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Results for “interface morphology”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1977

Effect of surface texture by ion beam sputtering on implant biocompatibility and soft tissue attachment

The objectives in this report were to use the ion beam sputtering technique to produce surface textures on polymers, metals, and ceramics. The morphology of the texture was altered by varying both the width and depth of the square pits which were formed by ion beam erosion. The width of the ribs separating the pits were defined by the mask used to produce the texture. The area of the surface containing pits varies as the width was changed. The biological parameters used to evaluate the biological response to the texture were: (1) fibrous capsule and inflammatory response in subcutaneous soft tissue; (2) strength of the mechanical attachment of the textured surface by the soft tissue; and (3) morphology of the epidermal layer interfacing the textured surface of percutaneous connectors. Because the sputter yield on teflon ribs was approximately an order of magnitude larger than any other material the majority of the measurements presented in the report were obtained with teflon.

Gibbons, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Oxide morphology and spalling model for NiAl

A scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive spectrographic unit was used to study in detail the Al2O3 oxide morphology and oxide-metal interface of a nickel-rich NiAl alloy (Ni-42 at% Al) with a view toward providing information relevant to spalling theories in the MCrAlY system. In addition, the kinetics of spalling was studied for critical evaluation of one of the step-process spall models and for collection of pertinent experimental data. Cyclic oxidation tests were run in 1-atm air at about 1100 C, and isothermal specimens were examined from 2 min to 200 hr of exposure. It is shown that oxide spalling occurs primarily at the oxide-metal interface in an intergranular mode, that crystallographic Kirkendall voids arise as a result of oxidation, and that the fractional area of spalled oxide varies widely in cyclic tests but increases with the square of oxide thickness for isothermal tests. A spall model is developed in the form of a summation series.

Smialek, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Solidification of undercooled metals

The present investigation is concerned with the subject of undercooling (i.e., supercooling) in the case of metal alloys, taking into account the effects of undercooling on microstructure and microsegregation in alloys which solidify in a crystalline manner. Techniques for obtaining a large degree of undercooling are discussed. These techniques make it possible to eliminate heterogeneous nucleants from the melt and to remove container nucleation effects. The nucleation behavior of small metal droplets is considered along with the formation of a dispersion of fine droplets in a suitable inert medium, the mixing of fine metal powders with glass powder, and the levitation melting technique. Attention is given to solidification with rapid interface velocity, aspects of dendritic morphology, and thermal measurements during solidification of undercooled droplets.

Flemings, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Plasmas in the outer heliosphere

We review the observed properties of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere, including observations from Voyager and the Pioneers, as well as from inner heliospheric probes as appropriate. These observations are crucial to modeling of the heliosphere and its interactions with the interstellar medium, since the wind ram pressure and its temporal variations are important in understanding the distance to the termination shock and heliopause and how those boundaries might vary in time. We focus on results since Solar Wind 7. Among the issues we will discuss are: (1) the time scales for and statistical properties of variations in the ram pressure in the outer heliosphere, and how those variations might affect the morphology of the heliospheric/interstellar medium interface; (2) the question of possible solar wind slowing in the outer heliosphere due to the pick-up of interstellar ions; (3) the issue of whether there is bulk heating of the solar wind associated either with interstellar ion pick-up or with continued heating due to stream-stream interactions; (4) evidence for latitudinal variations in solar wind properties; and (5) the 1.3 year periodicities apparent in the outer heliosphere, and the close correspondence with similar variations seen with inner heliospheric probes.

Belcher, J. W.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Unraveling Impurity-Dependent Morphological and Chemical Evolution of Ni–20Cr Alloy in Eutectic LiCl–KCl Molten Salt

