Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Solid phase processing science”

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 91 records · Page 5

Chemical Robotics Enabled Exploration of Stability in Multicomponent Lead Halide Perovskites via Machine Learning

Metal halide perovskites have attracted immense interest as a promising material for a variety of optoelectronic and sensing applications. However, issues regarding long-term stability have emerged as the key bottleneck for commercialization. Here, we develop an automated experimental workflow based on combinatorial synthesis and rapid throughput characterization to explore long-term stability of these materials in ambient conditions. We apply it to four model perovskite systems: MA x FA y Cs 1–x–y PbBr 3 , MA x FA y Cs 1–x–y PbI 3 , Cs x FA y MA 1–x–y Pb(Br x+y I 1–x–y ) 3 , and Cs x MA y FA 1–x–y Pb(I x+y Br 1–x–y ) 3 . Non-negative matrix factorization and Gaussian process regression are used to interpolate the photoluminescent behavior of the phase diagram. This interpolative regression analysis helps to distinguish mixtures that form solid solutions from those that segregate into multiple materials, pointing out the most stable regions of the phase diagram. Here, we find stability dependence on composition to be nonuniform within the composition space, suggesting the presence of potential preferential compositional regions. This proposed workflow is universal and can be applied to other solution-processable materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Theory-guided design of duplex-phase multi-principal-element alloys

Density-functional theory (DFT) is used to identify phase-equilibria in multi-principal-element and high-entropy alloys (MPEAs/HEAs), including duplex-phase and eutectic microstructures. Here, a combination of composition-dependent formation energy and electronic-structure-based ordering parameters were used to identify a transition from FCC to BCC favoring mixtures, and these predictions experimentally validated in the Al-Co-Cr-Cu-Fe-Ni system. A sharp crossover in lattice structure and dual-phase stability as a function of composition were predicted via DFT and validated experimentally. The impact of solidification kinetics and thermodynamic stability was explored experimentally using a range of techniques, from slow (castings) to rapid (laser remelting), which showed a decoupling of phase fraction from thermal history, i.e., phase fraction was found to be solidification rate-independent, enabling tuning of a multi-modal cell and grain size ranging from nanoscale through macroscale. Strength and ductility tradeoffs for select processing parameters were investigated via uniaxial tension and small-punch testing on specimens manufactured via powder-based additive manufacturing (directed-energy deposition). This work establishes a pathway for design and optimization of next-generation multiphase superalloys via tailoring of structural and chemical ordering in concentrated solid solutions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Atmospheric plasma spraying to fabricate metal‐supported solid oxide fuel cells with open‐channel porous metal support

Abstract Metal‐supported solid oxide fuel cells (MS‐SOFCs) have been fabricated by applying phase‐inversion tape‐casting and atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The effect of the binder amount of the phase‐inversion slurries on the microstructure development of the 430L stainless steel metal support was investigated. The pore structures, the viscosity of the slurry, porosity and permeability of the as‐prepared metal supports are significantly influenced by the amount of the binder. NiO–scandia‐stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) anode, ScSZ electrolyte and La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3−δ (LSCF) cathode layers were consecutively deposited on the metal support with an ideal microstructure by APS process. The effect of plasma power of the APS on the microstructure of the electrolyte and cathode was investigated. A dense electrolyte layer and a porous cathode layer were successfully obtained at 40 and 6 kW of the APS plasma power, respectively. MS‐SOFCs, with a cell configuration of 430L/Ni‐ScSZ/ScSZ/LSCF, achieved a maximum cell power density of 1079 mW cm −2 at 700°C using humidified H 2 as fuel and ambient air as oxidant. The corresponding ohmic resistance and total resistance of MS‐SOFCs was 0.14 and 0.32 Ω cm 2 , respectively. This work demonstrates the feasibility of fabricating high‐performance MS‐SOFCs with economical and scalable techniques.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Using limited neural networks to assess relative mechanistic influence on shock heating in granular solids

