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At least 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Eocene-Oligocene Metamorphism, Fluid Flow and Deformation in the Ruby Mountains-East Humboldt Range Metamorphic Core Complex

Metamorphic core complexes are ubiquitous in collapsed orogens globally and play a primary role in crustal exhumation. Here, we investigate the metamorphic history of the Ruby Mountains-East Humboldt Range metamorphic core complex, Nevada, using petrochronology to understand how magmatism, metamorphism and deformation interact to modulate crustal rheology, and the timing of exhumation within the Sevier orogenic belt. Field study, microstructural analysis, thermobarometry and laser ablation split-stream monazite, titanite and allanite petrochronology of the mylonitic footwall were integrated to elucidate the pressure-temperature-time (P-T-t) evolution. Major-, trace-element and quartz-in-garnet thermobarometry show peak metamorphism occurred at 5.5–6 kbar and 600–650°C across the study area. Monazite and titanite U-(Th)-Pb petrochronology constrain this episode of metamorphism to 88–81 Ma with the structurally deepest samples yielding dates down to ca. 71 Ma. The preservation of peak metamorphic mineral assemblages indicates these rocks remained at near-peak temperature conditions into the Cenozoic. Cenozoic metamorphism occurred during a punctuated episode contemporaneous with the Great Basin ignimbrite flare up. All samples show a distinct 39–37 Ma population of monazite, titanite and allanite dates that correlate with the emplacement of quartz diorite and gabbro intrusions throughout the footwall. Accessory phases contain zoning textures in backscattered electron images that are consistent with fluid-mediated dissolution-reprecipitation reactions. The U-(Th)-Pb analyses from these zones yield 39–27 Ma dates interpreted as the timing of fluid flow. The results of this study elucidate the integrated importance of magmatism, melting and fluid flow in driving the coupled evolution of Late Cretaceous metamorphism within the Sevier hinterland and the subsequent Cenozoic metamorphic core complex development that exhumed the middle crust.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Approaching the ultimate superconducting properties of (Ba,K)Fe 2 As 2 by naturally formed low-angle grain boundary networks

The most effective way to enhance the dissipation-free supercurrent in the presence of a magnetic field for type II superconductors is to introduce defects that act as artificial pinning centers (APCs) for vortices. For instance, the in-field critical current density of doped BaFe 2 As 2 (Ba122), one of the most technologically important Fe-based superconductors, has been improved over the last decade by APCs created by ion irradiation. The technique of ion irradiation has been commonly implemented to determine the ultimate superconducting properties. However, this method is rather complicated and expensive. Here, we report a surprisingly high critical current density and strong pinning efficiency close to the crystallographic c-axis for a K-doped Ba122 epitaxial thin film without APCs, achieving performance comparable to ion-irradiated K-doped Ba122 single crystals. Microstructural analysis reveals that the film is composed of columnar grains with widths of approximately 30–60 nm. The grains are rotated around the b- (or a-) axis by 1.5° and around the c-axis by –1°, resulting in the formation of low-angle grain boundary networks. This study demonstrates that the upper limit of in-field properties reached in ion-irradiated K-doped Ba122 is achievable by grain boundary engineering, which is a simple and industrially scalable manner.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Combinatorial measurement of critical cooling rates in aluminum-base metallic glass forming alloys

Direct measurement of critical cooling rates has been challenging and only determined for a minute fraction of the reported metallic glass forming alloys. Here, we report a method that directly measures critical cooling rate of thin film metallic glass forming alloys in a combinatorial fashion. Based on a universal heating architecture using indirect laser heating and a microstructure analysis this method offers itself as a rapid screening technique to quantify glass forming ability. We use this method to identify glass forming alloys and study the composition effect on the critical cooling rate in the Al–Ni–Ge system where we identified Al 51 Ge 35 Ni 14 as the best glass forming composition with a critical cooling rate of 10 4 K/s.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Rheology improvement for silicon nitride and resin slurries for vat photopolymerization printing and sintering

