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At least 199 records · Page 11

Mapping of Texture and Phase Fractions in Heterogeneous Stress States during Multiaxial Loading of Biomedical Superelastic NiTi

Thermoelastic deformation mechanisms in polycrystalline biomedical-grade superelastic NiTi are spatially mapped using in situ neutron diffraction during multiaxial loading and heating. The trigonal R-phase is formed from the cubic phase during cooling to room temperature and subsequently deforms in compression, tension, and torsion. The resulting R-phase variant microstructure from the variant reorientation and detwinning processes are equivalent for the corresponding strain in tension and compression, and the variant microstructure is reversible by isothermal loading. The R-phase variant microstructure is consistent between uniaxial and torsional loading when the principal stress directions of the stress state are considered (for the crystallographic directions observed here). The variant microstructure evolution is tracked and the similarity in general behavior between uniaxial and torsional loading, in spite of the implicit heterogeneous stress state associated with torsional loading, pointed to the ability of the reversible thermoelastic transformation in NiTi to accommodate stress and strain mismatch with deformation. This ability of the R-phase, despite its limited variants, to accommodate stress and strain and satisfy strain incompatibility in addition to the existing internal stresses has significance for reducing irrecoverable deformation mechanisms during loading and cycling through the phase transformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Development and Characterization of Embedded Sensory Particles Using Multi-Scale 3D Digital Image Correlation

A method for detecting fatigue cracks has been explored at NASA Langley Research Center. Microscopic NiTi shape memory alloy (sensory) particles were embedded in a 7050 aluminum alloy matrix to detect the presence of fatigue cracks. Cracks exhibit an elevated stress field near their tip inducing a martensitic phase transformation in nearby sensory particles. Detectable levels of acoustic energy are emitted upon particle phase transformation such that the existence and location of fatigue cracks can be detected. To test this concept, a fatigue crack was grown in a mode-I single-edge notch fatigue crack growth specimen containing sensory particles. As the crack approached the sensory particles, measurements of particle strain, matrix-particle debonding, and phase transformation behavior of the sensory particles were performed. Full-field deformation measurements were performed using a novel multi-scale optical 3D digital image correlation (DIC) system. This information will be used in a finite element-based study to determine optimal sensory material behavior and density.

Cornell, Stephen R.↗

In Situ Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction Investigations of the Nonlinear Deformation Behavior of a Low Modulus β -Type Ti36Nb5Zr Alloy

The low modulus β-type Ti alloys usually have peculiar deformation behaviors due to their low phase stability. However, the study of the underlying mechanisms is challenging since some physical mechanisms are fully reversible after the release of the load. In this paper, the deformation behavior of a low modulus β-type Ti36Nb5Zr alloy was investigated with the aid of in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD) during tensile loading. The evolution of lattice strains and relative integrated diffraction peak intensities of both the β and α” phases were analyzed to determine the characteristics of the potential deformation mechanisms. Upon loading, the α” diffraction spots appeared at specific azimuth angles of the two-dimensional SXRD patterns due to the <110> fiber texture of original β grains and the selection of favorable martensitic variants. The nonlinear deformation behavior originated from a reversible stress-induced martensitic transformation (SIMT). However, the SIMT contributed a little to the large recoverable strain of over 2.0%, which was dominated by the elastic deformation of the β phase. Various deformation mechanisms were activated successively at different applied strains, including elastic deformation, SIMT and plastic deformation. Our investigations provide in-depth understandings of the deformation mechanisms in β-type Ti alloys with low elastic modulus.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A phase-field model for non-isothermal phase transformation and plasticity in polycrystalline yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia

Here we propose an elastoplastic phase-field (PF) model to investigate the mechanics of tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation (TMPT) and elastoplastic deformation of polycrystalline yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia (YSTZ). A Landau polynomial with non-vanishing chemical energy at the equilibrium temperature is introduced to account for the actual formation energies of the phases. The effects of different grain orientations, latent heat, and temperature on TMPT and deformation mechanisms are considered. The suppressive transformation effects of the grain boundaries (GBs) is modeled using an inhomogeneous kinetic coefficient in the bulk and GBs. The simulation results for single crystals demonstrate the capability of the model to reproduce the orientation-dependent compressive deformation of YSTZ similar to atomistic simulations and micropillar experiments. The single crystal with [100] crystallographic orientation along the loading direction (SC[100]) displays both TMPT and plasticity, SC[101] experiences only phase transformation, while SC[001] undergoes only plastic yielding. The TMPT induced by compressive loading exhibits shape memory effect (SME) below the equilibrium transformation temperature and pseudoelasticity above it, while the critical transformation stress increases with increasing loading temperature. The irrecoverable plastic strain is found to trap a part of the monoclinic phase, which prevents a complete reverse transformation. The polycrystalline cases also display SME and PE at low and high temperatures, respectively. Due to the orientation differences between grains and the stress concentrations at geometric nonlinearities, plastic deformation occurs in polycrystalline YSTZ for an applied load less than the yield stress. The results suggest a possible limitation of plasticity and an improvement of the shape recovery of YSTZ if one can control the orientation of the grains and/or increase the density of stacking faults at the GBs during material processing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

X-ray diffraction strains in laser-ablated aluminum, nickel, sodium, and invar: Pressures to 475 GPa

Dynamically compressed materials in longitudinal waves are described by two physical models: hydrostatic pressure, with equal, normal, principal stresses or material uniaxially strained in the wave propagation direction. These models are disparate, so experimental comparisons and evaluations are important. Polycrystalline material in a state of hydrostatic pressure will have no eccentricity of x-ray-diffracted Debye–Scherrer rings. A general three-dimensional solution of Bragg diffracted x rays based on principal crystallographic strains in the compression wave was found. The distortion of x-ray diffraction beams has been used for strain measurements; the analysis developed incorporates a strained reciprocal lattice and the incident x-ray beam. Strain-distorted Polanyi surfaces form an annulus of compression with an ellipsoid of revolution in reciprocal space, which is intersected by Ewald's sphere for Bragg diffraction. The in situ measurements for strain describe nanosecond diffraction evaluated using two planes, (hkl) and (h′k′l′), both in the same crystallographic phase. Diffraction from Al, Ni, Na, and Invar quantifies the compression axial strains in these materials: The compression axial ratios are 0.65, 1.05, 0.88, and 1.58 at pressures of 291, 402, 409, and 367 GPa for the respective materials. Crystal structure transformations with homogeneous pressurized stresses, mandating equal normal strains, should not be anticipated to agree with heterogeneous, uniaxially strained, and sheared crystalline phases. Measurements support in-plane strains increasing with pressure, p , in fcc and hcp aluminum as ε 22 = −0.21 p /TPa.

Alloys↗

First-principles study of the topological surface states of α-Sn(111)

α-Sn is on the boundary of a couple of distinct topological phases. It will transform into a topological insulator under a suitable strain. However, a clear picture of its topological surface states (TSSs) is still lacking. Furthermore we perform first-principles calculations on the electronic structure of α-Sn(111) surface to identify its TSSs and reveal their properties. The results show that the presence of valence band reorganizes the TSSs in the inverted sp gap into two Dirac cones. The lower one is in the valence band continuum; the upper one resides in the gap between the valence and conduction bands. We also demonstrate the transformation of the surface states by switching on or off of strain and/or spin-orbit coupling. Without spin-orbit coupling, only the TSSs associated with the lower Dirac cone survive, and they are spin unpolarized. The results are useful for understanding and engineering the topological properties of α-Sn.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Role of grain boundary crystallography on void growth in FCC metals

