Advances in joining newer structural materials; Proceedings of the International Conference, Montreal, Canada, July 23-25, 1990

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The present conference on advances in joining novel structural materials encompasses such material types as ceramics, plastics and composites, and new metallic materials. Specific issues addressed include the use of conductor electric explosion to join ceramics, the effects of brazing temperature on joint properties of SiC-fiber-reinforced Al-alloy-matrix composites, the in situ structure control of composite materials, and the weldability of polymeric materials that are heterogeneous as to chemical nature from the standpoint of morphology. Also addressed are the joining of the Al-Li alloy 8090, diffusion bonding of a creep-resistant Fe-ODS alloy, the adhesive bonding of zinc-coated steel sheets, welds in thermoplastic composite materials, and hot-melt joints for carbon-fiber-reinforced composites.

Issues Primer. EEE708 Negotiated Study Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jennings, Leonie

This issues primer is structured around a series of 20 contemporary concerns in the changing world of work and training in Australia in the early 1990s. It is part of the study materials for the one-semester distance education unit, Negotiated Study Program, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University (Australia). Information on each issue is…

Planning, Promoting and Passing School Tax Issues. [Revised Edition].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitman, Robert L.; Pittner, Nicholas A.

This book provides Ohio citizens with information on school tax issues and levy campaigning. The material is presented in a structural step-by-step process that lends itself to the practical application for preparing a levy. This book is a guide to understanding various tax issues, tax reduction factors, and the changing tax duplicate that affects…

Strategies to curb structural changes of lithium/transition metal oxide cathode materials & the changes' effects on thermal & cycling stability

DOE PAGES

Yu, Xiqian; Hu, Enyuan; Bak, Seongmin; ...

2015-12-07

Structural transformation behaviors of several typical oxide cathode materials during a heating process are reviewed in detail to provide in-depth understanding of the key factors governing the thermal stability of these materials. Furthermore, we also discuss applying the information about heat induced structural evolution in the study of electrochemically induced structural changes. All these discussions are expected to provide valuable insights for designing oxide cathode materials with significantly improved structural stability for safe, long-life lithium ion batteries, as the safety of lithium-ion batteries is a critical issue. As a result, it is widely accepted that the thermal instability of themore » cathodes is one of the most critical factors in thermal runaway and related safety problems.« less

Exploring the significance of structural hierarchy in material systems-A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Ning

2014-06-01

Structural hierarchy and heterogeneity are inherent features in biological materials, but their significance in affecting the system behaviors is yet to be fully understood. In Sec. I, this article first identifies the major characteristics that manifest, or are resulted from, such hierarchy and heterogeneity in materials. Then in Sec. II, it presents several typical natural material systems including wood, bone, and others from animals to illustrate the proposed views. The paper also discusses a man-made smart material, textiles, to demonstrate that textiles are hierarchal, multifunctional, highly complex, and arguably the engineered material closest on a par with biological materials in complexity, and, more importantly, we can still learn quite a few new things from them in development of novel materials. In Sec. III, the paper summarizes several general approaches in developing a hierarchal material system at various scales, including structure thinning and splitting, laminating and layering, spatial and angular orientation, heterogenization and hybridization, and analyzes the advantages associated with them. It also stresses the adverse consequences once the existing structural hierarchy breaks down due to various mutations in biological systems. It discusses, in particular, the influences of moisture and air on material properties, given the near ubiquitousness of both air and water in materials. It next deals with in Sec. IV, some theoretical issues in material research including packing and ordering, the bi-modular mechanics, the behavior non-affinities due to disparity in hierarchal levels, the importance of system dimensionality in a hierarchal material system, and more philosophically, the issues of Nature's wisdom versus Intelligent Design. Section V then offers some concluding remarks, including a recap of the major issues covered in this article, and some general conclusions derived from the analyses and discussions. The main purpose of this paper is to make an effort to explore, identify, derive, or theorize some generic principles based on the existing results, not to offer another comprehensive review of current research activities in the fields for that there already exist some excellent ones. This paper examines the related topics with several approaches to not only reveal the underlying geometrical and physical mechanisms but also to emphasize the ways in which such mechanisms may be applied to developing engineered material systems with novel properties.

Instructional Applications of Hypermedia: Functional Features, Limitations, and Research Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Ok-choon

1992-01-01

Defines hypermedia and describes the structure and functional requirements of a hypermedia program. Potentials of hypermedia for instructional delivery, idea generation and organization, file storage and organization, and development of computer-based instruction materials are discussed. Several research issues related to instructional…

EDITORIAL: (Nano)characterization of semiconductor materials and structures (Nano)characterization of semiconductor materials and structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonanni, Alberta

2011-06-01

The latest impressive advancements in the epitaxial fabrication of semiconductors and in the refinement of characterization techniques have the potential to allow insight into the deep relation between materials' structural properties and their physical and chemical functionalities. Furthermore, while the comprehensive (nano)characterization of semiconductor materials and structures is becoming more and more necessary, a compendium of the currently available techniques is lacking. We are positive that an overview of the hurdles related to the specific methods, often leading to deceptive interpretations, will be most informative for the broad community working on semiconductors, and will help in shining some light onto a plethora of controversial reports found in the literature. From this perspective, with this special issue we address and highlight the challenges and misinterpretations related to complementary local (nanoscale) and more global experimental methods for the characterization of semiconductors. The six topical reviews and the three invited papers by leading experts in the specific fields collected in here are intended to provide the required broad overview on the possibilities of actual (nano)characterization methods, from the microscopy of single quantum structures, over the synchrotron-based absorption and diffraction of nano-objects, to the contentious detection of tiny magnetic signals by quantum interference and resonance techniques. We are grateful to all the authors for their valuable contributions. Moreover, I would like to thank the Editorial Board of the journal for supporting the realization of this special issue and for inviting me to serve as Guest Editor. We greatly appreciate the work of the reviewers, of the editorial staff of Semiconductor Science and Technology and of IOP Publishing. In particular, the efforts of Alice Malhador in coordinating this special issue are acknowledged.

Comparison of dissimilarity measures for cluster analysis of X-ray diffraction data from combinatorial libraries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwasaki, Yuma; Kusne, A. Gilad; Takeuchi, Ichiro

2017-12-01

Machine learning techniques have proven invaluable to manage the ever growing volume of materials research data produced as developments continue in high-throughput materials simulation, fabrication, and characterization. In particular, machine learning techniques have been demonstrated for their utility in rapidly and automatically identifying potential composition-phase maps from structural data characterization of composition spread libraries, enabling rapid materials fabrication-structure-property analysis and functional materials discovery. A key issue in development of an automated phase-diagram determination method is the choice of dissimilarity measure, or kernel function. The desired measure reduces the impact of confounding structural data issues on analysis performance. The issues include peak height changes and peak shifting due to lattice constant change as a function of composition. In this work, we investigate the choice of dissimilarity measure in X-ray diffraction-based structure analysis and the choice of measure's performance impact on automatic composition-phase map determination. Nine dissimilarity measures are investigated for their impact in analyzing X-ray diffraction patterns for a Fe-Co-Ni ternary alloy composition spread. The cosine, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Jensen-Shannon divergence measures are shown to provide the best performance in the presence of peak height change and peak shifting (due to lattice constant change) when the magnitude of peak shifting is unknown. With prior knowledge of the maximum peak shifting, dynamic time warping in a normalized constrained mode provides the best performance. This work also serves to demonstrate a strategy for rapid analysis of a large number of X-ray diffraction patterns in general beyond data from combinatorial libraries.

Structuring the Multimedia Deal: Legal Issues--Part 1: Licensing in the Multimedia Arena.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gersh, David L.; Jeffrey, Sheri

1993-01-01

Provides an overview of legal issues related to licensing entertainment rights for multimedia source materials, including the grant of rights clause, copyright ownership, territory and languages, term provision, specifications, approvals/controls, royalties, guilds, bankruptcies, termination of the license, and confidentiality. Common mistakes…

An Analysis of Organizational Approaches to Online Course Structures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Cheng-Yuan; Dickerson, Jeremy; Winslow, Joe

2012-01-01

The structure of an online course, including the navigational interface, visual design of materials and information, as well as the communication tools to facilitate learning, can affect students, instructors, programs and educational organizations in various ways. This paper examines online course structural issues derived from previous research…

Habitats and Surface Construction Technology and Development Roadmap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Marc; Kennedy, Kriss J.

1997-01-01

The vision of the technology and development teams at NASA Ames and Johnson Research Centers is to provide the capability for automated delivery and emplacement of habitats and surface facilities. The benefits of the program are as follows: Composites and Inflatables: 30-50% (goal) lighter than Al Hard Structures; Capability for Increased Habitable Volume, Launch Efficiency; Long Term Growth Potential; and Supports initiation of commercial and industrial expansion. Key Habitats and Surface Construction (H&SC) technology issues are: Habitat Shell Structural Materials; Seals and Mechanisms; Construction and Assembly: Automated Pro-Deploy Construction Systems; ISRU Soil/Construction Equipment: Lightweight and Lower Power Needs; Radiation Protection (Health and Human Performance Tech.); Life Support System (Regenerative Life Support System Tech.); Human Physiology of Long Duration Space Flight (Health and Human Performance Tech.); and Human Psychology of Long Duration Space Flight (Health and Human Performance Tech.) What is being done regarding these issues?: Use of composite materials for X-38 CRV, RLV, etc.; TransHAB inflatable habitat design/development; Japanese corporations working on ISRU-derived construction processes. What needs to be done for the 2004 Go Decision?: Characterize Mars Environmental Conditions: Civil Engineering, Material Durability, etc.; Determine Credibility of Inflatable Structures for Human Habitation; and Determine Seal Technology for Mechanisms and Hatches, Life Cycle, and Durability. An overview encompassing all of the issues above is presented.

Probing the initiation of voltage decay in Li-rich layered cathode materials at the atomic scale

DOE PAGES

Wu, Yan; Ma, Cheng; Yang, Jihui; ...

2015-01-21

Li-rich layered oxides hold great promise for improving the energy density of present-day Li-ion batteries. However, their application is limited by the voltage decay upon cycling, and the origin of such a phenomenon is poorly understood. A major issue is determining the voltage range over which detrimental reactions originate. In the present study, a unique yet effective approach was employed to probe this issue. Instead of studying the materials during the first cycle, electrochemical behavior and evolution of the atomic structures were compared in extensively cycled specimens under varied charge/discharge voltages. With the upper cutoff voltage lowered from 4.8 tomore » 4.4 V, the voltage decay ceased to occur even after 60 cycles. In the meantime, the material maintained its layered structure without any spinel phase emerging at the surface, which is unambiguously shown by the atomic-resolution Z-contrast imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy. These results have conclusively demonstrated that structural/chemical changes responsible for the voltage decay began between 4.4 and 4.8 V, where the layered-to-spinel transition was the most dramatic structural change observed. Thus, this discovery lays important groundwork for the mechanistic understanding of the voltage decay in Li-rich layered cathode materials.« less

Reverse Micelle Based Synthesis of Microporous Materials in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dutta, Prabir K.

2001-01-01

Microporous materials include a large group of solids of varying chemical composition as well as porosity. These materials are characterized by channels and cavities of molecular dimensions. The framework structure is made up of interconnecting T-O-T' bonds, where T and T' can be Si, Al, P, Ga, Fe, Co, Zn, B and a host of other elements. Materials with Si-O-Al bonding in the framework are called zeolites and are extensively used in many applications. Ion-exchange properties of these materials are exploited in the consumer and environmental industries. Chemical and petroleum industries use zeolites as catalysts in hydrocarbon transform ations. Synthesis of new microporous frameworks has led to the development of new technologies, and thus considerable effort worldwide is expended in their discovery. Microporous materials are typically made under hydrothermal conditions. Influence of nature of starting reactants, structure directing agents, pH, temperature, and aging all have profound influence on the synthesis process. This is primarily because the most interesting open frameworks are not necessarily the stable structures in the reaction medium. Thus, the discovery of new frameworks is often tied to finding the right composition and synthesis conditions that allow for kinetic stabilization of the structure. This complexity of the synthesis process and limited understanding of it has made it difficult to develop directed is of microporous materials and most advances in this field have been made by trial and error. The basic issues in crystal growth of these materials include: (1) Nature of the nucleation process; (2) Molecular structure and assembly of nuclei; (3) Growth of nuclei into crystals; (4) Morphology control; and (5) Transformation of frameworks into other structures. The NASA-funded research described in this paper focuses on all the above issues and has been described in several publications. We present the highlights of our program, especially with the focus on possible experiments in microgravity.

A Comparison of Materials Issues for Cermet and Graphite-Based NTP Fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, Mark E.; Schnitzler, Bruce G.

2013-01-01

This paper compares material issues for cermet and graphite fuel elements. In particular, two issues in NTP fuel element performance are considered here: ductile to brittle transition in relation to crack propagation, and orificing individual coolant channels in fuel elements. Their relevance to fuel element performance is supported by considering material properties, experimental data, and results from multidisciplinary fluid/thermal/structural simulations. Ductile to brittle transition results in a fuel element region prone to brittle fracture under stress, while outside this region, stresses lead to deformation and resilience under stress. Poor coolant distribution between fuel element channels can increase stresses in certain channels. NERVA fuel element experimental results are consistent with this interpretation. An understanding of these mechanisms will help interpret fuel element testing results.

Structuring of Hydrogels across Multiple Length Scales for Biomedical Applications.

PubMed

Cooke, Megan E; Jones, Simon W; Ter Horst, Britt; Moiemen, Naiem; Snow, Martyn; Chouhan, Gurpreet; Hill, Lisa J; Esmaeli, Maryam; Moakes, Richard J A; Holton, James; Nandra, Rajpal; Williams, Richard L; Smith, Alan M; Grover, Liam M

2018-04-01

The development of new materials for clinical use is limited by an onerous regulatory framework, which means that taking a completely new material into the clinic can make translation economically unfeasible. One way to get around this issue is to structure materials that are already approved by the regulator, such that they exhibit very distinct physical properties and can be used in a broader range of clinical applications. Here, the focus is on the structuring of soft materials at multiple length scales by modifying processing conditions. By applying shear to newly forming materials, it is possible to trigger molecular reorganization of polymer chains, such that they aggregate to form particles and ribbon-like structures. These structures then weakly interact at zero shear forming a solid-like material. The resulting self-healing network is of particular use for a range of different biomedical applications. How these materials are used to allow the delivery of therapeutic entities (cells and proteins) and as a support for additive layer manufacturing of larger-scale tissue constructs is discussed. This technology enables the development of a range of novel materials and structures for tissue augmentation and regeneration. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The full spectrum of ethical issues in dementia care: systematic qualitative review.

PubMed

Strech, Daniel; Mertz, Marcel; Knüppel, Hannes; Neitzke, Gerald; Schmidhuber, Martina

2013-06-01

Integrating ethical issues in dementia-specific training material, clinical guidelines and national strategy plans requires an unbiased awareness of all the relevant ethical issues. To determine systematically and transparently the full spectrum of ethical issues in clinical dementia care. We conducted a systematic review in Medline (restricted to English and German literature published between 2000 and 2011) and Google books (with no restrictions). We applied qualitative text analysis and normative analysis to categorise the spectrum of ethical issues in clinical dementia care. The literature review retrieved 92 references that together mentioned a spectrum of 56 ethical issues in clinical dementia care. The spectrum was structured into seven major categories that consist of first- and second-order categories for ethical issues. The systematically derived spectrum of ethical issues in clinical dementia care presented in this paper can be used as training material for healthcare professionals, students and the public for raising awareness and understanding of the complexity of ethical issues in dementia care. It can also be used to identify ethical issues that should be addressed in dementia-specific training programmes, national strategy plans and clinical practice guidelines. Further research should evaluate whether this new genre of systematic reviews can be applied to the identification of ethical issues in other cognitive and somatic diseases. Also, the practical challenges in addressing ethical issues in training material, guidelines and policies need to be evaluated.

Material issues relating to high power spallation neutron sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Futakawa, M.

2015-02-01

Innovative researches using neutrons are being performed at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) at the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), in which a mercury target system is installed for MW-class pulse spallation neutron sources. In order to produce neutrons by the spallation reaction, proton beams are injected into the mercury target. At the moment, when the intense proton beam hits the target, pressure waves are generated in mercury because of the abrupt heat deposition. The pressure waves interact with the target vessel, leading to negative pressure that may cause cavitation along the vessel wall, i.e. on the interface between liquid and solid metals. On the other hand, the structural materials are subjected to irradiation damage due to protons and neutrons, very high cycle fatigue damages and so-called "liquid metal embrittlement". That is, the structural materials must be said to be exposed to the extremely severe environments. In the paper, research and development relating to the material issues in the high power spallation neutron sources that has been performed so far at J-PARC is summarized.

Li4 Ti5 O12 Anode: Structural Design from Material to Electrode and the Construction of Energy Storage Devices.

PubMed

Chen, Zhijie; Li, Honsen; Wu, Langyuan; Lu, Xiaoxia; Zhang, Xiaogang

2018-03-01

Spinel Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 , known as a zero-strain material, is capable to be a competent anode material for promising applications in state-of-art electrochemical energy storage devices (EESDs). Compared with commercial graphite, spinel Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 offers a high operating potential of ∼1.55 V vs Li/Li + , negligible volume expansion during Li + intercalation process and excellent thermal stability, leading to high safety and favorable cyclability. Despite the merits of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 been presented, there still remains the issue of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 suffering from poor electronic conductivity, manifesting disadvantageous rate performance. Typically, a material modification process of Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 will be proposed to overcome such an issue. However, the previous reports have made few investigations and achievements to analyze the subsequent processes after a material modification process. In this review, we attempt to put considerable interest in complete device design and assembly process with its material structure design (or modification process), electrode structure design and device construction design. Moreover, we have systematically concluded a series of representative design schemes, which can be divided into three major categories involving: (1) nanostructures design, conductive material coating process and doping process on material level; (2) self-supporting or flexible electrode structure design on electrode level; (3) rational assembling of lithium ion full cell or lithium ion capacitor on device level. We believe that these rational designs can give an advanced performance for Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 -based energy storage device and deliver a deep inspiration. © 2018 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Strategies to curb structural changes of lithium/transition metal oxide cathode materials & the changes’ effects on thermal & cycling stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiqian, Yu; Enyuan, Hu; Seongmin, Bak; Yong-Ning, Zhou; Xiao-Qing, Yang

2016-01-01

Structural transformation behaviors of several typical oxide cathode materials during a heating process are reviewed in detail to provide in-depth understanding of the key factors governing the thermal stability of these materials. We also discuss applying the information about heat induced structural evolution in the study of electrochemically induced structural changes. All these discussions are expected to provide valuable insights for designing oxide cathode materials with significantly improved structural stability for safe, long-life lithium ion batteries, as the safety of lithium-ion batteries is a critical issue; it is widely accepted that the thermal instability of the cathodes is one of the most critical factors in thermal runaway and related safety problems. Project supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Vehicle Technologies (Grant No. DE-SC0012704).

Adoption of Smart Structures for Prevention of Health Hazards in Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oke, Ayodeji; Aigbavboa, Clinton; Ngema, Wiseman

2017-11-01

The importance of building quality to the health and well-being of occupants and surrounding neighbors cannot be overemphasized. Smart structures were construed to proffer solution to various issues of sustainable development including social factors that is concerned with health and safety of people. Based on existing literature materials on building quality, smart structures and general aspect of sustainable developments, this study examined the benefits of smart structures in the prevention of various health issues in infrastructural buildings, which has been a concern for stakeholders in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. The criterion for indoor environmental quality was adopted and various health and bodily issues related to building quality were explained. The adoption of smart structure concept will help to manage physical, chemical, biological and psychological factors of building with a view to enhancing better quality of life of occupants.

Phosphate Framework Electrode Materials for Sodium Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Fang, Yongjin; Zhang, Jiexin; Xiao, Lifen; Ai, Xinping; Cao, Yuliang; Yang, Hanxi

2017-05-01

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) have been considered as a promising alternative for the next generation of electric storage systems due to their similar electrochemistry to Li-ion batteries and the low cost of sodium resources. Exploring appropriate electrode materials with decent electrochemical performance is the key issue for development of sodium ion batteries. Due to the high structural stability, facile reaction mechanism and rich structural diversity, phosphate framework materials have attracted increasing attention as promising electrode materials for sodium ion batteries. Herein, we review the latest advances and progresses in the exploration of phosphate framework materials especially related to single-phosphates, pyrophosphates and mixed-phosphates. We provide the detailed and comprehensive understanding of structure-composition-performance relationship of materials and try to show the advantages and disadvantages of the materials for use in SIBs. In addition, some new perspectives about phosphate framework materials for SIBs are also discussed. Phosphate framework materials will be a competitive and attractive choice for use as electrodes in the next-generation of energy storage devices.

Reverse Aging of Composite Materials for Aeronautical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

lannone, Michele

2008-08-01

Hygro-thermal ageing of polymer matrix composite materials is a major issue for all the aeronautical structures. For carbon-epoxy composites generally used in aeronautical applications the major effect of ageing is the humidity absorption, which induces a plasticization effect, generally decreasing Tg and elastic moduli, and finally design allowables. A thermodynamical and kinetic study has been performed, aimed to establish a program of periodic heating of the composite part, able to reversing the ageing effect by inducing water desorption. The study was founded on a simple model based on Fick's law, coupled with a concept of "relative saturation coefficient" depending on the different temperature of the composite part and the environment. The behaviour of some structures exposed to humidity and "reverse aged" by heating has been virtually tested. The conclusion of the study allowed to issue a specific patent application for aeronautical structures to be designed on the basis of a "humidity free" concept which allows the use of higher design allowables; having as final results lighter composite structures with a simplified certification process.

Atomic structure and pressure-induced phase transformations in a phase-change alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Ming

Phase-change materials exist in at least two phases under the ambient condition. One is the amorphous state and another is crystalline phase. These two phases have vastly different physical properties, such as electrical conductivity, optical reflectivity, mass density, thermal conductivity, etc. The distinct physical properties and the fast transformation between amorphous and crystalline phases render these materials the ability to store information. For example, the DVD and the Blue-ray discs take advantage of the optical reflectivity contrast, and the newly developed solid-state memories make use of the large conductivity difference. In addition, both the amorphous and crystalline phases in phase-change memories (PCMs) are very stable at room temperature, and they are easy to be scaled up in the production of devices with large storage density. All these features make phase-change materials the ideal candidates for the next-generation memories. Despite of the fast development of these new memory materials in industry, many fundamental physics problems underlying these interesting materials are still not fully resolved. This thesis is aiming at solving some of the key issues in phase-change materials. Most of phase-change materials are composed of Ge-Sb-Te constituents. Among all these Ge-Sb-Te based materials, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) has the best performance and has been frequently studied as a prototypical phase-change material. The first and foremost issue is the structure of the two functioning phases. In this thesis, we investigate the unique atomic structure and bonding nature of amorphous GST (a-GST) and crystalline GST ( c-GST), using ab initio tools and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. Their local structures and bonding scenarios are then analyzed using electronic structure calculations. In order to gain insight into the fast phase transformation mechanism, we also carried out a series of high-pressure experiments on GST. Several new polymorphs and their transformations have been revealed under high pressure via in situ XRD and in situ electrical resistivity measurements. The mechanisms of the structural and property changes have been uncovered via ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.

Structural integrity of engineering composite materials: a cracking good yarn.

PubMed

Beaumont, Peter W R; Soutis, Costas

2016-07-13

Predicting precisely where a crack will develop in a material under stress and exactly when in time catastrophic fracture of the component will occur is one the oldest unsolved mysteries in the design and building of large-scale engineering structures. Where human life depends upon engineering ingenuity, the burden of testing to prove a 'fracture safe design' is immense. Fitness considerations for long-life implementation of large composite structures include understanding phenomena such as impact, fatigue, creep and stress corrosion cracking that affect reliability, life expectancy and durability of structure. Structural integrity analysis treats the design, the materials used, and figures out how best components and parts can be joined, and takes service duty into account. However, there are conflicting aims in the complete design process of designing simultaneously for high efficiency and safety assurance throughout an economically viable lifetime with an acceptable level of risk. This article is part of the themed issue 'Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Inorganic nanotubes and fullerene-like materials.

PubMed

Tenne, Reshef

2002-12-02

Following the discovery of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes, it was shown that nanoparticles of inorganic layered compounds, like MoS2, are unstable in the planar form and they form closed cage structures with polyhedral or nanotubular shapes. Various issues on the structure, synthesis, and properties of such inorganic fullerene-like structures are reviewed, together with some possible applications.

Advanced Technology Composite Fuselage-Structural Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, T. H.; Minguet, P. J.; Flynn, B. W.; Carbery, D. J.; Swanson, G. D.; Ilcewicz, L. B.

1997-01-01

Boeing is studying the technologies associated with the application of composite materials to commercial transport fuselage structure under the NASA-sponsored contracts for Advanced Technology Composite Aircraft Structures (ATCAS) and Materials Development Omnibus Contract (MDOC). This report addresses the program activities related to structural performance of the selected concepts, including both the design development and subsequent detailed evaluation. Design criteria were developed to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and typical company objectives. Accurate analysis methods were selected and/or developed where practical, and conservative approaches were used where significant approximations were necessary. Design sizing activities supported subsequent development by providing representative design configurations for structural evaluation and by identifying the critical performance issues. Significant program efforts were directed towards assessing structural performance predictive capability. The structural database collected to perform this assessment was intimately linked to the manufacturing scale-up activities to ensure inclusion of manufacturing-induced performance traits. Mechanical tests were conducted to support the development and critical evaluation of analysis methods addressing internal loads, stability, ultimate strength, attachment and splice strength, and damage tolerance. Unresolved aspects of these performance issues were identified as part of the assessments, providing direction for future development.

Selective Laser Melting of Hot Gas Turbine Components: Materials, Design and Manufacturing Aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goutianos, Stergios

2017-07-01

Selective Laser Melting (SLM) allows the design and manufacturing of novel parts and structures with improved performance e.g. by incorporating complex and more efficient cooling schemes in hot gas turbine parts. In contrast to conventional manufacturing of removing material, with SLM parts are built additively to nearly net shape. This allows the fabrication of arbitrary complex geometries that cannot be made by conventional manufacturing techniques. However, despite the powerful capabilities of SLM, a number of issues (e.g. part orientation, support structures, internal stresses), have to be considered in order to manufacture cost-effective and high quality parts at an industrial scale. These issues are discussed in the present work from an engineering point of view with the aim to provide simple quidelines to produce high quality SLM parts.

Comparison of Novel Carboneous Structures to Treat Nitroaromatic Impacted Water

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

MS-15-D-047 Abstract Carboneous materials such as carbon nanotube (CNT), granular activated carbon (GAC), and biochar are promising materials...TECHNOLOGIES ...................................................49 A.3 GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON (GAC) ............................................50 A.4...GENERAL ISSUE In this study, we compared the adsorptive capacity of bituminous-coal based granular activated carbon (GAC) versus pristine novel

An overview of the applications of graphene-based materials in supercapacitors.

PubMed

Huang, Yi; Liang, Jiajie; Chen, Yongsheng

2012-06-25

Due to their unique 2D structure and outstanding intrinsic physical properties, such as extraordinarily high electrical conductivity and large surface area, graphene-based materials exhibit great potential for application in supercapacitors. In this review, the progress made so far for their applications in supercapacitors is reviewed, including electrochemical double-layer capacitors, pseudo-capacitors, and asymmetric supercapacitors. Compared with traditional electrode materials, graphene-based materials show some novel characteristics and mechanisms in the process of energy storage and release. Several key issues for improving the structure of graphene-based materials and for achieving better capacitor performance, along with the current outlook for the field, are also discussed. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nanophase change for data storage applications.

PubMed

Shi, L P; Chong, T C

2007-01-01

Phase change materials are widely used for date storage. The most widespread and important applications are rewritable optical disc and Phase Change Random Access Memory (PCRAM), which utilizes the light and electric induced phase change respectively. For decades, miniaturization has been the major driving force to increase the density. Now the working unit area of the current data storage media is in the order of nano-scale. On the nano-scale, extreme dimensional and nano-structural constraints and the large proportion of interfaces will cause the deviation of the phase change behavior from that of bulk. Hence an in-depth understanding of nanophase change and the related issues has become more and more important. Nanophase change can be defined as: phase change at the scale within nano range of 100 nm, which is size-dependent, interface-dominated and surrounding materials related. Nanophase change can be classified into two groups, thin film related and structure related. Film thickness and clapping materials are key factors for thin film type, while structure shape, size and surrounding materials are critical parameters for structure type. In this paper, the recent development of nanophase change is reviewed, including crystallization of small element at nano size, thickness dependence of crystallization, effect of clapping layer on the phase change of phase change thin film and so on. The applications of nanophase change technology on data storage is introduced, including optical recording such as super lattice like optical disc, initialization free disc, near field, super-RENS, dual layer, multi level, probe storage, and PCRAM including, superlattice-like structure, side edge structure, and line type structure. Future key research issues of nanophase change are also discussed.

Materials and Structures Research for Gas Turbine Applications Within the NASA Subsonic Fixed Wing Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurst, Janet

2011-01-01

A brief overview is presented of the current materials and structures research geared toward propulsion applications for NASA s Subsonic Fixed Wing Project one of four projects within the Fundamental Aeronautics Program of the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. The Subsonic Fixed Wing (SFW) Project has selected challenging goals which anticipate an increasing emphasis on aviation s impact upon the global issue of environmental responsibility. These goals are greatly reduced noise, reduced emissions and reduced fuel consumption and address 25 to 30 years of technology development. Successful implementation of these demanding goals will require development of new materials and structural approaches within gas turbine propulsion technology. The Materials and Structures discipline, within the SFW project, comprise cross-cutting technologies ranging from basic investigations to component validation in laboratory environments. Material advances are teamed with innovative designs in a multidisciplinary approach with the resulting technology advances directed to promote the goals of reduced noise and emissions along with improved performance.

Present limits and improvements of structural materials for fusion reactors - a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavassoli, A.-A. F.

2002-04-01

Since the transition from ITER or DEMO to a commercial power reactor would involve a significant change in system and materials options, a parallel R&D path has been put in place in Europe to address these issues. This paper assesses the structural materials part of this program along with the latest R&D results from the main programs. It is shown that stainless steels and ferritic/martensitic steels, retained for ITER and DEMO, will also remain the principal contenders for the future FPR, despite uncertainties over irradiation induced embrittlement at low temperatures and consequences of high He/dpa ratio. Neither one of the present advanced high temperature materials has to this date the structural integrity reliability needed for application in critical components. This situation is unlikely to change with the materials R&D alone and has to be mitigated in close collaboration with blanket system design.

Material efficiency: providing material services with less material production

PubMed Central

Allwood, Julian M.; Ashby, Michael F.; Gutowski, Timothy G.; Worrell, Ernst

2013-01-01

Material efficiency, as discussed in this Meeting Issue, entails the pursuit of the technical strategies, business models, consumer preferences and policy instruments that would lead to a substantial reduction in the production of high-volume energy-intensive materials required to deliver human well-being. This paper, which introduces a Discussion Meeting Issue on the topic of material efficiency, aims to give an overview of current thinking on the topic, spanning environmental, engineering, economics, sociology and policy issues. The motivations for material efficiency include reducing energy demand, reducing the emissions and other environmental impacts of industry, and increasing national resource security. There are many technical strategies that might bring it about, and these could mainly be implemented today if preferred by customers or producers. However, current economic structures favour the substitution of material for labour, and consumer preferences for material consumption appear to continue even beyond the point at which increased consumption provides any increase in well-being. Therefore, policy will be required to stimulate material efficiency. A theoretically ideal policy measure, such as a carbon price, would internalize the externality of emissions associated with material production, and thus motivate change directly. However, implementation of such a measure has proved elusive, and instead the adjustment of existing government purchasing policies or existing regulations— for instance to do with building design, planning or vehicle standards—is likely to have a more immediate effect. PMID:23359746

Material efficiency: providing material services with less material production.

PubMed

Allwood, Julian M; Ashby, Michael F; Gutowski, Timothy G; Worrell, Ernst

2013-03-13

Material efficiency, as discussed in this Meeting Issue, entails the pursuit of the technical strategies, business models, consumer preferences and policy instruments that would lead to a substantial reduction in the production of high-volume energy-intensive materials required to deliver human well-being. This paper, which introduces a Discussion Meeting Issue on the topic of material efficiency, aims to give an overview of current thinking on the topic, spanning environmental, engineering, economics, sociology and policy issues. The motivations for material efficiency include reducing energy demand, reducing the emissions and other environmental impacts of industry, and increasing national resource security. There are many technical strategies that might bring it about, and these could mainly be implemented today if preferred by customers or producers. However, current economic structures favour the substitution of material for labour, and consumer preferences for material consumption appear to continue even beyond the point at which increased consumption provides any increase in well-being. Therefore, policy will be required to stimulate material efficiency. A theoretically ideal policy measure, such as a carbon price, would internalize the externality of emissions associated with material production, and thus motivate change directly. However, implementation of such a measure has proved elusive, and instead the adjustment of existing government purchasing policies or existing regulations-- for instance to do with building design, planning or vehicle standards--is likely to have a more immediate effect.

Lessons learned for composite structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitehead, R. S.

1991-01-01

Lessons learned for composite structures are presented in three technology areas: materials, manufacturing, and design. In addition, future challenges for composite structures are presented. Composite materials have long gestation periods from the developmental stage to fully matured production status. Many examples exist of unsuccessful attempts to accelerate this gestation period. Experience has shown that technology transition of a new material system to fully matured production status is time consuming, involves risk, is expensive and should not be undertaken lightly. The future challenges for composite materials require an intensification of the science based approach to material development, extension of the vendor/customer interaction process to include all engineering disciplines of the end user, reduced material costs because they are a significant factor in overall part cost, and improved batch-to-batch pre-preg physical property control. Historical manufacturing lessons learned are presented using current in-service production structure as examples. Most producibility problems for these structures can be traced to their sequential engineering design. This caused an excessive emphasis on design-to-weight and schedule at the expense of design-to-cost. This resulted in expensive performance originated designs, which required costly tooling and led to non-producible parts. Historically these problems have been allowed to persist throughout the production run. The current/future approach for the production of affordable composite structures mandates concurrent engineering design where equal emphasis is placed on product and process design. Design for simplified assembly is also emphasized, since assembly costs account for a major portion of total airframe costs. The future challenge for composite manufacturing is, therefore, to utilize concurrent engineering in conjunction with automated manufacturing techniques to build affordable composite structures. Composite design experience has shown that significant weight savings have been achieved, outstanding fatigue and corrosion resistance have been demonstrated, and in-service performance has been very successful. Currently no structural design show stoppers exist for composite structures. A major lesson learned is that the full scale static test is the key test for composites, since it is the primary structural 'hot spot' indicator. The major durability issue is supportability of thin skinned structure. Impact damage has been identified as the most significant issue for the damage tolerance control of composite structures. However, delaminations induced during assembly operations have demonstrated a significant nuisance value. The future challenges for composite structures are threefold. Firstly, composite airframe weight fraction should increase to 60 percent. At the same time, the cost of composite structures must be reduced by 50 percent to attain the goal of affordability. To support these challenges it is essential to develop lower cost materials and processes.

Materials Chemistry Issues in the Development of a Single-Crystal Solar/Thermal Refractive Secondary Concentrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, Nathan S.; Biering, Robert C.

2005-01-01

A translucent crystal concentrates and transmits energy to a heat exchanger, which in turn heats a propellant gas, working gas of a dynamic power system, or a thermopile. Materials are the limiting issue in such a system. Central is the durability of the crystal, which must maintain the required chemical, physical/optical, and mechanical properties as it is heated and cooled. This report summarizes available data to date on the materials issues with this system. We focus on the current leading candidate materials, which are sapphire (Al2O3) for higher temperatures and silica (SiO2) for lower temperatures. We use data from thermochemical calculations; laboratory coupon tests with silica and sapphire; and system tests with sapphire. The required chemical properties include low-vapor pressure and interfacial stability with supporting structural materials. Optical properties such as transmittance and index of refraction must be maintained. Thermomechanical stability is a major challenge for a large, single-crystal ceramic and has been discussed in another report. In addition to the crystal, other materials in the proposed system include refractory metals (Nb, Ta, Mo, W, and Re), carbon (C), and high-temperature ceramic insulation. The major issue here is low levels of oxygen, which lead to volatile refractory metal oxides and rapid consumption of the refractory metal. Interfacial reactions between the ceramic crystal and refractory metal are also discussed. Finally, high-temperature ceramic insulating materials are also likely to be used in this system. Outgassing is a major issue for these materials. The products of outgassing are typically reactive with the refractory metals and must be minimized.

Fundamental Studies of Crystal Growth of Microporous Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dutta, P.; George, M.; Ramachandran, N.; Schoeman, B.; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Microporous materials are framework structures with well-defined porosity, often of molecular dimensions. Zeolites contain aluminum and silicon atoms in their framework and are the most extensively studied amongst all microporous materials. Framework structures with P, Ga, Fe, Co, Zn, B, Ti and a host of other elements have also been made. Typical synthesis of microporous materials involve mixing the framework elements (or compounds, thereof) in a basic solution, followed by aging in some cases and then heating at elevated temperatures. This process is termed hydrothermal synthesis, and involves complex chemical and physical changes. Because of a limited understanding of this process, most synthesis advancements happen by a trial and error approach. There is considerable interest in understanding the synthesis process at a molecular level with the expectation that eventually new framework structures will be built by design. The basic issues in the microporous materials crystallization process include: (1) Nature of the molecular units responsible for the crystal nuclei formation; (2) Nature of the nuclei and nucleation process; (3) Growth process of the nuclei into crystal; (4) Morphological control and size of the resulting crystal; (5) Surface structure of the resulting crystals; (6) Transformation of frameworks into other frameworks or condensed structures. The NASA-funded research described in this report focuses to varying degrees on all of the above issues and has been described in several publications. Following is the presentation of the highlights of our current research program. The report is divided into five sections: (1) Fundamental aspects of the crystal growth process; (2) Morphological and Surface properties of crystals; (3) Crystal dissolution and transformations; (4) Modeling of Crystal Growth; (5) Relevant Microgravity Experiments.

Structural responses of metallic glasses under neutron irradiation.

PubMed

Yang, L; Li, H Y; Wang, P W; Wu, S Y; Guo, G Q; Liao, B; Guo, Q L; Fan, X Q; Huang, P; Lou, H B; Guo, F M; Zeng, Q S; Sun, T; Ren, Y; Chen, L Y

2017-12-01

Seeking nuclear materials that possess a high resistance to particle irradiation damage is a long-standing issue. Permanent defects, induced by irradiation, are primary structural changes, the accumulation of which will lead to structural damage and performance degradation in crystalline materials served in nuclear plants. In this work, structural responses of neutron irradiation in metallic glasses (MGs) have been investigated by making a series of experimental measurements, coupled with simulations in ZrCu amorphous alloys. It is found that, compared with crystalline alloys, MGs have some specific structural responses to neutron irradiation. Although neutron irradiation can induce transient vacancy-like defects in MGs, they are fully annihilated after structural relaxation by rearrangement of free volumes. In addition, the rearrangement of free volumes depends strongly on constituent elements. In particular, the change in free volumes occurs around the Zr atoms, rather than the Cu centers. This implies that there is a feasible strategy for identifying glassy materials with high structural stability against neutron irradiation by tailoring the microstructures, the systems, or the compositions in alloys. This work will shed light on the development of materials with high irradiation resistance.

Advanced Technology Composite Fuselage - Repair and Damage Assessment Supporting Maintenance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flynn, B. W.; Bodine, J. B.; Dopker, B.; Finn, S. R.; Griess, K. H.; Hanson, C. T.; Harris, C. G.; Nelson, K. M.; Walker, T. H.; Kennedy, T. C.;

Peculiarities of non-autoclaved lime wall materials production using clays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volodchenko, A. A.; Lesovik, V. S.; Cherepanova, I. A.; Volodchenko, A. N.; Zagorodnjuk, L. H.; Elistratkin, M. Y.

2018-03-01

At present, the development and implementation of energy saving technologies for building materials production, which correspond to modern trends of «green» technologies, become ever more popular. One of the most widely spread wall materials today is a lime brick and stones. The primary raw goods used in production of such materials are quarziferous rocks. However, they have some disadvantages, including low strength index at the intermediate phase of their production, especially in case with a raw brick, which is an issue in the production of high-hollow goods due to low strength index of raw materials and the nonoptimal matrix structure. The conducted experiments confirmed the possibility to control structurization of building composites due to application of nonconventional argillous raw materials. Besides, the material and mineral composition of nonconventional clay rocks ensures the optimal microstructure thus providing for the production of efficient wall building materials via energy saving technology.

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

Wang, Jing; Toloczko, Mychailo B.; Kruska, Karen

Accelerator-based ion beam irradiation techniques have been used to study radiation effects in materials for decades. Although carbon contamination induced by ion beams in target materials is a well-known issue in some material systems, it has not been fully characterized nor quantified for studies in ferritic/martensitic (F/M) steels that are candidate materials for applications such as core structural components in advanced nuclear reactors. It is an especially important issue for this class of material because of the strong effect of carbon level on precipitate formation. In this paper, the ability to quantify carbon contamination using three common techniques, namely time-of-flightmore » secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), atom probe tomography (APT), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is compared. Their effectiveness and shortcomings in determining carbon contamination are presented and discussed. The corresponding microstructural changes related to carbon contamination in ion irradiated F/M steels are also presented and briefly discussed.« less

Structural Ceramic Nanocomposites: A Review of Properties and Powders’ Synthesis Methods

PubMed Central

Palmero, Paola

2015-01-01

Ceramic nanocomposites are attracting growing interest, thanks to new processing methods enabling these materials to go from the research laboratory scale to the commercial level. Today, many different types of nanocomposite structures are proposed in the literature; however, to fully exploit their exceptional properties, a deep understanding of the materials’ behavior across length scales is necessary. In fact, knowing how the nanoscale structure influences the bulk properties enables the design of increasingly performing composite materials. A further key point is the ability of tailoring the desired nanostructured features in the sintered composites, a challenging issue requiring a careful control of all stages of manufacturing, from powder synthesis to sintering. This review is divided into four parts. In the first, classification and general issues of nanostructured ceramics are reported. The second provides basic structure–property relations, highlighting the grain-size dependence of the materials properties. The third describes the role of nanocrystalline second-phases on the mechanical properties of ordinary grain sized ceramics. Finally, the fourth part revises the mainly used synthesis routes to produce nanocomposite ceramic powders, underlining when possible the critical role of the synthesis method on the control of microstructure and properties of the sintered ceramics. PMID:28347029

NASA GRC Fatigue Crack Initiation Life Prediction Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arya, Vinod K.; Halford, Gary R.

2002-01-01

Metal fatigue has plagued structural components for centuries, and it remains a critical durability issue in today's aerospace hardware. This is true despite vastly improved and advanced materials, increased mechanistic understanding, and development of accurate structural analysis and advanced fatigue life prediction tools. Each advance is quickly taken advantage of to produce safer, more reliable, more cost effective, and better performing products. In other words, as the envelope is expanded, components are then designed to operate just as close to the newly expanded envelope as they were to the initial one. The problem is perennial. The economic importance of addressing structural durability issues early in the design process is emphasized. Tradeoffs with performance, cost, and legislated restrictions are pointed out. Several aspects of structural durability of advanced systems, advanced materials and advanced fatigue life prediction methods are presented. Specific items include the basic elements of durability analysis, conventional designs, barriers to be overcome for advanced systems, high-temperature life prediction for both creep-fatigue and thermomechanical fatigue, mean stress effects, multiaxial stress-strain states, and cumulative fatigue damage accumulation assessment.

A Primer In Advanced Fatigue Life Prediction Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halford, Gary R.

2000-01-01

Metal fatigue has plagued structural components for centuries, and it remains a critical durability issue in today's aerospace hardware. This is true despite vastly improved and advanced materials, increased mechanistic understanding, and development of accurate structural analysis and advanced fatigue life prediction tools. Each advance is quickly taken advantage of to produce safer, more reliable more cost effective, and better performing products. In other words, as the envelop is expanded, components are then designed to operate just as close to the newly expanded envelop as they were to the initial one. The problem is perennial. The economic importance of addressing structural durability issues early in the design process is emphasized. Tradeoffs with performance, cost, and legislated restrictions are pointed out. Several aspects of structural durability of advanced systems, advanced materials and advanced fatigue life prediction methods are presented. Specific items include the basic elements of durability analysis, conventional designs, barriers to be overcome for advanced systems, high-temperature life prediction for both creep-fatigue and thermomechanical fatigue, mean stress effects, multiaxial stress-strain states, and cumulative fatigue damage accumulation assessment.

NASA GRC Fatigue Crack Initiation Life Prediction Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arya, Vinod K.; Halford, Gary R.

2002-10-01

Metal fatigue has plagued structural components for centuries, and it remains a critical durability issue in today's aerospace hardware. This is true despite vastly improved and advanced materials, increased mechanistic understanding, and development of accurate structural analysis and advanced fatigue life prediction tools. Each advance is quickly taken advantage of to produce safer, more reliable, more cost effective, and better performing products. In other words, as the envelope is expanded, components are then designed to operate just as close to the newly expanded envelope as they were to the initial one. The problem is perennial. The economic importance of addressing structural durability issues early in the design process is emphasized. Tradeoffs with performance, cost, and legislated restrictions are pointed out. Several aspects of structural durability of advanced systems, advanced materials and advanced fatigue life prediction methods are presented. Specific items include the basic elements of durability analysis, conventional designs, barriers to be overcome for advanced systems, high-temperature life prediction for both creep-fatigue and thermomechanical fatigue, mean stress effects, multiaxial stress-strain states, and cumulative fatigue damage accumulation assessment.

Detection of Micro-Leaks Through Complex Geometries Under Mechanical Load and at Cryogenic Temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rivers, H. Kevin; Sikora, J. G.; Sankaran, S. N.

2001-01-01

Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC) hydrogen tanks have been proposed as an enabling technology for reducing the weight of Single-Stage-to-Orbit reusable launch vehicles where structural mass has a large impact on vehicle performance. A key development issue of these lightweight structures is the leakage of hydrogen through the composite material. The rate of hydrogen leakage can be a function of the material used, method of 6 fabrication used to manufacture the tank, mechanical load the tank must react, internal damage-state of the material, and the temperatures at which the tank must operate. A method for measuring leakage through a geometrically complex structure at cryogenic temperature and under mechanical load was developed, calibrated and used to measure hydrogen leakage through complex X-33 liquid-hydrogen tank structure sections.

Two-dimensional silicon: the advent of silicene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grazianetti, Carlo; Cinquanta, Eugenio; Molle, Alessandro

2016-03-01

Silicene is sometimes thought of as the Si alter ego of graphene. However, experimental evidence indicates that silicene is substantially different from graphene in terms of its stability, atomic structure, electronic properties, and device process issues. Some of these aspects hamper the feasibility of silicene for practical application, but at the same time they may offer routes to engineer or functionalize silicene as a complementary material to graphene if a good control of the material can be achieved. As such, the research on silicene runs along the cutting edge between unsurmountable limitation and pioneering opportunities. In the present review, we examine the issues that are representative of this dual edge and try to make a preliminary balance of the state-of-the-art features of this material. Each relevant topic will be explored in a dedicated section. We start with the introduction of ‘experimental’ silicene in the so-called ’flatland’ from the point of view of technology drivers and of its conceptual precursor, freestanding silicene. We then explore the following: specific aspects of the silicene on substrates; the tendency of silicene to have multiple structural forms (what we call the polymorphic nature of silicene) the role of the strong hybridization with the substrate in the electronic band structure of silicene; the Raman spectrum of silicene, and silicene processing and integration into a transistor. Finally we conclude by proposing an investigation into silicene’s emerging contemporaries in the realm of elementary two-dimensional materials. Mindful of ongoing discussions and current issues, we try to go to the heart of the problems by treating each topic objectively and scientifically and we then provide our personal views in the discussion.

An existence criterion for low-dimensional materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jiapeng; Wang, Biao; Hu, Yangfan

2017-10-01

The discovery of graphene and other two-dimensional (2-D) materials has stimulated a general interest in low-dimensional (low-D) materials. Whereas long time ago, Peierls (1935) and Landau's (1937) theoretical work demonstrated that any one- and two-dimensional materials could not exist in any finite temperature environment. Then, two basic issues became a central concern for many researchers: How can stable low-D materials exist? What kind of low-D materials are stable? Here, we establish an energy stability criterion for low-D materials, which seeks to provide a clear answer to these questions. For a certain kind of element, the stability of its specific low-D structure is determined by several derivatives of its interatomic potential. This atomistic-based approach is then applied to study any straight/planar, low-D, equal-bond-length elemental materials. We found that 1-D monatomic chains, 2-D honeycomb lattices, square lattices, and triangular lattices are the only four permissible structures, and the stability of these structures can only be understood by assuming multi-body interatomic potentials. Using this approach, the stable existence of graphene, silicene and germanene can be explained.

Phase Transformations and Microstructural Evolution: Part II

DOE PAGES

Clarke, Amy Jean

2015-10-30

The activities of the Phase Transformations Committee of the Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division (MPMD) of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) are oriented toward understanding the fundamental aspects of phase transformations. Emphasis is placed on the thermodynamic driving forces for phase transformations, the kinetics of nucleation and growth, interfacial structures and energies, transformation crystallography, surface reliefs, and, above all, the atomic mechanisms of phase transformations. Phase transformations and microstructural evolution are directly linked to materials processing, properties, and performance. In this issue, aspects of liquid–solid and solid-state phase transformations and microstructural evolution are highlighted. Many papers in thismore » issue are highlighted by this paper, giving a brief summary of what they bring to the scientific community.« less

Failure analysis of thick composite cylinders under external pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caiazzo, A.; Rosen, B. W.

1992-01-01

Failure of thick section composites due to local compression strength and overall structural instability is treated. Effects of material nonlinearity, imperfect fiber architecture, and structural imperfections upon anticipated failure stresses are determined. Comparisons with experimental data for a series of test cylinders are described. Predicting the failure strength of composite structures requires consideration of stability and material strength modes of failure using linear and nonlinear analysis techniques. Material strength prediction requires the accurate definition of the local multiaxial stress state in the material. An elasticity solution for the linear static analysis of thick anisotropic cylinders and rings is used herein to predict the axisymmetric stress state in the cylinders. Asymmetric nonlinear behavior due to initial cylinder out of roundness and the effects of end closure structure are treated using finite element methods. It is assumed that local fiber or ply waviness is an important factor in the initiation of material failure. An analytical model for the prediction of compression failure of fiber composites, which includes the effects of fiber misalignments, matrix inelasticity, and multiaxial applied stresses is used for material strength calculations. Analytical results are compared to experimental data for a series of glass and carbon fiber reinforced epoxy cylinders subjected to external pressure. Recommendations for pretest characterization and other experimental issues are presented. Implications for material and structural design are discussed.

Recent progress in stabilizing hybrid perovskites for solar cell applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jianqing; Cai, Xin; Yang, Donghui; Song, Dan; Wang, Jiajia; Jiang, Jinghua; Ma, Aibin; Lv, Shiquan; Hu, Michael Z.; Ni, Chaoying

2017-07-01

Hybrid inorganic-organic perovskites have quickly evolved as a promising group of materials for solar cells and optoelectronic applications mainly owing to the inexpensive materials, relatively simple and versatile fabrication and high power conversion efficiency (PCE). The certified energy conversion efficiency for perovskite solar cell (PSC) has reached above 20%, which is compatible to the current best for commercial applications. However, long-term stabilities of the materials and devices remain to be the biggest challenging issue for realistic implementation of the PSCs. This article discusses the key issues related to the stability of perovskite absorbing layer including crystal structural stability, chemical stability under moisture, oxygen, illumination and interface reaction, effects of electron-transporting materials (ETM), hole-transporting materials (HTM), contact electrodes, ion migration and preparation conditions. Towards the end, prospective strategies for improving the stability of PSCs are also briefly discussed and summarized. We focus on recent understanding of the stability of materials and devices and our perspectives about the strategies for the stability improvement.

Multi-paradigm simulation at nanoscale: Methodology and application to functional carbon material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Haibin

2012-12-01

Multiparadigm methods to span the scales from quantum mechanics to practical issues of functional nanoassembly and nanofabrication are enabling first principles predictions to guide and complement the experimental developments by designing and optimizing computationally the materials compositions and structures to assemble nanoscale systems with the requisite properties. In this talk, we employ multi-paradigm approaches to investigate functional carbon materials with versatile character, including fullerene, carbon nanotube (CNT), graphene, and related hybrid structures, which have already created an enormous impact on next generation nano devices. The topics will cover the reaction dynamics of C60 dimerization and the more challenging complex tubular fullerene formation process in the peapod structures; the computational design of a new generation of peapod nano-oscillators, the predicted magnetic state in Nano Buds; opto-electronic properties of graphene nanoribbons; and disorder / vibronic effects on transport in carbonrich materials.

Brittle materials at high-loading rates: an open area of research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forquin, Pascal

2017-01-01

Brittle materials are extensively used in many civil and military applications involving high-strain-rate loadings such as: blasting or percussive drilling of rocks, ballistic impact against ceramic armour or transparent windshields, plastic explosives used to damage or destroy concrete structures, soft or hard impacts against concrete structures and so on. With all of these applications, brittle materials are subjected to intense loadings characterized by medium to extremely high strain rates (few tens to several tens of thousands per second) leading to extreme and/or specific damage modes such as multiple fragmentation, dynamic cracking, pore collapse, shearing, mode II fracturing and/or microplasticity mechanisms in the material. Additionally, brittle materials exhibit complex features such as a strong strain-rate sensitivity and confining pressure sensitivity that justify expending greater research efforts to understand these complex features. Currently, the most popular dynamic testing techniques used for this are based on the use of split Hopkinson pressure bar methodologies and/or plate-impact testing methods. However, these methods do have some critical limitations and drawbacks when used to investigate the behaviour of brittle materials at high loading rates. The present theme issue of Philosophical Transactions A provides an overview of the latest experimental methods and numerical tools that are currently being developed to investigate the behaviour of brittle materials at high loading rates. This article is part of the themed issue 'Experimental testing and modelling of brittle materials at high strain rates'.

Brittle materials at high-loading rates: an open area of research

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Brittle materials are extensively used in many civil and military applications involving high-strain-rate loadings such as: blasting or percussive drilling of rocks, ballistic impact against ceramic armour or transparent windshields, plastic explosives used to damage or destroy concrete structures, soft or hard impacts against concrete structures and so on. With all of these applications, brittle materials are subjected to intense loadings characterized by medium to extremely high strain rates (few tens to several tens of thousands per second) leading to extreme and/or specific damage modes such as multiple fragmentation, dynamic cracking, pore collapse, shearing, mode II fracturing and/or microplasticity mechanisms in the material. Additionally, brittle materials exhibit complex features such as a strong strain-rate sensitivity and confining pressure sensitivity that justify expending greater research efforts to understand these complex features. Currently, the most popular dynamic testing techniques used for this are based on the use of split Hopkinson pressure bar methodologies and/or plate-impact testing methods. However, these methods do have some critical limitations and drawbacks when used to investigate the behaviour of brittle materials at high loading rates. The present theme issue of Philosophical Transactions A provides an overview of the latest experimental methods and numerical tools that are currently being developed to investigate the behaviour of brittle materials at high loading rates. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Experimental testing and modelling of brittle materials at high strain rates’. PMID:27956517

Brittle materials at high-loading rates: an open area of research.

PubMed

Forquin, Pascal

2017-01-28

Brittle materials are extensively used in many civil and military applications involving high-strain-rate loadings such as: blasting or percussive drilling of rocks, ballistic impact against ceramic armour or transparent windshields, plastic explosives used to damage or destroy concrete structures, soft or hard impacts against concrete structures and so on. With all of these applications, brittle materials are subjected to intense loadings characterized by medium to extremely high strain rates (few tens to several tens of thousands per second) leading to extreme and/or specific damage modes such as multiple fragmentation, dynamic cracking, pore collapse, shearing, mode II fracturing and/or microplasticity mechanisms in the material. Additionally, brittle materials exhibit complex features such as a strong strain-rate sensitivity and confining pressure sensitivity that justify expending greater research efforts to understand these complex features. Currently, the most popular dynamic testing techniques used for this are based on the use of split Hopkinson pressure bar methodologies and/or plate-impact testing methods. However, these methods do have some critical limitations and drawbacks when used to investigate the behaviour of brittle materials at high loading rates. The present theme issue of Philosophical Transactions A provides an overview of the latest experimental methods and numerical tools that are currently being developed to investigate the behaviour of brittle materials at high loading rates.This article is part of the themed issue 'Experimental testing and modelling of brittle materials at high strain rates'. © 2016 The Author(s).

The Impact of Housing on the Characteristics of Ceramic Pressure Sensors—An Issue of Design for Manufacturability

PubMed Central

Santo Zarnik, Marina; Belavic, Darko; Novak, Franc

2015-01-01

An exploratory study of the impact of housing on the characteristics of a low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) pressure sensor is presented. The ceramic sensor structure is sealed in a plastic housing. This may have non-negligible effect on the final characteristics and should be considered in the early design phase. The manufacturability issue mainly concerning the selection of available housing and the most appropriate materials was considered with respect to different requirements for low and high pressure ranges of operation. Numerical predictions showed the trends and helped reveal the critical design parameters. Proper selection of the adhesive material remains an essential issue. Curing of the epoxy adhesive may introduce non-negligible residual stresses, which considerably influence the sensor’s characteristics. PMID:26694386

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

Hu, Enyuan; Wang, Xuelong; Yu, Xiqian

The rechargeable lithium-ion battery (LIB) is the most promising energy storage system to power electric vehicles with high energy density and long cycling life. However, in order to meet customers’ demands for fast charging, the power performances of current LIBs need to be improved. From the cathode aspect, layer-structured cathode materials are widely used in today’s market and will continue to play important roles in the near future. The high rate capability of layered cathode materials during charging and discharging is critical to the power performance of the whole cell and the thermal stability is closely related to the safetymore » issues. Therefore, the in-depth understanding of structural changes of layered cathode materials during high rate charging/discharging and the thermal stability during heating are essential in developing new materials and improving current materials. Since structural changes take place from the atomic level to the whole electrode level, combination of characterization techniques covering multilength scales is quite important. Finally, in many cases, this means using comprehensive tools involving diffraction, spectroscopy, and imaging to differentiate the surface from the bulk and to obtain structural/chemical information with different levels of spatial resolution.« less

Alternative approaches of SiC & related wide bandgap materials in light emitting & solar cell applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wellmann, Peter; Syväjärvi, Mikael; Ou, Haiyan

2014-03-01

Materials for optoelectronics give a fascinating variety of issues to consider. Increasingly important are white light emitting diode (LED) and solar cell materials. Profound energy savings can be done by addressing new materials. White light emitting diodes are becoming common in our lighting scene. There is a great energy saving in the transition from the light bulb to white light emitting diodes via a transition of fluorescent light tubes. However, the white LEDs still suffer from a variety of challenges in order to be in our daily use. Therefore there is a great interest in alternative lighting solutions that could be part of our daily life. All materials create challenges in fabrication. Defects reduce the efficiency of optical transitions involved in the light emitting diode materials. The donor-acceptor co-doped SiC is a potential light converter for a novel monolithic all-semiconductor white LED. In spite of considerable research, the internal quantum efficiency is far less than theoretically predicted and is likely a fascinating scientific field for studying materials growth, defects and optical transitions. Still, efficient Si-based light source represents an ongoing research field in photonics that requires high efficiency at room temperature, wavelength tuning in a wide wavelength range, and easy integration in silicon photonic devices. In some of these devices, rare earth doped materials is considered as a potential way to provide luminescence spanning in a wide wavelength range. Divalent and trivalent oxidation states of Eu provide emitting centers in the visible region. In consideration, the use of Eu in photonics requires Eu doped thin films that are compatible with CMOS technology but for example faces material science issues like a low Eu solid solubility in silica. Therefore approaches aim to obtain efficient light emission from silicon oxycarbide which has a luminescence in the visible range and can be a host material for rare earth ions. The silicon oxycarbide material can provide potential applications of the Eu luminescent materials to challenging conditions like high temperatures or aggressive environments where the silica has weaknesses. In some approaches, silicon rich silicon oxide that contain silicon nanoclusters emit red to near infrared luminescence due to quantum confinement effects while luminescence at shorter wavelength is difficult due to the interplay of defects and quantum confinement effects. In addition it is applicable as low-k dielectric, etch-stop and passivation layers. It also has an optical band-gap that is smaller than that of SiO2 which may facilitate carrier injection at lower voltages that is suitable for optoelectronics. From materials perspective of emerging materials, it seems distant to consider system related issues. The future demands on communication and lighting devices require higher information flows in modernized optical devices, for example by replacing electrical interconnects with their optical counterparts and tunable backgrounds filters for integrated optics or photonics applications. However, there are materials issues related to such device performance, for example by a non-linearity, that provide the possibility for selective removal or addition of wavelengths using hetero structures in which one side of the structure enhances the light-to-dark sensitivity of long and medium wavelength channels and diminish others, and an opposite behavior in other face of the structure. Certainly materials may be applied in various innovative ways to provide new performances in devices and systems. In any materials and device evaluation, reliability issues in passivation and packaging of semiconductor device structures provide a base knowledge that may be used to evaluate new concepts. Fundamental aspects of dielectric constant, bandgap and band offsets between the valence and conduction band edges between the passivation layer and the semiconductor create a foundation for understanding the device performance. In relation to these, the surface pre-treatment and deposition technique can influence the reliability and electric field durability of the system, and relate to interface and near interface regions between the dielectric and semiconductor which can host electronic defects which change the surface potential, reduces mobility and enhance the recombination of charge carriers. At the end, materials for energy savings are critically needed. At the symposium ''Alternative approaches of SiC and related wide bandgap materials in light emitting and solar cell applications'', held at the E-MRS 2013 Spring meeting, 27-31 May, 2013 Strasbourg, France, a variety of concepts were presented. In this publication, a selection is presented that represents a range of issues from materials to reliability processing to system approaches. Acknowledgements: Technical support during preparation of the symposium program and proceedings by Saskia Schimmel is greatly acknowledged.

A Comparison of the Human Characteristics of Curriculum Materials Used in an Air National Guard Leadership Development Program with the Characteristics of Students Encountering the Materials: A Study Using the Annehurst Curriculum Classification System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, Russell L.; And Others

The Annehurst Curriculum Classification System (ACCS), a tool for matching individual learners with appropriate curriculum materials, was used with a group of fifty-nine students (Air National Guard officer candidates) and their four instructor-advisors to examine two issues: (1) the applicability of the ACCS in a highly structured,…

Application of fiber-reinforced bismaleimide materials to aircraft nacelle structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peros, Vasilios; Ruth, John; Trawinski, David

1992-01-01

Existing aircraft engine nacelle structures employ advanced composite materials to reduce weight and thereby increase overall performance. Use of advanced composite materials on existing aircraft nacelle structures includes fiber-reinforced epoxy structures and has typically been limited to regions furthest away from the hot engine core. Portions of the nacelle structure that are closer to the engine require materials with a higher temperature capability. In these portions, existing nacelle structures employ aluminum sandwich construction and skin/stringer construction. The aluminum structure is composed of many detail parts and assemblies and is usually protected by some form of ablative, insulator, or metallic thermal shield. A one-piece composite inner cowl for a new-generation engine nacelle structure has been designed using fiber-reinforced bismaleimide (BMI) materials and honeycomb core in a sandwich construction. The new composite design has many advantages over the existing aluminum structure. Multiple details were integrated into the one-piece composite design, thereby significantly reducing the number of detail parts and fasteners. The use of lightweight materials and the reduction of the number of joints result in a significant weight reduction over the aluminum design; manufacturing labor and the overall number of tools required have also been reduced. Several significant technical issues were addressed in the development of a BMI composite design. Technical evaluation of the available BMI systems led to the selection of a toughened BMI material which was resistant to microcracking under thermal cyclic loading and enhanced the damage tolerance of the structure. Technical evaluation of the degradation of BMI materials in contact with aluminum and other metals validated methods for isolation of the various materials. Graphite-reinforced BMI in contact with aluminum and some steels was found to degrade in salt spray testing. Isolation techniques such as those used for graphite-reinforced epoxy structures were shown to provide adequate protection. The springback and producibility of large BMI structures were evaluated by manufacturing prototype hardware which had the full-scale cross section of the one-piece composite structure.

0-6723 : development of rapid, cement-based repair materials for transportation structures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-08-01

The state of Texas has been plagued by various : durability-related issues in recent years, : including deterioration from alkali-silica : reaction, delayed ettringite formation, corrosion : of reinforcing steel, volume changes (plastic : shrinkage, ...

Standardization of accelerator irradiation procedures for simulation of neutron induced damage in reactor structural materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Lin; Gigax, Jonathan; Chen, Di; Kim, Hyosim; Garner, Frank A.; Wang, Jing; Toloczko, Mychailo B.