This work presents the formulation, rheological characterization, and sintering of silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) slurries for vat photopolymerization (VPP) using digital light processing (DLP). Bimodal Si₃N₄ powder was dispersed into commercial photopolymer resin using two different dispersants with opposing effects on surface charge, resulting in varied slurry stability and flow behavior. Slurries were engineered to exhibit shear-thinning behavior suitable for VPP, and their flow properties were quantified using a power-law fluid model. The formulations achieved cure depths of approximately 40 µm and enabled printing of green bodies. Post-processing included thermal debinding and liquid-phase sintering, yielding primarily β-Si₃N₄ with a minor Y-Si-Al-O-N glass phase. The sintered parts reached ~85% of theoretical density and demonstrated a flexural strength of ~330 MPa. Microstructural analysis revealed closed porosity along with some defects related to powder agglomeration and interlayer adhesion. These findings provide insights into slurry formulation strategies for additive manufacturing of high-performance non-oxide ceramics.

Aerospace engineering↗
DOE OSTI2019

Enhanced magnetism in lightly doped manganite heterostructures: strain or stoichiometry?

Lattice mismatch induced epitaxial strain has been widely used to tune functional properties in complex oxide heterostructures. Apart from the epitaxial strain, a large lattice mismatch also produces other effects including modulations in microstructure and stoichiometry. However, it is challenging to distinguish the impact of these effects from the strain contribution to thin film properties. Here, we use La 0.9 Sr 0.1 MnO 3 (LSMO), a lightly doped manganite close to the vertical phase boundary, as a model system to demonstrate that both epitaxial strain and cation stoichiometry induced by strain relaxation contribute to functionality tuning. The thinner LSMO films are metallic with a greatly enhanced T C which is 97 K higher than the bulk value. Such anomalies in T C and transport cannot be fully explained by the epitaxial strain alone. Detailed microstructure analysis indicates La deficiency in thinner films and twin domains formation in thicker films. Our results have revealed that both epitaxial strain and strain relaxation induced stoichiometry/microstructure modulations contribute to the modified functional properties in lightly doped manganite perovskite thin films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Enhancing the multi-functional properties of renewable lignin carbon fibers via defining the structure–property relationship using different biomass feedstocks

Lignin has been explored extensively as a renewable precursor for carbon materials, considering its abundance as a major component of plant cell walls and its sustainability as a byproduct of both lignocellulosic biorefinery and the paper-making industry. Despite the extensive efforts to define the process–property relationship, it remains largely unknown how lignin biosynthesis and its chemistry would impact the resultant carbon fiber properties, for both mechanical and electroconductive performances. Such inadequate understanding fundamentally limits feedstock design and selection to improve carbon fiber properties toward broader commercial applications. Using lignin from a broad range of biomass feedstocks for carbon fiber manufacturing, we have fundamentally explored the structure–function relationship between lignin chemistry and carbon fiber performance. Specifically, lignin extracted from hardwood (sugar maple), softwood (loblolly pine and red cedar), and herbaceous plants (corn stover and switchgrass) was used for carbon fiber manufacturing, considering the very different lignin structures from these feedstocks. Linear regression models were established to define the relationship between carbon fiber mechanical properties and lignin structural characteristics. The results highlighted that the content of β-O-4 linkages correlates significantly with the tensile strength and elastic modulus of lignin carbon fibers, indicating that more linear β-O-4 linkages would promote the carbon fiber mechanical performance. Moreover, electroconductive properties are essential for broader energy device application of lignin-based carbon fibers, yet the mechanisms controlling their electroconductivity are largely unknown. Furthermore, we hereby demonstrated that a higher β-O-4 content also promotes the electroconductivity of lignin carbon fibers. Microstructure analysis further revealed that the crystallite size and content of the pre-graphitic turbostratic carbon structure in lignin-based carbon fibers were enhanced as the β-O-4 linkages increased. The content of β-O-4 linkages has shown a strong correlation with the crystallite content in a linear regression model. This study thus revealed the underlying mechanisms regarding how the lignin structure in planta defines the resultant carbon fiber properties. Moreover, the study also highlighted the correlation between the mechanical and electroconductive properties of lignin-based carbon fibers, both of which were defined by the lignin structure.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tailorable multifunctionalities in ultrathin 2D Bi-based layered supercell structures

