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At least 991 records · Page 55
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Compressional behavior and spin state of δ-(Al,Fe)OOH at high pressures

Hydrogen transport from the surface to the deep interior and distribution in the mantle are important in the evolution and dynamics of the Earth. An aluminum oxy-hydroxide, δ-AlOOH, might influence hydrogen transport in the deep mantle because of its high stability extending to lower mantle conditions. The compressional behavior and spin states of δ-(Al,Fe 3+ )OOH phases were investigated with synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy under high pressure and room temperature. Pressure-volume (P-V) profiles of the δ-(Al 0.908(9) 57 Fe 0.045(1) )OOH 1.14(3) [Fe/(Al+Fe) = 0.047(10), δ-Fe5] and the δ-(Al 0.832(5) 57 Fe 0.117(1) )OOH 1.15(3) [Fe/(Al+Fe) = 0.123(2), δ-Fe12] show that these hydrous phases undergo two distinct structural transitions involving changes in hydrogen bonding environments and a high- to low-spin crossover in Fe 3+ . A change of axial compressibility accompanied by a transition from an ordered ( P 2 1 nm ) to disordered hydrogen bond ( Pnnm ) occurs near 10 GPa for both δ-Fe5 and δ-Fe12 samples. Through this transition, the crystallographic a and b axes become stiffer, whereas the c axis does not show such a change, as observed in pure δ-AlOOH. A volume collapse due to a transition from high- to low-spin states in the Fe 3+ ions is complete below 32–40 GPa in δ-Fe5 and δ-Fe12, which i ~10 GPa lower than that reported for pure ε-FeOOH. Evaluation of the Mössbauer spectra of δ-(Al 0.824(10) 57 Fe 0.126(4) )OOH 1.15(4) [Fe/(Al+Fe) = 0.133(3), δ-Fe13] also indicate a spin transition between 32–45 GPa. Phases in the δ-(Al,Fe)OOH solid solution with similar iron concentrations as those studied here could cause an anomalously high ρ/ν Φ ratio (bulk sound velocity, defined as √K/ρ at depths corresponding to the spin crossover region (~900 to ~1000 km depth), whereas outside the spin crossover region a low ρ/ν Φ anomaly would be expected. Here, these results suggest that the δ-(Al,Fe)OOH solid solution may play an important role in understanding the heterogeneous structure of the deep Earth.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Short-range order and its impact on the CrCoNi medium-entropy alloy

Traditional metallic alloys are mixtures of elements in which the atoms of minority species tend to be distributed randomly if they are below their solubility limit, or to form secondary phases if they are above it. The concept of multiple-principal-element alloys has recently expanded this view, as these materials are single-phase solid solutions of generally equiatomic mixtures of metallic elements. This group of materials has received much interest owing to their enhanced mechanical properties 1,2,3,4,5 . They are usually called medium-entropy alloys in ternary systems and high-entropy alloys in quaternary or quinary systems, alluding to their high degree of configurational entropy. However, the question has remained as to how random these solid solutions actually are, with the influence of short-range order being suggested in computational simulations but not seen experimentally 6,7 . In this paper we report the observation, using energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy, of structural features attributable to short-range order in the CrCoNi medium-entropy alloy. Increasing amounts of such order give rise to both higher stacking-fault energy and hardness. These findings suggest that the degree of local ordering at the nanometre scale can be tailored through thermomechanical processing, providing a new avenue for tuning the mechanical properties of medium- and high-entropy alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Phase stability and elastic properties of Cr-V alloys

V is the only element in the periodic table that forms a complete solid solution with Cr and thus is particularly important in alloying strategy to ductilize Cr. This study combines first-principles density functional theory calculations and experiments to investigate the phase stability and elastic properties of Cr–V binary alloys. The cluster expansion study reveals the formation of various ordered compounds at low temperatures that were not previously known. These compounds become unstable due to the configurational entropy of bcc solid solution as the temperature is increased. The elastic constants of ordered and disordered compounds are calculated at both T = 0 K and finite temperatures. The overall trends in elastic properties are in agreement with measurements using the resonant ultrasound spectroscopy method. The calculations predict that addition of V to Cr decreases both the bulk modulus and the shear modulus, and enhances the Poisson’s ratio, in agreement with experiments. Decrease in the bulk modulus is correlated to decrease in the valence electron density and increase in the lattice constant. An enhanced Poisson’s ratio for bcc Cr–V alloys (compared to pure Cr) is associated with an increased density of states at the Fermi level. Furthermore, the difference charge density in the bonding region in the (110) slip plane is highest for pure Cr and decreases gradually as V is added. The present calculation also predicts a negative Cauchy pressure for pure Cr, and it becomes positive upon alloying with V. The intrinsic ductilizing effect from V may contribute, at least partially, to the experimentally observed ductilizing phenomenon in the literature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2015