2017-10-01

Self-ion irradiation is widely used as a method to simulate neutron damage in reactor structural materials. Accelerator-based simulation of void swelling, however, introduces a number of neutron-atypical features which require careful data extraction and, in some cases, introduction of innovative irradiation techniques to alleviate these issues. We briefly summarize three such atypical features: defect imbalance effects, pulsed beam effects, and carbon contamination. The latter issue has just been recently recognized as being relevant to simulation of void swelling and is discussed here in greater detail. It is shown that carbon ions are entrained in the ion beam by Coulomb force drag and accelerated toward the target surface. Beam-contaminant interactions are modeled using molecular dynamics simulation. By applying a multiple beam deflection technique, carbon and other contaminants can be effectively filtered out, as demonstrated in an irradiation of HT-9 alloy by 3.5 MeV Fe ions.

Uncertainty aggregation and reduction in structure-material performance prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Zhen; Mahadevan, Sankaran; Ao, Dan

2018-02-01

An uncertainty aggregation and reduction framework is presented for structure-material performance prediction. Different types of uncertainty sources, structural analysis model, and material performance prediction model are connected through a Bayesian network for systematic uncertainty aggregation analysis. To reduce the uncertainty in the computational structure-material performance prediction model, Bayesian updating using experimental observation data is investigated based on the Bayesian network. It is observed that the Bayesian updating results will have large error if the model cannot accurately represent the actual physics, and that this error will be propagated to the predicted performance distribution. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel uncertainty reduction method by integrating Bayesian calibration with model validation adaptively. The observation domain of the quantity of interest is first discretized into multiple segments. An adaptive algorithm is then developed to perform model validation and Bayesian updating over these observation segments sequentially. Only information from observation segments where the model prediction is highly reliable is used for Bayesian updating; this is found to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of uncertainty reduction. A composite rotorcraft hub component fatigue life prediction model, which combines a finite element structural analysis model and a material damage model, is used to demonstrate the proposed method.

Structural evolution of Li{sub x}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 4} in lithium-ion battery cells measured in situ using synchrotron X-ray diffraction techniques

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

Mukerjee, S.; Thurston, T.R.; Jisrawi, N.M.

The authors describe synchrotron based X-ray diffraction techniques and issues related to in situ studies of intercalation processes in battery electrodes. They then demonstrate the utility of this technique, through a study of two batches of Li{sub x}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 4} cathode materials. The structural evolution of these spinel materials was monitored in situ during the initial charge of these electrodes in actual battery cells. Significant differences were observed in the two batches, particularly in the intercalation range of x = 0.45 to 0.20. The first-order structural transitions in this region indicated coexistence of two cubic phases in the batch 2more » material, whereas the batch 1 material showed suppressed two-phase coexistence. Batch 2 cells also indicated structural evolution in the low-potential region below 3.0 V in contrast to the batch 1 material. Differences in structural evolution between batches of Li{sub x}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 4} could have important ramifications in their cycle life and stability characteristics.« less

Fundamental Studies of Crystal Growth of Microporous Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Ramsharan; Doolittle, John, Jr.; Payra, Pramatha; Dutta, Prabir K.; George, Michael A.; Ramachandran, Narayanan; Schoeman, Brian J.

2003-01-01

Microporous materials are framework structures with well-defined porosity, often of molecular dimensions. Zeolites contain aluminum and silicon atoms in their framework and are the most extensively studied amongst all microporous materials. Framework structures with P, Ga, Fe, Co, Zn, B, Ti and a host of other elements have also been made. Typical synthesis of microporous materials involve mixing the framework elements (or compounds, thereof) in a basic solution, followed by aging in some cases and then heating at elevated temperatures. This process is termed hydrothermal synthesis, and involves complex chemical and physical changes. Because of a limited understanding of this process, most synthesis advancements happen by a trial and error approach. There is considerable interest in understanding the synthesis process at a molecular level with the expectation that eventually new framework structures will be built by design. The basic issues in the microporous materials crystallization process include: (a) Nature of the molecular units responsible for the crystal nuclei formation; (b) Nature of the nuclei and nucleation process; (c) Growth process of the nuclei into crystal; (d) Morphological control and size of the resulting crystal; (e) Surface structure of the resulting crystals; and (f) Transformation of frameworks into other frameworks or condensed structures.

Carbon materials-functionalized tin dioxide nanoparticles toward robust, high-performance nitrogen dioxide gas sensor.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Liu, Xiupeng; Zhou, Tingting; Wang, Lili; Zhang, Tong

2018-08-15

Carbon (C) materials, which process excellent electrical conductivity and high carrier mobility, are promising sensing materials as active units for gas sensors. However, structural agglomeration caused by chemical processes results in a small resistance change and low sensing response. To address the above issues, structure-derived carbon-coated tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) nanoparticles having distinct core-shell morphology with a 3D net-like structure and highly uniform size are prepared by careful synthesis and fine structural design. The optimum carbon-coated SnO 2 nanoparticles (SnO 2 /C)-based gas sensor exhibits a low working temperature, excellent selectivity and fast response-recovery properties. In addition, the SnO 2 /C-based gas sensor can maintain a sensitivity to nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) of 3 after being cycled 4 times at 140 °C for, suggesting its good long-term stability. The structural integrity, good synergistic properties, and high gas-sensing performance of SnO 2 /C render it a promising sensing material for advanced gas sensors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impedance based sensor technology to monitor stiffness of biological structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annamdas, Venu Gopal Madhav; Annamdas, Kiran Kishore Kumar

2010-04-01

In countries like USA or Japan it is not so uncommon to have wooden structures in their homes. However, metals and its alloys are the most widely used engineering materials in construction of any military or civil structure. Revisiting natural disasters like the recent Haiti earthquake (12 Jan 2010) or Katrina (cyclones) reminds the necessity to have better housing infrastructure with robust monitoring systems. Traditionally wood is accepted as excellent rehabilitation material, after any disaster. The recycling materials extracted from in-organic, biodegradable wastes, also can be used for rehabilitation. The key issue which dampens the life of these rehabilitated structure including green materials (like wood) is unnecessary deposits (nails, screws, bolts etc)/damages due to insect attack. Thus, a few health monitoring techniques have emerged in the recent past. Electromechanical Impedance technique is one such technique, which is simple but robust to detect variations in the integrity of structures. In this paper, impedance based piezoceramic sensor was bonded on wooden sample, which was used to study changes due to metallic (steel nails) deposits at various locations. A study of weight deposits on aluminum plate was used for comparisons.

NASA-UVA Light Aerospace Alloy and Structures Technology Program (LA2ST). Research on Materials for the High Speed Civil Transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gangloff, Richard P.; Starke, Edgar A., Jr.; Kelly, Robert G.; Scully, John R.; Stoner, Glenn E.; Wert, John A.

1997-01-01

Since 1986, the NASA-Langley Research Center has sponsored the NASA-UVa Light Alloy and Structures Technology (LA2ST) Program at the University of Virginia (UVa). The fundamental objective of the LA2ST program is to conduct interdisciplinary graduate student research on the performance of next generation, light-weight aerospace alloys, composites and thermal gradient structures. The LA2ST program has aimed to product relevant data and basic understanding of material mechanical response, environmental/corrosion behavior, and microstructure; new monolithic and composite alloys; advanced processing methods; measurement and modeling advances; and a pool of educated graduate students for aerospace technologies. The scope of the LA2ST Program is broad. Research areas include: (1) Mechanical and Environmental Degradation Mechanisms in Advanced Light Metals and Composites, (2) Aerospace Materials Science, (3) Mechanics of materials for Aerospace Structures, and (4) Thermal Gradient Structures. A substantial series of semi-annual progress reports issued since 1987 documents the technical objectives, experimental or analytical procedures, and detailed results of graduate student research in these topical areas.

Phosphate Framework Electrode Materials for Sodium Ion Batteries

PubMed Central

Fang, Yongjin; Zhang, Jiexin; Xiao, Lifen; Ai, Xinping; Yang, Hanxi

2017-01-01

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) have been considered as a promising alternative for the next generation of electric storage systems due to their similar electrochemistry to Li‐ion batteries and the low cost of sodium resources. Exploring appropriate electrode materials with decent electrochemical performance is the key issue for development of sodium ion batteries. Due to the high structural stability, facile reaction mechanism and rich structural diversity, phosphate framework materials have attracted increasing attention as promising electrode materials for sodium ion batteries. Herein, we review the latest advances and progresses in the exploration of phosphate framework materials especially related to single‐phosphates, pyrophosphates and mixed‐phosphates. We provide the detailed and comprehensive understanding of structure–composition–performance relationship of materials and try to show the advantages and disadvantages of the materials for use in SIBs. In addition, some new perspectives about phosphate framework materials for SIBs are also discussed. Phosphate framework materials will be a competitive and attractive choice for use as electrodes in the next‐generation of energy storage devices. PMID:28546907

JOYO-1 Irradiation Test Campaign Technical Close-out, For Information

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

G. Borges

2006-01-31

The JOYO-1 irradiation testing was designed to screen the irradiation performance of candidate cladding, structural and reflector materials in support of space reactor development. The JOYO-1 designation refers to the first of four planned irradiation tests in the JOYO reactor. Limited irradiated material performance data for the candidate materials exists for the expected Prometheus-1 duration, fluences and temperatures. Materials of interest include fuel element cladding and core materials (refractory metal alloys and silicon carbide (Sic)), vessel and plant structural materials (refractory metal alloys and nickel-base superalloys), and control and reflector materials (BeO). Key issues to be evaluated were long termmore » microstructure and material property stability. The JOYO-1 test campaign was initiated to irradiate a matrix of specimens at prototypical temperatures and fluences anticipated for the Prometheus-1 reactor [Reference (1)]. Enclosures 1 through 9 describe the specimen and temperature monitors/dosimetry fabrication efforts, capsule design, disposition of structural material irradiation rigs, and plans for post-irradiation examination. These enclosures provide a detailed overview of Naval Reactors Prime Contractor Team (NRPCT) progress in specific areas; however, efforts were in various states of completion at the termination of NRPCT involvement with and restructuring of Project Prometheus.« less

A novel algorithm using an orthotropic material model for topology optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Liyong; Luo, Quantian

2017-09-01

This article presents a novel algorithm for topology optimization using an orthotropic material model. Based on the virtual work principle, mathematical formulations for effective orthotropic material properties of an element containing two materials are derived. An algorithm is developed for structural topology optimization using four orthotropic material properties, instead of one density or area ratio, in each element as design variables. As an illustrative example, minimum compliance problems for linear and nonlinear structures are solved using the present algorithm in conjunction with the moving iso-surface threshold method. The present numerical results reveal that: (1) chequerboards and single-node connections are not present even without filtering; (2) final topologies do not contain large grey areas even using a unity penalty factor; and (3) the well-known numerical issues caused by low-density material when considering geometric nonlinearity are resolved by eliminating low-density elements in finite element analyses.

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

Wang, Jing; Toloczko, Mychailo B.; Kruska, Karen

Accelerator-based ion beam techniques have been used to study radiation effects in materials for decades. Although carbon contamination induced by ion beam in target materials is a well-known issue, it has not been fully characterized nor quantified for studies in ferritic/martensitic (F/M) steels that are candidate materials for applications such as core structural components in advanced nuclear reactors. It is an especially important issue for this class of material because of the effect of carbon level on precipitate formation. In this paper, the ability to quantify carbon contamination using three common techniques, namely time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), atommore » probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is compared. Their effectiveness and short-comings in determining carbon contamination will be presented and discussed. The corresponding microstructural changes related to carbon contamination in ion irradiated F/M steels are also presented and briefly discussed.« less

Structural reliability analysis of laminated CMC components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duffy, Stephen F.; Palko, Joseph L.; Gyekenyesi, John P.

1991-01-01

For laminated ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials to realize their full potential in aerospace applications, design methods and protocols are a necessity. The time independent failure response of these materials is focussed on and a reliability analysis is presented associated with the initiation of matrix cracking. A public domain computer algorithm is highlighted that was coupled with the laminate analysis of a finite element code and which serves as a design aid to analyze structural components made from laminated CMC materials. Issues relevant to the effect of the size of the component are discussed, and a parameter estimation procedure is presented. The estimation procedure allows three parameters to be calculated from a failure population that has an underlying Weibull distribution.

Structures technology for a new generation of rotorcraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartlett, Felton D., Jr.

1989-01-01

This paper presents an overview of structures research at the U. S. Army Aerostructures Directorate. The objectives of this research are to investigate, explore, and demonstrate emerging technologies that will provide lighter, safer, more survivable, and more cost-effective structures for rotorcraft in the 1990s and beyond. The emphasis of today's R&D is to contribute proven structures technology to the U. S. rotorcraft industry and Army aviation that directly impacts tomorrow's fleet readiness and mission capabilities. The primary contributor toward meeting these challenges is the development of high-strength and durable composites to minimize structural weight while maximizing cost effectiveness. Special aviation issues such as delamination of dynamic components, impact damage to thin skins, crashworthiness, and affordable manufacturing need to be resolved before the full potential of composites technology can be realized. To that end, this paper highlights research into composites structural integrity, crashworthiness, and materials applications which addresses these issues.

Probing the Complexities of Structural Changes in Layered Oxide Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries during Fast Charge–Discharge Cycling and Heating

DOE PAGES

Hu, Enyuan; Wang, Xuelong; Yu, Xiqian; ...

2018-01-19

The rechargeable lithium-ion battery (LIB) is the most promising energy storage system to power electric vehicles with high energy density and long cycling life. However, in order to meet customers’ demands for fast charging, the power performances of current LIBs need to be improved. From the cathode aspect, layer-structured cathode materials are widely used in today’s market and will continue to play important roles in the near future. The high rate capability of layered cathode materials during charging and discharging is critical to the power performance of the whole cell and the thermal stability is closely related to the safetymore » issues. Therefore, the in-depth understanding of structural changes of layered cathode materials during high rate charging/discharging and the thermal stability during heating are essential in developing new materials and improving current materials. Since structural changes take place from the atomic level to the whole electrode level, combination of characterization techniques covering multilength scales is quite important. Finally, in many cases, this means using comprehensive tools involving diffraction, spectroscopy, and imaging to differentiate the surface from the bulk and to obtain structural/chemical information with different levels of spatial resolution.« less

Piezo impedance sensors to monitor degradation of biological structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annamdas, Kiran Kishore Kumar; Annamdas, Venu Gopal Madhav

2010-04-01

In some countries it is common to have wooden structures in their homes, especially Japan. However, metals and its alloys are the most widely used engineering materials in construction of any military or civil structure. Re-visiting natural disasters like the recent Haiti earthquake (12 Jan 2010) or Katrina (cyclones) reminds the necessity to have better housing infrastructure with robust monitoring systems. Traditionally wood (green material) was accepted as excellent rehabilitation material, after any disaster. In recent times, the recycling materials extracted from inorganic, biodegradable wastes are converted into blocks or sheets, and are also used to assist public in rehabilitation camps. The key issue which decreases the life of these rehabilitated structure including green materials (like wood) is unnecessary degradation or deterioration over time due to insect or acid attack or rain/ice fall. The recycling material also needs monitoring to protect them against acid or rain/ice attacks. Thus, a few health monitoring techniques have emerged in the recent past. Electromechanical Impedance technique is one such technique, which is simple but robust to detect variations in the integrity of structures. In this paper, impedance based piezoceramic sensor was bonded on wooden sample, which was subjected to degradation in presence of acids. Variations in mass of plank are studied.

Multi-Scale Sizing of Lightweight Multifunctional Spacecraft Structural Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bednarcyk, Brett A.

2005-01-01

This document is the final report for the project entitled, "Multi-Scale Sizing of Lightweight Multifunctional Spacecraft Structural Components," funded under the NRA entitled "Cross-Enterprise Technology Development Program" issued by the NASA Office of Space Science in 2000. The project was funded in 2001, and spanned a four year period from March, 2001 to February, 2005. Through enhancements to and synthesis of unique, state of the art structural mechanics and micromechanics analysis software, a new multi-scale tool has been developed that enables design, analysis, and sizing of advance lightweight composite and smart materials and structures from the full vehicle, to the stiffened structure, to the micro (fiber and matrix) scales. The new software tool has broad, cross-cutting value to current and future NASA missions that will rely on advanced composite and smart materials and structures.

Energy Harvesting with Coupled Magnetorestrictive Resonators

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

matching, small hysteresis, and low coercivity2. Ceramic material like PZT tends to develop fatigue during its cycles whereas Galfenol does not have...Magnetostrictive Material PZT Pb [ZrxTi1-x] O3, 0<xə, Lead Zirconate Titanate RX Receiver SHM Structural Health Monitoring...zirconate titanate [ PZT ]) have lead in their fabrication process, which is an environmental risk. Another major issue with standard energy

Overview of the ACT program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, John G., Jr.

1992-01-01

NASA's Advanced Composites Program (ACT) was initiated in 1988. A National Research Announcement was issued to solicit innovative ideas that could significantly contribute to development and demonstration of an integrated technology data base and confidence level that permits cost-effective use of composite primary structures in transport aircraft. Fifteen contracts were awarded by the Spring of 1989 and the participants include commercial and military airframe manufacturers, materials developers and suppliers, universities, and government laboratories. The program approach is to develop materials, structural mechanics methodology, design concepts, and fabrication procedures that offer the potential to make composite structures cost-effective compared to aluminum structure. Goals for the ACT program included 30-50 percent weight reduction, 20-25 percent acquisition cost reduction, and provided the scientific basis for predicting materials and structures performance. This paper provides an overview of the ACT program status, plans, and selected technical accomplishments. Sixteen additional papers, which provide more detailed information on the research and development accomplishments, are contained in this publication.

High Electron Mobility and Disorder Induced by Silver Ion Migration Lead to Good Thermoelectric Performance in the Argyrodite Ag 8 SiSe 6

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

Heep, Barbara K.; Weldert, Kai S.; Krysiak, Yasar

Superionic chalcopyrites have recently attracted interest in their use as potential thermoelectric materials because of extraordinary low thermal conductivities. To overcome long-term stability issues in thermoelectric generators using superionic materials at evaluated temperatures, materials need to be found that show good thermoelectric performance at moderate temperatures. Here, we present the structural and thermoelectric properties of the argyrodite Ag 8SiSe 6, which exhibits promising thermoelectric performance close to room temperature.

Carbon Contamination During Ion Irradiation - Accurate Detection and Characterization of its Effect on Microstructure of Ferritic/Martensitic Steels

DOE PAGES

Wang, Jing; Toloczko, Mychailo B.; Kruska, Karen; ...

2017-11-17

Accelerator-based ion beam irradiation techniques have been used to study radiation effects in materials for decades. Although carbon contamination induced by ion beams in target materials is a well-known issue in some material systems, it has not been fully characterized nor quantified for studies in ferritic/martensitic (F/M) steels that are candidate materials for applications such as core structural components in advanced nuclear reactors. It is an especially important issue for this class of material because of the strong effect of carbon level on precipitate formation. In this paper, the ability to quantify carbon contamination using three common techniques, namely time-of-flightmore » secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), atom probe tomography (APT), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is compared. Their effectiveness and shortcomings in determining carbon contamination are presented and discussed. The corresponding microstructural changes related to carbon contamination in ion irradiated F/M steels are also presented and briefly discussed.« less

The Dispersion Tensor and Its Unique Minimizer in Hashin-Shtrikman Micro-structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bălilescu, Loredana; Conca, Carlos; Ghosh, Tuhin; San Martín, Jorge; Vanninathan, Muthusamy

2018-05-01

In this paper, we introduce a macroscopic quantity, namely the dispersion tensor or the Burnett coefficients in the class of generalized Hashin-Shtrikman micro-structures (Tartar in The general theory of homogenization, volume 7 of Lecture notes of the Unione Matematica Italiana, Springer, Berlin, p 281, 2009). In the case of two-phase materials associated with the periodic Hashin-Shtrikman structures, we settle the issue that the dispersion tensor has a unique minimizer, which is the so called Apollonian-Hashin-Shtrikman micro-structure.

Domain switching in single-phase multiferroics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Tingting; Cheng, Zhenxiang; Zhao, Hongyang; Kimura, Hideo

2018-06-01

Multiferroics are a time-honoured research subject by reason for their tremendous application potential in the information industry, such as in multi-state information storage devices and new types of sensors. An outburst of studies on multiferroicity has been witnessed in the 21st century, although this field has a long research history since the 19th century. Multiferroicity has now become one of the hottest research topics in condensed matter physics and materials science. Numerous efforts have been made to investigate the cross-coupling phenomena among ferroic orders such as ferroelectricity, (anti-)ferromagnetism, and ferroelasticity, especially the coupling between electric and magnetic orderings that would account for the magnetoelectric (ME) effect in multiferroic materials. The magnetoelectric properties and coupling behavior of single phase multiferroics are dominated by their domain structures. It was also noted that, however, the multiferroic materials exhibit very complicated domain structures. Studies on domain structure characterization and domain switching are a crucial step in the exploration of approaches to the control and manipulation of magnetic (electric) properties using an electric (magnetic) field or other means. In this review, following a concise outline of our current basic knowledge on the magnetoelectric (ME) effect, we summarize some important research activities on domain switching in single-phase multiferroic materials in the form of single crystals and thin films, especially domain switching behavior involving strain and the related physics in the last decade. We also introduce recent developments in characterization techniques for domain structures of ferroelectric or multiferroic materials, which have significantly advanced our understanding of domain switching dynamics and interactions. The effects of a series of issues such as electric field, magnetic field, and stress effects on domain switching are been discussed as well. It is intended that an integrated viewpoint of these issues, as provided here, will further motivate synergistic activities between the various research groups and industry towards the development and characterization of multiferroic materials.

EDITORIAL: Adaptive and active materials: Selected papers from the ASME 2010 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS 10) (Philadelphia, PA, USA, 28 September-1 October 2010) Adaptive and active materials: Selected papers from the ASME 2010 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS 10) (Philadelphia, PA, USA, 28 September-1 October 2010)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brei, Diann

2011-09-01

The third annual meeting of the AMSE/AIAA Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems Conference (SMASIS) took place in the heart of historic Philadelphia's cultural district, and included a pioneer banquet in the National Constitutional Center. The applications emphasis of the 2010 conference was reflected in keynote talks by Dr Alan Taub, vice president of General Motors global research and development, 'Smart materials in the automotive industry'; Dr Charles R Farrar, engineering institute leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory, 'Future directions for structural health monitoring of civil engineering infrastructure'; and Professor Christopher S Lynch of the University of California Los Angeles, 'Ferroelectric materials and their applications'. The SMASIS conference was divided into six technical symposia each of which included basic research, applied technological design and development, and industrial and governmental integrated system and application demonstrations. The six symposia were: SYMP 1 Multifunctional Materials; SYMP 2 Active Materials, Mechanics and Behavior; SYMP 3 Modeling, Simulation and Control; SYMP 4 Enabling Technologies and Integrated System Design; SYMP 5 Structural Health Monitoring/NDE; and SYMP 6 Bio-inspired Smart Materials and Structures. In addition, the conference introduced a new student and young professional development symposium. Authors of papers in the materials areas (symposia 1, 2 and 6) were invited to write a full journal article on their presentation topic for publication in this special issue of Smart Materials and Structures. This set of papers demonstrates the exceptional quality and originality of the conference presentations. We are appreciative of their efforts in producing this collection of highly relevant articles on smart materials.

Structural and Cultural Factors in Successful Aging Among Older Hispanics

PubMed Central

Angel, Ronald J.

2014-01-01

Successful or healthful aging are terms that draw attention to life course issues related to individual, physical, and psychologic development and maturation, but they also draw attention to the material basis of successful aging and the social structures that determine one’s place in the social hierarchy. This article focuses on barriers to optimal aging for Hispanics, especially those of Mexican origin, and argues that cultural factors and social class are closely associated. The reduction of health disparities and equity in medical and long-term care requires an understanding of both cultural and material sources of differential health levels. PMID:19065093

E-Beam Processing of Polymer Matrix Composites for Multifunctional Radiation Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Tan-Hung; Wilson, John W.; Jensen, Brian J.; Thibeault, Sheila A.; Chang, Chie K.; Kiefer, Richard L.

2005-01-01

Aliphatic polymers were identified as optimum radiation shielding polymeric materials for building multifunctional structural elements for in-space habitats. Conceptual damage tolerant configurations of polyolefins have been proposed, but many manufacturing issues relied on methods and materials which have sub-optimal radiation shielding characteristics (for example, epoxy matrix and adhesives). In the present approach, we shall investigate e-beam processing technologies for inclusion of high-strength aliphatic polymer reinforcement structures into a highly cross-linked polyolefin matrix. This paper reports the baseline thermo-mechanical properties of low density polyethylene and highly crystallized polyethylene.

Global Failure Modes in High Temperature Composite Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knauss, W. G.

1998-01-01

Composite materials have been considered for many years as the major advance in the construction of energy efficient aerospace structures. Notable advances have been made in understanding the special design considerations that set composites apart from the usual "isotropic" engineering materials such as the metals. As a result, a number of significant engineering designs have been accomplished. However, one shortcoming of the currently favored composites is their relatively unforgiving behavior with respect to failure (brittleness) under seemingly mild impact conditions and large efforts are underway to rectify that situation, much along the lines of introducing thermoplastic matrix materials. Because of their relatively more pronounced (thermo) viscoelastic behavior these materials respond with "toughness" in fracture situations. From the point of view of applications requiring material strength, this property is highly desirable. This feature impacts several important and distinct engineering problems which have been' considered under this grant and cover the 1) effect of impact damage on structural (buckling) stability of composite panels, the 2) effect of time dependence on the progression of buckling instabilities, and the 3) evolution of damage and fracture at generic thickness discontinuities in structures. The latter topic has serious implications for structural stability problems (buckling failure in reinforced shell structures) as well as failure progression in stringer-reinforced shell structures. This grant has dealt with these issues. Polymer "toughness" is usually associated with uncrosslinked or thermo-plastic polymers. But, by comparison with their thermoset counterparts they tend to exhibit more pronounced time dependent material behavior; also, that time dependence can occur at lower temperatures which places restriction in the high temperature use of these "newer and tougher" materials that are not quite so serious with the thermoset matrix materials. From a structural point of view the implications of this material behavior are potentially severe in that structural failure characteristics are no longer readily observed in short term qualification tests so characteristic for aerospace structures built from typical engineering metals.

Preface: Special Topic: From Quantum Mechanics to Force Fields.

PubMed

Piquemal, Jean-Philip; Jordan, Kenneth D

2017-10-28

This Special Topic issue entitled "From Quantum Mechanics to Force Fields" is dedicated to the ongoing efforts of the theoretical chemistry community to develop a new generation of accurate force fields based on data from high-level electronic structure calculations and to develop faster electronic structure methods for testing and designing force fields as well as for carrying out simulations. This issue includes a collection of 35 original research articles that illustrate recent theoretical advances in the field. It provides a timely snapshot of recent developments in the generation of approaches to enable more accurate molecular simulations of processes important in chemistry, physics, biophysics, and materials science.

Preface: Special Topic: From Quantum Mechanics to Force Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piquemal, Jean-Philip; Jordan, Kenneth D.

2017-10-01

This Special Topic issue entitled "From Quantum Mechanics to Force Fields" is dedicated to the ongoing efforts of the theoretical chemistry community to develop a new generation of accurate force fields based on data from high-level electronic structure calculations and to develop faster electronic structure methods for testing and designing force fields as well as for carrying out simulations. This issue includes a collection of 35 original research articles that illustrate recent theoretical advances in the field. It provides a timely snapshot of recent developments in the generation of approaches to enable more accurate molecular simulations of processes important in chemistry, physics, biophysics, and materials science.

Probabilistic fatigue life prediction of metallic and composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Yibing

Fatigue is one of the most common failure modes for engineering structures, such as aircrafts, rotorcrafts and aviation transports. Both metallic materials and composite materials are widely used and affected by fatigue damage. Huge uncertainties arise from material properties, measurement noise, imperfect models, future anticipated loads and environmental conditions. These uncertainties are critical issues for accurate remaining useful life (RUL) prediction for engineering structures in service. Probabilistic fatigue prognosis considering various uncertainties is of great importance for structural safety. The objective of this study is to develop probabilistic fatigue life prediction models for metallic materials and composite materials. A fatigue model based on crack growth analysis and equivalent initial flaw size concept is proposed for metallic materials. Following this, the developed model is extended to include structural geometry effects (notch effect), environmental effects (corroded specimens) and manufacturing effects (shot peening effects). Due to the inhomogeneity and anisotropy, the fatigue model suitable for metallic materials cannot be directly applied to composite materials. A composite fatigue model life prediction is proposed based on a mixed-mode delamination growth model and a stiffness degradation law. After the development of deterministic fatigue models of metallic and composite materials, a general probabilistic life prediction methodology is developed. The proposed methodology combines an efficient Inverse First-Order Reliability Method (IFORM) for the uncertainty propogation in fatigue life prediction. An equivalent stresstransformation has been developed to enhance the computational efficiency under realistic random amplitude loading. A systematical reliability-based maintenance optimization framework is proposed for fatigue risk management and mitigation of engineering structures.

Dopant-Free and Carrier-Selective Heterocontacts for Silicon Solar Cells: Recent Advances and Perspectives.

PubMed

Gao, Pingqi; Yang, Zhenhai; He, Jian; Yu, Jing; Liu, Peipei; Zhu, Juye; Ge, Ziyi; Ye, Jichun

2018-03-01

By combining the most successful heterojunctions (HJ) with interdigitated back contacts, crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells (SCs) have recently demonstrated a record efficiency of 26.6%. However, such SCs still introduce optical/electrical losses and technological issues due to parasitic absorption/Auger recombination inherent to the doped films and the complex process of integrating discrete p + - and n + -HJ contacts. These issues have motivated the search for alternative new functional materials and simplified deposition technologies, whereby carrier-selective contacts (CSCs) can be formed directly with c-Si substrates, and thereafter form IBC cells, via a dopant-free method. Screening and modifying CSC materials in a wider context is beneficial for building dopant-free HJ contacts with better performance, shedding new light on the relatively mature Si photovoltaic field. In this review, a significant number of achievements in two representative dopant-free hole-selective CSCs, i.e . , poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/Si and transition metal oxides/Si, have been systemically presented and surveyed. The focus herein is on the latest advances in hole-selective materials modification, interfacial passivation, contact resistivity, light-trapping structure and device architecture design, etc. By analyzing the structure-property relationships of hole-selective materials and assessing their electrical transport properties, promising functional materials as well as important design concepts for such CSCs toward high-performance SCs have been highlighted.

Preface to the special issue of Solid State Electronics EUROSOI/ULIS 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nassiopoulou, Androula G.

2018-05-01

This special issue is devoted to selected papers presented at the EuroSOI-ULIS2017 international conference, held in Athens on 3-5 April 2017. EuroSOI-ULIS2017 Conference was mainly devoted to Si devices, which constitute the basic building blocks of any microelectronic circuit. It included papers on advanced Si technologies, novel nanoscale devices, advanced electronic materials and device architectures, mechanisms involved, test structures, substrate materials and technologies, modeling/simulation and characterization. Both CMOS and beyond CMOS devices were presented, covering the More Moore domain, as well as new functionalities in silicon-compatible nanostructures and innovative devices, representing the More than Moore domain (on-chip sensors, biosensors, energy harvesting devices, RF passives, etc.).

Composite Materials Handbook. Volume 1. Polymer Matrix Composites Guidelines for Characterization of Structural Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-06-17

power law type (References 6.8.6.1(h) and (i)). Various attempts have been made to use fracture mechanics based methods for predicting failure of...participate in the MIL-HDBK-17 coordination activity . 7. All information and data contained in this handbook have been coordinated with industry and the U.S...for statistically- based properties ............................. 6 2.2.3 Issues of data equivalence

Synthesis of Polyimides Produced from Novel High Temperature Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Dianilines

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-26

spacecraft materials including solar arrays, thermal insulation blankets , and space inflatable structures, and in components in modern aircraft. PIs are...well known for their thermal stability but are prone to long-term oxidative degadation and are notorious for having hygrothermal issues, especially...applications such as circuit-printing 61ms and semiconductor coatings in the micmle~tronics industry1, spacecraft materials2 including solar arrays, thennal

Smart Materials, Structures, and Mathematical Issues for Active Damage Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-10-01

composites at both low and high velocities. The effect of low volume fractions (3% and 6%) of embedded Nitinol fibers on the impact-absorbing ability...ICI Wilton Materials Research Center General Dynamics Lockheed-Martin Hercules Aerospace Company U.S. Nitinol Owens-Corning DSB Associates...Reduction in a Plate," submitted to AIAA Journal. Paine, J. S. N., Rogers, C. A. 1993. "Characterization of Interfacial Adhesion of Nitinol Fibers

Carbon-Based Perovskite Solar Cells without Hole Transport Materials: The Front Runner to the Market?

PubMed

Chen, Haining; Yang, Shihe

2017-06-01

Organometal trihalide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered recent interest in the scientific community. In the past few years, they have achieved power conversion efficiencies comparable to traditional commercial solar cells (e.g., crystalline Si, CuInGaSe and CdTe) due to their low-cost of production via solution-processed fabrication techniques. However, the stability of PSCs must be addressed before their commercialization is viable. Among various kinds of PSCs, carbon-based PSCs without hole transport materials (C-PSCs) seem to be the most promising for addressing the stability issue because carbon materials are stable, inert to ion migration (which originates from perovskite and metal electrodes), and inherently water-resistant. Despite the significant development of C-PSCs since they were first reported in 2013, some pending issues still need to be addressed to increase their commercial competitiveness. Herein, recent developments in C-PSCs, including (1) device structure and working principles, (2) categorical progress of and comparison between meso C-PSCs, embedment C-PSCs and paintable PSCs, are reviewed. Promising research directions are then suggested (e.g., materials, interfaces, structure, stability measurement and scaling-up of production) to further improve and promote the commercialization of C-PSCs. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fabrication of smooth patterned structures of refractory metals, semiconductors, and oxides via template stripping.

PubMed

Park, Jong Hyuk; Nagpal, Prashant; McPeak, Kevin M; Lindquist, Nathan C; Oh, Sang-Hyun; Norris, David J

2013-10-09

The template-stripping method can yield smooth patterned films without surface contamination. However, the process is typically limited to coinage metals such as silver and gold because other materials cannot be readily stripped from silicon templates due to strong adhesion. Herein, we report a more general template-stripping method that is applicable to a larger variety of materials, including refractory metals, semiconductors, and oxides. To address the adhesion issue, we introduce a thin gold layer between the template and the deposited materials. After peeling off the combined film from the template, the gold layer can be selectively removed via wet etching to reveal a smooth patterned structure of the desired material. Further, we demonstrate template-stripped multilayer structures that have potential applications for photovoltaics and solar absorbers. An entire patterned device, which can include a transparent conductor, semiconductor absorber, and back contact, can be fabricated. Since our approach can also produce many copies of the patterned structure with high fidelity by reusing the template, a low-cost and high-throughput process in micro- and nanofabrication is provided that is useful for electronics, plasmonics, and nanophotonics.

Porous media modeling and micro-structurally motivated material moduli determination via the micro-dilatation theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, J.; Ramézani, H.; Sardini, P.; Kondo, D.; Ponson, L.; Siitari-Kauppi, M.

2015-07-01

In the present contribution, the porous material modeling and micro-structural material parameters determination are scrutinized via the micro-dilatation theory. The main goal is to take advantage of the micro-dilatation theory which belongs to the generalized continuum media. In the first stage, the thermodynamic laws are entirely revised to reach the energy balance relation using three variables, deformation, porosity change and its gradient underlying the porous media as described in the micro-dilatation theory or so-called void elasticity. Two experiments over cement mortar specimens are performed in order to highlight the material parameters related to the pore structure. The shrinkage due to CO2 carbonation, porosity and its gradient are calculated. The extracted values are verified via 14C-PMMA radiographic image method. The modeling of swelling phenomenon of Delayed Ettringite Formation (DEF) is studied later on. This issue is performed via the crystallization pressure application using the micro-dilatation theory.

Oxidation Behavior of a Refractory NbCrMo0.5Ta0.5TiZr Alloy

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

DANIEL J. EVANS, Chief Metals Branch Metals Branch Structural Materials Division...damage, is dif- ficult to achieve [2]. Thus, new metallic systems with higher melting points and a good balance of structural properties at high...has been considered to be the main issue during oxidation of conventional refractory alloys [14]. Heavy alloying of refractory metals with other

Rigidified pneumatic composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dessel, Steven

2000-10-01

The overall objective of the research presented in this dissertation was to address global issues of adequate housing for all and the need for more sustainable human settlement. In order to address these, the emerging technology of rigidified pneumatic composites was investigated. Rigidified pneumatic composites (RPC) are defined as thin flexible membrane structures that are pneumatically deployed. After deployment, these structures harden due to chemical or physical change of the membrane. Because of this change, these structures do no longer require pneumatic pressure to maintain their shape. For the first time, a systematic listing of the various means available to develop polymeric materials useful in RPC technology is presented. With the aim to reduce the cost of RPC structures, a new material was proposed, developed, and evaluated. This material involved the formation of a semi-interpenetrating polymer network based on poly vinyl chloride and an acrylate based reactive plasticizer. The economical and environmental performances of RPC structures using this new material were assessed by means of a case study. In this study, the performance of RPC technology was compared with that of a typical wood light frame structure in the application of a small single-family house. The study indicated that the cost of ownership in present day value for the RPC structure was approximately 33% less than the cost of a comparable wood light frame structure. The study also indicated that significant environmental benefits exist with the use of RPC structures. It was found that the RPC structure used significantly less resources compared to the wood light frame structure. About 3.5 times less materials coming from non-renewable fossil resources, about 2.5 times less materials coming from trees, and about 19 times less materials coming from inorganic resources was used in the RPC structure relative to the wood light frame structure. The study concluded with pointing out various means available to further increase the economical and environmental performance of RPC technology. Directions were provided to guide future developments of RPC technology.

Issues In Space Radiation Protection: Galactic Cosmic Rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. W.; Kim, M.; Schimmerling, W.; Badavi, F. F.; Thibeault, S. A.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Shinn, J. L.; Kiefer, R.

1995-01-01

When shielding from cosmic heavy ions, one is faced with limited knowledge about the physical properties and biological responses of these radiations. Herein, the current health is discussed in terms of conventional protection practice and a test biological response model. The impact of biological response on optimum materials selection for cosmic ray shielding is presented in terms of the transmission characteristics of the shield material. Although liquid hydrogen is an optimum shield material, evaluation of the effectiveness of polymeric structural materials must await improvement in our knowledge of both the biological response and the nuclear processes.

Thermal structures and materials for high-speed flight; Collection of Papers of the 1st Thermal Structures Conference, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Nov. 13-15, 1990

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

Thornton, E.A.

1992-01-01

The present conference discusses aerobrake-maneuver vehicle aerothermodynamics, aerothermal issues in the structural design of high speed vehicles, laser surface-alloying of superlight metals with ceramic surfaces, high-temperature Al alloys for supersonic and hypersonic vehicles, advanced metallics for high temperature airframes, novel materials for engine applications, and the development status of computational methods for high temperature structural design. Also discussed are a transient thermal-structural analysis using adaptive unstructured remeshing and mesh movement, the FEM thermoviscoplastic analysis of aerospace structures, hot-structures testing techniques, a thermal-structural analysis of a carbon-carbon/refractory metal heat pipe-cooled leading edge, dynamic effects in thermoviscoplastic structures, microlevel thermal effects inmore » metal-matrix composites (MMCs), thermomechanical effects in the plasma spray manufacture of MMC monotapes, and intelligent HIP processing. Most of the presentations at this conference were abstracted previously (see A91-16027 to A91-16047).« less

Bioinspired Bouligand cellulose nanocrystal composites: a review of mechanical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natarajan, Bharath; Gilman, Jeffrey W.

2017-12-01

The twisted plywood, or Bouligand, structure is the most commonly observed microstructural motif in natural materials that possess high mechanical strength and toughness, such as that found in bone and the mantis shrimp dactyl club. These materials are isotropically toughened by a low volume fraction of soft, energy-dissipating polymer and by the Bouligand structure itself, through shear wave filtering and crack twisting, deflection and arrest. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are excellent candidates for the bottom-up fabrication of these structures, as they naturally self-assemble into `chiral nematic' films when cast from solutions and possess outstanding mechanical properties. In this article, we present a review of the fabrication techniques and the corresponding mechanical properties of Bouligand biomimetic CNC nanocomposites, while drawing comparison to the performance standards set by tough natural composite materials. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue `New horizons for cellulose nanotechnology'.

Crystal MD: The massively parallel molecular dynamics software for metal with BCC structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Changjun; Bai, He; He, Xinfu; Zhang, Boyao; Nie, Ningming; Wang, Xianmeng; Ren, Yingwen

2017-02-01

Material irradiation effect is one of the most important keys to use nuclear power. However, the lack of high-throughput irradiation facility and knowledge of evolution process, lead to little understanding of the addressed issues. With the help of high-performance computing, we could make a further understanding of micro-level-material. In this paper, a new data structure is proposed for the massively parallel simulation of the evolution of metal materials under irradiation environment. Based on the proposed data structure, we developed the new molecular dynamics software named Crystal MD. The simulation with Crystal MD achieved over 90% parallel efficiency in test cases, and it takes more than 25% less memory on multi-core clusters than LAMMPS and IMD, which are two popular molecular dynamics simulation software. Using Crystal MD, a two trillion particles simulation has been performed on Tianhe-2 cluster.

A Review of Tribological Coatings for Control Drive Mechanisms in Space Reactors

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

CJ Larkin; JD Edington; BJ Close

2006-02-21

Tribological coatings must provide lubrication for moving components of the control drive mechanism for a space reactor and prevent seizing due to friction or diffusion welding to provide highly reliable and precise control of reflector position over the mission lifetime. Several coatings were evaluated based on tribological performance at elevated temperatures and in ultrahigh vacuum environments. Candidates with proven performance in the anticipated environment are limited primarily to disulfide materials. Irradiation data for these coatings is nonexistent. Compatibility issues between coating materials and structural components may require the use of barrier layers between the solid lubricant and structural components tomore » prevent deleterious interactions. It would be advisable to consider possible lubricant interactions prior to down-selection of structural materials. A battery of tests was proposed to provide the necessary data for eventual solid lubricant/coating selection.« less

Issues deserve attention in encapsulating probiotics: Critical review of existing literature.

PubMed

Chen, Jun; Wang, Qi; Liu, Cheng-Mei; Gong, Joshua

2017-04-13

Probiotic bacteria are being increasingly added to food for developing products with health-promoting properties. However, the efficacy of probiotics in commercial products is often questioned due to the loss of their viability during shelf storage and in human gastrointestinal tracts. Encapsulation of probiotics has been expected to provide protection to probiotics, but not many commercial products contain encapsulated and viable probiotic cells owing to various reasons. To promote the development and application of encapsulation technologies, this paper has critically reviewed previous publications with a focus on the areas where studies have fallen short, including insufficient consideration of structural effects of encapsulating material, general defects in encapsulating methods and issues in evaluation methodologies and risk assessments for application. Corresponding key issues that require further studies are highlighted. Some emerging trends in the field, such as current treads in encapsulating material and recently advanced encapsulation techniques, have also been discussed.

Metal-organic frameworks and their derived materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion: Promises and challenges.

PubMed

Wu, Hao Bin; Lou, Xiong Wen David

2017-12-01

In addition to their conventional uses, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently emerged as an interesting class of functional materials and precursors of inorganic materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies. This class of MOF-related materials can be broadly categorized into two groups: pristine MOF-based materials and MOF-derived functional materials. Although the diversity in composition and structure leads to diverse and tunable functionalities of MOF-based materials, it appears that much more effort in this emerging field is devoted to synthesizing MOF-derived materials for electrochemical applications. This is in view of two main drawbacks of MOF-based materials: the low conductivity nature and the stability issue. On the contrary, MOF-derived synthesis strategies have substantial advantages in controlling the composition and structure of MOF-derived materials. From this perspective, we review some emerging applications of both groups of MOF-related materials as electrode materials for rechargeable batteries and electrochemical capacitors, efficient electrocatalysts, and even electrolytes for electrochemical devices. By highlighting the advantages and challenges of each class of materials for different applications, we hope to shed some light on the future development of this highly exciting area.

Metal-organic frameworks and their derived materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion: Promises and challenges

PubMed Central

Wu, Hao Bin; Lou, Xiong Wen (David)

2017-01-01

In addition to their conventional uses, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have recently emerged as an interesting class of functional materials and precursors of inorganic materials for electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies. This class of MOF-related materials can be broadly categorized into two groups: pristine MOF-based materials and MOF-derived functional materials. Although the diversity in composition and structure leads to diverse and tunable functionalities of MOF-based materials, it appears that much more effort in this emerging field is devoted to synthesizing MOF-derived materials for electrochemical applications. This is in view of two main drawbacks of MOF-based materials: the low conductivity nature and the stability issue. On the contrary, MOF-derived synthesis strategies have substantial advantages in controlling the composition and structure of MOF-derived materials. From this perspective, we review some emerging applications of both groups of MOF-related materials as electrode materials for rechargeable batteries and electrochemical capacitors, efficient electrocatalysts, and even electrolytes for electrochemical devices. By highlighting the advantages and challenges of each class of materials for different applications, we hope to shed some light on the future development of this highly exciting area. PMID:29214220

Predicting clinical biological responses to dental materials.

PubMed

Wataha, John C

2012-01-01

Methods used to measure and predict clinical biological responses to dental materials remain controversial, confusing, and to some extent, unsuccessful. The current paper reviews significant issues surrounding how we assess the biological safety of materials, with a historical summary and critical look at the biocompatibility literature. The review frames these issues from a U.S. perspective to some degree, but emphasizes their global nature and universal importance. The PubMed database and information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, International Standards Organization, and American National Standards Institute were searched for prominent literature addressing the definition of biocompatibility, types of biological tests employed, regulatory and standardization issues, and how biological tests are used together to establish the biological safety of materials. The search encompassed articles published in English from approximately 1965-2011. The review does not comprehensively review the literature, but highlights significant issues that confront the field. Years ago, tests for biological safety sought to establish material inertness as the measure of safety, a criterion that is now deemed naive; the definition of biocompatibility has broadened along with the roles for materials in patient oral health care. Controversies persist about how in vitro or animal tests should be used to evaluate the biological safety of materials for clinical use. Controlled clinical trials remain the single best measure of the clinical response to materials, but even these tests have significant limitations and are less useful to identify mechanisms that shape material performance. Practice-based research networks and practitioner databases are emerging as important supplements to controlled clinical trials, but their final utility remains to be determined. Today we ask materials to play increasingly sophisticated structural and therapeutic roles in patient treatment. To accommodate these roles, strategies to assess, predict, and monitor material safety need to evolve. This evolution will be driven not only by researchers and manufacturers, but also by patients and practitioners, who want to use novel materials in new ways to treat oral disease. Copyright © 2011 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of singular interface stresses in dissimilar material joints for plasma facing components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, J. H.; Bolt, H.

2001-10-01

Duplex joint structures are typical material combinations for the actively cooled plasma facing components of fusion devices. The structural integrity under the incident heat loads from the plasma is one of the most crucial issues in the technology of these components. The most critical domain in a duplex joint component is the free surface edge of the bond interface between heterogeneous materials. This is due to the fact that the thermal stress usually shows a singular intensification in this region. If the plasma facing armour tile consists of a brittle material, the existence of the stress singularity can be a direct cause of failure. The present work introduces a comprehensive analytical tool to estimate the impact of the stress singularity for duplex PFC design and quantifies the relative stress intensification in various materials joints by use of a model formulated by Munz and Yang. Several candidate material combinations of plasma facing armour and metallic heat sink are analysed and the results are compared with each other.

Composite structural materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loewy, Robert G.; Wiberley, Stephen E.

1987-01-01

The development and application of composite materials to aerospace vehicle structures which began in the mid 1960's has now progressed to the point where what can be considered entire airframes are being designed and built using composites. Issues related to the fabrication of non-resin matrix composites and the micro, mezzo and macromechanics of thermoplastic and metal matrix composites are emphasized. Several research efforts are presented. They are entitled: (1) The effects of chemical vapor deposition and thermal treatments on the properties of pitch-based carbon fiber; (2) Inelastic deformation of metal matrix laminates; (3) Analysis of fatigue damage in fibrous MMC laminates; (4) Delamination fracture toughness in thermoplastic matrix composites; (5) Numerical investigation of the microhardness of composite fracture; and (6) General beam theory for composite structures.

Welcome to the 2014 volume of Smart Materials and Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, Ephrahim

2014-01-01

Welcome to Smart Materials and Structures (SMS). Smart materials and structures are comprised of structural matter that responds to a stimulus. These materials can be controlled or have properties that can be altered in a prescribed manner. Smart materials generate non-traditional forms of transduction. We are all familiar with common forms of transduction, electromechanical motors. Lorenz's forces utilize permanent and variable magnets, controlled by current, to generate magnetically generated forces that oppose each other. Utilizing this simple principal we have advanced the industrial revolution of the 19th Century by the creation of the servo-mechanism. Controlled velocity and position generation systems that have automated manufacturing, our machines and the very environs in which we dwell. Smart materials often rely on a variety of new and different methods of transduction. Piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, electrostrictive, and phase-change materials, such as shape memory alloys, are among the most common smart materials. Other approaches such as polymer actuators that rely on complex three-dimensional chemical-based composites are also emerging. The trinity of engineering research is analysis, simulation and experimentation. To perform analyses we must understand the physical phenomena at hand in order to develop a mathematical model for the problem. These models form the basis of simulation and complex computational modeling of a system. It is from these models that we begin to expand our understanding about what is possible, ultimately developing simulation-based tools that verify new designs and insights. Experimentation offers the opportunity to verify our analyses and simulations in addition to providing the 'proof of the pudding' so to speak. But it is our ability to simulate that guides us and our expectations, predicting the behavior of what we may see in the lab or in a prototype. Experimentation ultimately provides the feedback to our modeling efforts. We capture all elements of this trinity in the journal for both smart materials and structures, devices and mechanisms, which are being developed by our community. Innovations often arise as we find new ways to incorporate and control materials. We can utilize these unusual properties to design and fabricate material architectures for transduction unlike anything done in the past. The distributed nature of the material transduction lends itself to new ways of thinking, making the actuators integral to the structure, developing new formulations for controls and changing how we design power electronics for the system. Once again the 2013 volume of SMS surpassed all expectations and grew by 38% while maintaining a high reject rate of almost 60% and high impact factor of 2.024. We are delighted that more and more researchers are choosing SMS to showcase their work. It also means that this year there will be an increased emphasis on selecting only work of the highest interest and quality for publication. A few months ago SMS moved to ScholarOne, our new state-of-the-art editorial management system, in order to help us to cope with our ever-increasing copy flow and enable us to continue providing our authors and referees with a modern, fast and efficient process. From now on all manuscripts should be submitted to us at http://mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/sms-iop. Thanks to the new system, we are now able to run every submission through our plagiarism software, Crosscheck. Last year, SMS published two exciting focus issues called 'Bioinspired smart materials and systems' and 'Auxetics in smart systems and structures'. Focus issues in SMS are designed to provide a timely snap shot of a particular topic and are popular with both our readers and contributing authors. In 2013, SMS also published two special issues. (1) The annual SMASIS 2013 special issue covering the multifunctional materials, active materials, and bioinspired materials symposia and including, for the first time, the energy harvesting symposium. (2) A special issue called 'Electromechanically active polymer (EAP) transducers: research in Europe', a collection of articles from the European Scientific Network for Artificial Muscles—ESNAM group. This year, look out for focus issues put together by the editorial board on 'fluidic artificial muscles' and 'active materials and structures for origami engineering'. We will also continue to run a busy program of Topical Reviews, which are often among the most cited and most downloaded articles in the journal. Congratulations to Ganesh Raghunath and his team (University of Maryland) who won the Smart Materials and Structures prize for the best paper at SMASIS 2013, and to Kyle Mulligan and his team (University of Sherbrooke) who won our best student paper prize at Cansmart 2013. We were delighted with the news last year that ASME awarded two of its prestigious annual best paper awards to articles published in SMS: the 2013 ASME 'Adaptive Structures and Material Systems Best Paper Award in Adaptive Materials and Material Systems' went to Donghyeon Ryu and Kenneth J Loh for their article 'Strain sensing using photocurrent generated by photoactive P3HT-based nanocomposites'. The 2013 ASME 'Adaptive Structures and Material Systems Best Paper Award in Structural Dynamics and Control' went to Julianna Abel, Jonathan Luntz and Diann Brei for their article 'A two-dimensional analytical model and experimental validation of garter stitch knitted shape memory alloy actuator architecture'. Finally, may I take this opportunity to thank our fantastic Editorial board of Associate Editors who tirelessly oversee the review of each submitted article and give their invaluable advice, helping to develop and shape the journal. Welcome to Professor Alper Erturk who has recently joined us. We also acknowledge and thank Professor Andrea Del Grosso, Professor Sami Masri, Professor Seung Jo Kim and Professor Christian Boller who retired from the Board last year after many years in service as Associate Editors. Associate Editors in 2013: Professor G Akhras, Royal Military College of Canada, Ontario, Canada Professor C Boller, University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany Fraunhofer-Institut für Zerstörungsfreie Prüfverfahren, Dresden, Germany Professor J Cagnol, École Centrale Paris, France Professor G Carman, University of California-Los Angeles, USA Professor S-B Choi, Inha University, Incheon, Korea Professor S H Choi, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA Professor A Del Grosso, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy Professor A Erturk, Georgia Institute of Technology, GA, USA Professor U Gabbert, Universität Magdeburg, Germany Professor A Güemes, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain Professor S Gopalakrishnan, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India Professor J Kim, Inha University, Incheon, Korea Professor K J Kim, University of Nevada, Reno, USA Professor S J Kim, Seoul National University, Korea Professor D Lagoudas, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA Professor R Lammering, Helmut-Schmidt-Universität/Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany Professor C K Lee, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Professor W Li, University of Wollongong, Australia Professor W H Liao, Chinese University of Hong Kong, China Professor Y Liu, Harbin Institute of Technology, China Professor C S Lynch, University of California-Los Angeles, USA Professor S Masri, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA Professor W M Ostachowicz, Polish Academy of Sciences, Gdansk, Poland Professor K Peters, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA Professor M Shahinpoor, University of Maine, Orono, USA Professor H Sodano, University of Florida, Gainsville, USA Professor G Song, University of Houston, TX, USA Professor W J Staszewski, AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland Professor N Takeda, University of Tokyo, Japan Professor D-H Wang, Chongqing University, China Professor Q Wang, University of Manitoba, Canada Professor N M Wereley, University of Maryland, College Park, USA Professor W J Wu, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.

Durability of a continuous strand mat polymeric composite for automotive structural applications

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

Corum, J.M.; McCoy, H.E. Jr.; Ruggles, M.B.

1995-12-31

A key unanswered question that must be addressed before polymeric composites will be widely used in automotive structural components is their durability. Major durability issues are the effects of cyclic loadings, creep, automotive environments, and low-energy impacts on dimensional stability, strength, and stiffness. The U.S. Department of Energy is sponsoring a project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to address these issues and to develop, in cooperation with the Automotive Composites Consortium, experimentally based, durability driven, design guidelines. The initial reference material is an isocyanurate reinforced with a continuous strand, swirl glass mat. This paper describes the basic deformation and failuremore » behavior of the reference material, and it presents test results illustrating the property degradations caused by loading, time, and environmental effects. The importance of characterizing and understanding damage and how it leads to failure is also discussed. The results presented are from the initial phases of an ongoing project. The ongoing effort and plans are briefly described.« less

Standardization of accelerator irradiation procedures for simulation of neutron induced damage in reactor structural materials

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

Shao, Lin; Gigax, Jonathan; Chen, Di

Self-ion irradiation is widely used as a method to simulate neutron damage in reactor structural materials. Accelerator-based simulation of void swelling, however, introduces a number of neutron-atypical features which require careful data extraction and in some cases introduction of innovative irradiation techniques to alleviate these issues. We briefly summarize three such atypical features: defect imbalance effects, pulsed beam effects, and carbon contamination. The latter issue has just been recently recognized as being relevant to simulation of void swelling and is discussed here in greater detail. It is shown that carbon ions are entrained in the ion beam by Coulomb forcemore » drag and accelerated toward the target surface. Beam-contaminant interactions are modeled using molecular dynamics simulation. By applying a multiple beam deflection technique, carbon and other contaminants can be effectively filtered out, as demonstrated in an irradiation of HT-9 alloy by 3.5 MeV Fe ions.« less

Standardization of accelerator irradiation procedures for simulation of neutron induced damage in reactor structural materials

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

Shao, Lin; Gigax, Jonathan; Chen, Di

Self-ion irradiation is widely used as a method to simulate neutron damage in reactor structural materials. Accelerator-based simulation of void swelling, however, introduces a number of neutron-atypical features which require careful data extraction and, in some cases, introduction of innovative irradiation techniques to alleviate these issues. In this paper, we briefly summarize three such atypical features: defect imbalance effects, pulsed beam effects, and carbon contamination. The latter issue has just been recently recognized as being relevant to simulation of void swelling and is discussed here in greater detail. It is shown that carbon ions are entrained in the ion beammore » by Coulomb force drag and accelerated toward the target surface. Beam-contaminant interactions are modeled using molecular dynamics simulation. Finally, by applying a multiple beam deflection technique, carbon and other contaminants can be effectively filtered out, as demonstrated in an irradiation of HT-9 alloy by 3.5 MeV Fe ions.« less

Standardization of accelerator irradiation procedures for simulation of neutron induced damage in reactor structural materials

DOE PAGES

Shao, Lin; Gigax, Jonathan; Chen, Di; ...

2017-06-12

Self-ion irradiation is widely used as a method to simulate neutron damage in reactor structural materials. Accelerator-based simulation of void swelling, however, introduces a number of neutron-atypical features which require careful data extraction and, in some cases, introduction of innovative irradiation techniques to alleviate these issues. In this paper, we briefly summarize three such atypical features: defect imbalance effects, pulsed beam effects, and carbon contamination. The latter issue has just been recently recognized as being relevant to simulation of void swelling and is discussed here in greater detail. It is shown that carbon ions are entrained in the ion beammore » by Coulomb force drag and accelerated toward the target surface. Beam-contaminant interactions are modeled using molecular dynamics simulation. Finally, by applying a multiple beam deflection technique, carbon and other contaminants can be effectively filtered out, as demonstrated in an irradiation of HT-9 alloy by 3.5 MeV Fe ions.« less

Electromechanically active polymer transducers: research in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpi, Federico; Graz, Ingrid; Jager, Edwin; Ladegaard Skov, Anne; Vidal, Frédéric

2013-10-01

Smart materials and structures based on electromechanically active polymers (EAPs) represent a fast growing and stimulating field of research and development. EAPs are materials capable of changing dimensions and/or shape in response to suitable electrical stimuli. They are commonly classified in two major families: ionic EAPs (activated by an electrically induced transport of ions and/or solvent) and electronic EAPs (activated by electrostatic forces). These polymers show interesting properties, such as sizable active strains and/or stresses in response to electrical driving, high mechanical flexibility, low density, structural simplicity, ease of processing and scalability, no acoustic noise and, in most cases, low costs. Since many of these characteristics can also describe natural muscle tissues from an engineering standpoint, it is not surprising that EAP transducers are sometimes also referred to as 'muscle-like smart materials' or 'artificial muscles'. They are used not only to generate motion, but also to sense or harvest energy from it. In particular, EAP electromechanical transducers are studied for applications that can benefit from their 'biomimetic' characteristics, with possible usages from the micro- to the macro-scale, spanning several disciplines, such as mechatronics, robotics, automation, biotechnology and biomedical engineering, haptics, fluidics, optics and acoustics. Currently, the EAP field is just undergoing its initial transition from academic research into commercialization, with companies starting to invest in this technology and the first products appearing on the market. This focus issue is intentionally aimed at gathering contributions from the most influential European groups working in the EAP field. In fact, today Europe hosts the broadest EAP community worldwide. The rapid expansion of the EAP field in Europe, where it historically has strong roots, has stimulated the creation of the 'European Scientific Network for Artificial Muscles—ESNAM', entirely focused on EAPs and gathering the most active research institutes, as well as key industrial developers and end users. The ESNAM network has received financial support from the European COST (Cooperation in Science and Technology) programme (COST Action MP1003), leading to fruitful collaboration, of which some results are showcased in this issue. This focus issue deals with a number of relevant topics on ionic and electronic EAPs. The contents, which span highly heterogeneous and cross diverse disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, material science and engineering, embrace size scales from nano to macro, and cover different areas, such as new materials, devices and applications. This collection of papers helps elucidate, on the one hand, how heterogeneous and dynamic the EAP field is in general and, on the other hand, the state of the art of the EAP research in Europe. We hope that this focus issue might help to stimulate future work in this emerging field of research and generate new applications. Acknowledgments We would like to thank all the authors for their contributions, and the Smart Materials and Structures Editor-in-Chief, Professor Garcia, for having accepted our proposal to organize this focus issue. Special thanks also go to Natasha Leeper, from the IOP Publishing team, for her continued support and impeccable professionalism in arranging this focus issue. We also gratefully acknowledge financial support from COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) in the framework of 'ESNAM—European Scientific Network for Artificial Muscles' (COST Action MP1003), which made possible cooperation that led to contributions to this issue.

Advanced technology commercial fuselage structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ilcewicz, L. B.; Smith, P. J.; Walker, T. H.; Johnson, R. W.

1991-01-01

Boeing's program for Advanced Technology Composite Aircraft Structure (ATCAS) has focused on the manufacturing and performance issues associated with a wide body commercial transport fuselage. The primary goal of ATCAS is to demonstrate cost and weight savings over a 1995 aluminum benchmark. A 31 foot section of fuselage directly behind the wing to body intersection was selected for study purposes. This paper summarizes ATCAS contract plans and review progress to date. The six year ATCAS program will study technical issues for crown, side, and keel areas of the fuselage. All structural details in these areas will be included in design studies that incorporate a design build team (DBT) approach. Manufacturing technologies will be developed for concepts deemed by the DBT to have the greatest potential for cost and weight savings. Assembly issues for large, stiff, quadrant panels will receive special attention. Supporting technologies and mechanical tests will concentrate on the major issues identified for fuselage. These include damage tolerance, pressure containment, splices, load redistribution, post-buckled structure, and durability/life. Progress to date includes DBT selection of baseline fuselage concepts; cost and weight comparisons for crown panel designs; initial panel fabrication for manufacturing and structural mechanics research; and toughened material studies related to keel panels. Initial ATCAS studies have shown that NASA's Advanced Composite Technology program goals for cost and weight savings are attainable for composite fuselage.

The Impact of Dielectric Material and Temperature on Dielectric Charging in RF MEMS Capacitive Switches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papaioannou, George

The present work attempts to provide a better insight on the dielectric charging in RF-MEMS capacitive switches that constitutes a key issue limiting parameter of their commercialization. The dependence of the charging process on the nature of dielectric materials widely used in these devices, such as SiO2, Si3N4, AlN, Al2O3, Ta2O5, HfO2, which consist of covalent or ionic bonds and may exhibit piezoelectric properties is discussed taking into account the effect of deposition conditions and resulting material stoichiometry. Another key issue parameter that accelerates the charging and discharging processes by providing enough energy to trapped charges to be released and to dipoles to overcome potential barriers and randomize their orientation is the temperature will be investigated too. Finally, the effect of device structure will be also taken into account.

PREFACE: Selected papers from the Fourth Topical Conference on Nanoscale Science and Engineering of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Michael S.; Lee, Gil U.

2005-07-01

This special issue of Nanotechnology contains research papers contributed by the participants of the Fourth Topical Conference on Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), which was held in Austin, Texas, USA, 7-12 November, 2004. This conference saw 284 oral presentations from institutions around the world, which is the highest number for this topical conference series to date. These presentations were organized into 64 sessions, covering the range of nanotechnology subject areas in which chemical engineers are currently engaged. These sessions included the following areas. • Fundamentals: thermodynamics at the nanoscale; applications of nanostructured fluids; transport properties in nanophase and nanoscale systems; molecular modelling methods; self and directed assembly at the nanoscale; nanofabrication and nanoscale processing; manipulation of nanophases by external fields; nanoscale systems; adsorption and transport in carbon nanotubes; nanotribology; making the transition from materials and phenomena to new technologies; operation of micro-and nano-systems. • Materials: nanoparticle synthesis and stabilization; nanoscale structure in polymers; nanotemplating of polymers; synthesis of carbon nanotubes and nanotube-based materials; nanowires; nanoparticle assemblies and superlattices; nanoelectronic materials; self-assembly of templated inorganic materials; nanostructured hybrid organic/inorganic materials; gas phase synthesis of nanoparticles; multicomponent structured particles; nano energetic materials; liquid-phase synthesis of nanoparticles. • Energy: synthesis and characterization of nanostructured catalytic materials; nanomaterials and devices for energy applications. • Biotechnology: nanobiotechnology; nanotechnology for the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries; nanotechnology and nanobiotechnology for sensors; advances in biomaterials, bionanotechnology, biomimetic systems and tissue engineering; nanotechnology for drug delivery and imaging; bionanotechnology in cancer and cardiovascular disease; nanostructured biomaterials; nanotechnology in bioengineering; nanofabrication of biosensing devices. We are pleased to present a selection of research papers in this special issue of Nanotechnology on behalf of the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum (NSEF). NSEF was established in 2001 as a new division of AIChE to promote nanotechnology efforts in chemical engineering. The chemical engineering discipline deals with the production and processing of chemicals and materials, and does so through a fundamental understanding of the core issues of transport, thermodynamics, and kinetics that exist at multiple length scales. Thus, it should come as no surprise that chemical engineers have been pursuing nanotechnology research for the last fifty years. For example, fuel production has benefited immensely from improved catalysts in which their pore structure is controlled with nanoscale precision, and polymer properties have been improved by controlling the polymer supramolecular structure at the nanometre scale. Chemical engineering will continue to make important contributions to nanotechnology, and will play a critical role in the transition from basic science and engineering research to commercial applications. We would like to thank all of the authors who contributed to this special issue; the three NSEF poster presentation award winners for their papers (Sureshkumar, Sunkara, and Rinaldi groups); Dr Nina Couzin, Publisher of Nanotechnology, for her support and enthusiasm for this project; Drs Sharon Glotzer and Dan Coy who chaired the topical conference; and Drs Meyya Meyyappan and Brett Cruden (NASA Ames Research Center) for their assistance in the initial planning stages. We also take this opportunity to thank the many people and organizations who have supported the 2004 topical conference along the way, which include all the session chairs, Hyperion Catalysis International, Inc., Nanophase Technologies, Inc., and the executive board of the NSEF.