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with robust ferromagnetic behavior have attracted great interest because of their potential applications in next-generation nanoelectronic devices. Aside from graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, Bi-based layered oxide materials are a group of prospective candidates due to their superior room-temperature multiferroic response. In this work, an ultrathin Bi 3 Fe 2 Mn 2 O 10+δ layered supercell (BFMO322 LS) structure was deposited on an LaAlO 3 (LAO) (001) substrate using pulsed laser deposition. Microstructural analysis suggests that a layered supercell (LS) structure consisting of two-layer-thick Bi–O slabs and two-layer-thick Mn/Fe–O octahedra slabs was formed on top of the pseudo-perovskite interlayer (IL). A robust saturation magnetization value of 129 and 96 emu cm -3 is achieved in a 12.3 nm thick film in the in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OP) directions, respectively. The ferromagnetism, dielectric permittivity, and optical bandgap of the ultrathin BFMO films can be effectively tuned by thickness and morphology variation. In addition, the anisotropy of all ultrathin BFMO films switches from OP dominating to IP dominating as the thickness increases. This study demonstrates the ultrathin BFMO film with tunable multifunctionalities as a promising candidate for novel integrated spintronic devices.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Selenium infiltrated hierarchical hollow carbon spheres display rapid kinetics and extended cycling as lithium metal battery (LMB) cathodes

Lithium metal–selenium (Li–Se) batteries offer high volumetric energy but are limited in their cycling life and fast charge characteristics. Here a facile approach is demonstrated to synthesize hierarchically porous hollow carbon spheres that host Se (Se@HHCS) and allow for state-of-the-art electrochemical performance in a standard carbonate electrolyte (1 M LiPF 6 in 1:1 EC:DEC). The Se@HHCS electrodes display among the most favorable fast charge and cycling behavior reported. For example, they deliver specific capacities of 442 and 357 mA h g -1 after 1500 and 2000 cycles at 5C and 10C, respectively. At 2C, Se@HHCS delivers 558 mA h g -1 after 500 cycles, with cycling coulombic efficiency of 99.9%. Post-mortem microstructural analysis indicates that the structures remain intact during extended cycling. Per GITT analysis, Se@HHCS possesses significantly higher diffusion coefficients in both lithiation and delithiation processes as compared to the baseline. Furthermore, the superior performance of Se@HHCS is directly linked to its macroscopic and nanoscale pore structure: the hollow carbon sphere morphology as well as the remnant open nanoporosity accommodates the 69% volume expansion of the Li to Li 2 Se transformation, with the nanopores also providing a complementary fast ion diffusion path.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2018

In-situ Experiments to Capture the Evolution of Microstructure During Phase Transformation of Titanium Under Dynamic Loading

Under sufficient stresses, such as during dynamic loading, titanium experiences a phase transformation from hcp alpha phase to hexagonal omega phase. Omega phase is often retained in the microstructure after unloading, and has a strong influence on subsequent mechanical properties. Simulations suggest there are multiple pathways and underlying mechanisms for this transformation. Due to the incredibly short timescales involved, experimental measurements for model validation have been difficult. However, new capabilities at the Advanced Photon Source have enabled diffraction measurements during plate impact experiments to study the evolution of titanium during transformation. These high-rate data allow us to probe the mechanism and kinetics of phase transformations in new ways. Recent results will be presented and compared to post-mortem characterization of soft-recovered shocked specimens. Comparisons are then made with previous tests where material was shock-loaded and soft recovered for microstructural analysis. Together these techniques create a consistent picture of material behavior during the shock-induced α–ω phase transformation in titanium.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Pb nanowire formation on Al/lead zirconate titanate surfaces in high-pressure hydrogen

Thin films of Al on lead zirconate titanate (PZT) annealed in high-pressure hydrogen at 100C exhibit surface Pb nanowire growth. Wire diameter is approximately 80 nm and length can exceed 100 microns. Based on microstructural analysis using electron microscopy and ion scattering, a vapor-solid scheme with hydrogen as a carrier gas was proposed as a growth mechanism. We expect that these observations may lead to controlled Pb nanowires growth through pattering of the Al film.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Anisotropic hot deformed magnets prepared from Zn-coated MRE-Fe-B ribbon powder

