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At least 1,117 records · Page 62

Development of a protective decorative fire resistant low smoke emitting, thermally stable coating material

The development of suitable electrocoatings and subsequent application to nonconductive substrates are discussed. Substrates investigated were plastics or resin-treated materials such as FX-resin (phenolic-type resin) impregnated fiberglass mat, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether sulfone and polyimide-impregnated unidirectional fiberglass. Efforts were aimed at formulating a fire-resistant, low smoke emitting, thermally stable, easily cleaned coating material. The coating is to be used for covering substrate panels, such as aluminum, silicate foam, polymeric structural entities, etc., all of which are applied in the aircraft cabin interior and thus subject to the spillages, scuffing, spotting and the general contaminants which prevail in aircraft passenger compartments.

Source record↗

Capturing, Analyzing, Maintaining, and Disseminating Shape Memory Material Data Between Information Management Systems

With an increased demand on reducing the time, cost, and effort to develop new materials, Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) has received widespread attention in various engineering disciplines as a catalyst for significantly reducing experimental testing during the material design process. An ICME approach to design can enable ‘fit-for-purpose’ materials to be realized in engineering applications by incorporating well-understood process-property-performance relationships between the various length and time scales in a material’s structure, enabling material optimization. However, such an approach requires validated multiscale models at the various length scales for a material, which in turn requires a large amount of data, a robust means of storing the data, and the ability to link data to developed material models. The NASA Vision 2040 [1] has identified nine key elements to enabling ICME approaches in system level design, with one being “Data, Information, and Visualization”, thus outlining the importance of a robust information management system for ICME. As the relationship between microstructure, properties, and material performance become better understood and incorporated into multiscale models that can be leveraged in application design, the emergence of new materials with application-driven properties can be realized. One such new material class that has seen growing attention are shape memory materials (SMM), in which a material can transition between a deformed and undeformed state via a reversible phase transformation when subject to a thermal, mechanical, or magnetic load [2]. SMMs have been used widely in aerospace and biomedical industries, including applications such as actuators, low-shock mechanisms, medical staples, braces, and stents [3, 4]. These materials exhibit unique behavior due to their ability to transition between phases, and thus the mechanisms that enable this transition must be captured in a data information management system and incorporated into SMM material models. At NASA Glenn Research Center, the Shape Memory Materials Database (SMMD) Tool has been developed to capture the necessary information that governs SMM material behavior and provide users the ability to select and visualize various SMMs for a specific application [5]. The database contains point-wise data for published SMM materials, along with the pedigree metadata for traceability necessary for a robust information management system. The database is also capable of storing in-house test data performed at NASA GRC by interacting with the developed Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Analytics tool to extract the necessary point-wise values and populate the database. Although the SMMD Tool offers its users a single, authoritative source for SMM material data that is critical for model development and material design, the full material pedigree of the in-house test data for SMMs is not currently captured and is out of the scope for the SMMD tool. In this work, the schema for capturing SMM test data within the larger NASA GRC ICME Schema [6, 7, 8, 9] will be developed and implemented for thermomechanical tests conducted at NASA GRC. The developed schema will not only store the relevant data needed for the SMMD tool, but also the material pedigree (i.e., production of the bulk material, bulk material analysis, sample cut-out diagrams, sample fabrication procedure, etc.), test pedigree (i.e., test equipment used, measurement systems used, raw test data), and analysis pedigree (i.e., how the data in the SMMD tool is calculated). Furthermore, a Python-based framework will be developed to seamlessly interact between the SMA Analytics and SMMD tools, which will write the full dataset and associated metadata to the GRC Information Management System before passing the required point-wise data to the SMMD tool. Data informatics is a key element of the NASA Vision 2040, which requires not only that data is stored and maintained throughout the material lifecycle, but that the data is also accessible and reusable such that material development efforts can be minimized. Therefore, for an ICME design approach to be realized, a centralized information management system that drives the ICME process must be able to communicate with other databases. The work that will be presented in this presentation will therefore not only demonstrate the ability of NASA GRC’s information management system to capture SMM data, but also its ability to interact with pre-existing tools specialized for such materials.

