostructured and ultrafine-grained materials under shock wave loadings. experimental data and results of computer simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skripnyak, Vladimir

2012-03-01

Features of mechanical behavior of nanostructured and ultrafine-grained metals under quasistatic and shock wave loadings are discussed. Features of mechanical behavior of nanostructured and ultrafine grained metals over a wide range of strain rates are discussed. A constitutive model for mechanical behavior of metal alloys under shock wave loading including a grain size distribution, a precipitate hardening, and physical mechanisms of shear stress relaxation is presented. Strain rate sensitivity of the yield stress of face-centered-cubic, hexagonal close-packed metal alloys depends on grain size, whereas the Hugoniot elastic limits of ultrafine-grained copper, aluminum, and titanium alloys are close to values of coarse-grained counterparts. At quasi-static loading the yield strength and the tensile strength of titanium alloys with grain size from 300 to 500 nm are twice higher than at coarse-grained counterparts. But the spall strength of the UFG titanium alloys exceeds the value of coarse-grained counterparts only for 10 percents.

Two-component end mills with multilayer composite nano-structured coatings as a viable alternative to monolithic carbide end mills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vereschaka, Alexey; Mokritskii, Boris; Mokritskaya, Elena; Sharipov, Oleg; Oganyan, Maksim

2018-03-01

The paper deals with the challenges of the application of two-component end mills, which represent a combination of a carbide cutting part and a shank made of cheaper structural material. The calculations of strains and deformations of composite mills were carried out in comparison with solid carbide mills, with the use of the finite element method. The study also involved the comparative analysis of accuracy parameters of machining with monolithic mills and two-component mills with various shank materials. As a result of the conducted cutting tests in milling aluminum alloy with monolithic and two-component end mills with specially developed multilayer composite nano-structured coatings, it has been found that the use of such coatings can reduce strains and, correspondingly, deformations, which can improve the accuracy of machining. Thus, the application of two-component end mills with multilayer composite nano-structured coatings can provide a reduction in the cost of machining while maintaining or even improving the tool life and machining accuracy parameters.

Facile Route to Rare Heterobimetallic Aluminum-Copper and Aluminum-Zinc Selenide Clusters.

PubMed

Li, Bin; Li, Jiancheng; Liu, Rui; Zhu, Hongping; Roesky, Herbert W

2017-03-20

Heterobimetallic aluminum-copper and aluminum-zinc clusters were prepared from the reaction of LAl(SeH) 2 [1; L = HC(CMeNAr) 2 and Ar = 2,6-iPr 2 C 6 H 3 ] with (MesCu) 4 and ZnEt 2 , respectively. The resulting clusters with the core structures of Al 2 Se 4 Cu 4 and Al 2 Se 4 Zn 3 exhibit unique metal-organic frameworks. This is a novel pathway for the synthesis of aluminum-copper and aluminum-zinc selenides. The products have been characterized by spectroscopic methods and single-crystal X-ray structural characterization.

Growth and characterization of nanostructured CuO films via CBD approach for oxygen gas sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurfazliana, M. F.; Sahdan, M. Z.; Saim, H.

2017-01-01

Nanostructured copper oxide (CuO) films were grown on portable IDE circuit silicon-based by low-cost chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique at three different deposition times (3 h, 5 h and 7 h). The effect of deposition times on the morphological, structural, optical and sensing properties of the nanostructured films were investigated. From the morphological and structural properties, the nanostructured film deposited at 5 h was found to have homogenous surface of CuO nanowhiskers and high crystallinity with tenorite phase compared to 3 h and 7 h films. Besides, there is no heat treatment required in order to produce CuO nanostructures film with tenorite phase. The sensing response (resistance changes) of as-synthesized films to concentration of oxygen (O2) gas also was compared. Film resistance of CuO nanostructures was studied in an environment of dry air loaded (gas sensor chamber) with 30 % of O2 gas. The results revealed that the deposition time causes significant effect on the sensing performance of nanostructured CuO to O2 gas.

Aluminum Surface Texturing by Means of Laser Interference Metallurgy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Jian; Sabau, Adrian S; Jones, Jonaaron F.

2015-01-01

The increasing use of lightweight materials, such as aluminum alloys, in auto body structures requires more effective surface cleaning and texturing techniques to improve the quality of the structural components. The present work introduces a novel surface treatment method using laser interferometry produced by two beams of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser operating at 10Hz of frequency to clean aluminum surfaces, and meanwhile creating periodic and rough surface structures. The influences of beam size, laser fluence, wavelength, and pulse number per spot are investigated. High resolution optical profiler images reveal the change of the peak-to-valley height on the laser-treated surface.

The aluminum smelting process.

PubMed

Kvande, Halvor

2014-05-01

This introduction to the industrial primary aluminum production process presents a short description of the electrolytic reduction technology, the history of aluminum, and the importance of this metal and its production process to modern society. Aluminum's special qualities have enabled advances in technologies coupled with energy and cost savings. Aircraft capabilities have been greatly enhanced, and increases in size and capacity are made possible by advances in aluminum technology. The metal's flexibility for shaping and extruding has led to architectural advances in energy-saving building construction. The high strength-to-weight ratio has meant a substantial reduction in energy consumption for trucks and other vehicles. The aluminum industry is therefore a pivotal one for ecological sustainability and strategic for technological development.

The Aluminum Smelting Process

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

This introduction to the industrial primary aluminum production process presents a short description of the electrolytic reduction technology, the history of aluminum, and the importance of this metal and its production process to modern society. Aluminum's special qualities have enabled advances in technologies coupled with energy and cost savings. Aircraft capabilities have been greatly enhanced, and increases in size and capacity are made possible by advances in aluminum technology. The metal's flexibility for shaping and extruding has led to architectural advances in energy-saving building construction. The high strength-to-weight ratio has meant a substantial reduction in energy consumption for trucks and other vehicles. The aluminum industry is therefore a pivotal one for ecological sustainability and strategic for technological development. PMID:24806722

Method of Making Large Area Nanostructures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marks, Alvin M.

1995-01-01

A method which enables the high speed formation of nanostructures on large area surfaces is described. The method uses a super sub-micron beam writer (Supersebter). The Supersebter uses a large area multi-electrode (Spindt type emitter source) to produce multiple electron beams simultaneously scanned to form a pattern on a surface in an electron beam writer. A 100,000 x 100,000 array of electron point sources, demagnified in a long electron beam writer to simultaneously produce 10 billion nano-patterns on a 1 meter squared surface by multi-electron beam impact on a 1 cm squared surface of an insulating material is proposed.

Block-copolymer assisted fabrication of anisotropic plasmonic nanostructures.

PubMed

Gunder, Calbi J; Dhara, Pijush Kanti; Manna, Uttam; Biswas, Mahua

2018-05-30

The anisotropic nanostructures of noble metals are of great interest for plasmonic applications due to the possibility of tuning the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) across the UV-VIS-NIR without sacrificing the linewidth as well as to achieve larger local field enhancement. Here, we report a simple and promising fabrication method of anisotropic gold nanostructures film using polystyrene-b-2-vinylpyridine (PS-b-P2VP) block copolymers (BCP) as a template. In this approach, PS-b-P2VP spherical micelles were first synthesized as a template followed by selective deposition of Au precursor inside P2VP core of the micelles using ethanol solution of Au salt. Subsequently, heat treatment of the precursor deposited BCP films followed by removal of the BCP template produced anisotropic gold nanostructures of various shapes, such as octahedron, decahedron, tetrahedron, triangles, and triangular prism. A temperature and time dependent annealing of the fabricated nanostructures led to the formation of clusters at higher temperature. Furthermore, measurement of ensemble extinction spectra of the anisotropic Au nanoparticle films showed two broad distinct LSPR peaks; one in the visible range (~ 660 nm), and the other in the NIR range (~ 875 nm). The electrodynamic simulation showed that octahedron and decahedron nanoparticles are responsible for the LSPR response in the visible; whereas the triangular shapes are responsible for the LSPR response in the NIR. Our work is expected to open up a new direction of synthesis of anisotropic nanostructures of noble metals that can be utilized to tune the LSPR response across the UV-VIS-NIR range using a simple BCP template-based method. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

PREPARATION OF URANIUM-ALUMINUM ALLOYS

DOEpatents

Moore, R.H.

1962-09-01

A process is given for preparing uranium--aluminum alloys from a solution of uranium halide in an about equimolar molten alkali metal halide-- aluminum halide mixture and excess aluminum. The uranium halide is reduced and the uranium is alloyed with the excess aluminum. The alloy and salt are separated from each other. (AEC)

Deposition behavior of residual aluminum in drinking water distribution system: Effect of aluminum speciation.

PubMed

Zhang, Yue; Shi, Baoyou; Zhao, Yuanyuan; Yan, Mingquan; Lytle, Darren A; Wang, Dongsheng

2016-04-01

Finished drinking water usually contains some residual aluminum. The deposition of residual aluminum in distribution systems and potential release back to the drinking water could significantly influence the water quality at consumer taps. A preliminary analysis of aluminum content in cast iron pipe corrosion scales and loose deposits demonstrated that aluminum deposition on distribution pipe surfaces could be excessive for water treated by aluminum coagulants including polyaluminum chloride (PACl). In this work, the deposition features of different aluminum species in PACl were investigated by simulated coil-pipe test, batch reactor test and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. The deposition amount of non-polymeric aluminum species was the least, and its deposition layer was soft and hydrated, which indicated the possible formation of amorphous Al(OH)3. Al13 had the highest deposition tendency, and the deposition layer was rigid and much less hydrated, which indicated that the deposited aluminum might possess regular structure and self-aggregation of Al13 could be the main deposition mechanism. While for Al30, its deposition was relatively slower and deposited aluminum amount was relatively less compared with Al13. However, the total deposited mass of Al30 was much higher than that of Al13, which was attributed to the deposition of particulate aluminum matters with much higher hydration state. Compared with stationary condition, stirring could significantly enhance the deposition process, while the effect of pH on deposition was relatively weak in the near neutral range of 6.7 to 8.7. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Monodisperse Block Copolymer Particles with Controllable Size, Shape, and Nanostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Jae Man; Kim, Yongjoo; Kim, Bumjoon; PNEL Team

Shape-anisotropic particles are important class of novel colloidal building block for their functionality is more strongly governed by their shape, size and nanostructure compared to conventional spherical particles. Recently, facile strategy for producing non-spherical polymeric particles by interfacial engineering received significant attention. However, achieving uniform size distribution of particles together with controlled shape and nanostructure has not been achieved. Here, we introduce versatile system for producing monodisperse BCP particles with controlled size, shape and morphology. Polystyrene-b-polybutadiene (PS-b-PB) self-assembled to either onion-like or striped ellipsoid particle, where final structure is governed by amount of adsorbed sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant at the particle/surrounding interface. Further control of molecular weight and particle size enabled fine-tuning of aspect ratio of ellipsoid particle. Underlying physics of free energy for morphology formation and entropic penalty associated with bending BCP chains strongly affects particle structure and specification.

Production of aluminum metal by electrolysis of aluminum sulfide

DOEpatents

Minh, Nguyen Q.; Loutfy, Raouf O.; Yao, Neng-Ping

1984-01-01

Production of metallic aluminum by the electrolysis of Al.sub.2 S.sub.3 at 700.degree.-800.degree. C. in a chloride melt composed of one or more alkali metal chlorides, and one or more alkaline earth metal chlorides and/or aluminum chloride to provide improved operating characteristics of the process.

