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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Photophysical properties of [Ru(2,2′-bipyridine){sub 3}]{sup 2+} encapsulated within the Uio-66 zirconium based metal organic framework

The ability to encapsulate photo-active guest molecules within the pores of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) affords the opportunity to develop robust photocatalysts as well as solar energy conversion systems. An important criteria for such systems is stability of the new materials towards moisture, high temperatures, etc which preclude the use of many MOF frameworks. Here, the ability to encapsulate [Ru(II)(2,2′-bipyridine){sub 3}]{sup 2+}([Ru(bpy){sub 3}]{sup 2+}) into the cavities of the zirconium based MOF Uio-66 as well as the photophysical properties of the complex are reported. The X-ray powder diffraction data of the orange Uio-66 powder are consistent with the formation of Uio-66 in the presence of [Ru(bpy){sub 3}]{sup 2+}. The steady state emission exhibits a significant bathochromic shift from 603 nm in ethanol to 610 nm in Uio-66. The corresponding emission decay of the encapsulated [Ru(bpy){sub 3}]{sup 2+} complex is biexponential with a fast component of 128 ns and a slower component of 1176 ns (20 deg C). The slow component is consistent with encapsulation of [Ru(bpy){sub 3}]{sup 2+} into cavities with restricted volume that prevents the population of a triplet ligand field transition that is anti-bonding with respect to the Ru-N bonds. The origin of the fast component is unclear but may involve interactions of the [Ru(bpy){sub 3}]{sup 2+} encapsulated within large cavities formed through missing ligand defect sites within the Uio-66 materials. Co-encapsulated quenchers contained within these larger cavities gives rise to the reduced lifetimes of the [Ru(bpy){sub 3}]{sup 2+} complexes. - Graphical abstract: One-pot synthesis of Ru(II)tris(2,2-bipyridine)@Uio-66 (left) and the effects of encapsulation on the excited state energy levels and decay pathways of the Ru(II)tris(2,2-bipyridine) complex (right).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Calcium and zirconium as texture modifiers during rolling and annealing of magnesium–zinc alloys

Rolling experiments were carried out on a ternary Mg–Zn–Ca alloy and its modification with zirconium. Short time annealing of as-rolled sheets is used to reveal the microstructure and texture development. The texture of the as-rolled sheets can be characterised by basal pole figures with split peak towards the rolling direction (RD) and a broad transverse angular spread of basal planes towards the transverse direction (TD). During annealing the RD split peaks as well as orientations in the sheet plane vanish whereas the distribution of orientations tilted towards the TD remains. It is shown in EBSD measurements that during rolling bands of twin containing structures form. During subsequent annealing basal orientations close to the sheet plane vanish based on a grain nucleation and growth mechanism of recrystallisation. Orientations with tilt towards the TD remain in grains that do not undergo such a mechanism. The addition of Zr delays texture weakening. - Highlights: • Ca in Mg–Zn-alloys contributes to a significant texture weakening during rolling and annealing. • Grain nucleation and growth in structures consisting of twins explain a texture randomisation during annealing. • Grains with transverse tilt of basal planes preferentially do not undergo a grain nucleation and growth mechanism. • Zr delays the microstructure and texture development.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Structural transition in rare earth doped zirconium oxide: A positron annihilation study

Graphical abstract: New microstructural analysis and phase transition of rare earth doped mixed oxide compounds such as: Sm{sub 2−x}Dy{sub x}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} (where x = 0.0 ≤ x ≥ 2.0) that are potentially useful as solid oxide fuels, ionic conductors, optoelectronic materials and most importantly as radiation resistant host for high level rad-waste disposal, structural transition in the system is reported through positron annihilation spectroscopy as there is an indication in the X-ray diffraction analysis. Highlights: ► Zirconium oxide material doped with rare earth ions. ► The method of positron annihilation spectroscopy suggests a phase transition in the system. ► The crystal structure transformation from pure pyrochlore to defect fluorite type of structure is shown by X-ray diffraction results. -- Abstract: A series of compounds with the general composition Sm{sub 2−x}Dy{sub x}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7} (where 0 ≤ x ≥ 2.0) were synthesized by chemical route and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The rare earth ion namely Sm{sup +3} in the compound was gradually replaced with another smaller and heavier ion, Dy{sup +3} of the 4f series, there by resulting in order–disorder structural transition, which has been studied by positron annihilation lifetime and Doppler broadening spectroscopy. This study reveals the subtle electronic micro environmental changes in the pyrochlore lattice (prevalent due to the oxygen vacancy in anti-site defect structure of the compound) toward its transformation to defect fluorite structure as found in Dy{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7}. A comparison of the changes perceived with PAS as compared to XRD analysis is critically assayed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Effects of alpha-zirconium phosphate on thermal degradation and flame retardancy of transparent intumescent fire protective coating