The rapid compaction of granular media results in localized heating that can induce chemical reactions, phase transformations, and melting. However, there are numerous mechanisms in play that can be dependent on a variety of microstructural features. Machine learning techniques such as neural networks offer a ubiquitous method to develop models for physical processes. Limiting what kind of microstructural information is used as an input and assessing normalized changes in network error, the relative importance of different mechanisms can be inferred. Here we utilize binned, initial density information as network inputs to predict local shock heating in a granular high explosive trained from large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. In this study, the spatial extent of the density field used in the network is altered to assess the importance and relevant length scales of the physical mechanisms in play, where different microstructural features result in different predictive capabilities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Defect evolution in Ni and solid-solution alloys of NiFe and NiFeCoCr under ion irradiation at 16 and 300 K

Single-phase concentrated solid-solution alloys (SP-CSAs) have shown unique chemical complexity at the levels of electrons and atoms, and their defect evolution is expected to be different from conventional dilute alloys. Single crystals of Ni, NiFe and NiFeCoCr are chosen as model systems to understand the chemical complexity on defect formation and damage accumulation in SP-CSAs under ion irradiation. The high-quality crystals were irradiated at 16 and 300 K to different ion fluences, to form irradiated region with little to heavy damages. Additionally, the ion-induced damage was determined using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry technique along a channeling direction (RBS/C) and the level of lattice damage in irradiated Ni and SP-CSAs was quantified from Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. The results are interpreted using the Multi Step Damage Accumulation model to reveal material damage accumulation kinetics. Key findings of the study are that in case of room temperature irradiations the damage level measured for complex alloys at the highest irradiation fluence of 2 × 10 15 cm -2 (~3 dpa) is significantly higher than that obtained for pure nickel samples and suggest two-step damage accumulation process with a defect transformation taking place at a fluence of about 1.5 × 10 15 cm -2 . Furthermore, structural and damage kinetic differences clearly imply that, with increasing degree of chemical complexity and high solid-solution strengthening effects from Ni to NiFe and to NiFeCoCr, the enhanced lattice stiffness resists to randomization of atomic configurations and inhibits the growth of extended defects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Solid-state reaction mediated microstructural evolution in a spark plasma sintered in situ Ti–B 4 C composite

For this study, a novel porosity-free in situ Ti–B 4 C composite was fabricated via spark plasma sintering (SPS). Detailed analysis of the phase evolution, coupling results from XRM, XRD and SEM-EBSD-EDS, indicate that primarily TiB 2 precipitates formed due to the in-situ reactions between the boron-carbide and titanium powders. The precipitation of TiB 2 resulted in the formation of a graphitic C-rich thin layer circumscribing the partially reacted B 4 C particles. Further progression of the in-situ reaction leads to the out-diffusion of the excess carbon from the B 4 C particles, across the graphite and TiB 2 phases, forming TiC upon reacting with the titanium matrix. Therefore, the final microstructure primarily consisted of TiB 2 , TiC, and partially reacted B 4 C phases, with small amounts of TiB, α-Ti, and graphite. Furthermore, the microstructure in these SPS processed in situ composites appeared to be the product of a solid-state Ti–B 4 C diffusion couple, substantially different from their fusion-based additively manufactured counterparts. Nano-indentation tests revealed a remarkably high average hardness of ~25 GPa for this SPS-processed Ti–B 4 C composite and comparable (with literature) phase-specific hardness and modulus values for the constituent TiB 2 , TiC, and B 4 C phases.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Exploring the relationship between solvent-assisted ball milling, particle size, and sintering temperature in garnet-type solid electrolytes

