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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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36 records · Page 2

Viscosity anomaly of a metallic glass-forming liquid under high pressure

Viscosity, as a critical property closely associated with the glass-forming ability of a liquid, has been extensively studied with varying temperatures. However, its pressure dependence has not been well explored yet due to experimental difficulties. Here, we measured the viscosity of a metallic glass-forming liquid, Zr 46 Cu 37.6 Ag 8.4 Al 8 , at pressures up to 6.1 GPa above the melting points by falling-sphere viscometry with ultrafast synchrotron x-ray imaging. Overall, the viscosity increases with pressure, while surprisingly, there is an abrupt drop between 3.2 GPa and 3.7 GPa, indicating the possible existence of a pressure-induced liquid-to-liquid transition. Pressure could change the short- and medium-range orders in the multicomponent glass-forming liquid, as suggested by the different crystalline outcomes after cooling to room temperature at high- and low-pressure ranges. In conclusion, our work extended the viscosity investigation of metallic glass-forming liquids to the high-pressure regime, which will expand our understanding of liquid-liquid transitions and metallic glass formation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Revealing local order via high energy EELS

Short range order (SRO) is critical in determining the performance of many important engineering materials. However, accurate characterization of SRO with high spatial resolution – which is needed for the study of individual nanoparticles and at material defects and interfaces – is often experimentally inaccessible. Here, we locally quantify SRO via scanning transmission electron microscopy with extended energy loss fine structure analysis. Specifically, we use novel instrumentation to perform electron energy loss spectroscopy out to 12 keV, accessing energies which are conventionally only possible using a synchrotron. Our data is of sufficient energy resolution and signal-to-noise ratio to perform quantitative extended fine structure analysis, which allows determination of local coordination environments. To showcase this technique, we investigate a multicomponent metallic glass nanolaminate and locally quantify the SRO with <10 nm spatial resolution; this measurement would have been impossible with conventional synchrotron or electron microscopy methods. Finally, we discuss the nature of SRO within the metallic glass phase, as well as the wider applicability of our approach for determining processing–SRO–property relationships in complex materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Glass formation during combinatorial sputtering in binary alloys

Glass formation is a complex phenomenon influenced by thermodynamic and kinetic aspects, which are often controlled by extrinsic contributions. While bulk metallic glasses are typically multicomponent alloys, binary alloys offer a simplified approach to studying glass formation. In this study, we fabricated 57 binary alloy systems through combinatorial sputtering, where each alloy system is represented in 66 different alloys. We developed an automated analysis to determine structure and composition using X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy for over 3700 alloys. We found that ∼17 % of the alloys form glasses under the estimated cooling rate during sputtering of ∼10 8 K/s. Data analysis revealed that commonly used factors like atomic size ratio and heat of mixing are ineffective in predicting glass formation. However, the crystal structure mismatch of the alloys’ elements emerged as the strongest indicator of glass formation under sputtering conditions of binary alloys. Here, the differences in glass formation under slow cooling rates used for bulk glass formation and the here observed glass formation under rapid cooling rates are discussed.

Binary alloys↗

Description of the containerless melting of glass in low gravity

A brief description is given of a single-axis, acoustic levitator/furnace apparatus used to position, heat, melt, and quench multicomponent oxide, glass-forming compositions in low gravity. This apparatus is capable of processing eight approximately spherical samples (about 6 mm diameter) at temperatures up to 1550 C in a dry air atmosphere. Results are also presented for a containerless melting experiment conducted on SPAR VI where a ternary CaO-Ga2O3-SiO2 composition was levitated and quenched to a glass. Selected properties of the glass prepared on SPAR VI are compared with the properties of glass samples of identical composition prepared on earth.