Workshop on Basic Research Opportunities in Photovoltaics

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

Benner, J.; McConnell, R.; Deb, S., Editors

1999-08-25

The Basic Research Opportunities in Photovoltaics Workshop was held on May 3, 1999, in Seattle, Washington, in conjunction with the 195th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society. The workshop was structured into eight topics. Each topic area opened with a presentation in which the participants were asked to address the following: a brief introduction of the area of research; key research issues that were identified in an earlier workshop in 1992; what fundamental research has been done since then or is currently being done to address those issues; what are the research issues that are still relevant in light of advancesmore » made since the first workshop; identification of new fundamental research opportunities that will lead to important advances and innovations; and identification of significant commonalities and common research issues that have a cross-cutting impact, such as logically exist in silicon-based thin films, II-VI, and related materials. The topic areas discussed included amorphous and microcrystalline silicon, crystalline silicon, cadmium telluride, copper indium diselenide; III-V materials; novel materials and energy conversion approaches, semiconducting oxides, and characterization. After the meeting, participants in each working topic continued discussions by electronic means, completing journal articles that are to be published as a separate section in the ECS Proceedings of the ''PV for the 21st Century'' Symposium.« less

Technical Issues for the Fabrication of a CN-HCCB-TBM Based on RAFM Steel CLF-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pinghuai; Chen, Jiming; Fu, Haiying; Liu, Shi; Li, Xiongwei; Xu, Zengyu

2013-02-01

Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel (RAFM) is recognized as the primary candidate structural material for ITER's test blanket module (TBM). To provide a material and property database for the design and fabrication of the Chinese helium cooled ceramic breeding TBM (CN HCCB TBM), a type of RAFM steel named CLF-1 was developed and characterized at the Southwestern Institute of Physics (SWIP), China. In this paper, the R&D status of CLF-1 steel and the technical issues in using CLF-1 steel to manufacture CN HCCB TBM were reviewed, including the steel manufacture and different welding technologies. Several kinds of property data have been obtained for its application to the design of the ITER TBM.

INFLUENCE OF DIET ON THE PERFORMANCE OF BOVINE FECAL POLLUTION DETECTION METHODS AND MICROBIAL POPULATION STRUCTURE

EPA Science Inventory

ABSTRACT Background and Aims. Waterborne diseases originating from bovine fecal material are a significant public health issue. Ensuring water quality requires the use of methods that can consistently identify pollution across a broad range of management practices. One practi...

Phase Transformations and Microstructural Evolution: Part I

DOE PAGES

Clarke, Amy Jean

2015-08-29

The activities of the Phase Transformations Committee of the Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division (MPMD) of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) are oriented toward understanding the fundamental aspects of phase transformations. Emphasis is placed on the thermodynamic driving forces for phase transformations, the kinetics of nucleation and growth, interfacial structures and energies, transformation crystallography, surface reliefs, and, above all, the atomic mechanisms of phase transformations. Phase transformations and microstructural evolution are directly linked to materials processing, properties, and performance, including in extreme environments, of structural metal alloys. In this paper, aspects of phase transformations and microstructural evolution aremore » highlighted from the atomic to the microscopic scale for ferrous and non-ferrous alloys. Many papers from this issue are highlighted with small summaries of their scientific achievements given.« less

Some issues for blast from a structural reactive material solid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, F.

2018-07-01

Structural reactive material (SRM) is consolidated from a mixture of micro- or nanometric reactive metals and metal compounds to the mixture theoretical maximum density. An SRM can thus possess a higher energy density, relying on various exothermic reactions, and higher mechanical strength and heat resistance than that of conventional CHNO explosives. Progress in SRM solid studies is reviewed specifically as an energy source for air blast through the reaction of fine SRM fragments under explosive loading. This includes a baseline SRM solid explosion characterization, material properties of an SRM solid, and its dynamic fine fragmentation mechanisms and fragment reaction mechanisms. The overview is portrayed mainly from the author's own experimental studies combined with theoretical and numerical explanation. These advances have laid down some fundamentals for the next stage of developments.

Some issues for blast from a structural reactive material solid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, F.

2018-03-01

Structural reactive material (SRM) is consolidated from a mixture of micro- or nanometric reactive metals and metal compounds to the mixture theoretical maximum density. An SRM can thus possess a higher energy density, relying on various exothermic reactions, and higher mechanical strength and heat resistance than that of conventional CHNO explosives. Progress in SRM solid studies is reviewed specifically as an energy source for air blast through the reaction of fine SRM fragments under explosive loading. This includes a baseline SRM solid explosion characterization, material properties of an SRM solid, and its dynamic fine fragmentation mechanisms and fragment reaction mechanisms. The overview is portrayed mainly from the author's own experimental studies combined with theoretical and numerical explanation. These advances have laid down some fundamentals for the next stage of developments.

Simulation in Metallurgical Processing: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludwig, Andreas; Wu, Menghuai; Kharicha, Abdellah

2016-08-01

This article briefly addresses the most important topics concerning numerical simulation of metallurgical processes, namely, multiphase issues (particle and bubble motion and flotation/sedimentation of equiaxed crystals during solidification), multiphysics issues (electromagnetic stirring, electro-slag remelting, Cu-electro-refining, fluid-structure interaction, and mushy zone deformation), process simulations on graphical processing units, integrated computational materials engineering, and automatic optimization via simulation. The present state-of-the-art as well as requirements for future developments are presented and briefly discussed.

Physics-Based Simulation and Experiment on Blast Protection of Infill Walls and Sandwich Composites Using New Generation of Nano Particle Reinforced Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irshidat, Mohammad

A critical issue for the development of nanotechnology is our ability to understand, model, and simulate the behavior of small structures and to make the connection between nano structure properties and their macroscopic functions. Material modeling and simulation helps to understand the process, to set the objectives that could guide laboratory efforts, and to control material structures, properties, and processes at physical implementation. These capabilities are vital to engineering design at the component and systems level. In this research, experimental-computational-analytical program was employed to investigate the performance of the new generation of polymeric nano-composite materials, like nano-particle reinforced elastomeric materials (NPREM), for the protection of masonry structures against blast loads. New design tools for using these kinds of materials to protect Infill Walls (e.g. masonry walls) against blast loading were established. These tools were also extended to cover other type of panels like sandwich composites. This investigation revealed that polymeric nano composite materials are strain rate sensitive and have large amount of voids distributed randomly inside the materials. Results from blast experiments showed increase in ultimate flexural resistance achieved by both unreinforced and nano reinforced polyurea retrofit systems applied to infill masonry walls. It was also observed that a thin elastomeric coating on the interior face of the walls could be effective at minimizing the fragmentation resulting from blast. More conclusions are provided with recommended future research.

Fiber optics in composite materials: materials with nerves of glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Measures, Raymond M.

1990-08-01

A Fiber Optic BasedSmart Structure wiipossess a structurally integrated optical microsensor system for determining its state. This built-in sensor system should, in real-time, be able to: evaluate the strain or deformation of a structure, monitor if its vibrating or subject to excessive loads, check its temperature and warn of the appearance of any hot spots. In addition a Smart Structure should maintain a vigilant survelliance over its structural integrity. The successful development of Smart StructureTechnolgy could lead to: aircraft that are safer, lighter, more efficient, easier to maintain and to service; pipelines, pressure vessels and storage tanks that constantly monitor their structuralintegrity and immediately issue an alert ifany problem is detected; space platforms that check forpressure leaks, unwanted vibration, excess thermal buildup, and deviation from some preassigned shape.This technology is particularly appropriate for composite materials where internal damage generated by: impacts, manufacturing flaws, excessive loading or fatigue could be detected and assessed. In service monitoring of structural loads, especially in regions like wing roots of aircraft, could be ofconsiderable benefit in helping to avoid structural overdesign and reduce weight. Structurally imbedded optical fibers sensors might also serve to monitor the cure state of composite thermosets during their fabrication and thereby contribute to improved quality control of these products.

Insight into the Atomic Structure of High-Voltage Spinel LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O4 Cathode Material in the First Cycle

DOE PAGES

Huang, Xuejie; Yu, Xiqian; Lin, Mingxiang; ...

2014-12-22

Application of high-voltage spinel LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O4 cathode material is the closest and the most realistic approach to meeting the midterm goal of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). However, this application has been hampered by long-standing issues, such as capacity degradation and poor first-cycle Coulombic efficiency of LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O4 cathode material. Although it is well-known that the structure of LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O4 into which Li ions are reversibly intercalated plays a critical role in the above issues, performance degradation related to structural changes, particularly in the first cycle, are not fully understood.more » Here, we report detailed investigations of local atomic-level and average structure of LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O4 during first cycle (3.5–4.9 V) at room temperature. We observed two types of local atomic-level migration of transition metals (TM) ions in the cathode of a well-prepared LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O4//Li half-cell during first charge via an aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Surface regions (~2 nm) of the cycled LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O4 particles show migration of TM ions into tetrahedral Li sites to form a Mn 3O 4-like structure. However, subsurface regions of the cycled particles exhibit migration of TM ions into empty octahedral sites to form a rocksalt-like structure. The migration of these TM ions are closely related to dissolution of Ni/Mn ions and building-up of charge transfer impedance, which contribute significantly to the capacity degradation and the poor first-cycle Coulombic efficiency of spinel LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O4 cathode material. Accordingly, we provide suggestions of effective stabilization of LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O4 structure to obtain better electrochemical performance.« less

Porous Materials for Hydrolytic Dehydrogenation of Ammonia Borane

PubMed Central

Umegaki, Tetsuo; Xu, Qiang; Kojima, Yoshiyuki

2015-01-01

Hydrogen storage is still one of the most significant issues hindering the development of a “hydrogen energy economy”. Ammonia borane is notable for its high hydrogen densities. For the material, one of the main challenges is to release efficiently the maximum amount of the stored hydrogen. Hydrolysis reaction is a promising process by which hydrogen can be easily generated from this compound. High purity hydrogen from this compound can be evolved in the presence of solid acid or metal based catalyst. The reaction performance depends on the morphology and/or structure of these materials. In this review, we survey the research on nanostructured materials, especially porous materials for hydrogen generation from hydrolysis of ammonia borane. PMID:28793453

Preparation, one- and two-photon properties of carbazole derivatives containing nitrogen heterocyclic ring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yichi; Wang, Ping; Li, Liang; Chen, Zhimin; He, Chunying; Wu, Yiqun

Preparation of recording materials with high two-photon absorption activities is one of the important issues to superhigh- density two-photon absorption (TPA) three-dimensional (3D) optical data storage. In this paper, three new carbazole derivatives containing nitrogen heterocyclic ring with symmetric and asymmetric structures are prepared using ethylene as the π bridge between the carbazole unit and nitrogen heterocyclic ring, namely, 9-butyl-3-(2-(1,8- naphthyridin)vinyl)-carbazole (material 1), 9-butyl-3,6-bis(2-(1,8-naphthyl)vinyl)-carbazole (material 2) and 9-butyl-3,6- bis(2-(quinolin)vinyl)-carbazole (material 3). Their one photon properties including linear absorption spectra, fluorescence emission spectra, and fluorescence quantum yields are studied. The fluorescence excited by 120 fs pulse at 800 nm Ti: sapphire laser operating at 1 kHz repetition rate with different incident powers of 9-butyl-3-(2-(quinolin) vinyl)-carbazole (material 3) was investigated, and two-photon absorption cross-sections has been obtained. It is shown that material 3 containing quinoline rings as electron acceptor with symmetric structure exhibit high two-photon absorption activity. The result implies that material 3 (9-butyl-3-(2-(quinolin) vinyl)-carbazole) is a good candidate as a promising recording material for super-high-density two-photon absorption (TPA) three-dimensional (3D) optical data storage. The influence of chemical structure of the materials on the optical properties is discussed.

Issues in Space Radiation Protection: Galactic Cosmic Rays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. W.; Kim, M.; Schimmerling, W.; Badavi, F. F.; Thibeault, S. A.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Shinn, J. L.; Kiefer, R.

1995-01-01

With shielding from cosmic heavy ions, one is faced with limited knowledge about the physical properties and biological responses of these radiations. Herein, the current status of space shielding technology and its impact on radiation health is discussed in terms of conventional protection practice and a test biological response model. The impact of biological response on optimum materials selection for cosmic ray shielding is presented in terms of the transmission characteristics of the shield material. Although liquid hydrogen gas is an optimum shield material, evaluation of the effectiveness of polymeric structural materials must await improvement in our knowledge of both the biological response and the nuclear processes.

Progress on first-principles-based materials design for hydrogen storage.

PubMed

Park, Noejung; Choi, Keunsu; Hwang, Jeongwoon; Kim, Dong Wook; Kim, Dong Ok; Ihm, Jisoon

2012-12-04

This article briefly summarizes the research activities in the field of hydrogen storage in sorbent materials and reports our recent works and future directions for the design of such materials. Distinct features of sorption-based hydrogen storage methods are described compared with metal hydrides and complex chemical hydrides. We classify the studies of hydrogen sorbent materials in terms of two key technical issues: (i) constructing stable framework structures with high porosity, and (ii) increasing the binding affinity of hydrogen molecules to surfaces beyond the usual van der Waals interaction. The recent development of reticular chemistry is summarized as a means for addressing the first issue. Theoretical studies focus mainly on the second issue and can be grouped into three classes according to the underlying interaction mechanism: electrostatic interactions based on alkaline cations, Kubas interactions with open transition metals, and orbital interactions involving Ca and other nontransitional metals. Hierarchical computational methods to enable the theoretical predictions are explained, from ab initio studies to molecular dynamics simulations using force field parameters. We also discuss the actual delivery amount of stored hydrogen, which depends on the charging and discharging conditions. The usefulness and practical significance of the hydrogen spillover mechanism in increasing the storage capacity are presented as well.

Progress on first-principles-based materials design for hydrogen storage

PubMed Central

Park, Noejung; Choi, Keunsu; Hwang, Jeongwoon; Kim, Dong Wook; Kim, Dong Ok; Ihm, Jisoon

2012-01-01

This article briefly summarizes the research activities in the field of hydrogen storage in sorbent materials and reports our recent works and future directions for the design of such materials. Distinct features of sorption-based hydrogen storage methods are described compared with metal hydrides and complex chemical hydrides. We classify the studies of hydrogen sorbent materials in terms of two key technical issues: (i) constructing stable framework structures with high porosity, and (ii) increasing the binding affinity of hydrogen molecules to surfaces beyond the usual van der Waals interaction. The recent development of reticular chemistry is summarized as a means for addressing the first issue. Theoretical studies focus mainly on the second issue and can be grouped into three classes according to the underlying interaction mechanism: electrostatic interactions based on alkaline cations, Kubas interactions with open transition metals, and orbital interactions involving Ca and other nontransitional metals. Hierarchical computational methods to enable the theoretical predictions are explained, from ab initio studies to molecular dynamics simulations using force field parameters. We also discuss the actual delivery amount of stored hydrogen, which depends on the charging and discharging conditions. The usefulness and practical significance of the hydrogen spillover mechanism in increasing the storage capacity are presented as well. PMID:23161910

Ultrathin 2D Photocatalysts: Electronic-Structure Tailoring, Hybridization, and Applications.

PubMed

Di, Jun; Xiong, Jun; Li, Huaming; Liu, Zheng

2018-01-01

As a sustainable technology, semiconductor photocatalysis has attracted considerable interest in the past several decades owing to the potential to relieve or resolve energy and environmental-pollution issues. By virtue of their unique structural and electronic properties, emerging ultrathin 2D materials with appropriate band structure show enormous potential to achieve efficient photocatalytic performance. Here, the state-of-the-art progress on ultrathin 2D photocatalysts is reviewed and a critical appraisal of the classification, controllable synthesis, and formation mechanism of ultrathin 2D photocatalysts is presented. Then, different strategies to tailor the electronic structure of ultrathin 2D photocatalysts are summarized, including component tuning, thickness tuning, doping, and defect engineering. Hybridization with the introduction of a foreign component and maintaining the ultrathin 2D structure is presented to further boost the photocatalytic performance, such as quantum dots/2D materials, single atoms/2D materials, molecular/2D materials, and 2D-2D stacking materials. More importantly, the advancement of versatile photocatalytic applications of ultrathin 2D photocatalysts in the fields of water oxidation, hydrogen evolution, CO 2 reduction, nitrogen fixation, organic syntheses, and removal pollutants is discussed. Finally, the future opportunities and challenges regarding ultrathin 2D photocatalysts to bring about new opportunities for future research in the field of photocatalysis are also presented. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Patenting human genetic material: refocusing the debate

PubMed Central

Caulfield, Timothy; Gold, E. Richard; Cho, Mildred K.

2008-01-01

The biotechnology industry has become firmly established over the past twenty years and gene patents have played an important part in this phenomenon. However, concerns have been raised over the patentability of human genetic material, through public protests and international statements, but to little effect. Here we discuss some of these concerns, the patent authorities’ response to them, and ways in which to address these issues and to move the debate forward using current legal structures. PMID:11252752

PREFACE: The First Fifteen Years of Reverse Monte Carlo Modelling, Budapest, Hungary (9--11 October 2003)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keen, David A.; Pusztai, Laszlo; Dove, Martin T.

2005-02-01

This special issue contains a collection of papers reflecting the content of the second workshop on reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) methods, held in a hotel on hills overlooking Budapest in October 2003. Around forty participants gathered to hear talks and discuss a broad range of science based on the RMC technique in very convivial surroundings. Reverse Monte Carlo modelling is a method for producing three-dimensional disordered structural models in quantitative agreement with experimental data. The method was developed in the late 1980’s and has since achieved wide acceptance within the scientific community. It is particularly suitable for studies of the structures of liquid and amorphous materials, although it has also been used for a number of disordered crystalline systems. There is currently a great interest in the properties of disordered materials and this has produced a resurgence in methods for investigating their structures, with an increased number of high-quality instruments at central facilities for neutron and x-ray scattering from disordered materials. Methods such as RMC are currently in great demand for analysing the resulting total scattering and XAS data and the RMC methodology is actively being developed by a number of groups worldwide. Within this context, the RMC workshop was particularly timely, providing a forum for those workers in the field to take stock of past achievements and to look forward to future developments. It is our hope that the collection of papers within this special issue will also communicate this to the wider scientific community, by providing a balance between papers that have more of an introductory review flavour and those that concentrate on current state of the art research opportunities using the RMC method. The order of the papers within this special issue reflects this balance. The first two papers are introductory reviews of the RMC method in general and as applied specifically to crystalline systems, respectively. The next, largest group describes a wide range of scientific applications of the RMC method within liquid, amorphous, crystalline and nanocrystalline materials. The final group of papers have a bias towards method development and testing, particularly with regard to the use of XAS data in RMC modelling. We are very grateful to Institute of Physics Publishing for their willingness to publish the proceedings of this meeting in a special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter.

Porous materials for thermal management under extreme conditions.

PubMed

Clyne, T W; Golosnoy, I O; Tan, J C; Markaki, A E

2006-01-15

A brief analysis is presented of how heat transfer takes place in porous materials of various types. The emphasis is on materials able to withstand extremes of temperature, gas pressure, irradiation, etc. i.e. metals and ceramics, rather than polymers. A primary aim is commonly to maximize either the thermal resistance (i.e. provide insulation) or the rate of thermal equilibration between the material and a fluid passing through it (i.e. to facilitate heat exchange). The main structural characteristics concern porosity (void content), anisotropy, pore connectivity and scale. The effect of scale is complex, since the permeability decreases as the structure is refined, but the interfacial area for fluid-solid heat exchange is, thereby, raised. The durability of the pore structure may also be an issue, with a possible disadvantage of finer scale structures being poor microstructural stability under service conditions. Finally, good mechanical properties may be required, since the development of thermal gradients, high fluid fluxes, etc. can generate substantial levels of stress. There are, thus, some complex interplays between service conditions, pore architecture/scale, fluid permeation characteristics, convective heat flow, thermal conduction and radiative heat transfer. Such interplays are illustrated with reference to three examples: (i) a thermal barrier coating in a gas turbine engine; (ii) a Space Shuttle tile; and (iii) a Stirling engine heat exchanger. Highly porous, permeable materials are often made by bonding fibres together into a network structure and much of the analysis presented here is oriented towards such materials.

Computationally Driven Two-Dimensional Materials Design: What Is Next?

DOE PAGES

Pan, Jie; Lany, Stephan; Qi, Yue

2017-07-17

Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer many key advantages to innovative applications, such as spintronics and quantum information processing. Theoretical computations have accelerated 2D materials design. In this issue of ACS Nano, Kumar et al. report that ferromagnetism can be achieved in functionalized nitride MXene based on first-principles calculations. Their computational results shed light on a potentially vast group of materials for the realization of 2D magnets. In this Perspective, we briefly summarize the promising properties of 2D materials and the role theory has played in predicting these properties. Additionally, we discuss challenges and opportunities to boost the power of computation formore » the prediction of the 'structure-property-process (synthesizability)' relationship of 2D materials.« less

Fabrication of Smooth Patterned Structures of Refractory Metals, Semiconductors, and Oxides via Template Stripping

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The template-stripping method can yield smooth patterned films without surface contamination. However, the process is typically limited to coinage metals such as silver and gold because other materials cannot be readily stripped from silicon templates due to strong adhesion. Herein, we report a more general template-stripping method that is applicable to a larger variety of materials, including refractory metals, semiconductors, and oxides. To address the adhesion issue, we introduce a thin gold layer between the template and the deposited materials. After peeling off the combined film from the template, the gold layer can be selectively removed via wet etching to reveal a smooth patterned structure of the desired material. Further, we demonstrate template-stripped multilayer structures that have potential applications for photovoltaics and solar absorbers. An entire patterned device, which can include a transparent conductor, semiconductor absorber, and back contact, can be fabricated. Since our approach can also produce many copies of the patterned structure with high fidelity by reusing the template, a low-cost and high-throughput process in micro- and nanofabrication is provided that is useful for electronics, plasmonics, and nanophotonics. PMID:24001174

Teaching Controversy by Seminar: An Example in Quaternary Geomorphology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harwood, Doug

1987-01-01

Describes how seminar work can be structured to help students develop skills of critical thinking and expression when discussing controversial issues in their chosen subject. Particular emphasis is given to methods of organizing instructional materials and appropriate roles for seminar leaders. The debate surrounding the existence of a prehistoric…

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

Holm, Christian; Gompper, Gerhard; Dill, Ken A.

This special issue highlights new developments in theory and coarse-graining in biological and synthetic macromolecules and membranes. Such approaches give unique insights into the principles and design of the structures, dynamics, and assembly processes of these complex fluids and soft materials, where the length and time scales are often prohibitively long for fully atomistic modeling.

Defects Detection and Characterization Using Leaky Lamb Wave (LLW) Dispersion Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Y.; Mal, A.; Chang, Z.

1998-01-01

Composite materials are being used at a significant level of usage for flaw critical structures and they are taking a growing percentage of the makeup of aircraft and spacecraft. Composite structues are now reaching service duration, for which the issue of aging is requiring adquate attention.

Aeronautical technologies for the twenty-first century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This study gives an overview of the future technologies in aeronautics. This collaborative effort relies upon the input of numerous experts from around the country. Specific issues covered include subsonic transport aircraft, high-speed civil transport aircraft short-haul aircraft, environmental issues, operational issues, aerodynamics, propulsion, materials and structures, avionics and control, and cognitive engineering. The appendices include bibliography, abbreviations and acronyms, and NASA fiscal year 1992 aeronautics funding (table) and participants. The forward states that over the last decade, foreign aircraft manufacturers have made significant inroads into the global aircraft market, to the detriment of U.S. interests. Recommendations are made to counter that trend.

Optimization of Processing and Modeling Issues for Thin Film Solar Cell Devices Including Concepts for The Development of Polycrystalline Multijunctions: Annual Report; 24 August 1998-23 August 1999

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

Birkmire, R.W.; Phillips, J.E.; Shafarman, W.N.

2000-08-25

This report describes results achieved during phase 1 of a three-phase subcontract to develop and understand thin-film solar cell technology associated to CuInSe{sub 2} and related alloys, a-Si and its alloys, and CdTe. Modules based on all these thin films are promising candidates to meet DOE long-range efficiency, reliability, and manufacturing cost goals. The critical issues being addressed under this program are intended to provide the science and engineering basis for the development of viable commercial processes and to improve module performance. The generic research issues addressed are: (1) quantitative analysis of processing steps to provide information for efficient commercial-scalemore » equipment design and operation; (2) device characterization relating the device performance to materials properties and process conditions; (3) development of alloy materials with different bandgaps to allow improved device structures for stability and compatibility with module design; (4) development of improved window/heterojunction layers and contacts to improve device performance and reliability; and (5) evaluation of cell stability with respect to illumination, temperature, and ambient and with respect to device structure and module encapsulation.« less

Hybrid Composite Material and Solid Particle Erosion Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chellaganesh, D.; Khan, M. Adam; Ashif, A. Mohamed; Ragul Selvan, T.; Nachiappan, S.; Winowlin Jappes, J. T.

2018-04-01

Composite is one of the predominant material for most challenging engineering components. Most of the components are in the place of automobile structure, aircraft structures, and wind turbine blade and so on. At the same all the components are indulged to mechanical loading. Recent research on composite material are machinability, wear, tear and corrosion studies. One of the major issue on recent research was solid particle air jet erosion. In this paper hybrid composite material with and without filler. The fibre are in the combination of hemp – kevlar (60:40 wt.%) as reinforcement using epoxy as a matrix. The natural material palm and coconut shell are used as filler materials in the form of crushed powder. The process parameter involved are air jet velocity, volume of erodent and angle of impingement. Experiment performed are in eight different combinations followed from 2k (k = 3) factorial design. From the investigation surface morphology was studied using electron microscope. Mass change with respect to time are used to calculate wear rate and the influence of the process parameters. While solid particle erosion the hard particle impregnates in soft matrix material. Influence of filler material has reduced the wear and compared to plain natural composite material.

Designing optimized ultra-lightweighted mirror structures made of Cesic for space and ground based applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofbauer, Peter; Krödel, Matthias R.

2010-07-01

Today's space applications increasingly utilize lightweighted construction concepts, motivated by the demands of manufacturing and functionality, and by economics. Particularly for space optics, mirror stability and stiffness need to be maximized, while mass needs to be minimized. Therefore, mirror materials must possess, besides high material strength and manufacturing versatility, high thermal conductivity combined with low heat capacity and long-term stability against varying thermal loads. Additionally, optical surfaces need to be compatible with reflective coating materials. In order to achieve these requirements, the interplay between material properties and mirror design on one hand, and budgetary constraints on the other must be considered. In this paper, we address these issues by presenting an FEM design study of open and closed-back mirror structures with extremely thin reinforcing ribs, with the goal of obtaining optimal physical and optical characteristics. Furthermore, we show that ECM's carbon-fiber reinforced SiC composite, Cesic®, and its newly developed, HB-Cesic® , with their low CTE, low density, and high stiffness, are not only excellent mirror materials, but allow the rapid manufacturing of complex monolithic optical structures at reasonable cost.

A Survey of Emerging Materials for Revolutionary Aerospace Vehicle Structures and Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Charles E.; Shuart, Mark J.; Gray, Hugh R.

2002-01-01

The NASA Strategic Plan identifies the long-term goal of providing safe and affordable space access, orbital transfer, and interplanetary transportation capabilities to enable scientific research, human, and robotic exploration, and the commercial development of space. Numerous scientific and engineering breakthroughs will be required to develop the technology required to achieve this goal. Critical technologies include advanced vehicle primary and secondary structure, radiation protection, propulsion and power systems, fuel storage, electronics and devices, sensors and science instruments, and medical diagnostics and treatment. Advanced materials with revolutionary new capabilities are an essential element of each of these technologies. A survey of emerging materials with applications to aerospace vehicle structures and propulsion systems was conducted to assist in long-term Agency mission planning. The comprehensive survey identified materials already under development that could be available in 5 to 10 years and those that are still in the early research phase and may not be available for another 20 to 30 years. The survey includes typical properties, a description of the material and processing methods, the current development status, and the critical issues that must be overcome to achieve commercial viability.

Issues in deep space radiation protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. W.; Shinn, J. L.; Tripathi, R. K.; Singleterry, R. C.; Clowdsley, M. S.; Thibeault, S. A.; Cheatwood, F. M.; Schimmerling, W.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Badhwar, G. D.;

Sol Gel-Derived SBA-16 Mesoporous Material

PubMed Central

Rivera-Muñoz, Eric M.; Huirache-Acuña, Rafael

2010-01-01

The aim of this article is to review current knowledge related to the synthesis and characterization of sol gel-derived SBA-16 mesoporous silicas, as well as a review of the state of the art in this issue, to take stock of knowledge about current and future applications. The ease of the method of preparation, the orderly structure, size and shape of their pores and control, all these achievable through simple changes in the method of synthesis, makes SBA-16 a very versatile material, potentially applicable in many areas of science and molecular engineering of materials. PMID:20957080

Materials Selection Criteria for Nuclear Power Applications: A Decision Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Prieto, Álvaro; Camacho, Ana María; Sebastián, Miguel Ángel

2016-02-01

An innovative methodology based on stringency levels is proposed in this paper and improves the current selection method for structural materials used in demanding industrial applications. This paper describes a new approach for quantifying the stringency of materials requirements based on a novel deterministic algorithm to prevent potential failures. We have applied the new methodology to different standardized specifications used in pressure vessels design, such as SA-533 Grade B Cl.1, SA-508 Cl.3 (issued by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers), DIN 20MnMoNi55 (issued by the German Institute of Standardization) and 16MND5 (issued by the French Nuclear Commission) specifications and determine the influence of design code selection. This study is based on key scientific publications on the influence of chemical composition on the mechanical behavior of materials, which were not considered when the technological requirements were established in the aforementioned specifications. For this purpose, a new method to quantify the efficacy of each standard has been developed using a deterministic algorithm. The process of assigning relative weights was performed by consulting a panel of experts in materials selection for reactor pressure vessels to provide a more objective methodology; thus, the resulting mathematical calculations for quantitative analysis are greatly simplified. The final results show that steel DIN 20MnMoNi55 is the best material option. Additionally, more recently developed materials such as DIN 20MnMoNi55, 16MND5 and SA-508 Cl.3 exhibit mechanical requirements more stringent than SA-533 Grade B Cl.1. The methodology presented in this paper can be used as a decision tool in selection of materials for a wide range of applications.

Technology development status at McDonnell Douglas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rowe, W. T.

1981-01-01

The significant technology items of the Concorde and the conceptual MCD baseline advanced supersonic transport are compared. The four major improvements are in the areas of range performance, structures (materials), aerodynamics, and in community noise. Presentation charts show aerodynamic efficiency; the reoptimized wing; low scale lift/drag ratio; control systems; structural modeling and analysis; weight and cost comparisons for superplasticity diffusion bonded titanium sandwich structures and for aluminum brazed titanium honeycomb structures; operating cost reduction; suppressor nozzles; noise reduction and range; the bicone inlet; a market summary; environmental issues; high priority items; the titanium wing and fuselage test components; and technology validation.

EDITORIAL: Special issue on green photonics Special issue on green photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boardman, Allan; Brongersma, Mark; Polman, Albert

2012-02-01

Photovoltaic (PV) cells can provide virtually unlimited amounts of energy by effectively converting sunlight into clean electrical power. Over the years, significant research and development efforts have been devoted to improving the structural and charge transport properties of the materials used in PV cells. Despite these efforts, the current energy conversion efficiencies of commercial solar cells are still substantially lower than the ultimate limits set by thermodynamics. Economic arguments in addition to the scarcity of some semiconductors and materials used in transparent conductive oxides are also driving us to use less and less material in a cell. For these reasons, it is clear that new approaches need to be found. One possible solution that is more-or-less orthogonal to previous approaches is aimed at managing the photons rather than the electrons or atoms in a cell. This type of photon management is termed Green Photonics. Nano- and micro-photonic trapping techniques are currently gaining significant attention. The use of engineered plasmonic and high refractive index structures shows tremendous potential for enhancing the light absorption per unit volume in semiconductors. Unfortunately, the design space in terms of the nanostructure sizes, shapes, and array structures is too large to allow for optimization of PV cells using brute force simulations. For this reason, new intuitive models and rapid optimization techniques for advanced light trapping technologies need to be developed. At the same time we need to come up with new, inexpensive, and scalable nanostructure fabrication and optical characterization techniques in order to realize the dream of inexpensive, high power conversion efficiency cells that make economic sense. This special issue discusses some of the exciting new approaches to light trapping that leverage the most recent advances in the field of nanophotonics. It also provides some insights into why giving the green light to green photonics may help play a role in resolving the pending energy crisis.The papers included in this `green photonics' special issue demonstrate current global activity, involving a wide range of distinguished authors.

Bio-inspired fabrication of stimuli-responsive photonic crystals with hierarchical structures and their applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Tao; Peng, Wenhong; Zhu, Shenmin; Zhang, Di

2016-03-01

When the constitutive materials of photonic crystals (PCs) are stimuli-responsive, the resultant PCs exhibit optical properties that can be tuned by the stimuli. This can be exploited for promising applications in colour displays, biological and chemical sensors, inks and paints, and many optically active components. However, the preparation of the required photonic structures is the first issue to be solved. In the past two decades, approaches such as microfabrication and self-assembly have been developed to incorporate stimuli-responsive materials into existing periodic structures for the fabrication of PCs, either as the initial building blocks or as the surrounding matrix. Generally, the materials that respond to thermal, pH, chemical, optical, electrical, or magnetic stimuli are either soft or aggregate, which is why the manufacture of three-dimensional hierarchical photonic structures with responsive properties is a great challenge. Recently, inspired by biological PCs in nature which exhibit both flexible and responsive properties, researchers have developed various methods to synthesize metals and metal oxides with hierarchical structures by using a biological PC as the template. This review will focus on the recent developments in this field. In particular, PCs with biological hierarchical structures that can be tuned by external stimuli have recently been successfully fabricated. These findings offer innovative insights into the design of responsive PCs and should be of great importance for future applications of these materials.

Overview of mechanics of materials branch activities in the computational structures area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poe, C. C., Jr.

1992-01-01

Base programs and system programs are discussed. The base programs include fundamental research of composites and metals for airframes leading to characterization of advanced materials, models of behavior, and methods for predicting damage tolerance. Results from the base programs support the systems programs, which change as NASA's missions change. The National Aerospace Plane (NASP), Advanced Composites Technology (ACT), Airframe Structural Integrity Program (Aging Aircraft), and High Speed Research (HSR) programs are currently being supported. Airframe durability is one of the key issues in each of these system programs. The base program has four major thrusts, which will be reviewed subsequently. Additionally, several technical highlights will be reviewed for each thrust.

3rd International Conference on Structural Nano Composites (NANOSTRUC2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Njuguna, J.

2017-05-01

The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen hosted The NANOSTRUC 2016 in Aberdeen (Scotland, United Kingdom). The conference focused on ‘Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies - Recent Advances towards Nanoproducts and Applications’. It promoted activities in various areas on materials and structures by providing a forum for exchange of ideas, presentation of technical achievements and discussion of future directions. The conference benefitted from keynote lectures focused on topical issues in nanosciences and nanotechnology. The key sessions were on Application of Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites, Functional Nanocomposites, Graphene and Carbon-based Nanocomposites, Metallic and Metals Oxide Nanocomposites, Sustainability - Nanosafety & Environment, Toughness of Polymer Nanocomposites, Biocomposites and Nanofibres and on Fibre Reinforced Composites. A sample of papers presented at the NANOSTRUC 2016 are briefly summarised in this Issue

Formation of Hierarchical Cu-Doped CoSe2 Microboxes via Sequential Ion Exchange for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Fang, Yongjin; Yu, Xin-Yao; Lou, Xiong Wen David

2018-04-06

Electrode materials based on electrochemical conversion reactions have received considerable interest for high capacity anodes of sodium-ion batteries. However, their practical application is greatly hindered by the poor rate capability and rapid capacity fading. Tuning the structure at nanoscale and increasing the conductivity of these anode materials are two effective strategies to address these issues. Herein, a two-step ion-exchange method is developed to synthesize hierarchical Cu-doped CoSe 2 microboxes assembled by ultrathin nanosheets using Co-Co Prussian blue analogue microcubes as the starting material. Benefitting from the structural and compositional advantages, these Cu-doped CoSe 2 microboxes with improved conductivity exhibit enhanced sodium storage properties in terms of good rate capability and excellent cycling performance. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Composite structures for magnetosphere imager spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chu, Tsuchin

1994-01-01

Results of a trade study addressing the issues and benefits in using carbon fiber reinforced composites for the Magnetosphere Imager (MI) spacecraft are presented. The MI mission is now part of the Sun/Earth Connection Program. To qualify for this category, new technology and innovative methods to reduce the cost and size have to be considered. Topics addressed cover: (1) what is a composite, including advantages and disadvantages of composites and carbon/graphite fibers; and (2) structural design for MI, including composite design configuration, material selection, and analysis of composite structures.

Structural design methodologies for ceramic-based material systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duffy, Stephen F.; Chulya, Abhisak; Gyekenyesi, John P.

1991-01-01

One of the primary pacing items for realizing the full potential of ceramic-based structural components is the development of new design methods and protocols. The focus here is on low temperature, fast-fracture analysis of monolithic, whisker-toughened, laminated, and woven ceramic composites. A number of design models and criteria are highlighted. Public domain computer algorithms, which aid engineers in predicting the fast-fracture reliability of structural components, are mentioned. Emphasis is not placed on evaluating the models, but instead is focused on the issues relevant to the current state of the art.

AMSAHTS 1990: Advances in Materials Science and Applications of High Temperature Superconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, Larry H. (Editor); Flom, Yury (Editor); Moorjani, Kishin (Editor)

1991-01-01

This publication is comprised of abstracts for oral and poster presentations scheduled for AMSAHTS '90. The conference focused on understanding high temperature superconductivity with special emphasis on materials issues and applications. AMSAHTS 90, highlighted the state of the art in fundamental understanding of the nature of high-Tc superconductivity (HTSC) as well as the chemistry, structure, properties, processing and stability of HTSC oxides. As a special feature of the conference, space applications of HTSC were discussed by NASA and Navy specialists.

The Reliability Mandate: Optimizing the Use of Highly Reliable Parts, Materials, and Processes (PM&P) to Maximize System Component Reliability in the Life Cycle

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-06-01

projects are converted into bricks and mortar , as Figure 5 illustrates. Making major changes in LCC after projects are turned over to production is...matter experts ( SMEs ) in the parts, materials, and processes functional area. Data gathering and analysis were conducted through structured interviews...The analysis synthesized feedback and searched for collective issues from the various SMEs on managing PM&P Program requirements, the

Rigid Biological Systems as Models for Synthetic Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, George

2005-11-01

Advances that have been made in understanding the mechanisms underlying the mechanical behavior of a number of biological materials (namely mollusk shells and sponge spicules) are discussed here. Attempts at biomimicry of the structure of a nacreous layer of a mollusk shell have shown reasonable success. However, they have revealed additional issues that must be addressed if new synthetic composite materials that are based on natural systems are to be constructed. Some of the important advantages and limitations of copying from nature are also described here.

Dynamic Loading and Characterization of Fiber-Reinforced Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sierakowski, Robert L.; Chaturvedi, Shive K.

1997-02-01

Emphasizing polymer based fiber-reinforced composites, this book is designed to provide readers with a significant understanding of the complexities involved in characterizing dynamic events and the corresponding response of advanced fiber composite materials and structures. These elements include dynamic loading devices, material properties characterization, analytical and experimental techniques to assess the damage and failure modes associated with various dynamic loading events. Concluding remarks are presented throughout the text which summarize key points and raise issues related to important research needed.

Exploring Lithium Deficiency in Layered Oxide Cathode for Li-Ion Battery

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

Cho, Sung-Jin; Uddin, Md-Jamal; Alaboina, Pankaj K.

Abstract or short description: The ever-growing demand for high capacity cathode materials is on the rise since the futuristic applications are knocking on the door. Conventional approach to developing such cathode relies on the lithium-excess materials to operate the cathode at high voltage and extract more lithium-ion. Yet, they fail to satiate the needs because of their unresolved issues upon cycling such as, for lithium manganese-rich layered oxides – their voltage fading, and for as nickel-based layered oxides – the structural transition. Here, in contrast, lithium-deficient ratio is demonstrated as a new approach to attain high capacity at high voltagemore » for layered oxide cathodes. Rapid and cost effective lithiation of a porous hydroxide precursor with lithium deficient ratio acted as a driving force to partially convert the layered material to spinel phase yielding in a multiphase structure (MPS) cathode material. Upon cycling, MPS revealed structural stability at high voltage and high temperature and resulted in fast lithium-ion diffusion by providing a distinctive SEI chemistry – MPS displayed minimum lithium loss in SEI and formed a thinner SEI. MPS thus offer high energy and high power applications and provides a new perspective compared to the conventional layered cathode materials denying the focus for lithium excess material.« less

Tin-based anode materials with well-designed architectures for next-generation lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lehao; Xie, Fan; Lyu, Jing; Zhao, Tingkai; Li, Tiehu; Choi, Bong Gill

2016-07-01

Tin (Sn) has long been considered to be a promising replacement anode material for graphite in next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), because of its attractive comprehensive advantages of high gravimetric/volumetric capacities, environmental benignity, low cost, high safety, etc. However, Sn-based anodes suffer from severe capacity fading resulting mainly from their large volume expansions/contractions during lithiation/delithiation and subsequent pulverization, coalescence, delamination from current collectors, and poor Li+/electron transport. To circumvent these issues, a number of extraordinary architectures from nanostructures to anchored, layered/sandwich, core-shell, porous and even integrated structures have been exquisitely constructed to enhance the cycling performance. To cater for the rapid development of Sn-based anodes, we summarize the advances made in structural design principles, fabrication methods, morphological features and battery performance with focus on material structures. In addition, we identify the associated challenges and problems presented by recently-developed anodes and offer suggestions and perspectives for facilitating their practical implementations in next-generation LIBs.

Australian defence requirements and initiatives in smart materials and structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Alan R.; Galea, Stephen C.; Scala, Christine; Wong, Albert

2002-11-01

The Australian Defence Force is increasingly facing escalating costs on through-life support for major platforms (ships, aircraft and land vehicles). The application of smart materials and structures technologies in platform management systems is seen as a very promising approach to reduce these costs and to potentially achieve significant enhancement of platform capability. A new DSTO Key Initiative, 'Smart Materials and Structures', has been recently developed and funded to address these technologies. The Initiative will build on and grow the current activities within DSTO and promote collaboration with external Australian institutes and industry. This paper will present an overview of the Initiative and the generic sensor and system issues inherent in the 'whole-of-platform' and 'whole-of-life' monitoring and management of major defence platforms. Examples for some particular elements of this will be drawn from current work in DSTO. Other presentations in the conference will cover the technical and scientific aspects of these in more detail.

Non-Nuclear Testing of Fission Technologies at NASA MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houts, Robert G.; Pearson, J. Boise; Aschenbrenner, Kenneth C.; Bradley, David E.; Dickens, Ricky E.; Emrich, William J.; Garber, Anne E.; Godfroy, Thomas J.; Harper, Roger T.; Martin, Jim J.;

Foreign Trip Report MATGEN-IV Sep 24- Oct 26, 2007

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

de Caro, M S

2007-10-30

Gen-IV activities in France, Japan and US focus on the development of new structural materials for Gen-IV nuclear reactors. Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) F/M steels have raised considerable interest in nuclear applications. Promising collaborations can be established seeking fundamental knowledge of relevant Gen-IV ODS steel properties (see attached travel report on MATGEN- IV 'Materials for Generation IV Nuclear Reactors'). Major highlights refer to results on future Ferritic/Martensitic steel cladding candidates (relevant to Gen-IV materials properties for LFR Materials Program) and on thermodynamic and mechanic behavior of metallic FeCr binary alloys, base matrix for future candidate steels (for the LLNL-LDRD projectmore » on Critical Issues on Materials for Gen-IV Reactors).« less

Porous graphene materials for water remediation.

PubMed

Niu, Zhiqiang; Liu, Lili; Zhang, Li; Chen, Xiaodong

2014-09-10

Water remediation has been a critical issue over the past decades due to the expansion of wastewater discharge to the environment. Currently, a variety of functional materials have been successfully prepared for water remediation applications. Among them, graphene is an attractive candidate due to its high specific surface area, tunable surface behavior, and high strength. This Concept paper summarizes the design strategy of porous graphene materials and their applications in water remediation, such as the cleanup of oil, removal of heavy metal ions, and elimination of water soluble organic contaminants. The progress made so far will guide further development in structure design strategy of porous materials based on graphene and exploration of such materials in environmental remediation. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nonlinear optical thin films

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leslie, Thomas M.

1993-01-01

A focused approach to development and evaluation of organic polymer films for use in optoelectronics is presented. The issues and challenges that are addressed include: (1) material synthesis, purification, and the tailoring of the material properties; (2) deposition of uniform thin films by a variety of methods; (3) characterization of material physical properties (thermal, electrical, optical, and electro-optical); and (4) device fabrication and testing. Photonic materials, devices, and systems were identified as critical technology areas by the Department of Commerce and the Department of Defense. This approach offers strong integration of basic material issues through engineering applications by the development of materials that can be exploited as the active unit in a variety of polymeric thin film devices. Improved materials were developed with unprecedented purity and stability. The absorptive properties can be tailored and controlled to provide significant improvement in propagation losses and nonlinear performance. Furthermore, the materials were incorporated into polymers that are highly compatible with fabrication and patterning processes for integrated optical devices and circuits. By simultaneously addressing the issues of materials development and characterization, keeping device design and fabrication in mind, many obstacles were overcome for implementation of these polymeric materials and devices into systems. We intend to considerably improve the upper use temperature, poling stability, and compatibility with silicon based devices. The principal device application that was targeted is a linear electro-optic modulation etalon. Organic polymers need to be properly designed and coupled with existing integrated circuit technology to create new photonic devices for optical communication, image processing, other laser applications such as harmonic generation, and eventually optical computing. The progression from microscopic sample to a suitable film-forming material in a working device is a complex, multifaceted endeavor. It requires close attention to maintaining the optical properties of the electro-optic active portion of the polymer while manipulating the polymer structure to obtain the desired secondary polymer properties.

Grounded Theory as a Methodology to Design Teaching Strategies for Historically Informed Musical Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mateos-Moreno, Daniel; Alcaraz-Iborra, Mario

2013-01-01

Our work highlights the necessity of revising the materials employed in instrumental education, which are systematically based on a progressive development of technical abilities and, though only transversely, without a structured sequence of contents, on issues referring to the interpretation of different periods and styles. In order to elaborate…

A Structural and Functional Model of Teachers' Monitoring Skills Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masalimova, Alfiya R.; Barinova, Nataliya A.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the present issue is caused by a strong need to conduct monitoring processes in all types of teaching processes and a poor development of theoretical, content and technological, scientific and methodological material for teachers' monitoring skills development during their teaching practice. The aim of the article is to create and…

Patterns of Change within the Publishing Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sirianni, F. J.

This is one of several papers presented at a Federal Trade Commission Symposium on Media Concentration. It reviews the controversy between book publishers and the Authors Guild concerning the control of already published materials and the future of publishing, and it analyzes the market structure in order to put the issues into perspective. Some…

On Teacher Professional Development: Improving Professional Qualifications and Membership in Professional Teacher Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobkin, V. S.; Adamchuk, D. V.

2015-01-01

The article examines issues related to the professional development of teachers. The presented material is structured according to four main themes: teacher self-assessment of their professional competence; their attitude toward traditional forms of training; their participation in events organized by the educational community and associations;…

Negotiating Energy Dynamics through Embodied Action in a Materially Structured Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scherr, Rachel E.; Close, Hunter G.; Close, Eleanor W.; Flood, Virginia J.; McKagan, Sarah B.; Robertson, Amy D.; Seeley, Lane; Wittmann, Michael C.; Vokos, Stamatis

2013-01-01

We provide evidence that a learning activity called Energy Theater engages learners with key conceptual issues in the learning of energy, including disambiguating matter flow and energy flow and theorizing mechanisms for energy transformation. A participationist theory of learning, in which learning is indicated by changes in speech and behavior,…

Thermographic Assessment of the HAZ Properties and Structure of Thermomechanically Treated Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Górka, Jacek; Janicki, Damian; Fidali, Marek; Jamrozik, Wojciech

2017-12-01

Thermomechanically processed steels are materials of great mechanical properties connected with more than good weldability. This mixture makes them interesting for different types of industrial applications. When creating welded joints, a specified amount of heat is introduced into the welding area and a so called heat-affected zone (HAZ) is formed. The key issue is to reduce the width of the HAZ, because properties of the material in the HAZ are worse than in the base material. In the paper, thermographic measurements of HAZ temperatures were presented as a potential tool for quality assuring the welding process in terms of monitoring and control. The main issue solved was the precise temperature measurement in terms of varying emissivity during a welding thermal cycle. A model of emissivity changes was elaborated and successfully applied. Additionally, material in the HAZ was tested to reveal its properties and connect changes of those properties with heating parameters. The obtained results prove that correctly modeled emissivity allows measurement of temperature, which is a valuable tool for welding process monitoring.

Topics in LIFE Target Survival: 11-SI-004 Final Report

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

Miles, Robin; Benett, Bill; Bond, Tiziana

The LIFE target design incorporates many considerations to generate the desired fusion gain including the physics design, the cost of manufacturing of the target, the injectability of the target, the aerodynamic flight characteristics of the target, the ability to track and engage the target and to maintain the structural and thermal integrity of the target. This document describes the effort that was made in support of issues of survivability of the target during injection which included issues massmanufactural materials and processes which could be used in the target.

Advancements in Binder Systems for Solid Freeform Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Ken; Munafo, Paul (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Paper will present recent developments in advanced material binder systems for solid freeform fabrication (SFF) technologies. The advantage of SFF is the capability to custom fabricate complex geometries directly from computer aided design data in layer- by-layer fashion, eliminated the need for traditional fixturing and tooling. Binders allow for the low temperature processing of 'green' structural materials, either metal, ceramic or composite, in traditional rapid prototyping machines. The greatest obstacle comes when green parts must then go through a sintering or burnout process to remove the binders and fully densify the parent material, without damaging or distorting the original part geometry. Critical issues and up-to-date assessments will be delivered on various material systems.

Bioinspired Functional Materials

DOE PAGES

Zheng, Yongmei; Wang, Jingxia; Hou, Yongping; ...

2014-11-25

This special issue is focused on the nanoscale or micro-/nanoscale structures similar to the biological features in multilevels or hierarchy and so on. Research by mimicking biological systems has shown more impact on many applications due to the well-designed micro-/nanostructures inspired from the biological surfaces or interfaces; therefore, the materials may achieve the fascinating functionality. In conclusion, the bioinspired functional materials may be fabricated by developing novel technology or methods such as synthesis, self-assembly, and soft lithography at micro- or nanolevel or multilevels and, in addition, the multidisciplinary procedures of physical or chemical methods and nanotechnology to mimic the biologicalmore » multiscale micro-/nanostructures onto one-/two-dimensional surface materials.« less

Sustainable Sourcing of Global Agricultural Raw Materials: Assessing Gaps in Key Impact and Vulnerability Issues and Indicators

PubMed Central

Springer, Nathaniel P.; Garbach, Kelly; Guillozet, Kathleen; Haden, Van R.; Hedao, Prashant; Hollander, Allan D.; Huber, Patrick R.; Ingersoll, Christina; Langner, Megan; Lipari, Genevieve; Mohammadi, Yaser; Musker, Ruthie; Piatto, Marina; Riggle, Courtney; Schweisguth, Melissa; Sin, Emily; Snider, Sara; Vidic, Nataša; White, Aubrey; Brodt, Sonja; Quinn, James F.; Tomich, Thomas P.

2015-01-01

Understanding how to source agricultural raw materials sustainably is challenging in today’s globalized food system given the variety of issues to be considered and the multitude of suggested indicators for representing these issues. Furthermore, stakeholders in the global food system both impact these issues and are themselves vulnerable to these issues, an important duality that is often implied but not explicitly described. The attention given to these issues and conceptual frameworks varies greatly—depending largely on the stakeholder perspective—as does the set of indicators developed to measure them. To better structure these complex relationships and assess any gaps, we collate a comprehensive list of sustainability issues and a database of sustainability indicators to represent them. To assure a breadth of inclusion, the issues are pulled from the following three perspectives: major global sustainability assessments, sustainability communications from global food companies, and conceptual frameworks of sustainable livelihoods from academic publications. These terms are integrated across perspectives using a common vocabulary, classified by their relevance to impacts and vulnerabilities, and categorized into groups by economic, environmental, physical, human, social, and political characteristics. These issues are then associated with over 2,000 sustainability indicators gathered from existing sources. A gap analysis is then performed to determine if particular issues and issue groups are over or underrepresented. This process results in 44 “integrated” issues—24 impact issues and 36 vulnerability issues —that are composed of 318 “component” issues. The gap analysis shows that although every integrated issue is mentioned at least 40% of the time across perspectives, no issue is mentioned more than 70% of the time. A few issues infrequently mentioned across perspectives also have relatively few indicators available to fully represent them. Issues in the impact framework generally have fewer gaps than those in the vulnerability framework. PMID:26065899

Quantitative modeling of coupled piezo-elastodynamic behavior of piezoelectric actuators bonded to an elastic medium for structural health monitoring: a review.

PubMed

Huang, Guoliang; Song, Fei; Wang, Xiaodong

2010-01-01

Elastic waves, especially guided waves, generated by a piezoelectric actuator/sensor network, have shown great potential for on-line health monitoring of advanced aerospace, nuclear, and automotive structures in recent decades. Piezoelectric materials can function as both actuators and sensors in these applications due to wide bandwidth, quick response and low costs. One of the most fundamental issues surrounding the effective use of piezoelectric actuators is the quantitative evaluation of the resulting elastic wave propagation by considering the coupled piezo-elastodynamic behavior between the actuator and the host medium. Accurate characterization of the local interfacial stress distribution between the actuator and the host medium is the key issue for the problem. This paper presents a review of the development of analytical, numerical and hybrid approaches for modeling of the coupled piezo-elastodynamic behavior. The resulting elastic wave propagation for structural health monitoring is also summarized.

The Status and Prospect of Research into Protective Structures of Bridge Piers against Rockfall Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Liang; Zhang, Shan; Zhang, Junfa; Wu, Xiangnan

2017-06-01

Rockfall impact on bridge piers threats severely the mountain bridge structures of lifeline engineering. Intended for mountain bridge pier protection against rockfall impact, the paper conducted comprehensive reviews on the research status of impact effects, anti-collision structure, impact response to rockfall, and protective design at home and abroad, and proposed a new-type protective structure against rockfall impact. In addition, the paper carried out deep studies on such key scientific issues as impact effect calculation, protective materials against rockfall impact, damage mechanism of protective units, and parameter optimization on the system of protective structures against rockfall impact as well, aiming to strength disaster prevention of mountain bridge structures.

Micromechanical Structures Fabrication

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

Rajic, S

2001-05-08

Work in materials other than silicon for MEMS applications has typically been restricted to metals and metal oxides instead of more ''exotic'' semiconductors. However, group III-V and II-VI semiconductors form a very important and versatile collection of material and electronic parameters available to the MEMS and MOEMS designer. With these materials, not only are the traditional mechanical material variables (thermal conductivity, thermal expansion, Young's modulus, etc.) available, but also chemical constituents can be varied in ternary and quaternary materials. This flexibility can be extremely important for both friction and chemical compatibility issues for MEMS. In addition, the ability to continuallymore » vary the bandgap energy can be particularly useful for many electronics and infrared detection applications. However, there are two major obstacles associated with alternate semiconductor material MEMS. The first issue is the actual fabrication of non-silicon micro-devices and the second impediment is communicating with these novel devices. We have implemented an essentially material independent fabrication method that is amenable to most group III-V and II-VI semiconductors. This technique uses a combination of non-traditional direct write precision fabrication processes such as diamond turning, ion milling, laser ablation, etc. This type of deterministic fabrication approach lends itself to an almost trivial assembly process. We also implemented a mechanical, electrical, and optical self-aligning hybridization technique for these alternate-material MEMS substrates.« less

Blade system design studies volume II : preliminary blade designs and recommended test matrix.

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

Griffin, Dayton A.

2004-06-01

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Partnerships for Advanced Component Technologies (WindPACT) program, Global Energy Concepts, LLC is performing a Blade System Design Study (BSDS) concerning innovations in materials, processes and structural configurations for application to wind turbine blades in the multi-megawatt range. The BSDS Volume I project report addresses issues and constraints identified to scaling conventional blade designs to the megawatt size range, and evaluated candidate materials, manufacturing and design innovations for overcoming and improving large blade economics. The current report (Volume II), presents additional discussion of materials and manufacturing issues for large blades, including amore » summary of current trends in commercial blade manufacturing. Specifications are then developed to guide the preliminary design of MW-scale blades. Using preliminary design calculations for a 3.0 MW blade, parametric analyses are performed to quantify the potential benefits in stiffness and decreased gravity loading by replacement of a baseline fiberglass spar with carbon-fiberglass hybrid material. Complete preliminary designs are then presented for 3.0 MW and 5.0 MW blades that incorporate fiberglass-to-carbon transitions at mid-span. Based on analysis of these designs, technical issues are identified and discussed. Finally, recommendations are made for composites testing under Part I1 of the BSDS, and the initial planned test matrix for that program is presented.« less

The role of local interaction mechanics in fiber optic smart structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirkis, J. S.; Dasgupta, A.

1993-04-01

The concept of using 'smart' composite materials/structures with built-in self-diagnostic capabilities for health monitoring involves embedding discrete and/or distributed sensory networks in the host composite material, along with a central and/or distributed artificial intelligence capability for signal processing, data collection, interpretation and diagnostic evaluations. This article concentrates on the sensory functions in 'smart' structure applications and concentrates in particular on optical fiber sensors. Specifically, we present an overview of recent research dealing with the basic mechanics of local interactions between the embedded optical fiber sensors and the surrounding host composite. The term 'local' is defined by length scales on the order of several optical fiber diameters. We examine some generic issues, such as the 'calibration' and 'obtrusivity' of the sensor, and the inherent damage caused by the sensor inclusions to the surrounding host and vice-versa under internal and/or external applied loads. Analytical, numerical and experimental results are presented regarding the influence of local strain concentrations caused by the sensory inclusions on sensor and host performance. The important issues examined are the local mechanistic effects of optical fiber coatings on the behavior of the sensor and the host, and mechanical survivability of optical fibers experiencing quasi-static and time-varying thermomechanical loading.

Composite Development and Applications for RLV Tankage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, Richard J.; Achary, David C.; McBain, Michael C.

2003-01-01

The development of polymer composite cryogenic tanks is a critical step in creating the next generation of launch vehicles. Future launch vehicles need to minimize the gross liftoff weight (GLOW), which is possible due to the 28%-41% reduction in weight that composite materials can provide over current aluminum technology. The development of composite cryogenic tanks, feedlines, and unpressurized structures are key enabling technologies for performance and cost enhancements for Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs). The technology development of composite tanks has provided direct and applicable data for feedlines, unpressurized structures, material compatibility, and cryogenic fluid containment for highly loaded complex structures and interfaces. All three types of structure have similar material systems, processing parameters, scaling issues, analysis methodologies, NDE development, damage tolerance, and repair scenarios. Composite cryogenic tankage is the most complex of the 3 areas and provides the largest breakthrough in technology. A building block approach has been employed to bring this family of difficult technologies to maturity. This approach has built up composite materials, processes, design, analysis and test methods technology through a series of composite test programs beginning with the NASP program to meet aggressive performance goals for reusable launch vehicles. In this paper, the development and application of advanced composites for RLV use is described.

Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors toward Structural Health Monitoring in Composite Materials: Challenges and Solutions

PubMed Central

Kinet, Damien; Mégret, Patrice; Goossen, Keith W.; Qiu, Liang; Heider, Dirk; Caucheteur, Christophe

2014-01-01

Nowadays, smart composite materials embed miniaturized sensors for structural health monitoring (SHM) in order to mitigate the risk of failure due to an overload or to unwanted inhomogeneity resulting from the fabrication process. Optical fiber sensors, and more particularly fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, outperform traditional sensor technologies, as they are lightweight, small in size and offer convenient multiplexing capabilities with remote operation. They have thus been extensively associated to composite materials to study their behavior for further SHM purposes. This paper reviews the main challenges arising from the use of FBGs in composite materials. The focus will be made on issues related to temperature-strain discrimination, demodulation of the amplitude spectrum during and after the curing process as well as connection between the embedded optical fibers and the surroundings. The main strategies developed in each of these three topics will be summarized and compared, demonstrating the large progress that has been made in this field in the past few years. PMID:24763215

Phase-change materials for non-volatile memory devices: from technological challenges to materials science issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noé, Pierre; Vallée, Christophe; Hippert, Françoise; Fillot, Frédéric; Raty, Jean-Yves

2018-01-01

Chalcogenide phase-change materials (PCMs), such as Ge-Sb-Te alloys, have shown outstanding properties, which has led to their successful use for a long time in optical memories (DVDs) and, recently, in non-volatile resistive memories. The latter, known as PCM memories or phase-change random access memories (PCRAMs), are the most promising candidates among emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies to replace the current FLASH memories at CMOS technology nodes under 28 nm. Chalcogenide PCMs exhibit fast and reversible phase transformations between crystalline and amorphous states with very different transport and optical properties leading to a unique set of features for PCRAMs, such as fast programming, good cyclability, high scalability, multi-level storage capability, and good data retention. Nevertheless, PCM memory technology has to overcome several challenges to definitively invade the NVM market. In this review paper, we examine the main technological challenges that PCM memory technology must face and we illustrate how new memory architecture, innovative deposition methods, and PCM composition optimization can contribute to further improvements of this technology. In particular, we examine how to lower the programming currents and increase data retention. Scaling down PCM memories for large-scale integration means the incorporation of the PCM into more and more confined structures and raises materials science issues in order to understand interface and size effects on crystallization. Other materials science issues are related to the stability and ageing of the amorphous state of PCMs. The stability of the amorphous phase, which determines data retention in memory devices, can be increased by doping the PCM. Ageing of the amorphous phase leads to a large increase of the resistivity with time (resistance drift), which has up to now hindered the development of ultra-high multi-level storage devices. A review of the current understanding of all these issues is provided from a materials science point of view.

Phase Change Activation and Characterization of Spray-Deposited Poly(vinylidene) Fluoride Piezoelectric Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riosbaas, Miranda Tiffany

Structural safety and integrity continues to be an issue of utmost concern in our world today. Existing infrastructures in civil, commercial, and military applications are beginning to see issues associated with age and environmental conditions. In addition, new materials are being put to service that are not yet fully characterized and understood when it comes to long term behavior. In order to assess the structural health of both old and new materials, it is necessary to implement a technique for monitoring wear and tear. Current methods that are being used today typically depend on visual inspection techniques or handheld instruments. These methods are not always ideal for large structures as they become very tedious leading to a substantial amount of both time and money spent. More recently, composite materials have been introduced into applications that can benefit from high strength-to-weight ratio materials. However, the use of more complex materials (such as composites) leads to a high demand of structural health monitoring techniques, since the damage is often internal and not visible to the naked eye. The work performed in this thesis examines the methods that can be used for phase change activation and characterization of sprayable poly(vinylidene) fluoride (PVDF) thin films in order to exploit their piezoelectric characteristics for sensing applications. PVDF is widely accepted to exist in four phases: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Alpha phase PVDF is produced directly from the melt and exhibits no piezoelectric properties. The activation or transition from α phase to some combination of beta and/or gamma phase PVDF leads to a polarizable piezoelectric thin film to be used in sensing applications. The work herein presents the methods used to activate phase change in PVDF, such as mechanical stretching, annealing, and chemical composition, to be able to implement PVDF as an impact detection sensor. The results and analysis provided in this thesis will present the possibilities of spray-deposited PVDF thin films in both small-scale and large-scale sensing applications that can be applied to both simple and complex geometries.

