Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Structural properties”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2

Structural properties of bismuth-bearing semiconductor alloys

The structural properties of bismuth-bearing III-V semiconductor alloys InPBi, InAsBi, and InSbBi were studied theoretically. Bond energies, bond lengths, and strain coefficients were calculated for pure AlBi, GaBi, and InBi compounds and their alloys, and predictions were made for the mixing enthalpies, miscibility gaps, and critical metastable-to-stable material transition temperatures. Miscibility calculations indicate that InSbBi will be the most miscible, and the InPBi will be the the most difficult to mix. However, calculations of the hardness of the Bi compounds indicate that, once formed, the InPBi alloy will be harder than the other Bi alloys and substantially harder than the currently favored narrow-gap semiconductor HgCdTe.

Berding, M. A.↗

Energetics and structural properties of twist grain boundaries in Cu

Structural and energetics properties of atoms near a grain boundary are of great importance from theoretical and experimental standpoints. From various experimental work it is concluded that diffusion at low temperatures at polycrystalline materials take place near grain boundary. Experimental and theoretical results also indicate changes of up to 70 percent in physical properties near a grain boundary. The Embedded Atom Method (EAM) calculations on structural properties of Au twist grain boundaries are in quite good agreement with their experimental counterparts. The EAM is believed to predict reliable values for the single vacancy formation energy as well as migration energy. However, it is not clear whether the EAM functions which are fitted to the bulk properties of a perfect crystalline solid can produce reliable results on grain boundaries. One of the objectives of this work is to construct the EAM functions for Cu and use them in conjunction with the molecular static simulation to study structures and energetics of atoms near twist grain boundaries in Cu. This provides tests of the EAM functions near a grain boundary. In particular, we determine structure, single vacancy formation energy, migration energy, single vacancy activation energy, and interlayer spacing as a function of distance from grain boundary. Our results are compared with the available experimental and theoretical results from grain boundaries and bulk.

Karimi, Majid↗

A deep learning and finite element approach for exploration of inverse structure–property designs of lightweight hybrid composites

Hybrid composites have important applications, such as high-performance and lightweight materials in aerospace and automotive industries. Hybrid composites utilize the synergy of diverse fillers to achieve desired material properties, but usually have more complicated microstructures. While topology optimization can optimize a particular property, designing hybrid composites for customized mechanical performances, e.g. full-range stress–strain curve, remains challenging. Here, a computational framework that integrated finite element analysis (FEA) and artificial intelligence (AI) methods of Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks (cGAN) deep learning and transfer learning was developed to establish inverse structure–property relationships and design tailor-made hybrid composites. Based on FEA-generated datasets of hybrid fiber-particle–matrix microstructures and their corresponding full-range stress–strain curves, a cGAN architecture was trained to generate tailored microstructures and establish structure–property relationships. Similarity in microstructural features and well-matched stress–strain curves based on the AI-generated composites were achieved. In conclusion, transfer learning was used to expand the pre-trained model for designing different materials systems.

Hybrid composites↗

Dynamically hot galaxies. I - Structural properties

Results are reported from an analysis of the structural properties of dynamically hot galaxies which combines central velocity dispersion, effective surface brightness, and effective radius into a new 3-space (k), in which the axes are parameters that are physically meaningful. Hot galaxies are found to divide into groups in k-space that closely parallel conventional morphological classifications, namely, luminous ellipticals, compacts, bulges, bright dwarfs, and dwarf spheroidals. A major sequence is defined by luminous ellipticals, bulges, and most compacts, which together constitute a smooth continuum in k-space. Several properties vary smoothly with mass along this continuum, including bulge-to-disk ratio, radio properties, rotation, degree of velocity anisotropy, and 'unrelaxed'. A second major sequence is comprised of dwarf ellipticals and dwarf spheroidals. It is suggested that mass loss is a major factor in hot dwarf galaxies, but the dwarf sequence cannot be simply a mass-loss sequence, as it has the wrong direction in k-space.