Ray, C. S.↗

Ultrapure glass optical waveguide development in microgravity by the sol-gel process

Multicomponent, homogeneous, noncrystalline oxide gels can be prepared by the sol-gel process and these gels are promising starting materials for melting glasses in the space environment. The sol-gel process referred to here is based on the polymerization reaction of alkoxysilane with other metal alkoxy compounds or suitable metal salts. Many of the alkoxysilanes or other metal alkoxides are liquids and thus can be purified by distillation. The use of gels offers several advantages such as high purity and lower melting times and temperatures. The sol-gel process is studied for utilization in the preparation of multicomponent ultrapure glass batches for subsequent containerless melting of the batches in space to prepare glass blanks for optical waveguides.

Mukherjee, S. P.↗

Reliability of Materials and Components for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Planar stack solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) require seals that must operate reliably under demanding conditions for lifetimes of 40000 hours. This includes temperature fluctuations between 800°C and RT during on and off cycles, thermal stresses, oxidizing environments and chemical degradation to name a few. This comprehensive report provides results from long term testing of two commercially available multicomponent barium alkali silicate glasses: SCN and G6, chosen as sealing candidates. In this scope, the glass seals were deposited on YSZ and Al 2 O 3 substrates simulating electrolytes (Zrbased) and coatings (both zirconia and Al 2 O 3 ). The seal-substrate couples were subjected to 800°C under air and steam+H 2 +N 2 environments up to 40000 hours to test their integrity under real operating conditions. Extensive studies on the effects of exposure have been conducted over the span of testing at various time intervals. Within the context of characterization, mechanical properties such as density, roughness, thermal expansion and glass transition, viscosity and wettability behavior; and microstructural properties such as glass chemistries, defect formation (cracks and pores), phase transformations (devitrification) and glass-interface reactions are investigated. Results and discussions are provided with a focus on the degradation of the properties over long term interrupted testing.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗

Theoretical study of production of unique glasses in space

The potential of producing the glassy form of selected materials in the weightless, containerless nature of space processing is examined through the development of kinetic relationships describing nucleation and crystallization phenomena. Transformation kinetics are applied to a well-characterized system (SiO2), an excellent glass former (B2O3), and a poor glass former (Al2O3) by conventional earth processing methods. Viscosity and entropy of fusion are shown to be the primary materials parameters controlling the glass forming tendency. For multicomponent systems diffusion-controlled kinetics and heterogeneous nucleation effects are considered. An analytical empirical approach is used to analyze the mullite system. Results are consistent with experimentally observed data and indicate the promise of mullite as a future space processing candidate.

Larsen, D. C.↗

Spectroscopic determination of the in-situ composition of epoxy matrices in glass fiber reinforced composites

Computerized infrared analysis is applied to the characterization of a glass-reinforced crosslinked polyester. The method of factor analysis determines the number of independent components which constitute the polymeric matrix. Subsequently, the spectra of those components are fitted by a least-squares criterion to spectra of the multicomponent matrix, or, if the glass spectrum is included as an additional component, to the spectra of composites. The least-squares coefficients yield the matrix composition in terms of the initial reactant composition and the extent of crosslinking.

Antoon, M. K.↗

Spectroscopic determination of the in-situ composition of epoxy matrices in glass-fiber-reinforced composites

Computerized infrared analysis is applied to the characterization of a glass-reinforced crosslinked polyester. The method of factor analysis determines the number of independent components which constitute the polymeric matrix. Subsequently, the spectra of those components are fitted by a least-squares criterion to spectra of the multicomponent matrix, or, if the glass spectrum is included as an additional component, to the spectra of composites. The least-squares coefficients yield the matrix composition in terms of the initial reactant composition and the extent of crosslinking.

Antoon, M. K.↗

Ultrapure glass optical waveguide development in microgravity by the sol-gel process

Containerless melting of glasses in space for the preparation of ultrapure homogeneous glass for optical waveguides is discussed. The homogenization of the glass using conventional raw materials is normally achieved on Earth either by the gravity induced convection currents or by the mechanical stirring of the melt. Because of the absence of gravity induced convection currents, the homogenization of glass using convectional raw materials is difficult in the space environment. Multicomponent, homogeneous, noncrystalline oxide gels can be prepared by the sol-gel process and these gels are promising starting materials for melting glasses in the space environment. The sol-gel process is based on the polymerization reaction of alkoxysilane with other metal alkoxy compounds or suitable metal salts. Many of the alkoxysilanes or other metal alkoxides are liquids and thus can be purified by distillation.