Garnet-type solid electrolytes, such as Li 6.4 La 3 Zr 1.4 Ta 0.6 O 12 (LLZTO), are promising materials for solid-state batteries, but processing remains a challenge, in part due to the high sintering temperature required for densification. Additionally, this temperature can be lowered by decreasing the initial particle size via solvent-assisted ball milling, but the relationship between solvent choice, particle properties, sintering behavior, and ionic conductivity is not well understood. In this work, we systematically explore these parameters, showing that milling in commonly used protic solvents, such as alcohols, effectively decreases the particle size but results in lithium loss (through Li + /H + exchange) that leads to poor sintering. By contrast, milling in aprotic solvents with surfactant reduces the particle size to ~220 nm without lithium loss, enabling the fabrication of dense samples (5.1 g/cm 3 ) with good ionic conductivity (0.43 mS/cm at 25 °C) at a lower sintering temperature (1000 °C). We compare ionic conductivities and activation energies for samples prepared with different particle sizes and sintering temperatures and use multiphase-field simulations to identify the mass transport and microstructural mechanisms responsible for the observed sintering dependence on particle size. These results further clarify the relationship between processing parameters and performance and represent important progress toward overcoming fabrication challenges for these materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Understanding the TiH (2-x) /TiO y System at Elevated Temperature: A Literature Review

Titanium hydride of varying TiH stoichiometry is used in pyrotechnic compositions. In order to yield consistent performance, manufacturing processes must be developed to ensure precise and reproducible material properties, including composition and morphology. Legacy synthesis protocols are not comprehensive nor are the required apparatuses still available. To guide the development of novel production procedures, this report reviews literature on relevant chemical reactions and diffusion events occurring at elevated temperature in the TiH (2-x) /TiO y system. Titanium hydride exposed to air spontaneously forms a passivating oxide layer. Upon heating, significant hydrogen release, which is accompanied by changes to the surface oxide layer, is noted by 375–400°C. At higher temperatures (above about 500°C) the oxide layer is reported to be essentially nonexistent as a result of oxide-layer dissolution processes and, potentially, oxide-layer reduction due to water formation. Based on the reviewed literature, we hypothesize that, by 500°C, the surface layer consists of an oxyhydride phase, which is a solid solution of oxygen in titanium hydride. We believe that hydrogen release from titanium hydride is controlled by the kinetics of molecular hydrogen desorption on the oxyhydride surface. No literature data is available for corresponding activation energies of the dynamic desorption process, and the equilibrium phase diagram of this three-component system remains largely unexplored as well. These gaps in knowledge might be addressed through coordinated computational modeling and experimental efforts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Diffusion, atomic transport, and ordering in Al-Zr alloys: FCC and liquid phases

Additive manufacturing of materials with controlled microstructure demands knowledge of atomic scale properties near the solid-liquid transition state. Many of these properties are not affordable by experimental techniques and computer modeling is the possible solution to the problem. In this paper, we present the results of an extended atomistic study of intrinsic atomic transport due to vacancy diffusion in FCC and L12 solid phases and diffusion in the liquid phase of Al-Zr alloys. A deceleration of the overall self-diffusion was observed when Zr was added to Al. The effect was stronger in the solid and weaker in the liquid. Additionally, the effect was strongly temperature dependent in the solid phases, but not in the liquid. Atomic transport was chemically biased: transport of Zr atoms was significantly slower than that of Al atoms, and this bias effect was stronger in the solid phases. The overall diffusion and chemical ordering processes in the liquid state were five to six orders in magnitude faster than in the solid. Chemical short-range order parameters in the liquid saturated at values close to those in the ordered L12 structure of Al3Zr. Chemical and structural ordering in the solid phases was negligible over the modeled microsecond time scale. Here, the results are discussed in view of optimizing additive manufacturing parameters for the controlled formation of metastable L1 2 precipitates.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The transformation of diamond to graphite: Experiments reveal the presence of an intermediate linear carbon phase

