Bruker introduces nano-scratch capability for nanomechanical testing
November 13, 2016
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Bruker's Nano Surfaces Division, San Jose, Calif., announces a nanoscale scratch option for its NanoForce Nanomechanical Testing System. The new option brings the low-noise floor, precision, and stability of the NanoForce to controlled lateral displacement between tip and sample during nanoindentation. This significantly expands the platform's capability to characterize the resistance of thin films and coatings to scratching, cracking, chipping, scuffing, and delamination.This expanded capability does not compromise its ability to accurately investigate the uniformity of mechanical properties via instrumented indentation tests on nanoscale surfaces and structures over large sample areas. An optional 200 mm vacuum chuck offers convenience for the mounting of wafer samples, and built-in safety features protect the head assembly during translation of the X-Y stages.
"The NanoForce system already has a reputation of being well suited for testing of modulus and hardness of thin films and coatings with its standard dynamic testing methods," says Min Yang, Director of Applications at Bruker Nano Surfaces. "The addition of nanoscratch capabilities to perform characterization of other important thin film mechanical properties on a single, high-performance platform greatly enhances this legacy and positions NanoForce as an invaluable asset for the investigation of nanomechanical performance of new material systems."
"NanoForce has demonstrated superior capabilities for some of the most challenging nanoindentation applications in research labs," added James Earle, Vice President and General Manager of Bruker's Tribology, Stylus and Optical Metrology Business. "The new nanoscale scratch capabilities demonstrate our commitment to delivering the most advanced nanomechanical material testing and analysis solutions available anywhere."
Leveraging the accuracy enabled by electromagnetic actuation technology, NanoForce is a nanomechanical testing system that delivers high sensitivity at industry-leading measurement speeds. NanoForce features powerful, user-friendly measurement and control software, which enables real-time experimental control based on recorded or calculated data. Built upon Bruker's ubiquitous Dimension Icon AFM product architecture, the innovative gantry design and hardware architecture provide excellent positional accuracy as well as acoustic and vibration isolation to establish an optimal testing environment for challenging nanoindentation applications in materials science.
www.bruker.com
Bruker’s Nano Surfaces Division, San Jose, Calif., announces a nanoscale scratch option for its NanoForce Nanomechanical Testing System.
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University at Buffalo receives $2.9 million for modeling/simulations lab
October 28, 2016
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The University at Buffalo, N.Y., has received a $2.9 million National Science Foundation grant to transform the traditional role of a database as a repository for information into an automated computer laboratory that rapidly collects, interprets, and learns from massive amounts of information.
The lab, which also will conduct large-scale materials modeling and simulations based upon untapped troves of visual data, will be accessible to the scientific community and ultimately speed up and reduce the cost of discovering, manufacturing and commercializing new materials.
"This pioneering and multidisciplinary approach to advanced materials research will provide the scientific community with tools it needs to accelerate the pace of discovery, leading to greater economic security and a wide range of societal benefits," said Venu Govindaraju, PhD, UB's vice president for research and economic development.
Dr. Govindaraju, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, is the grant's principal investigator. Co-principal investigators, all from UB, are: Krishna Rajan, ScD, Erich Bloch Endowed Chair of the Department of Materials Design and Innovation (MDI); Thomas Furlani, PhD, director of the Center for Computational Research; Srirangaraj "Ranga" Setlur, principal research scientist; and Scott Broderick, PhD, research assistant professor in MDI.
The award, from NSF's Data Infrastructure Building Blocks (DIBBS) program, draws upon UB's expertise in artificial intelligence, specifically its groundbreaking work that began in the 1980s to enable machines to read human handwriting. The work has saved postal organizations billions of dollars in the U.S. and worldwide.
UB will use the DIBBS grant to create what it is calling the Materials Data Engineering Laboratory at UB (MaDE @UB). The lab will introduce the tools of machine intelligence -- such as machine learning, pattern recognition, materials informatics and modeling, high-performance computing and other cutting-edge technologies -- to transform data libraries into a laboratory that not only stores and searches for information, but also predicts and processes information to discover advanced materials.
www.buffalo.edu
The University at Buffalo, N.Y., has received a $2.9 million National Science Foundation grant to transform the traditional role of a database as a repository for information into an automated computer laboratory that rapidly collects, interprets, and learns from massive amounts of information.
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Nanolaminated MoAlB coating resists corrosion at high temperatures
June 6, 2016
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Drexel University, Philadelphia, announces that a research team from Drexel, Linkoping University in Sweden, and Imperial College London, has produced a nanolaminated molybdenum-aluminum-boride coating that resists corrosion at high temperatures. To make the MoAlB coating, Prof. Michel Barsoum and his team combined a molybdenum-boron lattice with a double layer of aluminum to produce a material that is durable enough to resist oxidation at extremely high temperatures. The key to this performance is the material's nanolaminated structure, which consists of alternating layers of molybdenum boride and aluminum.
