Rapid Development Of New Materials Research Articles

Study on Prestressed Steel Dome Structure

With the rapid development of new materials, new processes, and new structures in recent years, the application of prestressed steel structures has been increasingly used, especially for long-span spatial structures. Among the commonly used prestressed steel structural systems, the suspend-dome structures and cable-dome structures can effectively resist loads through prestress distribution. This article explains and demonstrates the features and development of the suspend-dome structure and the cable-dome structure based on the background and characteristics of the prestressed steel structure. Some engineering projects based on these two systems are introduced. Due to their great properties and stress distributions, suspend-dome structures and cable-dome structures can adjust their shapes to meet different architectural requirements, especially shown in many public venues like sports centers. It is expected that prestressed steel structure has bright prospects in the future and the development of prestressing disciplines can be increasingly more significant. This article may offer a reference for the development of prestressed steel structures.

Recent Advances in Oral and Transdermal Protein Delivery Systems

AbstractProtein and peptide drugs are predominantly administered by injection to achieve high bioavailability, but this greatly compromises patient compliance. Oral and transdermal drug delivery with minimal invasiveness and high adherence represent attractive alternatives to injection administration. However, oral and transdermal administration of bioactive proteins must overcome biological barriers, namely the gastrointestinal and skin barriers, respectively. The rapid development of new materials and technologies promises to address these physiological obstacles. This review provides an overview of the latest advances in oral and transdermal protein delivery, including chemical strategies, synthetic nanoparticles, medical microdevices, and biomimetic systems for oral administration, as well as chemical enhancers, physical approaches, and microneedles in transdermal delivery. We also discuss challenges and future perspectives of the field with a focus on innovation and translation.

Recent Advances in Oral and Transdermal Protein Delivery Systems.

Protein and peptide drugs are predominantly administered by injection to achieve high bioavailability, but this greatly compromises patient compliance. Oral and transdermal drug delivery with minimal invasiveness and high adherence represent attractive alternatives to injection administration. However, oral and transdermal administration of bioactive proteins must overcome biological barriers, namely the gastrointestinal and skin barriers, respectively. The rapid development of new materials and technologies promises to address these physiological obstacles. This review provides an overview of the latest advances in oral and transdermal protein delivery, including chemical strategies, synthetic nanoparticles, medical microdevices, and biomimetic systems for oral administration, as well as chemical enhancers, physical approaches, and microneedles in transdermal delivery. We also discuss challenges and future perspectives of the field with a focus on innovation and translation.

Integrated Image Processing Toolset for Tracking Direction of Metal Grain Deformation

Grain boundaries (GBs), which are among the mechanical properties of a material, are a microstructural aspect that contributes to the overall behavior of metal. A deep understanding of the behavior of the GBs’ deformation, dislocation, and fracture will encourage the rapid development of new materials and lead to the better operation and maintenance of materials during their designed lifetimes. In this study, an integrated image processing toolset is proposed to provide an expeditious approach to extracting GBs, tracking their location, and identifying their internal deformation. This toolset consists of three integrated algorithms: image stitching, grain matching, and boundary extraction. The algorithms are designed to simultaneously integrate high and low spatial resolution images for gathering high-precision boundary coordinates and effectively reconstructing a view of the entire material surface for the tracing of the grain location. This significantly reduces the time needed to acquire the dataset owing to the ability of the low spatial resolution lens to capture wider areas as the base image. The high spatial resolution lens compensates for any weakness of the base image by capturing views of specific sections, thereby increasing the observation flexibility. One application successfully described in this paper is tracking the direction of the metal grain deformation in global coordinates by stacking a specific grain before and after the deformation. This allows observers to calculate the direction of the grain deformation by comparing the overlapping areas after the material experiences a load. Ultimately, this toolset is expected to lead to further applications in terms of observing fascinating phenomena in materials science and engineering.