Ultraflexible nanostructures and implications for future nanorobots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohn, Robert W.; Panchapakesan, Balaji

2016-05-01

Several high aspect ratio nanostructures have been made by capillary force directed self-assembly including polymeric nanofiber air-bridges, trampoline-like membranes, microsphere-beaded nanofibers, and intermetallic nanoneedles. Arrays of polymer air-bridges form in seconds by simply hand brushing a bead of polymeric liquid over an array of micropillars. The domination of capillary force that is thinning unstable capillary bridges leads to uniform arrays of nanofiber air-bridges. Similarly, arrays of vertically oriented Ag2Ga nanoneedles have been formed by dipping silvercoated arrays of pyramidal silicon into melted gallium. Force-displacement measurements of these structures are presented. These nanostructures, especially when compressively or torsionally buckled, have extremely low stiffnesses, motion due to thermal fluctuations that is relatively easily detected, and the ability to move great distances for very small changes in applied force. Nanofibers with bead-on-a-string structure, where the beads are micron diameter and loaded with magnetic iron oxide (maghemite), are shown to be simply viewable under optical microscopes, have micronewton/ m stiffness, and have ultralow torsional stiffnesses enabling the bead to be rotated numerous revolutions without breaking. Combination of these high aspect ratio structures with stretched elastomers offer interesting possibilities for robotic actuation and locomotion. Polydimethylsiloxane loaded with nanomaterials, e.g. nanotubes, graphene or MoS2, can be efficiently heated with directed light. Heating produces considerable force through the thermoelastic effect, and this force can be used for continuous translation or to trigger reversible elastic buckling of the nanostructures. The remote stimulation of motion with light provides a possible mechanism for producing cooperative behavior between swarms of semiautonomous nanorobots.

FSW of Aluminum Tailor Welded Blanks across Machine Platforms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hovanski, Yuri; Upadhyay, Piyush; Carlson, Blair

2015-02-16

Development and characterization of friction stir welded aluminum tailor welded blanks was successfully carried out on three separate machine platforms. Each was a commercially available, gantry style, multi-axis machine designed specifically for friction stir welding. Weld parameters were developed to support high volume production of dissimilar thickness aluminum tailor welded blanks at speeds of 3 m/min and greater. Parameters originally developed on an ultra-high stiffness servo driven machine where first transferred to a high stiffness servo-hydraulic friction stir welding machine, and subsequently transferred to a purpose built machine designed to accommodate thin sheet aluminum welding. The inherent beam stiffness, bearingmore » compliance, and control system for each machine were distinctly unique, which posed specific challenges in transferring welding parameters across machine platforms. This work documents the challenges imposed by successfully transferring weld parameters from machine to machine, produced from different manufacturers and with unique control systems and interfaces.« less

Increased Efficiency of Solar Cells Protected by Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Anti-Reflecting Nanostructured Glasses.

PubMed

Baquedano, Estela; Torné, Lorena; Caño, Pablo; Postigo, Pablo A

2017-12-14

We investigated the fabrication of large-area (cm²) nanostructured glasses for solar cell modules with hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties using soft lithography and colloidal lithography. Both of these techniques entail low-cost and ease of nanofabrication. We explored the use of simple 1D and 2D nanopatterns (nanowires and nanocones) and the effect of introducing disorder in the nanostructures. We observed an increase in the transmitted light for ordered nanostructures with a maximum value of 99% for wavelengths >600 nm when ordered nanocones are fabricated on the two sides of the solar glass. They produced an increment in the efficiency of the packaged solar cell with respect to the glass without nanostructures. On the one hand, the wettability properties showed that the ordering of the nanostructures improved the hydrophobicity of the solar glasses and increased their self-cleaning capacity. On the other hand, the disordered nanostructures improved the hydrophilic properties of solar glasses, increasing their anti-fogging capacity. The results show that by selecting the appropriate nanopattern, the wettability properties (hydrophobic or hydrophilic) can be easily improved without decreasing the efficiency of the solar cell underneath.

Increased Efficiency of Solar Cells Protected by Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Anti-Reflecting Nanostructured Glasses

PubMed Central

Torné, Lorena; Caño, Pablo

2017-01-01

We investigated the fabrication of large-area (cm2) nanostructured glasses for solar cell modules with hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties using soft lithography and colloidal lithography. Both of these techniques entail low-cost and ease of nanofabrication. We explored the use of simple 1D and 2D nanopatterns (nanowires and nanocones) and the effect of introducing disorder in the nanostructures. We observed an increase in the transmitted light for ordered nanostructures with a maximum value of 99% for wavelengths >600 nm when ordered nanocones are fabricated on the two sides of the solar glass. They produced an increment in the efficiency of the packaged solar cell with respect to the glass without nanostructures. On the one hand, the wettability properties showed that the ordering of the nanostructures improved the hydrophobicity of the solar glasses and increased their self-cleaning capacity. On the other hand, the disordered nanostructures improved the hydrophilic properties of solar glasses, increasing their anti-fogging capacity. The results show that by selecting the appropriate nanopattern, the wettability properties (hydrophobic or hydrophilic) can be easily improved without decreasing the efficiency of the solar cell underneath. PMID:29240663

BONDING ALUMINUM METALS

DOEpatents

Noland, R.A.; Walker, D.E.

1961-06-13

A process is given for bonding aluminum to aluminum. Silicon powder is applied to at least one of the two surfaces of the two elements to be bonded, the two elements are assembled and rubbed against each other at room temperature whereby any oxide film is ruptured by the silicon crystals in the interface; thereafter heat and pressure are applied whereby an aluminum-silicon alloy is formed, squeezed out from the interface together with any oxide film, and the elements are bonded.

Nanostructured materials for hydrogen storage

DOEpatents

Williamson, Andrew J.; Reboredo, Fernando A.

2007-12-04

A system for hydrogen storage comprising a porous nano-structured material with hydrogen absorbed on the surfaces of the porous nano-structured material. The system of hydrogen storage comprises absorbing hydrogen on the surfaces of a porous nano-structured semiconductor material.

The addition of nanostructured hydroxyapatite to an experimental adhesive resin.

PubMed

Leitune, Vicente Castelo Branco; Collares, Fabrício Mezzomo; Trommer, Rafael Mello; Andrioli, Daniela Guerra; Bergmann, Carlos Pérez; Samuel, Susana Maria Werner

2013-04-01

Was produced nanostructured hydroxyapatite (HAnano) and evaluated the influence of its incorporation in an adhesive resin. HAnano was produced by a flame-based process and was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The surface area, particle size, micro-Raman and cytotoxicity were evaluated. The organic phase was formulated by mixing 50 wt.% Bis-GMA, 25 wt.% TEGDMA, and 25 wt.% HEMA. HAnano was added at seven different concentrations: 0; 0.5; 1; 2; 5; 10 and 20 wt.%. Adhesive resins with hydroxyapatite incorporation were evaluated for their radiopacity, degree of conversion, flexural strength, softening in solvent and microshear bond strength. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test (α=0.05), except for softening in solvent (paired t-test) and cytotoxicity (two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni). HAnano presented 15.096 m(2)/g of specific surface area and a mean size of 26.7 nm. The radiopacity values were not different from those of 1-mm aluminium. The degree of conversion ranged from 52.2 to 63.8%. The incorporation of HAnano did not influence the flexural strength, which ranged from 123.3 to 143.4MPa. The percentage of reduction of the microhardness after immersion in the solvent became lower as the HAnano concentration increased. The addition of 2% nanostructured hydroxyapatite resulted in a higher value of microshear bond strength than the control group (p<0.05). The incorporation of 2% of nanostructured hydroxyapatite into an adhesive resin presented the best results. The incorporation of nanostructured hydroxyapatite increases the adhesive properties and may be a promising filler for adhesive resin. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microstructural characteristics of plasma sprayed nanostructured partially stabilized zirconia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima, Rogerio Soares

Thermal barrier coatings have been extensively applied in the aerospace industry in turbines and rocket engines as an insulation system. Partially stabilized zirconia, due to its high thermal stability and low thermal conductivity at high temperatures has been traditionally employed as the ceramic element of the thermal barrier coating system. Different approaches have been taken in order to improve the performance of these coatings. Nanostructured materials are promising an interesting future in the beginning of the 21st century. Due to its enhanced strain to failure and superplasticity new applications may be accomplished or the limits of materials utilization may be placed at higher levels. Single nanostructured particles can not be thermal sprayed by conventional thermal spray equipment. Due to its low mass, they would be deviated to the periphery of the thermal spray jet. To overcome this characteristic, single nanostructured particles were successively agglomerated into large microscopic particles, with particle size distribution similar to the conventional feedstocks for thermal spray equipment. Agglomerated nanostructured particles of partially stabilized zirconia were plasma sprayed in air with different spray parameters. According to traditional thermal spray procedure, the feedstock has to be melted in the thermal spray jet in order to achieve the necessary conditions for adhesion and cohesion on the substrate. Due to the nature of the nanostructured particles, a new step has to be taken in the thermal spray processing; particle melting has to be avoided in order to preserve the feedstock nanostructure in the coating overall microstructure. In this work, the adhesion/cohesion system of nanostructured coatings is investigated and clarified. A percentage of molten particles will retain and hold the non-molten agglomerated nanostructured particles in the coating overall microstructure. Controlling the spray parameters it was possible to produce coatings

What makes a feather shine? A nanostructural basis for glossy black colours in feathers.

PubMed

Maia, Rafael; D'Alba, Liliana; Shawkey, Matthew D

2011-07-07

Colours in feathers are produced by pigments or by nanostructurally organized tissues that interact with light. One of the simplest nanostructures is a single layer of keratin overlying a linearly organized layer of melanosomes that create iridescent colours of feather barbules through thin-film interference. Recently, it has been hypothesized that glossy (i.e. high specular reflectance) black feathers may be evolutionarily intermediate between matte black and iridescent feathers, and thus have a smooth keratin layer that produces gloss, but not the layered organization of melanosomes needed for iridescence. However, the morphological bases of glossiness remain unknown. Here, we use a theoretical approach to generate predictions about morphological differences between matte and glossy feathers that we then empirically test. Thin-film models predicted that glossy spectra would result from a keratin layer 110-180 nm thick and a melanin layer greater than 115 nm thick. Transmission electron microscopy data show that nanostructure of glossy barbules falls well within that range, but that of matte barbules does not. Further, glossy barbules had a thinner and more regular keratin cortex, as well as a more continuous underlying melanin layer, than matte barbules. Thus, their quasi-ordered nanostructures are morphologically intermediate between matte black and iridescent feathers, and perceived gloss may be a form of weakly chromatic iridescence.

Magnetic Binary Silicide Nanostructures.

