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Irradiated nanowires' strength can change with their diameter. Though damaged by radiation, defects get cleaned during loading, returning the nanowires to their pristine state. This suggests that radiation has little impact on their fracture behavior.
Highlights: • An in-process interlayer reinforcement approach for 3D concrete printing was proposed through the concurrent deposition of U-nails. • Significant strength and toughness improvement was achieved for U-nail reinforced 3D-printed concrete. • The bridge linking effect and dowel action of U-nails were analysed. • Response surface method were utilised to quantify the effects of U-nails on the interlayer bonding behaviour. 3D concrete printing has tremendous potential for construction manufacturing; however, weak interface bonding between adjacent layers remains a well-known issue that affects the mechanical properties of printed structures. The layers introduce anisotropy and reduce the capacity to resist tensile and shear loads. Reinforcements, inserted perpendicular to the printed layers to traverse the interfaces, can improve these limitations, but the insertion of reinforcements is difficult to achieve in practice, and there are few published studies exploring appropriate methods. This study presents a promising approach using U-shaped nails inserted into concrete during the printing process. The bridging effect and dowel action of the applied U-nails are visualised and analysed to elucidate the toughness improvement. The ultimate tensile strength and shear strength of 3D printed concrete are significantly increased by 145.0% and 220.0%, respectively. U-nails with a filament thickness of 2–2.5 mm are recommended to yield optimal improvement in the interlayer strength.
Rocks famously have scale-dependent strength, yet the actual dependence is notoriously hard to measure or incorporate into any theoretical framework. Natural rough surfaces present an opportunity to solve the problem. Surfaces sliding in shear evolve as protrusions collide. These asperities can deform or break, thus creating a new surface shape. In particular, natural surfaces have roughness at all scales as well as scale-dependent strength. Based on a scaling analysis, we have previously suggested that the scale-dependent aspect ratio of steady-state surfaces should be proportional to the scale-dependent shear strain at yield. If true, scale-dependent strength could easily be inferred from natural surfaces. Thus, moving beyond the scaling argument to a rigorous treatment of scale-dependent strength for multiscale rough surfaces in shear is important. However, analytic frameworks for analyzing multiscale problems are challenging, as conventional continuum mechanics typically involves a single value for a material property across scales. Here, in this work, we build on the formalism of Persson (2001) that presents a method to compute contact area for rough surfaces with a prescribed topographic spectrum using a stochastic differential equation. The Persson formalism allows for plastic yield under normal loading of otherwise elastic materials and leaves open the possibility of scale-dependent yield stress. In this study, we pursue this route to develop a theory and numerical results for the yielding of a rough, elastoplastic surface with scale-dependent yield stress. Here, we examine surfaces for which the power spectrum of the topography 𝐶 and yield stress 𝑌 follow power laws as a function of scale 𝜆, such that 𝐶∼𝜆 −𝑚 and 𝑌∼𝜆 −𝑛 , respectively. In this formal treatment of the problem, we focus on surfaces in contact and the resulting yield and do not impose shear. Numerical solutions show that the deviation from the elastic scaling solution is bounded as expected by the prior 1D heuristic scaling argument that anticipates the Hurst exponent as 1−𝑛. We also show that the plasticity is expected to erode the contacts if 𝑚 is lower than 𝑛−3, which corresponds to a Hurst exponent lower than 1−𝑛/2. This result is rigorously sound for 2D, i.e., realistic surfaces, and quantitatively different than the prior scaling argument. The theory now permits a correspondingly quantitative approach to interpreting natural surfaces.