Bender, Ralf↗

Lignin with controlled structural properties by N-heterocycle-based deep eutectic solvent extraction

The complex and heterogeneous nature of the lignin macromolecule has presented a lasting barrier to its utilization. To achieve high lignin yield, the technical lignin extraction process usually severely modifies and condenses the native structure of lignin, which is a critical drawback for its utilization in conversion processes. In addition, there is no method capable of separating lignin from plant biomass with controlled structural properties. Here, we developed an N-heterocycle-based deep eutectic solvent formed between lactic acid and pyrazole (La–Py DES) with a binary hydrogen bonding functionality resulting in a high affinity toward lignin. In this study, up to 93.7% of lignin was extracted from wheat straw biomass at varying conditions from 90 °C to 145 °C. Through careful selection of treatment conditions as well as lactic acid to pyrazole ratios, lignin with controlled levels of ether linkage content, hydroxyl group content, and average molecular weight can be generated. Under mild extraction conditions (90 °C to 120 °C), light-colored native-like lignin can be produced with up to 80% yield, whereas ether linkage–free lignin with low polydispersity can be obtained at 145 °C. Overall, this study offers a new strategy for native lignin extraction and generating lignin with controlled structural properties.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Structure–property relations of sodium iron phosphate nuclear waste glasses: Effects of iron redox ratio and glass composition

Iron phosphate glasses, known for their exceptional chemical durability and potential applicability in nuclear waste management, have gained significant attention over the years. The structures of these glasses are complicated by the coexistence of Fe 3+ and Fe 2+ , which plays a crucial role in determining their structures and properties. Here, this work uses molecular dynamics simulations to study the structural changes in Na 2 O–Fe 2 O 3 –P 2 O 5 glasses with varying glass composition and Fe 2+ /Fe 3+ redox ratio. It was found that the redox ratio and modifier contents significantly affected the short-range and medium-range orders in the glasses. Significant changes in the local environments around P 5+ and Fe 3+ were observed, as reflected by the bond distances and coordination numbers. Na + cations are found to preferentially associate with Fe 3+ (rather than Fe 2+ ), whereas Fe 2+ has stronger association with P 5+ than Na + , confirming the structural role of Fe 2+ as a glass modifier. The disruptions in P–O–P linkages upon increasing FeO suggest that FeO causes glass depolymerization. These glasses achieved higher connectivity with increasing Fe 3+ / (Fe 3+ + Fe 2+ ) ratios, conerting phosphorous Q 2 to Q 3 units and iron Q 5 units to Q 4 units. The decrease of nonbridging oxygen fractions with increasing Fe 3+ / (Fe 3+ + Fe 2+ ) ratios, through creating P–O–Fe linkages, is the main reason of enhanced network connectivity. Quantitative structure–property relationship analyses with different structural descriptors were used to correlate with measured properties. The analyses provided valuable insights into structure–property relationships, emphasizing the importance of choosing relevant energy parameters and defining glass network connectivity, particularly in F net descriptors. It was found the Fe–O–P linkage density exhibits strong correlations to measured dissolution rates, supporting the importance of these linkages in improving the chemical durability in iron phosphate glasses.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Correlation effects on coupled electronic and structural properties of doped rare-earth trihydrides

