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At least 811 records · Page 45
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Carbon Anode Material from Biomass Pyrolysis Oil

Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) are an important component of electric vehicles and sodium-ion batteries (SIB) are an attractive alternative for grid electric storage. We are investigating a novel approach to synthesizing the carbon anode materials for these batteries from biomass pyrolysis oil as part of conversion processes to produce biofuels. Graphite is used as anode material in LIB and is exclusively produced from petroleum residue or mined mineral carbon. We have synthesized drop-in graphite by coking the heavy residual oil from the distillation of catalytic fast pyrolysis oil and by catalytic graphitizing raw pyrolysis oil. XRD and Raman spectroscopies were used to verify the production of high purity crystalline graphite. Figure 1 shows typical XRD spectra of the bio-graphite compared to commercial material as well as the charge/discharge cycle. Graphite particle sizes and morphologies were adjusted to improve performance using jet milling and carbon coating. The bio-graphite delivered a high capacity (335 mAh/g) when tested in a graphite half-cell. Full cell coin cell experiments were also conducted to verify the observations from half-cell testing. The high value of graphite (>$9/kg) can positively impact the economics of biofuels production and can be an important part of a future circular carbon economy. We have also investigated synthesizing hard carbon from pyrolysis oil for use as anode material in SIB. These batteries are not commercially mature but have great promise in grid storage and use earth abundant elements. We have demonstrated that pyrolysis oil can be used to synthesize hard carbon, which was subsequently be used in SIB experiments. This material achieved a sodium-ion capacity of 250 mAh/g and a first cycle efficiency of 78%, with opportunities to further optimize this performance from optimizing the composition of the pyrolysis oil to shaping the hard carbon particles. As with graphite, hard carbon is a high value (> $10/kg) material that could facilitate biofuels production.

BIOMASS FUELS,INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND AN↗
DOE OSTI2019

Frequency Dependence of an Electromagnetic Absorption Coefficient in Magnetic Fluid

The samples of water-based magnetic fluid, which contain Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}–SiO{sub 2} particles with a spherical shape and sizes less than 100 nm, have been obtained. The method based on using a transmission line has been applied to measure the electromagnetic absorption coefficient in the frequency range from 0.1 to 18.0 GHz using a measuring setup based on horn antennas and the cell based on a coplanar transmission line. It has been found that magnetic fluids can be used to produce electromagnetic shields and electromagnetic wave absorbers as well as means to carry out local hyperthermia at electromagnetic radiation frequencies higher than 7 GHz.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-17800-DND

Currently, there are two national challenge problems that guide much of the research in durability and damage tolerance at NASA Langley. The first, Airframe Digital Twin, is a concept that combines as-built vehicle components, as-experienced loads and environments, and other vehicle-specific characteristics to enable ultrahigh fidelity modeling of aircraft and spacecraft throughout their service lives. The second, Materials Genome Initiative, is an analog to the Human Genome Project, and is intended to improve the rate at which materials scientists can discover, understand fundamental physics, and improve material systems. This presentation will highlight several research projects ongoing at NASA Langley that are in support of the above challenge problems. Two of those topics will be the subject of detailed discussion. First, investigations of microstructurally-small fatigue cracking (MSFC) in Al-2Cu and Al-4Cu, fabricated in-house, will be presented. Single- and oligo-crystals of Al-Cu specimens were loaded in uniaxial fatigue, while high-resolution in-situ measurements of deformation were made using image correlation (IC) in a scanning-electron microscope (SEM). The Al-Cu specimens were then replicated as crystal plasticity finite element models (CPFEM), where evolution of slip localization near grain boundaries was computed. Comparison among experiment and CPFEM is made. In addition, XRay diffraction measurements of the as-fabricated specimens were carried out, where direct measurements of the embedded copper precipitates were made, and their influence on growing MSFCs were directly observed. The second main topic will illustrate ongoing work in the area of so-called damage-sensing particles. In this work, shape-memory alloys are embedded in an aluminum alloy matrix. Upon the propagation of a fatigue crack, these particles undergo a strain-induced phase transformation which is detected using an acoustic sensor, providing real-time information on propagating cracks. Experiments and simulations regarding the development of this system will also be detailed.