Abstract The reinforcement of mechanically‐weak hydrogels to yield composites with increased stiffness, strength, or toughness is a well‐established approach. In particular, introducing electrospun nanofibers into hydrogels is a common strategy for biomedical applications, as the resulting hierarchical structure mimics biology and allows for control over fiber diameter and alignment and tuning of mechanical properties. However, further study of the link between the constituent materials and the mechanical properties of the composite is uncommon. One potential model to understand the mechanical properties of fiber‐reinforced hydrogels involves the Halpin–Tsai equations, which relate the modulus values of the fibers and hydrogel matrix and the fiber volume fraction, to the modulus of the composite. To assess the application of this model to fiber‐reinforced hydrogels, predicted values were compared with experimental values from mechanical testing of a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) matrix reinforced with an electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) fiber mat. Although the equations described these systems well in tension, providing a facile approach to identify a fiber volume fraction that will achieve a desired modulus, the Halpin–Tsai approach was less successful under compression. This study motivates additional investigation of the role of structural features of hydrogel composites in determining mechanical properties to enable design of materials for specific applications.
In van der Waals (vdW) materials, strong coupling between different degrees of freedom can hybridize elementary excitations into bound states with mixed character. Correctly identifying the nature and composition of these bound states is key to understanding their ground state properties and excitation spectra. Here, we use ultrafast spectroscopy to reveal bound states of d-orbitals and phonons in 2D vdW antiferromagnet NiPS 3 . These bound states manifest themselves through equally spaced phonon replicas in frequency domain. These states are optically dark above the Néel temperature and become accessible with magnetic order. By launching this phonon and spectrally tracking its amplitude, we establish the electronic origin of bound states as localized d–d excitations. Our data directly yield electron-phonon coupling strength which exceeds the highest known value in 2D systems. These results demonstrate NiPS 3 as a platform to study strong interactions between spins, orbitals and lattice, and open pathways to coherent control of 2D magnets.
A search for flavor-changing neutral-current couplings between a top quark, an up or charm quark, and a $Z$ boson is presented, using proton-proton collision data at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The analyzed data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb -1 . The search targets both single-top-quark events produced as $gq$ → $tZ$ (with $q$ = $u, c$) and top-quark-pair events, with one top quark decaying through the $t$ → $Zq$ channel. The analysis considers events with three leptons (electrons or muons), a $b$-tagged jet, possible additional jets, and missing transverse momentum. The data are found to be consistent with the background-only hypothesis and 95% confidence-level limits on the $t$ → $Zq$ branching ratios, assuming only tensor operators of the Standard Model effective field theory framework contribute to the $tZq$ vertices. These are 6.2 x 10 -5 (13 x 10 -5 ) for $t$ → $Zu$ ($t$ → $Zc$) for a left-handed $tZq$ coupling, and 6.6 x 10 -5 (12 x 10 -5 ) in the case of a right-handed coupling. These results are interpreted as 95% CL upper limits on the strength of the corresponding couplings, yielding limits for |${C}^{(13)*}_{uW}$| and |${C}^{(13)*}_{uB}$| (|${C}^{(31)}_{uW}$| and |${C}^{(31)}_{uB}$|) of 0.15 (0.16), and limits for |${C}^{(23)*}_{uW}$| and |${C}^{(23)*}_{uB}$| (|${C}^{(32)}_{uW}$| and |${C}^{(32)}_{uB}$|) of 0.22 (0.21), assuming a new-physics energy scale Λ NP of 1 TeV.