PubMed

Goldfarb, Ilan; Cesura, Federico; Dascalu, Matan

2018-05-02

In spite of numerous advantageous properties of silicides, magnetic properties are not among them. Here, the magnetic properties of epitaxial binary silicide nanostructures are discussed. The vast majority of binary transition-metal silicides lack ferromagnetic order in their bulk-size crystals. Silicides based on rare-earth metals are usually weak ferromagnets or antiferromagnets, yet both groups tend to exhibit increased magnetic ordering in low-dimensional nanostructures, in particular at low temperatures. The origin of this surprising phenomenon lies in undercoordinated atoms at the nanostructure extremities, such as 2D (surfaces/interfaces), 1D (edges), and 0D (corners) boundaries. Uncompensated superspins of edge atoms increase the nanostructure magnetic shape anisotropy to the extent where it prevails over its magnetocrystalline counterpart, thus providing a plausible route toward the design of a magnetic response from nanostructure arrays in Si-based devices, such as bit-patterned magnetic recording media and spin injectors. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Zinc oxide nanostructures as low-cost templates for neuronal circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kritharidou, A.; Georgoussi, Z.; Tsamis, C.; Makarona, E.

2013-05-01

ZnO nanostructures were explored as templates for the development of topography-mediated neuronal cultures. Nanostructures of varying features were produced on 4" Si substrates via a rapid, facile and low-cost technique that allows the systematic investigation of nanotopographically-mediated formation of neuronal cultures. The developed ZnO-nanowire based templates were seeded with Neuro-2A mouse neuroblastoma cells and their viability over the course of 1 to 4 days was assessed. Our studies demonstrate that the ZnO-templates can support neuronal cell growth and proliferation suggesting that ZnO substrate can be used for the development of neuronal cell-based platform technologies.

The use of three-dimensional nanostructures to instruct cells to produce extracellular matrix for regenerative medicine strategies

PubMed Central

Schenke-Layland, Katja; Rofail, Fady; Heydarkhan, Sanaz; Gluck, Jessica M.; Ingle, Nilesh P.; Angelis, Ekaterini; Choi, Chang-Hwan; MacLellan, W Robb; Beygui, Ramin E; Shemin, Richard J; Heydarkhan-Hagvall, Sepideh

2009-01-01

Synthetic polymers or naturally-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins have been used to create tissue engineering scaffolds; however, the need for surface modification in order to achieve polymer biocompatibility and the lack of biomechanical strength of constructs built using proteins alone remain major limitations. To overcome these obstacles, we developed novel hybrid constructs composed of both strong biosynthetic materials and natural human ECM proteins. Taking advantage of the ability of cells to produce their own ECM, human foreskin fibroblasts were grown on silicon-based nanostructures exhibiting various surface topographies that significantly enhanced ECM protein production. After 4 weeks, cell-derived sheets were harvested and histology, immunochemistry, biochemistry and multiphoton imaging revealed the presence of collagens, tropoelastin, fibronectin and glycosaminoglycans. Following decellularization, purified sheet-derived ECM proteins were mixed with poly(ε-caprolactone) to create fibrous scaffolds using electrospinning. These hybrid scaffolds exhibited excellent biomechanical properties with fiber and pore sizes that allowed attachment and migration of adipose tissue-derived stem cells. Our study represents an innovative approach to generate strong, non-cytotoxic scaffolds that could have broad applications in tissue regeneration strategies. PMID:19524289

Simulation of 7050 Wrought Aluminum Alloy Wheel Die Forging and its Defects Analysis based on DEFORM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang Shiquan; Yi Youping; Zhang Yuxun

2010-06-15

Defects such as folding, intercrystalline cracking and flow lines outcrop are very likely to occur in the forging of aluminum alloy. Moreover, it is difficult to achieve the optimal set of process parameters just by trial and error within an industrial environment. In producing 7050 wrought aluminum alloy wheel, a rigid-plastic finite element method (FEM) analysis has been performed to optimize die forging process. Processing parameters were analyzed, focusing on the effects of punch speed, friction factor and temperature. Meanwhile, mechanism as well as the evolution with respect to the defects of the wrought wheel was studied in details. Frommore » an analysis of the results, isothermal die forging was proposed for producing 7050 aluminum alloy wheel with good mechanical properties. Finally, verification experiment was carried out on hydropress.« less

Laser beam interactions with vapor plumes during Nd:YAG laser welding on aluminum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peebles, H. C.; Russo, A. J.; Hadley, G. R.; Akau, R. L.

Welds produced on pure aluminum targets using pulsed Nd:YAG lasers can be accurately described using a relatively simple conduction mode heat transfer model provided that the fraction of laser energy absorbed is known and the amount of metal vaporized is smalled however at laser fluences commonly used in many production welding schedules significant aluminum vaporization does occur. The possible mechanisms have been identified which could result in laser beam attenuation by the vapor plume.

Spontaneous growth of polarizing refractory metal ‘nano-fins’

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tai, M. C.; Gentle, A. R.; Arnold, M. D.; Cortie, M. B.

2018-03-01

Traditional polymer polarizers degrade in harsh environments and at high temperatures, reducing the polarization effect. In contrast, polarizers produced with refractory metals have vastly improved thermal stability and resistance to harsh environments but are expensive to fabricate. Here we demonstrate prototype refractory metal wire grid polarizers produced by co-sputtering molybdenum and aluminum under specific conditions. Removal of the aluminum through selective dissolution enables the nanostructure array to transmit light. The polarization spans 500-1100 nm and the extinction ratio significantly increases to >100. Possessing broadband polarization and sufficient extinction ratios, the new polarizing film has potential applications in coatings for sunglasses, windows, pyrometers, scientific instruments, and LCD panels.

Electrochemistry of the Hall-Heroult Process for Aluminum Smelting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haupin, W. E.

1983-01-01

Nearly all aluminum is produced by the electrolysis of alumina dissolved in a molten cryolite-based electrolyte, the Hall-Heroult Process. Various aspects of the procedure are discussed, focusing on electrolyte chemistry, dissolution of alumina, electrode reactions, current efficiency, and cell voltage. Suggestions for graduate study related to…

Method for processing aluminum spent potliner in a graphite electrode ARC furnace

DOEpatents

O'Connor, William K.; Turner, Paul C.; Addison, Gerald W.

2002-12-24

A method of processing spent aluminum pot liner containing carbon, cyanide compositions, fluorides and inorganic oxides. The spent aluminum pot liner is crushed iron oxide is added to form an agglomerated material. The agglomerated material is melted in an electric arc furnace having the electrodes submerged in the molten material to provide a reducing environment during the furnace operation. In the reducing environment, pot liner is oxidized while the iron oxides are reduced to produce iron and a slag substantially free of cyanide compositions and fluorides. An off-gas including carbon oxides and fluorine is treated in an air pollution control system with an afterburner and a scrubber to produce NaF, water and a gas vented to the atmosphere free of cyanide compositions, fluorine and CO.

Aluminum Nanoholes for Optical Biosensing.

PubMed

Barrios, Carlos Angulo; Canalejas-Tejero, Víctor; Herranz, Sonia; Urraca, Javier; Moreno-Bondi, María Cruz; Avella-Oliver, Miquel; Maquieira, Ángel; Puchades, Rosa

2015-07-09

Sub-wavelength diameter holes in thin metal layers can exhibit remarkable optical features that make them highly suitable for (bio)sensing applications. Either as efficient light scattering centers for surface plasmon excitation or metal-clad optical waveguides, they are able to form strongly localized optical fields that can effectively interact with biomolecules and/or nanoparticles on the nanoscale. As the metal of choice, aluminum exhibits good optical and electrical properties, is easy to manufacture and process and, unlike gold and silver, its low cost makes it very promising for commercial applications. However, aluminum has been scarcely used for biosensing purposes due to corrosion and pitting issues. In this short review, we show our recent achievements on aluminum nanohole platforms for (bio)sensing. These include a method to circumvent aluminum degradation--which has been successfully applied to the demonstration of aluminum nanohole array (NHA) immunosensors based on both, glass and polycarbonate compact discs supports--the use of aluminum nanoholes operating as optical waveguides for synthesizing submicron-sized molecularly imprinted polymers by local photopolymerization, and a technique for fabricating transferable aluminum NHAs onto flexible pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes, which could facilitate the development of a wearable technology based on aluminum NHAs.

Correlation between porosity and space holder content at different sintering temperatures of aluminum foam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rushdi, N. M. F. M.; Jamaludin, S. B.; Mazlee, M. N.; Jamal, Z. A. Z.

2016-07-01

Aluminum foam is the most popular metal foam that can be used as energy absorbers, heat exchangers, air-oil separators and structure core of fuel cells. Melt-foaming agent, melt-gas injection, investment casting and powder-foaming agent techniques can be used to manufacture aluminum foam, but these techniques are too expensive. In this study, the aluminum foam was manufactured via a sintering dissolution process (SDP). Powders of aluminum and sodium chloride as space holder (25, 40, 50 wt. %) were mixed together to produce a homogeneous mixture. The mixture was compacted at 200 MPa followed by sintering at 500, 550 and 600˚C for 2 hours. A warm running water stream was used to dissolve the space holder that was embedded in the aluminum. The result showed that, the space holder content performed a significant role to control the total porosity to a value between 18 and 40%, and the porosity increased with increasing content of space holder and sintering temperature.

Controlled placement and orientation of nanostructures

DOEpatents

Zettl, Alex K; Yuzvinsky, Thomas D; Fennimore, Adam M

2014-04-08

A method for controlled deposition and orientation of molecular sized nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) on substrates is disclosed. The method comprised: forming a thin layer of polymer coating on a substrate; exposing a selected portion of the thin layer of polymer to alter a selected portion of the thin layer of polymer; forming a suspension of nanostructures in a solvent, wherein the solvent suspends the nanostructures and activates the nanostructures in the solvent for deposition; and flowing a suspension of nanostructures across the layer of polymer in a flow direction; thereby: depositing a nanostructure in the suspension of nanostructures only to the selected portion of the thin layer of polymer coating on the substrate to form a deposited nanostructure oriented in the flow direction. By selectively employing portions of the method above, complex NEMS may be built of simpler NEMSs components.

Collisional-radiative simulations of a supersonic and radiatively cooled aluminum plasma jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espinosa, G.; Gil, J. M.; Rodriguez, R.; Rubiano, J. G.; Mendoza, M. A.; Martel, P.; Minguez, E.; Suzuki-Vidal, F.; Lebedev, S. V.; Swadling, G. F.; Burdiak, G.; Pickworth, L. A.; Skidmore, J.

2015-12-01

A computational investigation based on collisional-radiative simulations of a supersonic and radiatively cooled aluminum plasma jet is presented. The jet, both in vacuum and in argon ambient gas, was produced on the MAGPIE (Mega Ampere Generator for Plasma Implosion Experiments) generator and is formed by ablation of an aluminum foil driven by a 1.4 MA, 250 ns current pulse in a radial foil Z-pinch configuration. In this work, population kinetics and radiative properties simulations of the jet in different theoretical approximations were performed. In particular, local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), non-LTE steady state (SS) and non-LTE time dependent (TD) models have been considered. This study allows us to make a convenient microscopic characterization of the aluminum plasma jet.

PROCESS FOR REMOVING ALUMINUM COATINGS

DOEpatents

Flox, J.

1959-07-01

A process is presented for removing aluminum jackets or cans from uranium slugs. This is accomplished by immersing the aluminum coated uranium slugs in an aqueous solution of 9 to 20% sodium hydroxide and 35 to 12% sodium nitrate to selectively dissolve the aluminum coating, the amount of solution being such as to obtain a molar ratio of sodium hydroxide to aluminum of at least

Method of producing complex aluminum alloy parts of high temper, and products thereof

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, I. J. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

Fully annealed aluminum sheet is first stretch formed to the complex, doubly compound shape of a previously prepared forming die, e.g., an ejection seat blowout panel of a shuttlecraft. The part is then marked with a series of grid lines for monitoring later elongation. Thereafter it is solution heat treated and refrigerated to retard hardening. While still soft, it is stretched a second time on the same die to induce a modicum of work hardening, after which it is aged to the desired stress corrosion resistant temper, preferably the T8 level, to provide the desired hardness and stress corrosion resistance.