Adaptive and active materials: selected papers from the ASME 2013 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS 13) (Snowbird, UT, USA, 16-18 September 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Nancy; Naguib, Hani; Turner, Travis; Anderson, Iain; Bassiri-Gharb, Nazanin; Daqaq, Mohammed; Baba Sundaresan, Vishnu; Sarles, Andy

2014-10-01

The sixth annual meeting of the ASME Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems Conference (SMASIS) was held in the beautiful mountain encircled Snowbird Resort and Conference Center in Little Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the conference's objective to provide an up-to-date overview of research trends in the entire field of smart materials systems in a friendly casual forum conducive to the exchange of ideas and latest results. As each year we strive to grow and offer new experiences, this year we included special focused topic tracks on nanoscale multiferroic materials and origami engineering. The cross-disciplinary emphasis was reflected in keynote speeches by Professor Kaushik Bhattacharya (California Institute of Technology) on 'Cyclic Deformation and the Interplay between Phase Transformation and Plasticity in Shape Memory Alloys', by Professor Alison Flatau (University of Maryland at College Park) on 'Structural Magnetostrictive Alloys: The Other Smart Material', and by Dr Leslie Momoda (Director of the Sensors and Materials Laboratories, HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, CA) on 'Architecturing New Functional Materials: An Industrial Perspective'. SMASIS 2013 was divided into seven symposia which span basic research, applied technological design and development, and industrial and governmental integrated system and application demonstrations. SYMP 1. Development and Characterization of Multifunctional Materials. SYMP 2. Mechanics and Behavior of Active Materials. SYMP 3. Modeling, Simulation and Control of Adaptive Systems. SYMP 4. Integrated System Design and Implementation. SYMP 5. Structural Health Monitoring. SYMP 6. Bioinspired Smart Materials and Systems. SYMP 7. Energy Harvesting. Authors of selected papers in the materials areas (symposia 1, 2, and 6) as well as energy harvesting (symposium 7) were invited to write a full journal article on their presentation topic for publication in this special issue of Smart Materials and Structures. This collection of papers demonstrates the exceptional quality and originality of the conference presentations. We are very appreciative of their efforts to produce this collection of highly relevant articles on smart materials.

Clues for biomimetics from natural composite materials

PubMed Central

Lapidot, Shaul; Meirovitch, Sigal; Sharon, Sigal; Heyman, Arnon; Kaplan, David L; Shoseyov, Oded

2013-01-01

Bio-inspired material systems are derived from different living organisms such as plants, arthropods, mammals and marine organisms. These biomaterial systems from nature are always present in the form of composites, with molecular-scale interactions optimized to direct functional features. With interest in replacing synthetic materials with natural materials due to biocompatibility, sustainability and green chemistry issues, it is important to understand the molecular structure and chemistry of the raw component materials to also learn from their natural engineering, interfaces and interactions leading to durable and highly functional material architectures. This review will focus on applications of biomaterials in single material forms, as well as biomimetic composites inspired by natural organizational features. Examples of different natural composite systems will be described, followed by implementation of the principles underlying their composite organization into artificial bio-inspired systems for materials with new functional features for future medicine. PMID:22994958

Clues for biomimetics from natural composite materials.

PubMed

Lapidot, Shaul; Meirovitch, Sigal; Sharon, Sigal; Heyman, Arnon; Kaplan, David L; Shoseyov, Oded

2012-09-01

Bio-inspired material systems are derived from different living organisms such as plants, arthropods, mammals and marine organisms. These biomaterial systems from nature are always present in the form of composites, with molecular-scale interactions optimized to direct functional features. With interest in replacing synthetic materials with natural materials due to biocompatibility, sustainability and green chemistry issues, it is important to understand the molecular structure and chemistry of the raw component materials to also learn from their natural engineering, interfaces and interactions leading to durable and highly functional material architectures. This review will focus on applications of biomaterials in single material forms, as well as biomimetic composites inspired by natural organizational features. Examples of different natural composite systems will be described, followed by implementation of the principles underlying their composite organization into artificial bio-inspired systems for materials with new functional features for future medicine.

Negotiating energy dynamics through embodied action in a materially structured environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scherr, Rachel E.; Close, Hunter G.; Close, Eleanor W.; Flood, Virginia J.; McKagan, Sarah B.; Robertson, Amy D.; Seeley, Lane; Wittmann, Michael C.; Vokos, Stamatis

2013-12-01

We provide evidence that a learning activity called Energy Theater engages learners with key conceptual issues in the learning of energy, including disambiguating matter flow and energy flow and theorizing mechanisms for energy transformation. A participationist theory of learning, in which learning is indicated by changes in speech and behavior, supports ethnographic analysis of learners’ embodied interactions with each other and the material setting. We conduct detailed analysis to build plausible causal links between specific features of Energy Theater and the conceptual engagement that we observe. Disambiguation of matter and energy appears to be promoted especially by the material structure of the Energy Theater environment, in which energy is represented by participants, while objects are represented by areas demarcated by loops of rope. Theorizing mechanisms of energy transformation is promoted especially by Energy Theater’s embodied action, which necessitates modeling the time ordering of energy transformations.

Frontiers of in situ electron microscopy

DOE PAGES

Zheng, Haimei; Zhu, Yimei; Meng, Shirley Ying

2015-01-01

In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has become an increasingly important tool for materials characterization. It provides key information on the structural dynamics of a material during transformations and the correlation between structure and properties of materials. With the recent advances in instrumentation, including aberration corrected optics, sample environment control, the sample stage, and fast and sensitive data acquisition, in situ TEM characterization has become more and more powerful. In this article, a brief review of the current status and future opportunities of in situ TEM is included. It also provides an introduction to the six articles covered by inmore » this issue of MRS Bulletin explore the frontiers of in situ electron microscopy, including liquid and gas environmental TEM, dynamic four-dimensional TEM, nanomechanics, ferroelectric domain switching studied by in situ TEM, and state-of-the-art atomic imaging of light elements (i.e., carbon atoms) and individual defects.« less

The evaluative imaging of mental models - Visual representations of complexity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dede, Christopher

1989-01-01

The paper deals with some design issues involved in building a system that could visually represent the semantic structures of training materials and their underlying mental models. In particular, hypermedia-based semantic networks that instantiate classification problem solving strategies are thought to be a useful formalism for such representations; the complexity of these web structures can be best managed through visual depictions. It is also noted that a useful approach to implement in these hypermedia models would be some metrics of conceptual distance.

Potassium-chemical synthesis of 3D graphene from CO 2 and its excellent performance in HTM-free perovskite solar cells

DOE PAGES

Wei, Wei; Hu, Baoyun; Jin, Fangming; ...

2017-03-29

The conversion of greenhouse gas CO 2 into novel materials is the most promising approach to solve greenhouse gas issues. In this paper, we report for the first time the reaction of potassium with CO 2 to synthesize three-dimensional honeycomb-like structured graphene (3DHG). Furthermore, 3DHG exhibited excellent performance as a counter electrode for hole transport material (HTM)-free perovskite solar cells, leading to a power conversion efficiency of 10.06%. Finally, this work constitutes a new aspect of potassium chemistry for material synthesis from a greenhouse gas and the generation of electrical energy from sunlight.

Target Fabrication Technology and New Functional Materials for Laser Fusion and Laser-Plasma Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagai, Keiji; Norimatsu, Takayoshi; Izawa, Yasukazu

Target fabrication technique is a key issue of laser fusion. We present a comprehensive, up-to-data compilation of laser fusion target fabrication and relating new materials. To achieve highly efficient laser implosion, organic and inorganic highly spherical millimeter-sized capsules and cryogenic hydrogen layers inside should be uniform in diameter and thickness within sub-micrometer ˜ nanometer error. Porous structured targets and molecular cluster targets are required for laser-plasma experiments and applications. Various technologies and new materials concerning above purposes are summarized including fast-ignition targets, equation-of-state measurement targets, high energy ion generation targets, etc.

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

Mandell, John F.; Ashwill, Thomas D.; Wilson, Timothy J.

This report presents an analysis of trends in fatigue results from the Montana State University program on the fatigue of composite materials for wind turbine blades for the period 2005-2009. Test data can be found in the SNL/MSU/DOE Fatigue of Composite Materials Database which is updated annually. This is the fifth report in this series, which summarizes progress of the overall program since its inception in 1989. The primary thrust of this program has been research and testing of a broad range of structural laminate materials of interest to blade structures. The report is focused on current types of infusedmore » and prepreg blade materials, either processed in-house or by industry partners. Trends in static and fatigue performance are analyzed for a range of materials, geometries and loading conditions. Materials include: sixteen resins of three general types, five epoxy based paste adhesives, fifteen reinforcing fabrics including three fiber types, three prepregs, many laminate lay-ups and process variations. Significant differences in static and fatigue performance and delamination resistance are quantified for particular materials and process conditions. When blades do fail, the likely cause is fatigue in the structural detail areas or at major flaws. The program is focused strongly on these issues in addition to standard laminates. Structural detail tests allow evaluation of various blade materials options in the context of more realistic representations of blade structure than do the standard test methods. Types of structural details addressed in this report include ply drops used in thickness tapering, and adhesive joints, each tested over a range of fatigue loading conditions. Ply drop studies were in two areas: (1) a combined experimental and finite element study of basic ply drop delamination parameters for glass and carbon prepreg laminates, and (2) the development of a complex structured resin-infused coupon including ply drops, for comparison studies of various resins, fabrics and pry drop thicknesses. Adhesive joint tests using typical blade adhesives included both generic testing of materials parameters using a notched-lap-shear test geometry developed in this study, and also a series of simulated blade web joint geometries fabricated by an industry partner.« less

Is a drill-less dental filling possible?

PubMed

Quock, Ryan L; Patel, Shalizeh A; Falcao, Felipe A; Barros, Juliana A

2011-09-01

Dental caries, a bacterial process that results in the acidic destruction of tooth structure, has historically been managed by the mechanical excavation of diseased tooth structure and then restoration with a synthetic material. The mechanical excavation of the infected site is most commonly achieved by a dental handpiece, or "drill"; this handpiece may induce stress and anxiety in many patients. Alternatively, a drill-less filling will involve the utilization of silver diamine fluoride (38%) to arrest and prevent dental caries, followed by restoration with a bonded filling material to achieve adequate seal at the lesion margins. This is a minimally invasive procedure that addresses both microbial and mechanical issues posed by dental caries. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On finite element implementation and computational techniques for constitutive modeling of high temperature composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saleeb, A. F.; Chang, T. Y. P.; Wilt, T.; Iskovitz, I.

1989-01-01

The research work performed during the past year on finite element implementation and computational techniques pertaining to high temperature composites is outlined. In the present research, two main issues are addressed: efficient geometric modeling of composite structures and expedient numerical integration techniques dealing with constitutive rate equations. In the first issue, mixed finite elements for modeling laminated plates and shells were examined in terms of numerical accuracy, locking property and computational efficiency. Element applications include (currently available) linearly elastic analysis and future extension to material nonlinearity for damage predictions and large deformations. On the material level, various integration methods to integrate nonlinear constitutive rate equations for finite element implementation were studied. These include explicit, implicit and automatic subincrementing schemes. In all cases, examples are included to illustrate the numerical characteristics of various methods that were considered.

Replacing noble metals with alternative materials in plasmonics and metamaterials: how good an idea?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khurgin, Jacob B.

2017-03-01

Noble metals that currently dominate the fields of plasmonics and metamaterials suffer from large ohmic losses. Some of the new plasmonic materials, such as doped oxides and nitrides, have smaller material loss, and using them in place of metals carries the promise of reduced-loss plasmonic and metamaterial structures, with sharper resonances and higher field concentrations. This promise is put to a rigorous analytical test in this work, which reveals that having low material loss is not sufficient to have reduced modal loss in plasmonic structures. To reduce the modal loss, it is absolutely necessary for the plasma frequency to be significantly higher than the operational frequency. Using examples of nanoparticle plasmons and gap plasmons one comes to the conclusion that, even in the mid-infrared spectrum, metals continue to hold an advantage over alternative media when it comes to propagation distances and field enhancements. Of course, the new materials still have an application niche where high absorption loss is beneficial, e.g. in medicine and thermal photovoltaics. This article is part of the themed issue 'New horizons for nanophotonics'.

Low- and high-index sol-gel films for planar and channel-doped waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canva, Michael; Chaput, Frederic; Lahlil, Khalid; Rachet, Vincent; Goudket, Helene; Boilot, Jean-Pierre; Levy, Yves

2001-11-01

In view of realizing integrated optic components based on effects such as electro-optic, chi(2):chi(2) cascading, stimulated emission,... one has to first synthesize materials with the proper functionality; this may be achieved by doping solid state matrices by the appropriate organic chromophores. Second, and as important, these materials have to be properly structured into the final optical guiding structures. We shall report on issues related to the realization of chromophore-doped planar waveguides as well as channel waveguides. These structures were realized by either photo-transformation such as photo- chromism and photo-bleaching or reactive ion etching technique, starting with chromophore doped sol-gel materials at high loading contents for which optical index may be controlled via the local dopant concentration. With these materials and techniques, waveguides and components characterized by propagation losses of the order of a cm-1, measured off the edge of the absorption band of the doping species, were fabricated. In order to be also able to study and use waveguide functionalized with low concentration of chromophore species, we developed new sol-gel materials of high optical index, yet low temperature processed. These new films are under study to evaluate their potential as host for organic doped waveguides devices.

Feasibility Study of a Satellite Solar Power Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaser, P. E.; Maynard, O. E.; Mackovciak, J. J. R.; Ralph, E. I.

1974-01-01

A feasibility study of a satellite solar power station (SSPS) was conducted to: (1) explore how an SSPS could be flown and controlled in orbit; (2) determine the techniques needed to avoid radio frequency interference (RFI); and (3) determine the key environmental, technological, and economic issues involved. Structural and dynamic analyses of the SSPS structure were performed, and deflections and internal member loads were determined. Desirable material characteristics were assessed and technology developments identified. Flight control performance of the SSPS baseline design was evaluated and parametric sizing studies were performed. The study of RFI avoidance techniques covered (1) optimization of the microwave transmission system; (2) device design and expected RFI; and (3) SSPS RFI effects. The identification of key issues involved (1) microwave generation, transmissions, and rectification and solar energy conversion; (2) environmental-ecological impact and biological effects; and (3) economic issues, i.e., costs and benefits associated with the SSPS. The feasibility of the SSPS based on the parameters of the study was established.

Technology and the Polity. Harvard University Program on Technology and Society; Research Review Number Four.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taviss, Irene, Ed.; Burbank, Judith, Ed.

A small number of selected books and articles which deal with the impact of technological advancement on the American political structure have been abstracted for this document. Materials were chosen for abstracting which presented a significant analysis of issues, a useful compilation of data, or which are representative of different outlooks and…

Full field stress/strain analysis : use of Moire and TSA for wood structural assemblies

Treesearch

R. W. Wolfe; R. E. Rowlands; C. H. Lin

1994-01-01

Laboratory and field experiments in wood engineering often rely on different types of devices to measure strain. Each type has certain limitations and characteristics that generally dictate its applicability to wood. Some of the issues related to using traditional strain measurement devices on wood and wood-based materials are discussed in this paper.

Solid rocket motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, Ronn L.

1993-01-01

Structural requirements, materials and, especially, processing are critical issues that will pace the introduction of new types of solid rocket motors. Designers must recognize and understand the drivers associated with each of the following considerations: (1) cost; (2) energy density; (3) long term storage with use on demand; (4) reliability; (5) safety of processing and handling; (6) operability; and (7) environmental acceptance.

Improving material identification by combining x-ray and neutron tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaManna, Jacob M.; Hussey, Daniel S.; Baltic, Eli; Jacobson, David L.

2017-09-01

X-rays and neutrons provide complementary non-destructive probes for the analysis of structure and chemical composition of materials. Contrast differences between the modes arise due to the differences in interaction with matter. Due to the high sensitivity to hydrogen, neutrons excel at separating liquid water or hydrogenous phases from the underlying structure while X-rays resolve the solid structure. Many samples of interest, such as fluid flow in porous materials or curing concrete, are stochastic or slowly changing with time which makes analysis of sequential imaging with X-rays and neutrons difficult as the sample may change between scans. To alleviate this issue, NIST has developed a system for simultaneous X-ray and neutron tomography by orienting a 90 keVpeak micro-focus X-ray tube orthogonally to a thermal neutron beam. This system allows for non-destructive, multimodal tomography of dynamic or stochastic samples while penetrating through sample environment equipment such as pressure and flow vessels. Current efforts are underway to develop methods for 2D histogram based segmentation of reconstructed volumes. By leveraging the contrast differences between X-rays and neutrons, greater histogram peak separation can occur in 2D vs 1D enabling improved material identification.

Synthesis and Exploration of Ladder-Structured Large Aromatic Dianhydrides as Organic Cathodes for Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Xie, Jian; Chen, Wangqiao; Wang, Zilong; Jie, Kenneth Choo Wei; Liu, Ming; Zhang, Qichun

2017-04-18

Compared to anode materials in Li-ion batteries, the research on cathode materials is far behind, and their capacities are much smaller. Thus, in order to address these issues, we believe that organic conjugated materials could be a solution. In this study, we synthesized two non-polymeric dianhydrides with large aromatic structures: NDA-4N (naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride with four nitrogen atoms) and PDA-4N (perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride with four nitrogen atoms). Their electrochemical properties have been investigated between 2.0 and 3.9 V (vs. Li + /Li). Benefiting from multi-electron reactions, NDA-4N and PDA-4N could reversibly achieve 79.7 % and 92.3 %, respectively, of their theoretical capacity. Further cycling reveals that the organic compound with a relatively larger aromatic building block could achieve a better stability, as an obvious 36.5 % improvement of the capacity retention was obtained when the backbone was switched from naphthalene to perylene. This study proposes an opportunity to attain promising small-molecule-based cathode materials through tailoring organic structures. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

AMSAHTS 1990: Advances in Materials Science and Applications of High Temperature Superconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flom, Yury (Editor)

1990-01-01

This publication is comprised of abstracts for oral and poster presentations scheduled for AMSAHTS '90. The conference will focus on understanding high-temperature superconductivity with special emphases on materials issues and applications. AMSAHTS '90, will highlight the state of the art in fundamental understanding of the nature of high-Tc superconductivity (HTSC) as well as the chemistry, structure, properties, processing and stability of HTSC oxides. As a special feature of the conference, space applications of HTSC will be discussed by NASA and Navy specialists.

Overview of CMC Development Activities in NASA's Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brewer, Dave

2001-01-01

The primary objective of the UEET (Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology) Program is to address two of the most critical propulsion issues: performance/efficiency and reduced emissions. High performance, low emissions engine systems will lead to significant improvement in local air quality, minimum impact on ozone depletion and level to an overall reduction in aviation contribution to global warming. The Materials and Structures for High Performance project will develop and demonstrate advanced high temperature materials to enable high-performance, high efficiency, and environmentally compatible propulsion systems.

Physical and mechanical metallurgy of NiAl

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noebe, Ronald D.; Bowman, Randy R.; Nathal, Michael V.

1994-01-01

Considerable research has been performed on NiAl over the last decade, with an exponential increase in effort occurring over the last few years. This is due to interest in this material for electronic, catalytic, coating and especially high-temperature structural applications. This report uses this wealth of new information to develop a complete description of the properties and processing of NiAl and NiAl-based materials. Emphasis is placed on the controlling fracture and deformation mechanisms of single and polycrystalline NiAl and its alloys over the entire range of temperatures for which data are available. Creep, fatigue, and environmental resistance of this material are discussed. In addition, issues surrounding alloy design, development of NiAl-based composites, and materials processing are addressed.

Synthesis of Engineered Zeolitic Materials: From Classical Zeolites to Hierarchical Core-Shell Materials.

PubMed

Masoumifard, Nima; Guillet-Nicolas, Rémy; Kleitz, Freddy

2018-04-01

The term "engineered zeolitic materials" refers to a class of materials with a rationally designed pore system and active-sites distribution. They are primarily made of crystalline microporous zeolites as the main building blocks, which can be accompanied by other secondary components to form composite materials. These materials are of potential importance in many industrial fields like catalysis or selective adsorption. Herein, critical aspects related to the synthesis and modification of such materials are discussed. The first section provides a short introduction on classical zeolite structures and properties, and their conventional synthesis methods. Then, the motivating rationale behind the growing demand for structural alteration of these zeolitic materials is discussed, with an emphasis on the ongoing struggles regarding mass-transfer issues. The state-of-the-art techniques that are currently available for overcoming these hurdles are reviewed. Following this, the focus is set on core-shell composites as one of the promising pathways toward the creation of a new generation of highly versatile and efficient engineered zeolitic substances. The synthesis approaches developed thus far to make zeolitic core-shell materials and their analogues, yolk-shell, and hollow materials, are also examined and summarized. Finally, the last section concisely reviews the performance of novel core-shell, yolk-shell, and hollow zeolitic materials for some important industrial applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Energy absorption characteristics of lightweight structural member by stacking conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Juho; Yang, Yongjun; Hwang, Woochae; Pyeon, Seokbeom; Min, Hanki; Yeo, Ingoo; Yang, Inyoung

2011-11-01

The recent trend in vehicle design is aimed at improving crash safety and environmental-friendliness. To solve these issues, the needs for lighter vehicle to limit exhaust gas and improve fuel economy has been requested for environmental-friendliness. Automobile design should be made for reduced weight once the safety of vehicle is maintained. In this study, composite structural members were manufactured using carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) which are representative lightweight structural materials. Carbon fiber has been researched as alternative to metals for lightweight vehicle and better fuel economy. CFRP is an anisotropic material which is the most widely adapted lightweight structural member because of their inherent design flexibility and high specific strength and stiffness. Also, variation of CFRP interface number is important to increase the energy absorption capacity. In this study, one type of circular shaped composite tube was used, combined with reinforcing foam. The stacking condition was selected to investigate the effect of the fiber orientation angle and interface number. The crashworthy behavior of circular composite material tubes subjected to static axial compression under same conditions is reported. The axial static collapse tests were carried out for each section member. The collapse modes and the energy absorption capability of the members were analyzed.

Energy absorption characteristics of lightweight structural member by stacking conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Juho; Yang, Yongjun; Hwang, Woochae; Pyeon, Seokbeom; Min, Hanki; Yeo, Ingoo; Yang, Inyoung

2012-04-01

The recent trend in vehicle design is aimed at improving crash safety and environmental-friendliness. To solve these issues, the needs for lighter vehicle to limit exhaust gas and improve fuel economy has been requested for environmental-friendliness. Automobile design should be made for reduced weight once the safety of vehicle is maintained. In this study, composite structural members were manufactured using carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) which are representative lightweight structural materials. Carbon fiber has been researched as alternative to metals for lightweight vehicle and better fuel economy. CFRP is an anisotropic material which is the most widely adapted lightweight structural member because of their inherent design flexibility and high specific strength and stiffness. Also, variation of CFRP interface number is important to increase the energy absorption capacity. In this study, one type of circular shaped composite tube was used, combined with reinforcing foam. The stacking condition was selected to investigate the effect of the fiber orientation angle and interface number. The crashworthy behavior of circular composite material tubes subjected to static axial compression under same conditions is reported. The axial static collapse tests were carried out for each section member. The collapse modes and the energy absorption capability of the members were analyzed.

32 CFR 1907.13 - Identification of material at issue.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Identification of material at issue. 1907.13... ORDER 12958 Filing of Challenges § 1907.13 Identification of material at issue. Authorized holders shall append the documents at issue and clearly mark those portions subject to the challenge. If information...

32 CFR 1802.13 - Identification of material at issue.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Identification of material at issue. 1802.13... EXECUTIVE ORDER 12958 Filing Of Challenges § 1802.13 Identification of material at issue. Authorized holders shall append the documents at issue and clearly mark those portions subject to the challenge. If...

The ecological study of memory.

PubMed Central

Neisser, U

1997-01-01

The study of memory has long been dominated by the structural tradition, and especially by the experimental analysis of mechanisms of information processing. That dominance may soon be brought to an end by the progress of neuroscience, which offers more direct ways of studying the mechanisms in question. At that point functional issues may move to centre stage. Those issues include the act of remembering and its social functions, the skills and presuppositions of the remembered, the interaction of those skills and presuppositions with the particular material being remembered, and the determinants of accuracy and confabulation in recall. PMID:9415921

Development of thermoplastic composite aircraft structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renieri, Michael P.; Burpo, Steven J.; Roundy, Lance M.; Todd, Stephanie A.; Kim, H. J.

1992-01-01

Efforts focused on the use of thermoplastic composite materials in the development of structural details associated with an advanced fighter fuselage section with applicability to transport design. In support of these designs, mechanics developments were conducted in two areas. First, a dissipative strain energy approach to material characterization and failure prediction, developed at the Naval Research Laboratory, was evaluated as a design/analysis tool. Second, a finite element formulation for thick composites was developed and incorporated into a lug analysis method which incorporates pin bending effects. Manufacturing concepts were developed for an upper fuel cell cover. A detailed trade study produced two promising concepts: fiber placement and single-step diaphragm forming. Based on the innovative design/manufacturing concepts for the fuselage section primary structure, elements were designed, fabricated, and structurally tested. These elements focused on key issues such as thick composite lugs and low cost forming of fastenerless, stiffener/moldine concepts. Manufacturing techniques included autoclave consolidation, single diaphragm consolidation (SDCC) and roll-forming.

Evaluating nanoscale ultra-thin metal films by means of lateral photovoltaic effect in metal-semiconductor structure.

PubMed

Zheng, Diyuan; Yu, Chongqi; Zhang, Qian; Wang, Hui

2017-12-15

Nanoscale metal-semiconductor (MS) structure materials occupy an important position in semiconductor and microelectronic field due to their abundant physical phenomena and effects. The thickness of metal films is a critical factor in determining characteristics of MS devices. How to detect or evaluate the metal thickness is always a key issue for realizing high performance MS devices. In this work, we propose a direct surface detection by use of the lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) in MS structure, which can not only measure nanoscale thickness, but also detect the fluctuation of metal films. This method is based on the fact that the output of lateral photovoltaic voltage (LPV) is closely linked with the metal thickness at the laser spot. We believe this laser-based contact-free detection is a useful supplement to the traditional methods, such as AFM, SEM, TEM or step profiler. This is because these traditional methods are always incapable of directly detecting ultra-thin metal films in MS structure materials.

Evaluating nanoscale ultra-thin metal films by means of lateral photovoltaic effect in metal-semiconductor structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Diyuan; Yu, Chongqi; Zhang, Qian; Wang, Hui

2017-12-01

Nanoscale metal-semiconductor (MS) structure materials occupy an important position in semiconductor and microelectronic field due to their abundant physical phenomena and effects. The thickness of metal films is a critical factor in determining characteristics of MS devices. How to detect or evaluate the metal thickness is always a key issue for realizing high performance MS devices. In this work, we propose a direct surface detection by use of the lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) in MS structure, which can not only measure nanoscale thickness, but also detect the fluctuation of metal films. This method is based on the fact that the output of lateral photovoltaic voltage (LPV) is closely linked with the metal thickness at the laser spot. We believe this laser-based contact-free detection is a useful supplement to the traditional methods, such as AFM, SEM, TEM or step profiler. This is because these traditional methods are always incapable of directly detecting ultra-thin metal films in MS structure materials.

European developments in the application of structural austenitic and duplex stainless steels

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

Cochrane, D.J.

1995-12-31

Stainless steel is increasingly being specified for structural applications. Principally, this is due to the aesthetic appeal of the material, no need for surface protection, durability, and the growing awareness, and use, of Life Cycle Cost analysis for assessing costs over the longer term, However, use of stainless steel in the U.K. offshore oil and gas platforms for fire and blast walls, has highlighted valuable properties of stainless steel that may be unfamiliar to structural designers. It is the purpose of this paper to demonstrate these properties. Additionally, new design guidance has become available in Europe as a result ofmore » a 4 year research program into the structural use of stainless steel. The ``Design Manual for Structural Stainless Steel`` was issued by Euro Inox and the Nickel Development Institute in 1994. This new manual will be outlined in this paper together with its influence on new European Building Standards and new European material standards for structural stainless steel. Currently in preparation, these include high strength grades with significantly higher strength than structural carbon steels. Finally, this paper will address the use of stainless steel for the reinforcement of concrete structures.« less

Nondestructive Evaluation of Advanced Materials with X-ray Phase Mapping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hu, Zhengwei

2005-01-01

X-ray radiation has been widely used for imaging applications since Rontgen first discovered X-rays over a century ago. Its large penetration depth makes it ideal for the nondestructive visualization of the internal structure and/or defects of materials unobtainable otherwise. Currently used nondestructive evaluation (NDE) tools, X-ray radiography and tomography, are absorption-based, and work well in heavy-element materials where density or composition variations due to internal structure or defects are high enough to produce appreciable absorption contrast. However, in many cases where materials are light-weight and/or composites that have similar mass absorption coefficients, the conventional absorption-based X-ray methods for NDE become less useful. Indeed, the light-weight and ultra-high-strength requirements for the most advanced materials used or developed for current flight mission and future space exploration pose a great challenge to the standard NDE tools in that the absorption contrast arising from the internal structure of these materials is often too weak to be resolved. In this presentation, a solution to the problem, the use of phase information of X-rays for phase contrast X-ray imaging, will be discussed, along with a comparison between the absorption-based and phase-contrast imaging methods. Latest results on phase contrast X-ray imaging of lightweight Space Shuttle foam in 2D and 3D will be presented, demonstrating new opportunities to solve the challenging issues encountered in advanced materials development and processing.

Block copolymer based composition and morphology control in nanostructured hybrid materials for energy conversion and storage: solar cells, batteries, and fuel cells.

PubMed

Orilall, M Christopher; Wiesner, Ulrich

2011-02-01

The development of energy conversion and storage devices is at the forefront of research geared towards a sustainable future. However, there are numerous issues that prevent the widespread use of these technologies including cost, performance and durability. These limitations can be directly related to the materials used. In particular, the design and fabrication of nanostructured hybrid materials is expected to provide breakthroughs for the advancement of these technologies. This tutorial review will highlight block copolymers as an emerging and powerful yet affordable tool to structure-direct such nanomaterials with precise control over structural dimensions, composition and spatial arrangement of materials in composites. After providing an introduction to materials design and current limitations, the review will highlight some of the most recent examples of block copolymer structure-directed nanomaterials for photovoltaics, batteries and fuel cells. In each case insights are provided into the various underlying fundamental chemical, thermodynamic and kinetic formation principles enabling general and relatively inexpensive wet-polymer chemistry methodologies for the efficient creation of multiscale functional materials. Examples include nanostructured ceramics, ceramic-carbon composites, ceramic-carbon-metal composites and metals with morphologies ranging from hexagonally arranged cylinders to three-dimensional bi-continuous cubic networks. The review ends with an outlook towards the synthesis of multicomponent and hierarchical multifunctional hybrid materials with different nano-architectures from self-assembly of higher order blocked macromolecules which may ultimately pave the way for the further development of energy conversion and storage devices.

Rectifying the output of vibrational piezoelectric energy harvester using quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lijie

2017-03-01

Piezoelectric energy harvester scavenges mechanical vibrations and generates electricity. Researchers have strived to optimize the electromechanical structures and to design necessary external power management circuits, aiming to deliver high power and rectified outputs ready for serving as batteries. Complex deformation of the mechanical structure results in charges with opposite polarities appearing on same surface, leading to current loss in the attached metal electrode. External power management circuits such as rectifiers comprise diodes that consume power and have undesirable forward bias. To address the above issues, we devise a novel integrated piezoelectric energy harvesting device that is structured by stacking a layer of quantum dots (QDs) and a layer of piezoelectric material. We find that the QD can rectify electrical charges generated from the piezoelectric material because of its adaptable conductance to the electrochemical potentials of both sides of the QDs layer, so that electrical current causing energy loss on the same surface of the piezoelectric material can be minimized. The QDs layer has the potential to replace external rectification circuits providing a much more compact and less power-consumption solution.

Interrogating the catalytic mechanism of nanoparticle mediated Stille coupling reactions employing bio-inspired Pd nanocatalysts.

PubMed

Pacardo, Dennis B; Slocik, Joseph M; Kirk, Kyle C; Naik, Rajesh R; Knecht, Marc R

2011-05-01

To address issues concerning the global environmental and energy state, new catalytic technologies must be developed that translate ambient and efficient conditions to heavily used reactions. To achieve this, the structure/function relationship between model catalysts and individual reactions must be critically discerned to identify structural motifs responsible for the reactivity. This is especially true for nanoparticle-based systems where this level of information remains limited. Here we present evidence indicating that peptide-capped Pd nanoparticles drive Stille C-C coupling reactions via Pd atom leaching. Through a series of reaction studies, the materials are shown to be optimized for reactivity under ambient conditions where increases in temperature or catalyst concentration deactivate reactivity due to the leaching process. A quartz crystal microbalance analysis demonstrates that Pd leaching occurs during the initial oxidative addition step at the nanoparticle surface by aryl halides. Together, this suggests that peptide-based materials may be optimally suited for use as model systems to isolate structural motifs responsible for the generation of catalytically reactive materials under ambient synthetic conditions. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011

Interrogating the catalytic mechanism of nanoparticle mediated Stille coupling reactions employing bio-inspired Pd nanocatalysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacardo, Dennis B.; Slocik, Joseph M.; Kirk, Kyle C.; Naik, Rajesh R.; Knecht, Marc R.

2011-05-01

To address issues concerning the global environmental and energy state, new catalytic technologies must be developed that translate ambient and efficient conditions to heavily used reactions. To achieve this, the structure/function relationship between model catalysts and individual reactions must be critically discerned to identify structural motifs responsible for the reactivity. This is especially true for nanoparticle-based systems where this level of information remains limited. Here we present evidence indicating that peptide-capped Pd nanoparticles drive Stille C-C coupling reactions via Pd atom leaching. Through a series of reaction studies, the materials are shown to be optimized for reactivity under ambient conditions where increases in temperature or catalyst concentration deactivate reactivity due to the leaching process. A quartz crystal microbalance analysis demonstrates that Pd leaching occurs during the initial oxidative addition step at the nanoparticle surface by aryl halides. Together, this suggests that peptide-based materials may be optimally suited for use as model systems to isolate structural motifs responsible for the generation of catalytically reactive materials under ambient synthetic conditions.

Validated Feasibility Study of Integrally Stiffened Metallic Fuselage Panels for Reducing Manufacturing Costs: Cost Assessment of Manufacturing/Design Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Metschan, S.

2000-01-01

The objective of the Integral Airframe Structures (IAS) program was to demonstrate, for an integrally stiffened structural concept, performance and weight equal to "built-up" structure with lower manufacturing cost. This report presents results of the cost assessment for several design configuration/manufacturing method combinations. The attributes of various cost analysis models were evaluated and COSTRAN selected for this study. A process/design cost evaluation matrix was developed based on material, forming, machining, and assembly of structural sub-elements and assembled structure. A hybrid design, made from high-speed machined extruded frames that are mechanically fastened to high-speed machined plate skin/stringer panels, was identified as the most cost-effective manufacturing solution. Recurring labor and material costs of the hybrid design are up to 61 percent less than the current built-up technology baseline. This would correspond to a total cost reduction of $1.7 million per ship set for a 777-sized airplane. However, there are important outstanding issues with regard to the cost of capacity of high technology machinery, and the ability to cost-effectively provide surface finish acceptable to the commercial aircraft industry. The projected high raw material cost of large extrusions also played an important role in the trade-off between plate and extruded concepts.

Subwavelength resolution from multilayered structure (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Bo Han; Jen, Yi-Jun; Liu, Wei-Chih; Lin, Shan-wen; Lan, Yung-Chiang; Tsai, Din Ping

2016-10-01

Breaking optical diffraction limit is one of the most important issues needed to be overcome for the demand of high-density optoelectronic components. Here, a multilayered structure which consists of alternating semiconductor and dielectric layers for breaking optical diffraction limitation at THz frequency region are proposed and analyzed. We numerically demonstrate that such multilayered structure not only can act as a hyperbolic metamaterial but also a birefringence material via the control of the external temperature (or magnetic field). A practical approach is provided to control all the diffraction signals toward a specific direction by using transfer matrix method and effective medium theory. Numerical calculations and computer simulation (based on finite element method, FEM) are carried out, which agree well with each other. The temperature (or magnetic field) parameter can be tuned to create an effective material with nearly flat isofrequency feature to transfer (project) all the k-space signals excited from the object to be resolved to the image plane. Furthermore, this multilayered structure can resolve subwavelength structures at various incident THz light sources simultaneously. In addition, the resolution power for a fixed operating frequency also can be tuned by only changing the magnitude of external magnetic field. Such a device provides a practical route for multi-functional material, photolithography and real-time super-resolution image.

Probing the Complexities of Structural Changes in Layered Oxide Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries during Fast Charge-Discharge Cycling and Heating.

PubMed

Hu, Enyuan; Wang, Xuelong; Yu, Xiqian; Yang, Xiao-Qing

2018-02-20

The rechargeable lithium-ion battery (LIB) is the most promising energy storage system to power electric vehicles with high energy density and long cycling life. However, in order to meet customers' demands for fast charging, the power performances of current LIBs need to be improved. From the cathode aspect, layer-structured cathode materials are widely used in today's market and will continue to play important roles in the near future. The high rate capability of layered cathode materials during charging and discharging is critical to the power performance of the whole cell and the thermal stability is closely related to the safety issues. Therefore, the in-depth understanding of structural changes of layered cathode materials during high rate charging/discharging and the thermal stability during heating are essential in developing new materials and improving current materials. Since structural changes take place from the atomic level to the whole electrode level, combination of characterization techniques covering multilength scales is quite important. In many cases, this means using comprehensive tools involving diffraction, spectroscopy, and imaging to differentiate the surface from the bulk and to obtain structural/chemical information with different levels of spatial resolution. For example, hard X-ray spectroscopy can yield the bulk information and soft X-ray spectroscopy can give the surface information; X-ray based imaging techniques can obtain spatial resolution of tens of nanometers, and electron-based microcopy can go to angstroms. In addition to challenges associated with different spatial resolution, the dynamic nature of structural changes during high rate cycling and heating requires characterization tools to have the capability of collecting high quality data in a time-resolved fashion. Thanks to the advancement in synchrotron based techniques and high-resolution electron microscopy, high temporal and spatial resolutions can now be achieved. In this Account, we focus on the recent works studying kinetic and thermal properties of layer-structured cathode materials, especially the structural changes during high rate cycling and the thermal stability during heating. Advanced characterization techniques relating to the rate capability and thermal stability will be introduced. The different structure evolution behavior of cathode materials cycled at high rate will be compared with that cycled at low rate. Different response of individual transition metals and the inhomogeneity in chemical distribution will be discussed. For the thermal stability, the relationship between structural changes and oxygen release will be emphatically pointed out. In all these studies being reviewed, advanced characterization techniques are critically applied to reveal complexities at multiscale in layer-structured cathode materials.

Special nuclear materials cutoff exercise: Issues and lessons learned. Volume 3

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

Libby, R.A.; Segal, J.E.; Stanbro, W.D.

1995-08-01

This document is appendices D-J for the Special Nuclear Materials Cutoff Exercise: Issues and Lessons Learned. Included are discussions of the US IAEA Treaty, safeguard regulations for nuclear materials, issue sheets for the PUREX process, and the LANL follow up activity for reprocessing nuclear materials.

Future automotive materials: Evolution or revolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beardmore, P.

1990-01-01

An exciting era is evolving in the application of new materials technologies to automotive applications. The desire on the part of the automobile industry to completely satisfy the customers while concurrently meeting increasing demands and regulations for stringent emission control and fuel efficiency is opening a plethora of opportunities for new materials. In many cases, materials solutions are the only mechanisms for resolving some of the upcoming issues. The materials scientist and engineer will therefore have a primary role to play and will assume a position of significance hithertofore unseen in the automobile industry. The nature of the industry dictates that changes are primarily evolutionary with respect to chronology but nevertheless some of the future material changes will be revolutionary in nature. This presentation will treat three primary systems of the vehicle separately, based on the different materials approaches which will be adopted. These areas are: (1) skin panels, (2) structures, and (3) powertrains. The competition between a variety of new materials in these 3 systems will be discussed in detail with the various tradeoffs being outlined. Amongst the more prominent of the new breed of materials will be new steel technologies, structural plastics (FRP), aluminum alloys (conventional and rapidly solidified), titanium alloys, metal matrix composites and smart materials (electrorheological fluids, etc.). The pace of development and application is accelerating rapidly and the impetus is likely to increase.

Synthesis and Characterization of Thermoelectric Oxides at Macro- and Nano-scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Feiyue

Thermoelectric materials can directly convert a temperature difference into electrical voltage and vice versa. Due to this unique property, thermoelectric materials are widely used in industry and scientific laboratories for temperature sensing and thermal management applications. Waste heat harvesting, another potential application of thermoelectric materials, has long been limited by the low conversion efficiency of the materials. Potential high temperature applications, such as power plant waste heat harvesting and combustion engine exhaust heat recovery, make thermoelectric oxides a very promising class of thermoelectric materials. In this thesis, the synthesis and characterization of thermoelectric oxide materials are explored. In the first part of this thesis, the measurement methodologies and instrumentation processes employed to investigate different thermoelectric properties, such as the Seebeck coefficient and carrier concentration at the bulk scale and the thermal conductivity at the nanoscale, are detailed. Existing scientific and engineering challenges associated with these measurements are also reviewed. To overcome such problems, original parts and methodologies have been designed. Three fully functional systems were ultimately developed for the characterization of macroscale thermoelectric properties as well as localized thermal conductivity. In the second part of the thesis, the synthesis of NaxCo 2O4, a thermoelectric oxide material, is discussed. Modification of both composition and structure were carried out so as to optimize the thermoelectric performance of NaxCo2O4. Nanostructuring methods, such as ball milling, electrospinning, auto-combustion synthesis, and core-shell structure fabrication, have been developed to refine the grain size of NaxCo2O4 in order to reduce its thermal conductivity. However, the structure of the nanostructured materials is very unstable at high temperature and limited improvement on thermoelectric performance is observed. Therefore, another technique was adopted to address this issue. A texturing process was also explored to optimize the NaxCo 2O4 structure. It was found that a highly textured structure can be obtained using a combined process of combustion synthesis, chemical demixing, and a flux method.

AR and TD Fossil Energy Materials Program. Quarterly progress report for the period ending December 31, 1981

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

Not Available

1982-04-01

The ORNL Fossil Energy Materials Program Office compiles and issues this combined quarterly progress report from camera-ready copies submitted by each of the participating subcontractor organizations. This report of activities on the program is organized in accordance with a work breakdown structure defined in the AR and TD Fossil Energy Materials Program Plan for FY 1982-1986 in which projects are organized according to fossil energy technologies. This report is divided into parts and chapters with each part describing projects related to a particular fossil energy technology. Chapters within a part provide details of the various projects associated with that technology.more » We hope this series of AR and TD Fossil Energy Materials Program quarterly progress reports will aid in the dissemination of information developed on the program. Plans for the program will be issued annually. A draft of the program plan for FY 1982 to 1986 has been prepared and is in the review process. The implementation of these plans will be reflected by these quarterly progress reports, and this dissemination of information will bw augmented by topical or final reports as appropriate.« less

Advances in SiC/SiC Composites for Aerospace Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DiCarlo, James A.

2006-01-01

In recent years, supported by a variety of materials development programs, NASA Glenn Research Center has significantly increased the thermostructural capability of SiC/SiC composite materials for high-temperature aerospace applications. These state-of-the-art advances have occurred in every key constituent of the composite: fiber, fiber coating, matrix, and environmental barrier coating, as well as processes for forming the fiber architectures needed for complex-shaped components such as turbine vanes for gas turbine engines. This presentation will briefly elaborate on the nature of these advances in terms of performance data and underlying mechanisms. Based on a list of first-order property goals for typical high-temperature applications, key data from a variety of laboratory tests are presented which demonstrate that the NASA-developed constituent materials and processes do indeed result in SiC/SiC systems with the desired thermal and structural capabilities. Remaining process and microstructural issues for further property enhancement are discussed, as well as on-going approaches at NASA to solve these issues. NASA efforts to develop physics-based property models that can be used not only for component design and life modeling, but also for constituent material and process improvement will also be discussed.

Evaluation of Spacecraft Shielding Effectiveness for Radiation Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cucinotta, Francis A.; Wilson, John W.

1999-01-01

The potential for serious health risks from solar particle events (SPE) and galactic cosmic rays (GCR) is a critical issue in the NASA strategic plan for the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS). The excess cost to protect against the GCR and SPE due to current uncertainties in radiation transmission properties and cancer biology could be exceedingly large based on the excess launch costs to shield against uncertainties. The development of advanced shielding concepts is an important risk mitigation area with the potential to significantly reduce risk below conventional mission designs. A key issue in spacecraft material selection is the understanding of nuclear reactions on the transmission properties of materials. High-energy nuclear particles undergo nuclear reactions in passing through materials and tissue altering their composition and producing new radiation types. Spacecraft and planetary habitat designers can utilize radiation transport codes to identify optimal materials for lowering exposures and to optimize spacecraft design to reduce astronaut exposures. To reach these objectives will require providing design engineers with accurate data bases and computationally efficient software for describing the transmission properties of space radiation in materials. Our program will reduce the uncertainty in the transmission properties of space radiation by improving the theoretical description of nuclear reactions and radiation transport, and provide accurate physical descriptions of the track structure of microscopic energy deposition.

Impact of Multifunctional Bimetallic Materials on Lithium Battery Electrochemistry.

PubMed

Durham, Jessica L; Poyraz, Altug S; Takeuchi, Esther S; Marschilok, Amy C; Takeuchi, Kenneth J

2016-09-20

Electric energy storage devices such as batteries are complex systems comprised of a variety of materials with each playing separate yet interactive roles, complicated by length scale interactions occurring from the molecular to the mesoscale. Thus, addressing specific battery issues such as functional capacity requires a comprehensive perspective initiating with atomic level concepts. For example, the electroactive materials which contribute to the functional capacity in a battery comprise approximately 30% or less of the total device mass. Thus, the design and implementation of multifunctional materials can conceptually reduce or eliminate the contribution of passive materials to the size and mass of the final system. Material multifunctionality can be achieved through appropriate material design on the atomic level resulting in bimetallic electroactive materials where one metal cation forms mesoscale conductive networks upon discharge while the other metal cations can contribute to atomic level structure and net functional secondary capacity, a device level issue. Specifically, this Account provides insight into the multimechanism electrochemical redox processes of bimetallic cathode materials based on transition metal oxides (MM'O) or phosphorus oxides (MM'PO) where M = Ag and M' = V or Fe. One discharge process can be described as reduction-displacement where Ag(+) is reduced to Ag(0) and displaced from the parent structure. This reduction-displacement reaction in silver-containing bimetallic electrodes allows for the in situ formation of a conductive network, enhancing the electrochemical performance of the electrode and reducing or eliminating the need for conductive additives. A second discharge process occurs through the reduction of the second transition metal, V or Fe, where the oxidation state of the metal center is reduced and lithium cations are inserted into the structure. As both metal centers contribute to the functional capacity, determining the kinetically and thermodynamically preferred reduction processes at various states of discharge is critical to elucidating the mechanism. Specific advanced in situ and ex situ characterization techniques are conducive to gaining insight regarding the electrochemical behavior of these multifunctional materials over multiple length scales. At the material level, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and local conductivity measurement via a nanoprobe can track the discharge mechanism of an isolated single particle. At the mesoscale electrode level, in situ data from synchrotron based energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) within fully intact steel batteries can be used to spatially map the distribution of silver metal generated through reduction displacement as a function of discharge depth and discharge rate. As illustrated here, appropriate design of materials with multiple electrochemically active metal centers and properties tuned through strategically conceptualized materials synthesis may provide a path toward the next generation of high energy content electroactive materials and systems. Full understanding of the multiple electrochemical mechanisms can be achieved only by utilizing advanced characterization tools over multiple length scales.

SPECIAL ISSUE ON OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Optimal configuration of optical systems with spatial light modulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, Yu V.

1995-10-01

A description is given of a novel optical system for optical information processing. An analysis is given of ways of increasing optoenergetic characteristics of optical information processing systems in which use is made of spatial light modulators with phase-relief (in thermoplastic materials) and polarisation (in crystalline structures of the DKDP type) information storage.

Composites research at NASA Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, Stanley R.; Duffy, Stephen; Vary, Alex; Nathal, Michael V.; Miner, Robert V.; Arnold, Steven M.; Castelli, Michael G.; Hopkins, Dale A.; Meador, Michael A.

1994-01-01

Composites research at NASA Lewis is focused on their applications in aircraft propulsion, space propulsion, and space power, with the first being predominant. Research on polymer-, metal-, and ceramic-matrix composites is being carried out from an integrated materials and structures viewpoint. This paper outlines some of the topics being pursued from the standpoint of key technical issues, current status, and future directions.

A study of spaceraft technology and design concepts, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zylius, F. A.

1985-01-01

Concepts for advancing the state of the art in the design of unmanned spacecraft, the requirements that gave rise to its configuration, and the programs of technology that are suggested as leading to its eventual development are examined. Particular technology issues discussed include: structures and materials; thermal control; propulsion; electrical power; communications; data management; and guidance, navigation, and control.

Active and passive vibration suppression for space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyland, David C.

1991-01-01

The relative benefits of passive and active vibration suppression for large space structures (LSS) are discussed. The intent is to sketch the true ranges of applicability of these approaches using previously published technical results. It was found that the distinction between active and passive vibration suppression approaches is not as sharp as might be thought at first. The relative simplicity, reliability, and cost effectiveness touted for passive measures are vitiated by 'hidden costs' bound up with detailed engineering implementation issues and inherent performance limitations. At the same time, reliability and robustness issues are often cited against active control. It is argued that a continuum of vibration suppression measures offering mutually supporting capabilities is needed. The challenge is to properly orchestrate a spectrum of methods to reap the synergistic benefits of combined advanced materials, passive damping, and active control.

Surface transmission enhancement of ZnS via continuous-wave laser microstructuring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Major, Kevin J.; Florea, Catalin M.; Poutous, Menelaos K.; Busse, Lynda E.; Sanghera, Jasbinder S.; Aggarwal, Ishwar D.

2014-03-01

Fresnel reflectivity at dielectric boundaries between optical components, lenses, and windows is a major issue for the optics community. The most common method to reduce the index mismatch and subsequent surface reflection is to apply a thin film or films of intermediate indices to the optical materials. More recently, surface texturing or roughening has been shown to approximate a stepwise refractive index thin-film structure, with a gradient index of refraction transition from the bulk material to the surrounding medium. Short-pulse laser ablation is a recently-utilized method to produce such random anti-reflective structured surfaces (rARSS). Typically, high-energy femtosecond pulsed lasers are focused on the surface of the desired optical material to produce periodic or quasi-periodic assemblies of nanostructures which provide reduced surface reflection. This technique is being explored to generate a variety of structures across multiple optical materials. However, femtosecond laser systems are relatively expensive and more difficult to maintain. We present here a low power and low-cost alternative to femtosecond laser ablation, demonstrating random antireflective structures on the surface of Cleartran ZnS windows produced with a continuous-wave laser. In particular, we find that irradiation with a low-powered (<10 mW), defocused, CW 325nm-wavelength laser produces a random surface with significant roughness on ZnS substrates. The transmission through the structured ZnS windows is shown to increase by up to 9% across a broad wavelength range from the visible to the near-infrared.

Chemical Bath Deposited Zinc Sulfide Buffer Layers for Copper Indium Gallium Sulfur-selenide Solar Cells and Device Analysis

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

Kundu, Sambhu N.; Olsen, Larry C.

2005-01-03

Cd free CIGSS thin film solar cell structures with a MgF2/TCO/CGD-ZnS/CIGSS/Mo/SLG structure have been fabricated using chemical bath deposited (CBD)-ZnS buffer layers and high quality CIGSS absorber layers supplied from Shell Solar Industries. The use of CBD-ZnS, which is a higher band gap materials than CdS, improved the quantum efficiency of fabricated cells at lower wavelengths, leading to an increase in short circuit current. The best cell to date yielded an active area (0.43 cm2) efficiency of 13.3%. This paper also presents a discussion of the issues relating to the use of the CBD-ZnS buffer materials for improving device performance.

Recent progress in efficient hybrid lead halide perovskite solar cells

PubMed Central

Cui, Jin; Yuan, Huailiang; Li, Junpeng; Xu, Xiaobao; Shen, Yan; Lin, Hong; Wang, Mingkui

2015-01-01

The efficiency of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has been improved from 9.7 to 19.3%, with the highest value of 20.1% achieved in 2014. Such a high photovoltaic performance can be attributed to optically high absorption characteristics and balanced charge transport properties with long diffusion lengths of the hybrid lead halide perovskite materials. In this review, some fundamental details of hybrid lead iodide perovskite materials, various fabrication techniques and device structures are described, aiming for a better understanding of these materials and thus highly efficient PSC devices. In addition, some advantages and open issues are discussed here to outline the prospects and challenges of using perovskites in commercial photovoltaic devices. PMID:27877815

Environmental degradation of composites for marine structures: new materials and new applications

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This paper describes the influence of seawater ageing on composites used in a range of marine structures, from boats to tidal turbines. Accounting for environmental degradation is an essential element in the multi-scale modelling of composite materials but it requires reliable test data input. The traditional approach to account for ageing effects, based on testing samples after immersion for different periods, is evolving towards coupled studies involving strong interactions between water diffusion and mechanical loading. These can provide a more realistic estimation of long-term behaviour but still require some form of acceleration if useful data, for 20 year lifetimes or more, are to be obtained in a reasonable time. In order to validate extrapolations from short to long times, it is essential to understand the degradation mechanisms, so both physico-chemical and mechanical test data are required. Examples of results from some current studies on more environmentally friendly materials including bio-sourced composites will be described first. Then a case study for renewable marine energy applications will be discussed. In both cases, studies were performed first on coupons at the material level, then during structural testing and analysis of large components, in order to evaluate their long-term behaviour. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials’. PMID:27242304

Structural dynamic analysis of turbine blade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antony, A. Daniel; Gopalsamy, M.; Viswanadh, Chaparala B. V.; Krishnaraj, R.

2017-10-01

In any gas turbine design cycle, blade design is a crucial element which needs maximum attention to meet the aerodynamic performance, structural safety margins, manufacturing feasibility, material availability etc. In present day gas turbine engines, most of the failures occur during engine development test and in-service, in rotor and stator blades due to fatigue and resonance failures. To address this issue, an extensive structural dynamic analysis is carried out to predict the natural frequencies and mode shapes using FE methods. Using the dynamics characteristics, the Campbell diagram is constructed to study the possibility of resonance at various operating speeds. In this work, the feasibility of using composite material in place of titanium alloy from the structural dynamics point of view. This is being attempted in a Low-pressure compressor where the temperatures are relatively low and fixed with the casings. The analysis will be carried out using FE method for different composite material with different lamina orientations chosen through the survey. This study will focus on the sensitivity of blade mode shapes to different laminae orientations, which will be used to alter the natural frequency and tailor the mode shapes. Campbell diagrams of existing titanium alloy are compared with the composite materials with different laminae at all critical operating conditions. The existing manufacturing methods and the proven techniques for blade profiles will also be discussed in this report.

Liquid crystalline tactoids: ordered structure, defective coalescence and evolution in confined geometries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Pei-Xi; MacLachlan, Mark J.

2017-12-01

Tactoids are liquid crystalline microdroplets that spontaneously nucleate from isotropic dispersions, and transform into macroscopic anisotropic phases. These intermediate structures have been found in a range of molecular, polymeric and colloidal liquid crystals. Typically only studied by polarized optical microscopy, these ordered but easily deformable microdroplets are now emerging as interesting components for structural investigations and developing new materials. In this review, we highlight the structure, property and transformation of tactoids in different compositions, but especially cellulose nanocrystals. We have selected references that illustrate the diversity and most exciting developments in tactoid research, while capturing the historical development of this field. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue `New horizons for cellulose nanotechnology'.

Design of Lead-Free Inorganic Halide Perovskites for Solar Cells via Cation-Transmutation.

PubMed

Zhao, Xin-Gang; Yang, Ji-Hui; Fu, Yuhao; Yang, Dongwen; Xu, Qiaoling; Yu, Liping; Wei, Su-Huai; Zhang, Lijun

2017-02-22

Hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskites with the prototype material of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 have recently attracted intense interest as low-cost and high-performance photovoltaic absorbers. Despite the high power conversion efficiency exceeding 20% achieved by their solar cells, two key issues-the poor device stabilities associated with their intrinsic material instability and the toxicity due to water-soluble Pb 2+ -need to be resolved before large-scale commercialization. Here, we address these issues by exploiting the strategy of cation-transmutation to design stable inorganic Pb-free halide perovskites for solar cells. The idea is to convert two divalent Pb 2+ ions into one monovalent M + and one trivalent M 3+ ions, forming a rich class of quaternary halides in double-perovskite structure. We find through first-principles calculations this class of materials have good phase stability against decomposition and wide-range tunable optoelectronic properties. With photovoltaic-functionality-directed materials screening, we identify 11 optimal materials with intrinsic thermodynamic stability, suitable band gaps, small carrier effective masses, and low excitons binding energies as promising candidates to replace Pb-based photovoltaic absorbers in perovskite solar cells. The chemical trends of phase stabilities and electronic properties are also established for this class of materials, offering useful guidance for the development of perovskite solar cells fabricated with them.

Surface modification: advantages, techniques, and applications

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

Natesan, K.

2000-03-01

Adequate performance of materials at elevated temperatures is a potential problem in many systems within the chemical, petroleum, process, and power-generating industries. Degradation of materials occurs because of interaction between the structural material and the exposure environment. These interactions are generally undesired chemical reactions that can lead to accelerated wastage and alter the functional requirements and/or structural integrity of the materials. Therefore, material selection for high-temperature applications must be based not only on a material strength properties but also on resistance to the complex environments prevalent in the anticipated exposure environment. As plants become larger, the satisfactory performance and reliabilitymore » of components play a greater role in plant availability and economics. However, system designers are becoming increasingly concerned with finding the least expensive material that will satisfactorily perform the design function for the desired service life. This present paper addresses the benefits of surface modification and identified several criteria for selection and application of modified surfaces in the power sector. A brief review is presented on potential methods for modification of surfaces, with the emphasis on coatings. In the final section of the paper, several examples address the requirements of different energy systems and surface modification avenues that have been applied to resolve the issues.« less

High Performance Nano-Crystalline Oxide Fuel Cell Materials. Defects, Structures, Interfaces, Transport, and Electrochemistry

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

Barnett, Scott; Poeppelmeier, Ken; Mason, Tom

This project addresses fundamental materials challenges in solid oxide electrochemical cells, devices that have a broad range of important energy applications. Although nano-scale mixed ionically and electronically conducting (MIEC) materials provide an important opportunity to improve performance and reduce device operating temperature, durability issues threaten to limit their utility and have remained largely unexplored. Our work has focused on both (1) understanding the fundamental processes related to oxygen transport and surface-vapor reactions in nano-scale MIEC materials, and (2) determining and understanding the key factors that control their long-term stability. Furthermore, materials stability has been explored under the “extreme” conditions encounteredmore » in many solid oxide cell applications, i.e, very high or very low effective oxygen pressures, and high current density.« less

State-of-the-art and outlook for biomimetic materials

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

Richman, R.H.; Bond, G.M.; McNaughton, W.P.

1994-11-01

A remarkable diversity of structures and molecular functions has evolved in plants and animals. Many of these natural substances have properties or capabilities that belie their origins in humble, everyday, starting materials. Consequently, there is a growing awareness among scientists and engineers that biological systems can be a valuable source of inspiration for man-made materials. Emphasis in this assessment is on biomimetics; that is, the achievement of unusual materials properties or processes by mimicking novel aspects of biological systems. Five broad areas are selected for detailed investigation: Mimicking of Natural Material Designs; Biomimetic Materials Processing; Artificial Photosynthesis; Biomimetic Molecular Electronics;more » and Biomimetic Catalysis. Each of these topics is examined in terms of current activities and approaches, key aspects, unresolved issues, and implications for the power industry. Finally, the researchers, their organizations, the main thrusts of investigation, achievements, and funding agencies are summarized in tabular form.« less

Study of utilization of advanced composites in fuselage structures of large transports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, A. C.; Campion, M. C.; Pei, G.

1984-01-01

The effort required by the transport aircraft manufacturers to support the introduction of advanced composite materials into the fuselage structure of future commercial and military transport aircraft is investigated. Technology issues, potential benefits to military life cycle costs and commercial operating costs, and development plans are examined. The most urgent technology issues defined are impact dynamics, acoustic transmission, pressure containment and damage tolerance, post-buckling, cutouts, and joints and splices. A technology demonstration program is defined and a rough cost and schedule identified. The fabrication and test of a full-scale fuselage barrel section is presented. Commercial and military benefits are identified. Fuselage structure weight savings from use of advanced composites are 16.4 percent for the commercial and 21.8 percent for the military. For the all-composite airplanes the savings are 26 percent and 29 percent, respectively. Commercial/operating costs are reduced by 5 percent for the all-composite airplane and military life cycle costs by 10 percent.

Quantitative Modeling of Coupled Piezo-Elastodynamic Behavior of Piezoelectric Actuators Bonded to an Elastic Medium for Structural Health Monitoring: A Review

PubMed Central

Huang, Guoliang; Song, Fei; Wang, Xiaodong

2010-01-01

Elastic waves, especially guided waves, generated by a piezoelectric actuator/sensor network, have shown great potential for on-line health monitoring of advanced aerospace, nuclear, and automotive structures in recent decades. Piezoelectric materials can function as both actuators and sensors in these applications due to wide bandwidth, quick response and low costs. One of the most fundamental issues surrounding the effective use of piezoelectric actuators is the quantitative evaluation of the resulting elastic wave propagation by considering the coupled piezo-elastodynamic behavior between the actuator and the host medium. Accurate characterization of the local interfacial stress distribution between the actuator and the host medium is the key issue for the problem. This paper presents a review of the development of analytical, numerical and hybrid approaches for modeling of the coupled piezo-elastodynamic behavior. The resulting elastic wave propagation for structural health monitoring is also summarized. PMID:22319319

Durability of polymer matrix composites for automotive structural applications: A state-of-the-art review

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

Corum, J.M.; Simpson, W.A. Jr.; Sun, C.T.

1995-07-01

A key unanswered question that must be addressed before polymeric composites will be widely used in automotive structural components is their known durability. Major durability issues are the effects that cyclic loadings, creep, automotive fluid environments, and low-energy impacts have on dimensional stability, strength, and stiffness throughout the required life of a composite component. This report reviews the current state of understanding in each of these areas. It also discusses the limited information that exists on one of the prime candidate materials for automotive structural applications--an isocyanurate reinforced with a continuous strand, swirl mat. Because of the key role thatmore » nondestructive evaluations must play in understanding damage development and progression, a chapter is included on ultrasonic techniques. A final chapter then gives conclusions and recommendations for research needed to resolve the various durability issues. These recommendations will help provide a sound basis for program planning for the Durability of Lightweight Composite Structures Project sponsored by the US Department of Energy in cooperation with the Automotive Composites Consortium of Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors.« less

Materials Science Experiments on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillies, Donald C.

1999-01-01

The Performance Goal for NASA's Microgravity Materials Science Program reads "Use microgravity to establish and improve quantitative and predictive relationships between the structure, processing and properties of materials." The advent of the International Space Station will open up a new era in Materials Science Research including the ability to perform long term and frequent experiments in microgravity. As indicated the objective is to gain a greater understanding of issues of materials science in an environment in which the force of gravity can be effectively switched off. Thus gravity related issues of convection, buoyancy and hydrostatic forces can be reduced and the science behind the structure/processing/properties relationship can more easily be understood. The specific areas of research covered within the program are (1) the study of Nucleation and Metastable States, (2) Prediction and Control of Microstructure (including pattern formation and morphological stability), (3) Phase Separation and Interfacial Stability, (4) Transport Phenomena (including process modeling and thermophysical properties measurement), and (5) Crystal Growth, and Defect Generation and Control. All classes of materials, including metals and alloys, glasses and ceramics, polymers, electronic materials (including organic and inorganic single crystals), aerogels and nanostructures, are included in these areas. The principal experimental equipment available to the materials scientist on the International Space Station (ISS) will be the Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF). Each of these systems will be accommodated in a single ISS rack, which can operate autonomously, will accommodate telescience operations, and will provide real time data to the ground. Eventual plans call for three MSRF racks, the first of which will be shared with the European Space Agency (ESA). Under international agreements, ESA and other partners will provide some of the equipment, while NASA covers launch and integration costs. The MSRF facilities will include modular components, which can be exchanged to provide inserts specifically matched to the engineering requirements of the particular Principal Investigator. To defray costs and avoid duplication of engineering effort NASA is also pursuing the possibility of using facilities provided by international partners. By this means it is anticipated that all of the types of research outlined in the previous paragraph can be done on the ISS.

PHOTONICS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY Laser generation of nanostructures on the surface and in the bulk of solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bityurin, N. M.

2010-12-01

This paper considers nanostructuring of solid surfaces by nano-optical techniques, primarily by laser particle nanolithography. Threshold processes are examined that can be used for laser structuring of solid surfaces, with particular attention to laser swelling of materials. Fundamental spatial resolution issues in three-dimensional (3D) laser nanostructuring are analysed with application to laser nanopolymerisation and 3D optical information recording. The formation of nanostructures in the bulk of solids due to their structural instability under irradiation is exemplified by photoinduced formation of nanocomposites.

