September AMP_Digital

A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 1 1 crack growth, damage nucleation, and microstructural changes in any mate- rial during thermomechanical testing. With this increased visibility, the team found that alloy 709 outperformed 316 stainless steel at all temperatures. The next step is to assess how alloy 709 will perform at high temperatures when exposed to cyclical loading. ncsu.edu , www.birmingham.ac.uk . NEW ATOMIC-SCALE IMAGING TOOL Researchers at the DOE’s Law- rence Berkeley National Laboratory, Calif., now have access to a new micro- scope that combines atomic-scale imaging capabilities with the ability to observe real-world sample properties and behavior in real time. Housed at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry, the instrument is a high-stability, high-reso- lution Thermo Fisher ThemIS transmis- sion electron microscope (TEM). The IS in its name means it is customized for in situ experiments. The microscope will understanding of chemical reactions, but also allows for the study of a wider variety of nanoparticle systems where reaction pathways are still unknown. foundry.lbl.gov. provide unprecedented insight into fun- damental atomic-scale material trans- formations that occur at solid-liquid interfaces, essential for making advan- ces in battery and desalination technol- ogies, for example. Previously, in situ transmission electron microscopy was limited by the speed and resolution of themicroscope. With the advanced TEM and newly developed technologies, scientists are able to image chemical reactions and study materials dynamics in liquids with a resolution that was previously impossible. In situ TEMs use special sample holders that allow researchers to observe the physical behavior of materials in response to external stim- uli such as temperature, environment, stress, and applied fields. By study- ing samples in liquids or gases using these holders, researchers can observe the atomic-scale details of nanopar- ticles and how they undergo changes in their reactive environments. This capability not only provides a deeper High stability, high resolution ThemIS TEM. Courtesy of Marilyn Chung/LBNL.