Controlled synthesis of carbon-encapsulated copper nanostructures by using smectite clays as nanotemplates.

PubMed

Tsoufis, Theodoros; Colomer, Jean-François; Maccallini, Enrico; Jankovič, Lubos; Rudolf, Petra; Gournis, Dimitrios

2012-07-23

Rhomboidal and spherical metallic-copper nanostructures were encapsulated within well-formed graphitic shells by using a simple chemical method that involved the catalytic decomposition of acetylene over a copper catalyst that was supported on different smectite clays surfaces by ion-exchange. These metallic-copper nanostructures could be separated from the inorganic support and remained stable for months. The choice of the clay support influenced both the shape and the size of the synthesized Cu nanostructures. The synthesized materials and the supported catalysts from which they were produced were studied in detail by TEM and SEM, powder X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, as well as by Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

SOLDERING OF ALUMINUM BASE METALS

DOEpatents

Erickson, G.F.

1958-02-25

This patent deals with the soldering of aluminum to metals of different types, such as copper, brass, and iron. This is accomplished by heating the aluminum metal to be soldered to slightly above 30 deg C, rubbing a small amount of metallic gallium into the part of the surface to be soldered, whereby an aluminum--gallium alloy forms on the surface, and then heating the aluminum piece to the melting point of lead--tin soft solder, applying lead--tin soft solder to this alloyed surface, and combining the aluminum with the other metal to which it is to be soldered.

Methods to Prepare Aluminum Salt-Adjuvanted Vaccines.

PubMed

Thakkar, Sachin G; Cui, Zhengrong

2017-01-01

Many human vaccines contain certain insoluble aluminum salts such as aluminum oxyhydroxide and aluminum hydroxyphosphate as vaccine adjuvants to boost the immunogenicity of the vaccines. Aluminum salts have been used as vaccine adjuvants for decades and have an established, favorable safety profile. However, preparing aluminum salts and aluminum salt-adjuvanted vaccines in a consistent manner remains challenging. This chapter discusses methods to prepare aluminum salts and aluminum salt-adjuvanted vaccines, factors to consider during preparation, and methods to characterize the vaccines after preparation.

Advanced Cast Aluminum Alloys

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

This production route has demonstrated that aluminum alloys with yield strengths in excess of 690 MPa with good elongation (reportedly 8%) are...series of aluminum alloys have poor-to-fair general corrosion resistance and poor-to-good stress corrosion cracking resistance. Wrought 2519...aluminum alloy has good strength, good ballistic performance, good stress corrosion cracking resistance but only fair general corrosion resistance

Improved mechanical properties of thermoelectric (Bi 0.2Sb 0.8) 2Te 3 by nanostructuring

DOE PAGES

Lavrentev, M. G.; Osvenskii, V. B.; Parkhomenko, Yu. N.; ...

2016-06-01

Temperature-dependent strength of Bi-Sb-Te under uniaxial compression is investigated. Bi-Sb-Te samples were produced by three methods: vertical zone-melting, hot extrusion, and spark plasma sintering (SPS). For zone-melted and extruded samples, the brittle-ductile transition occurs over a temperature range of 200-350 °C. In nanostructured samples produced via SPS, the transition is observed in a narrower temperature range of 170-200 °C. At room temperature, the strength of the nanostructured samples is higher than that of zone-melted and extruded samples, but above 300 °C, all samples decrease to roughly the same strength.

Improved mechanical properties of thermoelectric (Bi 0.2Sb 0.8) 2Te 3 by nanostructuring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lavrentev, M. G.; Osvenskii, V. B.; Parkhomenko, Yu. N.

Temperature-dependent strength of Bi-Sb-Te under uniaxial compression is investigated. Bi-Sb-Te samples were produced by three methods: vertical zone-melting, hot extrusion, and spark plasma sintering (SPS). For zone-melted and extruded samples, the brittle-ductile transition occurs over a temperature range of 200-350 °C. In nanostructured samples produced via SPS, the transition is observed in a narrower temperature range of 170-200 °C. At room temperature, the strength of the nanostructured samples is higher than that of zone-melted and extruded samples, but above 300 °C, all samples decrease to roughly the same strength.

T7 RNA polymerase non-specifically transcribes and induces disassembly of DNA nanostructures.

PubMed

Schaffter, Samuel W; Green, Leopold N; Schneider, Joanna; Subramanian, Hari K K; Schulman, Rebecca; Franco, Elisa

2018-06-01

The use of proteins that bind and catalyze reactions with DNA alongside DNA nanostructures has broadened the functionality of DNA devices. DNA binding proteins have been used to specifically pattern and tune structural properties of DNA nanostructures and polymerases have been employed to directly and indirectly drive structural changes in DNA structures and devices. Despite these advances, undesired and poorly understood interactions between DNA nanostructures and proteins that bind DNA continue to negatively affect the performance and stability of DNA devices used in conjunction with enzymes. A better understanding of these undesired interactions will enable the construction of robust DNA nanostructure-enzyme hybrid systems. Here, we investigate the undesired disassembly of DNA nanotubes in the presence of viral RNA polymerases (RNAPs) under conditions used for in vitro transcription. We show that nanotubes and individual nanotube monomers (tiles) are non-specifically transcribed by T7 RNAP, and that RNA transcripts produced during non-specific transcription disassemble the nanotubes. Disassembly requires a single-stranded overhang on the nanotube tiles where transcripts can bind and initiate disassembly through strand displacement, suggesting that single-stranded domains on other DNA nanostructures could cause unexpected interactions in the presence of viral RNA polymerases.

Internal stress induced natural self-chemisorption of ZnO nanostructured films

PubMed Central

Chi, Po-Wei; Su, Chih-Wei; Wei, Da-Hua

2017-01-01

The energetic particles bombardment can produce large internal stress in the zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film, and it can be used to intentionally modify the surface characteristics of ZnO films. In this article, we observed that the internal stress increased from −1.62 GPa to −0.33 GPa, and the naturally wettability of the textured ZnO nanostructured films changed from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity. According to analysis of surface chemical states, the naturally controllable wetting behavior can be attributed to hydrocarbon adsorbates on the nanostructured film surface, which is caused by tunable internal stress. On the other hand, the interfacial water molecules near the surface of ZnO nanostructured films have been identified as hydrophobic hydrogen structure by Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflection. Moreover, a remarkable near-band-edge emission peak shifting also can be observed in PL spectra due to the transition of internal stress state. Furthermore, our present ZnO nanostructured films also exhibited excellent transparency over 80% with a wise surface wetting switched from hydrophobic to hydrophilic states after exposing in ultraviolet (UV) surroundings. Our work demonstrated that the internal stress of the thin film not only induced natural wettability transition of ZnO nanostructured films, but also in turn affected the surface properties such as surface chemisorption. PMID:28233827

Internal stress induced natural self-chemisorption of ZnO nanostructured films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi, Po-Wei; Su, Chih-Wei; Wei, Da-Hua

2017-02-01

The energetic particles bombardment can produce large internal stress in the zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film, and it can be used to intentionally modify the surface characteristics of ZnO films. In this article, we observed that the internal stress increased from -1.62 GPa to -0.33 GPa, and the naturally wettability of the textured ZnO nanostructured films changed from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity. According to analysis of surface chemical states, the naturally controllable wetting behavior can be attributed to hydrocarbon adsorbates on the nanostructured film surface, which is caused by tunable internal stress. On the other hand, the interfacial water molecules near the surface of ZnO nanostructured films have been identified as hydrophobic hydrogen structure by Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflection. Moreover, a remarkable near-band-edge emission peak shifting also can be observed in PL spectra due to the transition of internal stress state. Furthermore, our present ZnO nanostructured films also exhibited excellent transparency over 80% with a wise surface wetting switched from hydrophobic to hydrophilic states after exposing in ultraviolet (UV) surroundings. Our work demonstrated that the internal stress of the thin film not only induced natural wettability transition of ZnO nanostructured films, but also in turn affected the surface properties such as surface chemisorption.

Internal stress induced natural self-chemisorption of ZnO nanostructured films.

PubMed

Chi, Po-Wei; Su, Chih-Wei; Wei, Da-Hua

2017-02-24

The energetic particles bombardment can produce large internal stress in the zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film, and it can be used to intentionally modify the surface characteristics of ZnO films. In this article, we observed that the internal stress increased from -1.62 GPa to -0.33 GPa, and the naturally wettability of the textured ZnO nanostructured films changed from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity. According to analysis of surface chemical states, the naturally controllable wetting behavior can be attributed to hydrocarbon adsorbates on the nanostructured film surface, which is caused by tunable internal stress. On the other hand, the interfacial water molecules near the surface of ZnO nanostructured films have been identified as hydrophobic hydrogen structure by Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflection. Moreover, a remarkable near-band-edge emission peak shifting also can be observed in PL spectra due to the transition of internal stress state. Furthermore, our present ZnO nanostructured films also exhibited excellent transparency over 80% with a wise surface wetting switched from hydrophobic to hydrophilic states after exposing in ultraviolet (UV) surroundings. Our work demonstrated that the internal stress of the thin film not only induced natural wettability transition of ZnO nanostructured films, but also in turn affected the surface properties such as surface chemisorption.

Progress in Aluminum Electrolysis Control and Future Direction for Smart Aluminum Electrolysis Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongliang; Li, Tianshuang; Li, Jie; Yang, Shuai; Zou, Zhong

2017-02-01

The industrial aluminum reduction cell is an electrochemistry reactor that operates under high temperatures and highly corrosive conditions. However, these conditions have restricted the measurement of key control parameters, making the control of aluminum reduction cells a difficult problem in the industry. Because aluminum electrolysis control systems have a significant economic influence, substantial research has been conducted on control algorithms, control systems and information systems for aluminum reduction cells. This article first summarizes the development of control systems and then focuses on the progress made since 2000, including alumina concentration control, temperature control and electrolyte molecular ratio control, fault diagnosis, cell condition prediction and control system expansion. Based on these studies, the concept of a smart aluminum electrolysis plant is proposed. The frame construction, key problems and current progress are introduced. Finally, several future directions are discussed.

A Green Alternative to Aluminum Chloride Alkylation of Xylene

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sereda, Grigoriy A.; Rajpara, Vikul B.

2007-01-01

An acutely less toxic 2-bromobutane is used to develop a simple graphite-promoted procedure of alkylation of p-xylene. It is further demonstrated that aluminum chloride is not required, the need for aqueous workup is eliminated, waste solutions are not produced and the multiple use of the catalyst is allowed.

Titanium Carbide Nanofibers-Reinforced Aluminum Compacts, a New Strategy to Enhance Mechanical Properties.