Understanding the interfacial evolution of alloys in molten salt with different amounts of water (H 2 O) and oxygen (O 2 ) impurities is significant for applications in many fields, including concentrated solar power, molten salt reactors, and applications in pyrochemical reprocessing and electrorefining. Additionally, the impurity-driven corrosion mechanisms that lead to various morphological and chemical evolution characteristics at the interfaces of structural alloys and molten salts are not fully understood. In the present work, the three-dimensional (3D) morphological evolution of Ni-20Cr microwires in LiCl-KCl was studied at 500 °C under different moisture and oxygen conditions using in situ synchrotron transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) techniques. No significant morphological changes were observed in Ni-20Cr microwires under vacuum conditions. However, the wires exhibited distinct morphological evolutions when exposed to molten salt containing H 2 O alone, as well as when both H 2 O and O 2 were present. Furthermore, Cr 2 O 3 precipitates were observed in the molten salt during corrosion with only H 2 O present, while Cr 6+ species were identified in the salt when O 2 was added. Further, these findings are crucial for understanding the corrosion mechanisms of molten salt with different amounts of H 2 O and O 2 contamination, providing insights for developing corrosion mitigation methods and improving the stability of containment alloys in molten salt applications.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Constitutional under-potential plating (CUP) – New insights for predicting the morphological stability of deposited lithium anodes in lithium metal batteries

Lithium (Li) cycling in lithium metal batteries (LMBs) inevitably witnesses a non-planar Li/electrolyte interface (cellular/dendritic microstructure) affecting the performance, safety and reliability of LMBs. Herein, the “constitutional under-potential plating” (CUP) concept is presented for the first time to understand the evolution, formation and predict the morphological stability/instability of the Li/electrolyte interface. Here, the CUP condition, a measure of the driving force for interface perturbation, occurs when the true potential gradient at the interface is smaller than the equilibrium electrodeposition potential gradient at the Li/electrolyte interface resulting in the electrolyte ahead of the Li-electrolyte interface to be in an under-potential state. Detailed CUP criterion calculations conducted herein establishes the relationship of battery operating conditions (e.g. current density, potential gradient) with the electrolyte properties (e.g. Li-ion transference number and diffusion coefficient) predicting the morphological stability condition at the interface. In addition to the driving force for interface perturbation, the capillarity effect or the Gibbs Thomson effect, a measure of the resistance to perturbation of the perturbed interface is discussed for understanding the influence of interfacial energy/adhesion energy between the current collector and the deposited Li on the overall morphological stability of the Li/electrolyte interface, a critical criterion for the unwanted dendritic morphology.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1990

Hydrodynamic interactions in directional solidification

A binary liquid undergoes unidirectional solidification. The one-dimensional steady state is susceptible to morphological instability that causes the solid/liquid interface to change from a planar state to a cellular pattern. This paper examines the effects on this transition of volume-change convection, buoyancy-driven convection or forced flows. It emphasizes how flows alter stability limits, create scale and pattern changes in morphology, and create, through coupling, new instabilities. Emphasis is placed on the physical mechanisms of the interactions.

Davis, Stephen H.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Deposition-controlled phase separation in CuNb metallic alloys

Vapor co-deposited metal nanocomposites with immiscible components have shown to have several superior properties including mechanical performance, radiation tolerance, and enhanced functionalities. The morphology and structural design of these nanocomposites are important in determining the expression of these properties. The conditions used to deposit thin film nanocomposites are the governing factors in determining the final nanostructure. In this work, we link the effects of process gas pressure, substrate temperature, and sputtering target power on resultant Cu/Nb thin film nanostructures. Here, we find that for films with equiatomic phase fractions of Cu and Nb, inhomogeneous precipitate segregation dominated the structure at lower substrate temperature depositions while higher temperatures distributed the Cu and Nb phases more uniformly. Increasing process gas pressure during deposition lead to a spatially homogeneous, nanocrystalline structure of Cu/Nb. In situ annealing of this sample shows that the phase separated morphology of the two immiscible materials depends on the initial composition. Finally, compositions of Cu and Nb that were highly disparate lead to interface segregation of the minority phase. The morphological evolution observed in the Cu/Nb system is compatible with modified structural zone models for immiscible thin film systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Exploring the Effects of Intersubunit Interface Mutations on Virus-Like Particle Structure and Stability