Quantum formulation for nanoscale optical and material chirality: symmetry issues, space and time parity, and observables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, D. L.

2018-03-01

To properly represent the interplay and coupling of optical and material chirality at the photon-molecule or photon-nanoparticle level invites a recognition of quantum facets in the fundamental aspects and mechanisms of light-matter interaction. It is therefore appropriate to cast theory in a general quantum form, one that is applicable to both linear and nonlinear optics as well as various forms of chiroptical interaction including chiral optomechanics. Such a framework, fully accounting for both radiation and matter in quantum terms, facilitates the scrutiny and identification of key issues concerning spatial and temporal parity, scale, dissipation and measurement. Furthermore it fully provides for describing the interactions of structured or twisted light beams with a vortex character, and it leads to the complete identification of symmetry conditions for materials to provide for chiral discrimination. Quantum considerations also lend a distinctive perspective to the very different senses in which other aspects of chirality are recognized in metamaterials. Duly attending to the symmetry principles governing allowed or disallowed forms of chiral discrimination supports an objective appraisal of the experimental possibilities and developing applications.

Development and fabrication of a graphite polyimide box beam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nadler, M. A.; Darms, F. J.

1972-01-01

The state-of-the-art of graphite/polyimide structures was evaluated and key design and fabrication issues to be considered in future hardware programs are defined. The fabrication and testing at 500 F of a graphite/polyimide center wing box beam using OV-10A aircraft criteria was accomplished. The baseline design of this box was developed in a series of studies of other advanced composite materials: glass/epoxy, boron/epoxy, and boron/polyimide. The use of this basic design permits ready comparison of the performance of graphite/polyimide with these materials. Modifications to the baseline composite design were made only in those areas effected by the change of materials. Processing studies of graphite fiber polyimide resins systems resulted in the selection of a Modmor II/Gemon L material.

Composite materials. Volume 3 - Engineering applications of composites. Volume 4 - Metallic matrix composites. Volume 8 - Structural design and analysis, Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noton, B. R. (Editor); Kreider, K. G.; Chamis, C. C.

1974-01-01

This volume discusses a vaety of applications of both low- and high-cost composite materials in a number of selected engineering fields. The text stresses the use of fiber-reinforced composites, along with interesting material systems used in the electrical and nuclear industries. As to technology transfer, a similarity is noted between many of the reasons responsible for the utilization of composites and those problems requiring urgent solution, such as mechanized fabrication processes and design for production. Features topics include road transportation, rail transportation, civil aircraft, space vehicles, builing industry, chemical plants, and appliances and equipment. The laminate orientation code devised by Air Force materials laboratory is included. Individual items are announced in this issue.

A study on the utilization of advanced composites in commercial aircraft wing structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watts, D. J.

1978-01-01

A study was conducted to define the technology and data needed to support the introduction of advanced composite materials in the wing structure of future production aircraft. The study accomplished the following: (1) definition of acceptance factors, (2) identification of technology issues, (3) evaluation of six candidate wing structures, (4) evaluation of five program options, (5) definition of a composite wing technology development plan, (6) identification of full-scale tests, (7) estimation of program costs for the total development plan, (8) forecast of future utilization of composites in commercial transport aircraft and (9) identification of critical technologies for timely program planning.

Probabilistic Analysis of Structural Member from Recycled Aggregate Concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broukalová, I.; Šeps, K.

2017-09-01

The paper aims at the topic of sustainable building concerning recycling of waste rubble concrete from demolition. Considering demands of maximising recycled aggregate use and minimising of cement consumption, composite from recycled concrete aggregate was proposed. The objective of the presented investigations was to verify feasibility of the recycled aggregate cement based fibre reinforced composite in a structural member. Reliability of wall from recycled aggregate fibre reinforced composite was assessed in a probabilistic analysis of a load-bearing capacity of the wall. The applicability of recycled aggregate fibre reinforced concrete in structural applications was demonstrated. The outcomes refer to issue of high scatter of material parameters of recycled aggregate concretes.

Fatigue behavior and life prediction of a SiC/Ti-24Al-11Nb composite under isothermal conditions. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartolotta, Paul A.

1991-01-01

Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) and Intermetallic Matrix Composites (IMC) were identified as potential material candidates for advanced aerospace applications. They are especially attractive for high temperature applications which require a low density material that maintains its structural integrity at elevated temperatures. High temperature fatigue resistance plays an important role in determining the structural integrity of the material. This study attempts to examine the relevance of test techniques, failure criterion, and life prediction as they pertain to an IMC material, specifically, unidirectional SiC fiber reinforced titanium aluminide. A series of strain and load controlled fatigue tests were conducted on unidirectional SiC/Ti-24Al-11Nb composite at 425 and 815 C. Several damage mechanism regimes were identified by using a strain-based representation of the data, Talreja's fatigue life diagram concept. Results of these tests were then used to address issues of test control modes, definition of failure, and testing techniques. Finally, a strain-based life prediction method was proposed for an IMC under tensile cyclic loadings at elevated temperatures.

Thermoelectric Behavior of Low Thermal Conductivity Cu-based and IV-V Chalcogenides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olvera, Alan Anthony

In an ever-changing global environment, energy-related issues have become a central feature in the day-to-day conversations of the general public. A niche field that has recently made major advancements in conversion performance is thermoelectric (TE) energy conversion, where progress in material optimization has resulted in the highest efficiency thermoelectric materials to date. This includes superionic copper chalcogenides and IV-VI selenide compounds, such as Cu2Se and PbSe. Hence, this work focuses on the reliable synthesis and characterization of thermoelectric Cu-based and IV-V compounds. The electronic and optical properties of Cu-based energy conversion materials are greatly affected by synthesis-induced defects. To alleviate this issue, a novel method is developed using the topochemical redox reaction of CuSe 2 into the desired material. It is predicted that CuSe2 -serves as a sacrificial structural template for the facile synthesis of structurally related materials. This was specifically verified in the case of CuInSe 2, where CuSe2 is gradually transformed into CuInSe 2 when reacted with elemental indium. Evidently, this synthetic method is a potential avenue for new material prediction and fabrication of novel composite materials. Using the method described, a composite of CuInSe2 and the known TE material, Cu2Se, is formed. Considering the structural similarity of both compounds, the efficiency of Cu2Se is drastically increased due to enhanced carrier mobility provided by tetrahedral indium subunits. These subunits simultaneously disrupt phonon propagation which result in reduced thermal conductivity and increased TE efficiency (ZT ≈ 2.6 at 850K). More significant is the increased chemical stability of Cu2Se while under applied current and temperature. It is observed that 1 mol % indium stabilizes Cu-ion migration, encouraging the commercialization of Cu 2Se. Currently, CuAgSe is the only promising n-type Cu-based superionic TE material. Accordingly, to find a compatible material for p-type Cu2Se at high temperatures, a series of materials with the formula Cu4-xAgxSe2 were synthesized. It was found that the composition of Cu3AgSe2 ( x = 1) is a two-phase mixture at low temperatures but becomes a single-phase p-type superionic material above 440 K. On the other hand, CuAg 3Se2 (x = 3) remains a two-phase n-type mixture throughout the measured temperature range, contrary to reports of CuAg3Se2 as a single-phase high temperature material. The most important finding is the high temperature n-type behavior of CuAgSe (x = 2), which is the first instance of CuAgSe as an n-type superionic material above 470 K. It is proposed that off-stoichiometry leads to p-type behavior of CuAgSe. Moving to IV-V compounds, a detailed experimental and computational study of the material Pb7Bi4Se13 shows excellent thermoelectric properties for a non-optimized system. It behaves as an n-type material with a small band gap of about 0.23 eV, which is confirmed by band structure calculations and experimental results. It demonstrates ultralow thermal conductivity largely due to the complex atomic-scale structure and heavy constituent atoms. This results in a ZT of approximately 0.9 at 775 K, which is a promising value for further optimization. Additional results from CuSe2 structural template reactions show that several composite materials and new materials can be predicted and synthesized. This includes Cu2Se-Cu(Ga,Al)Se2 composites and new materials such as Cu(Zn,Ni)1.5Se2 and CuPb 0.75Se2. Further work in Sn-Bi-Se compounds is discussed due their complex crystal structure that may result in promising thermoelectric properties. Finally, the preliminary results of high entropy chalcogenides are presented with discussion on future development.

Triarylborane-Based Materials for OLED Applications.

PubMed

Turkoglu, Gulsen; Cinar, M Emin; Ozturk, Turan

2017-09-13

Multidisciplinary research on organic fluorescent molecules has been attracting great interest owing to their potential applications in biomedical and material sciences. In recent years, electron deficient systems have been increasingly incorporated into fluorescent materials. Triarylboranes with the empty p orbital of their boron centres are electron deficient and can be used as strong electron acceptors in conjugated organic fluorescent materials. Moreover, their applications in optoelectronic devices, energy harvesting materials and anion sensing, due to their natural Lewis acidity and remarkable solid-state fluorescence properties, have also been investigated. Furthermore, fluorescent triarylborane-based materials have been commonly utilized as emitters and electron transporters in organic light emitting diode (OLED) applications. In this review, triarylborane-based small molecules and polymers will be surveyed, covering their structure-property relationships, intramolecular charge transfer properties and solid-state fluorescence quantum yields as functional emissive materials in OLEDs. Also, the importance of the boron atom in triarylborane compounds is emphasized to address the key issues of both fluorescent emitters and their host materials for the construction of high-performance OLEDs.

Amorphous MoS3 as the sulfur-equivalent cathode material for room-temperature Li-S and Na-S batteries.

PubMed

Ye, Hualin; Ma, Lu; Zhou, Yu; Wang, Lu; Han, Na; Zhao, Feipeng; Deng, Jun; Wu, Tianpin; Li, Yanguang; Lu, Jun

2017-12-12

Many problems associated with Li-S and Na-S batteries essentially root in the generation of their soluble polysulfide intermediates. While conventional wisdom mainly focuses on trapping polysulfides at the cathode using various functional materials, few strategies are available at present to fully resolve or circumvent this long-standing issue. In this study, we propose the concept of sulfur-equivalent cathode materials, and demonstrate the great potential of amorphous MoS 3 as such a material for room-temperature Li-S and Na-S batteries. In Li-S batteries, MoS 3 exhibits sulfur-like behavior with large reversible specific capacity, excellent cycle life, and the possibility to achieve high areal capacity. Most remarkably, it is also fully cyclable in the carbonate electrolyte under a relatively high temperature of 55 °C. MoS 3 can also be used as the cathode material of even more challenging Na-S batteries to enable decent capacity and good cycle life. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments are carried out to track the structural evolution of MoS 3 It largely preserves its chain-like structure during repetitive battery cycling without generating any free polysulfide intermediates.

Statistical and sampling issues when using multiple particle tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savin, Thierry; Doyle, Patrick S.

2007-08-01

Video microscopy can be used to simultaneously track several microparticles embedded in a complex material. The trajectories are used to extract a sample of displacements at random locations in the material. From this sample, averaged quantities characterizing the dynamics of the probes are calculated to evaluate structural and/or mechanical properties of the assessed material. However, the sampling of measured displacements in heterogeneous systems is singular because the volume of observation with video microscopy is finite. By carefully characterizing the sampling design in the experimental output of the multiple particle tracking technique, we derive estimators for the mean and variance of the probes’ dynamics that are independent of the peculiar statistical characteristics. We expose stringent tests of these estimators using simulated and experimental complex systems with a known heterogeneous structure. Up to a certain fundamental limitation, which we characterize through a material degree of sampling by the embedded probe tracking, these estimators can be applied to quantify the heterogeneity of a material, providing an original and intelligible kind of information on complex fluid properties. More generally, we show that the precise assessment of the statistics in the multiple particle tracking output sample of observations is essential in order to provide accurate unbiased measurements.

Amorphous MoS3 as the sulfur-equivalent cathode material for room-temperature Li–S and Na–S batteries

PubMed Central

Ye, Hualin; Ma, Lu; Zhou, Yu; Wang, Lu; Han, Na; Zhao, Feipeng; Deng, Jun; Wu, Tianpin; Li, Yanguang; Lu, Jun

2017-01-01

Many problems associated with Li–S and Na–S batteries essentially root in the generation of their soluble polysulfide intermediates. While conventional wisdom mainly focuses on trapping polysulfides at the cathode using various functional materials, few strategies are available at present to fully resolve or circumvent this long-standing issue. In this study, we propose the concept of sulfur-equivalent cathode materials, and demonstrate the great potential of amorphous MoS3 as such a material for room-temperature Li–S and Na–S batteries. In Li–S batteries, MoS3 exhibits sulfur-like behavior with large reversible specific capacity, excellent cycle life, and the possibility to achieve high areal capacity. Most remarkably, it is also fully cyclable in the carbonate electrolyte under a relatively high temperature of 55 °C. MoS3 can also be used as the cathode material of even more challenging Na–S batteries to enable decent capacity and good cycle life. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments are carried out to track the structural evolution of MoS3. It largely preserves its chain-like structure during repetitive battery cycling without generating any free polysulfide intermediates. PMID:29180431

Path forward: emerging issues and challenges.

PubMed

Gillen, Matt; Gittleman, Janie L

2010-06-01

The NIOSH Construction Program worked with industry stakeholders to develop a National Occupational Safety and Health Construction Agenda to target future research and activities. The Program and its partners are also cognizant that new developments can emerge over time and that research can play an important role in helping to understand and address these emerging issues. Examples of emerging issues relevant to construction safety and health are described. These include: (a) climate change and energy considerations; (b) green construction developments and opportunities; (c) new materials; (d) changes in industry structure and practice; (e) workforce developments and disparities; (f) injury underreporting and cost and risk shifting; and (g) increased interest in addressing root causes. Responding to emerging issues while maintaining a focus on fundamental longstanding issues represents an ongoing challenge for researchers and industry organizations. Additional research to understand the diffusion and adoption of research by the industry is also needed. Research accomplished to date provides a strong foundation for addressing future industry needs and trends. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent Progress in Using Advanced Characterization and Modeling Approaches to Study Radiation Effects in Oxide Ceramics

DOE PAGES

Bai, Xian-Ming

2014-10-23

I serve as a Guest Editor for the Nuclear Materials Committee of the TMS Structural Materials Division, and coordinated the topic ‘‘Radiation Effects in Oxide Ceramics and Novel LWR Fuels" for JOM in the December 2014 issue. I selected five articles related this topic. These articles talk about some recent progress of using advanced experimental and modeling tools to study radiation effects in oxide ceramics at atomistic scale and mesoscale. In this guest editor commentary article, I summarize the novel aspects of these papers and also provide some suggestions for future research directions.

Characterization of polymorphic microsatellites for Tripterygium (Celastraceae), a monospecific genus of medicinal importance.

PubMed

Novy, Ari; Jones, Kenneth C

2011-10-01

Microsatellite markers were developed for the medicinal plant Tripterygium (Celastraceae) to assess its population structure and to facilitate source tracking of plant materials used for medicinal extracts. Ten microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized in T. wilfordii using an enriched genomic library. The number of alleles per locus ranged from five to 12. Observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.166 to 0.630 and 0.392 to 0.562, respectively. These markers will be useful for a variety of applications including source tracking of plant materials, resolution of taxonomic issues, and population genetics studies.

Recent progress in the structure control of Pd–Ru bimetallic nanomaterials

PubMed Central

Wu, Dongshuang; Kusada, Kohei; Kitagawa, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

Abstract Pd and Ru are two key elements of the platinum-group metals that are invaluable to areas such as catalysis and energy storage/transfer. To maximize the potential of the Pd and Ru elements, significant effort has been devoted to synthesizing Pd–Ru bimetallic materials. However, most of the reports dealing with this subject describe phase-separated structures such as near-surface alloys and physical mixtures of monometallic nanoparticles (NPs). Pd–Ru alloys with homogenous structure and arbitrary metallic ratio are highly desired for basic scientific research and commercial material design. In the past several years, with the development of nanoscience, Pd–Ru bimetallic alloys with different architectures including heterostructure, core-shell structure and solid-solution alloy were successfully synthesized. In particular, we have now reached the stage of being able to obtain Pd–Ru solid-solution alloy NPs over the whole composition range. These Pd–Ru bimetallic alloys are better catalysts than their parent metal NPs in many catalytic reactions, because the electronic structures of Pd and Ru are modified by alloying. In this review, we describe the recent development in the structure control of Pd–Ru bimetallic nanomaterials. Aiming for a better understanding of the synthesis strategies, some fundamental details including fabrication methods and formation mechanisms are discussed. We stress that the modification of electronic structure, originating from different nanoscale geometry and chemical composition, profoundly affects material properties. Finally, we discuss open issues in this field. PMID:27877905

Structural verification for GAS experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peden, Mark Daniel

1992-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to assist the Get Away Special (GAS) experimenter in conducting a thorough structural verification of its experiment structural configuration, thus expediting the structural review/approval process and the safety process in general. Material selection for structural subsystems will be covered with an emphasis on fasteners (GSFC fastener integrity requirements) and primary support structures (Stress Corrosion Cracking requirements and National Space Transportation System (NSTS) requirements). Different approaches to structural verifications (tests and analyses) will be outlined especially those stemming from lessons learned on load and fundamental frequency verification. In addition, fracture control will be covered for those payloads that utilize a door assembly or modify the containment provided by the standard GAS Experiment Mounting Plate (EMP). Structural hazard assessment and the preparation of structural hazard reports will be reviewed to form a summation of structural safety issues for inclusion in the safety data package.

Adaptive and active materials: selected papers from the ASME 2012 Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems (SMASIS 12) (Stone Mountain, GA, USA, 19-21 September 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seelecke, Stefan; Erturk, Alper; Ounaies, Zoubeida; Naguib, Hani; Huber, John; Turner, Travis; Anderson, Iain; Philen, Michael; Baba Sundaresan, Vishnu

2013-09-01

The fifth annual meeting of the ASME/AIAA Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems Conference (SMASIS) was held in beautiful Stone Mountain near Atlanta, GA. It is the conference's objective to provide an up-to-date overview of research trends in the entire field of smart materials systems. This was reflected in keynote speeches by Professor Eduard Arzt (Institute of New Materials and Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany) on 'Micro-patterned artificial 'Gecko' surfaces: a path to switchable adhesive function', by Professor Ray H Baughman (The Alan G MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, University of Texas at Dallas) on 'The diverse and growing family of carbon nanotube and related artificial muscles', and by Professor Richard James (University of Minnesota) on 'The direct conversion of heat to electricity using multiferroic materials with phase transformations'. SMASIS 2012 was divided into eight symposia which span basic research, applied technological design and development, and industrial and governmental integrated system and application demonstrations. • SYMP 1. Development and characterization of multifunctional materials. • SYMP 2. Mechanics and behavior of active materials. • SYMP 3. Modeling, simulation and control of adaptive systems. • SYMP 4. Integrated system design and implementation. • SYMP 5. Structural health monitoring/NDE. • SYMP 6. Bio-inspired materials and systems. • SYMP 7. Energy harvesting. • SYMP 8. Structural and materials logic. This year we were particularly excited to introduce a new symposium on energy harvesting, which has quickly matured from a special track in previous years to an independent symposium for the first time. The subject cuts across fields by studying different materials, ranging from piezoelectrics to electroactive polymers, as well as by emphasizing different energy sources from wind to waves and ambient vibrations. Modeling, experimental studies, and technology applications all belong to the symposium topics. In addition, the conference also featured a special symposium dedicated to DARPA's structural and materials/logic program. The program seeks to enable structural systems to adapt to varying loads and simultaneously exhibit both high stiffness and high damping. Authors of selected papers in the materials areas (symposia 1, 2, and 6) as well as energy harvesting (symposium 7) were invited to write a full journal article on their presentation topic for publication in this special issue of Smart Materials and Structures . This collection of papers demonstrates the exceptional quality and originality of the conference presentations. We are very appreciative of their efforts to produce this collection of highly relevant articles on smart materials.

Training Ideas. Premiere Issue. Aug/Sept Issue. Apr/May Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Training Ideas, 1984

1984-01-01

This document contains three issues of "Training Ideas," a bimonthly publication of instructional materials and articles dealing with human resource development. The premiere issue (1984) includes the following articles: "Information Retrieval: Finding That Lost Article" by Patrick Suessmuth; "Increasing Learning in Printed Materials through the…

Coupled attenuation and multiscale damage model for composite structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moncada, Albert M.; Chattopadhyay, Aditi; Bednarcyk, Brett; Arnold, Steven M.

2011-04-01

Composite materials are widely used in many applications for their high strength, low weight, and tailorability for specific applications. However, the development of robust and reliable methodologies to detect micro level damage in composite structures has been challenging. For composite materials, attenuation of ultrasonic waves propagating through the media can be used to determine damage within the material. Currently available numerical solutions for attenuation induce arbitrary damage, such as fiber-matrix debonding or inclusions, to show variations between healthy and damaged states. This paper addresses this issue by integrating a micromechanics analysis to simulate damage in the form of a fiber-matrix crack and an analytical model for calculating the attenuation of the waves when they pass through the damaged region. The hybrid analysis is validated by comparison with experimental stress-strain curves and piezoelectric sensing results for attenuation measurement. The results showed good agreement between the experimental stress-strain curves and the results from the micromechanics analysis. Wave propagation analysis also showed good correlation between simulation and experiment for the tested frequency range.

Proposed industrial recovered materials utilization targets for the metals and metal-products industry

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

None

1979-05-01

The introductory chapter provides a discussion of the factors that affect the recovery and reuse of secondary materials and the competition between the primary and secondary metals industries. It discusses these industries in terms of resource characteristics, industry technology, pollution control requirements, market structure, the economics of recycling, and the issues involved in econometrically estimating scrap supply response behavior. It further presents the methodology established by DOE for the metals, textiles, rubber, and pulp and paper industries. The areas in which government policies might have a significant impact on the utilization of primary and secondary metals and on any recyclingmore » targets between now and 1987 are noted. Chapter 3 presents general profiles for the major industrial segments comprising SIC 33. The profiles include such topics as industry structure, process technology, materials and recycling flow, and future trends. Chapter 4 specifically covers the evaluation of recycling targets for the ferrous, aluminum, copper, zinc, and lead industries. (MCW)« less

PREFACE: Trends in Aerospace Manufacturing 2009 International Conference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridgway, Keith; Gault, Rosemary; Allen, Adrian

2011-12-01

The aerospace industry is rapidly changing. New aircraft structures are being developed and aero-engines are becoming lighter and more environmentally friendly. In both areas, innovative materials and manufacturing methods are used in an attempt to get maximum performance for minimum cost. At the same time, the structure of the industry has changed and there has been a move from large companies designing, manufacturing components and assembling aircraft to one of large global supply chains headed by large system integrators. All these changes have forced engineers and managers to bring in innovations in design, materials, manufacturing technologies and supply chain management. In September 2009, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield held the inaugural Trends in Aerospace Manufacturing conference (TRAM09). This brought together 28 speakers over two days, who presented in sessions on advanced manufacturing trends for the aerospace sector. Areas covered included new materials, including composites, advanced machining, state of the art additive manufacturing techniques, assembly and supply chain issues.

Optimization of sensor introduction into laminated composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaaf, Kristin; Nemat-Nasser, Sia

2008-03-01

This work seeks to extend the functionality of the composite material beyond that of simply load-bearing and to enable in situ sensing, without compromising the structural integrity of the host composite material. Essential to the application of smart composites is the issue of the mechanical coupling of the sensor to the host material. Here we present various methods of embedding sensors within the host composite material. In this study, quasi-static three-point bending (short beam) and fatigue three-point bending (short beam) tests are conducted in order to characterize the effects of introducing the sensors into the host composite material. The sensors that are examined include three types of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin film sensors: silver ink with a protective coating of urethane, silver ink without a protective coating, and nickel-copper alloy without a protective coating. The methods of sensor integration include placement at the midplane between the layers of prepreg material as well as a sandwich configuration in which a PVDF thin film sensor is placed between the first and second and nineteenth and twentieth layers of prepreg. Each PVDF sensor is continuous and occupies the entire layer, lying in the plane normal to the thickness direction in laminated composites. The work described here is part of an ongoing effort to understand the structural effects of integrating microsensor networks into a host composite material.

Rapid Prototyping of Composite Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colton, Jonathan S.

1998-01-01

This progress report for the project Rapid Production of Composite Structures covers the period from July 14, 1997 to June 30, 1998. It will present a short overview of the project, followed by the results to date and plans for the future. The goal of this research is to provide a minimum 100x reduction in the time required to produce arbitrary, laminated products without the need for a separate mold or an autoclave. It will accomplish this by developing the science underlying the rapid production of composite structures, specifically those of carbon fiber-epoxy materials. This scientific understanding will be reduced to practice in a demonstration device that will produce a part on the order of 12" by 12" by 6". Work in the past year has focussed on developing an understanding of the materials issues and of the machine design issues. Our initial goal was to use UV cureable resins to accomplish full cure on the machine. Therefore, we have centered our materials work around whether or not UV cureable resins will work. Currently, the answer seems to be that they will not work, because UV light cannot penetrate the carbon fibers, and because no "shadow" curing seems to occur. As a result, non-UV cureable resins are being investigated. This has resulted in a change in the machine design focus. We are now looking into a "dip and place" machine design, whereby a prepreg layer would have one side coated with a curing agent, and then would be placed onto the previous layer. This would lead to cure at the interface, but not to the top of the layer. The formulation of the resins to accomplish this task at room or slightly elevated temperatures is being investigated, as is the machine design needed to apply the curing agent and then cure or partially cure the part. A final, out-of-autoclave, post-cure may be needed with this strategy, as final cure on the machine may not be possible, as it was for the initial UV cure strategy. The remainder of this report details the progress in the materials and machine design areas. Materials Development The material system must be designed to fulfill the following requirements: to reduce the time and labor requirements of typical cure cycles; to reduce the thermal stresses developed during conventional heat curing; and to develop a structure that the build sequence requires. In order to accomplish these goals, there have been parallel tracks of investigation. One area has tested photopolymerizable (ultraviolet (UV) curable) materials and combinations of these materials with standard heat curing resins. The second area has investigated resins that cure rapidly at room or low heat temperatures. The main goal of these investigations has been to identify a system that will rapidly set or cure at room temperature during a tape lay-up process and hold its structure during a post-cure cycle.

Demonstration Tokamak Hybrid Reactor (DTHR) blanket design study, December 1978

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

Not Available

1978-01-01

This work represents only the second iteration of the conceptual design of a DTHR blanket; consequently, a number of issues important to a detailed blanket design have not yet been evaluated. The most critical issues identified are those of two-phase flow maldistribution, flow instabilities, flow stratification for horizontal radial inflow of boiling water, fuel rod vibrations, corrosion of clad and structural materials by high quality steam, fretting and cyclic loads. Approaches to minimizing these problems are discussed and experimental testing with flow mock-ups is recommended. These implications on a commercial blanket design are discussed and critical data needs are identified.

Characterization of Structural Rebuilding and Shear Migration in Cementitious Materials in Consideration of Thixotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Ye

Characterization of structural rebuilding and shear migration in cementitious materials in consideration of thixotropy Ye Qian From initial contact with water until hardening, and deterioration, cement and concrete materials are subjected to various chemical and physical transformations and environmental impacts. This thesis focuses on the properties during the fresh state, shortly after mixing until the induction period. During this period flow history, including shearing and resting, and hydration both play big roles in determining the rheological properties. The rheological properties of cement and concrete not only affect the casting and pumping process, but also very critical for harden properties and durability properties. Compared with conventional concrete, self-consolidating concrete (SCC) can introduce many advantages in construction application. These include readiness to apply, decreasing labor necessary for casting, and enhancing hardened properties. However, challenges still remain, such as issues relating to formwork pressure and multi-layer casting. Each of these issues is closely related to the property of thixotropy. From the microstructural point of view, thixotropy is described as structural buildup (flocculation) under rest and breakdown (deflocculation) under flow. For SCC, as well as other concrete systems, it is about balancing sufficient flowability during casting and rate of structural buildup after placement for the application at hand. For instance, relating to the issue of SCC formwork, it is ideal for the material to be highly flowable to achieve rapid casting, but then exhibit high rate of structural buildup to reduce formwork pressure. This can reduce the cost of formwork and reduce the risk of formwork failure. It is apparent that accurately quantifying the two aspects of thixotropy, i.e. structuration and destructuration, is key to tackling these challenges in field application. Thus, the overall objective of my doctoral study is to improve quantification of key parameters tied to thixotropy that we have identified to be important: static yield stress, cohesion and degree of shear-induced particle migration. The two main contributions are as follows: Firstly, I quantified structuration of fresh paste and mortar systems by measuring static yield stress. After an extensive review of various rheological methods to probe viscoelastic properties of yield stress fluids, I selected, developed, and implemented a creep recovery protocol. Creep results were supplemented by low-amplitude oscillatory shear results, and supported that the measured static yield stress corresponds to the solid-liquid transition. This improved quantification of static yield stress can help better understand the effect of mix composition on SCC formwork pressure development, as well as static segregation and stability. Since the static yield stress is measured before the structure is broken down, the effects of sand migration are eliminated. This study also analyzed effects of other supplementary cementitous materials such as nanoclay and fly ash. Results showed that nanoclay effectively increases static yield stress and structuration rate, while fly ash decreases static yield stress. To complement this investigation, I studied cohesion using the probe tack test, as cohesion is widely cited to be closely related to formwork pressure. I verified that probe tack test is a quick and useful method to measure static cohesion. Results showed that nanoclay increased cohesion dramatically while fly ash did not have an apparent effect on cohesion. Secondly, I developed an empirical model to fit the stress decay process under constant shear rate, For mortar systems, the stress decay can be attributed to two mechanisms: colloidal destructuration and sand migration. Such a model could be used to characterize particle migration and dynamic segregation, a critical issue for casting applications. In addition, shear induced particle migration is a widely recognized challenge in characterizing mortars and concretes through shear rheological methods. Therefore this model can help determine the range of shear rates within which migration can be minimized to guide the design of protocols for dynamic rheological characterization and to ultimately develop design strategies to minimize mitigation. Compared with currently existing methods, this model provides a faster approach to quantify the sand migration process, including kinetics.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology in next generation lithium batteries*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunn, Bruce; Liu, Ping; Meng, Shirley

2013-10-01

Lithium ion batteries have enabled the portable electronics revolution that changed how we communicate and share information. They have also started to penetrate the vehicle electrification and grid storage markets, two applications that are at the core of a sustainable future. In the pursuit of higher energy densities, lower costs, and longer life, nanotechnology is regularly employed to create new materials and processes in order to achieve these goals. A wonderful example is the commercialization of the lithium iron phosphate cathode which functions as a high power material only in a nanophase form, clearly demonstrating the benefit of nanotechnology. Materials engineered at the nanoscale are expected to offer a suite of advantages: high power densities are enabled by much reduced solid-state diffusion distance; high surface area reduces the effective current density; and new material structures and compositions are stabilized by nanostructuring, leading to new charge storage mechanisms. On the other hand, the use of nanomaterials in lithium ion batteries raises significant technological challenges. Thermodynamically unstable electrode/electrolyte interfaces combined with the high surface area of nanomaterials magnify the side reactions leading to performance losses. In addition electrically connecting large amounts of nanoparticles requires the use of large amounts of conducting diluents. Nanomaterials also tend to have low tap densities and are often more expensive to produce. In order for lithium ion batteries to meet the performance and cost requirements for vehicle electrification and grid storage, they increasingly employ electrode materials with challenging reaction kinetics, such as limited ionic and electronic conductivities and complex multiphase processes. By understanding nanoscale processes and using this understanding to extend the spatial scale over which battery design can be implemented, nanotechnology is expected to play an increasingly important role in enabling these new chemistries. As illustrated by the papers in this issue, new synthesis, characterization, and computational tools will facilitate this design and enable us to identify new material systems as well as their economical production. This special issue provides a snapshot of how various aspects of nanotechnology are being integrated in lithium ion batteries. Topics covered include synthesis of nanostructured intercalation and alloy anode materials, fundamental studies of the structure and mechanisms of nanostructured cathode materials based on intercalation and conversion, nanostructured solid-state electrolytes, and hierarchical electrode materials that contain nanometer scale building blocks. Acknowledgments We are grateful to all the contributors for their high-quality submissions. We also thank the editorial and production staff for their guidance in the production of this issue. *The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Energy or the United States.

PREFACE: Focus on Materials Nanoarchitectonics Focus on Materials Nanoarchitectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aono, Masakazu

2011-08-01

On behalf of the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), I wish to express our gratitude for the publication of this special issue of Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM), which highlights our recent research activities at MANA. In this preface, I would like to briefly describe the history and then outline the direction of research at MANA. In 2007, Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) launched the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI Program) to create several frontier research centers in Japan. The aim was to facilitate cutting-edge research by promoting the participation of leading scientists from around the world and by providing an attractive research environment. One of the six centers of the WPI Program is MANA, established at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in October 2007. The direction of research at MANA is symbolized by the term 'nanoarchitectonics', which is part of the name MANA. What is nanoarchitectonics? In the past quarter century, nanotechnology has made impressive advances and has become an important pillar in the development of new materials. However, to explore its full potential, nanotechnology needs to stay on the path of innovation. In particular, the conventional analytic view of nanotechnology must yield to a certain synthetic approach. This is conducive to creating new functions that can be exhibited by nanoscale structural units through mutual interactions, even though these functions are not present in the isolated units. We coined the term nanoarchitectonics (first used in the name of the 1st International Symposium on Nanoarchitectonics Using Suprainteractions (NASI-1), organized by the author and his colleagues at Tsukuba, Japan, in November 2000) to express this innovation of nanotechnology. More specifically, nanoarchitectonics is a technology system where the aim is arranging nanoscale structural units, which are a group of atoms or molecules or a nanoscale functional component, in an intended configuration that creates a novel functionality through mutual interactions among those units. Materials nanoarchitectonics targets two hierarchical classes of materials development: nanomaterial creation and nanosystem organization. MANA pursues the nanoarchitectonics concept described above on the basis of five key technologies: (i) controlled self-organization, (ii) chemical nanomanipulation, (iii) field-induced materials control, (iv) novel manipulations of atoms and molecules and (v) theoretical modeling and design. They are harnessed for scientific research organized into four fields: (i) nano-materials, (ii) nano-system, (iii) nano-green and (iv) nano-bio. In the nano-materials field, various novel nanoscale materials are created by utilizing unique synthetic techniques based on nanoarchitectonics, including soft-chemical, colloid and supramolecular processes. A typical example is the development of nanomaterials using soft-chemical nanosheet technology. In the nano-system field, researchers explore how nanoscale structural elements can produce novel functionalities through their mutual interactions and investigate how such novel functionalities can be materialized using nanoarchitectonics. One example is the development of a nanoscale system formed by atomic switches for the realization of inorganic neuromorphic circuits. The nano-green field develops new materials for electro- and photocatalysts, rechargeable batteries, solar and fuel cells, etc, which are necessary for the realization of a sustainable society. The nano-bio field sets its research direction towards material therapy and designs new materials for regenerative medicine. This special issue of STAM contains eleven papers that highlight the recent results obtained in the four research fields of MANA described above, although the main emphasis is placed on the nano-materials and nano-green fields. I hope that this special issue will introduce the research activities of MANA in the four years since its establishment and stimulate collaborations between MANA and other institutions around the world.

Lifetime costing of the body-in-white: Steel vs. aluminum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Helen N.; Clark, Joel P.

1995-05-01

In order to make informed material choice decisions and to derive the maximum benefit from the use of alternative materials, the automobile producer must understand the full range of costs and benefits for each material. It is becoming clear that the conventional cost-benefit analysis structure currently used by the automotive industry must be broadened to include nontraditional costs such as the environmental externalities associated with the use of existing and potential automotive technologies. This article develops a methodology for comparing the costs and benefits associated with the use of alternative materials in automotive applications by focusing on steel and aluminum in the unibody body-in-white. Authors' Note: This is the first of two articles documenting a methodology for evaluating the lifetime monetary and environmental costs of alternative materials in automotive applications. This article addresses the traditional money costs while a subsequent paper, which is planned for the August issue, will address the environmental externalities.

Physics and Process Modeling (PPM) and Other Propulsion R and T. Volume 1; Materials Processing, Characterization, and Modeling; Lifting Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

This CP contains the extended abstracts and presentation figures of 36 papers presented at the PPM and Other Propulsion R&T Conference. The focus of the research described in these presentations is on materials and structures technologies that are parts of the various projects within the NASA Aeronautics Propulsion Systems Research and Technology Base Program. These projects include Physics and Process Modeling; Smart, Green Engine; Fast, Quiet Engine; High Temperature Engine Materials Program; and Hybrid Hyperspeed Propulsion. Also presented were research results from the Rotorcraft Systems Program and work supported by the NASA Lewis Director's Discretionary Fund. Authors from NASA Lewis Research Center, industry, and universities conducted research in the following areas: material processing, material characterization, modeling, life, applied life models, design techniques, vibration control, mechanical components, and tribology. Key issues, research accomplishments, and future directions are summarized in this publication.

Design, Static Analysis And Fabrication Of Composite Joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathiselvan, G.; Gobinath, R.; Yuvaraja, S.; Raja, T.

2017-05-01

The Bonded joints will be having one of the important issues in the composite technology is the repairing of aging in aircraft applications. In these applications and also for joining various composite material parts together, the composite materials fastened together either using adhesives or mechanical fasteners. In this paper, we have carried out design, static analysis of 3-D models and fabrication of the composite joints (bonded, riveted and hybrid). The 3-D model of the composite structure will be fabricated by using the materials such as epoxy resin, glass fibre material and aluminium rivet for preparing the joints. The static analysis was carried out with different joint by using ANSYS software. After fabrication, parametric study was also conducted to compare the performance of the hybrid joint with varying adherent width, adhesive thickness and overlap length. Different joint and its materials tensile test result have compared.

Fabrication of Porous Ceramic-Geopolymer Based Material to Improve Water Absorption and Retention in Construction Materials: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamil, N. H.; Ibrahim, W. M. A. W.; Abdullah, M. M. A. B.; Sandu, A. V.; Tahir, M. F. M.

2017-06-01

Porous ceramic nowadays has been investigated for a variety of its application such as filters, lightweight structural component and others due to their specific properties such as high surface area, stability and permeability. Besides, it has the properties of low thermal conductivity. Various formation techniques making these porous ceramic properties can be tailored or further fine-tuned to obtain the optimum characteristic. Porous materials also one of the good candidate for absorption properties. Conventional construction materials are not design to have good water absorption and retention that lead to the poor performance on these criteria. Temperature is a major driving force for moisture movement and influences sorption characteristics of many constructions materials. The effect of elevated temperatures on the water absorption coefficient and retention remain as critical issue that need to be investigated. Therefore, this paper will review the process parameters in fabricating porous ceramic for absorption properties.

Interface structure and mechanics between graphene and metal substrates: a first-principles study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhiping; Buehler, Markus J.

2010-12-01

Graphene is a fascinating material not only for technological applications, but also as a test bed for fundamental insights into condensed matter physics due to its unique two-dimensional structure. One of the most intriguing issues is the understanding of the properties of graphene and various substrate materials. In particular, the interfaces between graphene and metal substrates are of critical importance in applications of graphene in integrated electronics, as thermal materials, and in electromechanical devices. Here we investigate the structure and mechanical interactions at a graphene-metal interface through density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations. We focus on copper (111) and nickel (111) surfaces adhered to a monolayer of graphene, and find that their cohesive energy, strength and electronic structure correlate directly with their atomic geometry. Due to the strong coupling between open d-orbitals, the nickel-graphene interface has a much stronger cohesive energy with graphene than copper. We also find that the interface cohesive energy profile features a well-and-shoulder shape that cannot be captured by simple pair-wise models such as the Lennard-Jones potential. Our results provide a detailed understanding of the interfacial properties of graphene-metal systems, and help to predict the performance of graphene-based nanoelectronics and nanocomposites. The availability of structural and energetic data of graphene-metal interfaces could also be useful for the development of empirical force fields for molecular dynamics simulations.

Polarity-driven oxygen vacancy formation in ultrathin LaNiO 3 films on SrTiO 3

DOE PAGES

Tung, I-Cheng; Luo, Guangfu; Lee, June Hyuk; ...

2017-10-18

Oxide heterostructures offer a pathway to control emergent phases in complex oxides, but their creation often leads to boundaries that have a polar discontinuity. In order to fabricate atomic-scale arrangements of dissimilar materials, we need a clear understanding of the pathways by which materials resolve polarity issues. By examining the real-time lattice structure in-situ during growth for the case of polar LaNiO 3 synthesized on non-polar SrTiO 3 (001), we demonstrate how films in ultra-thin limit form as LaNiO 2.5 and then evolve into LaNiO 3 as the thickness increases. Theory explains how the polar energetics drives the formation ofmore » oxygen vacancies and the stability of these phases with thickness and structure.« less

Materials for Better Li-based Storage Systems for a "Green Energy Society"

ScienceCinema

Jean-Marie Tarascon

2017-12-09

Li-ion batteries are strongly considered for powering the upcoming generations of HEVs and PHEVs, but there are still the issues of safety and costs in terms of materials resources and abundances, synthesis, and recycling processes. Notions of materials having minimum footprint in nature, made via eco-efficient processes, must be integrated in our new research towards the next generation of sustainable and "greener" Li-ion batteries. In this July 13, 2009 talk sponsored by Berkeley Lab's Environental Energy Technologies Division, Jean-Marie Tarascon, a professor at the University of Picardie (Amiens), discuss Eco-efficient synthesis via hydrothermal/solvothermal processes using latent bases as well as structure directing templates or other bio-related approaches of LiFePO4 nanopowders.

Efficient computation of photonic crystal waveguide modes with dispersive material.

PubMed

Schmidt, Kersten; Kappeler, Roman

2010-03-29

The optimization of PhC waveguides is a key issue for successfully designing PhC devices. Since this design task is computationally expensive, efficient methods are demanded. The available codes for computing photonic bands are also applied to PhC waveguides. They are reliable but not very efficient, which is even more pronounced for dispersive material. We present a method based on higher order finite elements with curved cells, which allows to solve for the band structure taking directly into account the dispersiveness of the materials. This is accomplished by reformulating the wave equations as a linear eigenproblem in the complex wave-vectors k. For this method, we demonstrate the high efficiency for the computation of guided PhC waveguide modes by a convergence analysis.

An Investigation of Reliability Models for Ceramic Matrix Composites and their Implementation into Finite Element Codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duffy, Stephen F.

1998-01-01

The development of modeling approaches for the failure analysis of ceramic-based material systems used in high temperature environments was the primary objective of this research effort. These materials have the potential to support many key engineering technologies related to the design of aeropropulsion systems. Monolithic ceramics exhibit a number of useful properties such as retention of strength at high temperatures, chemical inertness, and low density. However, the use of monolithic ceramics has been limited by their inherent brittleness and a large variation in strength. This behavior has motivated material scientists to reinforce the monolithic material with a ceramic fiber. The addition of a second ceramic phase with an optimized interface increases toughness and marginally increases strength. The primary purpose of the fiber is to arrest crack growth, not to increase strength. The material systems of interest in this research effort were laminated ceramic matrix composites, as well as two- and three- dimensional fabric reinforced ceramic composites. These emerging composite systems can compete with metals in many demanding applications. However, the ongoing metamorphosis of ceramic composite material systems, and the lack of standardized design data has in the past tended to minimize research efforts related to structural analysis. Many structural components fabricated from ceramic matrix composites (CMC) have been designed by "trial and error." The justification for this approach lies in the fact that during the initial developmental phases for a material system fabrication issues are paramount. Emphasis is placed on demonstrating feasibility rather than fully understanding the processes controlling mechanical behavior. This is understandable during periods of rapid improvements in material properties for any composite system. But to avoid the ad hoc approach, the analytical methods developed under this effort can be used to develop rational structural design protocols.

Issues and Strategies in Solving Multidisciplinary Optimization Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patnaik, Surya

2013-01-01

Optimization research at NASA Glenn Research Center has addressed the design of structures, aircraft and airbreathing propulsion engines. The accumulated multidisciplinary design activity is collected under a testbed entitled COMETBOARDS. Several issues were encountered during the solution of the problems. Four issues and the strategies adapted for their resolution are discussed. This is followed by a discussion on analytical methods that is limited to structural design application. An optimization process can lead to an inefficient local solution. This deficiency was encountered during design of an engine component. The limitation was overcome through an augmentation of animation into optimization. Optimum solutions obtained were infeasible for aircraft and airbreathing propulsion engine problems. Alleviation of this deficiency required a cascading of multiple algorithms. Profile optimization of a beam produced an irregular shape. Engineering intuition restored the regular shape for the beam. The solution obtained for a cylindrical shell by a subproblem strategy converged to a design that can be difficult to manufacture. Resolution of this issue remains a challenge. The issues and resolutions are illustrated through a set of problems: Design of an engine component, Synthesis of a subsonic aircraft, Operation optimization of a supersonic engine, Design of a wave-rotor-topping device, Profile optimization of a cantilever beam, and Design of a cylindrical shell. This chapter provides a cursory account of the issues. Cited references provide detailed discussion on the topics. Design of a structure can also be generated by traditional method and the stochastic design concept. Merits and limitations of the three methods (traditional method, optimization method and stochastic concept) are illustrated. In the traditional method, the constraints are manipulated to obtain the design and weight is back calculated. In design optimization, the weight of a structure becomes the merit function with constraints imposed on failure modes and an optimization algorithm is used to generate the solution. Stochastic design concept accounts for uncertainties in loads, material properties, and other parameters and solution is obtained by solving a design optimization problem for a specified reliability. Acceptable solutions can be produced by all the three methods. The variation in the weight calculated by the methods was found to be modest. Some variation was noticed in designs calculated by the methods. The variation may be attributed to structural indeterminacy. It is prudent to develop design by all three methods prior to its fabrication. The traditional design method can be improved when the simplified sensitivities of the behavior constraint is used. Such sensitivity can reduce design calculations and may have a potential to unify the traditional and optimization methods. Weight versus reliability traced out an inverted-S-shaped graph. The center of the graph corresponded to mean valued design. A heavy design with weight approaching infinity could be produced for a near-zero rate of failure. Weight can be reduced to a small value for a most failure-prone design. Probabilistic modeling of load and material properties remained a challenge.

Dopant‐Free and Carrier‐Selective Heterocontacts for Silicon Solar Cells: Recent Advances and Perspectives

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhenhai; He, Jian; Yu, Jing; Liu, Peipei; Zhu, Juye; Ge, Ziyi; Ye, Jichun

2017-01-01

Abstract By combining the most successful heterojunctions (HJ) with interdigitated back contacts, crystalline silicon (c‐Si) solar cells (SCs) have recently demonstrated a record efficiency of 26.6%. However, such SCs still introduce optical/electrical losses and technological issues due to parasitic absorption/Auger recombination inherent to the doped films and the complex process of integrating discrete p+‐ and n+‐HJ contacts. These issues have motivated the search for alternative new functional materials and simplified deposition technologies, whereby carrier‐selective contacts (CSCs) can be formed directly with c‐Si substrates, and thereafter form IBC cells, via a dopant‐free method. Screening and modifying CSC materials in a wider context is beneficial for building dopant‐free HJ contacts with better performance, shedding new light on the relatively mature Si photovoltaic field. In this review, a significant number of achievements in two representative dopant‐free hole‐selective CSCs, i.e., poly(3,4‐ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/Si and transition metal oxides/Si, have been systemically presented and surveyed. The focus herein is on the latest advances in hole‐selective materials modification, interfacial passivation, contact resistivity, light‐trapping structure and device architecture design, etc. By analyzing the structure–property relationships of hole‐selective materials and assessing their electrical transport properties, promising functional materials as well as important design concepts for such CSCs toward high‐performance SCs have been highlighted. PMID:29593956

Failure modes and materials design for biomechanical layer structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Yan

Ceramic materials are finding increasing usage in the area of biomechanical replacements---dental crowns, hip and bone implants, etc.---where strength, wear resistance, biocompatibility, chemical durability and even aesthetics are critical issues. Aesthetic ceramic crowns have been widely used in dentistry to replace damaged or missing teeth. However, the failure rates of ceramic crowns, especially all-ceramic crowns, can be 1%˜6% per year, which is not satisfactory to patients. The materials limitations and underlying fracture mechanisms of these prostheses are not well understood. In this thesis, fundamental fracture and damage mechanisms in model dental bilayer and trilayer structures are studied. Principle failure modes are identified from in situ experimentation and confirmed by fracture mechanics analysis. In bilayer structures of ceramic/polycarbonate (representative of ceramic crown/dentin structure), three major damage sources are identified: (i) top-surface cone cracks or (ii) quasiplasticity, dominating in thick ceramic bilayers; (iii) bottom-surface radial cracks, dominating in thin ceramic bilayers. Critical load P for each damage mode are measured in six dental ceramics: Y-TZP zirconia, glass-infiltrated zirconia and alumina (InCeram), glass-ceramic (Empress II), Porcelain (Mark II and Empress) bonded to polymer substrates, as a function of ceramic thickness d in the range of 100 mum to 10 mm. P is found independent of d for mode (i) and (ii), but has a d 2 relations for mode (iii)---bottom surface radial cracking. In trilayer structures of glass/core-ceramic/polycarbonate (representing veneer porcelain/core/dentin structures), three inner fracture origins are identified: radial cracks from the bottom surface in the (i) first and (ii) second layers; and (iii) quasiplasticity in core-ceramic layer. The role of relative veneer/core thickness, d1/d 2 and materials properties is investigated for three core materials with different modulus (114--270GPa) and strength (400--1400MPa): Y-TZP zirconia, InCeram alumina and Empress II glass-ceramic. Explicit relations for the critical loads P to produce these different damage modes in bilayer and trilayer structures are developed in terms of basic material properties (modulus E, strength, hardness H and toughness T) and geometrical variables (thickness d and contact sphere radius r). These experimentally validated relations are used to design of optimal material combinations for improved fracture resistance and to predict mechanical performance of current dental materials.

Future Hard Disk Storage: Limits & Potential Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambeth, David N.

2000-03-01

For several years the hard disk drive technology pace has raced along at 60-100products this year and laboratory demonstrations approaching what has been estimated as a physical thermal stability limit of around 40 Gbit/in2. For sometime now the data storage industry has recogniz d that doing business as usually will not be viable for long and so both incremental evolutionary and revolutionary technologies are being explored. While new recording head materials or thermal recording techniques may allow higher coercivity materials to be recorded upon, and while high sensitivity spin transport transducer technology may provide sufficient signals to extend beyond the 100 Gigabit/in2 regime, conventional isotropic longitudinal media will show large data retention problems at less than 1/2 of this value. We have recently developed a simple model which indicates that while thermal instability issues may appear at different areal densities, they are non-discriminatory as to the magnetic recording modality: longitudinal, perpendicular, magnetooptic, near field, etc. The model indicates that a strong orientation of the media tends to abate the onset of the thermal limit. Hence, for the past few years we have taken an approach of controlled growth of the microstructure of thin film media. This knowledge has lead us to believe that epitaxial growth of multiple thin film layers on single crystalline Si may provide a pathway to nearly perfect crystallites of various, highly oriented, thin film textures. Here we provide an overview of the recording system media challenges, which are useful for the development of a future media design philosophy and then discuss materials issues and processing techniques for multi-layered thin film material structures which may be used to achieve media structures which can easy exceed the limits predicted for isotropic media.

Adaptive Semantic and Social Web-based learning and assessment environment for the STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babaie, Hassan; Atchison, Chris; Sunderraman, Rajshekhar

2014-05-01

We are building a cloud- and Semantic Web-based personalized, adaptive learning environment for the STEM fields that integrates and leverages Social Web technologies to allow instructors and authors of learning material to collaborate in semi-automatic development and update of their common domain and task ontologies and building their learning resources. The semi-automatic ontology learning and development minimize issues related to the design and maintenance of domain ontologies by knowledge engineers who do not have any knowledge of the domain. The social web component of the personal adaptive system will allow individual and group learners to interact with each other and discuss their own learning experience and understanding of course material, and resolve issues related to their class assignments. The adaptive system will be capable of representing key knowledge concepts in different ways and difficulty levels based on learners' differences, and lead to different understanding of the same STEM content by different learners. It will adapt specific pedagogical strategies to individual learners based on their characteristics, cognition, and preferences, allow authors to assemble remotely accessed learning material into courses, and provide facilities for instructors to assess (in real time) the perception of students of course material, monitor their progress in the learning process, and generate timely feedback based on their understanding or misconceptions. The system applies a set of ontologies that structure the learning process, with multiple user friendly Web interfaces. These include the learning ontology (models learning objects, educational resources, and learning goal); context ontology (supports adaptive strategy by detecting student situation), domain ontology (structures concepts and context), learner ontology (models student profile, preferences, and behavior), task ontologies, technological ontology (defines devices and places that surround the student), pedagogy ontology, and learner ontology (defines time constraint, comment, profile).

Characterization and manufacture of braided composites for large commercial aircraft structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fedro, Mark J.; Willden, Kurtis

1992-01-01

Braided composite materials, one of the advanced material forms which is under investigation in Boeing's ATCAS program, have been recognized as a potential cost-effective material form for fuselage structural elements. Consequently, there is a strong need for more knowledge in the design, manufacture, test, and analysis of textile structural composites. The overall objective of this work is to advance braided composite technology towards applications to a large commercial transport fuselage. This paper summarizes the mechanics of materials and manufacturing demonstration results which have been obtained in order to acquire an understanding of how braided composites can be applied to a commercial fuselage. Textile composites consisting of 1D, 2D triaxial, and 3D braid patterns with thermoplastic and two RTM resin systems were investigated. The structural performance of braided composites was evaluated through an extensive mechanical test program. Analytical methods were also developed and applied to predict the following: internal fiber architectures, stiffnesses, fiber stresses, failure mechanisms, notch effects, and the entire history of failure of the braided composites specimens. The applicability of braided composites to a commercial transport fuselage was further assessed through a manufacturing demonstration. Three foot fuselage circumferential hoop frames were manufactured to demonstrate the feasibility of consistently producing high quality braided/RTM composite primary structures. The manufacturing issues (tooling requirements, processing requirements, and process/quality control) addressed during the demonstration are summarized. The manufacturing demonstration in conjunction with the mechanical test results and developed analytical methods increased the confidence in the ATCAS approach to the design, manufacture, test, and analysis of braided composites.

Utilizing environmental friendly iron as a substitution element in spinel structured cathode materials for safer high energy lithium-ion batteries

DOE PAGES

Hu, Enyuan; Bak, Seong -Min; Liu, Yijin; ...

2015-12-03

Suppressing oxygen release from lithium ion battery cathodes during heating is a critical issue for the improvement of the battery safety characteristics because oxygen can exothermically react with the flammable electrolyte and cause thermal runaway. Previous studies have shown that oxygen release can be reduced by the migration of transition metal cations from octahedral sites to tetrahedral sites during heating. Such site-preferred migration is determined by the electronic structure of cations. In addition, taking advantage of the unique electronic structure of the environmental friendly Fe, this is selected as substitution element in a high energy density material LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5Omore » 4 to improve the thermal stability. The optimized LiNi 0.33Mn 1.33Fe 0.33O 4 material shows significantly improved thermal stability compared with the unsubstituted one, demonstrated by no observed oxygen release at temperatures as high as 500°C. Due to the electrochemical contribution of Fe, the high energy density feature of LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O 4 is well preserved.« less

Luminescent Porous Polymers Based on Aggregation-Induced Mechanism: Design, Synthesis and Functions.

PubMed

Dalapati, Sasanka; Gu, Cheng; Jiang, Donglin

2016-12-01

Enormous research efforts are focusing on the design and synthesis of advanced luminescent systems, owing to their diverse capability in scientific studies and technological developments. In particular, fluorescence systems based on aggregation-induced emission (AIE) have emerged to show great potential for sensing, bio-imaging, and optoelectronic applications. Among them, integrating AIE mechanisms to design porous polymers is unique because it enables the combination of porosity and luminescence activity in one molecular skeleton for functional design. In recent years rapid progress in exploring AIE-based porous polymers has developed a new class of luminescent materials that exhibit broad structural diversity, outstanding properties and functions and promising applications. By classifying the structural nature of the skeleton, herein the design principle, synthetic development and structural features of different porous luminescent materials are elucidated, including crystalline covalent organic frameworks (COFs), metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and amorphous porous organic polymers (POPs). The functional exploration of these luminescent porous polymers are highlighted by emphasizing electronic interplay within the confined nanospace, fundamental issues to be addressed are disclosed, and future directions from chemistry, physics and materials science perspectives are proposed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Multi-junction Thin-film Solar Cells on Flexible Substrates for Space Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hepp, Aloysius F.; Smith, Mark; Scofield, John H.; Dickman, John E.; Lush, Gregory B.; Morel, Donald L.; Ferekides, Christos; Dhere, Neelkanth G.

2002-01-01

The ultimate objective of the thin-film program at NASA GRC is development of a 20 percent AM0 thin-film device technology with high power/weight ratio. Several approaches are outlined to improve overall device efficiency and power/weight ratio. One approach involves the use of very lightweight flexible substrates such as polyimides (i.e., Kapton(Trademark)) or metal foil. Also, a compound semiconductor tandem device structure that can meet this objective is proposed and simulated using Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structures (AMPS). AMPS modeling of current devices in tandem format indicate that AM0 efficiencies near 20 percent can be achieved. And with improvements in materials, efficiencies approaching 25 percent are achievable. Several important technical issues need to be resolved to realize these complex devices: development of a wide bandgap material with good electronic properties, development of transparent contacts, and targeting a 2-terminal device structure (with more complicated processing and tunnel junction) or 4-terminal device. Recent progress in the NASA GRC program is outlined.

EDITORIAL: Breeding new science by coupling photons with `nano'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheludev, Nikolay; Stockman, Mark; Zayats, Anatoly

2006-04-01

The new field of `nanophotonics' is concerned with the generation, transport, routing and detection of light in sub-wavelength structures. There is nothing new in the desire to use small structures to control waves that are much bigger than the structures, and the science of acoustics has been dealing with this problem since the early days of musical instruments. What makes nanophotonics so special is that it claims for optics the unexplored playfield of dimensions between those of objects the human eye can see with a lens, and those of the invisible elementary building blocks of the material world, molecules and atoms. Nanophotonics is a synthetic discipline that breaks into the fields of electrodynamics, solid state physics and laser physics. In growing from these disciplines it takes ideas from them, for instance from solid state physics by drawing analogies between electrons in crystals and photons in nanostructures, and from laser physics and traditional nonlinear optics by achieving strong fields not through an increase in optical power, but through its concentration. From an engineering perspective, nanophotonics promises to develop optical functionality on the smallest possible size scale (thus allowing for ultra-high-density integration), at the lowest possible energy level (thus allowing for single photon all-optical devices), and on the shortest possible timescale (thus allowing for optical devices operating within a single period of an optical wave). In this special issue we are, however, concerned with the fundamental aspects of nanophotonics, i.e. the physics that underpins these new, mind-boggling nanophotonic applications. This special issue opens with 4 articles derived from lectures at the Summer School Photonic Metamaterials: from Micro to Nanoscale, Erice, Italy, 1 7 August 2005. These reviews establish the hierarchy of nanophotonic structures and relevant length scales, explore wave interactions in nanostructured media, and examine nanophotonic functionalities underpinned by electronic excitations and structural transformations in nanoparticles. The main body of this special issue is a highly representative cross-section of research in the discipline, with papers covering essential issues in plasmonics, nanoparticle photonics, optical properties of nanostructured surfaces, atom manipulation on nanostructures, nonlinear interactions and Raman scattering from nanostructures, enhanced transmission through nano-perforated films, linear and nonlinear effects of planar chirality, energy transfer on the nanoscale, subwavelength spatial imaging, control of spontaneous emission and lasing in nanostructures and micro-resonators, nanophotonic sensors, nanostructured meta-materials, and novel nano-fabrication techniques. As the Guest Editors of this special issue, we are deeply grateful to all contributing authors for their efforts and their willingness to share recent results within the framework of what promises to be a treasured collection of papers in the field of nanophotonics. We are particularly proud that the authorship includes both pioneers and newcomers to this intriguing and fertile field of research. The Guest Editors would like to acknowledge the collaboration and support of Diederik Wiersma and Concita Sibilia, the directors of the Summer School Photonic Metamaterials: from Micro to Nanoscale, Erice, Italy, 1 7 August 2005, which provided review papers for this special issue. We are also grateful to the PHOREMOST, METAMORPHOSE and Plasmo-nano-devices European Networks of Excellence for promoting the idea of this special issue.

Fabrication and Characterization of SMA Hybrid Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Travis L.; Lach, Cynthia L.; Cano, Robert J.

2001-01-01

Results from an effort to fabrication shape memory alloy hybrid composite (SMAHC) test specimens and characterize the material system are presented in this study. The SMAHC specimens are conventional composite structures with an embedded SMA constituent. The fabrication and characterization work was undertaken to better understand the mechanics of the material system, address fabrication issues cited in the literature, and provide specimens for experimental validation of a recently developed thermomechanical model for SMAHC structures. Processes and hardware developed for fabrication of the SMAHC specimens are described. Fabrication of a SMA14C laminate with quasi-isotropic lamination and ribbon-type Nitinol actuators embedded in the 0' layers is presented. Beam specimens are machined from the laminate and are the focus of recent work, but the processes and hardware are readily extensible to more practical structures. Results of thermomechanical property testing on the composite matrix and Nitinol ribbon are presented. Test results from the Nitinol include stress-strain behavior, modulus versus temperature. and constrained recovery stress versus temperature and thermal cycle. Complex thermomechanical behaviors of the Nitinol and composite matrix are demonstrated, which have significant implications for modeling of SMAHC structures.

Influence of C-H···O Hydrogen Bonds on Macroscopic Properties of Supramolecular Assembly.

PubMed

Ji, Wei; Liu, Guofeng; Li, Zijian; Feng, Chuanliang

2016-03-02

For CH···O hydrogen bonds in assembled structures and the applications, one of the critical issues is how molecular spatial structures affect their interaction modes as well as how to translate the different modes into the macroscopic properties of materials. Herein, coumarin-derived isomeric hydrogelators with different spatial structures are synthesized, where only nitrogen atoms locate at the ortho, meso, or para position in the pyridine ring. The gelators can self-assemble into single crystals and nanofibrous networks through CH···O interactions, which are greatly influenced by nitrogen spatial positions in the pyridine ring, leading to the different self-assembly mechanisms, packing modes, and properties of the nanofibrous networks. Typically, different cell proliferation rates are obtained on the different CH···O bonds driving nanofibrous structures, implying that tiny variation of the stereo-position of nitrogen atoms can be sensitively detected by cells. The study paves a novel way to investigate the influence of isomeric molecular assembly on macroscopic properties and functions of materials.

Impact of Multifunctional Bimetallic Materials on Lithium Battery Electrochemistry

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

Durham, Jessica L.; Poyraz, Altug S.; Takeuchi, Esther S.

Electric energy storage devices such as batteries are complex systems comprised of a variety of materials with each playing separate yet interactive roles, complicated by length scale interactions occurring from the molecular to the mesoscale. Thus, addressing specific battery issues such as functional capacity requires a comprehensive perspective initiating with atomic level concepts. For example, the electroactive materials which contribute to the functional capacity in a battery comprise approximately 30% or less of the total device mass. Thus, the design and implementation of multifunctional materials can conceptually reduce or eliminate the contribution of passive materials to the size and massmore » of the final system. Material multi-functionality can be achieved through appropriate material design on the atomic level resulting in bimetallic electroactive materials where one metal cation forms mesoscale conductive networks upon discharge while the other metal cation can contribute to atomic level structure and net functional secondary capacity, a device level issue. Specifically, this Account provides insight into the multi-mechanism electrochemical redox processes of bimetallic cathode materials based on transition metal oxides (MM’O) or phosphorous oxides (MM’PO) where M = Ag and M’ = V or Fe. One discharge process can be described as reduction-displacement where Ag + is reduced to Ag 0 and displaced from the parent structure. This reduction-displacement reaction in silver-containing bimetallic electrodes allows for the in-situ formation of a conductive network, enhancing the electrochemical performance of the electrode and reducing or eliminating the need for conductive additives. A second discharge process occurs through the reduction of the second transition metal, V or Fe, where the oxidation state of the metal center is reduced and lithium cations are inserted into the structure. As both metal centers contribute to the functional capacity, determining the kinetically and thermodynamically preferred reduction processes at various states of discharge is critical to elucidating the mechanism. Specific advanced in-situ and ex-situ characterization techniques are conducive to gaining insight regarding the electrochemical behavior of these multifunctional materials over multiple length scales. At the material level, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and local conductivity measurement via a nanoprobe can track the discharge mechanism of an isolated single particle. At the mesoscale electrode level, in-situ data from synchrotron based energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) within fully intact steel batteries can be used to spatially map the distribution of silver metal generated through reduction displacement as a function of discharge depth and discharge rate. As illustrated here, appropriate design of materials with multiple electrochemically active metal centers and properties tuned through strategically conceptualized materials synthesis may provide a path toward the next generation of high energy content electroactive materials and systems. In conclusion, full understanding of the multiple electrochemical mechanisms can be achieved only by utilizing advanced characterization tools over multiple length scales.« less

Impact of Multifunctional Bimetallic Materials on Lithium Battery Electrochemistry

DOE PAGES

Durham, Jessica L.; Poyraz, Altug S.; Takeuchi, Esther S.; ...