PubMed

Khalil, Khalil Abdelrazek; Sherif, El-Sayed M; Nabawy, A M; Abdo, Hany S; Marzouk, Wagih W; Alharbi, Hamad F

2016-05-20

TiC nanofibers reinforced Al matrix composites were produced by High Frequency Induction Heat Sintering (HFIHS).The titanium carbide nanofibers with an average diameter of 90 nm are first prepared by electrospinning technique and high temperature calcination process. A composite solution containing polyacrylonitrile and titanium isopropoxide is first electrospun into the nanofibers, which are subsequently stabilized and then calcined to produce the desired TiC nanofibers. The X-ray diffraction pattern and transmission electron microscopy results show that the main phase of the as-synthesized nanofibers is titanium carbide. The TiC nanofibers is then mixed with the aluminum powders and introduced into high frequency induction heat sintering (HFIHS) to produce composites of TiC nanofibers reinforced aluminum matrix. The potential application of the TiC nanofibers reinforced aluminum matrix composites was systematically investigated. 99.5% relative density and around 85 HV (833 MPa) Vickers hardness of the Al reinforced with 5 wt % TiC nanofiber has been obtained. Furthermore, the sample of Al contains 5 wt % TiC, has the highest value of compression and yield strength of about 415 and 350 MPa, respectively. The ductility of the Al/5 wt % TiC showed increasing with increasing the TiC contents.

Effects of antiperspirant aluminum percent composition and mode of application on mock microcalcifications in mammography.

PubMed

Mesurolle, Benoît; Ceccarelli, Joan; Karp, Igor; Sun, Simon; El-Khoury, Mona

2014-02-01

Active ingredients in antiperspirants - namely, aluminum-based complexes - can produce radiopaque particles on mammography, mimicking microcalcifications. The present study was designed to investigate whether the appearance of antiperspirant induced radiopaque particles observed on mammograms is dependent on the percentage of aluminum-based complexes in antiperspirants and/or on their mode of application. A total of 43 antiperspirants with aluminum-based complex percentages ranging between 16% and 25% were tested. Each antiperspirant was applied to a single use plastic shield and then placed on an ultrasound gel pad, simulating breast tissue. Two experiments were performed, comparing antiperspirants based on (1) their percentage of aluminum-based complexes (20 antiperspirants) and (2) their mode of applications (solid, gel, and roll-on) (26 antiperspirants). Two experienced, blinded radiologists read images produced in consensus and assessed the appearance of radiopaque particles based on their density and shape. In experiment 1, there was no statistically significant association between the percent aluminum composition of invisible solid antiperspirants and the density or shape of the radiopaque particles (p-values>0.05). In experiment 2, there was a statistically significant association between the shape of the radiopaque particles and the mode of application of the antiperspirant (p-value=0.0015). Our study suggests that the mammographic appearance of the radiopaque antiperspirant particles is not related to their percent composition of aluminum complexes. However, their mode of application appears to influence the shape of radiopaque particles, solid antiperspirants mimicking microcalcifications the most and roll-on antiperspirants the least. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Prospects of increasing the strength of aluminum by reinforcing it with stainless steel wire (a review)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Botvina, L. R.; Ivanova, V. S.; Kopev, I. M.

1982-01-01

The theoretical and experimental strength of aluminum reinforced with stainless steel wire is analyzed. Various methods of producing the composite material and it's static and cyclical strengths are considered. The reinforcement of aluminum with stainless steel wire was accomplished from the perspective of increasing the specific strength of aluminum and it's alloys, increasing the strength of the material with respect to high and low temperatures, as well as increasing the cyclical strength. The production of the composite aluminum-stainless steel wire material with approximated or calculated strengthening is possible by any of the considered methods. The selection of the proper production technology depends on precise details and conditions of application of the material.

MTBE OXIDATION BY BIFUNCTIONAL ALUMINUM

EPA Science Inventory

Bifunctional aluminum, prepared by sulfating zero-valent aluminum with sulfuric acid, has a dual functionality of simultaneously decomposing both reductively- and oxidatively-degradable contaminants. In this work, the use of bifunctional aluminum for the degradation of methyl te...

Aluminum Nanoholes for Optical Biosensing

PubMed Central

Barrios, Carlos Angulo; Canalejas-Tejero, Víctor; Herranz, Sonia; Urraca, Javier; Moreno-Bondi, María Cruz; Avella-Oliver, Miquel; Maquieira, Ángel; Puchades, Rosa

2015-01-01

Sub-wavelength diameter holes in thin metal layers can exhibit remarkable optical features that make them highly suitable for (bio)sensing applications. Either as efficient light scattering centers for surface plasmon excitation or metal-clad optical waveguides, they are able to form strongly localized optical fields that can effectively interact with biomolecules and/or nanoparticles on the nanoscale. As the metal of choice, aluminum exhibits good optical and electrical properties, is easy to manufacture and process and, unlike gold and silver, its low cost makes it very promising for commercial applications. However, aluminum has been scarcely used for biosensing purposes due to corrosion and pitting issues. In this short review, we show our recent achievements on aluminum nanohole platforms for (bio)sensing. These include a method to circumvent aluminum degradation—which has been successfully applied to the demonstration of aluminum nanohole array (NHA) immunosensors based on both, glass and polycarbonate compact discs supports—the use of aluminum nanoholes operating as optical waveguides for synthesizing submicron-sized molecularly imprinted polymers by local photopolymerization, and a technique for fabricating transferable aluminum NHAs onto flexible pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes, which could facilitate the development of a wearable technology based on aluminum NHAs. PMID:26184330

Advances in aluminum powder usage as an energetic material and applications for rocket propellant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghipour, S.; Ghaderian, J.; Wahid, M. A.

2012-06-01

Energetic materials have been widely used for military purposes. Continuous research programs are performing in the world for the development of the new materials with higher and improved performance comparing with the available ones in order to fulfill the needs of the military in future. Different sizes of aluminum powders are employed to produce composite rocket propellants with the bases of Ammonium Perchlorate (AP) and Hydroxyl-Terminated-Polybutadiene (HTPB) as oxidizer and binder respectively. This paper concentrates on recent advances in using aluminum as an energetic material and the properties and characteristics pertaining to its combustion. Nano-sized aluminum as one of the most attractable particles in propellants is discussed particularly.

Porous Anodic Aluminum Oxide with Serrated Nanochannels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dongdong; Zhao, Liang; Lu, Jia G.

2010-03-01

Self-assembled nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane with straight channels has long been an important tool in synthesizing highly ordered and vertically aligned quasi-1D nanostructures for various applications. Recently shape-selective nanomaterials have been achieved using AAO as a template. It is envisioned that nanowires with multi-branches will significantly increase the active functional sites for applications as sensors, catalysts, chemical cells, etc. Here AAO membranes with serrated nanochannels have been successfully fabricated via a two-step annodization method. The serrated channels with periodic intervals are aligned at an angle of ˜25^circ along the stem channels. The formation of the serrated channels is attributed to the evolution of oxygen gas bubbles and the resulted plastic deformation in oxide membrane. In order to reveal the inside channel structure, Platinum are electrodeposited into the AAO template. The as-synthesized serrated Pt nanowires demonstrate a superior electrocatalytic activity. This is attributed to the enhanced electric field strength around serrated tips as shown in the electric field simulation by COMOSL. Moreover, hierarchical serrated/straight hybrid structures can be constructed using this simple and novel self assembly technique.

Comparing Laser Welding Technologies with Friction Stir Welding for Production of Aluminum Tailor-Welded Blanks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hovanski, Yuri; Carsley, John; Carlson, Blair

2014-01-15

A comparison of welding techniques was performed to determine the most effective method for producing aluminum tailor-welded blanks for high volume automotive applications. Aluminum sheet was joined with an emphasis on post weld formability, surface quality and weld speed. Comparative results from several laser based welding techniques along with friction stir welding are presented. The results of this study demonstrate a quantitative comparison of weld methodologies in preparing tailor-welded aluminum stampings for high volume production in the automotive industry. Evaluation of nearly a dozen welding variations ultimately led to down selecting a single process based on post-weld quality and performance.

Mechanical properties of nanostructure of biological materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Baohua; Gao, Huajian

2004-09-01

Natural biological materials such as bone, teeth and nacre are nanocomposites of protein and mineral with superior strength. It is quite a marvel that nature produces hard and tough materials out of protein as soft as human skin and mineral as brittle as classroom chalk. What are the secrets of nature? Can we learn from this to produce bio-inspired materials in the laboratory? These questions have motivated us to investigate the mechanics of protein-mineral nanocomposite structure. Large aspect ratios and a staggered alignment of mineral platelets are found to be the key factors contributing to the large stiffness of biomaterials. A tension-shear chain (TSC) model of biological nanostructure reveals that the strength of biomaterials hinges upon optimizing the tensile strength of the mineral crystals. As the size of the mineral crystals is reduced to nanoscale, they become insensitive to flaws with strength approaching the theoretical strength of atomic bonds. The optimized tensile strength of mineral crystals thus allows a large amount of fracture energy to be dissipated in protein via shear deformation and consequently enhances the fracture toughness of biocomposites. We derive viscoelastic properties of the protein-mineral nanostructure and show that the toughness of biocomposite can be further enhanced by the viscoelastic properties of protein.

Advanced composite alloys for constructional parts of robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Issin, D. K.; Zholdubayeva, Zh D.; Neshina, Y. G.; Alkina, A. D.; Khuangan, N.; Rahimova, G. M.

2018-05-01

In recent years all over the world special attention has been paid to the development and implementation of nanostructured materials possessing unique properties and opening fascinating prospects for the development of technical progress in various fields of human activities. A special place can be given to the development of service robots, the market of which is actively developing. There is problem associated mainly with the lack of heat-strengthened alloys which consists in low thermal stability of the alloy properties under the conditions of elevated variable temperatures and loads. The article presents studies to assess the effect of composition, the amounts of refractory nanoscale particles and methods for their introduction into the melt on the structure and properties in nanostructured composite aluminum alloys. The powders of metals, alloys, as well as silicon carbide and aluminum oxide were used to produce the nanostructured powder composite materials. As a result of the research, NPCM compositions containing micro-size particles of transition metals that are carriers of nanosized reinforcing particles and initiators of the formation of an intermetallide of endogenous origin in a melt.

Titanate and titania nanostructures and nanostructure assemblies, and methods of making same

DOEpatents

Wong, Stanislaus S.; Mao, Yuanbing

2016-06-14

The invention relates to nanomaterial's and assemblies including, a micrometer-scale spherical aggregate comprising: a plurality of one-dimensional nanostructures comprising titanium and oxygen, wherein the one-dimensional nanostructures radiate from a hollow central core thereby forming a spherical aggregate.

Titanate and titania nanostructures and nanostructure assemblies, and methods of making same

DOEpatents

Wong, Stanislaus S; Mao, Yuanbing

2013-05-14

The invention relates to nanomaterials and assemblies including, a micrometer-scale spherical aggregate comprising: a plurality of one-dimensional nanostructures comprising titanium and oxygen, wherein the one-dimensional nanostructures radiate from a hollow central core thereby forming a spherical aggregate.

