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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-RC3 WSU Lind Dryland Research Station

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-RC3 WSU Lind Dryland Research Station. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-RC3 WSU Lind Dryland Research Station produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - RC3 operated from 2011-2016 at the Washington State University Lind Dryland Experimental Station, as part of a cluster of 5 towers (RC1 to RC5) operated for the Regional Approaches to Climate Change (REACCH) USDA-supported research project. Lind is in the low precipitation region of the Columbia Plateau dryland cropping region. The area is characterized as a stable crop-fallow agroecological zone, with crops typically grown every second year to allow soil water to accumulate during intervening fallow years. Winter wheat was grown August 2012-August 2013, and August 2014-July 2015. The growing seasons of 2012 and 2014 were fallow years. Soils at Lind are predominantly silt loam texture Mollisols in the Shano and Ritzville series. Site topography is flat.

Chi, Jinshu [The Hong Kong University of Science a↗
DOE OSTI2021

Adhesive Bonding of Copper Prepared by Laser-Interference near the Interference Structuring Limits

Adhesive bonding requires adequate surface preparation for ensuring an appropriate joint quality. The interest in adhesive joining has recently expanded to thermal systems having a large number of joints employed for manufacturing and assembly. This study presents surface topology of copper 110 produced by a laser-interference setup that would theoretically yield a periodicity of 1.7 μm, which is near the 1.6–2 μm structuring limit that was estimated based on thermal diffusion length scale for an 8 ns laser pulse. The results show that although the expected periodic interference structuring was not attained, the melt-induced texturing was affected by the laser-interference profile. Single-lap shear tests were performed with specimen surfaces prepared by traditional abrasion and laser-interference structuring methods. Several laser processing parameters, such as the laser spot size, density, number of pulses, and raster speed, were studied. Scanning electron microscope and profilometry measurements were used to characterize the processed surface microstructures. Web-like structures, which indicate widespread melting, were shown to be formed at different processing conditions. Based on the surface topologies investigated, two laser raster speeds were selected to make single-lap-joint specimens. Baseline joints were prepared by abrading joining specimens. The shear-lap strength and displacement at maximum load were shown to be higher by 16.8% and 43.8% for the laser-structured specimens than those of the baseline specimens, respectively. Moreover, the load-displacement curves indicated that the laser-structured joints were more ductile than those without laser-structuring. The increased ductility for the laser-structured joints was found to yield an increase in the energy absorbed during shear-lap testing of approximately of 80–90% over those measured for baseline joints. It is another indicator that laser-interference structuring enhanced the bonding performance of single-lap shear joints.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fabrication and durability characterization of superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused surfaces

Hypothesis: Practical applications of non-wetting surfaces require good mechanical durability in the wet environments for which they are intended to be used. Durability of non-wetting surfaces is influenced by the surface features, interaction with the functionalization agent, and the lubricant properties that can be tuned independently to identify optimal combination. Experiments: In this study, superhydrophobic and lubricant-infused surfaces are fabricated on copper tubes using chemical etching and electrodeposition texturing techniques, six different functionalizing agents, and five different infused lubricants. Through 180 fabrication combinations and 102 durability tests, each parameter is systematically studied for contributions to initial non-wetting behavior and its durability in heated, wet environment, under high-energy water jet impingement, and under accelerated flow conditions. Findings: Among the adsorbing and curing functionalization agents investigated, n-Hexadecyl mercaptan that belongs to the sulfhydryl group and Sylgard-184, respectively, showed high durability in heated water immersion and under jet impingement tests. For lubricant-infused surfaces, lubricants with high surface tension demonstrated high durability in heated water immersion test, whereas durability in hydrodynamic conditions is closely correlated to lubricant viscosity. Results showed that a lubricant-infused surface will maintain its non-wetting properties in dropwise condensation conditions for approximately 1.5 years.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Directed energy deposition of radially functionally graded nickel based superalloys IN625 and IN738: Microstructure and mechanical properties