Data management↗

Material Recover and Waste Form Development--2016 Accomplishments

The Material Recovery and Waste Form Development (MRWFD) Campaign under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Cycle Technologies (FCT) Program is responsible for developing advanced separation and waste form technologies to support the various fuel cycle options defined in the DOE Nuclear Energy Research and Development Roadmap, Report to Congress (April 2010). This MRWFD accomplishments report summarizes the results of the research and development (R&D) efforts performed within MRWFD in Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. Each section of the report contains an overview of the activities, results, technical point of contact, applicable references, and documents produced during the FY. This report briefly outlines campaign management and integration activities but primarily focuses on the many technical accomplishments of FY 2016. The campaign continued to use an engineering-driven, science-based approach to maintain relevance and focus.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Development of the Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and Experiment Apparatus for the International Space Station (ISS)

The Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) is a modular facility designed to accommodate the current and evolving cadre of peer-reviewed materials science investigations selected to conduct research in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS). The MSRF concept consists of three Materials Science Research Racks (MSRR-1, MSRR-2, and MSRR-3) which will be developed for phased deployment into the United States Laboratory Module beginning on the third Utilization Flight (UF-3). The facility will house the materials processing apparatus and common subsystems required for operating each device, and will use the ISS Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS). Each MSRR is an autonomous rack and will be comprised of on-orbit replaceable Experiment Modules, Module Inserts, investigation unique apparatus, and/or multi-user generic processing apparatus. The MSRF will be the primary apparatus for satisfying near-term and long-range materials science discipline goals and objectives with each MSRR supporting a wide range of materials science themes in the NASA research program.

Schaefer, D. A.↗

Magnetic hysterysis evolution of Ni-Al alloy with Fe and Mn substitution by vacuum arc melting to produce the room temperature magnetocaloric effect material

The development of magnetocaloric effect (MCE) material is done in order to reduce the damage of the ozone layer caused by the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) emitted into the air. The research dealing with synthesis of magnetocaloric materials based of Ni-Al Heusler Alloy structure and by varying substitution some atoms of Ni with Fe and Al with Mn on Ni-Al Heusler Alloy structure to become Ni{sub 44}Fe{sub 6}Mn{sub 32}Al{sub 18}. Vacuum Arc Melting (VAM) equipment is used to form the alloys on vacuum condition and by flowing argon gas atmosphere and then followed by annealing process for 72 hours. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) reveals that crystallite structure of material is observed. We define that Ni{sub 44}Fe{sub 6} as X{sub 2}, Mn{sub 25} as Y, and Al{sub 18}Mn{sub 7} as Z. Based on the XRD result, we observed that the general formula X{sub 2}YZ is not changed. The PERMAGRAF measurement revealed that there exists of magnetic hysterysis. The hysterysis show that the magnetic structures of the system undego evolution from diamagnetic to soft ferromagnetic material which all of the compound have the same crystallite structure. This evolution indicated that the change in the composition has led to changes the magnetic composition. Mn is the major element that gives strong magnetic properties to the sample. When Mn partially replaced position of Al, the sample became dominant to be influenced to improve their magnetic properties. In addition, substitution a part of Ni by Fe in the composition reveals a pinning of the domain walls in the sample.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Composite structural materials

The development and application of composite materials to aerospace vehicle structures which began in the mid 1960's has now progressed to the point where what can be considered entire airframes are being designed and built using composites. Issues related to the fabrication of non-resin matrix composites and the micro, mezzo and macromechanics of thermoplastic and metal matrix composites are emphasized. Several research efforts are presented. They are entitled: (1) The effects of chemical vapor deposition and thermal treatments on the properties of pitch-based carbon fiber; (2) Inelastic deformation of metal matrix laminates; (3) Analysis of fatigue damage in fibrous MMC laminates; (4) Delamination fracture toughness in thermoplastic matrix composites; (5) Numerical investigation of the microhardness of composite fracture; and (6) General beam theory for composite structures.

Loewy, Robert G.↗

Modeling the Effective Elasticity of Anisotropic Porous Materials

The development and optimization of composite materials designed for thermal protection of NASA’s spacecraft require understanding their physical response to high-enthalpy environments. To predict their macro-scale properties and behavior, high-fidelity 3D simulations are performed at the microscale on realistic representations of these composites. The digital microstructures are generated either synthetically or through X-ray micro-computed tomography reconstructions. One of the main challenges in the prediction of the structural response of heatshield materials is the computation of the effective elasticity of the fibrous composite, as well as the understanding of the deformation and stresses generated at the microscale. These are driven by the fiber layout within the microstructure and the distribution of the infused matrix. In this effort, the micro-mechanical linear elastic behavior of fibrous ablators is modeled using a numerical method based on the Multi-Point Stress Approximation (MPSA) finite volume scheme, a generalization of the more commonly used Multi-Point Flux Approximation (MPFA) that was presented at the 10th Ablation Workshop. To predict the behavior of fibrous and woven architectures, algorithms that compute the local fiber orientation are used. The implementation of the MPSA was verified using analytical solutions, engineering test cases, and compared against legacy Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software. The stress analysis models were then applied to real geometries used by NASA in thermal protection systems such as fibrous preforms and woven materials and the results were compared to experimental data.