Mecanismes d'ablation du silicium par laser ultrarapide amplifie par des nanostructures plasmoniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robitaille, Alexandre

Ultrafast laser interaction with gold nanostructures deposited onto a silicon surface produces considerable field amplification that can result in the ablation of features with dimensions smaller than the diffraction limit. This field amplification in the near field of the nanostructures has been thoroughly investigated in the literature. However, while this is the main phenomenon that permits this nanoablation, energy deposition and diffusion processes cannot be neglected to interpret experimental results. In this work, we study plasmon-enhanced femtosecond laser ablation of silicon using gold nanorods and gold nanospheres to produce sub-diffraction limit holes. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of such features are done and hole depth as a function of fluence is measured. Especially for gold nanorods, hole shape is inconsistent with calculated field distribution. Field distribution alone would let us believe that each nanorod would produce two holes at its both ends. We show that using a model based on a differential equations system describing carriers excitation and diffusion, both shape and depth of the nanoholes can be predicted. Importance of the diffusion process is shown to arise from the extreme localization of the deposited energy around the nanostructure, compared to what is usually the case for conventional ablation of a surface. The characteristic shape of holes is revealed as a striking signature of the energy distribution through the electron-phonon carrier density dependant interaction.

Nanostructured Materials for Solar Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, Sheila; Raffaelle, Ryne; Castro, Stephanie; Fahey, S.; Gennett, T.; Tin, P.

2003-01-01

The use of both inorganic and organic nanostructured materials in producing high efficiency photovoltaics is discussed in this paper. Recent theoretical results indicate that dramatic improvements in device efficiency may be attainable through the use of semiconductor quantum dots in an ordinary p-i-n solar cell. In addition, it has also recently been demonstrated that quantum dots can also be used to improve conversion efficiencies in polymeric thin film solar cells. A similar improvement in these types of cells has also been observed by employing single wall carbon nanotubes. This relatively new carbon allotrope may assist both in the disassociation of excitons as well as carrier transport through the composite material. This paper reviews the efforts that are currently underway to produce and characterize these nanoscale materials and to exploit their unique properties.

Experimental Investigation on the Joining of Aluminum Alloy Sheets Using Improved Clinching Process

PubMed Central

Chen, Chao; Zhao, Shengdun; Han, Xiaolan; Zhao, Xuzhe; Ishida, Tohru

2017-01-01

Aluminum alloy sheets have been widely used to build the thin-walled structures by mechanical clinching technology in recent years. However, there is an exterior protrusion located on the lower sheet and a pit on the upper sheet, which may restrict the application of the clinching technology in visible areas. In the present study, an improved clinched joint used to join aluminum alloy sheets was investigated by experimental method. The improved clinching process used for joining aluminum alloy evolves through four phases: (a) localized deformation; (b) drawing; (c) backward extrusion; and (d) mechanical interlock forming. A flat surface can be produced using the improved clinching process. Shearing strength, tensile strength, material flow, main geometrical parameters, and failure mode of the improved clinched joint were investigated. The sheet material was compressed to flow radially and upward using a punch, which generated a mechanical interlock by producing severe localized plastic deformation. The neck thickness and interlock of the improved clinched joint were increased by increasing the forming force, which also contributed to increase the strength of the clinched joint. The improved clinched joint can get high shearing strength and tensile strength. Three main failure modes were observed in the failure process, which were neck fracture mode, button separation mode, and mixed failure mode. The improved clinched joint has better joining quality to join aluminum alloy sheets on the thin-walled structures. PMID:28763027

Experimental Investigation on the Joining of Aluminum Alloy Sheets Using Improved Clinching Process.

PubMed

Chen, Chao; Zhao, Shengdun; Han, Xiaolan; Zhao, Xuzhe; Ishida, Tohru

2017-08-01

Aluminum alloy sheets have been widely used to build the thin-walled structures by mechanical clinching technology in recent years. However, there is an exterior protrusion located on the lower sheet and a pit on the upper sheet, which may restrict the application of the clinching technology in visible areas. In the present study, an improved clinched joint used to join aluminum alloy sheets was investigated by experimental method. The improved clinching process used for joining aluminum alloy evolves through four phases: (a) localized deformation; (b) drawing; (c) backward extrusion; and (d) mechanical interlock forming. A flat surface can be produced using the improved clinching process. Shearing strength, tensile strength, material flow, main geometrical parameters, and failure mode of the improved clinched joint were investigated. The sheet material was compressed to flow radially and upward using a punch, which generated a mechanical interlock by producing severe localized plastic deformation. The neck thickness and interlock of the improved clinched joint were increased by increasing the forming force, which also contributed to increase the strength of the clinched joint. The improved clinched joint can get high shearing strength and tensile strength. Three main failure modes were observed in the failure process, which were neck fracture mode, button separation mode, and mixed failure mode. The improved clinched joint has better joining quality to join aluminum alloy sheets on the thin-walled structures.

Nanostructured fumarate copolymer-chitosan crosslinked scaffold: An in vitro osteochondrogenesis regeneration study.

PubMed

Lastra, María Laura; Molinuevo, María Silvina; Blaszczyk-Lezak, Iwona; Mijangos, Carmen; Cortizo, María Susana

2018-02-01

In the tissue engineering field, the design of the scaffold inspired on the natural occurring tissue is of vital importance. Ideally, the scaffold surface must promote cell growth and differentiation, while promote angiogenesis in the in vivo implant of the scaffold. On the other hand, the material selection must be biocompatible and the degradation times should meet tissue reparation times. In the present work, we developed a nanofibrous scaffold based on chitosan crosslinked with diisopropylfumarate-vinyl acetate copolymer using anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. We have previously demonstrated its biocompatibility properties with low cytotoxicity and proper degradation times. Now, we extended our studies to demonstrate that it can be successfully nanostructured using the AAO templates methodology, obtaining a nanorod-like scaffold with a diameter comparable to those of collagen fibers of the bone matrix (170 and 300 nm). The nanorods obtained presented a very homogeneous pattern in diameter and length, and supports cell attachment and growth. We also found that both osteoblastic and chondroblastic matrix production were promoted on bone marrow progenitor cells and primary condrocytes growing on the scaffolds, respectively. In addition, the nanostructured scaffold presented no cytotoxicity as it was evaluated using a model of macrophages on culture. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 570-579, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Young's modulus measurement of aluminum thin film with cantilever structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, ByoungChan; Lee, SangHun; Lee, Hwasu; Shin, Hyungjae

2001-09-01

Micromachined cantilever structures are commonly used for measuring mechanical properties of thin film materials in MEMS. The application of conventional cantilever theory in experiment raises severe problem. The deformation of the supporting post and flange is produced by the applied electrostatic force and lead to more reduced measurement value than real Young's modulus of thin film materials. In order to determine Young's modulus of aluminum thin film robustly and reproducibly, the modified cantilever structure is proposed. Two measurement methods, which are cantilever tip deflection measurement and resonant frequency measurement, are used for confirming the reliability of the proposed cantilever structure as well. Measured results indicate that the proposed measurement scheme provides useful and credible Young's modulus value for thin film materials with sub-micron thickness. The proved validation of the proposed scheme makes sure that in addition to Young's modulus of aluminum thin film, that of other thin film materials which are aluminum alloy, metal, and so forth, can be extracted easily and clearly.

Properties of nanostructures obtained by anodization of aluminum in phosphoric acid at moderate potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaraska, L.; Sulka, G. D.; Jaskuła, M.

2009-01-01

The influence of the process duration, anodizing potential and methanol addition on the structural features of porous anodic alumina formed in a 0.3 M H3PO4 solutions by twostep self-organized anodizing was investigated for potentials ranging from 100 to 170 V. The structural features of porous structures including pore diameter and interpore distance were evaluated from FE-SEM top-view images for samples anodized in the presence and absence of methanol. For the highest studied anodizing time and methanol volume fraction, an excellent agreement between experimental values of the interpore distance and theoretical predictions was observed. The pore arrangement regularity was analyzed for various electrolyte compositions and anodizing potentials. It was found that the regularity ratio of porous alumina increases linearly with increasing anodizing potential and time. The addition of methanol improves the quality of nanostructures and especially better uniformity of pore sizes is observed in the presence of the highest studied methanol content.

Self-replication: Nanostructure evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmel, Friedrich C.

2017-10-01

DNA origami nanostructures were utilized to replicate a seed pattern that resulted in the growth of populations of nanostructures. Exponential growth could be controlled by environmental conditions depending on the preferential requirements of each population.

Retrosynthetic Analysis-Guided Breaking Tile Symmetry for the Assembly of Complex DNA Nanostructures.

PubMed

Wang, Pengfei; Wu, Siyu; Tian, Cheng; Yu, Guimei; Jiang, Wen; Wang, Guansong; Mao, Chengde

2016-10-11

Current tile-based DNA self-assembly produces simple repetitive or highly symmetric structures. In the case of 2D lattices, the unit cell often contains only one basic tile because the tiles often are symmetric (in terms of either the backbone or the sequence). In this work, we have applied retrosynthetic analysis to determine the minimal asymmetric units for complex DNA nanostructures. Such analysis guides us to break the intrinsic structural symmetries of the tiles to achieve high structural complexities. This strategy has led to the construction of several DNA nanostructures that are not accessible from conventional symmetric tile designs. Along with previous studies, herein we have established a set of four fundamental rules regarding tile-based assembly. Such rules could serve as guidelines for the design of DNA nanostructures.

Flotation-separation of aluminum from some water samples using powdered marble waste and oleic acid.

PubMed

Ghazy, Shaban el-Sayed; Samra, Salem el-Sayed; Mahdy, Abd el-Fattah Mohammed; el-Morsy, Sherin Mohammed

2003-10-01

Bench-scale experiments were conducted in the laboratory, aiming to remove aluminum from water. They were based on the use of powdered marble wastes (PMW), which are inexpensive and produced in large quantity, and thus potentially cause environmental problems, as an effective inorganic sorbent and oleic acid (HOL) as surfactant. The main parameters (solution pHs, sorbent, surfactant and aluminum concentrations, shaking time, ionic strength and the presence of foreign ions) that influence the sorptive-flotation process were examined. Good results were obtained under the optimum conditions, for which nearly 100% of aluminum at pH 7 and at room temperature (approximately 25 degrees C) was removed. The procedure was successfully applied to the recovery of aluminum spiked to some natural water samples. Moreover, a sorption and flotation mechanism is suggested.

Weld Repair of Thin Aluminum Sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beuyukian, C. S.; Mitchell, M. J.

1986-01-01

Weld repairing of thin aluminum sheets now possible, using niobium shield and copper heat sinks. Refractory niobium shield protects aluminum adjacent to hole, while copper heat sinks help conduct heat away from repair site. Technique limits tungsten/inert-gas (TIG) welding bombardment zone to melt area, leaving surrounding areas around weld unaffected. Used successfully to repair aluminum cold plates on Space Shuttle, Commercial applications, especially in sealing fractures, dents, and holes in thin aluminum face sheets or clad brazing sheet in cold plates, heat exchangers, coolers, and Solar panels. While particularly suited to thin aluminum sheet, this process also used in thicker aluminum material to prevent surface damage near weld area.

Metallurgical Mechanisms Controlling Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Alloy 2219 Produced by Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Domack, Marcia S.; Tainger, Karen M.