Thermochemistry of Silicates

The thermodynamic properties of vapor and condensed phases of silicates are crucial in many fields of science. These quantities address fundamental questions on the formation, stability, transformation, and physical properties of silicate minerals and silicate coating compositions. Here the thermodynamic activities of silica and other species in solid solution have been measured by the analysis of the corresponding high temperature vapors using Knudsen Effusion Mass Spectrometry (KEMS). In first set of experiments KEMS has been used to examine the volatility sequence of species (Fe, SiO, Mg, O2 and O) present in the vapor phase during heating of fosterite-rich olivine (Fo93Fa7) up to 2400 C and to measure the Fe, SiO and Mg activities in its solid solution. The data of fosterite-rich olivine are essential for thermochemical equilibrium models to predict the atmospheric and surface composition of hot, rocky exoplanets (Lava Planets). In the second set of experiments the measured thermodynamic activities of the silica in Y2O3-SiO2 and Yb2O3-SiO2 systems are used to assess their reactivity and degradation recession as environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) in combustion environments (e.g. non-moveable parts of gas turbine engine).

Silicates↗
NASA NTRS2002

Nature of the Organic Signature in Dust from the Interstellar Medium: Laboratory Analog Studies

We measured the infrared (IR) nu(sub CH) absorption bands around 3.4 microns (2800 - 3000 cm(sup -1) in large laboratory-grown magnesium oxide (MgO) and natural olivine single crystals that crystallized from CO/CO2/H2O saturated melts. These bands are very similar to those from many astronomical sources, such as from dust in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM), from the outflow of evolved stars, etc., and they are characteristic of aliphatic -CH2- and -CH3 entities. In our laboratory single crystals the VCH bands arise from C-H entities that were introduced by a solid solution process, and that are imbedded in the mineral matrix in form of polyatomic C(sub n) entities with C atoms bonded to O and to H. Heating breaks the C-H bonds, causing hydrogen to disperse in the mineral matrix. C-H bonds are re-established rapidly during annealing. We propose that dust grains probably contain the same type of internal C(sub n)-H entities in solid matrix rather than an external organic layer covering the grain surfaces. Thermodynamical arguments show that the concentration of organics in solid solution in small grains can be comparable to that found in astronomical environments.

Freund, M. M.↗
DOE OSTI2026

First-principles insights into chromium-induced oxide phases in NiO

The high-temperature oxidation of Ni–Cr alloys leads to complex oxide scales comprising Ni(Cr)O solid solutions, NiCr 2 O 4 spinel, and Cr 2 O 3 corundum within the NiO matrix. Understanding the atomic-scale mechanisms of Cr segregation and precipitate formation is crucial for enhancing oxidation resistance. Here, we employ density functional theory calculations to investigate Cr behavior on NiO(100), (110), and (111) surfaces and in the bulk. Our results reveal that isolated Cr atoms preferentially segregate to the surfaces, stabilizing Ni(Cr)O solid solutions via strong Cr–O bonding, whereas Cr pairs and clusters favor subsurface migration and bulk aggregation, promoting nucleation of NiCr 2 O 4 and Cr 2 O 3 phases. These findings elucidate a size-dependent segregation mechanism linking Cr coordination environments to oxide phase evolution. This atomic-scale insight informs strategies to tailor oxide microstructures and enhance the high-temperature oxidation resistance of Ni–Cr alloys.