Rare-earth trihydride (𝑅⁢H 3 ) compounds exhibit intriguing coupled electronic and structural properties as a function of doping, hydrogen vacancies, and thermodynamic conditions. Theoretical studies of these materials typically rely on density functional theory (DFT), including the use of small supercells that may underestimate strong correlation effects and structural distortions which in turn may influence their metallicity. Here, we elucidate the roles of lattice distortions and correlation effects on the electronic properties of pristine and doped 𝑅⁢H 3 compounds by adopting DFT +U and quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods. Linear-response constrained DFT (LR-cDFT) methods find Hubbard U ≈ 2 eV for 𝑅 𝑑 orbitals and U ≈ 6 eV for H 𝑠 ⁡/N 𝑝 /O 𝑝 orbitals. The small U on Lu 𝑑 orbitals is consistent with QMC calculations on LuH 3 and LuH 2.875 ⁢N 0.125 . In pure face-centered-cubic (FCC) 𝑅⁢H 3 (𝑅 = Lu,Y) compounds, neither DFT nor DFT +U with the self-consistently determined U is enough to create a band gap, however a supercell with hydrogen distortions creates a small gap whose magnitude increases when performing DFT +U with self-consistently determined U values. Furthermore, correlation effects, in turn, have a moderate influence on the coupled structural and electronic properties of doped 𝑅⁢H 3 compounds and may be important when considering the competition between structural distortions and superconductivity.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Molecular insights into the structure-property relationships of 3D printed polyamide reverse-osmosis membrane for desalination

3D-printing is an emerging method for manufacturing polyamide (PA) reserve osmosis (RO) membranes for water treatment and desalination, which can precisely control membrane structural properties, such as thickness, roughness, and resolution. However, the synthesis-structure (i.e., degree of cross-linking (DC), m-phenylenediamine/trimesoyl chloride (MPD/TMC) ratio, and membrane thickness) to property (permeability and water-salt selectivity) relationships for these membranes has not been well understood. At the same time, a microscopic understanding of the physical mechanism of water and salt transport is needed to guide the design of high-performance 3D-printed membranes and improve the printing efficiency. Furthermore, the atomic-scale transport features and energetics of water and salt ions are studied at high pressure for the 3D-printed PA RO membranes with the different DCs and MPD/TMC ratios through non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations. Factoring in membrane structure properties, rejection ratio of salt ions and pressure-dependent water flux, 3D-printed PA membranes having an MPD/TMC ratio of 3.0:2.0 and a DC between 80%~90% attains ideal performance: high water flux, high rejection of salt ions, and excellent structural integrity. Mechanistically, water permeability for highly cross-linked PA RO membranes depends on the temporary on-and-off channels that allow water molecules to jump from one cavity to another at high pressure. In addition, higher pressures cause rapid compaction of PA membranes’ free volume and membrane thickness. Membrane failure at high pressure is determined by the DC and MPD/TMC ratios-dependent compressive yield strength. In short, these findings provide physical insights for optimizing existing PA membranes and designing next-generation desalination membranes at the molecular level.

3D-printed PA RO membrane↗

Structural properties of superplastically formed/diffusion-bonded orthogonally corrugated core sandwich plates

This paper describes a new superplastically formed/diffusion-bonded (SPF/DB) orthogonally corrugated sandwich structure, and presents formulae and the associated plots for evaluating the effective elastic constants for the core of this new sandwich structure. Comparison of structural properties of this new sandwich structure with the conventional honeycomb core sandwich structure was made under the condition of equal sandwich density. It was found that the SPF/DB orthogonally corrugated sandwich core has higher transverse shear stiffness than the conventional honeycomb sandwich core. However, the former has lower stiffness in the sandwich core thickness direction than the latter.

Ko, W. L.↗

Process-structure-property relationships for droplet-on-demand liquid-metal-jetted parts

Liquid metal jetting droplet-on-demand additive manufacturing is an attractive alternative to industry-standard, laser-based metal additive manufacturing techniques that use powder feedstocks and produce large heat affected zones. Liquid metal jetting provides a low feedstock footprint, minimal materials waste, less contamination and inclusions from feedstock, and is compatible with a large range of materials. However, little has been reported on the liquid metal jetting process-structure-property relationships that are crucial to understanding how to consistently print high quality metal parts. We investigate the effects of build plate temperature, infill pattern, and track raster rate on the macro- and microstructure, density, hardness, and tensile strength of metal parts created with our custom droplet-on-demand setup using pure tin feedstock as a surrogate for more relevant structural materials. We found that although the build plate temperature had the largest influence on the structure and properties, the infill pattern is an important factor for optimal structural integrity. It was observed that the track raster rate influenced track-to-track porosity and should be considered in toolpath development. Despite printing in ambient air, we could not identify oxide on the surface or in the bulk of the parts and saw no adverse effects on microstructure or tensile performance. The results and methods of this study will help guide future work in optimizing the liquid metal jetting process to reliably print parts using any liquid metal jetting system for a wide variety of metal feedstocks.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of CoVMnSb: Ab initio study