In plasma jet driven magneto-inertial fusion (PJMIF) an array of discrete supersonic plasma jets is used to form a spherically imploding plasma liner, which then compresses a magnetized plasma target to fusion conditions. With funding from ARPA-E’s ALPHA program and from Strong Atomics LLC, HyperJet Fusion Corp and HyperV Technologies Corp. previously developed the plasma guns required for an experimental demonstration of the plasma liner formation part of the concept. A 36-gun demonstration of an imploding spherical plasma liner is currently underway on the PLX facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This present project addresses the next step required for a complete PJMIF concept, i.e. developing the magnetized plasma target. We proposed to form the target by stagnating a number of magnetized plasma jets in the center of the target chamber. This is accomplished by adding a bias field coil to the plasma liner gun to form a magnetized plasma jet. This experimental development took place at HyperJet in a geometry replicating the bias field environment that will be seen on a PLX port so the results are directly transferrable to the PLX experiment. The objective of this effort was the technical development and characterization of a new magnetized plasma jet using a high-performance, high momentum flux, contoured-gap coaxial plasma gun appropriate for use on the next stage of the PLX experiment. Electromagnetic modeling of the coil indicated the coil was best placed around the aluminum tubes of the gun transmission line, rather than around the chamber port as originally proposed. This maximized field strength in the breech and yielded much better flux linkage between gun electrodes. A 30-turn coil was ultimately implemented, allowing long pulses that could diffuse through the metal walls on the timescale of interest. \machtwo modeling predicted that less capacitance in the main PFN could potentially improve plasma jet velocities due to better matching of the current to the smaller plasma mass and the existing electrode contour designed to suppress blowby. This proved true, as testing showed markedly improved performance when the original 600uF bank was reduced to 400uF. A number of diagnostics were built and/or upgraded in order to characterize the plasma jets, inluding laser interferomtery for density, photodiodes for velocity, Bdot probes for magnetic field measurements, a Triple probe for temperature measurements, and spectroscopy for impurity content. A plasma gun with the 30-turn magnet coil installed, a 70% reduction in gas valve plenum volume, and a 33% reduction in main PFN capacitance produced a dense, high velocity, well magnetized plasma jet. We met or exceeded virtually all of the plasma jet parameter goals. Peak velocity of 135 km/s exceeded the 100 km/s goal by 35%, while the peak density of over 1.0x10 15 cm -3 was 3.3 times the goal of >3.0x10 14 cm -3 . Shot-to-shot repeatability is excellent, with a jitter of less than 300ns observed on the arrival fronts of the photodiode signals from one shot to the next. Average plasma jet lengths of 33cm (at 120km/s) were slightly longer than the 20cm goal, but jets as short as 11.8cm were observed at 135km/s. Mass is much higher than the targeted goal, averaging 106ug per shot compared to 20ug. The magnetic field is still a bit lower than desired, with a maximum to date of ~811G, compared to the goal of 1000G. Average values, though, were typically in the 300-450G range, when measured further downstream after some expected in flight decay. Temperature measurements are still a work in progress. Increasing the B field and completing temperature measurements will be continued on into the ongoing BETHE project.
Two heats of G91 steel have been investigated in liquid sodium at 550- 650°C to understand their corrosion behaviour, microstructural evolution, and tensile properties. Sodium exposure experiments of subsized, sheet-type tensile specimens of G91 were performed in Argonne’s forced convection sodium materials testing loops, SMT-1 and SMT-2. Maximum exposure times of ~49,000 h at ~38,000 h, and ~20,000 h have been achieved at 550, 600, and 650°C, respectively. Thermal aging experiments of G91 steel were also conducted in parallel, and the results were compared with those of the sodium-exposed specimens to isolate the effect of thermal aging from the effect of sodium exposure. It was found that the yield stress and ultimate tensile strength of G91 were reduced by more than 50% after sodium exposures at 650°C due to decarburization. The reduction in tensile strength was accompanied by the dissolution of M 23 C 6 carbides and excessive grain growth. The effect of sodium at 550 and 600°C was insignificant for exposure times up to ~49,000 h and ~38,000 h, respectively. The effect of sodium on the microstructural stability and tensile properties of G91 is largely dependent on the carbon mass transfer in the alloy-sodium system.
We investigated the influence of CO2-induced geochemical reactions on the cohesive-frictional properties of host rock within the context of CO2 storage in a saline aquifer and focused on the Mt. Simon sandstone. The research objective was to model geo-mechanical changes due to host rock exposure to CO2-saturated brine while accounting for heterogeneity, double-scale porosity, and granular structure. We formulated a three-level multi-scale model for host rocks. We conducted scanning electron microscopy analyses to probe the microstructure and grid nanoindentation to measure the mechanical response. We derived new nonlinear strength upscaling solutions to correlate the effective strength characteristics and the macroscopic yield surface to the micro-structure at the nano-, micro-, and meso-scales. Specifically, our theoretical model links CO2-induced microstructural alterations to a reduction in the size of the yield surface, and a drop in the value of the friction coefficient. In turn, regarding the Illinois Basin Decatur Project, the CO2-induced drop in friction coefficient is linked to an increase in the risk of fault slip and a higher probability of induced microseismicity during and after the end of CO2 underground injection operations. The theoretical model presented is essential for the geo-mechanical modeling of CO2 underground injection operations at multiple length-scales.