Accelerated Creep Test Qualification of Creep-Resistance Using the Wilshire–Cano–Stewart Constitutive Model and Stepped Isostress Method

Abstract In this study, a qualification of accelerated creep-resistance of Inconel 718 is assessed using the novel Wilshire–Cano–Stewart (WCS) model and the stepped isostress method (SSM) and predictions are made to conventional creep data. Conventional creep testing is a long-term continuous process; in fact, the ASME B&PV III requires that 10,000+ h of experiments must be conducted to each heat for materials employed in boilers and/or pressure vessel components. This process is costly and not feasible for rapid development of new materials. As an alternative, accelerated creep testing techniques have been developed to reduce the time needed to characterize the creep resistance of materials. Most techniques are based upon the time-temperature-stress superposition principle that predicts minimum-creep-strain-rate (MCSR) and stress-rupture behaviors but lack the ability to predict creep deformation and consider deformation mechanisms that occur for experiments of longer duration. The SSM has been developed, which enables the prediction of creep deformation response as well as reduce the time needed for qualification of materials. The SSM approach has been successful for polymer, polymeric composites, and recently has been introduced for metals. In this study, the WCS constitutive model, calibrated to SSM test data, qualifies the creep resistance of Inconel 718 at 750 °C and predictions are compared to conventional creep testing data. The WCS model has proven to make long-term predictions for stress-rupture, MCSR, creep deformation, and damage in metallic materials. The SSM varies stress levels after time interval adding damage to the material, which can be tracked by the WCS model. The SSM data is calibrated into the model and the WCS model generates realistic predictions of stress-rupture, MSCR, damage, and creep deformation. The calibrated material constants are used to generate predictions of stress-rupture and are postaudit validated using the National Institute of Material Science database. Similarly, the MCSR predictions are compared from previous studies. Finally, the creep deformation predictions are compared with real data and is determined that the results are well in between the expected boundaries. Material characterization and mechanical properties can be determined at a faster rate and with a more cost-effective method. This is beneficial for multiple applications such as in additive manufacturing, composites, spacecraft, and industrial gas turbines.

One-step solvothermal method to obtain flower-like NiCoMn Hydroxides for Super Capacitance Performance

The energy crisis and environmental protection issues have prompted the rapid development of new materials for energy storage equipment. In this paper, a flower-like NiCoMn trimetallic hydroxide grown on foam nickel has been obtained by one-step hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) assisted solvothermal method. The unique flower-like structure and integration of three metals provide super-fast electron transfer and electrolyte ion diffusion, so a super specific capacitance of 2432 ​F ​g−1 is obtained. The asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) assembled by NiCoMn trimetallic hydroxide and biochar (BC) material exhibits a high energy density of 52.9 ​Wh kg−1 and its specific capacitance only decreases 13.7% after 5000 cycles. This strategy is an effective method to prepare flower-like hydroxide materials with excellent capacitive properties and can be extended to other compounds.

Progress and Upcoming Challenges of Nano-Safety: Education, Manufacture, and Long-Term Impacts

It has been more than 10 years since the concept of nanotechnology safety (nano-safety) was first proposed and detailed by the Texas State University Nanomaterials Application Center director. The concept of nano-safety has developed in educational efforts that have increased the awareness and competence of graduating students. Much dissemination along multiple paths still needs to be done. This dissemination includes education of incumbent workers as well as students. This article provides a short overview of the need for training in nanosafety followed by a section on the initial efforts to educate students and employees in the safe handling and use of nanomaterials. The challenge that remains is how to address the potential impact of the rapid development of new materials in the field of nanotechnology. Finally, some needed investigations are presented.