This study investigates the microstructure and mechanical properties of radially functionally graded (RFG) materials fabricated from nickel-based superalloys IN625 and IN738 using directed energy deposition (DED). RFG cylindrical deposits with radial gradients of IN625-IN738 and IN738-IN625 were successfully fabricated and confirmed to be crack-free through tailored composition grading, scan strategy and process parameters that minimized thermal gradients and solidification velocities. Microstructural analysis revealed distinct variations across the gradient, characterized by differences in dendrite arm spacing, microsegregation, and the formation of distinct γ' precipitates and carbide/boride phases (MC, M 6 C, M 2 C, and MB 2 ) in as-deposited (AD) conditions, which evolved into M 23 C 6 and M 2 B upon subsequent heat treatment (HT). EBSD showed predominant columnar grains with a [100] texture, while microhardness profiles demonstrated consistent variation across the gradients. Mechanical testing highlighted the synergy of the graded structure, combining IN738's strength with IN625's ductility, resulting in enhanced properties such as a yield strength of 1131 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 1382 MPa, and elongation of 12 % for HT IN625-IN738 grading. Numerical simulations employing CALPHAD thermodynamic calculations and finite element thermal modeling are used to establish phase evolution and microstructural feature correlation with thermal profiles, aiding in the optimization of process-structure-property relationship.

Additive manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2020

In Situ Characterization of the Effect of Twin-Microstructure Interactions on {$1 0 \bar{1} 2$} Tension and {$1 0\bar {1} 1$} Contraction Twin Nucleation, Growth and Damage in Magnesium

Through in situ electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) experiments, this paper uncovers dominant damage mechanisms in traditional magnesium alloys exhibiting deformation twinning. The findings emphasize the level of deleterious strain incompatibility induced by twin interaction with other deformation modes and microstructural defects. A double fiber obtained by plane-strain extrusion as a starting texture of AM30 magnesium alloy offered the opportunity to track deformation by EBSD in neighboring grains where some undergo profuse {$1 0\bar {1} 2$} twinning and others do not. For a tensile loading applied along extrusion transverse (ET) direction, those experiencing profuse twinning reveal a major effect of grain boundaries on non-Schmid behavior affecting twin variant selection and growth. Similarly, a neighboring grain, with its $\langle$c$\rangle$-axis oriented nearly perpendicular to tensile loading, showed an abnormally early nucleation of {$1 0\bar {1} 1$} contraction twins (2% strain) while the same {$1 0\bar {1} 1$} twin mode triggering under $\langle$c$\rangle$-axis uniaxial compression have higher value of critical resolved shear stress exceeding the values for pyramidal $\langle$c + a$\rangle$ dislocations. The difference in nucleation behavior of contraction vs. compression {$1 0\bar {1} 1$} twins is attributed to the hydrostatic stresses that promote the required atomic shuffles at the core of twinning disconnections.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Commissioning of a Cask Enabling Characterization of Irradiated Nuclear Fuels with Pulsed Neutrons

Irradiation tests are a key component of nuclear fuel development and identifying typical and atypical regions in the irradiated fuel volume relies on very few characterization techniques. The goal of the effort reported here is to provide complementary measurements adding to the available parameter space for post irradiation examination as well as to inform subsequent hot cell PIE examinations by identifying typical and atypical regions with respect to microstructure, tomographic data, or isotope densities. Pulsed neutrons, enabling diffraction as well as energy-resolved neutron imaging and neutron absorption resonance spectroscopy, offer unique capabilities for this purpose. Time-of-flight neutron diffraction has the potential to offer efficient, non-destructive and non-contact microstructural characterization of irradiated fuel pins with spatial resolution of 1 mm 3 to 1 cm 3 while for energy-resolved neutron imaging (and by extension tomography) a resolution of 100 μm was demonstrated. The potential results include crystallinity vs. amorphous volumes and microstructural information such as phase compositions, lattice strains (indicative of residual stresses or chemistry variations) and textures from the diffraction data as well as distances (e.g. pellet to cladding), cracks, and isotopic distributions of minor actinides, fission products as well as fission gas partial pressures e.g. in the plenum from energy resolved neutron imaging.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2024

GRCop-42: Comparison between laser powder bed fusion and laser powder direct energy deposition

This study involves a comparative analysis of additively manufactured GRCop-42 specimens produced using two processes: laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and laser powder direct energy deposition (LP-DED). The investigation characterizes a range of material attributes, including surface topography, internal defects, microstructural features, quasi-static mechanical properties, and fractographic characteristics. The findings demonstrate that, despite the specimens being fabricated with the same base material, the resulting material properties vary significantly between the two additive manufacturing processes. As such, material properties cannot be presumed to be uniform across different manufacturing methods. Consequently, material characterization must be conducted for individual manufacturing processes based on specific parameters.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Progress Report on Mockup Irradiation Capsule Fuel Measurements at LANSCE