Jacob Hochhalter↗
DOE OSTI2023

Probing spin waves in Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles for magnonics applications

The magnetic properties of spinel nanoparticles can be controlled by synthesizing particles of a specific shape and size. The synthesized nanorods, nanodots and cubic nanoparticles have different crystal planes selectively exposed on the surface. The surface effects on the static magnetic properties are well documented, while their influence on spin waves dispersion is still being debated. Our ability to manipulate spin waves using surface and defect engineering in magnetic nanoparticles is the key to designing magnonic devices. We synthesized cubic and spherical nanoparticles of a classical antiferromagnetic material Co 3 O 4 to study the shape and size effects on their static and dynamic magnetic proprieties. Using a combination of experimental methods, we probed the magnetic and crystal structures of our samples and directly measured spin wave dispersions using inelastic neutron scattering. We found a weak, but unquestionable, increase in exchange interactions for the cubic nanoparticles as compared to spherical nanoparticle and bulk powder reference samples. Interestingly, the exchange interactions in spherical nanoparticles have bulk-like properties, despite a ferromagnetic contribution from canted surface spins.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Light Scattering by Small Multilayer Particles: A Generalized Separation of Variables Method

A Rayleigh approximation is constructed for light scattering by small multilayer axisymmetric particles, in which their polarizability is determined by the generalized separation of variables method (SVM). In this method, scalar potentials, the gradients of which yield the electric-field strengths, are represented as expansions in spherical harmonics of the Laplace equation. Unknown coefficients of expansions are determined from the boundary conditions, which are reduced to infinite systems of linear algebraic equations (ISLAEs), since the separation of variables is incomplete. The T matrix of the electrostatic problem, principal element T{sub 11} of which is proportional to the particle polarizability, is determined. The necessary condition for the ISLAEs solvability for the SVM coincides with the condition of the correct application of the extended boundary conditions method (EBCM). However, numerical calculations in which finite-dimensional (i.e., reduced) systems are solved, yield different results in ranges of variation of parameters that are close to the boundary of the range of applicability. An analysis of the numerical calculations of the scattering and absorption cross sections for two-layer confocal spheroids, an exact solution for which can be obtained using spheroidal harmonics, shows that the SVM is preferable to the EBCM. It turned out that the proposed method yields workable results in a wider range of variation of parameters. Even outside the range of applicability, in which it should be regarded as a certain approximate solution, its use in a number of cases is quite acceptable. Additional calculations for three-layer nonconfocal spheroids, as well as for three-layer similar pseudospheroids and Pascal’s snails, which can be obtained from spheroids as a result of the inversion with respect to the coordinate origin and one of the foci, respectively, confirm these inferences. We note that, for certain values of the parameters, the shapes of the latter particles are nonconvex.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Polymer ligand–induced autonomous sorting and reversible phase separation in binary particle blends

The tethering of ligands to nanoparticles has emerged as an important strategy to control interactions and organization in particle assembly structures. Here, we demonstrate that ligand interactions in mixtures of polymer-tethered nanoparticles (which are modified with distinct types of polymer chains) can impart upper or lower critical solution temperature (UCST/LCST)–type phase behavior on binary particle mixtures in analogy to the phase behavior of the corresponding linear polymer blends. Therefore, cooling (or heating) of polymer-tethered particle blends with appropriate architecture to temperatures below (or above) the UCST (or LCST) results in the organization of the individual particle constituents into monotype microdomain structures. The shape (bicontinuous or island-type) and lengthscale of particle microdomains can be tuned by variation of the composition and thermal process conditions. Thermal cycling of LCST particle brush blends through the critical temperature enables the reversible growth and dissolution of monoparticle domain structures. The ability to autonomously and reversibly organize multicomponent particle mixtures into monotype microdomain structures could enable transformative advances in the high-throughput fabrication of solid films with tailored and mutable structures and properties that play an important role in a range of nanoparticle-based material technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Constraining spectroscopic factors near the r -process path using combined measurements: Kr 86 ( d , p ) 87 Kr

Background: Current nuclear structure models indicate that the shell structure near the valley of stability, with well-established shell closures at N=50, for example, changes in very neutron-rich nuclei far from stability. Single-particle properties of nuclei away from stability can be probed in single-neutron (d,p) transfer reactions with beams of rare isotopes. The interpretation of these data requires reaction theories with various effective interactions. Often, approximations made to the final bound-state potential introduce a large uncertainty in the extracted single-particle properties, in particular the spectroscopic factor. Purpose: Mitigate this uncertainty using a combined measurement method to constrain the shape of the bound-state potential and to reliably extract the spectroscopic factor. Methods: The 2 H( 86 Kr,p) 87 Kr reaction was measured at 33 MeV/u at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) as a test of the combined method. The reaction protons were detected with the Oak Ridge Rutgers University Barrel Array (ORRUBA) of position sensitive silicon strip detectors, the first implementation of ORRUBA coupled to the S800 spectrograph with fast beams at NSCL. Results: These measurements at 33 MeV/u are combined with previous studies of the 86 Kr(d,p) reaction at 5.5 MeV/u to demonstrate a successful case of the combined method to constrain the shape of the single-particle potential and deduce asymptotic normalization coefficients and spectroscopic factors. In particular, the single-particle asymptotic normalization coefficient for the ground state of 87 Kr was constrained to b d5/2 =6.46$^{+1.12}_{–0.57}$ fm –1/2 , and therefore the deduced spectroscopic factor is S=0.44$^{+0.09}_{–0.13}$ with uncertainties dominated by experimental statistics. Conclusions: By combining measurements at two very different beam energies, single-particle asymptotic normalization coefficients, at least for low angular momentum transfers, can be constrained. Thus, spectroscopic factors can be deduced with uncertainties dominated by experimental uncertainties, rather than limited knowledge of bound-state potential parameters.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2002