Spectroscopic studies of plasmons in topological materials

Plasmonics plays an important role in the development of nanophotonics, which allows breaking diffraction limit and controlling light in deep-subwavelength scale due to the strong interaction between light and free carriers. Noble metals and 2-dimensional electron gas have been the main platforms for studying plasmonics over the past decade. The metal-based plasmonic devices have exhibited great potential in various applications, including integrated photonic systems, biological sensing, super-resolution imaging and surface-enhanced Raman scattering, etc. Because of the high carrier density, plasmons of noble metals are realized in the near-infrared to visible frequency range. With the rapid development of new materials, many other plasmonic materials are discovered to exhibit new properties. One example is the graphene plasmons working in the mid-infrared and terahertz spectral range, which exhibit strong field confinement and frequency tunability due to the massless Dirac fermions and other exotic electrical and optical properties. Recently, topological materials, the band structures of which are composed of cones with linear dispersion like in graphene, are discovered, such as the topological insulators, Dirac semimetals, Weyl semimetals and nodal line semimetals, providing another platform to study the Dirac plasmons. Such linear dispersion results in small electron mass and unique carrier density dependence of plasmons. In addition, topological materials possess a tremendous amount of exotic electron properties, such as the ultrahigh mobility, topological surface states and chiral anomaly in Weyl semimetals, etc. Many of these electronic properties can be inherited by the collective oscillation of free electrons, promising new possibility for plasmonics. Here, the experimental observations of plasmons in topological insulators and topological semimetals are reviewed, with special focus on the studies based on electron energy loss spectrum and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. At the end, other topological materials with potential for hosting 2D plasmons are discussed. This review provides an overview of plasmons in topological semimetals and may stimulate further quest of more exotic features for plasmons.

Experimental Validation of Ferromagnetic–Antiferromagnetic Competition in FexZn1–xSe Quantum Dots by Computational Modeling

Traditionally computational methods have been employed to explain the observation of novel properties in materials. The use of computational models to anticipate the onset of such properties in quantum dots (QDs) a priori of their synthetic preparation would facilitate the rapid development of new materials. We demonstrate that the use of computational modeling can allow the design of magnetic semiconductor QDs based on iron doped ZnSe prior to the preparation of the sample. DFT modeling predicts the formation of multinuclear Fe clusters within the 10% Fe doped ZnSe QD to relieve lattice strain leading to the onset of competing ferromagnetic (FM)–antiferromagnetic (AFM) interactions, or in effect spin frustration, between the local spins. The magnetic properties when iron is incorporated into a 1.8 nm ZnSe QD are computationally analyzed using standard density functional theory (DFT) simulations, and the resultant spin and Fe localization models are experimentally evaluated using SQUID, 57Fe Mossbauer, an...

Advanced Synchrotron Radiation and Neutron Scattering Techniques for Microstructural Characterization in Industrial Research

The rapid development of new materials and their application in an extremely wide variety of research and technological fields has lead to the request of increasingly sophisticated characterization methods. In particular residual stress measurements by neutron diffraction, small angle scattering of X-rays and neutrons, as well as 3D imaging techniques with spatial resolution at the micron or even sub-micron scale, like micro-and nano-computerized tomography, have gained a great relevance in recent years.Residual stresses are autobalancing stresses existing in a free body not submitted to any external surface force. Several manufacturing processes, as well as thermal and mechanical treatments, leave residual stresses within the components. Bragg diffraction of X-rays and neutrons can be used to determine residual elastic strains (and then residual stresses by knowing the material elastic constants) in a non-destructive way. Small Angle Scattering of neutrons or X-rays, complementary to Transmission Electron Microscopy, allows the determination of structural features such as volume fraction, specific surface and size distribution of inhomogeneities embedded in a matrix, in a huge variety of materials of industrial interest. X-ray microtomography is similar to conventional Computed Tomography employed in Medicine, allowing 3D imaging of the investigated samples, but with a much higher spatial resolution, down to the sub-micron scale. Some examples of applications of the experimental techniques mentioned above are described and discussed.