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A transparent intumescent fire protective coating was obtained by UV-cured technology. • OZrP could enhance the thermal stability and anti-oxidation of the coating. • OZrP could reduce the combustion properties of the coatings. - Abstract: Organophilic alpha-zirconium phosphate (OZrP) was used to improve the thermal and fire retardant behaviors of the phenyl di(acryloyloxyethyl)phosphate (PDHA)-triglycidyl isocyanurate acrylate (TGICA)-2-phenoxyethyl acrylate (PHEA) (PDHA-TGICA-PHEA) coating. The morphology of nanocomposite coating was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effect of OZrP on the flame retardancy, thermal stability, fireproofing time and char formation of the coatings was investigated by microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS) and scanning electric microscope (SEM). The results showed that by adding OZrP, the peak heat release rate and total heat of combustion were significantly reduced. The highest improvement was achieved with 0.5 wt% OZrP. XPS analysis indicated that the performance of anti-oxidation of the coating was improved with the addition of OZrP, and SEM images showed that a good synergistic effect was obtained through a ceramic-like layer produced by OZrP covered on the surface of char.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Zirconium dioxide nanofilled poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) complexed with lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate as composite polymer electrolyte for electrochromic devices

Highlights: • Successful synthesis of electrolyte by blending PVdF-HFP, ZrO{sub 2} and LiCF{sub 3}SO{sub 3}. • ZrO{sub 2} increased electrolyte conductivity by two orders of magnitude. • ZrO{sub 2} doubled bulk mechanical strength of electrolyte in terms of Young’s modulus. • Electrolytes gave a optimum optical transmittance of 52.6%. - Abstract: Poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP) polymer electrolyte containing zirconium dioxide nanocrystals (ZrO{sub 2}-NC) and lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiCF{sub 3}SO{sub 3}) has been synthesized using the conventional solution casting method. The addition of ZrO2-NC into the polymeric substrate gave remarkable properties in terms of the electrolyte’s ionic conductivity as well as its bulk mechanical strength. The enhanced amorphicity of the polymeric substrate due to ZrO{sub 2} and the nanofiller’s high dielectric constant make an excellent combination to increase the ionic conductivity (above 10{sup −4} S cm{sup −1}). Increasing the nanofiller content raises the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte by two orders of magnitude of which the optimum is 2.65 × 10{sup −4} S cm{sup −1} at 13.04 wt% ZrO{sub 2}-NC loading. Also, the Young’s modulus, an indicator of electrolyte’s mechanical stability, dramatically increased to 207 MPa upon loading 13.04 wt% ZrO{sub 2}-NC. Using UV–vis spectroscopy, the electrolytes with 13.04% ZrO{sub 2}-NC scanned from 200–800 nm wavelengths exhibited a maximum optical transmittance of 52.6% at 10 μm film thickness. The enhanced conductivity, high mechanical strength and reasonable optical transmittance shown by our composite polymer electrolyte make an excellent electrolyte for future energy saving smart windows such as electrochromic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Coupled strain-induced alpha to omega phase transformation and plastic flow in zirconium under high pressure torsion in a rotational diamond anvil cell