Highlights: • Use of LC{sup 3} slightly reduces flowability and shortens the setting time of fresh matrices. • Highly polymerized C-A-S-H gel and abundant ettringite benefit flexural strength of LC{sup 3}-matrices. • Use of LC{sup 3} enhances the bond strength between fiber and high-strength matrix. • LC{sup 3}-based HS-SHCC yields similar flexural performance as the composite with Portland cement. High-strength strain-hardening cement-based composites (HS-SHCC) demonstrate excellent mechanical and durability properties. However, high cement content typical to HS-SHCC results not only in high carbon footprint, but also in excessive hydration heat and severe autogenous shrinkage. In this investigation, Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC{sup 3}) was used to produce sustainable HS-SHCC. The LC{sup 3} substitution resulted in higher energy consumption during mixing and in shorter setting times of the fresh, plain matrices. Although the LC{sup 3} substitution slightly reduced the compressive strength, the formation of highly polymerized C-A-S-H gel and abundant ettringite benefited the flexural strength of the plain matrices. Additionally, single-fiber pullout experiments showed that the use of LC{sup 3} led to increased fiber-matrix bond strength and pullout energy. Finally, the replacement of Portland cement by LC{sup 3} resulted in HS-SHCC with similar mechanical performance to the reference composite, indicating a high potential for using LC{sup 3} in high-performance cement-based composites.
Biobased reinforcements for poly(lactic acid) (PLA) are needed for more additive manufacturing applications requiring higher strength and sustainability. Flax nanofibrils (FNFs) produced through mechanical refining were explored as a lower energy alternative to cellulose nanofibril (CNF) reinforcements. To compatibilize the FNFs for the PLA matrix, a grafting-through surfactant free emulsion polymerization (SFEP) was performed to functionalize the FNF surface with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). FNFs produced using different refining energy were functionalized under varying solid contents in suspension. Polymerizations performed at 0.7 wt% FNFs in water yielded the highest degree of PMMA functionality. These optimal conditions were scaled up and the PMMA modified FNFs melt compounded into PLA yielding a 12% increase in tensile strength and 92% increase in the modulus of elasticity as compared to the original PLA. Interestingly, the FNFs with the lowest refining energy yielded the strongest composites using these methods, surpassing the higher refining energy CNF reinforcements. This increase was attributed to improved dispersion of the FNF reinforcements in the PLA matrix that was enabled by the PMMA coating on the FNF surface preventing interfibrillar adhesion and aggregation within the PLA matrix.
The radionuclide 22 Na is a target of γ-ray astronomy searches, predicted to be produced during thermonuclear runaways driving classical novae. The 22 Na (p, γ) 23 Mg reaction is the main destruction channel of 22 Na during a nova, hence, its rate is needed to accurately predict the 22 Na yield. However, experimental determinations of the resonance strengths have led to inconsistent results. In this Rapid Communication, we report a measurement of the branching ratios of the 23 Al β-delayed protons as a probe of the key 204-keV (center-of-mass) 22 Na (p, γ) 23 Mg resonance strength. We report a factor of 5 lower branching ratio compared to the most recent literature value. The variation in 22 Na yield due to nuclear data inconsistencies was assessed using a series of hydrodynamic nova outburst simulations and has increased to a factor of 3.8, corresponding to a factor of ≈ 2 uncertainty in the maximum detectability distance. Finally, this is the first reported scientific measurement using the Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging system.