2016-08-26

Electric energy storage devices such as batteries are complex systems comprised of a variety of materials with each playing separate yet interactive roles, complicated by length scale interactions occurring from the molecular to the mesoscale. Thus, addressing specific battery issues such as functional capacity requires a comprehensive perspective initiating with atomic level concepts. For example, the electroactive materials which contribute to the functional capacity in a battery comprise approximately 30% or less of the total device mass. Thus, the design and implementation of multifunctional materials can conceptually reduce or eliminate the contribution of passive materials to the size and massmore » of the final system. Material multi-functionality can be achieved through appropriate material design on the atomic level resulting in bimetallic electroactive materials where one metal cation forms mesoscale conductive networks upon discharge while the other metal cation can contribute to atomic level structure and net functional secondary capacity, a device level issue. Specifically, this Account provides insight into the multi-mechanism electrochemical redox processes of bimetallic cathode materials based on transition metal oxides (MM’O) or phosphorous oxides (MM’PO) where M = Ag and M’ = V or Fe. One discharge process can be described as reduction-displacement where Ag + is reduced to Ag 0 and displaced from the parent structure. This reduction-displacement reaction in silver-containing bimetallic electrodes allows for the in-situ formation of a conductive network, enhancing the electrochemical performance of the electrode and reducing or eliminating the need for conductive additives. A second discharge process occurs through the reduction of the second transition metal, V or Fe, where the oxidation state of the metal center is reduced and lithium cations are inserted into the structure. As both metal centers contribute to the functional capacity, determining the kinetically and thermodynamically preferred reduction processes at various states of discharge is critical to elucidating the mechanism. Specific advanced in-situ and ex-situ characterization techniques are conducive to gaining insight regarding the electrochemical behavior of these multifunctional materials over multiple length scales. At the material level, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and local conductivity measurement via a nanoprobe can track the discharge mechanism of an isolated single particle. At the mesoscale electrode level, in-situ data from synchrotron based energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) within fully intact steel batteries can be used to spatially map the distribution of silver metal generated through reduction displacement as a function of discharge depth and discharge rate. As illustrated here, appropriate design of materials with multiple electrochemically active metal centers and properties tuned through strategically conceptualized materials synthesis may provide a path toward the next generation of high energy content electroactive materials and systems. In conclusion, full understanding of the multiple electrochemical mechanisms can be achieved only by utilizing advanced characterization tools over multiple length scales.« less

EDITORIAL: Nonlinear optical manipulation, patterning and control in nano- and micro-scale systems Nonlinear optical manipulation, patterning and control in nano- and micro-scale systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denz, Cornelia; Simoni, Francesco

2009-03-01

Nonlinearities are becoming more and more important for a variety of applications in nanosciences, bio-medical sciences, information processing and photonics. For applications at the crossings of these fields, especially microscopic and nanoscopic imaging and manipulation, nonlinearities play a key role. They may range from simple nonlinear parameter changes up to applications in manipulating, controlling and structuring material by light, or the manipulation of light by light itself. It is this area between basic nonlinear optics and photonic applications that includes `hot' topics such as ultra-resolution optical microscopy, micro- and nanomanipulation and -structuring, or nanophotonics. This special issue contains contributions in this field, many of them from the International Conference on Nonlinear Microscopy and Optical Control held in conjunction with a network meeting of the ESF COST action MP0604 `Optical Micromanipulation by Nonlinear Nanophotonics', 19-22 February 2008, Münster, Germany. Throughout this special issue, basic investigations of material structuring by nonlinear light--matter interaction, light-induced control of nanoparticles, and novel nonlinear material investigation techniques, are presented, covering the basic field of optical manipulation and control. These papers are followed by impressive developments of optical tweezers. Nowadays, optical phase contrast tweezers, twin and especially multiple beam traps, develop particle control in a new dimension: particles can be arranged, sorted and identified with high throughput. One of the most prominent forthcoming applications of optical tweezers is in the field of microfluidics. The action of light on fluids will open new horizons in microfluidic manipulation and control. The field of optical manipulation and control is a very broad field that has developed in an impressive way, in a short time, in Europe with the installation of the MP0604 network. Top researchers from 19 countries are collaborating in this network. The editors are grateful for the active participation of all colleagues in this network, in the network meeting, and in making this special issue a success. We also extend our thanks to a great Journal of Optics A staff that have supported the editing of this special issue, especially the Publishing Editor, Julia Dickinson. Among the active colleagues in our network was also Associate Professor Erik Fällman, Umea University, Sweden. It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of our colleague and friend in June 2008. We dedicate this special issue to his memory, and the active and always engaged contribution he made both to our conference and to the field of optical micromanipulation and optical control. Erik will be particularly remembered for his applications of optical force measurements on bacterial pili adhesion, which has stimulated a worldwide experimental and theoretical interest in this field.

Oxygen-rich hierarchical porous carbon made from pomelo peel fiber as electrode material for supercapacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jing; Liu, Wenlong; Xiao, Dan; Wang, Xinhui

2017-09-01

Oxygen-rich hierarchical porous carbon has been fabricated using pomelo peel fiber as a carbon source via an improved KOH activation method. The morphology and chemical composition of the obtained carbon materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), electron microscopy (EM), Raman spectra and elemental analysis. The unique porous structure with abundant oxygen functional groups is favorable to capacitive behavior, and the as-prepared carbon material exhibits high specific capacitance of 222.6 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 in 6 M KOH and superior stability over 5000 cycles. This work not only describes a simple way to prepare high-performance carbon material from the discarded pomelo peel, but also provides a strategy for its disposal issue and contributes to the environmental improvement.

Two-photon polymerization technique for microfabrication of CAD-designed 3D scaffolds from commercially available photosensitive materials.

PubMed

Ovsianikov, Aleksandr; Schlie, Sabrina; Ngezahayo, Anaclet; Haverich, Axel; Chichkov, Boris N

2007-01-01

We report on recent advances in the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine constructs using a two-photon polymerization technique (2PP). 2PP is a novel CAD/CAM technology allowing the fabrication of any computer-designed 3D structure from a photosensitive polymeric material. The flexibility of this technology and the ability to precisely define 3D construct geometry allows issues associated with vascularization and patient-specific tissue fabrication to be directly addressed. The fabrication of reproducible scaffold structures by 2PP is important for systematic studies of cellular processes and better understanding of in vitro tissue formation. In this study, 2PP was applied for the generation of 3D scaffold-like structures, using the photosensitive organic-inorganic hybrid polymer ORMOCER (ORganically MOdified CERamics) and epoxy-based SU8 materials. By comparing the proliferation rates of cells grown on flat material surfaces and under control conditions, it was demonstrated that ORMOCER and SU8 are not cytotoxic. Additional tests show that the DNA strand breaking of GFSHR-17 granulosa cells was not affected by the presence of ORMOCER. Furthermore, gap junction conductance measurements revealed that ORMOCER did not alter the formation of cell-cell junctions, critical for functional tissue growth. The possibilities of seeding 3D structures with cells were analysed. These studies demonstrate the great potential of 2PP technique for the manufacturing of scaffolds with controlled topology and properties.

Structural Evaluation of the RSRM Nozzle Replacement Adhesive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batista-Rodriguez, A.; McLennan, M. L.; Palumbos, A. V.; Richardson, D. E.

1999-01-01

This paper describes the structural performance evaluation of a replacement adhesive for the Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) nozzle utilizing finite element analysis. Due to material obsolescence and industrial safety issues, the two current structural adhesives, EA 913 and EA 946 are to be replaced with a new adhesive. TIGA 321. The structural evaluation in support of the adhesive replacement effort includes residual stress, transportation, and flight analyses. Factors of safety are calculated using the stress response from each analysis. The factors of safety are used as the limiting criteria to compare the replacement adhesive against the current adhesives. Included in this paper are the analytical approach, assumptions and modeling techniques as well as the results of the evaluation. An important factor to the evaluation is the similarity in constitutive material properties (elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio) between TIGA 321 and EA 913. This similarity leads to equivalent material response from the two adhesives. However, TIGA 321 surpasses EA 913's performance due to higher material capabilities. Conversely, the change in stress response from EA 946 to TIGA 321 is more apparent: this is primarily attributed to the difference in the modulii of the two adhesives, which differ by two orders of magnitude. The results of the bondline evaluation indicate that the replacement adhesive provides superior performance than the current adhesives with only minor exceptions. Furthermore, TIGA 321 causes only a minor chance in the response of the phenolic and metal components.

Material characterization for morphing purposes in order to match flight requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geier, Sebastian; Kintscher, Markus; Heintze, Olaf; Wierach, Peter; Monner, Hans-Peter; Wiedemann, Martin

2012-04-01

Natural laminar flow is one of the challenging aims of the current aerospace research. Main reasons for the aerodynamic transition from laminar into turbulent flow focusing on the airfoil-structure is the aerodynamic shape and the surface roughness. The Institute of Composite Structures and Adaptive Systems at the German Aerospace Center in Braunschweig works on the optimization of the aerodynamic-loaded structure of future aircrafts in order to increase their efficiency. Providing wing structures suited for natural laminar flow is a step towards this goal. Regarding natural laminar flow, the structural design of the leading edge of a wing is of special interest. An approach for a gap-less leading edge was developed to provide a gap- and step-less high quality surface suited for natural laminar flow and to reduce slat noise. In a national project the first generation of the 3D full scale demonstrator was successfully tested in 2010. The prototype consists of several new technologies, opening up the issue of matching the long and challenging list of airworthiness requirements simultaneously. Therefore the developed composite structure was intensively tested for further modifications according to meet requirements for abrasion, impact and deicing basically. The former presented structure consists completely of glass-fiber-prepreg (GFRP-prepreg). New functions required the addition of a new material-mix, which has to fit into the manufacturing-chain of the composite structure. In addition the hybrid composites have to withstand high loadings, high bending-induced strains (1%) and environmentally influenced aging. Moreover hot-wet cycling tests are carried out for the basic GFRP-structure in order to simulate the long term behavior of the material under extrem conditions. The presented paper shows results of four-points-bending-tests of the most critical section of the morphing leading edge device. Different composite-hybrids are built up and processed. An experimental based trend towards an optimized material design will be shown.

FOREWORD: Focus on nanobiomaterials and technologies for breakthrough in future medicine Focus on nanobiomaterials and technologies for breakthrough in future medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyahara, Yuji; Kobayashi, Hisatoshi; Chen, Guoping; Kikuchi, Masanori

2010-02-01

In biomedical fields, various materials are used for different purposes such as therapy, diagnostics and drugs. Some of them come into direct contact with blood and tissues in the human body, while many others are used in advanced medical equipment. Without these materials, current advances in medicine would never be achieved. Even in the 21st century, we still face the challenge of incurable or intractable diseases such as cancer, as well as the emergence of new infectious diseases. Global action is necessary to deal with these issues. Recent developments in nanoscience and nanotechnology have provided new strategies for material design that are based on the structural control of atoms and molecules. These strategies have revolutionized the field of advanced functional materials. Their combination with the enormous amount of knowledge in molecular and cellular biology accumulated over the last few decades has lead to the conception of new medical technologies. These technologies are represented in cell therapy, drug targeting and regenerative medicine, and are being widely and intensively investigated for realization at an industrial scale. In order to find solutions to remaining issues in life science, it is necessary to accelerate the fusion between nano- and biotechnologies and to promote research and development in these interdisciplinary fields. In this context, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)—one of the leading research institutes in the field of materials science—held a series of symposia in the week of 21-24 July 2009, 'NIMS Week 2009' and 'Nanobio-materials and technologies: breakthrough for future medicine', that aimed to present advances in medical fields from the perspective of materials science and technologies. During NIMS Week, various activities were carried out, including perspective reviews and invited lectures by international leading researchers in the 'nanobio' field, in addition to four organized sessions and related satellite symposia. Professor Kazunori Kataoka of the University of Tokyo received the NIMS Award 2009 for his outstanding research achievements and contributions to developing functional nanodevices for drug and gene delivery. This focus issue includes his review article 'Multifunctional nanoassemblies of block copolymers for future cancer therapy'. Eleven other plenary and invited speakers from NIMS Week 2009 have contributed review articles that may have great impact on research and development in nanobiomaterials and technologies Research in the nanobio field requires multi-disciplinary collaboration between specialists in biology, medicine, chemistry, physics, electronics, material engineering and other areas. We believe that this focus issue contains useful information for these researchers and provides an outline of breakthroughs for future medicine.

Perovskites-Based Solar Cells: A Review of Recent Progress, Materials and Processing Methods

PubMed Central

Shi, Zhengqi; Jayatissa, Ahalapitiya H.

2018-01-01

With the rapid increase of efficiency up to 22.1% during the past few years, hybrid organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have become a research “hot spot” for many solar cell researchers. The perovskite materials show various advantages such as long carrier diffusion lengths, widely-tunable band gap with great light absorption potential. The low-cost fabrication techniques together with the high efficiency makes PSCs comparable with Si-based solar cells. But the drawbacks such as device instability, J-V hysteresis and lead toxicity reduce the further improvement and the future commercialization of PSCs. This review begins with the discussion of crystal and electronic structures of perovskite based on recent research findings. An evolution of PSCs is also analyzed with a greater detail of each component, device structures, major device fabrication methods and the performance of PSCs acquired by each method. The following part of this review is the discussion of major barriers on the pathway for the commercialization of PSCs. The effects of crystal structure, fabrication temperature, moisture, oxygen and UV towards the stability of PSCs are discussed. The stability of other components in the PSCs are also discussed. The lead toxicity and updated research progress on lead replacement are reviewed to understand the sustainability issues of PSCs. The origin of J-V hysteresis is also briefly discussed. Finally, this review provides a roadmap on the current needs and future research directions to address the main issues of PSCs. PMID:29734667

Alumoxanes: Rationalization of Black Box Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-18

complexes for the synthesis of polyketones , ICH2CH(R)C(O)in. The activity observed is comparable to commercial systems but without the instability issues...see below). Commercial samples of polyketones suffer from severe thermal decomposition during melt processing. The Patent literature describes the...as well as the structure and molecular weight of the polymer. We intend to further our work with the catalytic synthesis of polyketones . We will

BilKristal 2.0: A tool for pattern information extraction from crystal structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okuyan, Erhan; Güdükbay, Uğur

2014-01-01

We present a revised version of the BilKristal tool of Okuyan et al. (2007). We converted the development environment into Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 in order to resolve compatibility issues. We added multi-core CPU support and improvements are made to graphics functions in order to improve performance. Discovered bugs are fixed and exporting functionality to a material visualization tool is added.

Shuttle considerations for the design of large space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roebuck, J. A., Jr.

1980-01-01

Shuttle related considerations (constraints and guidelines) are compiled for use by designers of a potential class of large space structures which are transported to orbit and, deployed, fabricated or assembled in space using the Space Shuttle Orbiter. Considerations of all phases of shuttle operations from launch to ground turnaround operations are presented. Design of large space structures includes design of special construction fixtures and support equipment, special stowage cradles or pallets, special checkout maintenance, and monitoring equipment, and planning for packaging into the orbiter of all additional provisions and supplies chargeable to payload. Checklists of design issues, Shuttle capabilities constraints and guidelines, as well as general explanatory material and references to source documents are included.

FOREWORD: Structural Health Monitoring and Intelligent Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zhishen; Fujino, Yozo

2005-06-01

This special issue collects together 19 papers that were originally presented at the First International Conference on Structural Health Monitoring and Intelligent Infrastructure (SHMII-1'2003), held in Tokyo, Japan, on 13-15 November 2003. This conference was organized by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) with partial financial support from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology, Japan. Many related organizations supported the conference. A total of 16 keynote papers including six state-of-the-art reports from different counties, six invited papers and 154 contributed papers were presented at the conference. The conference was attended by a diverse group of about 300 people from a variety of disciplines in academia, industry and government from all over the world. Structural health monitoring (SHM) and intelligent materials, structures and systems have been the subject of intense research and development in the last two decades and, in recent years, an increasing range of applications in infrastructure have been discovered both for existing structures and for new constructions. SHMII-1'2003 addressed progress in the development of building, transportation, marine, underground and energy-generating structures, and other civilian infrastructures that are periodically, continuously and/or actively monitored where there is a need to optimize their performance. In order to focus the current needs on SHM and intelligent technologies, the conference theme was set as 'Structures/Infrastructures Sustainability'. We are pleased to have the privilege to edit this special issue on SHM and intelligent infrastructure based on SHMII-1'2003. We invited some of the presenters to submit a revised/extended version of their paper that was included in the SHMII-1'2003 proceedings for possible publication in the special issue. Each paper included in this special issue was edited with the same quality standards as for any paper in a regular issue. The papers cover a wide spectrum of topics including smart and effective sensing technologies, reliable approaches to signal processing, rational data gathering and interpretation methods, advanced damage characterization, modeling feature selection and diagnosis methods, and system integration technologies, etc. This special issue contains the most up-to-date achievements in SHM and intelligent technologies and provides information pertaining to their current and potential applications in infrastructure. It is our hope that this special issue makes a significant contribution in advancing awareness and acceptance of SHM and intelligent technologies for the maintenance and construction of different kinds of infrastructure. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Professor Varadan (Editor-in-Chief), Professor Matsuzaki (Regional Editor), the Editorial Assistants and the staff at Institute of Physics Publishing for their great support and advice in publishing this special issue. Special thanks are due to all the reviewers for their willingness to share their time and expertise. Final but important thanks go to Ms Suzhen Li (Doctorate Candidate at Ibaraki University) for her assistance in editing this special issue.

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

Bearinger, J P

This months issue has the following articles: (1) Science Translated for the Greater Good--Commentary by Steven D. Liedle; (2) The New Face of Industrial Partnerships--An entrepreneurial spirit is blossoming at Lawrence Livermore; (3) Monitoring a Nuclear Weapon from the Inside--Livermore researchers are developing tiny sensors to warn of detrimental chemical and physical changes inside nuclear warheads; (4) Simulating the Biomolecular Structure of Nanometer-Size Particles--Grand Challenge simulations reveal the size and structure of nanolipoprotein particles used to study membrane proteins; and (5) Antineutrino Detectors Improve Reactor Safeguards--Antineutrino detectors track the consumption and production of fissile materials inside nuclear reactors.

Design issues for optimum solar cell configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Atul; Thakur, Ajay D.

2018-05-01

A computer based simulation of solar cell structure is performed to study the optimization of pn junction configuration for photovoltaic action. The fundamental aspects of photovoltaic action viz, absorption, separation collection, and their dependence on material properties and deatails of device structures is discussed. Using SCAPS 1D we have simulated the ideal pn junction and shown the effect of band offset and carrier densities on solar cell performance. The optimum configuration can be achieved by optimizing transport of carriers in pn junction under effect of field dependent recombination (tunneling) and density dependent recombination (SRH, Auger) mechanisms.

Key issues in application of composites to transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, M.

1978-01-01

The application of composite materials to transport aircraft was identified and reviewed including the major contributing disciplines of design, manufacturing, and processing. Factors considered include: crashworthiness considerations (structural integrity, postcrash fires, and structural fusing), electrical/avionics subsystems integration, lightning, and P-static protection design; manufacturing development, evaluation, selection, and refining of tooling and curing procedures; and major joint design considerations. Development of the DC-10 rudder, DC-10 vertical stabilizer, and the DC-9 wing study project was reviewed. The Federal Aviation Administration interface and the effect on component design of compliance with Federal Aviation Regulation 25 Composite Guidelines are discussed.

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

Hattrick-Simpers, Jason R.; Gregoire, John M.; Kusne, A. Gilad

With their ability to rapidly elucidate composition-structure-property relationships, high-throughput experimental studies have revolutionized how materials are discovered, optimized, and commercialized. It is now possible to synthesize and characterize high-throughput libraries that systematically address thousands of individual cuts of fabrication parameter space. An unresolved issue remains transforming structural characterization data into phase mappings. This difficulty is related to the complex information present in diffraction and spectroscopic data and its variation with composition and processing. Here, we review the field of automated phase diagram attribution and discuss the impact that emerging computational approaches will have in the generation of phase diagrams andmore » beyond.« less

Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

Science.gov Websites

Synthesis Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Scattering and Instrumentation Science Centers Center for Issue 3, March Issue 2, February Issue 1, January A U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory

One-Dimensional Oxide Nanostructures as Gas-Sensing Materials: Review and Issues

PubMed Central

Choi, Kyoung Jin; Jang, Ho Won

2010-01-01

In this article, we review gas sensor application of one-dimensional (1D) metal-oxide nanostructures with major emphases on the types of device structure and issues for realizing practical sensors. One of the most important steps in fabricating 1D-nanostructure devices is manipulation and making electrical contacts of the nanostructures. Gas sensors based on individual 1D nanostructure, which were usually fabricated using electron-beam lithography, have been a platform technology for fundamental research. Recently, gas sensors with practical applicability were proposed, which were fabricated with an array of 1D nanostructures using scalable micro-fabrication tools. In the second part of the paper, some critical issues are pointed out including long-term stability, gas selectivity, and room-temperature operation of 1D-nanostructure-based metal-oxide gas sensors. PMID:22319343

PREFACE: The first 21 years of reverse Monte Carlo modelling—a workshop held in Budapest, Hungary (1-3 October 2009) The first 21 years of reverse Monte Carlo modelling—a workshop held in Budapest, Hungary (1-3 October 2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keen, David A.; Pusztai, László

2010-10-01

This special issue contains a collection of papers reflecting the content of the fourth workshop on reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) methods, held in a hotel on hills overlooking Budapest at the start of October 2009. At this meeting around sixty participants gathered to hear talks and discuss a broad range of science based on the RMC technique in very convivial surroundings. Reverse Monte Carlo modelling is a method for producing three-dimensional disordered structural models in quantitative agreement with experimental data. The method was developed in the late 1980s and has since achieved wide acceptance within the scientific community [1], producing on average over seventy papers and 1000 citations per year in the last five years. It is particularly suitable for studies of the structures of liquid and amorphous materials, as well as the structural analysis of disordered crystalline systems. The principal experimental data that are modelled are obtained from total x-ray or neutron scattering experiments, using the reciprocal space structure factor and/or the real space pair distribution function (PDF). Additional data might be included from extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, Bragg peak intensities or indeed any measured data that can be calculated from a three-dimensional atomistic model. It is this use of total scattering (diffuse and Bragg), rather than just the Bragg peak intensities more commonly used for crystalline structure analysis, which enables RMC modelling to probe the often important deviations from the average crystal structure, to probe the structures of poorly crystalline materials, and the local structures of non-crystalline materials where only diffuse scattering is observed. This flexibility across various condensed matter structure-types has made the RMC method very attractive in a wide range of disciplines, as borne out in the contents of this special issue. It is, however, important to point out that since the method is akin to a structural refinement method (albeit with some inbuilt Monte Carlo 'randomness') high-quality data are needed to yield the best structural models. In this regard it is particularly pleasing to see the recent (planned and actual) growth in diffractometers at neutron and synchrotron x-ray facilities that have been designed with total scattering in mind. Since the previous RMC workshop in 2006 [2] (and indeed the earlier workshop in 2003 [3]) there have been several developments in the technique and in the range of its application. On the technical side, the method has been used in conjunction with 'standard' Monte Carlo [4] and molecular dynamics [5] simulations and lattice dynamical calculations [6]; bond valence functionality [7] has been built into the {\\tt RMCProfile} code as well as more general calculations of molecular geometry constraints. Furthermore, existing RMC modelling codes have been updated and improved and made more 'user-friendly' [8]. Although the majority of RMC applications are still concerned with the structures of liquid and amorphous materials (see, for example, [9])—where atomistic modelling is the main method for obtaining three-dimensional structural information—there are now a significant number of papers each year which use RMC to investigate disorder within crystalline materials, to understand the structure of nano-materials and thin films, to characterize magnetic structure and to use RMC analysis of small-angle scattering data to investigate longer-range structural fluctuations. The RMC workshop was particularly beneficial, providing a forum for those workers in the field to take stock of past achievements and to look forward to future developments. It also enabled students and other young researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the RMC method at the start of their scientific careers. It is our hope that the collection of research papers within this special issue will communicate the vibrancy of this field to the wider scientific community by showing the current state-of-the-art research opportunities using the RMC method. Furthermore, by including a small number of papers from colleagues working on similar disordered problems with complementary analysis techniques, we hope that the RMC method may be placed in a broader scientific context. The papers have been arranged in order of increasing structural disorder, starting with studies of crystalline systems, through to amorphous materials and liquids, and ending with RMC developments using small-angle scattering. We are very grateful to IOP Publishing for their willingness to publish this collection of papers which celebrates the 21st anniversary of the first RMC publication in a special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter and for their co-ordination of the refereeing process. References [1] McGreevy R L 2001 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 13 R877 [2] Keen D A and Pusztai L (ed) 2007 Proc. of RMC-3 (Budapest, Sept. 2006) J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 19 330301-335223 [3] Keen D A, Pusztai L and Dove M T (ed) 2005 Proc. of RMC-2 (Budapest, Oct. 2003) J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 17 S1-S174 [4] Nguyen T X, Cohaut N, Bae J-S and Bhatia S K 2008 Langmuir 24 7912 [5] Zhang H, Chen B and Banfield J F 2008 Phys. Rev. B 78 214106 [6] Goodwin A L, Calleja M, Conterio M J, Dove M T, Evans J S O, Keen D A, Peters L and Tucker M G 2008 Science 319 794 [7] Norberg S T, Tucker M G and Hull S 2009 J. Appl. Cryst. 42 179 [8] See www.RMCProfile.org, www.RMC-forum.org or www.szfki.hu/~nphys/rmc++/opening.html [9] Haines J, Levelut C, Isambert A, Hébert P, Kohara S, Keen D A, Hammouda T and Andrault D 2009 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131 12333

Delignified and Densified Cellulose Bulk Materials with Excellent Tensile Properties for Sustainable Engineering.

PubMed

Frey, Marion; Widner, Daniel; Segmehl, Jana S; Casdorff, Kirstin; Keplinger, Tobias; Burgert, Ingo

2018-02-07

Today's materials research aims at excellent mechanical performance in combination with advanced functionality. In this regard, great progress has been made in tailoring the materials by assembly processes in bottom-up approaches. In the field of wood-derived materials, nanocellulose research has gained increasing attention, and materials with advanced properties were developed. However, there are still unresolved issues concerning upscaling for large-scale applications. Alternatively, the sophisticated hierarchical scaffold of wood can be utilized in a top-down approach to upscale functionalization, and one can profit at the same time from its renewable nature, CO 2 storing capacity, light weight, and good mechanical performance. Nevertheless, for bulk wood materials, a wider multipurpose industrial use is so far impeded by concerns regarding durability, natural heterogeneity as well as limitations in terms of functionalization, processing, and shaping. Here, we present a novel cellulose bulk material concept based on delignification and densification of wood resulting in a high-performance material. A delignification process using hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid was optimized to delignify the entire bulk wooden blocks and to retain the highly beneficial structural directionality of wood. In a subsequent step, these cellulosic blocks were densified in a process combining compression and lateral shear to gain a very compact cellulosic material with entangled fibers while retaining unidirectional fiber orientation. The cellulose bulk materials obtained by different densification protocols were structurally, chemically, and mechanically characterized revealing superior tensile properties compared to native wood. Furthermore, after delignification, the cellulose bulk material can be easily formed into different shapes, and the delignification facilitates functionalization of the bioscaffold.

Advances in Micromechanics Modeling of Composites Structures for Structural Health Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moncada, Albert

Although high performance, light-weight composites are increasingly being used in applications ranging from aircraft, rotorcraft, weapon systems and ground vehicles, the assurance of structural reliability remains a critical issue. In composites, damage is absorbed through various fracture processes, including fiber failure, matrix cracking and delamination. An important element in achieving reliable composite systems is a strong capability of assessing and inspecting physical damage of critical structural components. Installation of a robust Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system would be very valuable in detecting the onset of composite failure. A number of major issues still require serious attention in connection with the research and development aspects of sensor-integrated reliable SHM systems for composite structures. In particular, the sensitivity of currently available sensor systems does not allow detection of micro level damage; this limits the capability of data driven SHM systems. As a fundamental layer in SHM, modeling can provide in-depth information on material and structural behavior for sensing and detection, as well as data for learning algorithms. This dissertation focuses on the development of a multiscale analysis framework, which is used to detect various forms of damage in complex composite structures. A generalized method of cells based micromechanics analysis, as implemented in NASA's MAC/GMC code, is used for the micro-level analysis. First, a baseline study of MAC/GMC is performed to determine the governing failure theories that best capture the damage progression. The deficiencies associated with various layups and loading conditions are addressed. In most micromechanics analysis, a representative unit cell (RUC) with a common fiber packing arrangement is used. The effect of variation in this arrangement within the RUC has been studied and results indicate this variation influences the macro-scale effective material properties and failure stresses. The developed model has been used to simulate impact damage in a composite beam and an airfoil structure. The model data was verified through active interrogation using piezoelectric sensors. The multiscale model was further extended to develop a coupled damage and wave attenuation model, which was used to study different damage states such as fiber-matrix debonding in composite structures with surface bonded piezoelectric sensors.

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.

Development and in vitro examination of materials for osseointegration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalota, Sahil

Bone is a connective tissue with nanosized particles of carbonated apatitic calcium phosphate dispersed in a hydrated collagen matrix. With the ageing of the baby boomer population, an increasing number of people sustain bone fractures and defects. Hence, efforts are underway to develop materials to hasten the healing and repairing of such defects. These materials are termed as artificial bone substitutes. This study represents innovative techniques for development of bone implant materials and improving the existing substitute materials. Emphasis was on three different kinds of materials: Metals (titanium and alloys), Ceramics (calcium phosphates), and Polymers (collagen). The bioactivity of titanium and alloys, resorptivity of calcium phosphates and biocompatibility of collagen were the major issues with these materials. These issues are appropriately addressed in this dissertation. For titanium and alloys, biomimetic coating methodology was developed for uniformly and evenly coating 3-D titanium structures. Cracks were observed in these coatings and a protocol was developed to form crack-free biomimetic coatings. In calcium phosphates, increasing the resorption rate of HA (hydroxyapatite) and decreasing the resorption rate of beta-TCP (beta-tricalcium phosphate) were studied. HA-based ceramics were synthesized with Na+ and CO32- ions dopings, and development of biphasic mixtures of HA-beta-TCP and HA-Rhenanite was performed. Similarly, beta-TCP ceramics were synthesized with Zn 2+ ion doping and development of beta-TCP-HA biphasic mixtures was performed. In case of collagen, a biomimetic coating process was developed that decreased the time to coat the collagen substrates and also increased biocompatibility, as determined by the response of mouse osteoblasts.

General Motors and the University of Michigan smart materials and structures collaborative research laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brei, Diann; Luntz, Jonathan; Shaw, John; Johnson, Nancy L.; Browne, Alan L.; Alexander, Paul W.; Mankame, Nilesh D.

2007-04-01

The field of Smart Materials and Structures is evolving from high-end, one-of-a-kind products for medical, military and aerospace applications to the point of viability for mainstream affordable high volume products for automotive applications. For the automotive industry, there are significant potential benefits to be realized including reduction in vehicle mass, added functionality and design flexibility and decrease in component size and cost. To further accelerate the path from basic research and development to launched competitive products, General Motors (GM) has teamed with the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan (UM) to establish a $2.9 Million Collaborative Research Laboratory (CRL) in Smart Materials and Structures. Researchers at both GM and UM are working closely together to create leap-frog technologies which start at conceptualization and proceed all the way through demonstration and handoff to product teams, thereby bridging the traditional technology gap between industry and academia. In addition to Smart Device Technology Innovation, other thrust areas in the CRL include Smart Material Maturity with a basic research focus on overcoming material issues that form roadblocks to commercialism and Mechamatronic System Design Methodology with an applied focus on development tools (synthesis and analysis) to aid the engineer in application of smart materials to system engineering. This CRL is a global effort with partners across the nation and world from GM's Global Research Network such as HRL Laboratories in California and GM's India Science Lab in Bangalore, India. This paper provides an overview of this new CRL and gives examples of several of the projects underway.

Performance of Hydrophobisation Techniques in Case of Reinforced Concrete Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Błaszczyński, Tomasz; Osesek, Mateusz; Gwozdowski, Błażej; Ilski, Mirosław

2017-10-01

Concrete is, unchangeably, one of the most frequently applied building materials, also in the case of bridges, overpasses or viaducts. Along with the aging of such structures, the degradation of concrete, which may accelerate the corrosion of reinforcing steel and drastically decrease the load-bearing capacity of the structure, becomes an important issue. The paper analyzes the possibilities of using deep hydrophobisation in repairing reinforced concrete engineering structures. The benefits of properly securing reinforced concrete structures from the damaging effects of UV radiation, the influence of harmful gases, or progression of chlorine induced corrosion have been presented, especially in regards to bridge structures. The need to calculate the costs of carrying out investments along with the expected costs of maintaining such structures, as well as the high share of costs connected with logistics, has also been indicated in the total costs of repair works.

Earth Day in the Classroom: Mathematics and Science Materials and Resources for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crow, Tracy, Ed.

1995-01-01

The 25th anniversary of Earth Day is 1995. This issue highlights useful, high quality educational materials and other resources that can be used to discuss environmental issues in the classroom. Activities, resources, and teaching materials in this Earth Day issue include: ATLAS 1: Studying Mysteries in the Earth's Atmosphere; Completing the…

The full spectrum of ethical issues in the care of patients with ALS: a systematic qualitative review.

PubMed

Seitzer, F; Kahrass, H; Neitzke, G; Strech, D

2016-02-01

Dealing systematically with ethical issues in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) care requires an unbiased awareness of all the relevant ethical issues. The aim of the study was to determine systematically and transparently the full spectrum of ethical issues in ALS care. We conducted a systematic review in Medline and Google Books (restricted to English and German literature published between 1993 and 2014). We applied qualitative text analysis and normative analysis to categorise the spectrum of ethical issues in ALS care. The literature review retrieved 56 references that together mentioned a spectrum of 103 ethical issues in ALS care. The spectrum was structured into six major categories that consist of first and second-order categories of ethical issues. The systematically derived spectrum of ethical issues in ALS care presented in this paper raises awareness and understanding of the complexity of ethical issues in ALS care. It also offers a basis for the systematic development of informational and training materials for health professionals, patients and their relatives, and society as a whole. Finally, it supports a rational and fair selection of all those ethical issues that should be addressed in health policies, position papers and clinical practice guidelines. Further research is needed to identify ways to systematically select the most relevant ethical issues not only in the clinical environment, but also for the development of clinical practice guidelines.

Low-dimensional carbon and MXene-based electrochemical capacitor electrodes.

PubMed

Yoon, Yeoheung; Lee, Keunsik; Lee, Hyoyoung

2016-04-29

Due to their unique structure and outstanding intrinsic physical properties such as extraordinarily high electrical conductivity, large surface area, and various chemical functionalities, low-dimension-based materials exhibit great potential for application in electrochemical capacitors (ECs). The electrical properties of electrochemical capacitors are determined by the electrode materials. Because energy charge storage is a surface process, the surface properties of the electrode materials greatly influence the electrochemical performance of the cell. Recently, graphene, a single layer of sp(2)-bonded carbon atoms arrayed into two-dimensional carbon nanomaterial, has attracted wide interest as an electrode material for electrochemical capacitor applications due to its unique properties, including a high electrical conductivity and large surface area. Several low-dimensional materials with large surface areas and high conductivity such as onion-like carbons (OLCs), carbide-derived carbons (CDCs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, metal hydroxide, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and most recently MXene, have been developed for electrochemical capacitors. Therefore, it is useful to understand the current issues of low-dimensional materials and their device applications.

A Bridge for Accelerating Materials by Design

DOE PAGES

Sumpter, Bobby G.; Vasudevan, Rama K.; Potok, Thomas E.; ...

2015-11-25

Recent technical advances in the area of nanoscale imaging, spectroscopy, and scattering/diffraction have led to unprecedented capabilities for investigating materials structural, dynamical and functional characteristics. In addition, recent advances in computational algorithms and computer capacities that are orders of magnitude larger/faster have enabled large-scale simulations of materials properties starting with nothing but the identity of the atomic species and the basic principles of quantum- and statistical-mechanics and thermodynamics. Along with these advances, an explosion of high-resolution data has emerged. This confluence of capabilities and rise of big data offer grand opportunities for advancing materials sciences but also introduce several challenges.more » In this editorial we identify challenges impeding progress towards advancing materials by design (e.g., the design/discovery of materials with improved properties/performance), possible solutions, and provide examples of scientific issues that can be addressed by using a tightly integrated approach where theory and experiments are linked through big-deep data.« less

Fiber-Optic Sensor And Smart Structures Research At Florida Institute Of Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grossman, Barry G.; Alavie, A. Tino; Ham, Fredric M.; Franke, Jorge E.; Thursby, Michael H.

1990-02-01

This paper discusses the fundamental issues being investigated by Florida Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) to implement the technology of smart structural systems for DoD, NASA, and commercial applications. Embedded sensors and actuators controlled by processors can provide a modification of the mechanical characteristics of composite structures to produce smart structures1-3. Recent advances in material science have spurred the development and use of composite materials in a wide range of applications from rotocraft blades and advanced tactical fighter aircraft to undersea and aerospace structures. Along with the advantages of an increased strength-to-weight ratio, the use of these materials has raised a number of questions related to understanding their failure mechanisms. Also, being able to predict structural failures far enough in advance to prevent them and to provide real-time structural health and damage monitoring has become a realistic possibility. Unfortunately, conventional sensors, actuators, and digital processors, although highly developed and well proven for other systems, may not be best suited for most smart structure applications. Our research has concentrated on few-mode and polarimetric single-fiber strain sensors4-7 and optically activated shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators controlled by artificial neural processors. We have constructed and characterized both few-mode and polarimetric sensors for a variety of fiber types, including standard single-mode, high-birefringence polarization preserving, and low-birefringence polarization insensitive fibers. We have investigated signal processing techniques for these sensors and have demonstrated active phase tracking for the high- and low-birefringence polarimetric sensors through the incorporation into the system of an electrooptic modulator designed and fabricated at F.I.T.. We have also started the design and testing of neural network architectures for processing the sensor signal outputs to calculate strain magnitude and actuator control signals for simple structures.

Designing and Testing Functional RNA Nanoparticles | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Recent advances in nanotechnology have generated excitement that nanomaterials may provide novel approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of deadly diseases, such as cancer. However, the use of synthetic materials to generate nanoparticles can present challenges with endotoxin content, sterility, or biocompatibility. Employing biological materials may overcome these issues with RNA being particularly attractive given the clinical applications of RNA interference and the abundance of functional RNAs, including aptamers and ribozymes. RNA can form stable three-dimensional nanoparticle structures that can be decorated with other nucleic acids, small molecules, or proteins, potentially increasing local concentrations of therapeutic agents and acting synergistically when combined.

Summary of SMIRT20 Preconference Topical Workshop – Identifying Structural Issues in Advanced Reactors

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

William Richins; Stephen Novascone; Cheryl O'Brien

Summary of SMIRT20 Preconference Topical Workshop – Identifying Structural Issues in Advanced Reactors William Richins1, Stephen Novascone1, and Cheryl O’Brien1 1Idaho National Laboratory, US Dept. of Energy, Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA, e-mail: William.Richins@inl.gov The Idaho National Laboratory (INL, USA) and IASMiRT sponsored an international forum Nov 5-6, 2008 in Porvoo, Finland for nuclear industry, academic, and regulatory representatives to identify structural issues in current and future advanced reactor design, especially for extreme conditions and external threats. The purpose of this Topical Workshop was to articulate research, engineering, and regulatory Code development needs. The topics addressed by the Workshop were selectedmore » to address critical industry needs specific to advanced reactor structures that have long lead times and can be the subject of future SMiRT technical sessions. The topics were; 1) structural/materials needs for extreme conditions and external threats in contemporary (Gen. III) and future (Gen. IV and NGNP) advanced reactors and 2) calibrating simulation software and methods that address topic 1 The workshop discussions and research needs identified are presented. The Workshop successfully produced interactive discussion on the two topics resulting in a list of research and technology needs. It is recommended that IASMiRT communicate the results of the discussion to industry and researchers to encourage new ideas and projects. In addition, opportunities exist to retrieve research reports and information that currently exists, and encourage more international cooperation and collaboration. It is recommended that IASMiRT continue with an off-year workshop series on select topics.« less

Proposal of the confinement strategy of radioactive and hazardous materials for the European DEMO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, X. Z.; Carloni, D.; Stieglitz, R.; Ciattaglia, S.; Johnston, J.; Taylor, N.

2017-04-01

Confinement of radioactive and hazardous materials is one of the fundamental safety functions in a nuclear fusion facility, which has to limit the mobilisation and dispersion of sources and hazards during normal, abnormal and accidental situations. In a first step energy sources and radioactive source have been assessed for a conceptual DEMO configuration. The confinement study for the European DEMO has been investigated for the main systems at the plant breakdown structure (PBS) level 1 taking a bottom-up approach. Based on the identification of the systems possessing a confinement function, a confinement strategy has been proposed, in which DEMO confinement systems and barriers have been defined. In addition, confinement for the maintenance has been issued as well. The assignment of confinement barriers to the identified sources under abnormal and accidental conditions has been performed, and the DEMO main safety systems have been proposed as well. Finally, confinement related open issues have been pointed out, which need to be resolved in parallel with DEMO development.

Biological issues in materials science and engineering: Interdisciplinarity and the bio-materials paradigm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murr, L. E.

2006-07-01

Biological systems and processes have had, and continue to have, important implications and applications in materials extraction, processing, and performance. This paper illustrates some interdisciplinary, biological issues in materials science and engineering. These include metal extraction involving bacterial catalysis, galvanic couples, bacterial-assisted corrosion and degradation of materials, biosorption and bioremediation of toxic and other heavy metals, metal and material implants and prostheses and related dental and medical biomaterials developments and applications, nanomaterials health benefits and toxicity issue, and biomimetics and biologically inspired materials developments. These and other examples provide compelling evidence and arguments for emphasizing biological sicences in materials science and engineering curricula and the implementation of a bio-materials paradigm to facilitate the emergence of innovative interdisciplinarity involving the biological sciences and materials sciences and engineering.

Three-dimensional bioprinting is not only about cell-laden structures.

PubMed

Zhang, Hong-Bo; Xing, Tian-Long; Yin, Rui-Xue; Shi, Yong; Yang, Shi-Mo; Zhang, Wen-Jun

2016-08-01

In this review, we focused on a few obstacles that hinder three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting process in tissue engineering. One of the obstacles is the bioinks used to deliver cells. Hydrogels are the most widely used bioink materials; however, they aremechanically weak in nature and cannot meet the requirements for supporting structures, especially when the tissues, such as cartilage, require extracellular matrix to be mechanically strong. Secondly and more importantly, tissue regeneration is not only about building all the components in a way that mimics the structures of living tissues, but also about how to make the constructs function normally in the long term. One of the key issues is sufficient nutrient and oxygen supply to the engineered living constructs. The other is to coordinate the interplays between cells, bioactive agents and extracellular matrix in a natural way. This article reviews the approaches to improve the mechanical strength of hydrogels and their suitability for 3D bioprinting; moreover, the key issues of multiple cell lines coprinting with multiple growth factors, vascularization within engineered living constructs etc. were also reviewed.

Plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition for plasmonic TiN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otto, Lauren M.; Hammack, Aaron T.; Aloni, Shaul; Ogletree, D. Frank; Olynick, Deirdre L.; Dhuey, Scott; Stadler, Bethanie J. H.; Schwartzberg, Adam M.

2016-09-01

This work presents the low temperature plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) of TiN, a promising plasmonic synthetic metal. The plasmonics community has immediate needs for alternatives to traditional plasmonic materials (e.g. Ag and Au), which lack chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability. Plasmonic alloys and synthetic metals have significantly improved stability, but their growth can require high-temperatures (>400 °C), and it is difficult to control the thickness and directionality of the resulting film, especially on technologically important substrates. Such issues prevent the application of alternative plasmonic materials for both fundamental studies and large-scale industrial applications. Alternatively, PE-ALD allows for conformal deposition on a variety of substrates with consistent material properties. This conformal coating will allow the creation of exotic three-dimensional structures, and low-temperature deposition techniques will provide unrestricted usage across a variety of platforms. The characterization of this new plasmonic material was performed with in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry as well as Auger electron spectroscopy for analysis of TiN film sensitivity to oxide cross-contamination. Plasmonic TiN films were fabricated, and a chlorine plasma etch was found to pattern two dimensional gratings as a test structure. Optical measurements of 900 nm period gratings showed reasonable agreement with theoretical modeling of the fabricated structures, indicating that ellipsometry models of the TiN were indeed accurate.

ICAN Computer Code Adapted for Building Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murthy, Pappu L. N.

1997-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center has been involved in developing composite micromechanics and macromechanics theories over the last three decades. These activities have resulted in several composite mechanics theories and structural analysis codes whose applications range from material behavior design and analysis to structural component response. One of these computer codes, the Integrated Composite Analyzer (ICAN), is designed primarily to address issues related to designing polymer matrix composites and predicting their properties - including hygral, thermal, and mechanical load effects. Recently, under a cost-sharing cooperative agreement with a Fortune 500 corporation, Master Builders Inc., ICAN was adapted to analyze building materials. The high costs and technical difficulties involved with the fabrication of continuous-fiber-reinforced composites sometimes limit their use. Particulate-reinforced composites can be thought of as a viable alternative. They are as easily processed to near-net shape as monolithic materials, yet have the improved stiffness, strength, and fracture toughness that is characteristic of continuous-fiber-reinforced composites. For example, particlereinforced metal-matrix composites show great potential for a variety of automotive applications, such as disk brake rotors, connecting rods, cylinder liners, and other hightemperature applications. Building materials, such as concrete, can be thought of as one of the oldest materials in this category of multiphase, particle-reinforced materials. The adaptation of ICAN to analyze particle-reinforced composite materials involved the development of new micromechanics-based theories. A derivative of the ICAN code, ICAN/PART, was developed and delivered to Master Builders Inc. as a part of the cooperative activity.

Nano-technology and privacy: on continuous surveillance outside the panopticon.

PubMed

Hoven, Jeroen Van Den; Vermaas, Pieter E

2007-01-01

We argue that nano-technology in the form of invisible tags, sensors, and Radio Frequency Identity Chips (RFIDs) will give rise to privacy issues that are in two ways different from the traditional privacy issues of the last decades. One, they will not exclusively revolve around the idea of centralization of surveillance and concentration of power, as the metaphor of the Panopticon suggests, but will be about constant observation at decentralized levels. Two, privacy concerns may not exclusively be about constraining information flows but also about designing of materials and nano-artifacts such as chips and tags. We begin by presenting a framework for structuring the current debates on privacy, and then present our arguments.

Understanding the structure and structural degradation mechanisms in high-voltage lithium-ion battery cathode oxides. A review of materials diagnostics

DOE PAGES

Mohanty, Debasish; Li, Jianlin; Nagpure, Shrikant C; ...

2015-12-21

Materials diagnostic techniques are the principal tools used in the development of low-cost, high-performance electrodes for next-generation lithium-based energy storage technologies. Also, this review highlights the importance of materials diagnostic techniques in unraveling the structure and the structural degradation mechanisms in high-voltage, high-capacity oxides that have the potential to be implemented in high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries for transportation that can use renewable energy and is less-polluting than today. The rise in CO 2 concentration in the earth’s atmosphere due to the use of petroleum products in vehicles and the dramatic increase in the cost of gasoline demand the replacement of currentmore » internal combustion engines in our vehicles with environmentally friendly, carbon free systems. Therefore, vehicles powered fully/partially by electricity are being introduced into today’s transportation fleet. As power requirements in all-electric vehicles become more demanding, lithium-ion battery (LiB) technology is now the potential candidate to provide higher energy density. Moreover, discovery of layered high-voltage lithium-manganese–rich (HV-LMR) oxides has provided a new direction toward developing high-energy-density LiBs because of their ability to deliver high capacity (~250 mA h/g) and to be operated at high operating voltage (~4.7 V). Unfortunately, practical use of HV-LMR electrodes is not viable because of structural changes in the host oxide during operation that can lead to fundamental and practical issues. This article provides the current understanding on the structure and structural degradation pathways in HV-LMR oxides, and manifests the importance of different materials diagnostic tools to unraveling the key mechanism(s). Furthermore, the fundamental insights reported, might become the tools to manipulate the chemical and/or structural aspects of HV-LMR oxides for low cost, high-energy-density LiB applications.« less

An Electrochemical Capacitor with Applicable Energy Density of 7.4 Wh/kg at Average Power Density of 3000 W/kg.

PubMed

Zhai, Teng; Lu, Xihong; Wang, Hanyu; Wang, Gongming; Mathis, Tyler; Liu, Tianyu; Li, Cheng; Tong, Yexiang; Li, Yat

2015-05-13

Electrochemical capacitors represent a new class of charge storage devices that can simultaneously achieve high energy density and high power density. Previous reports have been primarily focused on the development of high performance capacitor electrodes. Although these electrodes have achieved excellent specific capacitance based on per unit mass of active materials, the gravimetric energy densities calculated based on the weight of entire capacitor device were fairly small. This is mainly due to the large mass ratio between current collector and active material. We aimed to address this issue by a 2-fold approach of minimizing the mass of current collector and increasing the electrode performance. Here we report an electrochemical capacitor using 3D graphene hollow structure as current collector, vanadium sulfide and manganese oxide as anode and cathode materials, respectively. 3D graphene hollow structure provides a lightweight and highly conductive scaffold for deposition of pseudocapacitive materials. The device achieves an excellent active material ratio of 24%. Significantly, it delivers a remarkable energy density of 7.4 Wh/kg (based on the weight of entire device) at the average power density of 3000 W/kg. This is the highest gravimetric energy density reported for asymmetric electrochemical capacitors at such a high power density.

Advanced carbon materials/olivine LiFePO4 composites cathode for lithium ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Chunli; Xue, Zhigang; Wen, Sheng; Ye, Yunsheng; Xie, Xiaolin

2016-06-01

In the past two decades, LiFePO4 has undoubtly become a competitive candidate for the cathode material of the next-generation LIBs due to its abundant resources, low toxicity and excellent thermal stability, etc. However, the poor electronic conductivity as well as low lithium ion diffusion rate are the two major drawbacks for the commercial applications of LiFePO4 especially in the power energy field. The introduction of highly graphitized advanced carbon materials, which also possess high electronic conductivity, superior specific surface area and excellent structural stability, into LiFePO4 offers a better way to resolve the issue of limited rate performance caused by the two obstacles when compared with traditional carbon materials. In this review, we focus on advanced carbon materials such as one-dimensional (1D) carbon (carbon nanotubes and carbon fibers), two-dimensional (2D) carbon (graphene, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide) and three-dimensional (3D) carbon (carbon nanotubes array and 3D graphene skeleton), modified LiFePO4 for high power lithium ion batteries. The preparation strategies, structure, and electrochemical performance of advanced carbon/LiFePO4 composite are summarized and discussed in detail. The problems encountered in its application and the future development of this composite are also discussed.

Unpacking the ‘structural’ in a structural approach for HIV prevention among female sex workers: A case study from China

PubMed Central

Huang, Yingying; Muessig, Kathryn E.; Zhang, Ning; Maman, Suzanne

2015-01-01

Interventions for HIV prevention among female sex workers (FSWs) in China focus on HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) and individual behaviour change. An occupational health framework facilitates intervention across an array of health issues FSWs face including HIV/STI, violence, reproductive health, stigma and substance use. Through a case study of a community-based Jiaozhou (JZ) FSW programme, we developed a conceptual framework incorporating global discussions of structural approaches to HIV prevention with the specific social and structural contexts identified among FSWs in China. Based on ethnographic fieldwork between August 2010 and May 2013, we describe the evolution of this programme to its current occupational health focus and unpack the intervention strategies. We describe the critical features of the programme that have fostered success among FSWs including high-quality clinical services provided within a welcoming setting, responsive outreach work through staff and trained FSW peers, interpersonal and community-level engagement aimed at changing the local social and structural environments of sex work and tailored health education materials. This intervention differs from other projects in China by adopting a more holistic approach to FSW health that incorporates social issues. It also demonstrates the feasibility of structural interventions among FSWs even within an environment that has strong anti-prostitution policies. PMID:25742611

EDITORIAL: Carbon-based nanoscience and nanotechnology: where are we, where are we heading? Carbon-based nanoscience and nanotechnology: where are we, where are we heading?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soukiassian, Patrick G.; Ramachandra Rao, M. S.

2010-09-01

'Without carbon, life cannot exist', the saying goes, and not only life. For technological development, carbon was the ultimate material of the 19th century. It allowed the beginnings of the industrial revolution, enabling the rise of the steel and chemical industries, it made the railways run, and it played a major role in the development of naval transportation. Silicon, another very interesting material which makes up a quarter of the earth's crust, became the material of the 20th century in its turn. It gave us the development of high performance electronics and photovoltaics with large fields of applications and played a pivotal role in the evolution of computer technology. The increased device performance of information and data processing systems is changing our lives on a daily basis, producing scientific innovations for a new industrial era. However, success breeds its own problems, and there is ever more data to be handled—which requires a nanoscience approach. This cluster aims to address various aspects, prospects and challenges in this area of great interest for all our futures. Carbon exists in various allotropic forms that are intensively investigated for their unusual and fascinating properties, from both fundamental and applied points of view. Among them, the sp2 (fullerenes, nanotubes and graphene) and sp3 (diamond) bonding configurations are of special interest since they have outstanding and, in some cases, unsurpassed properties compared to other materials. These properties include very high mechanical resistance, very high hardness, high resistance to radiation damage, high thermal conductivity, biocompatibility and superconductivity. Graphene, for example, possesses very uncommon electronic structure and a high carrier mobility, with charge carriers of zero mass moving at constant velocity, just like photons. All these characteristics have put carbon and carbon-related nanomaterials in the spotlight of science and technology research. The main challenges for future understanding include i) material growth, ii) fundamental properties, and iii) developing advanced applications. The reviews in this Cluster Issue of Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics cover carbon nanoparticles and nanotubes, graphene, nano-diamond and films. They address the most current aspects and issues related to their fundamental and outstanding properties, and describe various classes of high-tech applications based on these promising materials. Future prospects, difficulties and challenges are addressed. Important issues include growth, morphology, atomic and electronic structure, transport properties, superconductivity, doping, nanochemistry using hydrogen, chemical and bio-sensors, and bio-imaging, allowing readers to evaluate this very interesting topic and draw perspectives for the future.

Electrical characterization and modelization of CaCu3Ti4O12 polycrystalline ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheballah, Chafe; Valdez-Nava, Zarel; Laudebat, Lionel; Guillemet-Fritsch, Sophie; Lebey, Thierry

2015-06-01

Since the observation almost 15 years ago of the so-called "colossal" dielectric permittivity behavior in CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) ceramics, several works have been undertaken to understand its physical origin interfacial polarization being the most likelihood. In this paper, (C-V) measurements, commonly used on semiconducting materials have been used to characterize CCTO samples. Their results may be described by a head-to-tail double metal-insulating-semiconductor (MIS) structure. A comparison between experimental and numerical simulation results of such a structure shows a good agreement, whatever the frequency range. Furthermore, this model explains the non-symmetrical behavior of the electrical response of this material, a property still not taken into account by today's commonly known models. Contribution to the topical issue "Electrical Engineering Symposium (SGE 2014) - Elected submissions", edited by Adel Razek

Hidden Order and Dimensional Crossover of the Charge Density Waves in TiSe 2

DOE PAGES

Chen, P.; Chan, Y. -H.; Fang, X. -Y.; ...

2016-11-29

Charge density wave (CDW) formation, a key physics issue for materials, arises from interactions among electrons and phonons that can also lead to superconductivity and other competing or entangled phases. The prototypical system TiSe 2, with a particularly simple (2 × 2 × 2) transition and no Kohn anomalies caused by electron-phonon coupling, is a fascinating but unsolved case after decades of research. Our angle-resolved photoemission measurements of the band structure as a function of temperature, aided by first-principles calculations, reveal a hitherto undetected but crucial feature: a (2 × 2) electronic order in each layer sets in at ~232more » K before the widely recognized three-dimensional structural order at ~205 K. The dimensional crossover, likely a generic feature of such layered materials, involves renormalization of different band gaps in two stages.« less

Modeling Manufacturing Impacts on Aging and Reliability of Polyurethane Foams

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

Rao, Rekha R.; Roberts, Christine Cardinal; Mondy, Lisa Ann

Polyurethane is a complex multiphase material that evolves from a viscous liquid to a system of percolating bubbles, which are created via a CO2 generating reaction. The continuous phase polymerizes to a solid during the foaming process generating heat. Foams introduced into a mold increase their volume up to tenfold, and the dynamics of the expansion process may lead to voids and will produce gradients in density and degree of polymerization. These inhomogeneities can lead to structural stability issues upon aging. For instance, structural components in weapon systems have been shown to change shape as they age depending on theirmore » molding history, which can threaten critical tolerances. The purpose of this project is to develop a Cradle-to-Grave multiphysics model, which allows us to predict the material properties of foam from its birth through aging in the stockpile, where its dimensional stability is important.« less

A comprehensive strategy for designing a Web-based medical curriculum.

PubMed Central

Zucker, J.; Chase, H.; Molholt, P.; Bean, C.; Kahn, R. M.

1996-01-01

In preparing for a full featured online curriculum, it is necessary to develop scaleable strategies for software design that will support the pedagogical goals of the curriculum and which will address the issues of acquisition and updating of materials, of robust content-based linking, and of integration of the online materials into other methods of learning. A complete online curriculum, as distinct from an individual computerized module, must provide dynamic updating of both content and structure and an easy pathway from the professor's notes to the finished online product. At the College of Physicians and Surgeons, we are developing such strategies including a scripted text conversion process that uses the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) as structural markup rather than as display markup, automated linking by the use of relational databases and the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), integration of text, images, and multimedia along with interface designs which promote multiple contexts and collaborative study. PMID:8947624

Study of mould design and forming process on advanced polymer-matrix composite complex structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S. J.; Zhan, L. H.; Bai, H. M.; Chen, X. P.; Zhou, Y. Q.

2015-07-01

Advanced carbon fibre-reinforced polymer-matrix composites are widely applied to aviation manufacturing field due to their outstanding performance. In this paper, the mould design and forming process of the complex composite structure were discussed in detail using the hat stiffened structure as an example. The key issues of the moulddesign were analyzed, and the corresponding solutions were also presented. The crucial control points of the forming process such as the determination of materials and stacking sequence, the temperature and pressure route of the co-curing process were introduced. In order to guarantee the forming quality of the composite hat stiffened structure, a mathematical model about the aperture of rubber mandrel was introduced. The study presented in this paper may provide some actual references for the design and manufacture of the important complex composite structures.

Geopolymer concrete for structural use: Recent findings and limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuruddin, M. F.; Malkawi, A. B.; Fauzi, A.; Mohammed, B. S.; Almattarneh, H. M.

2016-06-01

Geopolymer binders offer a possible solution for several problems that facing the current cement industry. These binders exhibit similar or better engineering properties compared to cement and can utilize several types of waste materials. This paper presents the recent research progress regarding the structural behaviour of reinforced geopolymer concrete members including beams, columns and slabs. The reported results showed that the structural behaviour of the reinforced geopolymer concrete members is similar to the known behaviour of the ordinary reinforced concrete members. In addition, the currently available standards have been conservatively used for analysis and designing of reinforced geopolymer concrete structures. On the other hand, the main hurdles facing the spread of geopolymer concrete was the absence of standards and the concerns about the long-term properties. Other issues included the safety, cost and liability.

Initial conditions and modeling for simulations of shock driven turbulent material mixing

DOE PAGES

Grinstein, Fernando F.

2016-11-17

Here, we focus on the simulation of shock-driven material mixing driven by flow instabilities and initial conditions (IC). Beyond complex multi-scale resolution issues of shocks and variable density turbulence, me must address the equally difficult problem of predicting flow transition promoted by energy deposited at the material interfacial layer during the shock interface interactions. Transition involves unsteady large-scale coherent-structure dynamics capturable by a large eddy simulation (LES) strategy, but not by an unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) approach based on developed equilibrium turbulence assumptions and single-point-closure modeling. On the engineering end of computations, such URANS with reduced 1D/2D dimensionality and coarsermore » grids, tend to be preferred for faster turnaround in full-scale configurations.« less

Development of High-Z Materials with Improved Toughness for High Heat Flux Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurishita, Hiroaki; Kitsunai, Yuji; Kuwabara, Tetsuya; Hasegawa, Masayuki; Hiraoka, Yutaka; Takida, Tomohiro; Igarashi, Tadashi

Tungsten is superior to other materials in physical and mechanical properties for use as high heat flux components in future fusion reactors. The key issue of the metal is to improve the low temperature embrittlement, the recrystallization embrittlement and the irradiation embrittlement. An alloy design and microstructure control for achieving simultaneous and significant improvements in those embrittlements are described and are applied to tungsten and molybdenum which has quite similar properties as tungsten. The result of the application is presented for each of the embrittlement, with considerable success. Emphasis is placed on the occurrence of RIDU (Radiation Induced Ductilization) because RIDU is expected to provide the scenario to overcome severe irradiation embrittlement that is the most crucial problem for structure materials exposed in fusion environment.

Novel Photovoltaic Devices Using Ferroelectric Material and Colloidal Quantum Dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paik, Young Hun

As the global concern for the financial and environmental costs of traditional energy resources increases, research on renewable energy, most notably solar energy, has taken center stage. Many alternative photovoltaic (PV) technologies for 'the next generation solar cell' have been extensively studied to overcome the Shockley-Queisser 31% efficiency limit as well as tackle the efficiency vs. cost issues. This dissertation focuses on the novel photovoltaic mechanism for the next generation solar cells using two inorganic nanomaterials, nanocrystal quantum dots and ferroelectric nanoparticles. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) materials are widely studied and easy to synthesize using solution based chemistry. One of the fascinating properties of the PZT material is a Bulk Photovoltaic effect (BPVE). This property has been spotlighted because it can produce very high open circuit voltage regardless of the electrical bandgap of the materials. However, the poor optical absorption of the PZT materials and the required high temperature to form the ferroelectric crystalline structure have been obstacles to fabricate efficient photovoltaic devices. Colloidal quantum dots also have fascinating optical and electrical properties such as tailored absorption spectrum, capability of the bandgap engineering due to the wide range of material selection and quantum confinement, and very efficient carrier dynamics called multiple exciton generations. In order to utilize these properties, many researchers have put numerous efforts in colloidal quantum dot photovoltaic research and there has been remarkable progress in the past decade. However, several drawbacks are still remaining to achieve highly efficient photovoltaic device. Traps created on the large surface area, low carrier mobility, and lower open circuit voltage while increasing the absorption of the solar spectrum is main issues of the nanocrystal based photovoltaic effect. To address these issues and to take the advantages of the two materials, this dissertation focused on material synthesis for low cost solution process for both materials, fabrication of various device structures and electrical/optical characterization to understand the underlying physics. We successfully demonstrated lead sulfide quantum dots (PbS QDs) and lead zirconate titanate nanoparticles (PZT NPs) in an aqueous solution and fabricated a photosensitive device. Solution based low-temperature process was used to fabricate a PbS QD and a PZT NP device. We exhibited a superior photoresponse and ferroelectric photovoltaic properties with the novel PZT NP device and studied the physics on domain wall effect and internal polarity effect. PZT NP was mainly investigated because PZT NP device is the first report as a photosensitive device with a successful property demonstration, as we know of. PZT's crystalline structure and the size of the nanocrystals were studied using X-ray diffraction and TEM (Transmission electron microscopy) respectively. We observed < 100 nm of PZT NPs and this result matched with DLS (dynamic light scattering) measurement. We fabricated ferroelectric devices using the PZT NPs for the various optical and electrical characterizations and verified ferroelectric properties including ferroelectric hysteresis loop. We also observed a typical ferroelectric photovoltaic effect from a PZT NP based device which was fabricated on an ITO substrate. We synthesized colloidal quantum dots (CQD) with the inexpensive soluble process. Fabricated PbS QD was used for the hybrid device with PZT thin films. J-V measured and the result shows superior open circuit voltage characteristics compared to conventional PbS QD PV devices, and resulting the improvement of the solar cell efficiency. This Ferroelectrics and Quantum Dots (FE-QDs) device also the first trial and the success as we know of.