Strain-induced α → ω phase transformation (PT) in the zirconium (Zr) sample under compression and plastic shear in a rotational diamond anvil cell (RDAC) is investigated using the finite element method (FEM). The fields of the volume fraction of the ω phase, all components of the stress tensor, and plastic strain are presented. Before torsion, PT barely occurs. During torsion under a fixed applied force, PT initiates at the center of the sample, where the pressure first reaches the minimum pressure for strain-induced α → ω PT, p d ε , and propagates from the center to the periphery and from the symmetry plane to the contact surface. Salient increase of the shear friction stress and pressure at the center of a sample, so-called pressure self-multiplication effect observed experimentally for some other materials, is predicted here for Zr. It is caused by much higher yield strength of the phase in comparison with the phase. Except at the very center of a sample, the total contact friction stress is equal to the yield strength in shear of the mixture of phases and the plastic sliding occurs there. Due to the reduction in sample thickness and radial material flow during torsion, the ω phase can be observed in the region where pressure is lower than p d ε , which may lead to misinterpretation of the experimental data for p d ε . For the same applied force, torsion drastically promotes PT in comparison with the compression without torsion. However, the PT process in RDAC is far from optimal: (a) due to the pressure self-multiplication effect, the pressure in the transformed region is much higher than that required for PT; (b) the region in which PT occurs is limited by the pressure p d ε and cannot be expanded by increasing a shear under a fixed force; and (c) the significant reduction in thickness during torsion reduces the total mass of the high-pressure phase. These drawbacks can be overcome by placing a sample within a strong gasket with an optimized geometry. It is shown that, due to strong pressure heterogeneity, characterization of α → ω and α → β PTs based on the averaged pressure contains large errors. Furthermore, the obtained results, in addition to providing an improved understanding of the strain-induced PTs, may be beneficial for the optimum design of experiments and the extraction of material parameters, as well as optimization and control of PTs by varying the geometry and loading conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Brittle nature and the related effects of zirconium hydrides in Zircaloy-4

The use of zirconium alloys such as Zircaloy-4 in nuclear reactors is limited by brittle hydride formation, for example in harsh reactor operating conditions such as those in the pressurized water reactors. Even though much research has studied this phenomenon, a more systematic, in-depth study of the effects of hydrides on the properties of Zircaloy-4, using various analytical techniques, can add more details to the understanding of these effects. In the current study, hydrogen charging was performed on Zircaloy-4 at different levels compatible with commercial reactor operating conditions and conditions in accident scenarios. Effects of hydriding on the Zircaloy-4 (α-(hcp)-Zr) tensile properties, together with an in-depth study of any relationship between tensile and the microstructural properties of the material, are discussed. While a moderate pinning effect on the equiaxed α-Zr grain size was observed, no significant change in bulk texture of the Zry-4 was revealed as the hydrogen level increased up to nominally 1230 wppmH. At a nominal value of 490 wppmH, Zircaloy-4 fractured at a low strain value just above the yielding point, and brittle tensile fracture was observed in a sample H-charged to nominally 1230 wppmH. The low ductility and brittle fracture of the samples were attributed to the presence of brittle inter-grain boundary hydrides. Finally, it was observed that brittle fracturing was also supported by intra-grain boundary hydrides that were affected by the tensile deformation of the sample.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Site specific dependencies of hydrogen concentrations in zirconium hydrides

Here, Zircaloy-4 specimens were H-charged up to 1230 wppmH. Intra-, inter- and trans-granular zirconium hydride precipitates (or ZrH 2–x where 1/(2–x) is the Zr/H molar ratio) were observed throughout the α-Zr matrix. Transmission Electron Microscopy and electron diffraction confirmed that the ZrH 2–x precipitates were face-centred cubic structures consistent with the δ-ZrH 2–x phase. Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy analysis of the δ-ZrH 2–x precipitates at three different nucleation spots displayed shifts in the plasmon energy loss peaks that can be attributed to local variations of the H content of the δ-ZrH 2–x precipitates rather than the presence of different ZrH 2–x phases as has previously been assumed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Development of a Modified Embedded Atom Force Field for Zirconium Nitride Using Multi-Objective Evolutionary Optimization