Chromium Segregation↗
DOE OSTI2017

On the P2-Na x Co 1– y (Mn 2/3 Ni 1/3 ) y O 2 Cathode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries: Synthesis, Electrochemical Performance, and Redox Processes Occurring during the Electrochemical Cycling

P2-type NaMO 2 sodiated layered oxides with mixed transition metals are receiving considerable attention for use as cathodes in sodium-ion batteries. A study on solid solution (1 – y)P2-Na x CoO 2 –( y )P2-Na x Mn 2/3 Ni 1/3 O 2 ( y = 0, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1) reveals that changing the composition of the transition metals affects the resulting structure and the stability of pure P2 phases at various temperatures of calcination. For 0 ≤ y ≤ 1.0, the P2-Na x Co (1– y ) Mn 2 y /3 Ni y /3 O 2 solid-solution compounds deliver good electrochemical performance when cycled between 2.0 and 4.2 V versus Na + /Na with improved capacity stability in long-term cycling, especially for electrode materials with lower Co content ( y = 1/2 and 2/3), despite lower discharge capacities being observed. The (1/2)P2-Na x CoO 2 –(1/2)P2-Na x Mn 2/3 Ni 1/3 O 2 composition delivers a discharge capacity of 101.04 mAh g –1 with a capacity loss of only 3% after 100 cycles and a Coulombic efficiency exceeding 99.2%. Cycling this material to a higher cutoff voltage of 4.5 V versus Na + /Na increases the specific discharge capacity to ≈140 mAh g –1 due to the appearance of a well-defined high-voltage plateau, but after only 20 cycles, capacity retention declines to 88% and Coulombic efficiency drops to around 97%. In situ X-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements conducted on composition Na x Co 1/2 Mn 1/3 Ni 1/6 O 2 ( y = 1/2) in the two potential windows studied help elucidate the operating potential of each transition metal redox couple. As a result, it also reveals that at the high-voltage plateau, all of the transition metals are stable, raising the suspicion of possible contribution of oxygen ions in the high-voltage plateau.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Vacancy-induced dislocations within grains for high-performance PbSe thermoelectrics

To minimize the lattice thermal conductivity in thermoelectrics, strategies typically focus on the scattering of low-frequency phonons by interfaces and high-frequency phonons by point defects. In addition, scattering of mid-frequency phonons by dense dislocations, localized at the grain boundaries, has been shown to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity and improve the thermoelectric performance. Here we propose a vacancy engineering strategy to create dense dislocations in the grains. In Pb 1$-$x Sb 2x/3 Se solid solutions, cation vacancies are intentionally introduced, where after thermal annealing the vacancies can annihilate through a number of mechanisms creating the desired dislocations homogeneously distributed within the grains. This leads to a lattice thermal conductivity as low as 0.4Wm -1 K -1 and a high thermoelectric figure of merit, which can be explained by a dislocation scattering model. As a result, the vacancy engineering strategy used here should be equally applicable for solid solution thermoelectrics and provides a strategy for improving zT.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tuning discharge voltage by Schottky electron barrier in P2-Na 2/3 Mg 0.205 Ni 0.1 Fe 0.05 Mn 0.645 O 2

Recently, Mg doped Na metal oxide layered cathode compounds have attracted strong interest for Na-ion battery applications. We report a new type of asymmetric phase evolution between charge and discharge is found to show much-enhanced discharge voltage in P2-Na 2/3 Mg 0.205 Ni 0.1 Fe 0.05 Mn 0.645 O 2 over the parent cathode compound. P2 solid solution is found to show an abnormal coexistence with O2-P2 two-phase reaction during discharge with simultaneous reduction of O, Ni, and Fe redoxes, distinct from the conventional P2-O2 two-phase reaction in the charge. Our analysis suggests that the P2 and O2 two-phase boundary forms a novel unidirectional Schottky barrier to impede electron and Na diffusions in discharge only, thus making the kinetically preferred P2 solid solution phase abnormally coexist with the two-phase region for high discharge voltage and low polarization. Our work demonstrates tuning dynamic evolution of electronic Schottky barrier as a new dimension for advanced kinetic design of high-performance battery cathode materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structural studies of metal nanoparticles using high-energy x-ray diffraction