Irradiation tests are a key component of nuclear fuel development and identifying typical and atypical regions in the irradiated fuel volume relies on very few characterization techniques. The goal of the effort reported here is to provide complementary measurements adding to the available parameter space for post irradiation examination as well as to inform subsequent hot cell PIE examinations by identifying typical and atypical regions with respect to microstructure, tomographic data, or isotope densities. Pulsed neutrons, enabling diffraction as well as energy-resolved neutron imaging and neutron absorption resonance spectroscopy, offer unique capabilities for this purpose. Time-of-flight neutron diffraction has the potential to offer efficient, non-destructive and non-contact microstructural characterization of irradiated fuel specimen with spatial resolution of 1 mm 3 to 1 cm 3 while for energy-resolved neutron imaging (and by extension tomography) a resolution of 100 μm 3 was demonstrated. The potential results include crystallinity vs. amorphous volumes and microstructural information such as phase compositions, lattice strains (indicative of residual stresses or chemistry variations) and textures from the diffraction data as well as distances (e.g. pellet to cladding), cracks, and isotope densities of minor actinides, fission products as well as fission gas partial pressures e.g. in the plenum from energy resolved neutron imaging.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Growth and structure of alpha-Ta films for quantum circuit integration

Tantalum films incorporated into superconducting circuits have exhibited low surface losses, resulting in long-lived qubit states. The remaining loss pathways originate in microscopic defects that manifest as two level systems (TLSs) at low temperatures. These defects limit performance, so careful attention to tantalum film structures is critical for optimal use in quantum devices. In this work, we investigate the growth of tantalum using magnetron sputtering on sapphire, Si, and photoresist substrates. In the case of sapphire, we present procedures for the growth of fully-oriented films with α-Ta [1 1 1]//Al2O3 [0 0 0 1] and α-Ta [1 −1 0]//Al2O3 [1 0 −1 0] orientational relationships and having residual resistivity ratio (RRR) ∼ 60 for 220 nm thick films. On Si, we find a complex grain texturing with Ta [1 1 0] normal to the substrate and RRR ∼ 30. We further demonstrate airbridge fabrication using Nb to nucleate α-Ta on photoresist surfaces. For the films on sapphire, resonators show TLS-limited quality factors of 1.3 ± 0.3 × 106 at 10 mK (for a waveguide gap and conductor width of 3 and 6 μm, respectively). Structural characterization using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, low temperature transport, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and transmission electron microscopy reveal the dependence of residual impurities and screw dislocation density on processing conditions. The results provide practical insights into the fabrication of advanced superconducting devices including qubit arrays and guide future works on crystallographically deterministic qubit fabrication.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Semiconducting Two‐Dimensional Polymer as an Organic Electrochemical Transistor Active Layer

Abstract Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are devices with broad potential in bioelectronic sensing, circuits, and neuromorphic hardware. Their unique properties arise from the use of organic mixed ionic/electronic conductors (OMIECs) as the active channel. Typical OMIECs are linear polymers, where defined and controlled microstructure/morphology, and reliable characterization of transport and charging can be elusive. Semiconducting two‐dimensional polymers (2DPs) present a new avenue in OMIEC materials development, enabling electronic transport along with precise control of well‐defined channels ideal for ion transport/intercalation. To this end, a recently reported 2DP, TIIP, is synthesized and patterned at 10 µm resolution as the channel of a transistor. The TIIP films demonstrate textured microstructure and show semiconducting properties with accessible oxidation states. Operating in an aqueous electrolyte, the 2DP‐OECT exhibits a device‐scale hole mobility of 0.05 cm 2 V –1 s –1 and a µ C * figure of merit of 1.75 F cm –1 V –1 s –1 . 2DP OMIECs thus offer new synthetic degrees of freedom to control OECT performance and may enable additional opportunities such as ion selectivity or improved stability through reduced morphological modulation during device operation.