Natural diamonds that have been partially replaced by graphite have been observed to occur in natural rocks. While the graphite-to-diamond phase transition has been extensively studied the opposite of this (diamond to graphite) remains poorly understood. We performed high-pressure and temperature hydrous and anhydrous experiments up to 1.0 GPa and 1300 °C using Amplex premium virgin synthetic diamonds (20–40 μm size) as the starting material mixed with Mg(OH) 2 as a source of H 2 O for the hydrous experiments. The experiments revealed that the diamond-to-graphite transformation at P = 1.0 GPa and T = 1300 °C was triggered by the presence of H 2 O and was accomplished through a three-stage process. Stage 1: diamond reacts with a supercritical H 2 O producing an intermediate 200–500 nm size “globular carbon” phase. This phase is a linear carbon chain; i.e. a polyyne or carbyne. Stage 2: the linear carbon chains are unstable and highly reactive, and they decompose by zigzagging and cross-linking to form sp 2 -hybridized structures. Stage 3: normal, disordered, and onion-like graphite is produced by the decomposition of the sp-hybridized carbon chains which are re-organized into sp 2 bonds. Our experiments show that there is no direct transformation from sp 3 C-bonds into sp 2 C-bonds. Our hydrous high-pressure and high-temperature experiments show that the diamond-to-graphite transformation requires an intermediate metastable phase of a linear hydrocarbon. This process also provides a simple mechanism for the substitution of other elements into the graphite structure (e.g. H, S, O).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Unveiling the effect of Ni on the formation and structure of Earth’s inner core

Ni is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s core. Yet, its effects on the inner core’s structure and formation process are usually disregarded because of its electronic and size similarity with Fe. Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we find that the bcc phase can spontaneously crystallize in liquid Ni at temperatures above Fe’s melting point at inner core pressures. The melting temperature of Ni is shown to be 700 to 800 K higher than that of Fe at 323 to 360 GPa. hcp, bcc, and liquid phase relations differ for Fe and Ni. Ni can be a bcc stabilizer for Fe at high temperatures and inner core pressures. A small amount of Ni can accelerate Fe’s crystallization at core pressures. These results suggest that Ni may substantially impact the structure and formation process of the solid inner core.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

A shift between mineral and nonmineral sources of iron and sulfur causes proteome-wide changes in Methanosarcina barkeri

ABSTRACT Iron (Fe) and sulfur (S) are required elements for life, and changes in their availability can limit the ecological distribution and function of microorganisms. In anoxic environments, soluble Fe typically exists as ferrous iron [Fe(II)] and S as sulfide (HS − ). These species exhibit a strong affinity that ultimately drives the formation of sedimentary pyrite (FeS 2 ). Recently, paradigm-shifting studies indicate that Fe and S in FeS 2 can be made bioavailable by methanogens through a reductive dissolution process. However, the impact of the utilization of FeS 2 , as opposed to canonical Fe and S sources, on the phenotype of cells is not fully understood. Here, shotgun proteomics was utilized to measure changes in the phenotype of Methanosarcina barkeri MS grown with FeS 2 , Fe(II)/HS − , or Fe(II)/cysteine. Shotgun proteomics tracked 1,019 proteins overall, with 307 observed to change between growth conditions. Functional characterization and pathway analyses revealed these changes to be systemic and largely tangential to Fe/S metabolism. As a final step, the proteomics data were viewed with respect to previously collected transcriptomics data to deepen the analysis. Presented here is evidence that M. barkeri adopts distinct phenotypes to exploit specific sources of Fe and S in its environment. This is supported by observed protein abundance changes across broad categories of cellular biology. DNA adjacent metabolism, central carbon metabolism methanogenesis, metal trafficking, quorum sensing, and porphyrin biosynthesis pathways are all features in the phenotypic differentiation. Differences in trace metal availability attributed to complexation with HS − , either as a component of the growth medium [Fe(II)/HS − ] or generated through reduction of FeS 2 , were likely a major factor underpinning these phenotypic differences. IMPORTANCE The methanogenic archaeon Methanosarcina barkeri holds great potential for industrial bio-mining and energy generation technologies. Much of the biochemistry of this microbe is poorly understood, and its characterization will provide a glimpse into biological processes that evolved close to life’s origin. The discovery of its ability to extract iron and sulfur from bulk, solid-phase minerals shifted a longstanding paradigm that these elements were inaccessible to biological systems. The full elucidation of this process has the potential to help scientists and engineers extract valuable metals from low-grade ore and mine waste generating energy in the form of methane while doing so.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Mass accommodation and gas–particle partitioning in secondary organic aerosols: dependence on diffusivity, volatility, particle-phase reactions, and penetration depth