Milled melt-spun ribbon flake of MRE-Fe-B coated with Zn coating using a vapor transport technique was found to have significant increase in coercivity without degrading the magnetization when the Zn thickness and heat treatment were optimized. Magnetic measurements show that 0.5–1 wt. % Zn coating increases the coercivity about 1 kOe over the initial ribbon powder. After vacuum hot deformation (VHD), the VHD magnet with Zn coating of 0.5 wt. % results in a nearly 3 kOe higher coercivity than an un-coated alloy magnet. An optimized VHD magnet with 0.5 wt. % Zn coating obtains a coercivity of 11.2 kOe and (BH)max of 23.0 MGOe, respectively. SEM and TEM microstructures analysis demonstrates that the Zn coating on the surface of ribbon powder has diffused along the intergranular boundaries after the ribbon powder was annealed at 750 °C for 30 min or was hot deformed at 700–750 °C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Effect of sintering temperature on structural and dielectric properties of Bi and Li co-substituted SrTiO{sub 3}

Sintering is an important factor that affects the microstructure development in ceramics. In this work, Bi and Li co-substituted Strontium Titanate (ST) ceramics samples sintered at different temperatures are prepared and analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). XRD was used to detect phase structure of the sintered samples and SEM was used for microstructure analysis. Dielectric properties of Bi and Li co-substituted SrTiO{sub 3} samples were measured using Agilent 4294A Impedance analyzer in the frequency range 40 Hz to 5 MHz at room temperature. The result reveals that the dielectric constant of Bi and Li co-substituted SrTiO{sub 3} ceramics increases with increasing sintering temperature up to 1250°C and then decreases beyond that. The highest value of dielectric constant obtained is 860 at 1KHz frequency and lowest dielectric loss observed is 0.04 at the same frequency for samples sintered at 1250°C. Also the grain size increases with increase of sintering temperature.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Examination of the α-ω two-phase shock-induced microstructure in zirconium and titanium

Omega (ω) phase is formed in alpha (α) zirconium during dynamic loading and can be retained in the recovered material. The pathway for the α to ω change (or the reverse transformation) is not well understood. Zirconium was shock-loaded and the resulting two-phase microstructure was examined. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to characterize the orientation relationships and habit planes between phases to understand the pathways between α and ω phases and compare to Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. Based on key microstructural features, a significant amount of α phase appears to have originated from the reverse transformation from ω-Zr on unloading. Results of microstructural analysis will be discussed, along with implications toward phase transformation pathways.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Application of Al-Cu-W-Ta graded density impactors in dynamic ramp compression experiments

Graded density impactors (GDIs) are utilized to dynamically compress materials to extreme conditions. Two modifications to a previously developed Mg-Cu-W GDI are made in this work before using it in a dynamic compression experiment: Mg is replaced with Al and a Ta disk is glued to the back. The Mg phase is replaced by Al because FCC Al remains solid to higher pressure along its Hugoniot compared to Mg. The addition of the Ta disk creates a constant particle velocity regime and facilitates a definition of peak pressure states. Microstructure analysis, profilometry, and ultrasonic C-scans of the Al-Cu-W GDI all confirm excellent uniformity. We evaluated signal variation in the radial direction of a dynamically compressed Al-LiF bilayer target to evaluate the contribution of spatial nonuniformity to errors. Velocity traces from five photon Doppler velocimetry (PDV) probes located at different radial distances from the center of the target varied at most by 1.1% with a root mean square of 0.3% during the compression ramp, demonstrating low PDV measurement error over a relatively large experimental area. The experimental PDV data additionally agrees well with 1D simulations that use inputs from predictive characterization models developed for the material properties resulting from tape casting, laminating, and powder consolidation processes. Low measurement error during quasi-isentropic compression, leading to better precision, promises a robust platform to reach extreme compression and low-temperature recovery states and facilitates discovery via synthesis, quenching, and preservation of new high-pressure phases.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

NiGa 2 O 4 interfacial layers in NiO/Ga 2 O 3 heterojunction diodes at high temperature

