8 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 | A P R I L 2 0 2 3 load shuffling, that could enable the design of better-performing lightweight materials for vehicles. Researchers monitored a version of ORNL’s ACMZ— aluminum, copper, manganese, and zirconium—alloy for deformation that occurs when the material is under persistent mechanical stress at high temperatures. Using neutron diffraction, researchers studied the material’s atomic structure and observed that the overall stress was absorbed by one part of the alloy but transferred to another part during deformation. This backand-forth shuffling prevents strengthening in some areas. “Neutrons offer opportunities to study metallurgical phenomena in multiphase structural materials,” ORNL’s Amit Shyam says. “We’ve gained unprecedented insight into elevated-temperature material behavior that will allow us to design improved aluminum alloys for extreme conditions.” ornl.gov. TESTING | CHARACTERIZATION X-RAY INNOVATION A team of researchers at Arizona State University, Tempe, launched a new compact x-ray light source (CXLS), which will enable scientists to see deeper into matter and living things. The device is the first stage of a larger compact x-ray free electron laser project that aims to build two instruments including a coherent x-ray laser. The CXLS generates a high-flux beam of hard x-rays, with wavelengths short enough to resolve the atomic structure of complex molecules, and pulsed at extremely short durations of a few hundred femtoseconds. Such capabilities have so far only been available at large x-ray free-electron laser facilities, whose construction costs run into the billions. The ASU device provides a uniquely compact facility for ultrashort x-rays that fits into the size of a basement, making leading-edge x-ray technology accessible to a university campus. The CXLS will be available to scientists from all over the U.S. and serve as a training ground for ASU students. “I’m most intri- gued by what lies at the edge of our knowledge, pursuing phenomena that have never been observed before,” says lab director Robert Kaindl. “With the conclusion of the compact x-ray light source commissioning, our focus will shift to early experiments with its ultrashort x-rays and the transition to a user facility.” The first set of experiments will begin later in 2023. According to lead scientist William Graves, “The CXLS will be a boon to awide range of imaginative scientists working to unlock the secrets of biology, chemistry, and physics.” asu.edu. NEUTRONS REVEAL ALLOY BEHAVIOR Scientists at the DOE’s Oak Ridge NationalLaboratory,Tenn.,discovereda mechanism in a 3D-printed alloy, called Triangular holes make this material more likely to crack from left to right. Courtesy of N.R. Brodnik et al./Phys. Rev. Lett. Scientists at the University of California, Irvine and the DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory are exploring high-nickel-content layered cathodes, which hold promise for future batteries. The team used a transmission electron microscope and atomistic simulations to learn how oxidation phase transitions impact lithium-ion battery (LIB) materials. Knowing how these batteries operate at the atomic scale could enable development of cobalt-free LIBs with vastly improved power and life cycles. uci.edu. William Graves stands next to one of the magnets used in the CXLS instrument. Courtesy of ASU. BRIEF Researchers used neutron diffraction experiments to study the 3D-printed ACMZ alloy and observed a phenomenon called “load shuffling.” Courtesy of ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy.
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