The XRD patterns of nanoparticles exhibit broad Bragg peaks because of small size, where the contribution of diffuse component provides us with inherent structural information. Therefore, pair distribution function obtained from a Fourier transformation of high-energy XRD data and structure modeling on the basis of diffraction data becomes an essential tool to understand the structure of nanoparticles. This promising tool was utilized to obtain structural information of Pd/Pt bimetallic core/shell and solid-solution nanoparticles, which show much attention due to their improved hydrogen storage capacity and catalytic activity.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

First Principle based Thermal Conductivity Modeling of Metal Alloys with Applications on Uranium Alloys

Thermal conductivity is an important materials property related to heat transport, which is essential to many applications, ranging from thermoelectrics to nuclear reactor materials. High- quality thermal conductivity data is critical to these materials and their associated technologies, including the nuclear fuel materials like traditional oxide fuels and metallic uranium (U) fuels, e.g. U-Zr and U-Mo alloys. And thermal conductivity modeling is widely used to interpolate or extrapolate experimental data, to obtain high-quality thermal conductivity data over wide temperature and composition range, and to understand the impacts of different factors including defects and microstructures. However, a general thermal conductivity model for metal alloys which can work regrading different phase components is still missing. Also, for U alloys, a thermal conductivity model working with different phases is needed. Therefore, in this work, we developed thermal conductivity models for metal alloys, based on ab-initio calculations, semi-classical physics rules, and limited experimental data. The goals of these models are to help obtain high- quality thermal conductivity data within a little experimental input as possible, have models that are extendable to varying microstructures, including different types of irradiation effects, and provide mechanistic understanding of heat transfer in the modeled alloys. In this work, our model solves several challenges in the development. The DFT-BTE approach is applied to decrease the reliance on experimental data and make the model extendable to composition changes and defects. A practical and efficient way to combine the DFT inputs with physics rules is pointed out in this work too. A staged approach, which starts from simple cases of elemental metals, then extends to solid solutions, different compound phases, and multi-phase mixtures, is presented to work with the metal alloys in different phase components. Our models are demonstrated respectively on aU for elemental metal model, on U-Zr and U-Mo alloys in aU temperature range for multi-phase mixture model, on high-temperature U-Zr, U-Nb, and U-Mo alloys in the body-centered cubic phase for concentrated solid solution model, and on irradiated U-Mo alloys for irradiated metal alloy model. All models show great agreement with experimental data. In these demonstrations, our model shows its advantages compared to previous empirical fitting model. Our model requires fewer experimental data, due to the inputs from DFT. The quantitative insights into the different physical factors are provided in our model, as it incorporates the electron and phonon scattering mechanisms. Our model also can be extended to incorporate the contributions of point defects, grain boundaries, and noble gas bubbles, to integrate their effects on heat transfer. This model can serve as both a foundation for understanding the more complex thermal conductivity of realistic U alloy fuels and a useful tool to guide further modeling of thermal conductivity to aid materials and device design.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Computational Design of Interlayers for Thermally Stable Compositionally Graded Coatings on Nickel Alloys

To extend the service life of Ni-based superalloys, refractory metal coatings are often used. However, direct bonding between metals with dissimilar crystal structure promotes brittle intermetallic phase formation. This work presents a computational thermodynamic framework for high throughput design of functionally graded interlayers to suppress deleterious phases that may form at the interlayer. The Thermo-Calc software package was used to screen candidate metallic interlayer elements based on stability of solid-solution phases. Vanadium was identified as a promising interlayer due to its consistent suppression of intermetallic phases. Temperature-dependent phase diagram mapping between 600 and 1000 °C guided selection of a compositional pathway that significantly reduced intermetallic formation compared to directly joining the Ni-based and Nb refractory alloys. Time–temperature–transformation analysis was performed to assess whether equilibrium-predicted phases are kinetically accessible along regions of the graded path where non-solid-solution phases are not fully suppressed. The methodology was further applied to additional Ni-based alloy and coating systems, illustrating its transferability as an approach for rapid computational design of graded interlayers in dissimilar high-temperature materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Synthesis and luminescence enhancement of Eu{sup 3+}, Sm{sup 3+} co-doped Li{sub 1.11}Ta{sub 0.89}Ti{sub 0.11}O{sub 3} phosphor