Using techniques gleaned from MAX Phase and MXene fabrication techniques developed by Prof. Barsoum, the research group developed a method for making corrosion-resistant layered boride. Upon testing, the group also found that the material retains its high conductivity to elevated temperatures. Its melting point has yet to be determined, but preliminary results have shown it to be greater than 2550°F. Prof. Barsoum speculates that because of these promising results, his team's work has now laid the foundation for the development of ultrahigh melting point borides that are also oxidation resistant.
According to Prof. Barsoum, "Resistance to oxidation is possible because of the presence of aluminum in layers between molybdenum and boron layers. When heated to high temperatures in air, the aluminum atoms selectively diffuse to the surface and react with oxygen — forming a surface aluminum oxide protective layer that slows down further oxidation considerably."
www.drexel.edu
Drexel University, Philadelphia, announces that a research team from Drexel, Linkoping University in Sweden, and Imperial College London, has produced a nanolaminated molybdenum-aluminum-boride coating that resists corrosion at high temperatures.
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Advanced Heat Treat completes Phase I of plasma nitriding evaluation
May 21, 2016
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Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT), Waterloo, Iowa, announces that it has completed Phase I of a grant to evaluate plasma nitriding for improved life of forging dies by generating a hard case on tribological surfaces. AHT, along with Ohio State University's Manufacturing Research Group, received a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration SBIR Program and the Defense Technical Information Center. The grant was issued in August 2015 to research "Plasma Enhanced Nanostructures for Improved Life of Forging Dies," and Phase I was completed on April 30th, 2016.
Forging die failure affects the entire economy of forging companies, including the cost of tooling, repair, press downtimes, and production lead times, to name a few. According to a recent survey, as the batch sizes increase, machine setup costs go down (economy of scale); however, tooling costs rise.
This technological challenge is the prime driver for this proposed research, where plasma-enhanced nanostructured surface treatments will be explored to increase die life by up to five times its current life. Plasma nitriding is widely used to generate a hard case on engineering surfaces for enhanced performance of many tribological components.
Recently, this process has found wider applications in advanced surfaces in aerospace, electronics, and power systems for corrosion protection. In addition, plasma nitrided surfaces are being investigated for the emerging areas of alternate power generation such as fuel cells, and in human implants. The potential impact of this research is not only in the current fields of application, but also in the emerging areas vital to the energy and industrial future of our country.
A summary of the Phase I findings was issued to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) for their review. Those interested in a full copy of the summary should contact Advanced Heat Treat Corp. at 319-232-5221 or submit requests online at www.ahtweb.com using a "quick contact" form.
www.ahtweb.com
Advanced Heat Treat Corp. (AHT), Waterloo, Iowa, announces that it has completed Phase I of a grant to evaluate plasma nitriding for improved life of forging dies by generating a hard case on tribological surfaces.
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Amorphous steel powder metallurgy alloy has highest impact resistance
April 13, 2016
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The University of California San Diego announces that a team of engineers has developed and tested SAM2X5-630, a type of amorphous steel with a record-breaking ability to withstand impact without deforming permanently. To make the solid materials that comprise the alloy, Prof. Olivia Graeve and her team first mixed iron and other powders in a graphite mold. The powders were then pressurized at 100 MPa or 1000 atmospheres, and exposed to a powerful current of 10,000 amperes at 1165°F during a process called spark plasma sintering.
The process creates an amorphous structure that contains small crystalline regions that are only a few nanometers in size. Researchers believe that these small regions are key to the material's ability to withstand stress. This finding is promising because it shows that the properties of metallic glasses can be fine-tuned to overcome shortcomings such as brittleness, which have prevented them from becoming commercially applicable on a large scale.
Researchers at the University of Southern California, led by Prof. Veronica Eliasson, tested how the alloy responds to shock without undergoing permanent deformation by hitting samples of the material with copper plates fired from a gas gun at 500 to 1300 meters per second. The material did deform on impact, but not permanently.
The Hugoniot Elastic Limit is defined as the maximum shock a material can take without irreversibly deforming. The limit of a 1.5-1.8 mm-thick piece of SAM2X5-630 was measured at 11.76 GPa. By comparison, stainless steel has an elastic limit of 0.2 GPa, while that of tungsten carbide is 4.5 GPa.
The primary focus of future research efforts on these alloys is increasing the weight of the materials to make them more resistant to impacts.
In addition to Prof. Graeve and Prof. Eliasson, co-authors include Prof. Gauri R. Khanolkar and Prof. Andrea M. Hodge at USC, Prof.Michael B. Rauls at Caltech, and Prof. James Kelly from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego.
This research was supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, grant HDTRA1-11-1-0067.
The full study "Shock Wave Response of Iron-based In Situ Metallic Glass Matrix Composites," published on March 2, can be found online at http://www.nature.com/articles/srep22568
http://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/
The University of California San Diego announces that a team of engineers has developed and tested SAM2X5-630, a type of amorphous steel with a record-breaking ability to withstand impact without deforming permanently.