Elasticity↗

Combining Chemistry, Material Science, Inspiration from nature, and Serendipity to Develop Stimuli-responsive Polymeric Materials

Neither of us can remember people talking about stimuli-responsive polymers when we were students. Even though this was still in the last century, it was almost 70 years after Staudinger's seminal paper "uber Polymerisation"![1] By the time we entered graduate school in the early 1990 s, the first papers on polymer light emitting diodes appeared, while research on electrically conducting, nonlinear optical, and other "functional" polymers was already in full swing. Looking back, there were some stimuli-responsive materials that were around at the time, but it took the better part of the last 30 years until the field had developed into what we think is one of the most vibrant areas of polymer science. Before the potential usefulness of this class of materials was recognized, researchers were focused on developing polymeric materials that would not respond to external influences, and in fact maintain (in particular) their mechanical properties in a wide range of environments. This has led to the development of many environmentally robust polymers, which have come to impact basically every aspect of our daily life. Ironically, this long-sought stability now comes back to haunt us in the form of plastic pollution, but this is another story. The concept of materials that adapt their properties in response to changing environmental conditions might appear like a complete reversal with respect to the original goals of creating stable materials. However, eventually a) it was recognized that materials that respond to a specific stimulus in a predictable and useful manner would significantly broaden the potential usefulness of polymers, and b) the field of polymer science had developed to the point where the rational design, preparation, and characterization of such materials became possible. The expression 'stimuli-responsive polymer' had been first used in the 1980's, however its use really only gained popularity a few decades later. In the early days, terms such as environmentally-sensitive or environmentally-responsive polymers, stimuli-reversible or stimuli-sensitive polymers, or polymers with phase transitions have also been used.

Rowan, Stuart J.↗

Structure Development of the Interphase between Drying Cellulose Materials Revealed by In Situ Grazing-Incidence Small-Angle X-ray Scattering

The nano- to microscale structures at the interface between materials can define the macroscopic material properties. These structures are extremely difficult to investigate for complex material systems, such as cellulose-rich materials. The development of new model cellulose materials and measuring techniques has opened new possibilities to resolve this problem. We present a straightforward approach combining micro-focusing grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate the structural rearrangements of cellulose/cellulose interfaces in situ during drying. Based on the results, we propose that molecular interdiffusion and structural rearrangement play a major role in the development of the properties of the cellulose/cellulose interphase; this model is representative of the development of the properties of joint/contact points between macroscopic cellulose fibers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Progress in Materials and Component Development for Advanced Lithium-ion Cells for NASA's Exploration Missions

Vehicles and stand-alone power systems that enable the next generation of human missions to the Moon will require energy storage systems that are safer, lighter, and more compact than current state-of-the- art (SOA) aerospace quality lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. NASA is developing advanced Li-ion cells to enable or enhance the power systems for the Altair Lunar Lander, Extravehicular Activities spacesuit, and rovers and portable utility pallets for Lunar Surface Systems. Advanced, high-performing materials are required to provide component-level performance that can offer the required gains at the integrated cell level. Although there is still a significant amount of work yet to be done, the present state of development activities has resulted in the synthesis of promising materials that approach the ultimate performance goals. This report on interim progress of the development efforts will elaborate on the challenges of the development activities, proposed strategies to overcome technical issues, and present performance of materials and cell components.

