Results for “Material Response” — Page 8

DOE OSTI2025

Reversible control over the distribution of chemical inhomogeneities in multiferroic BiFeO3

Abstract Despite the appeal of flawless order, semiconductor technology has demonstrated that implanting inhomogeneities into single-crystalline materials is pivotal for modern electronics. However, the influence of the local arrangement of chemical inhomogeneities on the material’s functionalities is underexplored. In this work, we control the distribution of chemical inhomogeneities in La 3+ -substituted ferroelectric BiFeO 3 thin films. By means of a stress- and composition-driven phase transition, we trigger the formation of a lattice of La 3+ -rich and La 3+ -poor layers. This ordering correlates with the emergence of an antipolar phase. An electric field restores the original ferroelectric phase and re-randomizes the distribution of the La 3+ inhomogeneities. Leveraging these insights, we tune the polar/antipolar phase coexistence to set the net polarization of La 0.15 Bi 0.85 FeO 3 to any desired value between its saturation limits. Finally, we control the net polarization response in device-compliant capacitor heterostructures to show that inhomogeneity-distribution control is a valuable tool in the design of functional oxide electronics.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

NASA NTRS1992

Detailed examination of LDEF's frame and the A0178 thermal blankets by the meteoroid and debris special investigations group

A responsibility of the group is to define the hypervelocity particle environment encountered by LDEF during its stay in low Earth orbit. LDEF's 6061-T6 aluminum frame and the 'Teflon silver-inconel paint' thermal blankets represent large surface areas that were widely distributed around the spacecraft. The results are reported of high resolution scans of approx. 0.36 and approx. 0.31 sq m for the intercostals and thermal blankets, respectively. The findings are in qualitative agreement with existing model predictions that suggest high differential bombardment histories for surfaces pointing into specific directions relative to the velocity vector of a non-spinning platform in LEO. The production rate for craters greater than or = 50 microns in diameter in aluminum and penetration holes greater than or = 100 microns in diameter in thin foil materials differ by more than a factor of 10 between forward and rearward facing surfaces. These are substantial differences that must be considered during the design of future long duration space platforms in LEO.

Thomas H. See↗

DOE OSTI2026

Corn grown on dredged sediments alters rat behavior in the elevated plus maze via the gut mycobiome

The use of marginal lands for growing food has increased worldwide. Many of these lands are supplemented with soil amendments to enhance their productivity, but they may also introduce contaminants depending on their origin. The use of sediments dredged from commercial waterways as a soil amendment has increased in recent years. However, there is significant concern regarding their potential to negatively affect public health by transferring contaminants, like metals, to the food supply. This study examined the behavior, microbiome and physiology of rats fed corn grown on dredged sediments with rats fed commercial feed corn and related those metrics to kernel metal content. Metal content did not differ between kernels grown on dredged sediments and feed corn for most metals except iron which was greater in commercial feed corn. Although there is some variability by animal response, animals fed corn grown on dredged sediments had a gut microbial community that generally promoted anxiety-like behavior while animals fed feed corn had a gut microbial community that promoted a more typical response. These findings suggest the effect of corn grown on dredged sediments on public health is complex and highlights the need for further investigation.

Rua, Megan [Wright State University, Dayton, OH]↗

DOE OSTI2026

Asymmetric pathways for lithium extraction and recovery based on the two-phase equilibrium of layered oxides

Electrochemical intercalation offers a promising platform for Li + extraction. However, only limited types of electrode materials have been investigated. The challenge to broaden and tailor materials for electrochemical intercalation-based Li + extraction lies in the lack of understanding of material’s response upon co-intercalation of multiple ions, therefore, paired process design to enable reversible Li + extraction and recovery. Here, we showcase the design of asymmetric ion pathways for Li + extraction and recovery for host material with complex Li + and Na + interaction using layered cobalt oxide as a model material. The two-phase equilibrium of Na 0.48 CoO 2 and Li 0.94 CoO 2 governs Li + selectivity when a high depth of intercalation is achieved (low vacancy level). We show that the relative rate between ion exchange and intercalation is critical to determine the ion pathways. The relationship can be quantitatively compared using the average pseudo ion exchange rate (C pseudoIX ) and the intercalation rate (C inter ). The ion pathways at the three regimes with C pseudoIX > C inter , C pseudoIX ~ C inter , and C pseudoIX < C inter are constructed. By selecting the optimized ion pathway and particle size, we demonstrate 9.7×10 4 Li + selectivity with 99% purity Li + recovery from an initial 1:1000 Li: Na molar ratio solution using 115 mAh/g specific capacity.

