Publications

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Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems use solar absorbers to convert the heat from sunlight to electric power. Increased operating temperatures are necessary to lower the cost of solar-generated electricity by improving efficiencies and reducing thermal energy storage costs. Durable new materials are needed to cope with operating temperatures >600 C. The current coating technology (Pyromark High Temperature paint) has a solar absorptance in excess of 0.95 but a thermal emittance greater than 0.8, which results in large thermal losses at high temperatures. In addition, because solar receivers operate in air, these coatings have long term stability issues that add to the operating costs of CSP facilities. Ideal absorbers must have high solar absorptance (>0.95) and low thermal emittance (<0.05) in the IR region, be stable in air, and be low-cost and readily manufacturable. We propose to utilize solution-based synthesis techniques to prepare intrinsic absorbers for use in central receiver applications.

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Nanocrystalline and nanostructured materials offer unique microstructure-dependent properties that are superior to coarse-grained materials. These materials have been shown to have very high hardness, strength, and wear resistance. However, most current methods of producing nanostructured materials in weapons-relevant materials create powdered metal that must be consolidated into bulk form to be useful. Conventional consolidation methods are not appropriate due to the need to maintain the nanocrystalline structure. This research investigated new ways of creating nanocrystalline material, new methods of consolidating nanocrystalline material, and an analysis of these different methods of creation and consolidation to evaluate their applicability to mesoscale weapons applications where part features are often under 100 {micro}m wide and the material's microstructure must be very small to give homogeneous properties across the feature.

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Solidification is an important aspect of welding, brazing, soldering, LENS fabrication, and casting. The current trend toward utilizing large-scale process simulations and materials response models for simulation-based engineering is driving the development of new modeling techniques. However, the effective utilization of these models is, in many cases, limited by a lack of fundamental understanding of the physical processes and interactions involved. In addition, experimental validation of model predictions is required. We have developed new and expanded experimental techniques, particularly those needed for in-situ measurement of the morphological and kinetic features of the solidification process. The new high-speed, high-resolution video techniques and data extraction methods developed in this work have been used to identify several unexpected features of the solidification process, including the observation that the solidification front is often far more dynamic than previously thought. In order to demonstrate the utility of the video techniques, correlations have been made between the in-situ observations and the final solidification microstructure. Experimental methods for determination of the solidification velocity in highly dynamic pulsed laser welds have been developed, implemented, and used to validate and refine laser welding models. Using post solidification metallographic techniques, we have discovered a previously unreported orientation relationship between ferrite and austenite in the Fe-Cr-Ni alloy system, and have characterized the conditions under which this new relationship develops. Taken together, the work has expanded both our understanding of, and our ability to characterize, solidification phenomena in complex alloy systems and processes.

Mild detonating fuse is an extruded aluminum tube that contains explosive material. Fuse prepared by a new supplier (Company B) exhibited a formability problem and was analyzed to determine the source of that formability problem. The formability problem was associated with cracking of the aluminum tube when it was bent around a small radius. Mild detonating fuse prepared by the existing supplier of product (Company A) did not exhibit a formability problem. The two fuses were prepared using different aluminum alloys. The microstructure and chemical composition of the two aluminum alloys were compared. It was found that the microstructure of the Company A aluminum exhibited clear signs of dynamic recrystallization while the Company B aluminum did not. Recrystallization results in the removal of dislocations associated with work hardening and will dramatically improve formability. Comparison of the chemical composition of the two aluminum alloys revealed that the Company A aluminum contained significantly lower levels of impurity elements (specifically Fe and Si) than the COMPANY B aluminum. It has been concluded that the formability problem exhibited by the COMPANY B material will be solved by using an aluminum alloy with low impurity content such as 1190-H18 or 1199-0.

The nature of surfaces and the way they interact with each other during sliding contact can have a direct bearing on the performance of a microelectromechanical (MEMS) device. Therefore, a study was undertaken to characterize the surfaces of LIGA fabricated Ni and Cu components. Sidewall and planar surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Surface roughness was quantified using the AFM. Post-processing (e.g. lapping, removal of polymer film) can profoundly influence the morphology of LIGA components. Edge rounding and smearing of ductile materials during lapping can result in undesirable sidewall morphologies. By judicious selection of AFM scan sizes, the native roughness ({approximately}10 nm RMS) can be distinguished from that arising due to post processing, e.g. scratches, debris, polymer films. While certain processing effects on morphology such as those due to lapping or release etch can be controlled, the true side wall morphology appears to be governed by the morphology of the polymer mold or by the electroforming process itself, and may be much less amenable to modification.

Development of a novel metal matrix composite based on the Al-B alloy system has been undertaken. Preparation of this discontinuously reinforced material is based on the precipitation of high aspect ratio AlB{sub 2} from an Al-B alloy. This paper describes a number of efforts forced on preparing high volume fractions (> 30 v%) of AlB{sub 2} in aluminum. New insights into the behavior of the Al-B alloys system allowed this effort to be successful.