Reid, Concha, M.↗

Materials research and development needs to enable efficient and electrified buildings

Because of the complexity of modern buildings—with many interconnected materials, components, and systems—fully electrifying buildings will require targeted R&D and efficient coordination across those material, component, and system levels. Because buildings that consume the smallest amount of energy are easier to electrify, energy efficiency is a crucial step toward fully electrified buildings. Materials advances will play an important role in both reducing the energy intensity of buildings and electrifying their remaining energy use. Materials are currently being explored, discovered, synthesized, evaluated, optimized, and implemented across many building components, including solid-state lighting; dynamic windows and opaque envelopes; cold climate heat pumps; thermal energy storage; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC); refrigeration; non-vapor compression HVAC; and more. In this article, we review the current state-of-the-art of materials for various buildings end uses and discuss R&D challenges and opportunities for both efficiency and electrification.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗

Development of scintillation materials for medical imaging and other applications

Scintillation materials that produce pulses of visible light in response to the absorption of energetic photons, neutrons, and charged particles, are widely used in various applications that require the detection of radiation. The discovery and development of new scintillators has accelerated in recent years, due in large part to their importance in medical imaging as well as in security and high energy physics applications. Better understanding of fundamental scintillation mechanisms as well as the roles played by defects and impurities have aided the development of new high performance scintillators for both gamma-ray and neutron detection. Although single crystals continue to dominate gamma-ray based imaging techniques, composite materials and transparent optical ceramics potentially offer advantages in terms of both synthesis processes and scintillation performance. A number of promising scintillator candidates have been identified during the last few years, and several are currently being actively developed for commercial production. Purification and control of raw materials and cost effective crystal growth processes can present significant challenges to the development of practical new scintillation materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Lattice Reinforced Cermet Materials

This project developed ceramic-metal (cermet) composite materials reinforced with embedded metal lattices. The goal of the project was to develop materials that have a higher tensile and compressive strength as well as greater fracture toughness than conventional boron carbide-aluminum cermets. These materials have applications in structural applications as well as advanced vehicle and personnel armors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Physical interpretation and development of ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation techniques applied to the quantitative characterization of textile composite materials

The development and implementation of advanced ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation methods applied to the characterization of composite materials requires a better understanding of the physics underlying the interaction of ultrasound with the material. The purpose of this investigation is to identify and characterize the features of complex, three dimensional materials that limit the ability of ultrasound to detect flaws in this broad class of emerging materials. In order to explore the interaction of ultrasound with such complex media, we investigate the characteristics of ultrasonic fields which have propagated through samples with complex geometries and/or internal architecture. We focus on the physics that underlies the detection of flaws in such materials.

Miller, James G.↗

Development of advanced material composites for use as internal insulation for LH2 tanks (gas layer concept)

A program is described that was conducted to develop an internal insulation system for potential application to the liquid hydrogen tanks of a reusable booster, where the tanks would be subjected to repeated high temperatures. The design of the internal insulation is based on a unique gas layer concept, in which capillary or surface tension effects are used to maintain a stable gas layer, within a cellular core structure, between the tank wall and the contained liquid hydrogen. Specific objectives were to select materials for insulation systems that would be compatible with wall temperatures of 350 F and 650 F during reentry into the earth's atmosphere, and to fabricate and test insulation systems under conditions simulating the operating environment. A materials test program was conducted to evaluate the properties of candidate materials at elevated temperatures and at the temperature of liquid hydrogen, and to determine the compatibility of the materials with a hydrogen atmosphere at the appropriate elevated temperature. The materials that were finally selected included Kapton polyimide films, silicone adhesives, fiber glass batting, and in the case of the 350 F system, Teflon film.

Gille, J. P.↗

Development of Training Materials for Pathologists to Provide Machine Learning Validation Data of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Breast Cancer

The High Throughput Truthing project aims to develop a dataset for validating artificial intelligence and machine learning models (AI/ML) fit for regulatory purposes. The context of this AI/ML validation dataset is the reporting of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) density evaluations in hematoxylin and eosin-stained invasive breast cancer biopsy specimens. After completing the pilot study, we found notable variability in the sTILs estimates as well as inconsistencies and gaps in the provided training to pathologists. Using the pilot study data and an expert panel, we created custom training materials to improve pathologist annotation quality for the pivotal study. We categorized regions of interest (ROIs) based on their mean sTILs density and selected ROIs with the highest and lowest sTILs variability. In a series of eight one-hour sessions, the expert panel reviewed each ROI and provided verbal density estimates and comments on features that confounded the sTILs evaluation. We aggregated and shaped the comments to identify pitfalls and instructions to improve our training materials. From these selected ROIs, we created a training set and proficiency test set to improve pathologist training with the goal to improve data collection for the pivotal study. We are not exploring AI/ML performance in this paper. Instead, we are creating materials that will train crowd-sourced pathologists to be the reference standard in a pivotal study to create an AI/ML model validation dataset. The issues discussed here are also important for clinicians to understand about the evaluation of sTILs in clinical practice and can provide insight to developers of AI/ML models.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