electrochemistry↗

DOE OSTI2025

Research and Development on Advanced Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices Enabling a Spectrum of Electrified Vehicles

The USABC Advanced Battery development plan had the following three focus areas: 1. Existing technology validation, implementation, and cost reduction 2. Identification of the next viable technology with emphasis on the potential to meet USABC cost and energy density goals. 3. Support high-risk, high-reward battery technology R&D The primary aim of this project was focused on the barriers that most impede wider public adoption of electrification in vehicles-cost, energy density, low-temp performance, calendar life, and improvements in abuse tolerance. The specific objectives are as follows: Cost Reduction: drive to significantly reduce battery cost to be in-line with the $\$$100/kWh or less (by the end of calendar year 2020) DOE cost goals. Additionally, goals of $\$$75/KWh were set for 2023 aligned with fast charge and some offset of energy density. Energy Density Increase: focus on improving the cell-level specific energy and energy densities to >350 watt hours per kilogram (Wh/kg) and >750Wh/L. Low Temperature Performance Increase: strive toward developments that improve the discharge power and eliminate or dramatically reduce the life limiting lithium plating associated with regenerative braking at low temperatures, during the program. Calendar Life Increase: drive to achieve a 15-year calendar life. Abuse Tolerance Improvement: strive to develop improvements in Li-ion abuse tolerance and/or development of electrochemical energy storage technologies with inherently better response to abuse circumstances. Emerging Areas: initiate new programs that address emerging technologies that arise during the contract period.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

DOE OSTI2026

Thermal property characterization of phase change materials in building applications: A systematic review of fundamentals, recent progress, and future directions

Phase change materials (PCMs) can reduce building peak loads and enable demand-responsive thermal energy storage (TES), but their deployment depends on reliable measurement and interpretation of thermal properties across laboratory, intermediate, and application scales. Here, this review systematically examines characterization methods, testing protocols, and recent advances for neat PCMs and PCM composites, emphasizing thermal conductivity, enthalpy-related properties (phase change temperature, latent heat, specific heat), and cycling stability. For thermal conductivity, we compare steady-state and transient techniques and note limitations when phase transition and contact resistance affect measurements. For enthalpy–temperature characterization, we discuss differential scanning calorimetry together with intermediate- and bulk-scale methods, including T-history, heat flow meter testing, and three-layer calorimetry (3LC), to generate application-relevant enthalpy–temperature profiles. Cycling stability is organized into four experimental families: thermoelectric–air, fully thermoelectric, water-bath, and in situ chamber approaches, with attention to separating reversible supercooling from true degradation such as phase segregation. We highlight emerging noncontact diagnostics, including infrared thermography and embedded sensing, for spatially resolved validation and multiscale interpretation. Finally, we review the growing use of AI and machine learning for property prediction, inverse characterization from experimental signals, and real-time state estimation in building-integrated TES. Key needs include harmonized protocols, interlaboratory benchmarking, uncertainty reporting, and metadata-rich datasets to accelerate reproducible PCM qualification for grid-flexible buildings.

AI↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Three Dimensionally Woven Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP) is a Novel Single Piece Ablative TPS for Extreme Entry Environments

Three Dimensionally Woven Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP) is robust, single piece, carbon phenolic ablative thermal protection system under development at NASA Ames Research Center initially for the Mars Sample Return Earth Entry System (MSR EES). The MSR EES requirements drove the need for TPS with no seams, capable of surviving the highest entry conditions for any NASA Earth return capsule with heat fluxes >2000 W/cm2 and pressures >1.5 atmospheres. To produce 3MDCP required development of new weaving infrastructure to enable weaving of preforms large enough to form into a single piece heatshield. It required development of forming techniques to transform a flat woven panel into a sphere cone shape and enhanced infusion processes to support larger scale infusion of resin into the formed preforms. A rigorous performance testing campaign was conducted to develop and validate the materials thermal response model used to determine the required material thickness and to demonstrate the material can survive the extreme entry conditions. The end of the development effort (end of FY26) will result in a TPS at Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 6 and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) 6+ for the MSR EES mission and a mature system ready to support other missions. This poster will provide a snapshot of where 3MDCP is in its development phase.