Graphical abstract: Enhancement of red emission intensity and internal- and external-quantum efficiencies by co-doping of Eu{sup 3+} and Sm{sup 3+} ion in Li{sub 1.11}Ta{sub 0.89}Ti{sub 0.11}O{sub 3} phosphor. - Abstract: Phosphors based on the Li{sub 1+x}Ta{sub 1−x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 3} solid solutions (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.25) as host materials were investigated. The optimal composition of the host for red-light emitting phosphor was found to be Li{sub 1.11}Ta{sub 0.89}Ti{sub 0.11}O{sub 3} (x = 0.11) when activated with Eu{sup 3+}. In this work, in order to further enhance the emission intensity, a series of Eu{sup 3+}- and Sm{sup 3+}-doped Li{sub 1.11}Ta{sub 0.89}Ti{sub 0.11}O{sub 3} phosphors was synthesized by solid-state reaction. The phosphor doped with 2.5 wt% Eu{sub 2}O{sub 3} and 0.1 wt% Sm{sub 2}O{sub 3} showed the highly efficient red-light emission upon excitation at 399 nm, with the internal quantum efficiency being 98%. Its PL intensity was ca. 1.4 times higher than that of the 2.5 wt% Eu{sup 3+}-doped Li{sub 1.11}Ta{sub 0.89}Ti{sub 0.11}O{sub 3} phosphor, indicating that the small amount of Sm{sup 3+} acted as an effective sensitizer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Strong Electron-Phonon Coupling Superconductivity Induced by a Low-Lying Phonon in IrGe

The physical properties of the previously reported superconductor IrGe and the Rh 1-x Ir x Ge solid solution are investigated. IrGe has an exceptionally high superconducting transition temperature (T c =4.7 K) among the isostructural 1:1 late-metal germanides MGe (M=Rh, Pd, Ir, and Pt). Specific-heat measurements reveal that IrGe has an anomalously low Debye temperature, originating from a low-lying phonon, compared to the other MGe phases. A large jump at T c in the specific-heat data clearly indicates that IrGe is a strong coupling superconductor. In the Rh 1-x Ir x Ge solid solution, a relationship between an anomalous change in lattice constants and the Debye temperature is observed. We conclude that the unusually high T c for IrGe is likely due to strong electron–phonon coupling derived from the presence of a low-lying phonon.

Hirai, Daigorou↗
DOE OSTI2014

Phase Stability and Optoelectronic Properties of the Bixbyite Phase in the Gallium–Indium–Tin–Oxide System

X‐ray diffraction techniques were used to determine the phase boundaries of the In 2 O 3 solid solution phase in the Ga 2 O 3 – In 2 O 3 – SnO 2 ternary system. The effects of Ga and Sn content on the unit cell dimensions of the bixbyite phase were calculated by a linear regression fit, the results of which indicate the two substitutive cations have opposite and independent effects on the lattice parameter. These results suggest that the cations do not strongly interact with each other in the crystal. Measurements of optoelectronic properties were also taken on single‐phase bulk specimens within the solid solution to establish their dependence on composition. As anticipated, Sn doping yields corresponding increases in conductivity, reduction in the absolute value of Seebeck coefficient, and increase in optical band gap. In contrast, these properties are not significantly affected by varying Ga content, confirming that Ga behaves as an isovalent dopant at the low doping levels involved.

Dolgonos, Alex↗
DOE OSTI2023

High-Entropy Oxides in the Mullite-Type Structure

High-entropy materials (HEMs) represent a new class of solid solutions containing at least five different elements. Their compositional diversity makes them promising as platforms for the development of functional materials. We synthesized new HEMs in a mullite-type structure and present five compounds, i.e., Bi 2 (Al 0.25 Ga 0.25 Fe 0.25 Mn 0.25 ) 4 O 9 and A 2 Mn 4 O 10 with variations of A = Nd, Sm, Y, Er, Eu, Ce, and Bi, demonstrating the vast accessible composition space. By combining scattering, microscopy, and spectroscopy techniques, we show that our materials are mixed solid solutions. Remarkably, when following their crystallization in situ using X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we find that the HEMs form through a metastable amorphous phase without the formation of any crystalline intermediates. We expect that our synthesis is excellently suited to synthesizing diverse HEMs and therefore will have a significant impact on their future exploration.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