This study systematically investigates the effects of three rejuvenation modes, namely biaxial loading, thermal pressure loading, and cryogenic thermal cycling, on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Cu 64 Zr 36 metallic glasses (MGs) using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The simulation results demonstrate that biaxial tension application during loading results in a rejuvenated glassy state with high strength. Specifically, we find that the yield stress, Young's modulus, and shear modulus of the rejuvenated glass obtained by biaxial tensile loading decreased by 2.8%, 2.1%, and 2.7%, respectively, compared to an as-cast MG reference. We also find that MGs achieve the greatest degree of rejuvenation, at the expense of strength, with the use of thermal pressure loading. Interestingly, the application of cryogenic thermal cycling results in a rejuvenated state with a lower strength drop compared to thermal pressure loading. Furthermore, analysis of the potential energy and medium-range-order (MRO) size indicates that the microstructures of MGs achieves a high-energy ordered glass state after thermal pressure loading, but a high-energy disordered glass state after biaxial tensile loading and cryogenic thermal cycling. Furthermore, these findings provide meaningful insights into the effect of rejuvenation modes on the microstructures and mechanical properties of MGs, as well as useful guidelines for designing MGs with high strength and superior plasticity for prospective applications in industry.
Hermetic machinery utilizing gas bearings for MW-scale supercritical CO 2 (sCO 2 ) machinery applications can have significantly lower power loss and enable improved cycle efficiency compared to conventional machinery with oil-lubricated bearings. Active magnetic bearings (AMBs) are another option anticipated to have similar power loss and load capacity to gas bearings as well as offering larger mechanical tolerances, the ability to tune properties, and high reliability due to lack of mechanical wear. AMBs also have proven commercial experience at MW-scale, though environments for high-temperature sCO 2 power cycle machinery conditions are novel. Besides the potential impact of AMBs for sCO 2 turbomachinery, the technology also offers promising benefits for steam and gas turbines for power generation, compressors and expanders for industrial heat and power, and in other oil and gas and space applications. The goals of this project were to conceptual design an AMB and perform material testing. Conceptual designs for radial and thrust AMBs were produced based on a hermetically-sealed sCO 2 machinery waste-heat recovery (WHR) application for sizing and loads, and choosing a target design temperature of 540°C useful for high-temperature sCO 2 turbines for concentrating solar power (CSP) applications. Conceptual designs were initially developed for multiple radial and thrust AMBs with spreadsheet-based calculations before selecting one of each to develop further using higher-fidelity design methods for magnetic and structural performance. It was found that the radial AMB at 540°C was feasible, but the thrust AMB needed to be limited to 315°C for high-speed operation. The decision for a reduced-temperature thrust AMB was the result of several significant conclusions: 1) Hiperco 50A, originally chosen for good magnetic performance at high temperature, had insufficient strength for high-speed operation, so it was replaced with 17-4 PH. 2) The reduced magnetic performance from 17-4 PH yielded a larger bearing size, reducing the strength margin. 3) This ultimately led to a creative design implementing a more-compact E-core topology, compared to the original (conventional) C-core, and an integral shaft-disk with Hirth joint connection. These conceptual designs are unique for the size and temperature in CO 2 , relevant for MW-scale CSP applications. Long term, high temperature test data was generated for several materials, filling a void in the current body of literature. Corrosion and magnetic performance measurements were produced for PM materials (Alnico 5-7C, Alnico 9C, and SmCo) with and without nickel-coating for environments of high-temperature CO 2 up to 550°C at atmospheric pressure and 450°C at 103 bar for up to 6,000 hours. Corrosion measurements were also produced for Hiperco 50, a SM material relevant for AMB laminations, with and without C5 coating. Comparisons were also made for 450°C and 550°C, atmospheric pressure air exposures up to 5,000 hours. Results generally show that coatings can be effective at improving oxidation resistance of the bare materials, and Alnicos generally outperformed SmCo after high-temperature exposure. In addition to technical feasibility demonstrated by the design, economic feasibility was demonstrated by updating the TEA from the reference machine, re-evaluating it with CAPEX and OPEX to reflect estimated changes from process-lubricated bearings to AMBs. AMBs were shown to be comparable in performance to process-lubricated bearings, still showing a notable improvement over conventional machinery architecture with oil-lubricated bearings.
Here, strength, texture, and equation of state of hexagonal tungsten monocarbide (WC) have been determined under quasi-hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic compression to 66 GPa using angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction in the diamond anvil cell. Quasi-hydrostatic compression in a Ne pressure medium demonstrates that nanocrystalline WC is slightly less incompressible than bulk-scale WC, with respective bulk moduli of K 0 = 377 ± 7 and 397 ± 7 GPa and pressure derivatives K 0 ’ = 3.8 ± 0.3 and 3.7 ±0.3. This decrease in incompressibility with grain size is similar to behavior observed in other ceramics. Under nonhydrostatic compression, WC supports a mean differential stress of ~12-15 GPa at plastic yielding, which occurs at ~30 GPa. Strength in WC is anisotropic, with the (001) plane supporting 29-42% higher stress than stresses calculated from mean strain. Simulations using an Elasto-ViscoPlastic Self-Consistent model indicate that strength inferred from lattice strain theory may be overestimated due to effects of plastic deformation. Plastic deformation generates a texture maximum near $\langle\bar{2}110\rangle$ in the compression orientation, initially through prismatic slip on the {$10\bar{1}0$}$\langle\bar{1}2\bar{1}0\rangle$ and {$10\bar{1}0$}$\langle0001\rangle$ slip systems, followed by activation of pyramidal slip on {$10\bar{1}1$}$\langle\bar{2}113\rangle$ at ~40-50 GPa.
The mechanisms of tensile deformation and fracture of carbon fibers are investigated in large-scale molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations performed for computational samples with different structural characteristics enable analysis of the structural sensitivity of the mechanical properties. It is found that the carbon fiber nanostructure can be represented by a fine (nanoscale) mixture of stiff and soft regions. Despite the nanoscale structural heterogeneity of the computational fibers, their fracture strain and tensile strength exceed the experimental values by almost an order of magnitude. Here, this observation is explained by the ability of the carbon fiber nanostructure, largely consisting of curved and folded layers of turbostratic carbon, to exhibit continuous nanoscale load redistribution during the deformation. The transient, fluid nature of a percolating cluster of stress-holding structural elements prevents stress localization at the early stage of the deformation and enables the fiber nanostructure to adapt to the increasing load. Overall, the results of the simulations suggest that the design of advanced carbon fiber manufacturing and post-processing methods focused on the elimination of critical mesoscopic structural defects (internal voids, foreign inclusions, and surface flaws) can yield a substantial increase in the strength and fracture strain of carbon fibers.
Abstract An integrated Equation of State (EOS) and strength/pore‐crush/damage model framework is provided for modeling near to source (near‐field) ground‐shock response, where large deformations and pressures necessitate coupling EOS with pressure‐dependent plastic yield and damage. Nonlinear pressure‐dependence of strength up to high‐pressures is combined with a Modified Cam‐Clay‐like cap‐plasticity model in a way to allow degradation of strength from pore‐crush damage, what we call the “Yp‐Cap” model. Nonlinear hardening under compaction allows modeling the crush‐out of pores in combination with a fully saturated EOS, that is, for modeling partially saturated ground‐shock response, where air‐filled voids crush. Attention is given to algorithmic clarity and efficiency of the provided model, and the model is employed in example numerical simulations, including finite element simulations of underground explosions to exemplify its robustness and utility.
Here, the high-pressure strength of solid platinum is studied at the National Ignition Facility via Rayleigh-Taylor ripple growth under ramp compression. Laser-driven experiments reached pressures up to 430 GPa, collecting velocimetry and radiography data. Despite no phase transformation, the observed ripple growth aligns with hydrodynamic simulations using an amplified Steinberg-Guinan model, resulting in a 200-fold increase in strength. Molecular dynamics simulations of platinum ramp compression yield similar von Mises stress at comparable high pressure and high strain rate conditions. These findings represent the highest-pressure strength measurements ever achieved for platinum and offer critical insight into its significant strengthening behavior under high pressure and strain rate conditions.