Ablator↗

DOE OSTI2026

Role of Amorphous Chains in Nanoplastic Formation from Semicrystalline Polymers

Semicrystalline polymers, e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), release micro- (100 nm to 1 mm) and nanoplastics (up to 100 nm) [MNPL] when they are degraded under quiescent conditions. However, the exact molecular mechanisms leading to material fragmentation into MNPL are unknown. Here, we monitor the evolution of chain molecular weight and the MNPL production kinetics during hydrolysis of PET pellets. We find that only ~0.6% of the amorphous phase ester bonds are hydrolyzed at the onset of MNPL release. Then, by combining a random scission model with measured amorphous spacings, we estimate that only ~15% of the stress transmitters in the amorphous phase, namely, bridges and entangled loops, have failed by this point. Thus, spontaneous fragmentation of the semicrystalline nanostructure occurs despite significant intercrystalline connectivity. We resolve this apparent contradiction by proposing that fragmentation can only occur when progressive tie-chain scission causes the material to undergo the ductile/brittle transition. Mechanistically, we speculate that the internal stresses responsible for material fragmentation are caused by processing (i.e., residual stresses) and/or sample densification induced by chemi-crystallization. We discuss additional factors that may affect our analysis and thus require further investigation, such as skin-core effects, preferential degradation of stress transmitters and/or recrystallization processes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

BEAST: Expanding Sustainable Data Infrastructure for High-Enthalpy Facilities

Reproducible, data-driven thermal protection system (TPS) research requires that experimental records from high-enthalpy testing be consistently structured, traceable, and accessible across campaigns and institutions. In practice, however, arcjet and plasma facilities data remain largely fragmented: raw diagnostics are stored in ad hoc formats, material sample histories are disconnected from test conditions, and metadata standards are absent, precluding systematic cross-campaign analysis and long-term reuse. BEAST (Backend for Experiment Analysis, Storage, and Traceability) is an open-source, web-based platform that addresses these limitations by providing a unified, queryable infrastructure for high-enthalpy ground-test data [1]. First presented at the 15th Ablation Workshop [2], BEAST has since undergone significant development. The platform ingests and structures multi-channel time-series diagnostics, facility configurations, and material property records within a common provenance model, ensuring end-to-end traceability from raw sensor acquisition to reduced experimental quantities. A versioned material library links specimen identity and processing history to the specific runs in which each sample was tested. An integrated modeling workbench enables training and evaluation of regression models directly on archived experimental data, supporting condition interpolation and the construction of empirical material response databases. Beyond its original deployment at NASA Ames Research Center, BEAST has been designed to be facility-agnostic, with ongoing efforts to extend its adoption to other facilities. Its modular architecture accommodates heterogeneous diagnostic setups and facility types, and its future open-source distribution allows institutions to build on a common data standard rather than maintaining isolated, bespoke solutions. BEAST is further integrated within a broader ecosystem of companion tools: arcjetCV [3] extracts recession rates and shock standoff distances from high-speed video using computer vision, and miniSTARscan [4] provides sub-minute, portable photogrammetric surface reconstruction of test articles before and after exposure. All tools share a common data schema, enabling seamless ingestion of surface geometry, imagery, and time-series data into a single, coherent experimental record.

Database↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

BEAST: Expanding Sustainable Data Infrastructure for High-Enthalpy Facilities

Reproducible, data-driven thermal protection system (TPS) research requires that experimental records from high-enthalpy testing be consistently structured, traceable, and accessible across campaigns and institutions. In practice, however, arcjet and plasma facilities data remain largely fragmented: raw diagnostics are stored in ad hoc formats, material sample histories are disconnected from test conditions, and metadata standards are absent, precluding systematic cross-campaign analysis and long-term reuse. BEAST (Backend for Experiment Analysis, Storage, and Traceability) is an open-source, web-based platform that addresses these limitations by providing a unified, queryable infrastructure for high-enthalpy ground-test data [1]. First presented at the 15th Ablation Workshop [2], BEAST has since undergone significant development. The platform ingests and structures multi-channel time-series diagnostics, facility configurations, and material property records within a common provenance model, ensuring end-to-end traceability from raw sensor acquisition to reduced experimental quantities. A versioned material library links specimen identity and processing history to the specific runs in which each sample was tested. An integrated modeling workbench enables training and evaluation of regression models directly on archived experimental data, supporting condition interpolation and the construction of empirical material response databases. Beyond its original deployment at NASA Ames Research Center, BEAST has been designed to be facility-agnostic, with ongoing efforts to extend its adoption to other facilities. Its modular architecture accommodates heterogeneous diagnostic setups and facility types, and its future open-source distribution allows institutions to build on a common data standard rather than maintaining isolated, bespoke solutions. BEAST is further integrated within a broader ecosystem of companion tools: arcjetCV [3] extracts recession rates and shock standoff distances from high-speed video using computer vision, and miniSTARscan [4] provides sub-minute, portable photogrammetric surface reconstruction of test articles before and after exposure. All tools share a common data schema, enabling seamless ingestion of surface geometry, imagery, and time-series data into a single, coherent experimental record.