NiO/Ga 2 O 3 heterojunction diodes have attracted attention for high-power applications, but their high temperature performance and reliability remain underexplored. Here, we report the time evolution of the electrical properties in the widely studied p-NiO/n-Ga 2 O 3 heterojunction diodes and formation of NiGa 2 O 4 interfacial layers at high temperatures. Results of our thermal cycling experiment show an initial leakage current increase which stabilizes after sustained thermal load, due to reactions at the NiO–Ga 2 O 3 interface. High-resolution TEM microstructure analysis of the devices after thermal cycling indicates that the NiO–Ga 2 O 3 interface forms a ternary compound at high temperatures, and thermodynamic calculations suggest the formation of the spinel NiGa 2 O 4 layer between NiO and Ga 2 O 3 . First-principles defect calculations find that NiGa 2 O 4 shows low p-type intrinsic doping and hence can serve to limit electric field crowding at the interface. Vertical NiO/ Ga 2 O 3 diodes with intentionally grown 5 nm thin spinel-type NiGa 2 O 4 interfacial layers show an excellent device ON/OFF ratio of >10 10 (± 3 V), V ON of ~1.9 V, and increased breakdown voltage of ~1.2 kV for an initial unoptimized 300 lm diameter device. These p–n heterojunction diodes are promising for high-voltage, high temperature applications.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2013

Exhaust Gas Recirculation Cooler Fouling in Diesel Applications: Fundamental Studies Deposit Properties and Microstructure

This paper reports on the results of experimental efforts aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanisms and conditions at play in the fouling of EGR coolers. An experimental apparatus was constructed to utilize simplified surrogate heat exchanger tubes in lieu of full-size heat exchangers. The use of these surrogate tubes allowed removal of the tubes after exposure to engine exhaust for study of the deposit layer and its properties. The exhaust used for fouling the surrogate tubes was produced using a modern medium-duty diesel engine fueled with both ultra-low sulfur diesel and biodiesel blends. At long exposure times, no significant difference in the fouling rate was observed between fuel types and HC levels. Surface coatings for the tubes were also evaluated to determine their impact on deposit growth. No surface treatment or coating produced a reduction in the fouling rate or any evidence of deposit removal. In addition, microstructural analysis of the fouling layers was performed using optical and electron microscopy in order to better understand the deposition mechanism. The experimental results are consistent with thermophoretic deposition for deposit formation, and van der Waals attraction between the deposit surface and exhaust-borne particulate.

EGR↗
DOE OSTI2017

Be:B Amorphous Coatings and Order-Disorder Transitions

Here Be:B films were explored as a possible ablator material for use in inertial confinement fusion target capsules. It was found that Be:B forms an amorphous structure near the eutectic composition of 11 to 12 at. % B. It is believed that having an amorphous ablator should be useful in suppressing Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities during compression of the target. As the composition is moved away from the eutectic, an amorphous-to–columnar structure transition was more likely to be observed after some finite thickness of amorphous material had been deposited. Microstructural analysis indicated that this transition involved the nucleation of nanocrystal structures within the amorphous matrix. This nanocrystal nucleation is believed to be due to supersaturation of the dopant atom in the host. Finally, an efficient packing analysis is also presented in an effort to explain the most favorable amorphous composition of 11 to 12 at. % B doping observed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Cr-Be Pushered Single Shell (PSS) Capsule Development

Pushered single shell (PSS) has emerged as an alternative platform of implosion to ease the stability issue at the ablation front. The design consists of a thin inner Be layer, a 50% Cr:Be plateau region, an S-curve gradient, a low Cr (1.5%) tamper layer, and followed by a pure Be outer layer. General Atomics has developed a way to fabricate the higher-Z Cr to lower-Z Be gradients on glow discharge polymer mandrels with a designed S-shape profile for optimal implosion stability using magnetron sputtering. Microstructure analysis of the gradient coating indicated that at lower Cr concentration a short order or amorphous structure was formed. Here, these fabricated PSS capsules were subsequently built into capsule fill tube assemblies, verified to be leak tight at both ambient and cryogenic conditions, and delivered to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the shots. The capsule thermal stability was demonstrated by invariable Cr profiles before and after pyrolysis. However, cracking at inner Cr layers was observed, which has been attributed to thermal stress.

Capsule↗