Semi-Empirical Modeling of Capacity Fade: A Practical Approach for Battery Pack Manufacturers

Lithium ion batteries are rapidly increasing in usage for stationary energy storage projects, and market forecasts predict continued accelerating growth in these fields. For industrial and grid applications, customer requirements and return-on-investment goals necessitate long system lifetime (10-15 years) and a guaranteed number of cycles or total energy throughput. Battery pack manufacturers must design their systems to reliably meet these life requirements while minimizing cost. However, for most pack assemblers the prerequisite information on cell ageing is neither available from the cell supplier nor easily obtainable via testing. Given the rapid development of new materials and cell model lines, it becomes an enormous task for pack manufacturers to conduct comprehensive in-house testing of all candidate cells. In order to make industrial lithium ion batteries feasible and competitive, system manufacturers must reduce costs by leveraging the newest state-of-the-art cell technology and independently ensuring it fulfills the lifetime requirements. This latter task must be accomplished using a manageable scope of cell lifetime testing that keeps up with the rapid pace of new cell development (12 months). Appropriate modeling can be used to extrapolate testing results to the projected lifetime target, but such models must be reliably accurate so as to reduce the high level of uncertainty and risk associated with constructing systems using newly released cells. Toward these ends, we have developed and implemented a semi-empirical modeling approach [1, 2] that is practical and effective for a small pack manufacturing company. The model incorporates a limited set of cell degradation mechanisms to predict capacity fade. Based on a specific product application, grid-tied frequency regulation, an experimental matrix was designed to elucidate the effects of temperature, depth-of-discharge (DOD), time, and energy throughput on calendar and cycle ageing. The focus on one usage profile helped to reduce the number of pertinent independent variables and required tests. Cell storage testing was performed at 25, 35, 45, and 55°C, and cycle tests were conducted with DOD of 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80%. The semi-empirical model was constructed using a mathematical framework reflective of the physics-based ageing mechanisms for SEI growth [3] and particle fracture [4, 5], fitted to the experimental dataset. Good agreement between the model predictions and test results for capacity fade are shown for two different state-of-the-art 18650 cell models. This semi-empirical model demonstrates how a pack manufacturer can successfully assess the lifetime performance of new cell technologies for applications with strict lifetime requirements, while addressing risk and supporting product warranty. The physical basis of the modeling approach yields reliable predictions, and its simple formulation reduces the required testing and timeline for completion. When used on a number of newly released cells, this model approach becomes a useful tool to guide cell selection, battery system oversizing, and thermal management requirements [6], which can all lead to reductions in battery cost.

Electrochemical, Electrodischarge and Electrochemical-discharge Hole Drilling and Surface Structuring Using Batch Electrodes

According to the rapid development of new materials, and requirements of the industrial sector towards effective and efficient machining of holes with diameters smaller than 1mm, recent researches in the field of machining processes are aimed at investigations and optimization machining processes using multiple tools, multi-electrodes. Effective methods of machining difficult to cut materials are non-contact machining methods of electrochemical (ECM), electrodischarge (EDM) and hybrid electrochemical-discharge machining (ECDM). Both processes incorporating electrochemical dissolution, characterise with high material removal rates. They also do not induce high electrode wear ratios.In this paper, the results of experiments in the field of ECM, EDM and ECDM machining processes using batch electrodes will be presented. Batch electrodes used in the presented study consist of 9 square working tips of 2x2mm, enabling flushing of the electrolyte through the electrode tip. Electrodes are prepared using additive manufacturing method – Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). The paper focuses on performance characteristics of machining processes for various materials used in the aircraft and plastic industry. There is also discussed (basing on the experimental results) influence of the working media supply method to the machining area (submerged or flushing) on the: machining accuracy, material removal rate and influence of stray currents on the surface of machined material. In the paper there is also presented comparison of results of various methods of contactless machining with tool electrodes prepared of using subtractive and additive manufacturing method. The comparison concerns machining time, machining accuracy and time necessary for manufacturing of tool electrodes.

A vorticity dynamics view of “effective slip boundary” with application to foil-flow control

Effective slip boundary (ESB) formed on textured surfaces provides a very promising method to control complex separated flow. It is becoming technically feasible due to the rapid development of new materials and other innovative technologies. In this paper, we explore the underlying physical mechanisms and guiding principle of this new control strategy by theory of boundary vorticity dynamics. We illustrate the theory by a numerical study of using textured surface to control separated foil-flow. Unlike traditional control strategy working on existing boundary layers, this new strategy aims at weakening or even eliminating the boundary layer itself by manipulating its origin. Significant ESB control effects are observed on suppressing separation, enhancing lift, and reducing drag at stall angle of attack.