We present computational results on electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of CoVMnSb, a quaternary Heusler alloy. Our calculations indicate that this material may crystallize in two energetically close structural phases: inverted and regular cubic. The inverted cubic phase is the ground state, with ferrimagnetic alignment, and around 80% spin polarization. Despite having a relatively large bandgap in the minority-spin channel close to the Fermi level, this phase does not undergo a half-metallic transition under pressure. This is explained by the “pinning” of the Fermi level at the minority-spin states at the Γ point. At the same time, the regular cubic phase is half-metallic and retains its perfect spin polarization under a wide range of mechanical strain. Transition to a regular cubic phase may be attained by applying uniform pressure (but not biaxial strain). In practice, this pressure may be realized by an atomic substitution of non-magnetic atoms (Sb) with another non-magnetic atom (Si) of a smaller radius. Our calculations indicate that 25% substitution of Sb with Si results in a half-metallic regular cubic phase being the ground state. In addition, CoVMnSb0.5Si0.5 retains its half-metallic properties under a considerable range of mechanical pressure, as well as exhibits thermodynamic stability, thus making this alloy attractive for potential spintronic applications. We hope that the presented results will stimulate experimental efforts to synthesize this compound.

Physics↗

The effects of elevated temperatures on the structural properties of fiber composite materials suitable for use in space shuttle and other space vehicles

The effects of high temperatures on the structural properties of fiber composite materials for use in spacecraft structures are investigated. Various mechanical properties of boron reinforced aluminum alloys were measured. It was observed that cycling these materials through temperatures that varied from room temperature to 425 C could seriously degrade the properties. The extent of the observed effects depended on alloy type and the maximum cyclic temperature used. Results are discussed in terms of upper and lower strength bonds calculated from the strengths of individual fibers.

Wright, M. A.↗

Structure-Property Relationship in High Tg Thermosetting Polyimides

This viewgraph presentation gives an overview of the structure-property relationship in high glass transition temperatures (T(sub g)) thermosetting polyimides. The objectives of this work are to replace MDA in PMR-15 with 2,2-substituted benzidine and to evaluate the thermo-oxidative stability and mechanical properties of DMBZ-15 against PMR-15. Details are given on the T(sub g) of polyimide resins, the x-ray crystal structure of 2,2-Bis(trifluoro)benzidine (BFBZ), the isothermal aging of polyimide resins at 288 C under 1 atm of circulating air, the compressive strength of polyimide composites, and a gas evaluation profile of DMBZ-15 polyimide resins.

Chuang, Kathy C.↗

Sequence-Structure–Property Relationships in Short-Chain Polyesters: How Primary Structure Governs Macroscopic Performance

While polymer properties are fundamentally linked to their nanostructure, the influence of monomer sequence remains less understood than stereochemical factors like tacticity. This study examines how sequence distribution affects the thermal behavior and morphology of homo- and copolyesters, specifically comparing polymers derived from constitutionally identical monomers but with varying degrees of sequence regularity depending on monomer structure or polymerization selectivity. Our findings show that increasing sequence defects progressively diminish thermal stability, crystallinity, melting temperatures, and morphological order. As new materials become more compositionally complex, this work underscores the importance of sequence control in the design of advanced polymers for emerging applications.

Bocharova, Vera [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (OR↗