Zirconium nitride (ZrN) exhibits exceptional mechanical, chemical, and electrical properties, which make it attractive for a wide range of technological applications, including wear-resistant coatings, protection from corrosion, cutting/shaping tools, and nuclear breeder reactors. Despite its broad usability, an atomic scale understanding of the superior performance of ZrN, and its response to external stimuli, for example, temperature, applied strain, and so on, is not well understood. This is mainly due to the lack of interatomic potential models that accurately describe the interactions between Zr and N atoms. To address this challenge, we develop a modified embedded atom method (MEAM) interatomic potential for the Zr–N binary system by training against formation enthalpies, lattice parameters, elastic properties, and surface energies of ZrN (and, in some cases, also Zr3N4) obtained from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The best set of MEAM parameters are determined by employing a multiobjective global optimization scheme driven by genetic algorithms. Our newly developed MEAM potential accurately reproduces structure, thermodynamics, energetic ordering of polymorphs, as well as elastic and surface properties of Zr–N compounds, in excellent agreement with DFT calculations and experiments. As a representative application, we employed molecular dynamics simulations based on this MEAM potential to investigate the atomic scale mechanisms underlying fracture of bulk and nanopillar ZrN under applied uniaxial strains, as well as the impact of strain rate on their mechanical behavior. These simulations indicate that bulk ZrN undergoes brittle fracture irrespective of the strain rate, while ZrN nanopillars show quasi-plasticity owing to amorphization at the crack front. The MEAM potential for Zr–N developed in this work is an invaluable tool to investigate atomic-scale mechanisms underlying the response of ZrN to external stimuli (e.g, temperature, pressure etc.), as well as other interesting phenomena such as precipitation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Irreversible Multielement Diffusion and the Resulting Compositional and Processing Flexibility in the Synthesis and Densification of Lithium Aluminum Lanthanum Zirconium Oxide

Despite the broad interest in Al-doped lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (LLZO), the wide range of reported ionic conductivities suggests that the effect of processing parameters on the resulting phase purity and bulk conductivity is not well-understood. Here, in this work, we synthesized six separate series of LLZO with variations in Al concentration, Li excess, Li addition order, Li source, densification method, and mother powder to determine the effect on the composition, phase purity, density, and bulk conductivity. We found that a wider range of compositions (6.08–7.61 mol of Li and 0.06–0.23 mol of Al) than previously reported can result in cubic phase stability and that nearly all elements (Li, Al, Zr, and La) are lost to the MgO crucible during calcination and sintering. The manner in which different elements are lost is affected by the processing parameters. We observed that Al-doped LLZO shows great compositional flexibility in stabilizing the cubic phase, offering an explanation for the range of electrochemical performance metrics reported in the literature.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Dependence of Olefin Hydrogenation and Isomerization Rates on Zirconium Metal–Organic Framework Structure

Zirconium metal–organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) are a structurally diverse and well-defined class of materials studied in heterogeneous catalysis. Previously, we showed that partial dehydration of the Zr 6 O 8 node in NU-1000 results in heterolytic H 2 cleavage over adjacent Lewis acid and base sites, leading to catalytic conversion of 1-butene. In this work, given the ubiquity of the Zr 6 O 8 node as a secondary building unit (SBU) in Zr-MOFs, with many different potential MOF topologies and capping ligands surrounding the cluster, we study the influence of thermal pretreatments and MOF topology (MOF-808, NU-1000, UiO-66, and NU-1000-NDC) on the activity of the Zr 6 O 8 cluster for H 2 activation and 1-butene hydrogenation and isomerization. Diffuse reflectance IR in the presence of H 2 and pyridine shows that both thermal pretreatment and MOF topology affect the Brønsted acidity of protons generated from H 2 activation and their resulting activity for olefin conversion. High isomerization activity of dehydrated NU-1000 is correlated with the formation of μ 3 OH species after H 2 activation. Additionally, catalytic studies show that the geometry of open coordination sites on individual Zr 6 O 8 nodes influences butene hydrogenation. For this reason, MOF-808 gives anomalously low hydrogenation activity, despite its relatively high total number of open coordination sites, as calculated either from its crystal structure or from NH 3 adsorption. Furthermore, these results reiterate the importance of pretreatment in defining MOF catalytic activity and demonstrate that MOF topology, outside of simply affecting node accessibility, influences reactivity at individual nodes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2017

A New Class of Metal-Cyclam-Based Zirconium Metal–Organic Frameworks for CO 2 Adsorption and Chemical Fixation