FOREWORD: Materials metrology Materials metrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Seton; Valdés, Joaquin

2010-04-01

It seems that so much of modern life is defined by the materials we use. From aircraft to architecture, from cars to communications, from microelectronics to medicine, the development of new materials and the innovative application of existing ones have underpinned the technological advances that have transformed the way we live, work and play. Recognizing the need for a sound technical basis for drafting codes of practice and specifications for advanced materials, the governments of countries of the Economic Summit (G7) and the European Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 1982 to establish the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS). This project supports international trade by enabling scientific collaboration as a precursor to the drafting of standards. The VAMAS participants recognized the importance of agreeing a reliable, universally accepted basis for the traceability of the measurements on which standards depend for their preparation and implementation. Seeing the need to involve the wider metrology community, VAMAS approached the Comité International des Poids et Mesures (CIPM). Following discussions with NMI Directors and a workshop at the BIPM in February 2005, the CIPM decided to establish an ad hoc Working Group on the metrology applicable to the measurement of material properties. The Working Group presented its conclusions to the CIPM in October 2007 and published its final report in 2008, leading to the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between VAMAS and the BIPM. This MoU recognizes the work that is already going on in VAMAS as well as in the Consultative Committees of the CIPM and establishes a framework for an ongoing dialogue on issues of materials metrology. The question of what is meant by traceability in the metrology of the properties of materials is particularly vexed when the measurement results depend on a specified procedure. In these cases, confidence in results requires not only traceable calibration of the various instruments and standards used but also the reliable application of an accepted measurement procedure. Nowhere is this more evident than in the use of hardness scales, which are not directly traceable to the SI. This special issue of Metrologia includes a summary of the findings and conclusions of the Working Group and a further 14 papers covering the full range of properties of interest in science, engineering and standards making. It includes papers by authors at eight national measurement institutes and four other research centres. In addition to mechanical properties, there are papers addressing issues associated with the measurement of electromagnetic, acoustic and optical properties as well as those arising from the specific structural features of many new materials. As guest editors, we are extremely grateful to all the authors who have contributed to this special issue on the measurement of the properties of materials. We hope it will contribute to a wider appreciation of many of the associated issues and foster a growing understanding of the importance of ensuring that all such measurements are performed in accordance with accepted standards and procedures, with proper attention to the need to establish the traceability of the results. Only in this way can the performance, safety and fitness for purpose of products be guaranteed.

Population and Development [Issue Packet].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Freedom from Hunger Foundation, Washington, DC.

A variety of informational materials is compiled in this issue packet concentrating on population and development. The materials have been assembled to understand the issues associated with the facts of the world's population and to try to invent new forms of action and thought necessary to find the possibilities hidden in the population issue.…

Environmental transmission electron microscopy for catalyst materials using a spherical aberration corrector.

PubMed

Takeda, Seiji; Kuwauchi, Yasufumi; Yoshida, Hideto

2015-04-01

Atomic resolution has been obtained using environmental transmission electron microscopy (ETEM) by installing a spherical aberration corrector (Cs-corrector) on the objective lens. Simultaneously, the technology for controlling the environment around a specimen in ETEM has advanced significantly in the past decade. Quantification methodology has recently been established for deriving relevant experimental data in catalyst materials from substantial and systematic ETEM observation at the atomic scale. With this background, this paper summarizes aspects of the evolutional microscopy technique: necessary conditions for atomic resolution in ETEM; reduction of the scattering of electrons by the medium surrounding a specimen; and an environmental cell for structural imaging of a crystalline specimen. The high spatial resolution of a Cs-corrected ETEM is demonstrated for different observation conditions. After statistical analysis combined with numerical image analysis of ETEM data is briefly described, the recent applications of the Cs-corrected ETEM to catalyst materials are reviewed. For gold nanoparticulate catalysts, the structural information on the reaction sites and adsorption sites are deduced. For Pt nanoparticulate catalysts, ETEM studies elucidate the correlation between the catalytic activity and the morphology of the nanoparticles. These studies also reveal oxidation and reduction on the topmost Pt surface layer at the atomic scale. Finally, current issues and the future perspectives of Cs-corrected ETEM are summarized, including the reproducibility of ETEM observation data, the control of environments, the critical evaluation of electron irradiation effects, the full implementation of transmission electron microscopy technology in ETEM, and the safety issues for an ETEM laboratory. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Advanced manufacturing—A transformative enabling capability for fusion

DOE PAGES

Nygren, Richard E.; Dehoff, Ryan R.; Youchison, Dennis L.; ...

2018-05-24

Additive Manufacturing (AM) can create novel and complex engineered material structures. Features such as controlled porosity, micro-fibers and/or nano-particles, transitions in materials and integral robust coatings can be important in developing solutions for fusion subcomponents. A realistic understanding of this capability would be particularly valuable in identifying development paths. Major concerns for using AM processes with lasers or electron beams that melt powder to make refractory parts are the power required and residual stresses arising in fabrication. A related issue is the required combination of lasers or e-beams to continue heating of deposited material (to reduce stresses) and to depositmore » new material at a reasonable built rate while providing adequate surface finish and resolution for meso-scale features. In conclusion, Some Direct Write processes that can make suitable preforms and be cured to an acceptable density may offer another approach for PFCs.« less

Yb-fibre Laser Welding of 6 mm Duplex Stainless Steel 2205

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolut, M.; Kong, C. Y.; Blackburn, J.; Cashell, K. A.; Hobson, P. R.

Duplex stainless steel (DSS) is one of the materials of choice for structural and nuclear applications, having high strength and good corrosion resistance when compared with other grades of stainless steel. The welding process used to join these materials is critical as transformation of the microstructure during welding directly affects the material properties. High power laser welding has recently seen an increase in research interest as it offers both speed and flexibility. This paper presents an investigation into the important parameters affecting laser welding of DSS grade 2205, with particular focus given to the critical issue of phase transformation during welding. Bead-on-plate melt-run trials without filler material were performed on 6mm thick plates using a 5 kW Yb-fibre laser. The laser beam was characterized and a Design of Experiment approach was used to quantify the impact of the process parameters. Optical metallographic methods were used to examine the resulting microstructures.

Advanced manufacturing—A transformative enabling capability for fusion

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

Nygren, Richard E.; Dehoff, Ryan R.; Youchison, Dennis L.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) can create novel and complex engineered material structures. Features such as controlled porosity, micro-fibers and/or nano-particles, transitions in materials and integral robust coatings can be important in developing solutions for fusion subcomponents. A realistic understanding of this capability would be particularly valuable in identifying development paths. Major concerns for using AM processes with lasers or electron beams that melt powder to make refractory parts are the power required and residual stresses arising in fabrication. A related issue is the required combination of lasers or e-beams to continue heating of deposited material (to reduce stresses) and to depositmore » new material at a reasonable built rate while providing adequate surface finish and resolution for meso-scale features. In conclusion, Some Direct Write processes that can make suitable preforms and be cured to an acceptable density may offer another approach for PFCs.« less

Development, testing, and numerical modeling of a foam sandwich biocomposite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chachra, Ricky

This study develops a novel sandwich composite material using plant based materials for potential use in nonstructural building applications. The face sheets comprise woven hemp fabric and a sap based epoxy, while the core comprises castor oil based foam with waste rice hulls as reinforcement. Mechanical properties of the individual materials are tested in uniaxial compression and tension for the foam and hemp, respectively. The sandwich composite is tested in 3 point bending. Flexural results are compared to a finite element model developed in the commercial software Abaqus, and the validated model is then used to investigate alternate sandwich geometries. Sandwich model responses are compared to existing standards for nonstructural building panels, showing that the novel material is roughly half the strength of equally thick drywall. When space limitations are not an issue, a double thickness sandwich biocomposite is found to be a structurally acceptable replacement for standard gypsum drywall.

Mechanical properties on geopolymer brick: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deraman, L. M.; Abdullah, M. M. A.; Ming, L. Y.; Ibrahim, W. M. W.; Tahir, M. F. M.

2017-09-01

Bricks has stand for many years as durable construction substantial, especially in the area of civil engineering to construct buildings. Brick commonly used in the structure of buildings as a construction wall, cladding, facing perimeter, paving, garden wall and flooring. The contribution of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in cement bricks production worldwide to greenhouse gas emissions. Due to this issue, some researchers have done their study with other materials to produce bricks, especially as a by-product material. Researchers take effort in this regard to synthesizing from by-product materials such as fly ash, bottom ash and kaolin that are rich in silicon and aluminium in the development of inorganic alumina-silicate polymer, called geopolymer Geopolymer is a polymerization reaction between various aluminosilicate oxides with silicates solution or alkali hydroxide solution forming polymerized Si-O-Al-O bonds. This paper summarized some research finding of mechanical properties of geopolymer brick using by-product materials.

Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-08

deferred repairs rise exponentially. The end result will be ships being decommissioned before their expected service life ( ESL ) due to degraded material...conduct routine operations, culminating in decommissioning ships before their ESL . Even when the trend is reversed and more funding is made available for...repair broken equipment and upgrade obsolete systems needed for deployment, and to ensure each ship reaches its ESL of thirty-five to forty years.23

Carbon Nanotube Array for Infrared Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-05

ctron Transport Charact eri stic s of a Carbon nanotub es/S i He terodimensional He tero structure." Materials Research Society, Spring meeting (2008). 3...From - To) 05-12-2008 Final 27 09 2006-26 09 2008 4 . TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a . CONTRACT NUMBER Carbon Nanotube Array for Infrared Detection 5b...Distribution is unlimited 13 . SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14 . ABSTRACT We explore the basic science issues and device potential of our carbon nanotube-silicon (CNT

Propulsion Systems Panel deliberations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bianca, Carmelo J.; Miner, Robert; Johnston, Lawrence M.; Bruce, R.; Dennies, Daniel P.; Dickenson, W.; Dreshfield, Robert; Karakulko, Walt; Mcgaw, Mike; Munafo, Paul M.

1993-01-01

The Propulsion Systems Panel was established because of the specialized nature of many of the materials and structures technology issues related to propulsion systems. This panel was co-chaired by Carmelo Bianca, MSFC, and Bob Miner, LeRC. Because of the diverse range of missions anticipated for the Space Transportation program, three distinct propulsion system types were identified in the workshop planning process: liquid propulsion systems, solid propulsion systems and nuclear electric/nuclear thermal propulsion systems.

Propulsion Systems Panel deliberations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianca, Carmelo J.; Miner, Robert; Johnston, Lawrence M.; Bruce, R.; Dennies, Daniel P.; Dickenson, W.; Dreshfield, Robert; Karakulko, Walt; McGaw, Mike; Munafo, Paul M.

1993-02-01

The Propulsion Systems Panel was established because of the specialized nature of many of the materials and structures technology issues related to propulsion systems. This panel was co-chaired by Carmelo Bianca, MSFC, and Bob Miner, LeRC. Because of the diverse range of missions anticipated for the Space Transportation program, three distinct propulsion system types were identified in the workshop planning process: liquid propulsion systems, solid propulsion systems and nuclear electric/nuclear thermal propulsion systems.

Naval Structural Materials: Requirements, Issues, and Opportunities.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-04-10

because of the alloy’s relatively good corrosion resistance at high strength levels. The data 0 of Fig. 5 show the effects of electrochemical potential...STRENGTH,a-y (ksi) Fig. 5 Stress corrosion cracking data for high strength stainless steel (17-4PH) of different yield strengths under four electrochemical ... behavior . In contrast to the previously discussed results for low-carbon steel , heat treatment has only a small effect on the fatigue behavior of either

Design of optimized piezoelectric HDD-sliders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakasone, Paulo H.; Yoo, Jeonghoon; Silva, Emilio C. N.

2010-04-01

As storage data density in hard-disk drives (HDDs) increases for constant or miniaturizing sizes, precision positioning of HDD heads becomes a more relevant issue to ensure enormous amounts of data to be properly written and read. Since the traditional single-stage voice coil motor (VCM) cannot satisfy the positioning requirement of high-density tracks per inch (TPI) HDDs, dual-stage servo systems have been proposed to overcome this matter, by using VCMs to coarsely move the HDD head while piezoelectric actuators provides fine and fast positioning. Thus, the aim of this work is to apply topology optimization method (TOM) to design novel piezoelectric HDD heads, by finding optimal placement of base-plate and piezoelectric material to high precision positioning HDD heads. Topology optimization method is a structural optimization technique that combines the finite element method (FEM) with optimization algorithms. The laminated finite element employs the MITC (mixed interpolation of tensorial components) formulation to provide accurate and reliable results. The topology optimization uses a rational approximation of material properties to vary the material properties between 'void' and 'filled' portions. The design problem consists in generating optimal structures that provide maximal displacements, appropriate structural stiffness and resonance phenomena avoidance. The requirements are achieved by applying formulations to maximize displacements, minimize structural compliance and maximize resonance frequencies. This paper presents the implementation of the algorithms and show results to confirm the feasibility of this approach.

Tensile properties of helical auxetic structures: A numerical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, J. R.; Sloan, M. R.; Evans, K. E.

2010-08-01

This paper discusses a helical auxetic structure which has a diverse range of practical applications. The mechanical properties of the system can be determined by particular combinations of geometry and component material properties; finite element analysis is used to investigate the static behavior of these structures under tension. Modeling criteria are determined and design issues are discussed. A description of the different strain-dependent mechanical phases is provided. It is shown that the stiffnesses of the component fibers and the initial helical wrap angle are critical design parameters, and that strain-dependent changes in cross-section must be taken into consideration: we observe that the structures exhibit nonlinear behavior due to nonzero component Poisson's ratios. Negative Poisson's ratios for the helical structures as low as -5 are shown. While we focus here on the structure as a yarn our findings are, in principle, scaleable.

Survey on Restoration of Endodontically Treated Anterior Teeth: A Questionnaire Based Study

PubMed Central

Ratnakar, P; Bhosgi, Rashmi; Metta, Kiran Kumar; Aggarwal, Kanika; Vinuta, S; Singh, Navneet

2014-01-01

Background: The aim of endodontic and restorative dentistry is the conservation of natural tooth structure. Endodontically treated tooth (ETT) undergoes loss of tooth structure and changes in physical characteristics. Therefore, proper selection of restoration for ETT is mandatory. The clinical approach of restoring ETT needs taking into considerations several issues. However, the best way to restore teeth after root canal treatment has long been and still a controversial subject to debate. Therefore, this study was carried out to detect the frequency of preferred methods of restoring ETT under different conditions. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was framed and distributed among prosthodontists, endodontist and general practitioners of north India region to find out the frequency of best suitable material and method regarding restoration of ETT. 220 questionnaires were sent by electronic mail out of which 110 were received back. The questionnaire contained different methods of restoration of endodontically treated anterior teeth at different conditions (percentages) of remaining sound tooth structure. Respondents were asked to indicate their preferred method of restoration of those teeth. Results: Results showed that majority of respondents (51.82%) preferred to restore the tooth only with a tooth-color restorative material in condition A. In condition B, majority of respondents preferred to use tooth colored crown (44.55%) and prefabricated post and tooth colored restoration (24.5%). Whereas in condition C, most of the respondents preferred to use a cast post and core/crown (80.91%). Conclusion: From the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that the unrestored ETT is susceptible to fracture, which could lead to loss of tooth and that the maximum preservation of healthy tooth structure and use of restorative materials with mechanical properties similar to dental structure favor greater longevity of tooth restoration complex. PMID:25628482

Materials & Engineering: Propelling Innovation MRS Bulletin Special Issue Session

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

Rao, Gopal

Materials enable engineering; and, engineering in turn depends on materials to transform design concepts and equations into physical entities. This relationship continues to grow with expanding societal demand for new products and processes. MRS Bulletin, a publication of the Materials Research Society (MRS) and Cambridge University Press, planned a special issue for December 2015 on Materials and Engineering: Propelling Innovation. This special issue of MRS Bulletin captured the unique relationship between materials and engineering, which are closely intertwined. A special half day session at the 2015 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston captured this discussion through presentations by high level expertsmore » followed by a panel discussion on what it takes to translate materials discoveries into products to benefit society. The Special Session included presentations by experts who are practitioners in materials as well as engineering applications, followed by a panel discussion. Participants discussed state-of-the-art in materials applications in engineering, as well as how engineering needs have pushed materials developments, as also reflected in the 20 or so articles published in the special issue of MRS Bulletin. As expected, the discussions spanned the broad spectrum of materials and provided very strong interdisciplinary interactions and discussions by participants and presenters.« less

Optimization-Based Inverse Identification of the Parameters of a Concrete Cap Material Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Král, Petr; Hokeš, Filip; Hušek, Martin; Kala, Jiří; Hradil, Petr

2017-10-01

Issues concerning the advanced numerical analysis of concrete building structures in sophisticated computing systems currently require the involvement of nonlinear mechanics tools. The efforts to design safer, more durable and mainly more economically efficient concrete structures are supported via the use of advanced nonlinear concrete material models and the geometrically nonlinear approach. The application of nonlinear mechanics tools undoubtedly presents another step towards the approximation of the real behaviour of concrete building structures within the framework of computer numerical simulations. However, the success rate of this application depends on having a perfect understanding of the behaviour of the concrete material models used and having a perfect understanding of the used material model parameters meaning. The effective application of nonlinear concrete material models within computer simulations often becomes very problematic because these material models very often contain parameters (material constants) whose values are difficult to obtain. However, getting of the correct values of material parameters is very important to ensure proper function of a concrete material model used. Today, one possibility, which permits successful solution of the mentioned problem, is the use of optimization algorithms for the purpose of the optimization-based inverse material parameter identification. Parameter identification goes hand in hand with experimental investigation while it trying to find parameter values of the used material model so that the resulting data obtained from the computer simulation will best approximate the experimental data. This paper is focused on the optimization-based inverse identification of the parameters of a concrete cap material model which is known under the name the Continuous Surface Cap Model. Within this paper, material parameters of the model are identified on the basis of interaction between nonlinear computer simulations, gradient based and nature inspired optimization algorithms and experimental data, the latter of which take the form of a load-extension curve obtained from the evaluation of uniaxial tensile test results. The aim of this research was to obtain material model parameters corresponding to the quasi-static tensile loading which may be further used for the research involving dynamic and high-speed tensile loading. Based on the obtained results it can be concluded that the set goal has been reached.

Group precipitation and age hardening of nanostructured Fe-based alloys with ultra-high strengths

DOE PAGES

Jiao, Z. B.; Luan, J. H.; Miller, M. K.; ...

2016-02-19

The precipitation of nanoparticles plays a key role in determining the properties of many structural materials, and the understanding of their formation and stabilization mechanisms has been a long standing interest in the material field. However, the critical issues involving the group precipitation of various nanoparticles and their cooperative hardening mechanism remain elusive in the newly discovered Fe-based alloys with nanostructures. Here we quantitatively elucidate the nucleation mechanism, evolution kinetics and hardening effects of the group-precipitated nanoparticles in the Fe-Cu-Ni-Al-based alloys by atom probe tomography together with both first-principles and thermodynamic calculations. Our results provide the compelling evidence for twomore » interesting but complex group precipitation pathways of nanoparticles, i.e., the Cu-rich and NiAl-based precipitations. Lastly, the co-existence of the two precipitation pathways plays a key role in age hardening kinetics and ultimately enhances the hardening response, as compared to the single particle type of strengthening, therefore providing an effective new approach for strengthening materials for structural applications.« less

Group precipitation and age hardening of nanostructured Fe-based alloys with ultra-high strengths

PubMed Central

Jiao, Z. B.; Luan, J. H.; Miller, M. K.; Yu, C. Y.; Liu, C. T.

2016-01-01

The precipitation of nanoparticles plays a key role in determining the properties of many structural materials, and the understanding of their formation and stabilization mechanisms has been a long standing interest in the material field. However, the critical issues involving the group precipitation of various nanoparticles and their cooperative hardening mechanism remain elusive in the newly discovered Fe-based alloys with nanostructures. Here we quantitatively elucidate the nucleation mechanism, evolution kinetics and hardening effects of the group-precipitated nanoparticles in the Fe-Cu-Ni-Al-based alloys by atom probe tomography together with both first-principles and thermodynamic calculations. Our results provide the compelling evidence for two interesting but complex group precipitation pathways of nanoparticles, i.e., the Cu-rich and NiAl-based precipitations. The co-existence of the two precipitation pathways plays a key role in age hardening kinetics and ultimately enhances the hardening response, as compared to the single particle type of strengthening, therefore providing an effective new approach for strengthening materials for structural applications. PMID:26892834

Widespread fatigue damage monitoring: Issues and concerns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swift, T.

1994-01-01

This paper is intended to illustrate the considerable effect that small in-service undetectable multi-site-damage (MSD) can have on the residual strength capability of aging aircraft structures. In general, very few people in the industry believe that tiny cracks of undetectable size are a problem because they know that many aircraft have been able to survive much larger damage. In fact they have been certified for this large damage capability. However, this is not the issue. The real issue is the effect the tiny cracks, at multiple sites, have on the large damage capability which the industry has become accustomed to expect and which the aircraft have been certified to sustain. The concern is that this message does not appear to be fully understood by many people outside the fracture community. The prime purpose of this paper, therefore, has been to convey this message by describing in simple terms the net section yielding phenomenon in ductile materials which causes loss in lead crack residual strength in the presence of MSD. The explanation continues with a number of examples on complex stiffened structures, using the results of previous finite element analyses, which illustrate that the effect of MSD is extremely sensitive to structural configuration. It is hoped that those members of the aviation community who believe that tiny cracks are not a problem will read this paper very carefully.

America in the World. Materials for Using American Issues Forum in the American History Classroom, Topic VII.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Secondary Curriculum Development.

This booklet of secondary level classroom strategies was developed as one in a set of materials for studying American history in light of issues identified by the American Issues Forum. Divided into four sections, the materials emphasize the meaning of the American dream, implications of belonging to a worldwide economic system, the role of the…

Higher-Order Theory for Functionally Graded Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aboudi, Jacob; Pindera, Marek-Jerzy; Arnold, Steven M.

1999-01-01

This paper presents the full generalization of the Cartesian coordinate-based higher-order theory for functionally graded materials developed by the authors during the past several years. This theory circumvents the problematic use of the standard micromechanical approach, based on the concept of a representative volume element, commonly employed in the analysis of functionally graded composites by explicitly coupling the local (microstructural) and global (macrostructural) responses. The theoretical framework is based on volumetric averaging of the various field quantities, together with imposition of boundary and interfacial conditions in an average sense between the subvolumes used to characterize the composite's functionally graded microstructure. The generalization outlined herein involves extension of the theoretical framework to enable the analysis of materials characterized by spatially variable microstructures in three directions. Specialization of the generalized theoretical framework to previously published versions of the higher-order theory for materials functionally graded in one and two directions is demonstrated. In the applications part of the paper we summarize the major findings obtained with the one-directional and two-directional versions of the higher-order theory. The results illustrate both the fundamental issues related to the influence of microstructure on microscopic and macroscopic quantities governing the response of composites and the technologically important applications. A major issue addressed herein is the applicability of the classical homogenization schemes in the analysis of functionally graded materials. The technologically important applications illustrate the utility of functionally graded microstructures in tailoring the response of structural components in a variety of applications involving uniform and gradient thermomechanical loading.

Modeling the dynamic crush of impact mitigating materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Logan, R. W.; McMichael, L. D.

1995-05-01

Crushable materials are commonly utilized in the design of structural components to absorb energy and mitigate shock during the dynamic impact of a complex structure, such as an automobile chassis or drum-type shipping container. The development and application of several finite-element material models which have been developed at various times at LLNL for DYNA3D are discussed. Between the models, they are able to account for several of the predominant mechanisms which typically influence the dynamic mechanical behavior of crushable materials. One issue we addressed was that no single existing model would account for the entire gambit of constitutive features which are important for crushable materials. Thus, we describe the implementation and use of an additional material model which attempts to provide a more comprehensive model of the mechanics of crushable material behavior. This model combines features of the pre-existing DYNA models and incorporates some new features as well in an invariant large-strain formulation. In addition to examining the behavior of a unit cell in uniaxial compression, two cases were chosen to evaluate the capabilities and accuracy of the various material models in DYNA. In the first case, a model for foam filled box beams was developed and compared to test data from a four-point bend test. The model was subsequently used to study its effectiveness in energy absorption in an aluminum extrusion, spaceframe, vehicle chassis. The second case examined the response of the AT-400A shipping container and the performance of the overpack material during accident environments selected from 10CFR71 and IAEA regulations.

STM/STS Study of Surface Modification Effect on Bandgap Structure of Ti2C with -OH, -F, and -H

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Seong Jun; Lai, Shen; Jeong, Taehwan; Lee, Sungjoo; Song, Young Jae

In this presentation, we present Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Spectroscopy (STS) study of bandgap structures of surface-modified Ti2C with -OH, -F, and -O in atomic scale. Since the discovery of new two dimensional (2D) materials like graphene, various 2D materials including transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) have been intensively investigated. There are, however, still scientific issues to apply them to the device fabrications for controlling the appropriate bandgap structure with high field effect mobility. Recently another 2D materials of transition metal carbide (TMC), Ti2CTx with modifiable surface group Tx(-OH, -F, and -O) was suggested. [S. Lai et. al, Nanoscale (2015), DOI: 10.1039/C5NR06513E]. This 2D material shows that the mobility at room temperature is less sensitive to the measured transport bandgap, which can imply that Ti2CTx can be a strong candidate of 2D TMC for application to the future electronic devices. Surface modification on the electronic structure of Ti2C by -OH, -F, and -O is, therefore, investigated by STM and STS in atomic scale. More scientific results will be further discussed in the presentation. This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Korean government (Grant Numbers: 2015R1A1A1A05027585, 2011­0030046, IBS- R011­D1, 2014M3C1A3053024 and 2015M3A7B4050455).

Non-Nuclear Testing of Space Nuclear Systems at NASA MSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houts, Michael G.; Pearson, Boise J.; Aschenbrenner, Kenneth C.; Bradley, David E.; Dickens, Ricky; Emrich, William J.; Garber, Anne; Godfroy, Thomas J.; Harper, Roger T.; Martin, Jim J.;

Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) Based Microfluidic Devices for Biomedical Applications

PubMed Central

Ashraf, Muhammad Waseem; Tayyaba, Shahzadi; Afzulpurkar, Nitin

2011-01-01

Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) based microfluidic devices have gained popularity in biomedicine field over the last few years. In this paper, a comprehensive overview of microfluidic devices such as micropumps and microneedles has been presented for biomedical applications. The aim of this paper is to present the major features and issues related to micropumps and microneedles, e.g., working principles, actuation methods, fabrication techniques, construction, performance parameters, failure analysis, testing, safety issues, applications, commercialization issues and future prospects. Based on the actuation mechanisms, the micropumps are classified into two main types, i.e., mechanical and non-mechanical micropumps. Microneedles can be categorized according to their structure, fabrication process, material, overall shape, tip shape, size, array density and application. The presented literature review on micropumps and microneedles will provide comprehensive information for researchers working on design and development of microfluidic devices for biomedical applications. PMID:21747700

Load Diffusion in Composite and Smart Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horgan, C. O.

2003-01-01

The research carried out here builds on our previous NASA supported research on the general topic of edge effects and load diffusion in composite structures. Further fundamental solid mechanics studies were carried out to provide a basis for assessing the complicated modeling necessary for the multi-functional large scale structures used by NASA. An understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of load diffusion in composite subcomponents is essential in developing primary composite structures. Some specific problems recently considered were those of end effects in smart materials and structures, study of the stress response of pressurized linear piezoelectric cylinders for both static and steady rotating configurations, an analysis of the effect of pre-stressing and pre-polarization on the decay of end effects in piezoelectric solids and investigation of constitutive models for hardening rubber-like materials. Our goal in the study of load diffusion is the development of readily applicable results for the decay lengths in terms of non-dimensional material and geometric parameters. Analytical models of load diffusion behavior are extremely valuable in building an intuitive base for developing refined modeling strategies and assessing results from finite element analyses. The decay behavior of stresses and other field quantities provides a significant aid towards this process. The analysis is also amenable to parameter study with a large parameter space and should be useful in structural tailoring studies. Special purpose analytical models of load diffusion behavior are extremely valuable in building an intuitive base for developing refined modeling strategies and in assessing results from general purpose finite element analyses. For example, a rational basis is needed in choosing where to use three-dimensional to two-dimensional transition finite elements in analyzing stiffened plates and shells. The decay behavior of stresses and other field quantities furnished by this research provides a significant aid towards this element transition issue. A priori knowledge of the extent of boundary-layers induced by edge effects is also useful in determination of the instrumentation location in structural verification tests or in material characterization tests.

Multidisciplinary Simulation of Graphite-Composite and Cermet Fuel Elements for NTP Point of Departure Designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, Mark E.; Schnitzler, Bruce G.

2015-01-01

This paper compares the expected performance of two Nuclear Thermal Propulsion fuel types. High fidelity, fluid/thermal/structural + neutronic simulations help predict the performance of graphite-composite and cermet fuel types from point of departure engine designs from the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion project. Materials and nuclear reactivity issues are reviewed for each fuel type. Thermal/structural simulations predict thermal stresses in the fuel and thermal expansion mis-match stresses in the coatings. Fluid/thermal/structural/neutronic simulations provide predictions for full fuel elements. Although NTP engines will utilize many existing chemical engine components and technologies, nuclear fuel elements are a less developed engine component and introduce design uncertainty. Consequently, these fuel element simulations provide important insights into NTP engine performance.

Conformational organizations of G-quadruplexes composed of d(G(4)T(n))(3)G(4).

PubMed

Wong, Wan Chi; Zhuang, Jinyi; Ng, Selina Ling Ling; New, Lilian Li Lin; Hiew, Shuhui; Guo, Juanjuan; Yang, Zhaoqi; Li, Tianhu

2010-08-01

Structural polymorphism is one of the important issues with regard to G-quadruplexes because the structural diversity may significantly affect their biological functions in vivo and their physical property in nano-material. A series of oligonucleotides with four repeat guanines sequence [d(G(4)T(n))(3)G(4) (n=1-6)] were designed. In this study, the effects of loop length on the formation of structures of G-quadruplex were investigated through the result of CD (circular dichroism) and 20% non-denatured polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Our studies demonstrate that the length of loop in 100mM KCl solution could predict the conformation of G-quadruplex. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A manufacturing database of advanced materials used in spacecraft structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bao, Han P.

1994-01-01

Cost savings opportunities over the life cycle of a product are highest in the early exploratory phase when different design alternatives are evaluated not only for their performance characteristics but also their methods of fabrication which really control the ultimate manufacturing costs of the product. In the past, Design-To-Cost methodologies for spacecraft design concentrated on the sizing and weight issues more than anything else at the early so-called 'Vehicle Level' (Ref: DOD/NASA Advanced Composites Design Guide). Given the impact of manufacturing cost, the objective of this study is to identify the principal cost drivers for each materials technology and propose a quantitative approach to incorporating these cost drivers into the family of optimization tools used by the Vehicle Analysis Branch of NASA LaRC to assess various conceptual vehicle designs. The advanced materials being considered include aluminum-lithium alloys, thermoplastic graphite-polyether etherketone composites, graphite-bismaleimide composites, graphite- polyimide composites, and carbon-carbon composites. Two conventional materials are added to the study to serve as baseline materials against which the other materials are compared. These two conventional materials are aircraft aluminum alloys series 2000 and series 7000, and graphite-epoxy composites T-300/934. The following information is available in the database. For each material type, the mechanical, physical, thermal, and environmental properties are first listed. Next the principal manufacturing processes are described. Whenever possible, guidelines for optimum processing conditions for specific applications are provided. Finally, six categories of cost drivers are discussed. They include, design features affecting processing, tooling, materials, fabrication, joining/assembly, and quality assurance issues. It should be emphasized that this database is not an exhaustive database. Its primary use is to make the vehicle designer aware of some of the most important aspects of manufacturing associated with his/her choice of the structural materials. The other objective of this study is to propose a quantitative method to determine a Manufacturing Complexity Factor (MCF) for each material being contemplated. This MCF is derived on the basis of the six cost drivers mentioned above plus a Technology Readiness Factor which is very closely related to the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) as defined in the Access To Space final report. Short of any manufacturing information, our MCF is equivalent to the inverse of TRL. As more manufacturing information is available, our MCF is a better representation (than TRL) of the fabrication processes involved. The most likely application for MCF is in cost modeling for trade studies. On-going work is being pursued to expand the potential applications of MCF.

A manufacturing database of advanced materials used in spacecraft structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Han P.

1994-12-01

Cost savings opportunities over the life cycle of a product are highest in the early exploratory phase when different design alternatives are evaluated not only for their performance characteristics but also their methods of fabrication which really control the ultimate manufacturing costs of the product. In the past, Design-To-Cost methodologies for spacecraft design concentrated on the sizing and weight issues more than anything else at the early so-called 'Vehicle Level' (Ref: DOD/NASA Advanced Composites Design Guide). Given the impact of manufacturing cost, the objective of this study is to identify the principal cost drivers for each materials technology and propose a quantitative approach to incorporating these cost drivers into the family of optimization tools used by the Vehicle Analysis Branch of NASA LaRC to assess various conceptual vehicle designs. The advanced materials being considered include aluminum-lithium alloys, thermoplastic graphite-polyether etherketone composites, graphite-bismaleimide composites, graphite- polyimide composites, and carbon-carbon composites. Two conventional materials are added to the study to serve as baseline materials against which the other materials are compared. These two conventional materials are aircraft aluminum alloys series 2000 and series 7000, and graphite-epoxy composites T-300/934. The following information is available in the database. For each material type, the mechanical, physical, thermal, and environmental properties are first listed. Next the principal manufacturing processes are described. Whenever possible, guidelines for optimum processing conditions for specific applications are provided. Finally, six categories of cost drivers are discussed. They include, design features affecting processing, tooling, materials, fabrication, joining/assembly, and quality assurance issues. It should be emphasized that this database is not an exhaustive database. Its primary use is to make the vehicle designer aware of some of the most important aspects of manufacturing associated with his/her choice of the structural materials. The other objective of this study is to propose a quantitative method to determine a Manufacturing Complexity Factor (MCF) for each material being contemplated. This MCF is derived on the basis of the six cost drivers mentioned above plus a Technology Readiness Factor which is very closely related to the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) as defined in the Access To Space final report. Short of any manufacturing information, our MCF is equivalent to the inverse of TRL. As more manufacturing information is available, our MCF is a better representation (than TRL) of the fabrication processes involved.

The theory of planned behavior, materialism, and aggressive driving.

PubMed

Efrat, Kalanit; Shoham, Aviv

2013-10-01

Aggressive driving is a growing problem worldwide. Previous research has provided us with some insights into the characteristics of drivers prone to aggressiveness on the road and into the external conditions triggering such behavior. Little is known, however, about the personality traits of aggressive drivers. The present study proposes planned behavior and materialism as predictors of aggressive driving behavior. Data was gathered using a questionnaire-based survey of 220 individuals from twelve large industrial organizations in Israel. Our hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Our results indicate that while planned behavior is a good predictor of the intention to behave aggressively, it has no impact on the tendency to behave aggressively. Materialism, however, was found to be a significant indicator of aggressive driving behavior. Our study is based on a self-reported survey, therefore might suffer from several issues concerning the willingness to answer truthfully. Furthermore, the sampling group might be seen as somewhat biased due to the relatively high income/education levels of the respondents. While both issues, aggressive driving and the theory of planned behavior, have been studied previously, the linkage between the two as well as the ability of materialism to predict aggressive behavior received little attention previously. The present study encompasses these constructs providing new insights into the linkage between them. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formation of Triboelectric Series via Atomic-Level Surface Functionalization for Triboelectric Energy Harvesting.

PubMed

Shin, Sung-Ho; Bae, Young Eun; Moon, Hyun Kyung; Kim, Jungkil; Choi, Suk-Ho; Kim, Yongho; Yoon, Hyo Jae; Lee, Min Hyung; Nah, Junghyo

2017-06-27

Triboelectric charging involves frictional contact of two different materials, and their contact electrification usually relies on polarity difference in the triboelectric series. This limits the choices of materials for triboelectric contact pairs, hindering research and development of energy harvest devices utilizing triboelectric effect. A progressive approach to resolve this issue involves modification of chemical structures of materials for effectively engineering their triboelectric properties. Here, we describe a facile method to change triboelectric property of a polymeric surface via atomic-level chemical functionalizations using a series of halogens and amines, which allows a wide spectrum of triboelectric series over single material. Using this method, tunable triboelectric output power density is demonstrated in triboelectric generators. Furthermore, molecular-scale calculation using density functional theory unveils that electrons transferred through electrification are occupying the PET group rather than the surface functional group. The work introduced here would open the ability to tune triboelectric property of materials by chemical modification of surface and facilitate the development of energy harvesting devices and sensors exploiting triboelectric effect.

Environmental Durability Issues for Solar Power Systems in Low Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Degroh, Kim K.; Banks, Bruce A.; Smith, Daniela C.

1994-01-01

Space solar power systems for use in the low Earth orbit (LEO) environment experience a variety of harsh environmental conditions. Materials used for solar power generation in LEO need to be durable to environmental threats such as atomic oxygen, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, thermal cycling, and micrometeoroid and debris impact. Another threat to LEO solar power performance is due to contamination from other spacecraft components. This paper gives an overview of these LEO environmental issues as they relate to space solar power system materials. Issues addressed include atomic oxygen erosion of organic materials, atomic oxygen undercutting of protective coatings, UV darkening of ceramics, UV embrittlement of Teflon, effects of thermal cycling on organic composites, and contamination due to silicone and organic materials. Specific examples of samples from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and materials returned from the first servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are presented. Issues concerning ground laboratory facilities which simulate the LEO environment are discussed along with ground-to-space correlation issues.

Bioengineering of Artificial Lymphoid Organs.

PubMed

Nosenko, M A; Drutskaya, M S; Moisenovich, M M; Nedospasov, S A

2016-01-01

This review addresses the issue of bioengineering of artificial lymphoid organs.Progress in this field may help to better understand the nature of the structure-function relations that exist in immune organs. Artifical lymphoid organs may also be advantageous in the therapy or correction of immunodefficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. The structural organization, development, and function of lymphoid tissue are analyzed with a focus on the role of intercellular contacts and on the cytokine signaling pathways regulating these processes. We describe various polymeric materials, as scaffolds, for artificial tissue engineering. Finally, published studies in which artificial lymphoid organs were generated are reviewed and possible future directions in the field are discussed.

Bioengineering of Artificial Lymphoid Organs

PubMed Central

Nosenko, M. A.; Drutskaya, M. S.; Moisenovich, M. M.; Nedospasov, S. A.

2016-01-01

This review addresses the issue of bioengineering of artificial lymphoid organs.Progress in this field may help to better understand the nature of the structure-function relations that exist in immune organs. Artifical lymphoid organs may also be advantageous in the therapy or correction of immunodefficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. The structural organization, development, and function of lymphoid tissue are analyzed with a focus on the role of intercellular contacts and on the cytokine signaling pathways regulating these processes. We describe various polymeric materials, as scaffolds, for artificial tissue engineering. Finally, published studies in which artificial lymphoid organs were generated are reviewed and possible future directions in the field are discussed. PMID:27437136

Solid-state structures and properties of scandium hydride; hydrogen storage and switchable mirrors application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khodja, Khadidja; Bouhadda, Youcef; Seddik, Larbi; Benyelloul, Kamel

2016-05-01

First-principles calculation has been performed on the rare earth hydride ScH2 for hydrogen storage and switchable mirror applications, using the pseudo-potentials and plane waves based on the density-functional theory (DFT). The electronic and structural properties are studied within both local-density and generalized gradient approximations for exchange energy. The formation energy and the optical properties have been investigated and discussed. Our calculated results are generally in good agreement with theoretical and experimental data. Contribution to the topical issue "Materials for Energy Harvesting, Conversion and Storage (ICOME 2015) - Elected submissions", edited by Jean-Michel Nunzi, Rachid Bennacer and Mohammed El Ganaoui

PREFACE: Exploring surfaces and buried interfaces of functional materials by advanced x-ray and neutron techniques Exploring surfaces and buried interfaces of functional materials by advanced x-ray and neutron techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakurai, Kenji

2010-12-01

This special issue is devoted to describing recent applications of x-ray and neutron scattering techniques to the exploration of surfaces and buried interfaces of various functional materials. Unlike many other surface-sensitive methods, these techniques do not require ultra high vacuum, and therefore, a variety of real and complicated surfaces fall within the scope of analysis. It must be particularly emphasized that the techniques are capable of seeing even buried function interfaces as well as the surface. Furthermore, the information, which ranges from the atomic to mesoscopic scale, is highly quantitative and reproducible. The non-destructive nature of the techniques is another important advantage of using x-rays and neutrons, when compared with other atomic-scale analyses. This ensures that the same specimen can be measured by other techniques. Such features are fairly attractive when exploring multilayered materials with nanostructures (dots, tubes, wires, etc), which are finding applications in electronic, magnetic, optical and other devices. The Japan Applied Physics Society has established a group to develop the research field of studying buried function interfaces with x-rays and neutrons. As the methods can be applied to almost all types of materials, from semiconductor and electronic devices to soft materials, participants have fairly different backgrounds but share a common interest in state-of-the-art x-ray and neutron techniques and sophisticated applications. A series of workshops has been organized almost every year since 2001. Some international interactions have been continued intensively, although the community is part of a Japanese society. This special issue does not report the proceedings of the recent workshop, although all the authors are in some way involved in the activities of the above society. Initially, we intended to collect quite long overview papers, including the authors' latest and most important original results, as well as updates on recent progress and global trends in the field. We planned to cover quite a wide area of surface and buried interface science with x-rays and neutrons. Following a great deal of discussion during the editing process, we have decided to change direction. As we intend to publish similar special issues on a frequent basis, we will not insist on editing this issue as systematic and complete collections of research. Many authors decided to write an ordinary research paper rather than an article including systematic accounts. Due to this change in policy, some authors declined to contribute, and the number of papers is now just 12. However, readers will find that the special issue gives an interesting collection of new original research in surface and buried interface studies with x-rays and neutrons. The 12 papers cover the following research topics: (1) polymer analysis by diffuse scattering; (2) discussion of the electrochemical solid--liquid interface by synchrotron x-ray diffraction; (3) analysis of capped nanodots by grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS); (4) discussion of the strain distribution in silicon by high-resolution x-ray diffraction; (5) study of mesoporous structures by a combination of x-ray reflectivity and GISAXS; (6) discussion of energy-dispersive x-ray reflectometry and its applications; (7) neutron reflectivity studies on hydrogen terminated silicon interface; (8) the fabrication and performance of a special mirror for water windows; (9) depth selective analysis by total-reflection x-ray diffraction; (10) nanoparticle thin films prepared by a gas deposition technique; (11) discussion of crystal truncation rod (CTR) scattering of semiconductor nanostructures; (12) magnetic structure analysis of thin films by polarized neutron reflectivity. While not discussed in the present special issue, x-ray and neutron techniques have made great progress. The most important steps forward have been in 2D/3D real-space imaging, and realtime measurement. Advances in such technologies are bringing with them new opportunities in surface and buried interface science. In the not too distant future, we will publish a special issue or a book detailing such progress. Exploring surfaces and buried interfaces of functional materials by advanced x-ray and neutron techniques contents Lateral uniformity in chemical composition along a buried reaction front in polymers using off-specular reflectivity Kristopher A Lavery, Vivek M Prabhu, Sushil Satija and Wen-li Wu Orientation dependence of Pd growth on Au electrode surfaces M Takahasi, K Tamura, J Mizuki, T Kondo and K Uosaki A grazing incidence small-angle x-ray scattering analysis on capped Ge nanodots in layer structures Hiroshi Okuda, Masayuki Kato, Keiji Kuno, Shojiro Ochiai, Noritaka Usami, Kazuo Nakajima and Osami Sakata High resolution grazing-incidence in-plane x-ray diffraction for measuring the strain of a Si thin layer Kazuhiko Omote X-ray analysis of mesoporous silica thin films templated by Brij58 surfactant S Fall, M Kulij and A Gibaud Review of the applications of x-ray refraction and the x-ray waveguide phenomenon to estimation of film structures Kouichi Hayashi Epitaxial growth of largely mismatched crystals on H-terminated Si(111) surfaces Hidehito Asaoka Novel TiO2/ZnO multilayer mirrors at 'water-window' wavelengths fabricated by atomic layer epitaxy H Kumagai, Y Tanaka, M Murata, Y Masuda and T Shinagawa Depth-selective structural analysis of thin films using total-external-reflection x-ray diffraction Tomoaki Kawamura and Hiroo Omi Structures of Yb nanoparticle thin films grown by deposition in He and N2 gas atmospheres: AFM and x-ray reflectivity studies Martin Jerab and Kenji Sakurai Ga and As composition profiles in InP/GaInAs/InP heterostructures—x-ray CTR scattering and cross-sectional STM measurements Yoshikazu Takeda, Masao Tabuchi and Arao Nakamura Polarized neutron reflectivity study of a thermally treated MnIr/CoFe exchange bias system Naoki Awaji, Toyoo Miyajima, Shuuichi Doi and Kenji Nomura

Chemical Fingerprinting of Materials Developed Due To Environmental Issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Doris A.; McCool, A. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

This paper presents viewgraphs on chemical fingerprinting of materials developed due to environmental issues. Some of the topics include: 1) Aerospace Materials; 2) Building Blocks of Capabilities; 3) Spectroscopic Techniques; 4) Chromatographic Techniques; 5) Factors that Determine Fingerprinting Approach; and 6) Fingerprinting: Combination of instrumental analysis methods that diagnostically characterize a material.

Clinching for sheet materials

PubMed Central

He, Xiaocong

2017-01-01

Abstract Latest developments in the clinching of sheet materials are reviewed in this article. Important issues are discussed, such as tool design, process parameters and joinability of some new lightweight sheet materials. Hybrid and modified clinching processes are introduced to a general reader. Several unaddressed issues in the clinching of sheet materials are identified. PMID:28656065

Chebyshev polynomial filtered subspace iteration in the discontinuous Galerkin method for large-scale electronic structure calculations

DOE PAGES

Banerjee, Amartya S.; Lin, Lin; Hu, Wei; ...

2016-10-21

The Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) electronic structure method employs an adaptive local basis (ALB) set to solve the Kohn-Sham equations of density functional theory in a discontinuous Galerkin framework. The adaptive local basis is generated on-the-fly to capture the local material physics and can systematically attain chemical accuracy with only a few tens of degrees of freedom per atom. A central issue for large-scale calculations, however, is the computation of the electron density (and subsequently, ground state properties) from the discretized Hamiltonian in an efficient and scalable manner. We show in this work how Chebyshev polynomial filtered subspace iteration (CheFSI) canmore » be used to address this issue and push the envelope in large-scale materials simulations in a discontinuous Galerkin framework. We describe how the subspace filtering steps can be performed in an efficient and scalable manner using a two-dimensional parallelization scheme, thanks to the orthogonality of the DG basis set and block-sparse structure of the DG Hamiltonian matrix. The on-the-fly nature of the ALB functions requires additional care in carrying out the subspace iterations. We demonstrate the parallel scalability of the DG-CheFSI approach in calculations of large-scale twodimensional graphene sheets and bulk three-dimensional lithium-ion electrolyte systems. In conclusion, employing 55 296 computational cores, the time per self-consistent field iteration for a sample of the bulk 3D electrolyte containing 8586 atoms is 90 s, and the time for a graphene sheet containing 11 520 atoms is 75 s.« less

Optimal sensor placement for active guided wave interrogation of complex metallic components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coelho, Clyde K.; Kim, Seung Bum; Chattopadhyay, Aditi

2011-04-01

With research in structural health monitoring (SHM) moving towards increasingly complex structures for damage interrogation, the placement of sensors is becoming a key issue in the performance of the damage detection methodologies. For ultrasonic wave based approaches, this is especially important because of the sensitivity of the travelling Lamb waves to material properties, geometry and boundary conditions that may obscure the presence of damage if they are not taken into account during sensor placement. The framework proposed in this paper defines a sensing region for a pair of piezoelectric transducers in a pitch-catch damage detection approach by taking into account the material attenuation and probability of false alarm. Using information about the region interrogated by a sensoractuator pair, a simulated annealing optimization framework was implemented in order to place sensors on complex metallic geometries such that a selected minimum damage type and size could be detected with an acceptable probability of false alarm anywhere on the structure. This approach was demonstrated on a lug joint to detect a crack and on a large Naval SHM test bed and resulted in a placement of sensors that was able to interrogate all parts of the structure using the minimum number of transducers.

Bioenergy Watershed Restoration in Regions of the West: What are the Environmental/Community Issues?

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

Graham, R.L.; Huff, D.D.; Kaufmann, M.R.

Throughout the western mountainous regions, wildfire risks are elevated due to both fire suppression activities which have changed the forest structure making it more susceptible to stand-killing fires and the expansion of human structures (houses, light commercial) into these same forests, By providing a market for currently noncommercial but flammable materials (small trees, tops, and branches), new and existing bioenergy industries could be a key factor in reducing the regional forest fuel loads. Although bioenergy would appear to be an ideal answer to the problem in many ways, the situation is complicated and numerous issues need resolution. A public fearfulmore » of logging in these regions needs assurance that harvesting for bioenergy is an environmentally and socially responsible solution to the current fuel build up in these forests. This is especially important given that biomass harvesting cannot pay its own way under current energy market conditions and would have to be supported in some fashion.« less

A Real-Time Microwave Camera at K-Band (24 GHz)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghasr, M. T.; Abou-Khousa, M.; Baumgartner, M. A.; Zoughi, R.

2009-01-01

Nondestructive testing (NDT) community has been moving towards effective and robust inspection systems that can provide real-time information about materials, geometrical, structural and mechanical characteristics of composite materials/structures. Moreover, in many applications it is desired to have an image of the structure, after which the information contained in the image is correlated to the above characteristics. Microwave signals penetrate inside of dielectric composite structures and their interaction with the interior of the structure renders critical information for NDT purposes. Subsequently, this information (i.e., magnitude and phase or reflected signal) may be used to produce an image of the interior of the structure revealing potential flaws or anomalies. Image processing and reconstruction techniques may also be incorporated to produce high-resolution images (i.e., synthetic-aperture, back-propagation, etc.). There are several different approaches for designing areal-time microwave camera system. One approach is based on modulated scatterer technique (MST), which is used to tag scattered electric field in a discrete two-dimensional (2D) spatial domain (e.g. a retina) resulting in the 2D magnitude and phase distribution of the scattered electric field which is required for producing an image of a material or structure under inspection. The ability to rapidly modulate resonant slot antennas in such a retina along with using receivers with fast responses provide for real-time image production capability. Design issue and criteria become more challenging at higher frequencies and for a relatively large retina size. This paper presents the basic design and challenges for a microwave camera with a retina size of 6" by 6" operating at a frequency of 24 GHz.

Design and research of thermal protective material from short basalt fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komkov, MA; Tarasov, VA; Boyarskaya, RA; Filimonov, AS

2016-10-01

Design and manufacture issues regarding highly porous thermal protection coatings of products by means of liquid filtration of short basalt fibres and mineral binder are considered. The technological process of manufacture of thermally loaded products from the short basalt fibres of thermal protective material (TPM) in the form of tiles and rings, was developed based on a liquid filtration method. The structural and mechanical properties of the highly porous TPM technological modes were determined. The thermal testing of the pipe model samples was carried out on a thermal bench, which showed the temperature on the coating reaching less than 60°C during a hot air run through the pipe at 400°C.

Plutonium Metallurgy

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

Freibert, Franz J.

2012-08-09

Due to its nuclear properties, Pu will remain a material of global interest well into the future. Processing, Structure, Properties and Performance remains a good framework for discussion of Pu materials science Self-irradiation and aging effects continue to be central in discussions of Pu metallurgy Pu in its elemental form is extremely unstable, but alloying helps to stabilize Pu; but, questions remain as to how and why this stabilization occurs. Which is true Pu-Ga binary phase diagram: US or Russian? Metallurgical issues such as solute coring, phase instability, crystallographic texture, etc. result in challenges to casting, processing, and properties modelingmore » and experiments. For Ga alloyed FCC stabilized Pu, temperature and pressure remain as variables impacting phase stability.« less

Cosmogonic Perceptions in the Armenian Traditional Musical Instrument-crafting Culture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pikichian, Hripsime

2015-07-01

Based on research data and materials recorded by folk musicians and craftsmen, the article presents the musical instrument-crafting in traditional culture, its contribution in to re-establishment of cosmic order. In this context, the several issues are reviewed in detail: individuality of craftsmen and musicians, the raw materials for the creation of instrument, the instrument structure, the manufacturing process, the ornaments and application. According to the traditional view, using the elements of nature and imitating the sounds of nature and human psychological states the master imitates God repeating the process of creation of the Universe. So, the Instrument is held capable to influence the society contributing to the eternity of life.

Ab initio random structure searching of organic molecular solids: assessment and validation against experimental data.

PubMed

Zilka, Miri; Dudenko, Dmytro V; Hughes, Colan E; Williams, P Andrew; Sturniolo, Simone; Franks, W Trent; Pickard, Chris J; Yates, Jonathan R; Harris, Kenneth D M; Brown, Steven P

2017-10-04

This paper explores the capability of using the DFT-D ab initio random structure searching (AIRSS) method to generate crystal structures of organic molecular materials, focusing on a system (m-aminobenzoic acid; m-ABA) that is known from experimental studies to exhibit abundant polymorphism. Within the structural constraints selected for the AIRSS calculations (specifically, centrosymmetric structures with Z = 4 for zwitterionic m-ABA molecules), the method is shown to successfully generate the two known polymorphs of m-ABA (form III and form IV) that have these structural features. We highlight various issues that are encountered in comparing crystal structures generated by AIRSS to experimental powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and solid-state magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR data, demonstrating successful fitting for some of the lowest energy structures from the AIRSS calculations against experimental low-temperature powder XRD data for known polymorphs of m-ABA, and showing that comparison of computed and experimental solid-state NMR parameters allows different hydrogen-bonding motifs to be discriminated.

High Performance Crystalline Organic Transistors and Circuit

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-14

this material into pentacene -based OFETs, low voltage operation is possible. 3 Figure 1: Device structure for a low voltage pentacene OFET...issues with the first SiO Z OPentacene Au Pentacene ZrO2 AuPd SiO2 4 film. Bilayer dielectrics exhibit lower defect-related leakage...effects, as pinholes or other defects in one layer may be isolated by the other layer. 350 Å of pentacene was thermally evaporated on the ZrO2 dielectric

Solar Sails

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Roy

2006-01-01

The Solar Sail Propulsion investment area has been one of the three highest priorities within the In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) Project. In the fall of 2003, the NASA Headquarters' Science Mission Directorate provided funding and direction to mature the technology as far as possible through ground research and development from TRL 3 to 6 in three years. A group of experts from government, industry, and academia convened in Huntsville, Alabama to define technology gaps between what was needed for science missions to the inner solar system and the current state of the art in ultra1ightweight materials and gossamer structure design. This activity set the roadmap for development. The centerpiece of the development would be the ground demonstration of scalable solar sail systems including masts, sails, deployment mechanisms, and attitude control hardware and software. In addition, new materials would be subjected to anticipated space environments to quantify effects and assure mission life. Also, because solar sails are huge structures, and it is not feasible to validate the technology by ground test at full scale, a multi-discipline effort was established to develop highly reliable analytical models to serve as mission assurance evidence in future flight program decision-making. Two separate contractor teams were chosen to develop the SSP System Ground Demonstrator (SGD). After a three month conceptual mission/system design phase, the teams developed a ten meter diameter pathfinder set of hardware and subjected it to thermal vacuum tests to compare analytically predicted structural behavior with measured characteristics. This process developed manufacturing and handling techniques and refined the basic design. In 2005, both contractor teams delivered 20 meter, four quadrant sail systems to the largest thermal vacuum chamber in the world in Plum Brook, Ohio, and repeated the tests. Also demonstrated was the deployment and articulation of attitude control mechanisms. In conjunction with these tests, the stowed sails were subjected to launch vibration and ascent vent tests. Other investments studied radiation effects on the solar sail materials, investigated spacecraft charging issues, developed shape measuring techniques and instruments, produced advanced trajectory modeling capabilities, and identified and resolved gossamer structure dynamics issues. Technology validation flight and application to a He1iophysics science mission is on the horizon.

Characteristics of Organic-Metal Interaction: A Perspective from Bonding Distance to Orbital Delocalization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kera, Satoshi; Hosokai, Takuya; Duhm, Steffen

2018-06-01

Understanding the mechanisms of energy-level alignment and charge transfer at the interface is one of the key issues in realizing organic electronics. However, the relation between the interface structure and the electronic structure is still not resolved in sufficient detail. An important character of materials used in organic electronics is the electronic localization of organic molecules at interfaces. To elucidate the impact of the molecular orbital distribution on the electronic structure, detailed structural information is required, particularly the vertical bonding distance at the interface, which is a signature of the interaction strength. We describe the recent progress in experimental studies on the impact of the molecule-metal interaction on the electronic structure of organic-metal interfaces by using various photoelectron spectroscopies, and review the results, focusing on the X-ray standing wave technique, to demonstrate the evaluation of the vertical bonding distance.

Scaling of membrane-type locally resonant acoustic metamaterial arrays.

PubMed

Naify, Christina J; Chang, Chia-Ming; McKnight, Geoffrey; Nutt, Steven R

2012-10-01

Metamaterials have emerged as promising solutions for manipulation of sound waves in a variety of applications. Locally resonant acoustic materials (LRAM) decrease sound transmission by 500% over acoustic mass law predictions at peak transmission loss (TL) frequencies with minimal added mass, making them appealing for weight-critical applications such as aerospace structures. In this study, potential issues associated with scale-up of the structure are addressed. TL of single-celled and multi-celled LRAM was measured using an impedance tube setup with systematic variation in geometric parameters to understand the effects of each parameter on acoustic response. Finite element analysis was performed to predict TL as a function of frequency for structures with varying complexity, including stacked structures and multi-celled arrays. Dynamic response of the array structures under discrete frequency excitation was investigated using laser vibrometry to verify negative dynamic mass behavior.

Natural cork agglomerate employed as an environmentally friendly solution for quiet sandwich composites.

PubMed

Sargianis, James; Kim, Hyung-ick; Suhr, Jonghwan

2012-01-01

Carbon fiber-synthetic foam core sandwich composites are widely used for many structural applications due to their superior mechanical performance and low weight. Unfortunately these structures typically have very poor acoustic performance. There is increasingly growing demand in mitigating this noise issue in sandwich composite structures. This study shows that marrying carbon fiber composites with natural cork in a sandwich structure provides a synergistic effect yielding a noise-free sandwich composite structure without the sacrifice of mechanical performance or weight. Moreover the cork-core sandwich composites boast a 250% improvement in damping performance, providing increased durability and lifetime operation. Additionally as the world seeks environmentally friendly materials, the harvesting of cork is a natural, renewable process which reduces subsequent carbon footprints. Such a transition from synthetic foam cores to natural cork cores could provide unprecedented improvements in acoustic and vibrational performance in applications such as aircraft cabins or wind turbine blades.

The Detroit River, Michigan: an ecological profile

USGS Publications Warehouse

Manny, Bruce A.; Edsall, Thomas A.; Jaworski, Eugene

1988-01-01

A part of the connecting channel system between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, the Detroit River forms an integral link between the two lakes for both humans and biological resources such as fish, nutrients, and plant detritus. This profile summarizes existing scientific information on the ecological structure and functioning of this ecosystem. Topics include the geological history of the region, climatic influences, river hydrology, lower trophic-level biotic components, native and introduced fishes, waterfowl use, ecological interrelationships, commercial and recreational uses of the river, and current management issues. Despite urbanization, the river still supports diverse fish, waterfowl, and benthic populations. Management issues include sewer overflows; maintenance dredging for navigation and port activities; industrial discharges of potentially hazardous materials; and wetland, fishery, and waterfowl protection and enhancement.

Space nuclear power systems 1989; Proceedings of the 6th Symposium, Albuquerque, NM, Jan. 8-12, 1989. Vols. 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Genk, Mohamed S. (Editor); Hoover, Mark D. (Editor)

1992-01-01

The present conference discusses such space nuclear power (SNP) issues as current design trends for SDI applications, ultrahigh heat-flux systems with curved surface subcooled nucleate boiling, design and manufacturing alternatives for low cost production of SNPs, a lightweight radioisotope heater for the Galileo mission, compatible materials for uranium fluoride-based gas core SNPs, Johnson noise thermometry for SNPs, and uranium nitride/rhenium compatibility studies for the SP-100 SNP. Also discussed are system issues in antimatter energy conversion, the thermal design of a heat source for a Brayton cycle radioisotope power system, structural and thermal analyses of an isotope heat source, a novel plant protection strategy for transient reactors, and beryllium toxicity.

A composite CdS thin film/TiO2 nanotube structure by ultrafast successive electrochemical deposition toward photovoltaic application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Han; Liu, Hong; Shen, Wenzhong

2014-11-01

Fabricating functional compounds on substrates with complicated morphology has been an important topic in material science and technology, which remains a challenging issue to simultaneously achieve a high growth rate for a complex nanostructure with simple controlling factors. Here, we present a novel simple and successive method based on chemical reactions in an open reaction system manipulated by an electric field. A uniform CdS/TiO2 composite tubular structure has been fabricated in highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays in a very short time period (~90 s) under room temperature (RT). The content of CdS in the resultant and its crystalline structure was tuned by the form and magnitude of external voltage. The as-formed structure has shown a quite broad and bulk-like light absorption spectrum with the absorption of photon energy even below that of the bulk CdS. The as-fabricated-sensitized solar cell based on this composite structure has achieved an efficiency of 1.43% without any chemical doping or co-sensitizing, 210% higher than quantum dot-sensitized solar cell (QDSSC) under a similar condition. Hopefully, this method can also easily grow nanostructures based on a wide range of compound materials for energy science and electronic technologies, especially for fast-deploying devices.

Nanoscale Engineering of Heterostructured Anode Materials for Boosting Lithium-Ion Storage.

PubMed

Chen, Gen; Yan, Litao; Luo, Hongmei; Guo, Shaojun

2016-09-01

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), as one of the most important electrochemical energy-storage devices, currently provide the dominant power source for a range of devices, including portable electronic devices and electric vehicles, due to their high energy and power densities. The interest in exploring new electrode materials for LIBs has been drastically increasing due to the surging demands for clean energy. However, the challenging issues essential to the development of electrode materials are their low lithium capacity, poor rate ability, and low cycling stability, which strongly limit their practical applications. Recent remarkable advances in material science and nanotechnology enable rational design of heterostructured nanomaterials with optimized composition and fine nanostructure, providing new opportunities for enhancing electrochemical performance. Here, the progress as to how to design new types of heterostructured anode materials for enhancing LIBs is reviewed, in the terms of capacity, rate ability, and cycling stability: i) carbon-nanomaterials-supported heterostructured anode materials; ii) conducting-polymer-coated electrode materials; iii) inorganic transition-metal compounds with core@shell structures; and iv) combined strategies to novel heterostructures. By applying different strategies, nanoscale heterostructured anode materials with reduced size, large surfaces area, enhanced electronic conductivity, structural stability, and fast electron and ion transport, are explored for boosting LIBs in terms of high capacity, long cycling lifespan, and high rate durability. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of future materials design for high-performance LIB anodes are considered. The strategies discussed here not only provide promising electrode materials for energy storage, but also offer opportunities in being extended for making a variety of novel heterostructured nanomaterials for practical renewable energy applications. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of an Integrated Toxicity Assessment System for use in Operational Deployment and Materials Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-01

In addition to NBC concerns, there are issues in many current military settings for exposures to toxic industrial chemicals or materials (TICs or TIMs...Significant health issues caused by use of legacy chemicals have emphasized the need for more effective predication of chemical toxicity . This paper...current military settings for exposures to toxic industrial chemicals or materials (TICs or TIMs). Significant health issues caused by use of legacy

Analysis of the Thermo-Elastic Response of Space Reflectors to Simulated Space Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allegri, G.; Ivagnes, M. M.; Marchetti, M.; Poscente, F.

2002-01-01

The evaluation of space environment effects on materials and structures is a key matter to develop a proper design of long duration missions: since a large part of satellites operating in the earth orbital environment are employed for telecommunications, the development of space antennas and reflectors featured by high dimensional stability versus space environment interactions represents a major challenge for designers. The structural layout of state of the art space antennas and reflectors is very complex, since several different sensible elements and materials are employed: particular care must be placed in evaluating the actual geometrical configuration of the reflectors operating in the space environment, since very limited distortions of the designed layout can produce severe effects on the quality of the signal both received and transmitted, especially for antennas operating at high frequencies. The effects of thermal loads due to direct sunlight exposition and to earth and moon albedo can be easily taken into account employing the standard methods of structural analysis: on the other hand the thermal cycling and the exposition to the vacuum environment produce a long term damage accumulation which affects the whole structure. The typical effects of the just mentioned exposition are the outgassing of polymeric materials and the contamination of the exposed surface, which can affect sensibly the thermo-mechanical properties of the materials themselves and, therefore, the structural global response. The main aim of the present paper is to evaluate the synergistic effects of thermal cycling and of the exposition to high vacuum environment on an innovative antenna developed by Alenia Spazio S.p.a.: to this purpose, both an experimental and numerical research activity has been developed. A complete prototype of the antenna has been exposed to the space environment simulated by the SAS facility: this latter is constituted by an high vacuum chamber, equipped by high pressure Xenon lamps to simulate the direct solar irradiation and a cryogenic heat exchanger to reproduce the earth shadowing of sunlight. The temperature of the thermal cycles ranges from -80°C up to 100°C: the thermo-elastic response of the antenna has been surveyed by employing strain gauges place on the structures at several different locations. The structure has been subjected to 100 thermal cycles, each of which lasting two hours: the total duration of the exposition to the vacuum environment has been equal to 300 hours. Finally the antenna has been disassembled and its elements have been examined to evaluate the effects of the simulated exposition on each of them: the total mass loss and the final thermo-mechanical properties of the polymeric based materials which constitute the structural core of the antenna have been surveyed. The experimental results have been compared to numerical simulation performed by the NASTRAN code: the basic FEM model, developed for the unexposed antenna, has been updated to take into account the thermo-mechanical degradation of the structural elements and materials. This has allowed to obtain, by extrapolation, a FEM based prevision of the antenna thermo-elastic response for long-term operative conditions. References. [1] D. Hastings, H. Garret "Spacecraft environment interactions", Cambridge University Press, Atmospheric Series, Cambridge, 1996. [2] IAF-01-I.6.05 "On the Reliability of Honeycomb Core Bonding Joint in Sandwich Composite Materials for Space Applications" G. Allegri, U. Lecci, M. Marchetti, F. Poscente, 52° IAF Congress, 2001. [3] Meguro A. and alii, "Technology status of the 13 m aperture deployment antenna reflectors for Engineering Test Satellite VIII", Acta Astronautica, Volume: 47, Issue: 2-9, July - November, 2000, pp. 147-152. [4] Novikov L. S. "Contemporary state of spacecraft/environment interaction research" Radiation Measurements, Volume: 30, Issue: 5, October, 1999, pp. 661-667. [5] IAF-01-I.1.02 "Development of High Performance Large Single Shaped Reflectors" Paul Archer, C. Abegg, T. Le Goff, EADS/LV, Les Mureaux, France.