2006-01-01

The electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3) layer-additive manufacturing process has been developed to directly fabricate complex geometry components. EBF3 introduces metal wire into a molten pool created on the surface of a substrate by a focused electron beam. Part geometry is achieved by translating the substrate with respect to the beam to build the part one layer at a time. Tensile properties demonstrated for electron beam deposited aluminum and titanium alloys are comparable to wrought products, although the microstructures of the deposits exhibit cast features. Understanding the metallurgical mechanisms controlling mechanical properties is essential to maximizing application of the EBF3 process. Tensile mechanical properties and microstructures were examined for aluminum alloy 2219 fabricated over a range of EBF3 process variables. Unique microstructures were observed within the deposited layers and at interlayer boundaries, which varied within the deposit height due to microstructural evolution associated with the complex thermal history experienced during subsequent layer deposition. Microstructures exhibited irregularly shaped grains with interior dendritic structures, described based on overall grain size, morphology, distribution, and dendrite spacing, and were correlated with deposition parameters. Fracture features were compared with microstructural elements to define fracture paths and aid in definition of basic processing-microstructure-property correlations.

Measurement of Aluminum Content In Reflector Materials For The PICO Dark Matter Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borsodi, Haley; PICO Collaboration

2015-04-01

The PICO collaboration uses a bubble chamber technique to search for dark matter particles. Bubbles are registered with cameras, pressure sensors and acoustic transducers. To increase the visual contrast between bubbles and liquid, retro-reflectors are used to diffuse light from LEDs evenly throughout the inner chamber. One must, however, be careful that reflector materials not contribute radioactive background. Light nuclei, such as aluminum, can absorb alpha particles from radioactive contaminants and produce high energy neutron background in the inner volume of the chamber. Since aluminum oxides are a common reflector material and since commercial compositions are trade secrets, we had to demonstrate that the amounts of aluminum in the reflectors was small enough to allow them to be used in the chambers. After acid digesting candidate material strips, they were analyzed using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy. All of the proposed materials were found to have less than 1% Aluminum content (by mass), making them safe for use by the experiment. Indiana University South Bend.

Effect of Zirconia Nanoparticles in Epoxy-Silica Hybrid Adhesives to Join Aluminum Substrates.

PubMed

Figueroa-Lara, José de Jesús; Torres-Rodríguez, Miguel; Gutiérrez-Arzaluz, Mirella; Romero-Romo, Mario

2017-09-27

This research presents the interaction of the epoxy polymer diglicydil ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) with silica (SiO₂) nanoparticles plus zirconia (ZrO₂) nanoparticles obtained via the sol-gel method in the synthesis of an epoxy-silica-zirconia hybrid adhesive cured with polyamide. ZrO₂ nanoparticles were added to the epoxy-silica hybrid adhesive produced in situ to modify the apparent shear strength of two adhesively bonded aluminum specimens. The results showed that the addition of different amounts of ZrO₂ nanoparticles increased the shear strength of the adhesively bonded aluminum joint, previously treated by sandblasting, immersion in hot water and silanized with a solution of hydrolyzed 3-glycidoxipropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS). The morphology and microstructure of the nanoparticles and aluminum surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and elemental analysis was performed with the Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) detector; the chemical groups were investigated during the aluminum surface modification using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Effect of Zirconia Nanoparticles in Epoxy-Silica Hybrid Adhesives to Join Aluminum Substrates

PubMed Central

Figueroa-Lara, José de Jesús; Torres-Rodríguez, Miguel

2017-01-01

This research presents the interaction of the epoxy polymer diglicydil ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) with silica (SiO2) nanoparticles plus zirconia (ZrO2) nanoparticles obtained via the sol-gel method in the synthesis of an epoxy-silica-zirconia hybrid adhesive cured with polyamide. ZrO2 nanoparticles were added to the epoxy-silica hybrid adhesive produced in situ to modify the apparent shear strength of two adhesively bonded aluminum specimens. The results showed that the addition of different amounts of ZrO2 nanoparticles increased the shear strength of the adhesively bonded aluminum joint, previously treated by sandblasting, immersion in hot water and silanized with a solution of hydrolyzed 3-glycidoxipropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS). The morphology and microstructure of the nanoparticles and aluminum surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and elemental analysis was performed with the Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) detector; the chemical groups were investigated during the aluminum surface modification using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). PMID:28953243

Controlled Release from Core-Shell Nanoporous Silica Particles for Corrosion Inhibition of Aluminum Alloys

DOE PAGES

Jiang, Xingmao; Jiang, Ying-Bing; Liu, Nanguo; ...

2011-01-01

Ceriumore » m (Ce) corrosion inhibitors were encapsulated into hexagonally ordered nanoporous silica particles via single-step aerosol-assisted self-assembly. The core/shell structured particles are effective for corrosion inhibition of aluminum alloy AA2024-T3. Numerical simulation proved that the core-shell nanostructure delays the release process. The effective diffusion coefficient elucidated from release data for monodisperse particles in water was 1.0 × 10 − 14  m 2 s for Ce 3+ compared to 2.5 × 10 − 13  m 2 s for NaCl. The pore size, pore surface chemistry, and the inhibitor solubility are crucial factors for the application. Microporous hydrophobic particles encapsulating a less soluble corrosion inhibitor are desirable for long-term corrosion inhibition.« less

Serum aluminum levels in dialysis patients after sclerotherapy of internal hemorrhoids with aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid.

PubMed

Tsunoda, Akira; Nakagi, Masafumi; Kano, Nobuyasu; Mizutani, Masahiko; Yamaguchi, Kenji

2014-12-01

Aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid (ALTA) is an effective sclerosing agent for internal hemorrhoids. However, it is contraindicated for patients with chronic renal failure on dialysis, because the aluminum in ALTA can cause aluminum encephalopathy when it is not excreted effectively. We conducted this study to measure the serum aluminum concentrations and observe for symptoms relating to aluminum encephalopathy in dialysis patients after ALTA therapy. Ten dialysis patients underwent ALTA therapy for hemorrhoids. We measured their serum aluminum concentrations and observed them for possible symptoms of aluminum encephalopathy. The total injection volume of ALTA solution was 31 mL (24-37). The median serum aluminum concentration before ALTA therapy was 9 μg/L, which increased to 741, 377, and 103 μg/L, respectively, 1 h, 1 day, and 1 week after ALTA therapy. These levels decreased rapidly, to 33 μg/L by 1 month and 11 μg/L by 3 months after ALTA therapy. No patient suffered symptoms related to aluminum encephalopathy. Although the aluminum concentrations increased temporarily after ALTA therapy, dialysis patients with levels below 150 μg/L by 1 week and thereafter are considered to be at low risk of the development of aluminum encephalopathy.

The Beverage Can in the United States: Achieving a 100% Recycled Aluminum Can through Supply Chain Innovation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buffington, Jack

2012-08-01

The purpose of this research is to analyze why recycled content is low (33-50%) in the aluminum can in the United States when it is technically possible to have a product that is made from 100% recycled material. A comprehensive literature review is conducted, followed by identification of five propositions determined with respect to the research problem. With respect to aluminum can recycling (and its research), there is a greater focus on the role of the consumer than the producer in the aluminum can supply chain system, which may impact on the role of innovation in addressing the problem. The upstream primary aluminum supply chain is vertically integrated and efficient within itself, but not integrated with the downstream secondary aluminum can market. Given the importance of the secondary aluminum market in the United States, there are significant recycling/efficiency/sustainability opportunities to address. As opposed to a dominant focus on consumers and their recycling habits, this study focuses on the aggregate aluminum can supply chain to apply innovation to the solution.

Composite materials formed with anchored nanostructures

DOEpatents

Seals, Roland D; Menchhofer, Paul A; Howe, Jane Y; Wang, Wei

2015-03-10

A method of forming nano-structure composite materials that have a binder material and a nanostructure fiber material is described. A precursor material may be formed using a mixture of at least one metal powder and anchored nanostructure materials. The metal powder mixture may be (a) Ni powder and (b) NiAl powder. The anchored nanostructure materials may comprise (i) NiAl powder as a support material and (ii) carbon nanotubes attached to nanoparticles adjacent to a surface of the support material. The process of forming nano-structure composite materials typically involves sintering the mixture under vacuum in a die. When Ni and NiAl are used in the metal powder mixture Ni.sub.3Al may form as the binder material after sintering. The mixture is sintered until it consolidates to form the nano-structure composite material.

Metal oxide nanostructures for gas detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maziarz, Wojciech; Pisarkiewicz, Tadeusz; Rydosz, Artur; Wysocka, Kinga; Czyrnek, Grzegorz

2013-07-01

Currently, most of gas sensors on the market are produced in thin or thick film technologies with the use of ceramic substrates. It is expected that the miniature sensors needed in portable applications will be based on one-dimensional structures due to their low power consumption, fast and stable time response, small dimensions and possibility of embedding in integrated circuit together with signal conditioning electronics. The authors manufactured resistance type gas sensors based on ZnO and WO3 nanostructures. ZnO:Al nanorods with good cristallinity were obtained with electrodeposition method, while ZnO:Al nanofibres with varying diameters were obtained by electrospinning method. The sensors were built as a nanowire network. WO3 films with nanocrystalline surface were manufactured by deposition of a three layer WO3/W/WO3 structure by RF sputtering and successive annealing of the structure in appropriate temperature range. In effect a uniform nanostructurized metal oxide layer was formed. Investigation of sensors characteristics revealed good sensitivity to nitrogen dioxide at temperatures lower than these for conventional conductometric type sensors.

Aluminum-based metal-air batteries

DOEpatents

Friesen, Cody A.; Martinez, Jose Antonio Bautista

2016-01-12

Provided in one embodiment is an electrochemical cell, comprising: (i) a plurality of electrodes, comprising a fuel electrode that comprises aluminum and an air electrode that absorbs gaseous oxygen, the electrodes being operable in a discharge mode wherein the aluminum is oxidized at the fuel electrode and oxygen is reduced at the air electrode, and (ii) an ionically conductive medium, comprising an organic solvent; wherein during non-use of the cell, the organic solvent promotes formation of a protective interface between the aluminum of the fuel electrode and the ionically conductive medium, and wherein at an onset of the discharge mode, at least some of the protective interface is removed from the aluminum to thereafter permit oxidation of the aluminum during the discharge mode.

The Special Features of the Deformation Behavior of an Ultrafine-Grained Aluminum Alloy of the Al-Mg-Li System at Room Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naydenkin, E. V.; Mishin, I. P.; Ivanov, K. V.

2015-04-01

The special features of the deformation behavior of an ultrafine-grained aluminum alloy produced by severe plastic deformation are investigated. Unlike ultrafine-grained pure aluminum, the second-phase particles precipitated in the bulk and at the grain boundaries of the alloy are shown to hinder the development of grain boundary sliding and plastic strain localization. This increases the length of the strain hardening stage and uniformity of elongation of a heterogeneous aluminum alloy specimen as compared to pure aluminum.

Cratering Equations for Zinc Orthotitanate Coated Aluminum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyde, James; Christiansen, Eric; Liou, Jer-Chyi; Ryan, Shannon

2009-01-01

multiple craters. Samples were obtained from the HST largest craters for examination by electron microscope equipped with x-ray spectrometers to determine impactor source (micrometeoroid or orbital debris). In an attempt to estimate the MMOD particle diameters that produced these craters, this paper will present equations for spall diameter, crater depth and crater diameter in Z93 coated aluminum. The equations will be based on hypervelocity impact tests of Z93 painted aluminum at the NASA White Sands Test Facility. Equations inputs for velocities beyond the testable regime are expected from hydrocode simulations of Z93 coated aluminum using CTH and ANSYS AUTODYN.

