8 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF RUBBER MATERIALS Researchers at Waseda University in Japan created an innovative system that can conduct dynamic mechanical analysis and dynamic micro x-ray CT imaging simultaneously. At the core of this novel system is the dynamic micro x-ray CT and a specially designed compact shaker developed by the team that is capable of precise adjustment of vibration amplitude and frequency. “By integrating x-ray CT imaging performed at the large synchrotron radiation facility SPring-8 and mechanical analysis under dynamic conditions, we can elucidate the relationship between a material’s internal structure, its dynamic behavior, and its damping properties,” explains lead researcher Masami Matsubara. The team employed the advanced system to investigate the distinctions TESTING | CHARACTERIZATION CONNECTED PROPERTIES OF METALS New research from the University of Birmingham, U.K., shows that the electronic structure of metals can strongly affect their mechanical properties. The work demonstrates experimentally, for the first time, that the electronic and mechanical properties of a metal are connected. It was previously understood theoretically that there would be a connection, but it was thought that it would be too small to detect in an experiment. Collaborating with the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Germany, the university researchers conducted experiments on strontium ruthenate (Sr2RuO4), a superconducting metal. By measuring lattice distortion as a function of applied stress, the team found that when Sr2RuO4 is compressed by about 0.5%, a measure of mechanical stiffness known as the Young’s modulus decreases by about 10%, and then increases by about 20% when the material is compressed further. This change corresponds to a new set of electronic states becoming occupied at a transition that had been identified earlier through electronic but not mechanical measurements. The scientists built new instrumentation that could measure small and delicate samples, as well as handle cryogenic temperatures, as electronic measurements are more accurate at lower temperatures. This took five years of planning and design. Now that this experiment has been completed on one material, the scientists are keen to conduct similar measurements on other metals. A version of the machine developed for this project is manufactured by a U.K.-based engineering company, and as the apparatus is further developed, it may find application in the study of high-strength alloys. www.birmingham.ac.uk. Triangular holes make this material more likely to crack from left to right. Courtesy of N.R. Brodnik et al./Phys. Rev. Lett. Instron, Norwood, Mass., recently released a new precision specimen loader for improved safety and efficiency when performing mechanical testing on delicate thin film and foil specimens. instron.com. The mechanical properties of a metal are affected by its electronic structure. Courtesy of Nils Rasmusson on Unsplash. Norman Noble Inc., Highland Heights, Ohio, a medical implant manufacturer, added a stateof-the-art Inspection Process Development Center (PDC). The PDC uses the latest automated vision, probing, and scanning capabilities for dimensional inspection. It also includes equipment for SEM, surface, metallurgical, mechanical, and thermal analyses. nnoble.com. BRIEFS This novel system can elucidate the microstructure of rubber-like materials under dynamic conditions. Courtesy of Masami Matsubara/Waseda University.
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