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UTC Aerospace Systems opens $8 million advanced materials laboratory in Connecticut
March 2, 2016
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UTC Aerospace Systems, Windsor Locks, Conn., has opened an $8 million, 20,000 ft2 state-of-the-art Materials and Process Engineering laboratory to support research, engineering, and production of advanced materials for aerospace applications. Lab capabilities include additive manufacturing to build metal and plastic parts. The lab will develop high-temperature materials such as carbon-carbon and silicon carbide-based composites for applications such as aircraft brakes. The lab will also focus on nanomaterials to develop light-weight metal-matrix and polymer-matrix composites for a variety of applications across UTC Aerospace Systems.
UTC Aerospace Systems also announces establishment of the Materials Engineering Center of Excellence at the University of Connecticut (UCONN). The agreement includes a five-year, million-dollar commitment to work with UCONN in the areas of additive manufacturing, high-temperature composites, thermoplastics, and other advanced materials. UTC Aerospace Systems will provide opportunities to rising UCONN sophomores and juniors to work in the new MPE lab and learn alongside UTC Aerospace Systems engineers and scientists in the areas of materials and manufacturing technologies for future aircraft.
"We are very excited about the new MPE lab, which will transform the way engineers and scientists collaborate to produce innovative solutions using a spectrum of material and manufacturing combinatorial techniques," said Mun Choi, Provost at the University of Connecticut. "The Center of Excellence we've established will provide our students with a unique learning experience by working in the lab with talented engineers."
UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries. UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global customer base, with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities.
www.utc.com
www.utcaerospacesystems.com
UTC Aerospace Systems, Windsor Locks, Conn., has opened an $8 million, 20,000 ft2 state-of-the-art Materials and Process Engineering laboratory to support research, engineering, and production of advanced materials for aerospace applications.
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Bruker introduces MultiMode 8-HR atomic force microscope for nanoscale research
January 20, 2016
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Bruker Nano Surfaces, Santa Barbara, Calif., announces that it has significantly enhanced the capabilities of its MultiMode platform with the MultiMode 8-HR. Improvements include higher speeds, higher resolution imaging, new capabilities in nanomechanics with enhanced PeakForce QNM, and new FastForce Volume modes. These improvements are also available as upgrades to current MultiMode systems.
The high-resolution and data processing capabilities of the MultiMode 8-HR are the result of its combination of rigid mechanical design and extremely advanced control electronics. Utilizing Bruker's NanoScope V Controller and new Version 8.2 software, the system features unprecedented bandwidth and extremely low-noise data acquisition to enable such proprietary technology advances as ScanAsyst, Peak Force QNM and FastForce Volume. These features combine to reaffirm the MultiMode 8-HR as the most versatile, highest performance AFM in its class.
www.bruker.com
Bruker Nano Surfaces, Santa Barbara, Calif., announces that it has significantly enhanced the capabilities of its MultiMode platform with the MultiMode 8-HR.
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Tresa Pollock named Principal Editor for Metallurgical and Materials Transactions
January 19, 2016
Source: ASM International
ASM International, Materials Park, Ohio, announces that the new principal editor of the Metallurgical and Materials Transactions (Met Trans) family of journals will be Dr. Tresa M. Pollock, an internationally recognized leader in the science and technology of advanced structural alloys.
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Titanium strength and ductility grow when large grains are added to microstructure
November 11, 2015
Source: ASM International
A team from North Carolina State University, Raleigh, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences announces that titanium strength and ductility are both increased when large grains are added to an ultrafine-grain matrix.
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Silver nanoparticles in polymer coating prevent infections in dental implants
November 8, 2015
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Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute, Germany, have reportedly developed DentaPlas, an antimicrobial coating for dental implants that consists of three layers, with two plasma polymer layers surrounding a center layer of silver nanoparticles. Within this structure, a biocide reservoir is formed, and the outermost layer releases the ions.
Scientists can tailor the silver concentration as well as the thickness of the layers and their porosity. This allows the silver ions to penetrate the outermost plasma polymer layer over a set period of time. When the silver reservoir is exhausted, no more silver ions are released, thus avoiding any long-term toxic effects.
In trials of finished implants and titanium test samples, the team demonstrated that the DentaPlas coating is not only anti-microbial, but also fully biocompatible and sterilizable. They confirmed the mechanical stability and robustness of the DentaPlas coating in trials using the lower jawbones of pigs taken from butcher shops. Here, they subjected the DentaPlas-coated implants to the rigors of being screwed into place with instruments in modern dental practice.
The DentaPlas coating passed this stress test with no problems. Project partner and Fraunhofer spinoff Bio Gate AG successfully transferred the processes of coating the test samples and titanium screws to its own production facilities. This medical technology company is also the manufacturer of the DentaPlas three-layer coating system.
A demonstration unit of the plasma polymer coating is currently available. Researchers will be presenting a dental implant featuring the DentaPlas coating at the MEDICA trade fair in Düsseldorf from November 16 -19 at the joint Fraunhofer booth (Hall 10, Booth G05).
https://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2015/november/preventing-dental-implant-infections.html
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute, Germany, have reportedly developed DentaPlas, an antimicrobial coating for dental implants that consists of three layers, with two plasma polymer layers surrounding a center layer of silver nanoparticles.
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