Abstract. Mass accommodation is an essential process for gas–particle partitioning of organic compounds in secondary organic aerosols (SOA). The mass accommodation coefficient is commonly described as the probability of a gas molecule colliding with the surface to enter the particle phase. It is often applied, however, without specifying if and how deep a molecule has to penetrate beneath the surface to be regarded as being incorporated into the condensed phase (adsorption vs. absorption). While this aspect is usually not critical for liquid particles with rapid surface–bulk exchange, it can be important for viscous semi-solid or glassy solid particles to distinguish and resolve the kinetics of accommodation at the surface, transfer across the gas–particle interface, and further transport into the particle bulk. For this purpose, we introduce a novel parameter: an effective mass accommodation coefficient αeff that depends on penetration depth and is a function of surface accommodation coefficient, volatility, bulk diffusivity, and particle-phase reaction rate coefficient. Application of αeff in the traditional Fuchs–Sutugin approximation of mass-transport kinetics at the gas–particle interface yields SOA partitioning results that are consistent with a detailed kinetic multilayer model (kinetic multilayer model of gas–particle interactions in aerosols and clouds, KM-GAP; Shiraiwa et al., 2012) and two-film model solutions (Model for Simulating Aerosol Interactions and Chemistry, MOSAIC; Zaveri et al., 2014) but deviate substantially from earlier modeling approaches not considering the influence of penetration depth and related parameters. For highly viscous or semi-solid particles, we show that the effective mass accommodation coefficient remains similar to the surface accommodation coefficient in the case of low-volatility compounds, whereas it can decrease by several orders of magnitude in the case of semi-volatile compounds. Such effects can explain apparent inconsistencies between earlier studies deriving mass accommodation coefficients from experimental data or from molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings challenge the approach of traditional SOA models using the Fuchs–Sutugin approximation of mass transfer kinetics with a fixed mass accommodation coefficient, regardless of particle phase state and penetration depth. The effective mass accommodation coefficient introduced in this study provides an efficient new way of accounting for the influence of volatility, diffusivity, and particle-phase reactions on SOA partitioning in process models as well as in regional and global air quality models. While kinetic limitations may not be critical for partitioning into liquid SOA particles in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), the effects are likely important for amorphous semi-solid or glassy SOA in the free and upper troposphere (FT–UT) as well as in the PBL at low relative humidity and low temperature.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Visualization of Solid-State Synthesis for Chalcogenide Na Superionic Conductors by in-situ Neutron Diffraction

Chalcogenide superionic sodium (Na) conductors are great potential as solid electrolytes (SEs) in all-solid-state Na batteries with advantages of high energy density and safety, and cost effectiveness. For solid Na-ion conductors, their crystal structures and ionically conductive properties are strongly influenced by the synthetic approaches and processing parameters. Thus, understanding the synthesis process is essential to control the structures and phases and thereby yields to Na-ion conductors with desirable properties. Thanks to the high-flux and deep-penetrating time-of-flight neutron diffraction (ND), we employed in situ experiments to track real-time structural changes of two chalcogenide SEs (Na 3 SbS 4 and Na 3 SbS 3.5 Se 0.5 ) during the solid-state synthesis. For these two conductors, the ND results reveal a fast one-step reaction for the synthesis and the molten process when heating up, and the recrystallization as well as the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transition up on cooling. Moreover, Se-doping is found to influence the reaction temperatures, lattice parameter and structure stability based on neutron experimental observations and theoretical simulation. This work presents a detailed structural study using in situ neutron diffraction technology for the solid synthesis process of chalcogenide Na-ion conductors, beneficial for the design and synthesis of new solid-state conductors.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Powder spreading, densification, and part deformation in binder jetting additive manufacturing