Carbon Nanotube Coatings as Used in Strain Sensors for Composite Tanks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trigwell, Steve; Snyder, Sarah; Hatfield, Walt; Dervishi, Enkeleda; Biris, Alexandru S.

2011-01-01

The next generation of cryogenic fuel tanks, crew habitats and other components for future spacecraft will focus on the usc of lightweight carbon fiber composite materials. A critical issue in the design and optimization of such tanks and structures will bc in structural health monitoring, however, current strain sensors have limitations. In this study, a novel carbon nanotube thin film was applied to carbon fiber composites for structural monitoring. Applying a load using a 3-point bend test to simulate bowing of a tank wall, induced significant increases in the film's electrical resistance at small deflections. Upon release of the load, the resistance returned to its approximate start value and was reproducible over multiple tests. The results show that a carbon nanotube thin film has great potential for the health monitoring of composite structures.

Application of a design-build-team approach to low cost and weight composite fuselage structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ilcewicz, L. B.; Walker, T. H.; Willden, K. S.; Swanson, G. D.; Truslove, G.; Metschan, S. L.; Pfahl, C. L.

1991-01-01

Relationships between manufacturing costs and design details must be understood to promote the application of advanced composite technologies to transport fuselage structures. A team approach, integrating the disciplines responsible for aircraft structural design and manufacturing, was developed to perform cost and weight trade studies for a twenty-foot diameter aft fuselage section. Baseline composite design and manufacturing concepts were selected for large quadrant panels in crown, side, and keel areas of the fuselage section. The associated technical issues were also identified. Detailed evaluation of crown panels indicated the potential for large weight savings and costs competitive with aluminum technology in the 1995 timeframe. Different processes and material forms were selected for the various elements that comprise the fuselage structure. Additional cost and weight savings potential was estimated for future advancements.

Sustained Innovation Through Shared Capitalism and Democratic Governance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyster, M. A.; Blasi, J.; Sibilia, J.; Zebuchen, T.; Bowman, A.

The Foundation for Enterprise Development (FED) explores application of democratic representative governance models and structures for long-term interdisciplinary research, development and education to the concept of an organization that can sustain activity in support of interstellar travel in the 100-year timeframe, as outlined by the 100 Year StarshipTM. This paper titled, Sustained Innovation through Shared Capitalism and Democratic Governance , explores the roots of representative structures and organizations as long-lived success stories throughout history. Research, innovation, organizational structures and associated issues are explored to address the long-term focus required for development, both material and human. Impact investing vehicles are also explored as potential investment structures addressing the long-term horizon required by the organization. This paper provides an illustration, description and philosophical approach of this model as developed by the FED and our collaborators.

A critical review of nanotechnologies for composite aerospace structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostopoulos, Vassilis; Masouras, Athanasios; Baltopoulos, Athanasios; Vavouliotis, Antonios; Sotiriadis, George; Pambaguian, Laurent

2017-03-01

The past decade extensive efforts have been invested in understanding the nano-scale and revealing the capabilities offered by nanotechnology products to structural materials. Integration of nano-particles into fiber composites concludes to multi-scale reinforced composites and has opened a new wide range of multi-functional materials in industry. In this direction, a variety of carbon based nano-fillers has been proposed and employed, individually or in combination in hybrid forms, to approach the desired performance. Nevertheless, a major issue faced lately more seriously due to the interest of industry is on how to incorporate these nano-species into the final composite structure through existing manufacturing processes and infrastructure. This interest originates from several industrial applications needs that request the development of new multi-functional materials which combine enhanced mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. In this work, an attempt is performed to review the most representative processes and related performances reported in literature and the experience obtained on nano-enabling technologies of fiber composite materials. This review focuses on the two main composite manufacturing technologies used by the aerospace industry; Prepreg/Autoclave and Resin Transfer technologies. It addresses several approaches for nano-enabling of composites for these two routes and reports latest achieved results focusing on performance of nano-enabled fiber reinforced composites extracted from literature. Finally, this review work identifies the gap between available nano-technology integration routes and the established industrial composite manufacturing techniques and the challenges to increase the Technology Readiness Level to reach the demands for aerospace industry applications.

3D Interconnected and Multiwalled Carbon@MoS2 @Carbon Hollow Nanocables as Outstanding Anodes for Na-Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Qu, Qunting; Li, Guangchao; Gao, Tian; Qian, Feng; Shao, Jie; Liu, Weijie; Shi, Qiang; Zheng, Honghe

2016-11-01

Currently, the specific capacity and cycling performance of various MoS 2 /carbon-based anode materials for Na-ion storage are far from satisfactory due to the insufficient structural stability of the electrode, incomplete protection of MoS 2 by carbon, difficult access of electrolyte to the electrode interior, as well as inactivity of the adopted carbon matrix. To address these issues, this work presents the rational design and synthesis of 3D interconnected and hollow nanocables composed of multiwalled carbon@MoS 2 @carbon. In this architecture, (i) the 3D nanoweb-like structure brings about excellent mechanical property of the electrode, (ii) the ultrathin MoS 2 nanosheets are sandwiched between and doubly protected by two layers of porous carbon, (iii) the hollow structure of the primary nanofibers facilitates the access of electrolyte to the electrode interior, (iv) the porous and nitrogen-doping properties of the two carbon materials lead to synergistic Na-storage of carbon and MoS 2 . As a result, this hybrid material as the anode material of Na-ion battery exhibits fast charge-transfer reaction, high utilization efficiency, and ultrastability. Outstanding reversible capacity (1045 mAh g -1 ), excellent rate behavior (817 mAh g -1 at 7000 mA g -1 ), and good cycling performance (747 mAh g -1 after 200 cycles at 700 mA g -1 ) are obtained. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Damage Model and Progressive Failure Analyses for Filament Wound Composite Laminates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro, Marcelo Leite; Vandepitte, Dirk; Tita, Volnei

2013-10-01

Recent improvements in manufacturing processes and materials properties associated with excellent mechanical characteristics and low weight have made composite materials very attractive for application on civil aircraft structures. However, even new designs are still very conservative, because the composite failure phenomenon is very complex. Several failure criteria and theories have been developed to describe the damage process and how it evolves, but the solution of the problem is still open. Moreover, modern filament winding techniques have been used to produce a wide variety of structural shapes not only cylindrical parts, but also “flat” laminates. Therefore, this work presents the development of a damage model and its application to simulate the progressive failure of flat composite laminates made using a filament winding process. The damage model was implemented as a UMAT (User Material Subroutine), in ABAQUSTM Finite Element (FE) framework. Progressive failure analyses were carried out using FE simulation in order to simulate the failure of flat filament wound composite structures under different loading conditions. In addition, experimental tests were performed in order to identify parameters related to the material model, as well as to evaluate both the potential and the limitations of the model. The difference between numerical and the average experimental results in a four point bending set-up is only 1.6 % at maximum load amplitude. Another important issue is that the model parameters are not so complicated to be identified. This characteristic makes this model very attractive to be applied in an industrial environment.

Combinatorial development of Cu2SnS3 as an earth abundant photovoltaic absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranowski, Lauryn L.

The development of high efficiency, earth abundant photovoltaic absorbers is critical if photovoltaics are to be implemented on the TW scale. Although traditional thin films absorbers such as Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and CdTe have achieved over 20% device efficiencies, the ultimately scalability of these devices may be limited by elemental scarcity and toxicity issues. To date, the most successful earth abundant thin film absorber is Cu2ZnSn(S,Se) 4, which has achieved 12.6% efficiency as of 2014. However, chemical complexity and disorder issues with this material have made the path to higher efficiency CZTSSe devices unclear. As a result, many researchers are now exploring alternative earth abundant absorber materials. In this thesis, we apply our "rapid development" methodology to the exploration of alternative photovoltaic absorbers. The rapid development (RD) methodology, consisting of exploration, research, and development stages, uses complementary theory and experiment to assess candidate materials and down-select in each stage. The overall result is that, in the time span of ~2-3 years, we are able to rapidly go from tens of possible absorber materials to 1-2 working PV device prototypes. Here, we demonstrate the RD approach as applied to the Cu-Sn-S system. We begin our investigation of the Cu-Sn-S system by evaluating the thermodynamic stability, electrical transport, electronic structure, and optical and defect properties of candidate materials using complementary theory and experiment. We find that Cu2SnS3 is the most promising absorber candidate because of its strong optical absorption, tunable doping, and wide stability range. Our other candidate compounds suffer from serious flaws that preclude them from being successful photovoltaic absorbers, including too high experimental conductivity (Cu4SnS4), or poor hole transport and low absorption coefficient (Cu4Sn7S16). Next, we investigate the doping and defect physics of Cu2SnS 3. We identify the origins of the changes in doping in sputtered cubic Cu2SnS3 thin films using combinatorial experiments and first-principles theory. High S chemical potential during deposition decreases the enthalpy of formation of Cu vacancies, which are the dominant acceptor defect in Cu2SnS3. Unexpectedly, under Cu-rich conditions, alloying with an isostructural (cubic) metallic Cu3SnS4 phase occurs, causing high levels of p-type doping. Both of these effects lead to undesirably high electrical conductivity, thus Cu2SnS 3 films must be grown both S- and Cu-poor in order to achieve moderate hole concentrations. To understand the effects of structural disorder on the transport properties in Cu2SnS3 we develop synthetic techniques to control this disorder, and observe improvements in the majority carrier (hole) transport. However, when the minority carrier (electron) transport was investigated, minimal differences were observed between the ordered and disordered Cu 2SnS3. By combining these results with first-principles and Monte Carlo theoretical calculations, we are able to conclude that even ostensibly "ordered" Cu2SnS3 displays minority carrier transport properties corresponding to the disordered structure. The presence of extended planar defects in all samples, observed in TEM imaging, suggests that disorder is present even when it is not detectable using traditional structural characterization methods. Lastly, we attempt to integrate our Cu2SnS3 films into photovoltaic devices, which requires translating our growth techniques to conductive substrates. We survey a wide range of possible conductive substrates, but are not able to find a suitable back contact for Cu2SnS 3 device integration, due to issues such as secondary phase formation and delamination. From a survey of successful Cu2SnS3 device literature, we are able to conclude that the issue may lie with our binary sputtering method in which the ternary compound formation and the film growth occur simultaneously. At the conclusion of this study, we eliminated Cu2SnS as an absorber candidate for future development. However, the two main issues we encountered (eliminating structural disorder and difficulty growing on conductive back contacts) may both be related to our binary sputtering technique. We expect that interest in Cu2SnS3-based photovoltaics will continue to grow, and that further scientific understanding may shed light on our particular difficulties. In the future, the RD methodology has the potential to greatly accelerate the discovery and development of non-traditional thin film absorbers, and may enable high impact material breakthroughs.

Clinical Ethics in Gabon: The Spectrum of Clinical Ethical Issues Based on Findings from In-Depth Interviews at Three Public Hospitals

PubMed Central

Sippel, Daniel; Marckmann, Georg; Ndzie Atangana, Etienne; Strech, Daniel

2015-01-01

Introduction Unlike issues in biomedical research ethics, ethical challenges arising in daily clinical care in Sub-Saharan African countries have not yet been studied in a systematic manner. However this has to be seen as a distinct entity as we argue in this paper. Our aim was to give an overview of the spectrum of clinical ethical issues and to understand what influences clinical ethics in the Sub-Saharan country of Gabon. Materials and Methods In-depth interviews with 18 health care professionals were conducted at three hospital sites in Gabon. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a grounded theory approach (open and axial coding), giving a qualitative spectrum of categories for clinical ethical issues. Validity was checked at a meeting with study participants and other health care experts in Gabon after analysis of the data. Results Twelve main categories (with 28 further-specified subcategories) for clinical ethical issues were identified and grouped under three core categories: A) micro level: “confidentiality and information”, “interpersonal, relational and behavioral issues”, “psychological strain of individuals”, and “scarce resources”; B) meso level: “structural issues of medical institutions”, “issues with private clinics”, “challenges connected to the family”, and “issues of education, training and competence”; and C) macro level: “influence of society, culture, religion and superstition”, “applicability of western medicine”, “structural issues on the political level”, and “legal issues”. Discussion Interviewees reported a broad spectrum of clinical ethical issues that go beyond challenges related to scarce financial and human resources. Specific socio-cultural, historical and educational backgrounds also played an important role. In fact these influences are central to an understanding of clinical ethics in the studied local context. Further research in the region is necessary to put our study into perspective. As many participants reported a lack of awareness of ethical issues amongst other health care professionals in daily clinical practice, we suggest that international organizations and national medical schools should consider infrastructure and tools to improve context-sensitive capacity building in clinical ethics for Sub-Saharan African countries like Gabon. PMID:26161655

Part-crystalline part-liquid state and electrical/thermal transport in materials with chemical-bond hierarchy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wenqng

2015-03-01

A concept of part-crystalline part-liquid state (or liquid-like), and even part-crystalline part-glass state (or glass-like), was demonstrated in some materials such as Cu3SbSe3 with chemical-bond-hierarchy, in which certain constituent species weakly bond to other part of the crystal. Such a material could intrinsically manifest the coexistence of rigid crystalline sublattices and other fluctuating noncrystalline sublattices with thermally induced large amplitude vibrations and even flow of the group of species atoms. The large-amplitude vibrations and movement of atoms can generate unusual severe phonon scattering and thermal damping due to the collective low-frequency vibrations similar to the Boson peak in amorphous or liquid materials. While different phase or state may have large energetic discrepancy, whether the thermally-induced part-crystalline state is undergoing phase transition becomes an interesting issue. In addition, our earlier work reported that second-order phase transition could induce extreme electron and phonon scattering in thermoelectrics. The above work clearly demonstrated that the unusual effect from structural fluctuations on thermal and electrical transport in thermoelectrics should be paid attention to. While materials with these structural changes can retain extremely low lattice thermal conductivity and unusual electron transport and become promising candidates for high-performance thermoelectrics, underlying mechanism is yet to be explored.

Soldering of Carbon Materials Using Transition Metal Rich Alloys.

PubMed

Burda, Marek; Lekawa-Raus, Agnieszka; Gruszczyk, Andrzej; Koziol, Krzysztof K K

2015-08-25

Joining of carbon materials via soldering has not been possible up to now due to lack of wetting of carbons by metals at standard soldering temperatures. This issue has been a severely restricting factor for many potential electrical/electronic and mechanical applications of nanostructured and conventional carbon materials. Here we demonstrate the formation of alloys that enable soldering of these structures. By addition of several percent (2.5-5%) of transition metal such as chromium or nickel to a standard lead-free soldering tin based alloy we obtained a solder that can be applied using a commercial soldering iron at typical soldering temperatures of approximately 350 °C and at ambient conditions. The use of this solder enables the formation of mechanically strong and electrically conductive joints between carbon materials and, when supported by a simple two-step technique, can successfully bond carbon structures to any metal terminal. It has been shown using optical and scanning electron microscope images as well as X-ray diffraction patterns and energy dispersive X-ray mapping that the successful formation of carbon-solder bonds is possible, first, thanks to the uniform nonreactive dispersion of transition metals in the tin-based matrix. Further, during the soldering process, these free elements diffuse into the carbon-alloy border with no formation of brazing-like carbides, which would damage the surface of the carbon materials.

The Coverage Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoshinobu, Stan; Jones, Matthew G.

2012-01-01

A significant issue mathematics instructors face is how to cover all the material. Mathematics teachers of all levels have some external and internal pressures to "get through" all the required material. The authors define "the coverage issue" to be the set of difficulties that arise in attempting to cover a lengthy list of topics. Principal among…

Parametric assessment of climate change impacts of automotive material substitution.

PubMed

Geyer, Roland

2008-09-15

Quantifying the net climate change impact of automotive material substitution is not a trivial task. It requires the assessment of the mass reduction potential of automotive materials, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their production and recycling, and their impact on GHG emissions from vehicle use. The model presented in this paper is based on life cycle assessment (LCA) and completely parameterized, i.e., its computational structure is separated from the required input data, which is not traditionally done in LCAs. The parameterization increases scientific rigor and transparency of the assessment methodology, facilitates sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of the results, and also makes it possible to compare different studies and explain their disparities. The state of the art of the modeling methodology is reviewed and advanced. Assessment of the GHG emission impacts of material recycling through consequential system expansion shows that our understanding of this issue is still incomplete. This is a critical knowledge gap since a case study shows thatfor materials such as aluminum, the GHG emission impacts of material production and recycling are both of the same size as the use phase savings from vehicle mass reduction.

Static in-plane shear behaviour of prefabricated wood-wool panel wallettes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noh, M. S. Md; Ahmad, Z.; Ibrahim, A.; Kamarudin, A. F.; Mokhatar, S. N.

2018-04-01

The green construction material and technique are the current issue toward improving sustainability in the construction industry in Malaysia. The use of construction material that produced from renewable resources is a part of the effort for greening this industry. WWCP (Wood-wool cement panel) is a wood based product available to the construction industry to be used as a structural building wall element. This renewable material has the potential to replace the less eco-friendly materials such as bricks and other masonry element. However, the behaviour of wall subjected to the different load conditions is not well established and therefore, this study aimed to investigate the structural behaviour of the small scale wall (wallettes) subjected to in-plane lateral load. As a comparison, two types of fabrication technique of wallettes with dimension of 1200 mm × 1200 mm (± 30 mm) were considered. The conventional vertical stacking technique was denoted as W1 and new propose techniques (cross laminated) was denoted as W2. Three replicates of each type were fabricated and tested under in-plane lateral load until failure. The test results revealed that, the wallettes fabricated using the new fabrication technique significantly increased two times in load carrying capacity compared to wallettes with conventional technique.

Integrated modeling/analyses of thermal-shock effects in SNS targets

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

Taleyarkhan, R.P.; Haines, J.

1996-06-01

In a spallation neutron source (SNS), extremely rapid energy pulses are introduced in target materials such as mercury, lead, tungsten, uranium, etc. Shock phenomena in such systems may possibly lead to structural material damage beyond the design basis. As expected, the progression of shock waves and interaction with surrounding materials for liquid targets can be quite different from that in solid targets. The purpose of this paper is to describe ORNL`s modeling framework for `integrated` assessment of thermal-shock issues in liquid and solid target designs. This modeling framework is being developed based upon expertise developed from past reactor safety studies,more » especially those related to the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) Project. Unlike previous separate-effects modeling approaches employed (for evaluating target behavior when subjected to thermal shocks), the present approach treats the overall problem in a coupled manner using state-of-the-art equations of state for materials of interest (viz., mercury, tungsten and uranium). That is, the modeling framework simultaneously accounts for localized (and distributed) compression pressure pulse generation due to transient heat deposition, the transport of this shock wave outwards, interaction with surrounding boundaries, feedback to mercury from structures, multi-dimensional reflection patterns & stress induced (possible) breakup or fracture.« less

Impact of molecule-based magnetic materials: A critical outlook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rentschler, Eva; Affronte, Marco; Massobrio, Carlo; Rabu, Pierre; Veciana, Jaume

2009-05-01

A critical outlook of the field of molecular magnetic materials is presented. This article is inspired by an international symposium devoted to the " Design, Characterization and Modelling of Molecule-Based Magnetic Materials (DCM4-II)" that took place at Strasbourg (France), from May 28th to June 1st, within the E-MRS 2007 Spring Meeting (Symposium R) organized by the European Materials Research Society in collaboration with the European Science Foundation. A series of papers linked to this symposium are published in this issue and in the previous issue (Volume 11, Issue 4) of Solid State Sciences.

Recent Advances in Food-Packing, Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Applications of Zein and Zein-Based Materials

PubMed Central

Corradini, Elisângela; Curti, Priscila S.; Meniqueti, Adriano B.; Martins, Alessandro F.; Rubira, Adley F.; Muniz, Edvani Curti

2014-01-01

Zein is a biodegradable and biocompatible material extracted from renewable resources; it comprises almost 80% of the whole protein content in corn. This review highlights and describes some zein and zein-based materials, focusing on biomedical applications. It was demonstrated in this review that the biodegradation and biocompatibility of zein are key parameters for its uses in the food-packing, biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. Furthermore, it was pointed out that the presence of hydrophilic-hydrophobic groups in zein chains is a very important aspect for obtaining material with different hydrophobicities by mixing with other moieties (polymeric or not), but also for obtaining derivatives with different properties. The physical and chemical characteristics and special structure (at the molecular, nano and micro scales) make zein molecules inherently superior to many other polymers from natural sources and synthetic ones. The film-forming property of zein and zein-based materials is important for several applications. The good electrospinnability of zein is important for producing zein and zein-based nanofibers for applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. The use of zein’s hydrolysate peptides for reducing blood pressure is another important issue related to the application of derivatives of zein in the biomedical field. It is pointed out that the biodegradability and biocompatibility of zein and other inherent properties associated with zein’s structure allow a myriad of applications of such materials with great potential in the near future. PMID:25486057

Recent advances in food-packing, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications of zein and zein-based materials.

PubMed

Corradini, Elisângela; Curti, Priscila S; Meniqueti, Adriano B; Martins, Alessandro F; Rubira, Adley F; Muniz, Edvani Curti

2014-12-04

Zein is a biodegradable and biocompatible material extracted from renewable resources; it comprises almost 80% of the whole protein content in corn. This review highlights and describes some zein and zein-based materials, focusing on biomedical applications. It was demonstrated in this review that the biodegradation and biocompatibility of zein are key parameters for its uses in the food-packing, biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. Furthermore, it was pointed out that the presence of hydrophilic-hydrophobic groups in zein chains is a very important aspect for obtaining material with different hydrophobicities by mixing with other moieties (polymeric or not), but also for obtaining derivatives with different properties. The physical and chemical characteristics and special structure (at the molecular, nano and micro scales) make zein molecules inherently superior to many other polymers from natural sources and synthetic ones. The film-forming property of zein and zein-based materials is important for several applications. The good electrospinnability of zein is important for producing zein and zein-based nanofibers for applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. The use of zein's hydrolysate peptides for reducing blood pressure is another important issue related to the application of derivatives of zein in the biomedical field. It is pointed out that the biodegradability and biocompatibility of zein and other inherent properties associated with zein's structure allow a myriad of applications of such materials with great potential in the near future.

Shape optimization of solid-air porous phononic crystal slabs with widest full 3D bandgap for in-plane acoustic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Alessandro, Luca; Bahr, Bichoy; Daniel, Luca; Weinstein, Dana; Ardito, Raffaele

2017-09-01

The use of Phononic Crystals (PnCs) as smart materials in structures and microstructures is growing due to their tunable dynamical properties and to the wide range of possible applications. PnCs are periodic structures that exhibit elastic wave scattering for a certain band of frequencies (called bandgap), depending on the geometric and material properties of the fundamental unit cell of the crystal. PnCs slabs can be represented by plane-extruded structures composed of a single material with periodic perforations. Such a configuration is very interesting, especially in Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems industry, due to the easy fabrication procedure. A lot of topologies can be found in the literature for PnCs with square-symmetric unit cell that exhibit complete 2D bandgaps; however, due to the application demand, it is desirable to find the best topologies in order to guarantee full bandgaps referred to in-plane wave propagation in the complete 3D structure. In this work, by means of a novel and fast implementation of the Bidirectional Evolutionary Structural Optimization technique, shape optimization is conducted on the hole shape obtaining several topologies, also with non-square-symmetric unit cell, endowed with complete 3D full bandgaps for in-plane waves. Model order reduction technique is adopted to reduce the computational time in the wave dispersion analysis. The 3D features of the PnC unit cell endowed with the widest full bandgap are then completely analyzed, paying attention to engineering design issues.

Self-Pierce Riveting Through 3 Sheet Metal Combinations

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

Andersson, Roger; Jonason, Paul; Pettersson, Tommy

2011-05-04

One way to reduce the CO{sub 2} emissions in automotives is to reduce the weight of the Body-In-White. One easy to achieve the weight reduction is to replace steel sheet materials with Al alloys, which is 3 times lighter. One issue is the joining process, especially with combinations between steel grades and AL alloys. Example of combination of mixed material combinations (Al-steel) might be found in the door structure. The reason is because of the AL alloys worthier crash performance so the automotive manufacturer might want to use crash impact beams made by high strength steels in a AL intensivemore » door structure. The joining process between aluminum and steel are problematic due it's not possible to use traditional spot-welding technologies due to the materials total difference in microstructure characteristics as well thermal properties. To overcome this issue then mechanical as well adhesion joining are frequently used. This paper describes a development process and subsequently analysis of a self-pierce rivet (SPR) process between 3 sheet metal combinations. The multi-material combinations in this study were a combination of ultra high strength steels sheets (DP1000) and a Al-alloy (AA 6014). The analysis of the SPR process, in sense of mechanical strengths, has been done by peel- and shear tests. To reduce the amount of future physical tests a virtual FE-model has been developed for the process. This FE model of the process has been subsequently used to analyze the mechanical strength during plastic deformation. By using inverse analysis a correct contact algorithm has been evaluated that would predict the binding force between the rivet and sheet under a deformation process. With this new virtual model it will not only possible to analyze and develop the SPR process but also to achieve the final strength of the joint.« less

Dense zig-zag microstructures in YSZ thin films by pulsed laser deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stender, Dieter; Schäuble, Nina; Weidenkaff, Anke; Montagne, Alex; Ghisleni, Rudy; Michler, Johann; Schneider, Christof W.; Wokaun, Alexander; Lippert, Thomas

2015-01-01

The very brittle oxygen ion conductor yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is a typical solid electrolyte for miniaturized thin film fuel cells. In order to decrease the fuel cell operating temperature, the thickness of yttria stabilized zirconia thin films is reduced. Often, these thin membranes suffer from mechanical failure and gas permeability. To improve these mechanical issues, a glancing angle deposition approach is used to grow yttria stabilized zirconia thin films with tilted columnar structures. Changes of the material flux direction during the deposition result in a dense, zigzag-like structure with columnar crystallites. This structure reduces the elastic modulus of these membranes as compared to columnar yttria stabilized zirconia thin films as monitored by nano-indentation which makes them more adaptable to applied stress.

European DEMO design strategy and consequences for materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Federici, G.; Biel, W.; Gilbert, M. R.; Kemp, R.; Taylor, N.; Wenninger, R.

2017-09-01

Demonstrating the production of net electricity and operating with a closed fuel-cycle remain unarguably the crucial steps towards the exploitation of fusion power. These are the aims of a demonstration fusion reactor (DEMO) proposed to be built after ITER. This paper briefly describes the DEMO design options that are being considered in Europe for the current conceptual design studies as part of the Roadmap to Fusion Electricity Horizon 2020. These are not intended to represent fixed and exclusive design choices but rather ‘proxies’ of possible plant design options to be used to identify generic design/material issues that need to be resolved in future fusion reactor systems. The materials nuclear design requirements and the effects of radiation damage are briefly analysed with emphasis on a pulsed ‘low extrapolation’ system, which is being used for the initial design integration studies, based as far as possible on mature technologies and reliable regimes of operation (to be extrapolated from the ITER experience), and on the use of materials suitable for the expected level of neutron fluence. The main technical issues arising from the plasma and nuclear loads and the effects of radiation damage particularly on the structural and heat sink materials of the vessel and in-vessel components are critically discussed. The need to establish realistic target performance and a development schedule for near-term electricity production tends to favour more conservative technology choices. The readiness of the technical (physics and technology) assumptions that are being made is expected to be an important factor for the selection of the technical features of the device.

Special Issue on Uncertainty Quantification in Multiscale System Design and Simulation

DOE PAGES

Wang, Yan; Swiler, Laura

2017-09-07

The importance of uncertainty has been recognized in various modeling, simulation, and analysis applications, where inherent assumptions and simplifications affect the accuracy of model predictions for physical phenomena. As model predictions are now heavily relied upon for simulation-based system design, which includes new materials, vehicles, mechanical and civil structures, and even new drugs, wrong model predictions could potentially cause catastrophic consequences. Therefore, uncertainty and associated risks due to model errors should be quantified to support robust systems engineering.

E-beam-Cure Fabrication of Polymer Fiber/Matrix Composites for Multifunctional Radiation Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John W.; Jensen, Brian J.; Thibeault, Sheila A.; Hou, Tan-Hung; Saether, Erik; Glaessgen, Edward H.; Humes, Donald H.; Chang, Chie K.; Badavi, Francis F.; Kiefer, Rrichard L.;

Special Issue on Uncertainty Quantification in Multiscale System Design and Simulation

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

Wang, Yan; Swiler, Laura

The importance of uncertainty has been recognized in various modeling, simulation, and analysis applications, where inherent assumptions and simplifications affect the accuracy of model predictions for physical phenomena. As model predictions are now heavily relied upon for simulation-based system design, which includes new materials, vehicles, mechanical and civil structures, and even new drugs, wrong model predictions could potentially cause catastrophic consequences. Therefore, uncertainty and associated risks due to model errors should be quantified to support robust systems engineering.

Performance evaluation on cool roofs for green remodeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, Yosun; Cho, Dongwoo; Cho, Kyungjoo

2018-06-01

Cool roofs refer that maximize heat emission, and minimize the absorption of solar radiation energy, by applying high solar reflectance paints, or materials to roofs or rooftops. The application of cool roofs to existing buildings does not need to take structural issues into consideration, as rooftop greening, is an alternative that can be applied to existing buildings easily. This study installed a cool roofs on existing buildings, and evaluated the performances, using the results to propose certification standards for green remodeling, considering the cool roof-related standards.

Novel Process Revolutionizes Welding Industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Glenn Research Center, Delphi Corporation, and the Michigan Research Institute entered into a research project to study the use of Deformation Resistance Welding (DRW) in the construction and repair of stationary structures with multiple geometries and dissimilar materials, such as those NASA might use on the Moon or Mars. Traditional welding technologies are burdened by significant business and engineering challenges, including high costs of equipment and labor, heat-affected zones, limited automation, and inconsistent quality. DRW addresses each of those issues, while drastically reducing welding, manufacturing, and maintenance costs.

U.S. Army Research Office Workshop on Smart Materials, Structures and Mathematical Issues Held in Blacksburg, Virginia on 15-16 September 1988

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

prestrained Nitinol (an alloy of nickel and titanium) wires are embedded in an off-axis position in the graphite fiber reinforced epoxy composite beam... Nitinol ) alloy. Shape memory alloys have been applied to a number of items including connectors and heat engines, but have usually found application in... nitinol wire; the design includes prevention from ancillary jams. Miwa (1985) discusses the use of SMA actuator to sequential robotic control of multiple

Proceedings from the Conference on Critical Issues in the Development of High Temperature Structural Materials Held in Kona, Hawaii on March 7-14, 1993,

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-14

composite has not been established and may restrict the use temperature; and/or lifetime. Precipitation of second phase particles in a master alloy (XD...intermetallic alloys with both ordered and disordered precipitate phases including precipitates based upon carbide or nitride phases which involve an...to identify likely pathways or to eliminate others i.e., define a transformation hierarchy. The crystallographic symmetries of the precipitate phase

Designing an Advanced Instructional Design Advisor: Incorporating Visual Materials and Other Research Issues. Volume 4

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

property of graphics (such as concreteness) shared by other media that has benefitted performance. The exact componential aspect of a graphic...graphic will normally attempt to convey some substantive information, and it will do so using a "grammar" and "syntax" which are assumed to be shared ...and Ehrenfeucht (1982) specifically tried to equate content as well as structure between a narrative movie (The Unicorn in the Garden) and a text. They

75 FR 43840 - Inflation Adjustment of the Ordinary Maximum and Aggravated Maximum Civil Monetary Penalties for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-27

... Civil Monetary Penalties for a Violation of the Hazardous Material Transportation Laws and Regulations... violations of Federal hazardous material transportation law or a regulation, order, special permit or approval issued under that law. The hazardous material transportation regulations are issued by the...

75 FR 45697 - Safety Advisory Notice: Personal Electronic Device Related Distractions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-03

... the Federal safety authority for the transportation of hazardous materials by air, rail, highway, and... transportation of hazardous materials. In light of PHMSA's vital safety mission, we issue this advisory bulletin... hazardous materials transportation. Issued in Washington, DC, on July 27, 2010. Magdy El-Sibaie, Associate...

Environmental Issues in the Didactic Materials in Schools in Republic of Serbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maravic, Milutin; Ivkovic, Sonja; Segedinac, Mirjana; Adamov, Jasna

2014-01-01

The main task of the examination is to establish environmental issues in the didactic materials for primary and secondary school in Republic of Serbia. Environmental issues in the secondary school curriculum in Serbia, according to the current educational curricula and educational programs, is limited to general subjects (chemistry and biology…

An introduction to structural health monitoring.

PubMed

Farrar, Charles R; Worden, Keith

2007-02-15

The process of implementing a damage identification strategy for aerospace, civil and mechanical engineering infrastructure is referred to as structural health monitoring (SHM). Here, damage is defined as changes to the material and/or geometric properties of these systems, including changes to the boundary conditions and system connectivity, which adversely affect the system's performance. A wide variety of highly effective local non-destructive evaluation tools are available for such monitoring. However, the majority of SHM research conducted over the last 30 years has attempted to identify damage in structures on a more global basis. The past 10 years have seen a rapid increase in the amount of research related to SHM as quantified by the significant escalation in papers published on this subject. The increased interest in SHM and its associated potential for significant life-safety and economic benefits has motivated the need for this theme issue. This introduction begins with a brief history of SHM technology development. Recent research has begun to recognize that the SHM problem is fundamentally one of the statistical pattern recognition (SPR) and a paradigm to address such a problem is described in detail herein as it forms the basis for organization of this theme issue. In the process of providing the historical overview and summarizing the SPR paradigm, the subsequent articles in this theme issue are cited in an effort to show how they fit into this overview of SHM. In conclusion, technical challenges that must be addressed if SHM is to gain wider application are discussed in a general manner.

Confine Clay in an Alternating Multilayered Structure through Injection Molding: A Simple and Efficient Route to Improve Barrier Performance of Polymeric Materials.

PubMed

Yu, Feilong; Deng, Hua; Bai, Hongwei; Zhang, Qin; Wang, Ke; Chen, Feng; Fu, Qiang

2015-05-20

Various methods have been devoted to trigger the formation of multilayered structure for wide range of applications. These methods are often complicated with low production efficiency or require complex equipment. Herein, we demonstrate a simple and efficient method for the fabrication of polymeric sheets containing multilayered structure with enhanced barrier property through high speed thin-wall injection molding (HSIM). To achieve this, montmorillonite (MMT) is added into PE first, then blended with PP to fabricate PE-MMT/PP ternary composites. It is demonstrated that alternating multilayer structure could be obtained in the ternary composites because of low interfacial tension and good viscosity match between different polymer components. MMT is selectively dispersed in PE phase with partial exfoliated/partial intercalated microstructure. 2D-WAXD analysis indicates that the clay tactoids in PE-MMT/PP exhibits an uniplanar-axial orientation with their surface parallel to the molded part surface, while the tactoids in binary PE-MMT composites with the same overall MMT contents illustrate less orientation. The enhanced orientation of nanoclay in PE-MMT/PP could be attributed to the confinement of alternating multilayer structure, which prohibits the tumbling and rotation of nanoplatelets. Therefore, the oxygen barrier property of PE-MMT/PP is superior to that of PE-MMT because of increased gas permeation pathway. Comparing with the results obtained for PE based composites in literature, outstanding barrier property performance (45.7% and 58.2% improvement with 1.5 and 2.5 wt % MMT content, respectively) is achieved in current study. Two issues are considered responsible for such improvement: enhanced MMT orientation caused by the confinement in layered structure, and higher local density of MMT in layered structure induced denser assembly. Finally, enhancement in barrier property by confining impermeable filler into alternating multilayer structure through such simple and efficient method could provide a novel route toward high-performance packaging materials and other functional materials require layered structure.

Composite fuselage crown panel manufacturing technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willden, Kurtis; Metschan, S.; Grant, C.; Brown, T.

1992-01-01

Commercial fuselage structures contain significant challenges in attempting to save manufacturing costs with advanced composite technology. Assembly issues, materials costs, and fabrication of elements with complex geometry are each expected to drive the cost of composite fuselage structure. Key technologies, such as large crown panel fabrication, were pursued for low cost. An intricate bond panel design and manufacturing concept were selected based on the efforts of the Design Build Team. The manufacturing processes selected for the intricate bond design include multiple large panel fabrication with Advanced Tow Placement (ATP) process, innovative cure tooling concepts, resin transfer molding of long fuselage frames, and use of low cost materials forms. The process optimization for final design/manufacturing configuration included factory simulations and hardware demonstrations. These efforts and other optimization tasks were instrumental in reducing costs by 18 pct. and weight by 45 pct. relative to an aluminum baseline. The qualitative and quantitative results of the manufacturing demonstrations were used to assess manufacturing risks and technology readiness.

Investigating fold structures of 2D materials by quantitative transmission electron microscopy.

PubMed

Wang, Zhiwei; Zhang, Zengming; Liu, Wei; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-04-01

We report an approach developed for deriving 3D structural information of 2D membrane folds based on the recently-established quantitative transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Systematic multislice simulations reveal that the membrane folding leads to sufficiently strong electron scattering which enables a precise determination of bending radius. The image contrast depends also on the folding angles of 2D materials due to the variation of projection potentials, which however exerts much smaller effect compared with the bending radii. DFT calculations show that folded edges are typically characteristic of (fractional) nanotubes with the same curvature retained after energy optimization. Owing to the exclusion of Stobbs factor issue, numerical simulations were directly used in comparison with the experimental measurements on an absolute contrast scale, which results in a successful determination of bending radius of folded monolayer MoS 2 films. The method should be applicable to characterizing all 2D membranes with 3D folding features. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogenated TiO2 Branches Coated Mn3O4 Nanorods as an Advanced Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Wang, Nana; Yue, Jie; Chen, Liang; Qian, Yitai; Yang, Jian

2015-05-20

Rational design and delicate control on the component, structure, and surface of electrodes in lithium ion batteries are highly important to their performances in practical applications. Compared with various components and structures for electrodes, the choices for their surface are quite limited. The most widespread surface for numerous electrodes, a carbon shell, has its own issues, which stimulates the desire to find another alternative surface. Here, hydrogenated TiO2 is exemplified as an appealing surface for advanced anodes by the growth of ultrathin hydrogenated TiO2 branches on Mn3O4 nanorods. High theoretical capacity of Mn3O4 is well matched with low volume variation (∼4%), enhanced electrical conductivity, good cycling stability, and rate capability of hydrogenated TiO2, as demonstrated in their electrochemical performances. The proof-of-concept reveals the promising potential of hydrogenated TiO2 as a next-generation material for the surface in high-performance hybrid electrodes.

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.

Semiconductor activated terahertz metamaterials

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

Chen, Hou-Tong

Metamaterials have been developed as a new class of artificial effective media realizing many exotic phenomena and unique properties not normally found in nature. Metamaterials enable functionality through structure design, facilitating applications by addressing the severe material issues in the terahertz frequency range. Consequently, prototype functional terahertz devices have been demonstrated, including filters, antireflection coatings, perfect absorbers, polarization converters, and arbitrary wavefront shaping devices. Further integration of functional materials into metamaterial structures have enabled actively and dynamically switchable and frequency tunable terahertz metamaterials through the application of external stimuli. The enhanced light-matter interactions in active terahertz metamaterials may result inmore » unprecedented control and manipulation of terahertz radiation, forming the foundation of many terahertz applications. In this paper, we review the progress during the past few years in this rapidly growing research field. We particularly focus on the design principles and realization of functionalities using single-layer and few-layer terahertz planar metamaterials, and active terahertz metamaterials through the integration of semiconductors to achieve switchable and frequency-tunable response.« less

Semiconductor activated terahertz metamaterials

DOE PAGES

Chen, Hou-Tong

2014-08-01

Metamaterials have been developed as a new class of artificial effective media realizing many exotic phenomena and unique properties not normally found in nature. Metamaterials enable functionality through structure design, facilitating applications by addressing the severe material issues in the terahertz frequency range. Consequently, prototype functional terahertz devices have been demonstrated, including filters, antireflection coatings, perfect absorbers, polarization converters, and arbitrary wavefront shaping devices. Further integration of functional materials into metamaterial structures have enabled actively and dynamically switchable and frequency tunable terahertz metamaterials through the application of external stimuli. The enhanced light-matter interactions in active terahertz metamaterials may result inmore » unprecedented control and manipulation of terahertz radiation, forming the foundation of many terahertz applications. In this paper, we review the progress during the past few years in this rapidly growing research field. We particularly focus on the design principles and realization of functionalities using single-layer and few-layer terahertz planar metamaterials, and active terahertz metamaterials through the integration of semiconductors to achieve switchable and frequency-tunable response.« less

Composite fuselage crown panel manufacturing technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willden, Kurtis; Metschan, S.; Grant, C.; Brown, T.

1992-01-01

Commercial fuselage structures contain significant challenges in attempting to save manufacturing costs with advanced composite technology. Assembly issues, material costs, and fabrication of elements with complex geometry are each expected to drive the cost of composite fuselage structures. Boeing's efforts under the NASA ACT program have pursued key technologies for low-cost, large crown panel fabrication. An intricate bond panel design and manufacturing concepts were selected based on the efforts of the Design Build Team (DBT). The manufacturing processes selected for the intricate bond design include multiple large panel fabrication with the Advanced Tow Placement (ATP) process, innovative cure tooling concepts, resin transfer molding of long fuselage frames, and utilization of low-cost material forms. The process optimization for final design/manufacturing configuration included factory simulations and hardware demonstrations. These efforts and other optimization tasks were instrumental in reducing cost by 18 percent and weight by 45 percent relative to an aluminum baseline. The qualitative and quantitative results of the manufacturing demonstrations were used to assess manufacturing risks and technology readiness.

Special Issue: NextGen Materials for 3D Printing.

PubMed

Chua, Chee Kai; Yeong, Wai Yee; An, Jia

2018-04-04

Only a handful of materials are well-established in three-dimensional (3D) printing and well-accepted in industrial manufacturing applications. However, recent advances in 3D printable materials have shown potential for enabling numerous novel applications in the future. This special issue, consisting of 2 reviews and 10 research articles, intends to explore the possible materials that could define next-generation 3D printing.

Perspective: Composition–structure–property mapping in high-throughput experiments: Turning data into knowledge

DOE PAGES

Hattrick-Simpers, Jason R.; Gregoire, John M.; Kusne, A. Gilad

2016-05-26

With their ability to rapidly elucidate composition-structure-property relationships, high-throughput experimental studies have revolutionized how materials are discovered, optimized, and commercialized. It is now possible to synthesize and characterize high-throughput libraries that systematically address thousands of individual cuts of fabrication parameter space. An unresolved issue remains transforming structural characterization data into phase mappings. This difficulty is related to the complex information present in diffraction and spectroscopic data and its variation with composition and processing. Here, we review the field of automated phase diagram attribution and discuss the impact that emerging computational approaches will have in the generation of phase diagrams andmore » beyond.« less

The structural conversion from α-AgVO3 to β-AgVO3: Ag nanoparticle decorated nanowires with application as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries.

PubMed

McNulty, David; Ramasse, Quentin; O'Dwyer, Colm

2016-09-15

The majority of electrode materials in batteries and related electrochemical energy storage devices are fashioned into slurries via the addition of a conductive additive and a binder. However, aggregation of smaller diameter nanoparticles in current generation electrode compositions can result in non-homogeneous active materials. Inconsistent slurry formulation may lead to inconsistent electrical conductivity throughout the material, local variations in electrochemical response, and the overall cell performance. Here we demonstrate the hydrothermal preparation of Ag nanoparticle (NP) decorated α-AgVO 3 nanowires (NWs) and their conversion to tunnel structured β-AgVO 3 NWs by annealing to form a uniform blend of intercalation materials that are well connected electrically. The synthesis of nanostructures with chemically bound conductive nanoparticles is an elegant means to overcome the intrinsic issues associated with electrode slurry production, as wire-to-wire conductive pathways are formed within the overall electrode active mass of NWs. The conversion from α-AgVO 3 to β-AgVO 3 is explained in detail through a comprehensive structural characterization. Meticulous EELS analysis of β-AgVO 3 NWs offers insight into the true β-AgVO 3 structure and how the annealing process facilitates a higher surface coverage of Ag NPs directly from ionic Ag content within the α-AgVO 3 NWs. Variations in vanadium oxidation state across the surface of the nanowires indicate that the β-AgVO 3 NWs have a core-shell oxidation state structure, and that the vanadium oxidation state under the Ag NP confirms a chemically bound NP from reduction of diffused ionic silver from the α-AgVO 3 NWs core material. Electrochemical comparison of α-AgVO 3 and β-AgVO 3 NWs confirms that β-AgVO 3 offers improved electrochemical performance. An ex situ structural characterization of β-AgVO 3 NWs after the first galvanostatic discharge and charge offers new insight into the Li + reaction mechanism for β-AgVO 3 . Ag + between the van der Waals layers of the vanadium oxide is reduced during discharge and deposited as metallic Ag, the vacant sites are then occupied by Li + .

Evolutionary search for novel superhard phases, or can TiO2 be the hardest oxide? (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oganov, A. R.; Lyakhov, A. O.

2010-12-01

Synthesis of novel superhard materials, frequently achieved with high-pressure experimental techniques, is a difficult task. Study of such materials, usually first obtained in very small quantities, is complicated, and this field is full of controversies and artefacts (see, e.g. [1]). Hardness was long believed to be an exceedingly difficult property to model or predict; however, a number of simple models have recently been proposed and shown to yield surprisingly accurate results (see reviews in [2]). We have found [3] a way to further improve these models, by augmenting them with bond-valence model and graph theory. Combining such models with our structure prediction method [4], we have developed a powerful [5] approach for computational design of novel superhard materials. Using this method, we recently addressed [3] the previously proposed [6] possibility that C3N4 may be harder than diamond, and the claim [7] that TiO2-cotunnite is the hardest oxide with the Vickers hardness of 38 GPa. Our results unequivocally suggest that the latter suggestion is incorrect. No TiO2 polymorph can attain hardness greater than 17 GPa [3], i.e. all possible structures of TiO2 are softer than common corundum (Al2O3). Furthermore, TiO2-cotunnite is dynamically unstable at atmospheric pressure [8]. REFERENCES: [1] Oganov A.R., Solozhenko V.L., Kurakevych O.O., Gatti C., Ma Y., Chen J., Liu Z., and Hemley R.J., http://arxiv.org/abs/ 0908.2126 (2009). [2] Theory of Superhard Materials (Special Issue), J. Superhard Materials, issue 3 (2010). [3] Lyakhov A.O., Oganov A.R., in prep. (2010). [4] Oganov A.R., Glass C.W., J. Chem. Phys. 124, 244704 (2006). [5] Oganov A.R., Lyakhov A.O., J. Superhard Mater. 32, 143-147 (2010). [6] Liu A.Y., Cohen M.L., Science 245, 841-842 (1989). [7] Dubrovinsky L.S., Dubrovinskaia N.A., et al., Nature 410, 653-654 (2001). [8] Kim D.Y., et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 171903 (2007).

A Sr2+-metal-organic framework with high chemical stability: synthesis, crystal structure and photoluminescence property.

PubMed

Jia, Yan-Yuan; Liu, Xiao-Ting; Wang, Wen-He; Zhang, Li-Zhu; Zhang, Ying-Hui; Bu, Xian-He

2017-01-13

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are typically built by assembly of metal centres and organic linkers, and have emerged as promising crystalline materials in a variety of fields. However, the stability of MOFs is a key limitation for their practical applications. Herein, we report a novel Sr 2+: -MOF [Sr 4 (Tdada) 2 (H 2 O) 3 (DMF) 2 ] (denoted as NKU- 105: , NKU = Nankai University; H 4 Tdada = 5,5'-((thiophene-2,5-dicar bonyl)bis(azanediyl))diisophthalic acid; DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide) featuring an open square channel of about 6 Å along the c-axis. Notably, NKU- 105: exhibits much outstanding chemical stability against common organic solvents, boiling water, acids and bases, relative to most MOF materials. Furthermore, NKU- 105: is an environment-friendly luminescent material with a bright cyan emission.This article is part of the themed issue 'Coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks: materials by design'. © 2016 The Author(s).

A Sr2+-metal–organic framework with high chemical stability: synthesis, crystal structure and photoluminescence property

PubMed Central

Jia, Yan-Yuan; Liu, Xiao-Ting; Wang, Wen-He; Zhang, Li-Zhu; Bu, Xian-He

2017-01-01

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are typically built by assembly of metal centres and organic linkers, and have emerged as promising crystalline materials in a variety of fields. However, the stability of MOFs is a key limitation for their practical applications. Herein, we report a novel Sr2+-MOF [Sr4(Tdada)2(H2O)3(DMF)2] (denoted as NKU-105, NKU = Nankai University; H4Tdada = 5,5'-((thiophene-2,5-dicar bonyl)bis(azanediyl))diisophthalic acid; DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide) featuring an open square channel of about 6 Å along the c-axis. Notably, NKU-105 exhibits much outstanding chemical stability against common organic solvents, boiling water, acids and bases, relative to most MOF materials. Furthermore, NKU-105 is an environment-friendly luminescent material with a bright cyan emission. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Coordination polymers and metal–organic frameworks: materials by design’. PMID:27895256

Carbon-Carbon Composites as Recuperator Material for Direct Gas Brayton Systems

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

RA Wolf

2006-07-19

Of the numerous energy conversion options available for a space nuclear power plant (SNPP), one that shows promise in attaining reliable operation and high efficiency is the direct gas Brayton (GB) system. In order to increase efficiency, the GB system incorporates a recuperator that accounts for nearly half the weight of the energy conversion system (ECS). Therefore, development of a recuperator that is lighter and provides better performance than current heat exchangers could prove to be advantageous. The feasibility of a carbon-carbon (C/C) composite recuperator core has been assessed and a mass savings of 60% and volume penalty of 20%more » were projected. The excellent thermal properties, high-temperature capabilities, and low density of carbon-carbon materials make them attractive in the GB system, but development issues such as material compatibility with other structural materials in the system, such as refractory metals and superalloys, permeability, corrosion, joining, and fabrication must be addressed.« less

A Summary on Progress in Materials Development for Advanced Lithium-ion Cells for NASA's Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Concha M.

2011-01-01

Vehicles and stand-alone power systems that enable the next generation of human missions to the moon will require energy storage systems that are safer, lighter, and more compact than current state-of-the-art (SOA) aerospace quality lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. NASA is developing advanced Li-ion cells to enable or enhance future human missions to Near Earth Objects, such as asteroids, planets, moons, libration points, and orbiting structures. Advanced, high-performing materials are required to provide component-level performance that can offer the required gains at the integrated cell level. Although there is still a significant amount of work yet to be done, the present state of development activities has resulted in the synthesis of promising materials that approach the ultimate performance goals. This paper on interim progress of the development efforts will present performance of materials and cell components and will elaborate on the challenges of the development activities and proposed strategies to overcome technical issues.

Space environment effects on polymers in low earth orbit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grossman, E.; Gouzman, I.

2003-08-01

Polymers are widely used in space vehicles and systems as structural materials, thermal blankets, thermal control coatings, conformal coatings, adhesives, lubricants, etc. The low earth orbit (LEO) space environment includes hazards such as atomic oxygen, UV radiation, ionizing radiation (electrons, protons), high vacuum, plasma, micrometeoroids and debris, as well as severe temperature cycles. Exposure of polymers and composites to the space environment may result in different detrimental effects via modification of their chemical, electrical, thermal, optical and mechanical properties as well as surface erosion. The high vacuum induces material outgassing (e.g. low-molecular weight residues, plasticizers and additives) and consequent contamination of nearby surfaces. The present work reviews the LEO space environment constituents and their interactions with polymers. Examples of degradation of materials exposed in ground simulation facilities are presented. The issues discussed include the erosion mechanisms of polymers, formation of contaminants and their interaction with the space environment, and protection of materials from the harsh space environment.

Solar energy conversion with photon-enhanced thermionic emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kribus, Abraham; Segev, Gideon

2016-07-01

Photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE) converts sunlight to electricity with the combined photonic and thermal excitation of charge carriers in a semiconductor, leading to electron emission over a vacuum gap. Theoretical analyses predict conversion efficiency that can match, or even exceed, the efficiency of traditional solar thermal and photovoltaic converters. Several materials have been examined as candidates for radiation absorbers and electron emitters, with no conclusion yet on the best set of materials to achieve high efficiency. Analyses have shown the complexity of the energy conversion and transport processes, and the significance of several loss mechanisms, requiring careful control of material properties and optimization of the device structure. Here we survey current research on PETE modeling, materials, and device configurations, outline the advances made, and stress the open issues and future research needed. Based on the substantial progress already made in this young topic, and the potential of high conversion efficiency based on theoretical performance limits, continued research in this direction is very promising and may yield a competitive technology for solar electricity generation.

Synthetic building materials for transport buildings and structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerasimova, Vera

2017-10-01

The most effective building materials account for the highest growth not only in construction of residential and public buildings, but also other capital projects including roadways, bridges, drainage, communications and other engineering projects. Advancement in the technology of more efficient and ecologically responsible insulation materials have been a priority for safety, minimal maintenance and longevity of finished construction projects. The practical use of modern building materials such as insulation, sound reduction and low energy consumption are a benefit in cost and application compared to the use of outdated heavier and labor-intensive materials. The most efficient way for maximizing insolation and sound proofing should be done during the design stages of the project according to existing codes and regulations that are required by Western Government. All methods and materials that are used need to be optimized in order to reach a high durability and low operational and maintenance cost exceeding more than 50 years of the life of the building, whether it is for public, industrial or residential use. Western construction techniques and technologies need to be applied and adapted by the Russian Federation to insure the most productive successful methods are being implemented. The issues of efficient insulation materials are outlined in this article.

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

Ozolins, Vidvuds

Molecularly Engineered Energy Materials (MEEM) was established as an interdisciplinary cutting-edge UCLA-based research center uniquely equipped to attack the challenge of rationally designing, synthesizing and testing revolutionary new energy materials. Our mission was to achieve transformational improvements in the performance of materials via controlling the nano-and mesoscale structure using selectively designed, earth-abundant, inexpensive molecular building blocks. MEEM has focused on materials that are inherently abundant, can be easily assembled from intelligently designed building blocks (molecules, nanoparticles), and have the potential to deliver transformative economic benefits in comparison with the current crystalline-and polycrystalline-based energy technologies. MEEM addressed basic science issues relatedmore » to the fundamental mechanisms of carrier generation, energy conversion, as well as transport and storage of charge and mass in tunable, architectonically complex materials. Fundamental understanding of these processes will enable rational design, efficient synthesis and effective deployment of novel three-dimensional material architectures for energy applications. Three interrelated research directions were initially identified where these novel architectures hold great promise for high-reward research: solar energy generation, electrochemical energy storage, and materials for CO 2 capture. Of these, the first two remained throughout the project performance period, while carbon capture was been phased out in consultation and with approval from BES program manager.« less

Application of the Probabilistic Dynamic Synthesis Method to the Analysis of a Realistic Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Andrew M.; Ferri, Aldo A.

1998-01-01

The Probabilistic Dynamic Synthesis method is a new technique for obtaining the statistics of a desired response engineering quantity for a structure with non-deterministic parameters. The method uses measured data from modal testing of the structure as the input random variables, rather than more "primitive" quantities like geometry or material variation. This modal information is much more comprehensive and easily measured than the "primitive" information. The probabilistic analysis is carried out using either response surface reliability methods or Monte Carlo simulation. A previous work verified the feasibility of the PDS method on a simple seven degree-of-freedom spring-mass system. In this paper, extensive issues involved with applying the method to a realistic three-substructure system are examined, and free and forced response analyses are performed. The results from using the method are promising, especially when the lack of alternatives for obtaining quantitative output for probabilistic structures is considered.

M13 Bacteriophage-Based Self-Assembly Structures and Their Functional Capabilities.

PubMed

Moon, Jong-Sik; Kim, Won-Geun; Kim, Chuntae; Park, Geun-Tae; Heo, Jeong; Yoo, So Y; Oh, Jin-Woo

2015-06-01

Controlling the assembly of basic structural building blocks in a systematic and orderly fashion is an emerging issue in various areas of science and engineering such as physics, chemistry, material science, biological engineering, and electrical engineering. The self-assembly technique, among many other kinds of ordering techniques, has several unique advantages and the M13 bacteriophage can be utilized as part of this technique. The M13 bacteriophage (Phage) can easily be modified genetically and chemically to demonstrate specific functions. This allows for its use as a template to determine the homogeneous distribution and percolated network structures of inorganic nanostructures under ambient conditions. Inexpensive and environmentally friendly synthesis can be achieved by using the M13 bacteriophage as a novel functional building block. Here, we discuss recent advances in the application of M13 bacteriophage self-assembly structures and the future of this technology.

M13 Bacteriophage-Based Self-Assembly Structures and Their Functional Capabilities

PubMed Central

Moon, Jong-Sik; Kim, Won-Geun; Kim, Chuntae; Park, Geun-Tae; Heo, Jeong; Yoo, So Y; Oh, Jin-Woo

2015-01-01

Controlling the assembly of basic structural building blocks in a systematic and orderly fashion is an emerging issue in various areas of science and engineering such as physics, chemistry, material science, biological engineering, and electrical engineering. The self-assembly technique, among many other kinds of ordering techniques, has several unique advantages and the M13 bacteriophage can be utilized as part of this technique. The M13 bacteriophage (Phage) can easily be modified genetically and chemically to demonstrate specific functions. This allows for its use as a template to determine the homogeneous distribution and percolated network structures of inorganic nanostructures under ambient conditions. Inexpensive and environmentally friendly synthesis can be achieved by using the M13 bacteriophage as a novel functional building block. Here, we discuss recent advances in the application of M13 bacteriophage self-assembly structures and the future of this technology. PMID:26146494

Application of the Probabilistic Dynamic Synthesis Method to Realistic Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Andrew M.; Ferri, Aldo A.

1998-01-01

The Probabilistic Dynamic Synthesis method is a technique for obtaining the statistics of a desired response engineering quantity for a structure with non-deterministic parameters. The method uses measured data from modal testing of the structure as the input random variables, rather than more "primitive" quantities like geometry or material variation. This modal information is much more comprehensive and easily measured than the "primitive" information. The probabilistic analysis is carried out using either response surface reliability methods or Monte Carlo simulation. In previous work, the feasibility of the PDS method applied to a simple seven degree-of-freedom spring-mass system was verified. In this paper, extensive issues involved with applying the method to a realistic three-substructure system are examined, and free and forced response analyses are performed. The results from using the method are promising, especially when the lack of alternatives for obtaining quantitative output for probabilistic structures is considered.

Periodic vortex pinning by regular structures in Nb thin films: magnetic vs. structural effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montero, Maria Isabel; Jonsson-Akerman, B. Johan; Schuller, Ivan K.

2001-03-01

The defects present in a superconducting material can lead to a great variety of static and dynamic vortex phases. In particular, the interaction of the vortex lattice with regular arrays of pinning centers such as holes or magnetic dots gives rise to commensurability effects. These commensurability effects can be observed in the magnetoresistance and in the critical current dependence with the applied field. In recent years, experimental results have shown that there is a dependence of the periodic pinning effect on the properties of the vortex lattice (i.e. vortex-vortex interactions, elastic energy and vortex velocity) and also on the dots characteristics (i.e. dot size, distance between dots, magnetic character of the dot material, etc). However, there is not still a good understanding of the nature of the main pinning mechanisms by the magnetic dots. To clarify this important issue, we have studied and compared the periodic pinning effects in Nb films with rectangular arrays of Ni, Co and Fe dots, as well as the pinning effects in a Nb film deposited on a hole patterned substrate without any magnetic material. We will discuss the differences on pinning energies arising from magnetic effects as compared to structural effects of the superconducting film. This work was supported by NSF and DOE. M.I. Montero acknowledges postdoctoral fellowship by the Secretaria de Estado de Educacion y Universidades (Spain).

Precision glass molding: Toward an optimal fabrication of optical lenses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Liangchi; Liu, Weidong

2017-03-01

It is costly and time consuming to use machining processes, such as grinding, polishing and lapping, to produce optical glass lenses with complex features. Precision glass molding (PGM) has thus been developed to realize an efficient manufacture of such optical components in a single step. However, PGM faces various technical challenges. For example, a PGM process must be carried out within the super-cooled region of optical glass above its glass transition temperature, in which the material has an unstable non-equilibrium structure. Within a narrow window of allowable temperature variation, the glass viscosity can change from 105 to 1012 Pas due to the kinetic fragility of the super-cooled liquid. This makes a PGM process sensitive to its molding temperature. In addition, because of the structural relaxation in this temperature window, the atomic structure that governs the material properties is strongly dependent on time and thermal history. Such complexity often leads to residual stresses and shape distortion in a lens molded, causing unexpected changes in density and refractive index. This review will discuss some of the central issues in PGM processes and provide a method based on a manufacturing chain consideration from mold material selection, property and deformation characterization of optical glass to process optimization. The realization of such optimization is a necessary step for the Industry 4.0 of PGM.

Low-Dimensional Organic-Inorganic Halide Perovskite: Structure, Properties, and Applications.

PubMed

Misra, Ravi K; Cohen, Bat-El; Iagher, Lior; Etgar, Lioz

2017-10-09

Three-dimensional (3 D) perovskite has attracted a lot of attention owing to its success in photovoltaic (PV) solar cells. However, one of its major crucial issues lies in its stability, which has limited its commercialization. An important property of organic-inorganic perovskite is the possibility of forming a layered material by using long organic cations that do not fit into the octahedral cage. These long organic cations act as a "barrier" that "caps" 3 D perovskite to form the layered material. Controlling the number of perovskite layers could provide a confined structure with chemical and physical properties that are different from those of 3 D perovskite. This opens up a whole new batch of interesting materials with huge potential for optoelectronic applications. This Minireview presents the synthesis, properties, and structural orientation of low-dimensional perovskite. It also discusses the progress of low-dimensional perovskite in PV solar cells, which, to date, have performance comparable to that of 3 D perovskite but with enhanced stability. Finally, the use of low-dimensional perovskite in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodetectors is discussed. The low-dimensional perovskites are promising candidates for LED devices, mainly because of their high radiative recombination as a result of the confined low-dimensional quantum well. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Study of simple CFRP-metal joint failure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Jingquan; Rodriguez, Antonio; Emerson, Nicolas; Symmes, Arthur

2008-07-01

In millimeter wavelength telescope design and construction, there have been a number of mysterious failures of simple CFRF-metal joints. Telescope designers have not had satisfactory interpretations of these failures. In this paper, factors which may influence the failure of joints are discussed. These include stress concentration, material creep, joint fatigue, reasons related to chemical process and manufacture process. Extrapolation formulas for material creep, joint fatigue, and differential thermal stresses are derived in this paper. Detailed chemical and manufacturing factors are also discussed. All these issues are the causes of a number of early failures under a loading which is significantly lower than the strength of adhesives used. For ensuring reliability of a precision instrument structure joint, the designer should have a thorough understanding of all these factors.

The MP (Materialization Pattern) Model for Representing Math Educational Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Namyoun; Song, Il-Yeol; An, Yuan

Representing natural languages with UML has been an important research issue for various reasons. Little work has been done for modeling imperative mood sentences which are the sentence structure of math educational standard statements. In this paper, we propose the MP (Materialization Pattern) model that captures the semantics of English sentences used in math educational standards. The MP model is based on the Reed-Kellogg sentence diagrams and creates MP schemas with the UML notation. The MP model explicitly represents the semantics of the sentences by extracting math concepts and the cognitive process of math concepts from math educational standard statements, and simplifies modeling. This MP model is also developed to be used for aligning math educational standard statements via schema matching.

Some Inspection Methods for Quality Control and In-service Inspection of GLARE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinke, J.

2003-07-01

Quality control of materials and structures is an important issue, also for GLARE. During the manufacturing stage the processes and materials should be monitored and checked frequently in order to obtain a qualified product. During the operation of the aircraft, frequent monitoring and inspections are performed to maintain the quality at a prescribed level. Therefore, in-service inspection methods are applied, and when necessary repair activities are conducted. For the quality control of the GLARE panels and components during manufacturing, the C-scan method proves to be an effective tool. For in-service inspection the Eddy Current Method is one of the suitable options. In this paper a brief overview is presented of both methods and their application on GLARE products.