Database↗

DOE OSTI2024

Collective excitations and low-energy ionization signatures of relativistic particles in silicon detectors

Abstract Solid-state detectors with a low energy threshold have several applications, including searches of non-relativistic halo dark-matter particles with sub-GeV masses. When searching for relativistic, beyond-the-Standard-Model particles with enhanced cross sections for small energy transfers, a small detector with a low energy threshold may have better sensitivity than a larger detector with a higher energy threshold. In this paper, we calculate the low-energy ionization spectrum from high-velocity particles scattering in a dielectric material. We consider the full material response including the excitation of bulk plasmons. We generalize the energy-loss function to relativistic kinematics, and benchmark existing tools used for halo dark-matter scattering against electron energy-loss spectroscopy data. Compared to calculations commonly used in the literature, such as the Photo-Absorption-Ionization model or the free-electron model, including collective effects shifts the recoil ionization spectrum towards higher energies, typically peaking around 4–6 electron-hole pairs. We apply our results to the three benchmark examples: millicharged particles produced in a beam, neutrinos with a magnetic dipole moment produced in a reactor, and upscattered dark-matter particles. Our results show that the proper inclusion of collective effects typically enhances a detector’s sensitivity to these particles, since detector backgrounds, such as dark counts, peak at lower energies.

Physics↗

DOE OSTI1996

Nuclear Safety [Vol. 37, No. 2, April-June 1996]

Nuclear Safety is a journal that covers significant issues in the field of nuclear safety. Its primary scope is safety in the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors worldwide and the research and analysis activities that promote this goal, but it also encompasses the safety aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing and handling, and nuclear waste disposal, the handling of fissionable materials and radioisotopes, and the environmental effects of all these activities. Table of Contents for this issue follows. GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: 97 The Nuclear Community and the Public: Cognitive and Cultural Influences on Thinking About Nuclear Risk, M. A. Meyer; 109 Twenty-Third Water Reactor Safety Information Meeting, D. A. Copinger; ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: 126 Analysis of a PWR LBLOCA Without SCRAM, Trevor N. Tyler, Rafael Macian-Juan and John H. Mahaffy; DESIGN FEATURES: 139 Vulnerability of Multiple-Barrier Systems, N. C. Lind; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: 149 A Study of Wet Catalytic Oxidation of Radioactive Spent Ion Exchange Resin by Hydrogen Peroxide, Xingchao Jian, Tianbao Wu, and Guichun Yun; 157 A Comparison Study and Resolution of Differences Between Emergency Response and Safety Analysis Codes Used at the Savannah River Site, A. A. Simpkins; OPERATING EXPERIENCES: 164 Reactor Shutdown Experience, Compiled by J. W. Cletcher; RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: 167 Reports, Standards, and Safety Guides, D. S. Queener; 172 Proposed Rule Changes as of Dec. 31,1995; ANNOUNCEMENTS: 178 American Nuclear Society 1997 Annual Meeting; 178 American Nuclear Society Nuclear Criticality and Safety Division Topical Meeting; 176 The Authors.

05 NUCLEAR FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Active Fluids Form System-Spanning Filamentary Networks

Recent experimental realizations of liquid-liquid phase separation of active liquid crystals have offered an insight into the interaction between phase separation, ubiquitous in soft matter and biology, and chaotic active flows. Here, in this Letter, we use continuum theory to examine phase separation of an active liquid crystal and a passive fluid and report two new results. First, we provide an analytical derivation of the activity-induced suppression of the phase boundary of the coexistence region—a result first reported in simulations and experiments. We show that the shift in the critical point is a result of the balance between self-stirring active flows and phase-separating diffusive fluxes. Second, we show that this same balance is responsible for dramatically changing the morphology of the phase separated state, resulting in the emergence of a new mixed active phase consisting of a dynamical filamentous active network that invades the entire system area, trapping droplets of passive material. This structure exists even for very low volume fractions of active material. Our work provides an important step towards the goal of understanding how to use activity as a new handle for sculpting interfaces.

active nematics↗

NASA NTRS1993

Overview of initial research into the effects of strong vortex flow on hybrid rocket combustion and performance

An examination of the effect of vortex flow on hybrid rocket combustion and performance is underway. Emphasis is on response of the fuel regression rate when subjected to vortex flow. Initial results show that there is a definite effect of the vortex on fuel regression rate. Future work will focus on quantitatively measuring this regression rate. This work is part of an overall program to develop an ultra low cost fuel system for hybrid rocket engines.