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great promise in catalysis, mainly due to their high content of active centers, large internal surface areas, tunable pore size, and versatile chemical functionalities. However, it is a challenge to rationally design and construct MOFs that can serve as highly stable and reusable heterogeneous catalysts. Here two new robust 3D porous metal-cyclam-based zirconium MOFs, denoted VPI-100 (Cu) and VPI-100 (Ni), have been prepared by a modulated synthetic strategy. The frameworks are assembled by eight-connected Zr 6 clusters and metallocyclams as organic linkers. Importantly, the cyclam core has accessible axial coordination sites for guest interactions and maintains the electronic properties exhibited by the parent cyclam ring. The VPI-100 MOFs exhibit excellent chemical stability in various organic and aqueous solvents over a wide pH range and show high CO 2 uptake capacity (up to ~9.83 wt% adsorption at 273 K under 1 atm). Moreover, VPI-100 MOFs demonstrate some of the highest reported catalytic activity values (turnover frequency and conversion efficiency) among Zr-based MOFs for the chemical fixation of CO 2 with epoxides, including sterically hindered epoxides. Thus, the MOFs, which bear dual catalytic sites (Zr and Cu/Ni), enable chemistry not possible with the cyclam ligand under the same conditions and can be used as recoverable stable heterogeneous catalysts without losing performance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Charge transport in zirconium doped anatase nanowires dye-sensitized solar cells: Trade-off between lattice strain and photovoltaic parameters

Zirconium (Zr) is doped up to 5 at. % in anatase TiO{sub 2} nanowires by electrospinning and used as working electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. Variations observed in the photovoltaic parameters were correlated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, open circuit voltage decay, and X-ray diffraction measurements. Results show that homovalent substitution of Zr in TiO{sub 2} increased the chemical capacitance and electron diffusion coefficient which in turn decreased charge transport resistance and charge transit time. However, lattice strain due to size mismatch between the Zr{sup 4+} and Ti{sup 4+} ions decreased open circuit voltage and fill factor thereby setting a trade-off between doping concentration and photovoltaic properties.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Obtaining composite Zr-Al-O coating on the surface of zirconium by microplasma oxidation

The paper describes the application of the microplasma oxidation for production of Zr-Al-O composition on the surface of zirconium. Certification of a new-type power supply for depositing oxide ceramic coatings by microplasma oxidation was also carried out. The growth rate of Zr-Al-O coating amounted around 0.2 nm/s, which around 10 times exceeds that for depositing similar coatings using the similar equipment. We have studied the change of surface morphology and the chemical composition of the formed ceramic coating by means of EVO 50 scanning electron microscope and X-ray spectral analysis.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Synthesis, microstructure and dielectric properties of zirconium doped barium titanate

We report on synthesis, microstructural and relaxor ferroelectric properties of Zirconium(Zr) doped Barium Titanate (BT) samples with general formula Ba(Ti{sub 1-x}Zr{sub x})O{sub 3} (x=0.20, 0.35). These lead-free ceramics were prepared by solid state reaction route. The phase transition behavior and temperature dependent dielectric properties and composition dependent ferroelectric properties were investigated. XRD analysis at room temperature confirms phase purity of the samples. SEM observations revealed retarded grain growth with increasing Zr mole fraction. Dielectric properties of BZT ceramics is influenced significantly by small addition of Zr mole fraction. With increasing Zr mole fraction, dielectric constant decreases while FWHM and frequency dispersion increases. Polarization vs electric field hysteresis measurements reveal ferroelectric relaxor phase at room temperature. The advantages of such substitution maneuvering towards optimizing ferroelectric properties of BaTiO{sub 3} are discussed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Surface, structural and mechanical properties of zirconium ablated by KrF excimer laser radiation

We study the effect of the ambient – dry (air) and wet (propanol) – environment on the surface, structural and mechanical properties of zirconium samples after irradiation with a KrF excimer laser (wavelength of 248 nm, pulse duration of 20 ns and repetition rate of 20 Hz). The samples are exposed to an increasing number of laser pulses varying from 500 to 2000 in both media. Various features of the treated targets such as surface morphology, chemical composition, crystalline structure and hardness are analysed by complementary characterisation techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and Vickers hardness tester, respectively. Surface morphology and hardness are explained on the basis of modifications in crystalinity, residual pressures and chemical properties of the sample surface after its irradiation. (interaction of laser radiation with matter)

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Mechanistic model for stresses in the oxide layer formed on zirconium alloys

Zirconium alloys are widely used as the cladding material in pressurized-water-reactors. The oxide formed is subjected to compressive stresses, which relax over time. This may affect the protectiveness of the oxide layer by allowing crack formation. We present a mechanistic model to predict these stresses as a function of temperature and oxidation kinetics. Material parameters for elastic deformation, creep, and thermal expansion are taken from appropriate experimental studies and the resulting predictions for the evolution of the stress distributions are compared with other experimental data. Lastly, dislocation glide in the oxide is found to be the dominant mechanism of stress relaxation for temperatures below 900 K.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