2D-polymer↗
DOE OSTI2020

Implications of post-processing induced microstructural changes on the deformation and fracture response of additively manufactured Ti–6Al–4V

Ti–6Al–4V parts fabricated via electron beam melting (EBM) powder bed fusion are often subjected to hot isostatic pressing below the β-transus temperature to mitigate defects. During which the pressure aids in pore closure and the thermal exposure results in coarsening of α phase while retaining the columnar prior-β phase grain morphology present in the as-fabricated condition. The same post-processing treatment can also be carried out above β-transus temperature which is an effective way to modify both the grain morphology and the associated α textures. Here, the objective of this work is to correlate thermally induced microstructural changes to the deformation and fracture response of the EBM processed Ti–6Al–4V. To this end, we have carried out both sub-transus and super-transus heat-treatments of the as-fabricated material. The mechanical response of the as-fabricated and all heat-treated materials are characterized by in-situ tensile tests under a high-resolution digital optical microscope. This enabled us to capture large-scale panoramic images of the deforming microstructure, and overcome the trade-off between the image resolution and the field of view during in-situ experiments. The series of images captured throughout the imposed deformation are subsequently used to perform microstructure-based digital image correlation to measure microstructural-scale strains over a large area. The results of the in-situ tests together with detailed fractographic analyses are then used to elucidate how the heterogeneous deformation spanning over multiple microstructural length-scales, for example, at the scale of lamellae, colonies of lamellae and grain boundaries, affect the overall deformation and fracture response of the post-processed materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Enhanced Transport of TiO 2 in Unsaturated Sand and Soil after Release from Biodegradable Plastic during Composting

Biodegradable plastics can reach full degradation when disposed of appropriately and thus alleviate plastic pollution caused by conventional plastics. But additives can be released into the environment during degradation, and the fate of these additives can be affected by the degradation process. In this study, we characterized TiO 2 particles released from a biodegradable plastic mulch during composting and studied the transport of the released TiO 2 particles in inert sand and agricultural soil columns under unsaturated flow conditions. TiO 2 microparticles were released from the biodegradable plastic mulch in both single particle and cluster forms. The released TiO 2 microparticles were fully retained in unsaturated soil columns due to its ne texture, slow flow rate, and favorable attachment conditions. But in unsaturated sand columns, the released TiO 2 microparticles were highly mobile. Additionally, comparison with the pristine TiO 2 microparticles revealed that the enhanced mobility of the released TiO 2 microparticles was caused by the presence of compost residues which blocked attachment sites on the sand surface. This study demonstrates that TiO 2 microparticles can be released during composting of biodegradable plastics, and the transport potential of the released TiO 2 microparticles in the terrestrial environment can be enhanced by the presence of compost material.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Soil Texture and Organic Matter from Teller Field Site and Barrow Environmental Observatory, Alaska, 2024

Understanding soil texture and organic matter content supports our understanding of hydrology and ecology of Arctic sites. Soil organic matter content and composition of sand, silt, and clay were measured from soils collected at the Teller 27 field site on the Seward Peninsula and at the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, on August 2nd and 6th 2024, respectively. Soil samples were collected from the active layer to varied depths. Precise location data were collected at each observation point using Avenza Maps on a mobile device. Sand, silt, clay, and organic matter percentages were measured at Desert Research Institute Soil Characterization and Quaternary Pedology Laboratory in Reno, NV. This dataset contains a *.csv file of soil properties, a *.kml file of measurement locations, a *.pdf user guide, a *.csv data dictionary, and a *.csv file level metadata.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of the AA7075 Tube Fabricated using Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE)

Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE) experimental setup and tooling were adopted for extruding thin-walled AA7075 aluminum tube from as-cast non-homogenized billet material in a single run. The mechanical and microstructural characterizations were performed on the extrudate in the as-extruded condition without subsequent heat treating. It was shown that the ShAPE process developed a significantly refined microstructure with uniform and almost equiaxed grain structure on both hoop and axial cross-sections of the extrudate as well as through the thickness of the material. The pole figures and inverse pole figures of the EBSD data showed an strong shear texture development, and it was found out that axial shear is the dominant deformation mechanism in the regions near the inner surface of the tube, while combined axial and torsional shears are the two dominant modes of deformation near the outer surface of the extrudate. As for the mechanical properties, there was an increase of 150% and 73% in the yield and ultimate strengths of the tube produced using ShAPE process, respectively, and a 18% decrease in maximum uniform plastic elongation compared to the conventionally extruded AA7075-O tube.

Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion, Friction ↗
DOE OSTI2021

Analysis of convection heat transfer on multiscale rough superhydrophobic and liquid infused surfaces

Multiscale rough superhydrophobic or slippery liquid infused porous surfaces have gained much interest in recent years for their improved transport phenomena properties. While there have been several studies on drag reduction and condensation on non-wetting surfaces, convection heat transfer that is important in many thermal and thermochemical applications has not been addressed systematically. Here, this article utilizes a fractal description of rough surface topographies to develop analytical models for the Nusselt number and the thermal hydraulic factor for fluid flow and heat transfer inside a cylinder with non-wetting surfaces. For air-infused superhydrophobic surfaces, the model considers the dynamic stability of the air/fluid interface in the asperities. Using the analytical formulations and the stability criteria, systematic studies are presented on the effects of the fractal surface parameters, cylinder radius and Reynolds number on the convective heat transfer characteristics, from which surface texture design maps are developed for maximizing the convection heat transfer. It is shown that multiscale non-wetting surfaces are most effective in the range of lower Reynolds number and small cylinder radius for achieving the best convective heat transfer and thermal hydraulic performance. Applying the models to actual non-wetting surface topographies fabricated using electrodeposition and chemical etching, it is shown that contrary to prevailing notion, superhydrophobicity, characterized by the highest contact angles, does not always lead to the maximum convective heat transfer performance, and that under certain fluid flow conditions, hydrophobic surfaces may offer a greater thermal performance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

High-Energy X-Ray Diffraction Microscopy in Materials Science

High-energy diffraction microscopy (HEDM) is an implementation of three-dimensional X-ray diffraction microscopy. HEDM yields maps of internal crystal orientation fields, strain states, grain shapes and locations as well as intragranular orientation distributions, and grain boundary character. Because it is nondestructive in hard materials, notably metals and ceramics, HEDM has been used to study responses of these materials to external fields including high temperature and mechanical loading. Currently available sources and detectors lead to a spatial resolution of ~1 μm and an orientation resolution of <0.1°. With the penetration characteristic of high energies ( E ≥ 50 keV), sample cross-section dimensions of ~1 mm can be studied in materials containing elements across much of the Periodic Table. This review describes hardware and software associated with HEDM as well as examples of applications. Overall, these applications include studies of grain growth, recrystallization, texture development, orientation gradients, deformation twinning, annealing twinning, plastic deformation, and additive manufacturing. We also describe relationships to other X-ray-based methods as well as prospects for further development.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Boundary characterization using 3D mapping of geometrically necessary dislocations in AM Ta microstructure

Additive manufacturing (AM) of high strength metallic materials produces microstructures and defects that deviate substantially from those created through conventional manufacturing methods. It has recently been demonstrated that with application of extreme energy densities, a high-temperature refractory metal, tantalum (Ta), can be printed to a fully dense state with exceptionally low porosity. Here we employ a combination of three-dimensional electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) TriBeam technology and crystallographic geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) theory to characterize the microstructure and defect boundaries of this unusual AM product. Two-dimensional (2D) EBSD and these three-dimensional (3D) measurements indicate that the microstructure of AM Ta is highly oriented <111> along the build direction, yet at the same time contains large crystallographic orientation gradients that span mm’s across the build. Crystallographic GND density analysis of the 3D microstructure reveals that highly misoriented subboundaries exist within this strongly textured microstructure that have large dislocation densities of 1×10 16 m –2 , just as large as those comprising the high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) in the same material. The 3D crystallographic GND density mapping reveals these subboundaries are part of a complex, finely spaced network that extends throughout the entire microstructure. Here, the orientation of these boundaries can be related to the scan strategy used during printing. TEM measurements corroborate an extremely high dislocation density at the microscale and indicate a cell-like dislocation network structure existing in the AM Ta at the sub-μm scale.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Correlation of critical current density to quasi-biaxial texture and grain boundary cleanliness in fully dense Bi-2212 wires

The distinctive quasi-biaxial texture of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O x (Bi-2212) plays an important role in enabling high critical current density ($J_c$) in Bi-2212 round wires (RWs). Here we studied three over pressure heat treated wires with $J_c$ varying by a factor of ~10, all being fully dense. Using electron backscatter diffraction, we observed the differences in biaxial texture in these three wires. Transmission electron microscopy also revealed differences in grain boundary (GB) cleanliness and connectivity. These analyses showed that high $J_c$ is unambiguously correlated to the best biaxial texture, which is in turn correlated to slow cooling from the liquid melt into solid Bi-2212. However, at 4.2 K, there is a negligible difference in intragrain pinning in the three wires, suggesting that the $J_c$ variation by a factor of ~10 is primarily due to variable filament and intergrain connectivity. In this work, the principal determinants of intergrain connectivity is the quasi-biaxial texture and GB cleanliness. Overall, $J_c$ optimization of the Bi-2212 RW is a complex multi-variable process, but this study shows that maximizing the biaxial texture quality is an important first step in such an optimization process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