The growth of an isolated spherical void at and near a grain boundary or a triple junction is studied by means of full-field crystal plasticity simulations with explicit representation of the void. To examine the fundamental aspects of void/grain boundary interactions in these cases, a three-dimensional large-strain elasto-viscoplastic fast-Fourier transform (LS-EVP-FFT) model with axisymmetric tensile periodic boundary conditions was developed. We employ this model to reveal the role of crystallography (grain orientations, grain boundary misorientation and inclination angle with respect to the largest component of the applied stress) and type of loading on void growth. It was found that grain orientation was the primary crystallographic feature governing void growth in strain-rate controlled simulations. For strains small enough to not significantly alter the local geometry, the overall growth of the void in bicrystal boundaries was not strongly affected by grain boundary inclination angle. The relative amount of void growth experienced within each grain in a bicrystal or tri-crystal was strongly dependent on the grain boundary inclination angle. We found a subset of orientations that exhibit faster void growth in bicrystal boundaries than inside the constituent single crystals. Last, we show that when placed primarily in one grain but near the grain boundary, void growth was similar to void growth when placed at the grain boundary. Furthermore, the growing void remained in the original grain and did not grow into the other grain, regardless of crystallographic character.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Shape-memory alloy micro-actuator

A method of producing an integral piece of thermo-sensitive material, which is responsive to a shift in temperature from below to above a phase transformation temperature range to alter the material's condition to a shape-memory condition and move from one position to another. The method is characterized by depositing a thin film of shape-memory material, such as Nickel titanium (Ni-Ti) onto a substrate by vacuum deposition process such that the alloy exhibits an amorphous non-crystalline structure. The coated substrate is then annealed in a vacuum or in the presence of an inert atmosphere at a selected temperature, time and cool down rate to produce an ordered, partially disordered or fully disordered BCC structure such that the alloy undergoes thermoelastic, martinsetic phase transformation in response to alteration in temperature to pass from a martinsetic phase when at a temperature below a phase transformation range and capable of a high level of recoverable strain to a parent austenitic phase in a memory shape when at a temperature above the phase transformation range. Also disclosed are actuator devices employing shape-memory material actuators that deform from a set shape toward an original shape when subjected to a critical temperature level after having been initially deformed from the original shape into the set shape while at a lower temperature. The actuators are mechanically coupled to one or more movable elements such that the temperature-induce deformation of the actuators exerts a force or generates a motion of the mechanical element(s).

Busch, John D.↗

A critical dislocation velocity for serration mechanism transition in a nickel-chromium solid solution alloy

Here, the influence of strain rate across three orders of magnitude (1.70 × 10 –5 /s to 1.43 × 10 –2 /s) along with the effect of the plastic strain accumulation (up to 10%) on the serrated plastic flow were investigated in the nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) solid solution alloy Nimonic 75 by performing constant-strain-rate tension testing at 600 °C. As the strain rate decreased, the critical strain for the onset of serrations transitioned from normal behavior to inverse behavior. The serrated flow was characterized as Type A+B serration at high strain rate (1.43 × 10 –2 /s). In the intermediate strain-rate regime (1.43 × 10 –3 /s and 1.45 × 10 –4 /s), Type B serrations were observed and followed by a transformation to Type C+B serrations. At the low strain rate (1.70 × 10 –5 /s), the plastic flow immediately displayed Type C serrations, which later evolved into Type C+B serrations. Regardless of the strain rate, plastic strain, or dislocation density, a critical dislocation velocity falling in the range of 1.2 × 10 –6 – 2.2 × 10 –6 m/s was identified to signify the onset of Type C serration, whereby the mobile dislocations break free from the solute cloud for short bursts of deformation. Finally, a novel model by solute rearrangement across dislocation cores was used to understand how the critical dislocation velocity is quantitatively determined by the rate at which solute atoms are able to hop across the glide plane as a partial dislocation core moves through the lattice.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Robust deep learning framework for constitutive relations modeling

Modeling the full-range deformation behaviors of materials under complex loading and materials conditions is a significant challenge for constitutive relations (CRs) modeling. Here, we propose a general encoder-decoder deep learning framework that can model high-dimensional stress-strain data and complex loading histories with robustness and universal capability. The framework employs an encoder to project high-dimensional input information (e.g., loading history, loading conditions, and materials information) to a lower-dimensional hidden space and a decoder to map the hidden representation to the stress of interest. We evaluated various encoder architectures, including gated recurrent unit (GRU), GRU with attention, temporal convolutional network (TCN), and the Transformer encoder, on two complex stress-strain datasets that were designed to include a wide range of complex loading histories and loading conditions. All architectures achieved excellent test results with an root-mean-square error (RMSE) below 1 MPa. Additionally, we analyzed the capability of the different architectures to make predictions on out-of-domain applications, with an uncertainty estimation based on deep ensembles. The proposed approach provides a robust alternative to empirical/semi-empirical models for CRs modeling, offering the potential for more accurate and efficient materials design and optimization.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Discovering methylated DNA motifs in bacterial nanopore sequencing data with MIJAMP

Abstract Bacterial DNA methylation is involved in diverse cellular functions, including modulation of gene expression, DNA repair, and restriction–modification systems for defense against viruses and other foreign DNA. Restriction systems hinder efforts to engineer organisms to produce fuels and chemicals from waste and renewable feedstocks by degrading DNA during transformation. Methylome analysis allows identification of motifs within a bacterial chromosome that may be targeted by native restriction enzymes. Further expression of the corresponding methyltransferases in Escherichia coli allows plasmid DNA to be protected from restriction in the target organism, thereby drastically enhancing transformation efficiency. Nanopore sequencing can detect methylated bases, but software is needed to transform modified base coordinates into methylated motifs. Here, we develop MIJAMP (MIJAMP Is Just A MethylBED Parser), a software package that was developed to discover methylated motifs from the output of ONT’s Modkit or other data in the methylBED format. MIJAMP employs a human-driven refinement strategy that empirically validates all motifs against genome-wide methylation data, thus eliminating incorrect motifs. MIJAMP also reports methylation data on specific, user-defined motifs. Using MIJAMP, we determined the methylated motifs both in a control strain (wild-type E. coli) and in Synecococcus sp. strain PCC7002, laying the foundation for improved transformation in this organism. MIJAMP is available at https://code.ornl.gov/alexander-public/mijamp/. One Sentence Summary: Here we describe software written to discover DNA methylation motifs from nanopore sequencing data.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Enhancing fatigue life by ductile-transformable multicomponent B2 precipitates in a high-entropy alloy

Catastrophic accidents caused by fatigue failures often occur in engineering structures. Thus, a fundamental understanding of cyclic-deformation and fatigue-failure mechanisms is critical for the development of fatigue-resistant structural materials. Here we report a high-entropy alloy with enhanced fatigue life by ductile-transformable multicomponent B2 precipitates. Its cyclic-deformation mechanisms are revealed by real-time in-situ neutron diffraction, transmission-electron microscopy, crystal-plasticity modeling, and Monte-Carlo simulations. Multiple cyclic-deformation mechanisms, including dislocation slips, precipitation strengthening, deformation twinning, and reversible martensitic phase transformation, are observed in the studied high-entropy alloy. Its improved fatigue performance at low strain amplitudes, i.e., the high fatigue-crack-initiation resistance, is attributed to the high elasticity, plastic deformability, and martensitic transformation of the B2-strengthening phase. This study shows that fatigue-resistant alloys can be developed by incorporating strengthening ductile-transformable multicomponent intermetallic phases.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Maximum strength and dislocation patterning in multi–principal element alloys

Multi–principal element alloys (MPEAs) containing three or more components in high concentrations render a tunable chemical short-range order (SRO). Leveraging large-scale atomistic simulations, we probe the limit of Hall-Petch strengthening and deformation mechanisms in a model CrCoNi alloy and unravel chemical ordering effects. The presence of SRO appreciably increases the maximum strength and lowers the propensity for faulting and structure transformation, accompanied by intensification of planar slip and strain localization. Deformation grains exhibit notably different microstructures and dislocation patterns that prominently depend on their crystallographic orientation and the number of active slip planes. Grain of single-planar slip attains the highest volume fraction of deformation-induced structure transformation, and grain with double-slip planes develops the densest dislocation network. These results advancing the fundamental understanding of deformation mechanisms and dislocation patterning in MPEAs suggest a mechanistic strategy for tuning mechanical behavior through simultaneously tailoring grain texture and local chemical order.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Deletion of biofilm synthesis in Eubacterium limosum ATCC 8486 improves handling and transformation efficiency