Optical Scattering Characterization for the Glennan Microsystems Microscale Particulate Classifier

Small sensors that are tolerant to mechanically and thermally harsh environments present the possibility for in-situ particle characterization in propulsion, industrial, and planetary science applications. Under a continuing grant from the Glennan Microsystems Initiative to the Microgravity Fluids Physics Branch of the NASA-Glenn Research Center, a Microscale Particle Classifier (MiPAC) instrument is being developed. The MiPAC instrument will be capable of determining the size distribution of airborne particles from about 1 nm to 30 micrometers, and will provide partial information as to the concentration, charge state, shape, and structure of the particles, while being an order of magnitude smaller in size and lighter in weight than presently commercially available instruments. The portion of the instrument that will characterize the nm-range particles will employ electrical mobility techniques and is being developed under a separate grant to Prof. David Pui of the University of Minnesota. The portion of the instrument that will characterize the micrometer-size particles such as dirt, pollens, spores, molds, soot, and combustion aerosols will use light scattering techniques. The development of data analysis techniques to be employed in the light scattering portion of the instrument is covered by this grant.

Lock, James A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Self-Assembly of Anisotropic Particles on Curved Surfaces

The surface curvature of membranes, interfaces, and substrates plays a crucial role in shaping the self-assembly of particles adsorbed on these surfaces. However, little is known about the interplay between particle anisotropy and surface curvature and how they couple to alter the free energy landscape of particle assemblies. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the effect of prescribed curvatures on a quasi-2D assembly of anisotropic patchy particles. By varying curvature and surface coverage, we uncover a rich geometric phase diagram, with curvature inducing ordered structures entirely absent on planar surfaces. Large spatial domains of ordered structures can contain hidden microdomains of orientational textures imprinted by the surface on the assembly. The dynamical landscape is also reshaped by surface curvature, with a glass-like state emerging at modest densities and high curvature. Changes to the symmetry of the surface curvature are found to result in distinct structures, including phases with mesoscale ordering. In conclusion, our findings show that the coupling between surface curvature and particle geometry opens an unexplored space of morphologies and structures that can be exploited for material design.

Fluids↗
DOE OSTI2018

Quick Microwave Assisted Synthesis and In Vitro Imaging Application of Oxygen Doped Fluorescent Carbon Dots

In this paper, a fast and simplest one-pot tactic was used to synthesis fluorescent oxygen doped carbon dots from Tween-20 (TTO-CDs) is reported. The TTO-CDs were microwavically synthesized by using Tween-20 as both the carbon precursor and the oxygen dopant as well. The surface morphology, crystalline and/or amorphous nature, composition and optical assets of synthesized TTO-CDs were studied by means of existing techniques. From the results, it was confirmed that the as-synthesized TTO-CDs are amorphous in nature, monodispersed, sphere-shaped and the typical particle size range is 5 ± 1.5 nm. The synthesized TTO-CDs emits strong blue fluorescence at 390 nm under excitation of 335 nm. Most interestingly, the excitation dependent emission property of synthesized TTO-CDs was exposed from fluorescence results. The synthesized TTO-CDs have quantum yield of about 14% against quinine sulfate as reference standard. The biotoxicity of synthesized TTO-CDs on HeLa cells was assessed through cytotoxicity assay. These results implied that the fluorescent TTO-CDs showed less biotoxicity, and further which was efficaciously applied as a multicolor staining and bioimaging probe for the confocal imaging of HeLa cells.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

AC Electrical Properties of MgFe{sub 2−x}Nd{sub x}O{sub 4} (x = 0 to 0.04) for High Frequency Applications

Magnesium ferrite was doped with Nd to get MgFe{sub 2−x}Nd{sub x}O{sub 4} (x = 0 to 0.04). The samples were synthesized by a without water and surfactant (WOWS) sol-gel technique, and pellets were sintered at different temperatures. An inverse spinel structure was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. Lattice constants increased with the increase in Nd doping. Microstructure analysis by SEM shows that particles are spherical in shape. AC electrical properties were studied at room temperature in the frequency range of 20 Hz–3 MHz. A minimum dielectric loss tangent value was achieved with x = 0.02 concentration of Nd, and it is suitable for high-frequency applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Structural and Dielectric Properties of Rare Earth Doped Lithium Nanoferrites for Sensing Applications

Nowadays it is the hot topic to analyze the behavior of different materials towards gasses so that they can be used for sensing purpose. Ferrites specifically lithium ferrites show very good response to gasses present in the environment. Lithium ferrite doped with Gd (Li{sub 0.5}Fe{sub 2.475}Gd{sub 0.025}O{sub 4}) was selected for this purpose. Sample was synthesized by simplified sol-gel technique. After that, pellets were formed and sintered at different temperatures. Spinel cubic phase was observed in x-ray diffraction (XRD). It is noted that by increasing sintering temperature, results slightly decrease in lattice constant. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the surface morphology of the samples. It was observed that particles were spherical in shape. AC electrical properties were studied at room temperature in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 3 MHz. AC electrical conductivity and dielectric constant decreased with the increase in sintering temperature. The maximum conductivity was observed in the sample that was sintered at temperature of 700 {sup ∘}C. Significant variation in electrical response with frequency made these samples suitable for sensing applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Mössbauer Studies and Magnetic Properties of Cubic CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} Nanoparticles

This study reports the preparation and characterization of nanocrystalline spinel powder of cubic copper ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) which have been fabricated via a cost-effective citrate sol–gel approach. The structural and morphological properties of the nanoparticles are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) whereas magnetic properties and Mössbauer analysis were performed using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and Mössbauer spectra, respectively, and were characterized in detail. The empirical aim of this study is to perceive the transition phase of CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} as cubic symmetry which was confirmed by SEM images, and a couple of studies reported on the cubic structure of copper ferrite and discussed the magnetic properties. However, the present study gives the detailed information of the formation of cubic structure and magnetic behavior of the CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} cubic structure. X-ray diffraction measurements of resulting NPs show that the grain size of the particles is about 42.08 nm while SEM analysis showed that the particles have cubic nanostructured shapes with non-homogeneous sizes in around 80–100 nm. From {sup 57}Fe, Mössbauer parameters consist of one superparamagnetic doublet and superposition of four sextets. VSM result shows the enhanced superparamagnetic nature of the CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} NPs.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2019

Anisometric Iron Oxide-Based Nanoparticles and Sols Based on Them: Preparation and Properties

We have synthesized magnetic powders of the magnetite-maghemite series by the chemical reaction of the FeSO{sub 4} iron salt and the natural arabinogalactan polysaccharide. These particles with a high magnetization value (∼ 300 Gs) represent a mixture of spherical particles and nanorods. Particles of a spherical shape (diameter of ∼ 5–6 nm) show a superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature, while rods with a diameter of ∼ 5 nm and a length of 30 nm are magnetic. We have prepared sol samples based on the nanoparticle aqueous solution of arabinogalactan. Our results on the magnetism of the circular dichroism (MCD) on sol are consistent with the of Mössbauer spectroscopy data.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Experiments at Jefferson Lab

This chapter presents experiments conducted at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab), a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory in Newport News, Virginia. There, physicists exploring the nature of matter make use of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF), a DOE Office of Science user facility that enables the research of more than 1,650 scientists worldwide. CEBAF’s precise electron beams can reach energies up to 12 billion electron-volts and exhibit high degrees of polarization. Jefferson Lab’s first experiment began taking data in 1995. Since then, the facility has become a world leader in the study of quantum chromodynamics. Today, experiments are carried out simultaneously in four experimental halls, each with specialized capabilities. The primary instruments in use are focusing or large-acceptance magnetic spectrometers, many of which feature superconducting elements. Jefferson Lab’s physics program provides unprecedented insight into the particles and forces that shape the visible universe.

Achenbach, Patrick [Thomas Jefferson National Acce↗
DOE OSTI2017

Recent trends in binary and ternary rare-earth fluoride nanophosphors: How structural and physical properties influence optical behaviour

Rare-earth (RE) doped binary and ternary fluoride nanomaterials are currently receiving the highest attention as phosphor materials due to their potential for a wide range of photonic and biophotonic applications. This review article aims providing and introduction to the field and giving a critical overview about the latest developments in this fast evolving field. First, the underlying photoluminescence mechanisms like up- and downconversion (UC and DC), charge transfer (CT) and energy transfer (ET) between optically active trivalent RE ions are explained. Then, the influence of particle size and surface, shape and lattice strain, as well as the crystal phase of the host materials on the optical properties of rare earth based nanomaterias are illustrated. In addition, the effect of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) on the rare earth luminescence is discussed. In the following, different synthesis strategies which have been developed for tuning the crystal phase, shape, size, and morphology of the host nanomaterial are presented. The role of surface modification and functionalization for improving the luminescence intensity, stability, aqueous dispersity/dispersibility and biocompatibility of the materials is discussed. Lastly, photonic applications of RE-doped nanofluorides for energy efficient lighting, improved solar cells and biophotonic applications like photodynamic therapy, and biological detection techniques including in vivo and in vitro bioimaging are presented.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