P Gloyer↗

NASA NTRS2026

Hermal Evolution of Volatile-Rich Planetesimals: Implications for Lithological Diversity in Ryugu and CI Chondrites

Ryugu samples and CI chondrites record aqueous alteration processes in primitive, volatile-rich planetesimals and exhibit a wide range of lithologies defined by mineral assemblages and alteration degrees as proposed to be types I–VI in [4]. The similarity in lithological diversity and proportions between Ryugu and CIs suggests that they originated from parent bodies with comparable internal structures and thermal histories. However, the mechanism responsible for generating such lithological diversity within a single parent body remains unclear.

S Yamazaki↗

DOE OSTI2025

Reconfigurable structural color by reversible switching of colloidal discoid liquid crystal alignment

Combining the effects of alternating-current (AC) electric fields and sedimentation reconfigures colloidal discoids between planar and homeotropic orientational alignments, thereby controlling the material’s structural color. Here, we self-assemble micrometer-size polystyrene discoids in an isopropanol-water mixture. After sedimentation, the discoids adopt a homeotropic alignment, with the minor axis perpendicular to the substrate. Adding an AC electric field (1 kHz) of ≥0.50 V switches the discoids to planar alignment—with the minor axis parallel to the substrate—within ∼100 s. Removing the field switches them back to homeotropic alignment within ∼300 s. Kinetic modeling of the field-induced torques yields good agreement with these measurements. The peak wavelength and intensity of the crystal’s diffraction response shift significantly upon reconfiguration; scattering simulation predicts these shifts. The reconfiguration is maintained for at least 10 cycles. This method is a simple, scalable avenue to reconfigure the optical properties of colloidal crystals produced from simple dielectric spheroids.

colloidal crystals↗

DOE OSTI1996

Nuclear Safety [Vol. 37, No. 2, April-June 1996]

Nuclear Safety is a journal that covers significant issues in the field of nuclear safety. Its primary scope is safety in the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors worldwide and the research and analysis activities that promote this goal, but it also encompasses the safety aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, including fuel fabrication, spent-fuel processing and handling, and nuclear waste disposal, the handling of fissionable materials and radioisotopes, and the environmental effects of all these activities. Table of Contents for this issue follows. GENERAL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: 97 The Nuclear Community and the Public: Cognitive and Cultural Influences on Thinking About Nuclear Risk, M. A. Meyer; 109 Twenty-Third Water Reactor Safety Information Meeting, D. A. Copinger; ACCIDENT ANALYSIS: 126 Analysis of a PWR LBLOCA Without SCRAM, Trevor N. Tyler, Rafael Macian-Juan and John H. Mahaffy; DESIGN FEATURES: 139 Vulnerability of Multiple-Barrier Systems, N. C. Lind; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: 149 A Study of Wet Catalytic Oxidation of Radioactive Spent Ion Exchange Resin by Hydrogen Peroxide, Xingchao Jian, Tianbao Wu, and Guichun Yun; 157 A Comparison Study and Resolution of Differences Between Emergency Response and Safety Analysis Codes Used at the Savannah River Site, A. A. Simpkins; OPERATING EXPERIENCES: 164 Reactor Shutdown Experience, Compiled by J. W. Cletcher; RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: 167 Reports, Standards, and Safety Guides, D. S. Queener; 172 Proposed Rule Changes as of Dec. 31,1995; ANNOUNCEMENTS: 178 American Nuclear Society 1997 Annual Meeting; 178 American Nuclear Society Nuclear Criticality and Safety Division Topical Meeting; 176 The Authors.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Computational simulation of asymmetric phase transformation in cracked Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂: Variant selection and chemo-mechanical implications

Coupling between microcracks and phase transformation in ion-conducting ceramics can jointly affect mechanical responses and ion transport. In this work we investigate the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transformation in Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ in the presence of a microcrack under hydrostatic loading and quantify its implications for crack-tip stress concentration and Li-ion transport using phase-field and molecular dynamics simulations. The phase transformation exhibits a strong asymmetry between hydrostatic tension and compression. Under tension, the crack edge nucleates one tetragonal variant that amplifies the crack-tip stress intensity and promotes crack opening. Under compression, the crack tip nucleates a different tetragonal variant that enhances the stress-induced crack-closure tendency. Effective Li diffusivity analysis shows faster transport degradation under compression due to accelerated transformation kinetics, exposing a trade-off between mechanical stability and ionic conductivity. These results highlight the intertwined nature of cracking, phase transformation, and ionic transport in ion-conducting oxides and provide mechanistic insights into chemo-mechanical degradation of solid electrolytes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