Source record↗

Homogeneity of gels and gel-derived glasses

The significance and implications of gel preparation procedures in controlling the homogeneity of multicomponent oxide gels are discussed. The role of physicochemical factors such as the structure and chemical reactivities of alkoxides, the formation of double-metal alkoxides, and the nature of solvent(s) are critically analyzed in the context of homogeneity of gels during gelation. Three procedures for preparing gels in the SiO2-B2O3-Na2O system are examined in the context of cation distribution. Light scattering results for glasses in the SiO2-B2O3-Na2O system prepared by both the gel technique and the conventional technique are examined.

Mukherjee, S. P.↗

Mapping structural heterogeneity at the nanoscale with scanning nano-structure electron microscopy (SNEM)

Here, in this work, we explore the use of scanning electron diffraction (also known as 4D-STEM) coupled with electron atomic pair distribution function analysis (ePDF) to understand the local order (structure and chemistry) as a function of position in a complex multicomponent system, a hot rolled, Ni-encapsulated, Zr 65 Cu 17.5 Ni 10 Al 7.5 bulk metallic glass (BMG), with a spatial resolution of 3 nm. We show that it is possible to gain insight into the chemistry and chemical clustering/ordering tendency in different regions of the sample, including in the vicinity of nano-scale crystallites that are identified from virtual dark field images and in heavily deformed regions at the edge of the BMG. In addition to simpler analysis, unsupervised machine learning was used to extract partial PDFs from the material, modeled as a quasi-binary alloy, and map them in space. These maps allowed key insights not only into the local average composition, as validated by EELS, but also a unique insight into chemical short-range ordering tendencies in different regions of the sample during formation. The experiments are straightforward and rapid and, unlike spectroscopic measurements, don’t require energy filters on the instrument. We spatially map different quantities of interest (QoI’s), defined as scalars that can be computed directly from positions and widths of ePDF peaks or parameters refined from fits to the patterns. We developed a flexible and rapid data reduction and analysis software framework that allows experimenters to rapidly explore images of the sample on the basis of different QoI’s. The power and flexibility of this approach are explored and described in detail. Because of the fact that we are getting spatially resolved images of the nanoscale structure obtained from ePDFs we call this approach scanning nano-structure electron microscopy (SNEM), and we believe that it will be powerful and useful extension of current 4D-STEM methods.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Solid-solid phase transition via the liquid in a Pd 43 Cu 27 Ni 10 P 20 bulk metallic glass under conventional conditions

The microscopic mechanism of solid-solid phase transitions is a long-standing fundamental issue in materials science. Here we directly report the experimental evidence of the existence of an intermediate liquid during the solid-solid phase transition in a bulk Pd 43 Cu 27 Ni 10 P 20 alloy by in situ high temperature high energy X-ray diffraction, combined with the differential scanning calorimetry at slow heating rates down to 5 K/min. We elucidate that this intermediate liquid is attributed to the melting of the low-melting-point crystalline phases, rather than induced by the elastic stress energy along the interface proposed in literatures. This could also be a general feature in multicomponent alloys if a low-melting-point crystalline phase is formed together with other crystalline phases during heating. Furthermore, all results obtained here are scientifically sound and provide new insight into the phase transition theory, which will trigger more studies on the microscopic mechanism of solid-solid phase transition via an intermediate liquid.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Anion exchange membranes based on (3-acrylamidopropyl) trimethylammonium chloride (APTA) and phenyl Acrylate: Impact of crosslinker and crosslinker content on physiochemical properties and transport behavior of acetate and formate