Properties Data for Adhesion and Surface Chemistry of Aluminum: Sapphire-Aluminum, Single-Crystal Couple

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa; Pohlchuck, Bobby; Whitle, Neville C.; Hector, Louis G., Jr.; Adams, Jim

1998-01-01

An investigation was conducted to examine the adhesion and surface chemistry of single-crystal aluminum in contact with single-crystal sapphire (alumina). Pull-off force (adhesion) measurements were conducted under loads of 0. I to I mN in a vacuum of 10(exp -1) to 10(exp -9) Pa (approx. 10(exp -10) to 10(exp -11) torr) at room temperature. An Auger electron spectroscopy analyzer incorporated directly into an adhesion-measuring vacuum system was primarily used to define the chemical nature of the surfaces before and after adhesion measurements. The surfaces were cleaned by argon ion sputtering. With a clean aluminum-clean -sapphire couple the mean value and standard deviation of pull-off forces required to separate the surfaces were 3015 and 298 micro-N, respectively. With a contaminated aluminum-clean sapphire couple these values were 231 and 241 micro-N. The presence of a contaminant film on the aluminum surface reduced adhesion by a factor of 13. Therefore, surfaces cleanliness, particularly aluminum cleanliness, played an important role in the adhesion of the aluminum-sapphire couples. Pressures on the order of 10(exp -8) to 10(exp -9) Pa (approx. 10(exp -10) to 10(exp -11) torr) maintained a clean aluminum surface for only a short time (less then 1 hr) but maintained a clean sapphire surface, once it was achieved, for a much longer time.

Hierarchical concave layered triangular PtCu alloy nanostructures: rational integration of dendritic nanostructures for efficient formic acid electrooxidation.

PubMed

Wu, Fengxia; Lai, Jianping; Zhang, Ling; Niu, Wenxin; Lou, Baohua; Luque, Rafael; Xu, Guobao

2018-05-08

The rational construction of multi-dimensional layered noble metal nanostructures is a great challenge since noble metals are not layer-structured materials. Herein, we report a one-pot hydrothermal synthetic method for PtCu hierarchical concave layered triangular (HCLT) nanostructures using dl-carnitine, KI, poly(vinylpyrrolidone), CuCl2, and H2PtCl6. The PtCu HCLT nanostructure is comprised of multilayered triangular dendrites. Its layer number is tunable by changing dl-carnitine concentrations, and the concavity/convexity of the PtCu triangle nanostructures is tunable by changing the H2PtCl6/CuCl2 ratio or KI concentrations. Hierarchical trigonal bipyramid nanoframes are also obtained under certain conditions. Because of its advantageous nanostructure and bimetallic synergetic effect, the obtained PtCu HCLT nanostructure exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic activity and prolonged stability to formic acid oxidation compared to commercial Pt black, Pd/C and some other nanostructures.

Local field enhancement and thermoplasmonics in multimodal aluminum structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiecha, Peter R.; Mennemanteuil, Marie-Maxime; Khlopin, Dmitry; Martin, Jérôme; Arbouet, Arnaud; Gérard, Davy; Bouhelier, Alexandre; Plain, Jérôme; Cuche, Aurélien

2017-07-01

Aluminum nanostructures have recently been at the focus of numerous studies due to their properties including oxidation stability and surface plasmon resonances covering the ultraviolet and visible spectral windows. In this article, we reveal a facet of this metal relevant for both plasmonic purposes and photothermal conversion. The field distribution of high-order plasmonic resonances existing in two-dimensional Al structures is studied by nonlinear photoluminescence microscopy in a spectral region where electronic interband transitions occur. The polarization sensitivity of the field intensity maps shows that the electric field concentration can be addressed and controlled on demand. We use a numerical tool based on the Green dyadic method to analyze our results and to simulate the absorbed energy that is locally converted into heat. The polarization-dependent temperature increase of the Al structures is experimentally quantitatively measured, and is in an excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. Our work highlights Al as a promising candidate for designing thermal nanosources integrated in coplanar geometries for thermally assisted nanomanipulation or biophysical applications.

T7 RNA polymerase non-specifically transcribes and induces disassembly of DNA nanostructures

PubMed Central

Schaffter, Samuel W; Green, Leopold N; Schneider, Joanna; Subramanian, Hari K K; Schulman, Rebecca

2018-01-01

Abstract The use of proteins that bind and catalyze reactions with DNA alongside DNA nanostructures has broadened the functionality of DNA devices. DNA binding proteins have been used to specifically pattern and tune structural properties of DNA nanostructures and polymerases have been employed to directly and indirectly drive structural changes in DNA structures and devices. Despite these advances, undesired and poorly understood interactions between DNA nanostructures and proteins that bind DNA continue to negatively affect the performance and stability of DNA devices used in conjunction with enzymes. A better understanding of these undesired interactions will enable the construction of robust DNA nanostructure-enzyme hybrid systems. Here, we investigate the undesired disassembly of DNA nanotubes in the presence of viral RNA polymerases (RNAPs) under conditions used for in vitro transcription. We show that nanotubes and individual nanotube monomers (tiles) are non-specifically transcribed by T7 RNAP, and that RNA transcripts produced during non-specific transcription disassemble the nanotubes. Disassembly requires a single-stranded overhang on the nanotube tiles where transcripts can bind and initiate disassembly through strand displacement, suggesting that single-stranded domains on other DNA nanostructures could cause unexpected interactions in the presence of viral RNA polymerases. PMID:29718412

Energy-Saving Melting and Revert Reduction Technology (E-SMARRT): Lost Foam Thin Wall - Feasibility of Producing Lost Foam Castings in Aluminum and Magnesium Based Alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fasoyinu, Yemi; Griffin, John A.

2014-03-31

With the increased emphasis on vehicle weight reduction, production of near-net shape components by lost foam casting will make significant inroad into the next-generation of engineering component designs. The lost foam casting process is a cost effective method for producing complex castings using an expandable polystyrene pattern and un-bonded sand. The use of un-bonded molding media in the lost foam process will impose less constraint on the solidifying casting, making hot tearing less prevalent. This is especially true in Al-Mg and Al-Cu alloy systems that are prone to hot tearing when poured in rigid molds partially due to their longmore » freezing range. Some of the unique advantages of using the lost foam casting process are closer dimensional tolerance, higher casting yield, and the elimination of sand cores and binders. Most of the aluminum alloys poured using the lost foam process are based on the Al-Si system. Very limited research work has been performed with Al-Mg and Al-Cu type alloys. With the increased emphasis on vehicle weight reduction, and given the high-strength-to-weight-ratio of magnesium, significant weight savings can be achieved by casting thin-wall (≤ 3 mm) engineering components from both aluminum- and magnesium-base alloys.« less

Synthesis of nanostructured barium phosphate and its application in micro-computed tomography of mouse brain vessels in ex vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Bangshang; Yuan, Falei; Yuan, Xiaoya; Bo, Yang; Wang, Yongting; Yang, Guo-Yuan; Drummen, Gregor P. C.; Zhu, Xinyuan

2014-02-01

Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a powerful tool for visualizing the vascular systems of tissues, organs, or entire small animals. Vascular contrast agents play a vital role in micro-CT imaging in order to obtain clear and high-quality images. In this study, a new kind of nanostructured barium phosphate was fabricated and used as a contrast agent for ex vivo micro-CT imaging of blood vessels in the mouse brain. Nanostructured barium phosphate was synthesized through a simple wet precipitation method using Ba(NO3)2, and (NH4)2HPO4 as starting materials. The physiochemical properties of barium phosphate were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. Furthermore, the impact of the produced nanostructures on cell viability was evaluated via the MTT assay, which generally showed low to moderate cytotoxicity. Finally, the animal test images demonstrated that the use of nanostructured barium phosphate as a contrast agent in Micro-CT imaging produced sharp images with excellent contrast. Both major vessels and the microvasculature were clearly observable in the imaged mouse brain. Overall, the results indicate that nanostructured barium phosphate is a potential and useful vascular contrast agent for micro-CT imaging.

Synthesis and Characterization of Heterobimetallic Iridium-Aluminum and Rhodium-Aluminum Complexes.

PubMed

Brewster, Timothy P; Nguyen, Tan H; Li, Zhongjing; Eckenhoff, William T; Schley, Nathan D; DeYonker, Nathan J

2018-02-05

We demonstrate the synthesis and characterization of a new class of late-transition-metal-aluminum heterobimetallic complexes via a novel synthetic pathway. Complexes of this type are exceedingly rare. Joint experimental and theoretical data sheds light on the electronic effect of ligands containing aluminum moieties on late-transition-metal complexes.

Structure and optical function of amorphous photonic nanostructures from avian feather barbs: a comparative small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis of 230 bird species

PubMed Central

Saranathan, Vinodkumar; Forster, Jason D.; Noh, Heeso; Liew, Seng-Fatt; Mochrie, Simon G. J.; Cao, Hui; Dufresne, Eric R.; Prum, Richard O.

2012-01-01

Non-iridescent structural colours of feathers are a diverse and an important part of the phenotype of many birds. These colours are generally produced by three-dimensional, amorphous (or quasi-ordered) spongy β-keratin and air nanostructures found in the medullary cells of feather barbs. Two main classes of three-dimensional barb nanostructures are known, characterized by a tortuous network of air channels or a close packing of spheroidal air cavities. Using synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and optical spectrophotometry, we characterized the nanostructure and optical function of 297 distinctly coloured feathers from 230 species belonging to 163 genera in 51 avian families. The SAXS data provided quantitative diagnoses of the channel- and sphere-type nanostructures, and confirmed the presence of a predominant, isotropic length scale of variation in refractive index that produces strong reinforcement of a narrow band of scattered wavelengths. The SAXS structural data identified a new class of rudimentary or weakly nanostructured feathers responsible for slate-grey, and blue-grey structural colours. SAXS structural data provided good predictions of the single-scattering peak of the optical reflectance of the feathers. The SAXS structural measurements of channel- and sphere-type nanostructures are also similar to experimental scattering data from synthetic soft matter systems that self-assemble by phase separation. These results further support the hypothesis that colour-producing protein and air nanostructures in feather barbs are probably self-assembled by arrested phase separation of polymerizing β-keratin from the cytoplasm of medullary cells. Such avian amorphous photonic nanostructures with isotropic optical properties may provide biomimetic inspiration for photonic technology. PMID:22572026

Single ion induced surface nanostructures: a comparison between slow highly charged and swift heavy ions.

PubMed

Aumayr, Friedrich; Facsko, Stefan; El-Said, Ayman S; Trautmann, Christina; Schleberger, Marika

2011-10-05

This topical review focuses on recent advances in the understanding of the formation of surface nanostructures, an intriguing phenomenon in ion-surface interaction due to the impact of individual ions. In many solid targets, swift heavy ions produce narrow cylindrical tracks accompanied by the formation of a surface nanostructure. More recently, a similar nanometric surface effect has been revealed for the impact of individual, very slow but highly charged ions. While swift ions transfer their large kinetic energy to the target via ionization and electronic excitation processes (electronic stopping), slow highly charged ions produce surface structures due to potential energy deposited at the top surface layers. Despite the differences in primary excitation, the similarity between the nanostructures is striking and strongly points to a common mechanism related to the energy transfer from the electronic to the lattice system of the target. A comparison of surface structures induced by swift heavy ions and slow highly charged ions provides a valuable insight to better understand the formation mechanisms. © 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd