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At least 271 records · Page 15

Sister Rod Destructive Examinations (FY23): Appendix H: Instron Uncertainty Calculations

This document discusses the uncertainty of measurements associated with the Instron system and the resulting uncertainty in the acquired measurements and calculated information. The primary parameters measured during the Instron test include the applied load and specimen deflection. The associated primary calculated parameters are the maximum beam deflection at the rod’s axial center and modulus of elasticity. Secondary calculated parameters include specimen stress and strain amplitudes, as well as flexural rigidity. The uncertainty associated with the primary and secondary calculated parameters was investigated based on the known uncertainty in the measured parameters.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Residual lattice strain in quartzites as a potential palaeo-piezometer

SUMMARY If a crystal lattice is subjected to a stress, it becomes distorted and no longer represents the ideal crystal symmetry, and if the stress introduces defects such as dislocations, some of this distortion is preserved after the applied stress is removed. In this study, we investigate lattice distortion in quartz at the micron scale with synchrotron X-ray Laue diffraction. From Laue images the local deviatoric strain tensor is derived and corresponding stresses are calculated based on elastic properties. The method is applied to metasedimentary quartzites from the Bergell Alps that were deformed at conditions of greenschist facies metamorphism. The residual palaeostrain is represented in maps of the deviatoric strain tensor components and with deviatoric strain axis pole figures. Data suggest overall shortening perpendicular to the schistosity plane but with considerable asymmetry relative to foliation and lineation, probably attributed to simple shear. Crystallographic pole figures from Laue diffraction agree with neutron diffraction and EBSD measurements and display quartz c-axes girdle distributions with maxima also perpendicular to schistosity. The method shows promise to be used as a palaeo-piezometer to unravel the stress field during tectonic deformation.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

X-ray diffraction and in situ pressurization of dentine apatite reveals nanocrystal modulus stiffening upon carbonate removal

Bone-like materials comprise carbonated-hydroxyapatite nanocrystals (c-Ap) embedding a fibrillar collagen matrix. The mineral particles stiffen the nanocomposite by tight attachment to the protein fibrils creating a high strength and toughness material. The nanometer dimensions of c-Ap crystals make it very challenging to measure their mechanical properties. Mineral in bony tissues such as dentine contains 2~6 wt.% carbonate with possibly different elastic properties as compared with crystalline hydroxyapatite. Here we determine strain in biogenic apatite nanocrystals by directly measuring atomic deformation in pig dentine before and after removing carbonate. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the platy 3D morphology while atom probe tomography revealed carbon inside the calcium rich domains. High-energy X-ray diffraction in combination with in situ hydrostatic pressurization quantified reversible c-Ap deformations. Additionally, crystal strains differed between annealed and ashed (decarbonated) samples, following 1 or 10 h heating at 250 °C or 550 °C respectively. Measured bulk moduli (K) and a-/c-lattice deformation ratios (η) were used to generate synthetic K syn and ηsyn identifying the most likely elastic constants C 33 and C 13 for c-Ap. These were then used to calculate the nanoparticle elastic moduli. For ashed samples, we find an average E 11 =107 GPa and E 33 =128 GPa corresponding to ~5% and ~17% stiffening of the a-/c-axes of the nanocrystals as compared with the biogenic nanocrystals in annealed samples. Ashed samples exhibit ~10% lower Poisson's ratios as compared with the 0.25~0.36 range of carbonated apatite. Carbonate in c-Ap may therefore serve for tuning local deformability within bony tissues.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High strain-rate strength response of single crystal tantalum through in-situ hole closure imaging experiments

The properties of crystalline materials often depend on directionality and operating conditions. Specifically, the strength of materials can depend anisotropically on crystal direction and the loading condition. To probe these effects, a preliminary series of high strain-rate (> 105/s) strength plate-impact hole closure experiments were performed on high purity single crystal Tantalum cubes. The orientation of the single crystals with respect to impact/loading were varied to provide data to inform crystal plasticity modeling efforts. The experiments consist of in-situ high-resolution X-ray radiographic imaging of the hole collapse under dynamic compression conditions to infer the material strength via its resistance to closure at increasing levels of plastic strain. The experiments are compared against hydrocode simulation predictions. Here, a comparison with simple elastic perfectly plastic strength model predictions is presented to elucidate the response of the different crystal orientations at high strain-rate and large plastic strains.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Elasticity of two-dimensional ferroelectrics across their paraelectric phase transformation

The mechanical behavior of two-dimensional (2D) materials across 2D phase changes is unknown, and the finite temperature (T) elasticity of paradigmatic SnSe monolayers—ferroelectric 2D materials turning paraelectric as their unit cell turns from a rectangle into a square—is described here in a progressive manner. To begin with, their zero–T total energy landscape gives way to (Boltzmann-like) averages from which the elastic behavior is determined. Furthermore, these estimates are complemented with results from the strain-fluctuation method, which employs the energy landscape or ab initio molecular dynamics data. All approaches capture the coalescence of elastic moduli < C 11 (T) > = < C 22 (T) > due to the structural transformation. The broad evolution and sudden changes of elastic parameters < C 11 (T) >, < C 22 (T) >, and < C 12 (T) > of these atomically thin phase-change membranes establishes a heretofore overlooked connection among 2D materials and soft matter.

2-dimensional systems↗

Study of Elastic and Structural Properties of BaFe2As2 Ultrathin Film Using Picosecond Ultrasonics

We obtain the through-thickness elastic stiffness coefficient (C33) in nominal 9 nm and 60 nm BaFe2As2 (Ba-122) thin films by using picosecond ultrasonics. Particularly, we reveal the increase in elastic stiffness as film thickness decreases from bulk value down to 9 nm, which we attribute to the increase in intrinsic strain near the film-substrate interface. Our density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduce the observed acoustic oscillation frequencies well. In addition, temperature dependence of longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonon mode frequency for 9 nm Ba-122 thin film is reported. The frequency change is attributed to the change in Ba-122 orthorhombicity (a−b)/(a+b). This conclusion can be corroborated by our previous ultrafast ellipticity measurements in 9 nm Ba-122 thin film, which exhibit strong temperature dependence and indicate the structural phase transition temperature Ts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hierarchical domain structures in buckled ferroelectric free sheets

Flat elastic sheets tend to display wrinkles and folds. From pieces of clothing down to two-dimensional crystals, these corrugations appear in response to strain generated by sheet compression or stretching, thermal or mechanical mismatch with other elastic layers, or surface tension. Extensively studied in metals, polymers and, — more recently — in van der Waals exfoliated layers, with the advent of thin single crystal freestanding films of complex oxides, researchers are now paying attention to novel microstructural effects induced by bending ferroelectric-ferroelastics, where polarization is strongly coupled to lattice deformation. Here we show that wrinkle undulations in BaTiO3 sheets bonded to a viscoelastic substrate transform into a buckle delamination geometry when transferred onto a rigid substrate. Using spatially resolved techniques at different scales (Raman, scanning probe and electron microscopy), we show how these delaminations in the free BaTiO3 sheets display a self-organization of ferroelastic domains along the buckle profile that strongly differs from the more studied sinusoidal wrinkle geometry. Moreover, we disclose the hierarchical distribution of a secondary set of domains induced by the misalignment of these folding structures from the preferred in-plane crystallographic orientations. Our results disclose the relevance of the morphology and orientation of buckling instabilities in ferroelectric free sheets, for the stabilization of different domain structures, pointing to new routes for domain engineering of ferroelectrics in flexible oxide sheets.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Catch bond kinetics are instrumental to cohesion of fire ant rafts under load

Dynamic networks composed of constituents that break and reform bonds reversibly are ubiquitous in nature owing to their modular architectures that enable functions like energy dissipation, self-healing, and even activity. While bond breaking depends only on the current configuration of attachment in these networks, reattachment depends also on the proximity of constituents. Therefore, dynamic networks composed of macroscale constituents (not benefited by the secondary interactions cohering analogous networks composed of molecular-scale constituents) must rely on primary bonds for cohesion and self-repair. Toward understanding how such macroscale networks might adaptively achieve this, we explore the uniaxial tensile response of 2D rafts composed of interlinked fire ants ( S. invicta ). Through experiments and discrete numerical modeling, we find that ant rafts adaptively stabilize their bonded ant-to-ant interactions in response to tensile strains, indicating catch bond dynamics. Consequently, low-strain rates that should theoretically induce creep mechanics of these rafts instead induce elastic-like response. Our results suggest that this force-stabilization delays dissolution of the rafts and improves toughness. Nevertheless, above 35 % strain low cohesion and stress localization cause nucleation and growth of voids whose coalescence patterns result from force-stabilization. These voids mitigate structural repair until initial raft densities are restored and ants can reconnect across defects. However mechanical recovery of ant rafts during cyclic loading suggests that—even upon reinstatement of initial densities—ants exhibit slower repair kinetics if they were recently loaded at faster strain rates. These results exemplify fire ants’ status as active agents capable of memory-driven, stimuli-response for potential inspiration of adaptive structural materials.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Finite temperature properties of uranium mononitride

Uranium mononitride (UN) is a promising nuclear fuel that combines the advantageous properties of readily used UO 2 and uranium alloys, such as high melting temperature and high uranium density, and thermal conductivity, respectively. A better understanding of UN behavior at operating temperatures can be obtained from finite temperature data, such as elastic properties. To get this information, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations were performed at five different temperatures using constant volume (NVT) and constant pressure (NPT) ensembles. Initially, the performance of PBE functional in reproducing experimental crystallographic properties and magnetic ordering is assessed. The finite temperature phonon dispersions are calculated using NVT simulation results, which show a softening of the phonon modes with increasing temperature. The NPT results are used to obtain the thermal expansion of UN and finite temperature electronic properties. The calculated thermal expansion is compared with our measurements using neutron diffraction. Additionally, the temperature dependent elastic properties of UN are evaluated using the strain-stress method in AIMD simulations, indicating that UN becomes softer and more compressible with increasing temperature. Also, the calculated Young’s modulus slope is in very good agreement with the experiment. The finite temperature heat capacity and electronic thermal conductivity are calculated from AIMD simulations, which are in better agreement with the experiment than the heat capacity and thermal conductivity calculated using the structures relaxed at 0K. Finally, the thermal diffusivity from AIMD has opposite temperature dependence compared to experimental results, which we argued comes from the underestimated electronic thermal conductivity.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Chemomechanical effect of reduced graphene oxide encapsulation on hydrogen storage performance of Pd nanoparticles

Primary chemomechanical impacts of confinement on hydrogen storage performance are studied using a nanolaminate structure where reduced graphene oxide (rGO) encapsulates palladium (Pd) nanoparticles. Three contributing factors are identified that can alter the reaction enthalpy: nanosizing, chemical interaction with the encapsulant, and mechanical stress induced strain from a combination of clamping force and lateral pulling force exerted on the Pd nanoparticles. The mechanical contributions are quantified by combining transmission electron microscopy, ab initio computation, and continuum elasticity theory, from which the encapsulation is found to exert an additional strain of 4.96% and 2.99% before and after hydrogen absorption, respectively, increasing the Pd and Pd hydride (PdH x ) reaction enthalpy by 1.3–2.8 kJ (mol H 2 ) -1 . The effect of the chemical interaction with rGO also raises the reaction enthalpy by up to 1.6 kJ (mol H 2 ) -1 , while the nanosizing effect decreases the reaction enthalpy. The three contributing factors to the reaction enthalpy are found to be similar in magnitude, where the net effect is in agreement with the measured enthalpy increase of 3.7 kJ (mol H 2 ) -1 from the bulk value. Hydrogen absorption kinetics and capacity also improved, which is attributed to facile nucleation of the hydrogen-rich phase enabled by the inhomogeneous strain distribution over the encapsulated PdHx nanoparticles. These results demonstrate that the chemomechanical effect can be controlled in the nanolaminate structure, providing an ideal template for tuning hydrogen storage performance.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Distributed strain sensing using Bi-metallic coated fiber optic sensors embedded in stainless steel

Silica fiber optic sensors are resistant to corrosive environments and high temperatures, making them attractive candidates for harsh conditions found in nuclear and aerospace industries. Moreover, fibers can be deployed remotely for continuous measuring of spatially distributed temperatures and strains. Here, this study investigated embedding a Ni/Cu bi-metallic coated fiber in a stainless-steel 316 (SS316) matrix using laser powder bed fusion towards functionalizing metal components for site-specific health monitoring. The embedded fiber was continuously interrogated during controlled heating to 1000°C. The measured fiber strains were similar to the expected differential thermal strains between the fiber and the SS316 matrix, until divergent behavior was observed at temperatures >500°C. No debonding at the matrix–coating–fiber interfaces was observed during microscopy, but significant interactions between the coatings and matrix resulted in diffusion-driven chemistry variations and Kirkendall void formation. Applying the strain-lag theory revealed plastic behavior in the Ni coating at temperatures >500°C, limiting the strain transfer to the fiber at higher temperatures. It was estimated that the elastic modulus in the Ni coating had decreased from ~200 GPa at room temperature to below 40 GPa, starting at 600°C. The low elastic modulus above 600°C is within the margin of what the tangent modulus would be in the case of bilinear isotropic hardening. Regardless of the divergent strain transfer at higher temperatures, the fiber was exposed to the equivalent of 1.9 % engineering strain at 1000°C, but measured only a 0.7 % engineering strain due to the poor strain transfer. Although compensating for the plastic behavior of Ni proved challenging, the bonding of a brittle silica fiber to a metal matrix surviving to 1000°C invites potential iterations on coating material for future application. For example, the embedded fiber is sufficient for acoustic energy transfer, realizing high temperature distributed acoustic sensing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Kinetics of Failure in an Elastic Peridynamic Material

The dynamic behavior of an elastic peridynamic material with a nonconvex bond potential is studied. In spite of the material’s inherently unstable nature, initial value problems can be solved using essentially the same techniques as with conventional materials, both analytically and numerically. In a suitably constructed material model, small perturbations grow exponentially over time until the material fails. Additionally, the time for this growth is computed explicitly for a stretching bar that passes from the stable to the unstable phase of the material model. This time to failure represents an incubation time for the nucleation of a crack. The finiteness of the failure time in effect creates a rate dependence in the failure properties of the material. Thus, the unstable nature of the elastic material leads to a rate effect even though it does not contain any terms that explicitly include a strain rate dependence.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tacky Elastomers to Enable Tear-Resistant and Autonomous Self-Healing Semiconductor Composites

Mechanical failure of π-conjugated polymer thin films is unavoidable under cyclic loading conditions, due to intrinsic defects and poor resistance to crack propagation. Here, the first tear-resistant and room-temperature self-healable semiconducting composite is presented, consisting of conjugated polymers and butyl rubber elastomers. This new composite displays both a record-low elastic modulus (<1 MPa) and ultrahigh deformability with fracture strain above 800%. More importantly, failure behavior is not sensitive to precut notches under deformation. Autonomous self-healing at room temperature, both mechanical and electronic, is demonstrated through the physical contact of two separate films. The composite film also shows device stability in the ambient environment over 5 months due to much-improved barrier property to both oxygen and water. Butyl rubber is broadly applicable to various p-type and n-type semiconducting polymers for fabricating self-healable electronics to provide new resilient electronics that mimic the tear resistance and healable property of human skin.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tailoring ductile-phase toughened tungsten hierarchical microstructures for plasma-facing materials

Biological materials, such as bones, nacre, etc., have been found to show attractive and unique combinations of stiffness, strength and fracture toughness. Research has been conducted in various engineering areas to mimic the naturally hierarchical microstructures or nanostructures of these materials to produce materials with optimum stiffness, high strength and fracture toughness for their intended structural applications. In the same objective, this work applies a multiscale microstructural approach recently developed to investigate the deformation and fracture behavior of ductile phase toughened tungsten (W) materials such as tungsten-nickel/iron (W-Ni/Fe) composites that possess lamellar-like and hierarchical “brick-and-mortar” (BAM) microstructures. First, the approach is used to simulate tensile loading of W-Ni/Fe specimens cut out from hot-rolled W-Ni/Fe plates which possess lamellar-like microstructures. The finite element model of the gage section of the specimen consists of a W-Ni/Fe dual-phase microstructural domain in which the constitutive behaviors of W and Ni/Fe phases are described by an elastic-plastic damage model. The predicted material stress-strain response and crack pattern development as a function of loading are then compared to the corresponding experimental results to determine the constitutive model parameters for W and Ni/Fe. Subsequently, the model parameters are used to analyze W-Ni/Fe BAM microstructures that are artificially created to investigate the effects of microstructural features and morphologies on the composite stress-strain response, damage, and fracture patterns. The modeling shows that regular BAM microstructures that experience bridging mechanism combined with crack penetration across W-phase regions exhibit significantly higher strengths than the rather random lamellar-like microstructures. More significantly, however adjusting the brick’s length-to-height ratio, the BAM microstructure can be designed to allow a more distributed damage zone which leads to increased strength, ductility and fracture energy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Finite domain solution of a hydraulic fracture in a permeable rock

In this work, we present a domain-based algorithm to simulate the propagation of a plane-strain hydraulic fracture in a zero-toughness permeable elastic medium. The algorithm utilizes a domain-based method to solve the elasticity equation and integrates a multi-scale tip asymptote, which is particular to hydraulic fractures, into this framework. This integration is key to accurately model the energy dissipation and the fluid leak-off in the fracture tip region. The algorithm combines a 2D finite volume method (FVM) for solving the elasticity equation with a 1D FVM for solving the nonlinear lubrication equation. Incorporating the far-field asymptotics and using a moving-mesh scheme reduces the computational burden while improving the accuracy of the scheme. The paper concludes with an analysis of the numerical results. This study demonstrates the potential of this domain-based approach for modeling hydraulic fractures in poroelastic media.

Domain-based method↗

Site Disorder Drives Cyanide Dynamics and Fast Ion Transport in Li 6 PS 5 CN

Halide argyrodite solid-state electrolytes of the general formula Li 6 PS 5 X exhibit complex static and dynamic disorder that plays a crucial role in ion transport processes. Here, we unravel the rich interplay between site disorder and dynamics in the plastic crystal argyrodite Li 6 PS 5 CN and the impact on ion diffusion processes through a suite of experimental and computational methodologies, including temperature-dependent synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction, AC electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, 7 Li solid-state NMR, and machine learning-assisted molecular dynamics simulations. Sulfide and (pseudo)halide site disorder between the two anion sublattices unilaterally improves long-range lithium diffusion irrespective of the (pseudo)halide identity, which demonstrates the importance of site disorder in dictating bulk ionic conductivity in the argyrodite family. Furthermore, we find that anion site disorder modulates the presence and time scales of cyanide rotational dynamics. Ordered configurations of anions enable fast, quasi-free rotations of cyanides that occur on time scales of 10 11 Hz at T = 300 K. In contrast, we find that cyanide dynamics are slow or frozen in Li 6 PS 5 CN when site disorder between the cyanide and sulfide sublattices is present at T = 300 K. We rationalize the observed differences in cyanide dynamics in the context of elastic dipole interactions between neighboring cyanide anions and local strain induced by the configurations of site disorder that may impact the energetic landscape for cyanide rotational dynamics. Through this study, we find that anion disorder plays a decisive role in dictating the extent and time scales of both lithium ion and cyanide dynamics in Li 6 PS 5 CN.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Response of Sulfonated Polystyrene Melts to Nonlinear Elongation Flows

Ionizable polymers form dynamic networks with domains controlled by two distinct energy scales, ionic interactions and van der Waals forces; both evolve under elongational flows during their processing into viable materials. A molecular level insight of their nonlinear response, paramount to controlling their structure, is attained by fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of a model ionizable polymer, polystyrene sulfonate. As a function of increasing elongational flow rate, the systems display an initial elastic response, followed by an ionic fraction-dependent strain hardening, stress overshoot, and eventually strain-thinning. As the sulfonation fraction increases, the chain elongation becomes more heterogeneous. Finally, flow-driven ionic assembly dynamics that continuously break and reform control the response of the system.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Coupled momentum balance and phase-field solver with fenicsx module

Code solves momentum balance and phase-field equations simultaneously. The differential equations are solved on a discretized domain with appropriate boundary and initial conditions using finite element method. Primary purpose of the code is to simulate brittle fracture under dynamic loading. Constitutive equations are that of linear elasticity with degradation of stress due to fracture. Small strain formulation is used.

Zecevic, Milovan↗