CO 2 reduction cells are innovative devices that convert CO 2 into valuable chemicals, such as formate (OFm - ) and acetate (OAc - ), at the cathode. One of the key challenges in these devices is the development of ion exchange membranes that enable the transport of charge carriers between electrodes while minimizing the transfer of CO 2 reduction products. This study focuses on the preparation and characterization of crosslinked anion exchange membranes (AEMs) made of phenyl acrylate (PA) and (3-acrylamidopropyl) trimethylammonium chloride (APTA), crosslinked with either poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) or N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA). Here, the membranes are characterized to understand their physiochemical properties and corresponding transport behavior through characterization of water volume fraction, mechanical properties, ionic conductivity, ion exchange capacity, water contact angle, glass transition temperature as well as their permeability and solubility to formate and acetate. MBAA crosslinked membranes exhibit higher Young’s modulus and lower strain at break compared to PEGDA-crosslinked membranes, which is attributed to their shorter chain length. Within a series of membranes of varied comonomer content, for either PEGDA or MBAA as crosslinker, permeabilities generally follow free volume theory (increasing permeability with increasing water content where water content increases with decreasing crosslinker content). Interestingly, for membranes with different crosslinkers but analogous water volume fraction significant differences (∼2 orders of magnitude) in permeability are observed which we attribute to differences in chain mobility as characterized through the glass transition temperature.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

NASA Tech Briefs, June 2005

Topics covered include: Apparatus Characterizes Transient Voltages in Real Time; Measuring Humidity in Sealed Glass Encasements; Adaptable System for Vehicle Health and Usage Monitoring; Miniature Focusing Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer; Cryogenic High-Sensitivity Magnetometer; Wheel Electrometer System; Carbon-Nanotube Conductive Layers for Thin-Film Solar Cells; Patch Antenna Fed via Unequal-Crossed-Arm Aperture; LC Circuits for Diagnosing Embedded Piezoelectric Devices; Nanowire Thermoelectric Devices; Code for Analyzing and Designing Spacecraft Power System Radiators; Decision Support for Emergency Operations Centers; NASA Records Database; Real-Time Principal- Component Analysis; Fuzzy/Neural Software Estimates Costs of Rocket- Engine Tests; Multicomponent, Rare-Earth-Doped Thermal-Barrier Coatings; Reactive Additives for Phenylethynyl-Containing Resins; Improved Gear Shapes for Face Worm Gear Drives; Alternative Way of Shifting Mass to Move a Spherical Robot; Parylene C as a Sacrificial Material for Microfabrication; In Situ Electrochemical Deposition of Microscopic Wires; Improved Method of Manufacturing SiC Devices; Microwave Treatment of Prostate Cancer and Hyperplasia; Ferroelectric Devices Emit Charged Particles and Radiation; Dusty-Plasma Particle Accelerator; Frozen-Plug Technique for Liquid-Oxygen Plumbing; Shock Waves in a Bose-Einstein Condensate; Progress on a Multichannel, Dual-Mixer Stability Analyzer; Development of Carbon- Nanotube/Polymer Composites; Thermal Imaging of Earth for Accurate Pointing of Deep-Space Antennas; Modifications of a Composite-Material Combustion Chamber; Modeling and Diagnostic Software for Liquefying- Fuel Rockets; and Spacecraft Antenna Clusters for High EIRP.

Source record↗

Wide-temperature-spectrum self-lubricating coatings prepared by plasma spraying

Self-lubricating, multicomponent coatings, which lubricate over a wide range of operating conditions, are described. The coatings were successfully applied by plasma-spraying mixed powders onto superalloy substrates. They were evaluated in friction and wear experiments, and in sliding contact bearing tests. These coatings are wear resistant by virtue of their self lubricating characteristics rather than because of extreme hardness; a further benefit is low friction. Experiments with simple pin on disk sliding specimens and oscillating plain cylindrical bearing tests were performed to evaluate the tribological properties of the coatings. It was shown that coatings of nichrome, glass and calcium fluoride are self-lubricating from about 500 to 900 C, but give high friction at the lower temperatures. The addition of silver to the coating composition improved the low temperature bearing properties and resulted in coatings which are self-lubricating from cryogenic temperatures to at least 870 C; they are therefore, wide temperature spectrum, self-lubricating compositions.

Sliney, H. E.↗

Wide-temperature-spectrum self-lubricating coatings prepared by plasma spraying

Self-lubricating, multicomponent coatings, which lubricate over a wide range of operating conditions, are described. The coatings have been successfully applied by plasma-spraying mixed powders onto superalloy substrates. They have been evaluated in friction and wear experiments, and in sliding contact bearing tests. These coatings are wear resistant by virtue of their self-lubricating characteristics rather than because of extreme hardness; a further benefit is low friction. Experiments with simple pin on disk sliding specimens and oscillating plain cylindrical bearing tests were performed to evaluate the tribological properties of the coatings. It was shown that coatings of nichrome, glass and calcium fluoride are self-lubricating from about 500 to 900 C, but give high friction at the lower temperatures. The addition of silver to the coating composition improved the low temperature bearing properties and resulted in coatings which are self-lubricating from cryogenic temperatures to at least 870 C; they are therefore 'wide temperature spectrum,' self-lubricating compositions.

Sliney, H. E.↗

NASA Tech Briefs, June 2014

Topics include: Real-Time Minimization of Tracking Error for Aircraft Systems; Detecting an Extreme Minority Class in Hyperspectral Data Using Machine Learning; KSC Spaceport Weather Data Archive; Visualizing Acquisition, Processing, and Network Statistics Through Database Queries; Simulating Data Flow via Multiple Secure Connections; Systems and Services for Near-Real-Time Web Access to NPP Data; CCSDS Telemetry Decoder VHDL Core; Thermal Response of a High-Power Switch to Short Pulses; Solar Panel and System Design to Reduce Heating and Optimize Corridors for Lower-Risk Planetary Aerobraking; Low-Cost, Very Large Diamond-Turned Metal Mirror; Very-High-Load-Capacity Air Bearing Spindle for Large Diamond Turning Machines; Elevated-Temperature, Highly Emissive Coating for Energy Dissipation of Large Surfaces; Catalyst for Treatment and Control of Post-Combustion Emissions; Thermally Activated Crack Healing Mechanism for Metallic Materials; Subsurface Imaging of Nanocomposites; Self-Healing Glass Sealants for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Electrolyzer Cells; Micromachined Thermopile Arrays with Novel Thermo - electric Materials; Low-Cost, High-Performance MMOD Shielding; Head-Mounted Display Latency Measurement Rig; Workspace-Safe Operation of a Force- or Impedance-Controlled Robot; Cryogenic Mixing Pump with No Moving Parts; Seal Design Feature for Redundancy Verification; Dexterous Humanoid Robot; Tethered Vehicle Control and Tracking System; Lunar Organic Waste Reformer; Digital Laser Frequency Stabilization via Cavity Locking Employing Low-Frequency Direct Modulation; Deep UV Discharge Lamps in Capillary Quartz Tubes with Light Output Coupled to an Optical Fiber; Speech Acquisition and Automatic Speech Recognition for Integrated Spacesuit Audio Systems, Version II; Advanced Sensor Technology for Algal Biotechnology; High-Speed Spectral Mapper; "Ascent - Commemorating Shuttle" - A NASA Film and Multimedia Project DVD; High-Pressure, Reduced-Kinetics Mechanism for N-Hexadecane Oxidation; Method of Error Floor Mitigation in Low-Density Parity-Check Codes; X-Ray Flaw Size Parameter for POD Studies; Large Eddy Simulation Composition Equations for Two-Phase Fully Multicomponent Turbulent Flows; Scheduling Targeted and Mapping Observations with State, Resource, and Timing Constraints;

Source record↗