Improving the FE simulation of molded packages using warpage measurements

Due to the constant development of new components in microsystem technology the possibility to guarantee the reliability and lifetime of these components is essential. An efficient method for this purpose is Finite Element (FE) modelling. In order to shorten lengthy and expensive lifetime tests, FE simulations become more and more necessary. To obtain suitable FE models, multitude of material and technical component characteristics are needed. However, due to the rapid development of new materials, the characteristics are often insufficient or even unknown. Therefore additional measurements of the material or the complete system are necessary. Which material data is required depends first and foremost on the component and its usage.In this paper the importance of temperature dependent topographic measurements for the simulation model of a package design (Smart Power Module) will be demonstrated. The warpage of a whole package was measured at different temperatures in order to obtain unknown material behaviour like the chemical shrinkage and polymer relaxation. For this purpose, the Shadow Moiré Measurement Method was utilised.This work will focus on how to obtain experimental data of two different molding compounds (MC) in several stages of lifetime as well as implementing the results in a FE simulation model.

Drug release kinetics and transport mechanisms of non-degradable and degradable polymeric delivery systems

Importance of the field: The advancement in material design and engineering has led to the rapid development of new materials with increasing complexity and functions. Both non-degradable and degradable polymers have found wide applications in the controlled delivery field. Studies on drug release kinetics provide important information into the function of material systems. To elucidate the detailed transport mechanism and the structure-function relationship of a material system, it is critical to bridge the gap between the macroscopic data and the transport behavior at the molecular level.Areas covered in this review: The structure and function information of selected non-degradable and degradable polymers have been collected and summarized from literature published after the 1990s. The release kinetics of selected drug compounds from various material systems is discussed in case studies. Recent progress in the mathematical models based on different transport mechanisms is highlighted.What the reader will gain: This article aims to provide an overview of structure-function relationships of selected non-degradable and degradable polymers as drug delivery matrices.Take home message: Understanding the structure-function relationship of the material system is key to the successful design of a delivery system for a particular application. Moreover, developing complex polymeric matrices requires more robust mathematical models to elucidate the solute transport mechanisms.

Development of a Simplified Approach for Using the Local Approach to Fracture

Today there is a strong demand from different industries to use local fracture criteria in a simplified way. This paper presents the main results of a two years joint research project where CEA, EDF, School of Mines and IRSID were associated. A simplified method based on the Beremin models for cleavage and ductile fracture has been developed. This procedure can be used to evaluate the risk of fracture of industrial structures or to allow a rapid development of new materials. Finite element simulations were systematically performed for axisymmetrically notched tensile and precracked specimens using a parametric description of stress-strain laws. Results were presented in the form of graphs that can be used directly for measuring local fracture parameters from tests on axisymmetrically notched specimens and to predict fracture toughness. An additional parameter measuring the level of plastic constraint has been taken into account. This parameter can be easily evaluated on industrial structures. This allows a simple way of using local criteria to evaluate the safety of such structures.

Material development and the adaptability of the industrial structure

With the rapid development of new materials in recent decades, material adaptability has increasingly come into the focus of innovation theory. This article shows that material adaptability has involved special problems for enterprises. This is not least because a shift in material technology constitutes a more fundamental intervention in industrial production than other kinds of technological change. On the basis of Danish examples, this article discusses material adaptation processes in industry and barriers to such adaptation. The article attempts to answer two questions. What is the significance of various development strategies for the adaptability of companies to new materials? And what lessons can be learned from previous adaptation processes, against the particular background of the introduction of plastic materials in industrial production? The article discusses the role of materials as stabilizing and destabilizing factors in the industrial structure, and in this connection the importance of “learning by doing,” “user-producer relations” and the role of raw material suppliers in the process of adaptation to new materials.