Abstract Eubacterium limosum is an acetogenic bacterium of potential industrial relevance for its ability to efficiently metabolize a range of single carbon compounds. However, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) produced by the type strain ATCC 8486 is a serious impediment to bioprocessing and genetic engineering. To remove these barriers, here we bioinformatically identified genes involved in EPS biosynthesis, and targeted several of the most promising candidates for inactivation, using a homologous recombination-based approach. Deletion of a single genomic region encoding homologues for epsABC, ptkA, and tmkA resulted in a strain incapable of producing EPS. This strain is significantly easier to handle by pipetting and centrifugation, and retains important wild-type phenotypes including the ability to grow on methanol and carbon dioxide and limited oxygen tolerance. Additionally, this strain is also more genetically tractable with a 2-fold increase in transformation efficiency compared to the highest previous reports. This work advances a simple, rapid protocol for gene knockouts in E. limosum using only the native homologous recombination machinery. These results will hasten the development of this organism as a workhorse for valorization of single carbon substrates, as well as facilitate exploration of its role in the human gut microbiota.

Sanford, Patrick A.↗

Optical transient grating pumped X-ray diffraction microscopy for studying mesoscale structural dynamics

Abstract A fundamental understanding of materials’ structural dynamics, with fine spatial and temporal control, underpins future developments in electronic and quantum materials. Here, we introduce an optical transient grating pump and focused X-ray diffraction probe technique (TGXD) to examine the structural evolution of materials excited by modulated light with a precisely controlled spatial profile. This method adds spatial resolution and direct structural sensitivity to the established utility of a sinusoidal transient-grating excitation. We demonstrate TGXD using two thin-film samples: epitaxial BiFeO 3 , which exhibits a photoinduced strain (structural grating) with an amplitude proportional to the optical fluence, and FeRh, which undergoes a magnetostructural phase transformation. In BiFeO 3 , structural relaxation is location independent, and the strain persists on the order of microseconds, consistent with the optical excitation of long-lived charge carriers. The strain profile of the structural grating in FeRh, in comparison, deviates from the sinusoidal excitation and exhibits both higher-order spatial frequencies and a location-dependent relaxation. The focused X-ray probe provides spatial resolution within the engineered optical excitation profile, resolving the spatiotemporal flow of heat through FeRh locally heated above the phase transition temperature. TGXD successfully characterizes mesoscopic energy transport in functional materials without relying on a specific transport model.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Pseudoelasticity of SrNi2P2 Micropillar via Double Lattice Collapse and Expansion

The maximum recoverable strain of most crystalline solids is less than 1% because plastic deformation or fracture usually occurs at a small strain. In this work, we show that a SrNi 2 P 2 micropillar exhibits pseudoelasticity with a large maximum recoverable strain of ~14% under uniaxial compression via unique reversible structural transformation, double lattice collapse–expansion that is repeatable under cyclic loading. Its high yield strength (~3.8 ± 0.5 GPa) and large maximum recoverable strain bring out the ultrahigh modulus of resilience (~146 ± 19 MJ/m 3 ), a few orders of magnitude higher than that of most engineering materials. The double lattice collapse–expansion mechanism shows stress–strain behaviors similar to that of conventional shape-memory alloys, such as hysteresis and thermo-mechanical actuation, even though the structural changes involved are completely different. Our work suggests that the discovery of a new class of high-performance ThCr 2 Si 2 -structured materials will open new research opportunities in the field of pseudoelasticity.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Nondissipative Martensitic Phase Transformation after Multimillion Superelastic Cycles

Superelastic alloys used for stents, biomedical implants, and solid-state cooling devices rely on their reversible stress-induced martensitic transformations. These applications require the alloy to sustain high deformability over millions of cycles without failure. Here, we report an alloy capable of enduring 10 × 10 7 tensile stress-induced phase transformations while still exhibiting over 2% recoverable elastic strains. After millions of cycles, the alloy is highly reversible with zero stress hysteresis. We show that the major martensite variant is reversible even after multimillions of cycles under tensile loadings with a highly coherent $(1\bar{1}0)_A$ interface. Finally, this discovery provides new insights into martensitic transformation, and may guide the development of superelastic alloys for multimillion cycling applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