Binder jetting additive manufacturing (AM) can print complex structures in economical and scalable manner. Binder jetting AM comprises of deposition and weak binding of particles, known as green part, at room temperature and subsequent binder removal and sintering densification at high temperatures. However, during the densification (i.e., sintering), the part significantly deforms due to volume shrinkage. The deformation during sintering is difficult to predict, which prevents the widespread application of this technology. In this research, powder spreading simulation using discrete element method (DEM) was performed first to capture local variations in powder bed configuration. Second, finite element method (FEM) with a phenomenological continuum constitutive model was used to predict part shrinkage during the sintering process. DEM simulation showed variations in packing density, particle segregation, formation of uneven powder bed surface, and shift in particle size distribution (PSD). The sintering simulation modeled part deformation with a reasonable accuracy of 3% for solid-state sintering and intermediate liquid phase sintering. A demonstration case with non-uniform initial packing density showed that inhomogeneous green part density and PSD should be accounted for prediction of part deformation in binder jetting AM.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Adamantine 1.0: A Thermomechanical Simulator for Additive Manufacturing

Adamantine is a thermomechanical simulation code that is written in C++ and built on top of deal.II (Arndt et al., 2023), p4est (Burstedde et al., 2011), ArborX (Lebrun-Grandié et al., 2020), Trilinos (The Trilinos Project Team, 2020), and Kokkos (Trott et al., 2022). Adamantine was developed with additive manufacturing in mind and it is particularly well adapted to simulate fused filament fabrication, directed energy deposition, and powder bed fusion. Adamantine employs the finite element method with adaptive mesh refinement to solve a nonlinear anisotropic heat equation, enabling support for various additive manufacturing processes. It can also perform elastoplastic and thermoelastoplastic simulations. It can handle materials in three distinct phases (solid, liquid, and powder) to accurately reflect the physical state during different stages of the manufacturing process. To enhance simulation accuracy, adamantine incorporates data assimilation techniques (Asch et al., 2016). This allows it to integrate experimental data from sensors like thermocouples and infrared (IR) cameras. This combined approach helps account for errors arising from input parameters, material properties, models, and numerical calculations, leading to more realistic simulations that reflect what occurs in a particular print.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Solid-phase hetero epitaxial growth of α-phase formamidinium perovskite

Conventional epitaxy of semiconductor films requires a compatible single crystalline substrate and precisely controlled growth conditions, which limit the price competitiveness and versatility of the process. We demonstrate substrate-tolerant nano-heteroepitaxy (NHE) of high-quality formamidinium-lead-tri-iodide (FAPbI 3 ) perovskite films. The layered perovskite templates the solid-state phase conversion of FAPbI 3 from its hexagonal non-perovskite phase to the cubic perovskite polymorph, where the growth kinetics are controlled by a synergistic effect between strain and entropy. The slow heteroepitaxial crystal growth enlarged the perovskite crystals by 10-fold with a reduced defect density and strong preferred orientation. This NHE is readily applicable to various substrates used for devices. The proof-of-concept solar cell and light-emitting diode devices based on the NHE-FAPbI 3 showed efficiencies and stabilities superior to those of devices fabricated without NHE.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Ultrafast visualization of phase transitions in nonequilibrium warm dense matter

Intense ultrafast laser excitation brings materials into highly nonequilibrium states with complex solid–liquid phase transitions. These ultrafast processes yield warm dense matter (WDM) conditions characterized by comparable thermal and Fermi energies, and strong ion–ion coupling. Here, we review recent studies employing mega-electron-volt ultrafast electron diffraction to resolve the structural dynamics of nonequilibrium WDM created by femtosecond laser heating of solids. Furthermore, for the study of warm dense gold, the results showed homogeneous melting that occurs within tens of picoseconds at absorbed energy densities of 0.4–1.4 MJ/kg. These results constrained the electron–ion coupling rate and revealed the melting sensitivity to nucleation seeds. For the study of radiation-damaged tungsten, the results showed a melting transition below the melting temperature. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested that this melting behavior is driven by vacancy defect clusters from radiation damage. These studies provided atomic-level insights into the melting behavior of materials under extreme conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