Virus-like particles (VLPs) from bacteriophage MS2 provide a platform to study protein self-assembly and create engineered systems for drug delivery. Here, we aim to understand the impact of intersubunit interface mutations on the local and global structure and function of MS2-based VLPs. In previous work, our lab identified locally supercharged double mutants [T71K/G73R] that concentrate positive charge at capsid pores, enhancing uptake into mammalian cells. To study the effects of particle size on cellular internalization, we combined these double mutants with a single point mutation [S37P] that was previously reported to switch particle geometry from T = 3 to T = 1 icosahedral symmetry. These new variants retained their enhanced cellular uptake activity and could deliver small-molecule drugs with efficacy levels similar to our first-generation capsids. Surprisingly, these engineered triple mutants exhibit increased thermostability and unexpected geometry, producing T = 3 particles instead of the anticipated T = 1 assemblies. Transmission electron microscopy revealed various capsid assembly states, including wild-type (T = 3), T = 1, and rod-like particles, that could be accessed using different combinations of these point mutations. Molecular dynamics experiments recapitulated the structural rationale in silico for the single point mutation [S37P] forming a T = 1 virus-like particle and showed that this assembly state was not favored when combined with mutations that favor rod-like architectures. Through this work, we investigated how interdimer interface dynamics influence VLP size and morphology and how these properties affect particle function in applications such as drug delivery.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Interface morphogenesis with a deformable secondary phase in solid-state lithium batteries

Here, the complex morphological evolution of lithium metal at the solid-state electrolyte interface limits performance of solid-state batteries, leading to inhomogeneous reactions and contact loss. Inspired by biological morphogenesis, we developed an interfacial self-regulation concept in which a deformable secondary phase dynamically aggregates at the interface in response to local electro-chemo-mechanical stimuli, enhancing contact. The stripping of a lithium electrode that contains 5 to 20 mole % electrochemically inactive sodium domains causes spontaneous sodium accumulation across the interface, with the sodium deforming to attain intimate electrical contact without blocking lithium transport. This process, characterized with operando x-ray tomography and electron microscopy, mitigates voiding and improves cycling at low stack pressures. The counterintuitive strategy of adding electrochemically inactive alkali metal to improve performance demonstrates the utility of interfacial self-regulation for solid-state batteries.

Yoon, Sun Geun [Georgia Institute of Technology, A↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enhanced charge carrier extraction and transport with interface modification for efficient tin-based perovskite solar cells

Interface modification improves charge carrier extraction in tin-based perovskite solar cells. Tin-based perovskites have become the most promising non-lead perovskites due to their ideal band gap and low toxicity. Although the open circuit voltage of tin-based perovskite solar cells (TPSCs) continues to approach the theoretical value, the short-circuit current is still far from the theoretical value. Here, we describe an interface modification method by regulating the property of hole transport layer, PEDOT:PSS, which improves the surface molecular morphology and the energy level alignment of PEDOT:PSS/perovskite interface. Advanced GIWAXS and IR s-SNOM characterization are conducted to achieve multi-dimensional characterization of nanoscale surface morphology and chemical distribution of PEDOT:PSS. With the multi-attribute optimization, charge carrier extraction and non-radiative recombination are also improved. The resultant TPSCs exhibit a higher power conversion efficiency of 13.32% in compared with the control device of 10.50%, accompanied with an increase in the short-circuit current from 18.10 to 20.50 mA cm −2 and FF from 68.23% to 76.43%. This work demonstrates a reliable strategy for improving charge carrier extraction and device performance for lead-free TPSCs.

Zhao, Zhenzhu↗
DOE OSTI2021

Migration of inclusions in a matrix due to a spatially varying interface energy

An interfacial energy can be a function of a bulk field such as temperature or electric field. Here we find that in a system with a gradient in temperature or electric potential, the resulting variation in interfacial energy can induce a particle to migrate by either surface or bulk diffusion. For a circular particle under a constant unidirectional gradient in the bulk field, the field dependence of the interfacial energy induces a circular particle to move as a circle at a constant velocity along the direction from higher to lower interfacial energy. A linear stability analysis of this steady state migration suggests that perturbations will damp out as time evolves, and thus under these conditions a migrating circular particle is morphologically stable. Other spatial distributions of interface energy can lead to the distortion of an initially circular shaped particle during migration. A phase field model is developed that captures these distortions and verifies the theoretical results mentioned above.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Scalable Gas Diffusion Electrode Fabrication for Electrochemical CO 2 Reduction Using Physical Vapor Deposition Methods

Electrochemical CO 2 reduction (ECR) promises the replacement of fossil fuels as the source of feedstock chemicals and seasonal storage of renewable energy. While much progress has been made in catalyst development and electrochemical reactor design, few studies have addressed the effect of catalyst integration on device performance. Using a microfluidic gas diffusion electrolyzer, we systematically studied the effect of thickness and the morphology of electron beam (EB) and magnetron-sputtered (MS) Cu catalyst coatings on ECR performance. We observed that EB-Cu outperforms MS-Cu in current density, selectivity, and energy efficiency, with 400 nm thick catalyst coatings performing the best. Additionally, the superior performance of EB-Cu catalysts is assigned to their faceted surface morphology and sharper Cu/gas diffusion layer interface, which increases their hydrophobicity. Tests in a large-scale zero-gap electrolyzer yielded similar product selectivity distributions with an ethylene Faradaic efficiency of 39% at 200 mA/cm 2 , demonstrating the scalability for industrial ECR applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Protein-Nanoparticle Interactions Govern the Interfacial Behavior of Polymeric Nanogels: Study of Protein Corona Formation at the Air/Water Interface

Biomedical applications of nanoparticles require a fundamental understanding of their interactions and behavior with biological interfaces. Protein corona formation can alter the morphology and properties of nanomaterials, and knowledge of the interfacial behavior of the complexes, using in situ analytical techniques, will impact the development of nanocarriers to maximize uptake and permeability at cellular interfaces. In this study we evaluate the interactions of acrylamide-based nanogels, with neutral, positive, and negative charges, with serum-abundant proteins albumin, fibrinogen, and immunoglobulin G. The formation of a protein corona complex between positively charged nanoparticles and albumin is characterized by dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism, and surface tensiometry; we use neutron reflectometry to resolve the complex structure at the air/water interface and demonstrate the effect of increased protein concentration on the interface. Surface tensiometry data suggest that the structure of the proteins can impact the interfacial properties of the complex formed. These results contribute to the understanding of the factors that influence the bio-nano interface, which will help to design nanomaterials with improved properties for applications in drug delivery.

Traldi, Federico (ORCID:0000000161251012)↗
NASA NTRS1990

Time development of a perturbed-spherical nucleus in a pure supercooled liquid. I - Power-law growth of morphological instabilities. II - Nonlinear development

The linear growth stage of the morphological instabilities developing at the liquid-solid interface during crystal growth from an axisymmetric spherical nucleus is analyzed. The corresponding growth rate parameters are calculated numerically, and it is shown that morphological instabilities for free growth evolve according to a power law in agreement with WKB results and contrary to an exponential law found in a quasi-stationary approximation. The time evolution of an arbitrary perturbed liquid-solid interface from a linear into the nonlinear stage is studied. The initial perturbations include the eigenfunctions for the linear problem, localized perturbations of the grain-boundary type, and a stochastic noise. It is shown that the perturbations grow and spread in a wavelike manner. The formation of a predendritic growth stage is characterized by establishment of constant values of tip radius and velocity.

Pines, V.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ultrathin epitaxial MgB 2 on SiC: Substrate surface-polarity-dependent properties

High-quality, ultrathin superconducting films are required for advanced devices such as hot-electron bolometers, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, and quantum applications. Using hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition, we show that MgB 2 films as thin as 4 nm can be fabricated on the carbon-terminated 6⁢H-SiC (0001) surface with a superconducting transition temperature above 33 K and a rms roughness of 0.7 nm. Remarkably, the film quality is a function of the SiC surface termination, with the C-terminated surface preferred to the Si-terminated surface. To understand the MgB 2 thin film/SiC substrate interactions giving rise to this difference, we characterized the interfacial structures using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy/channeling, electron-energy-loss spectroscopy, and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The MgB 2 /SiC interface structure is complex and different for the two terminations. Both terminations incorporate substantial unintentional oxide layers influencing MgB 2 growth and morphology, but with a different extent, intermixing, and interface chemistry. In this paper, we report measurements of transport, resistivity, and the critical superconducting temperature of MgB 2 /SiC that are different for the two terminations, and they link interfacial structure variations to observed differences. The result shows that the C face of SiC is a preferred substrate for the deposition of ultrathin superconducting MgB 2 films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