IMR: Acquisition of a State-of-the-Art X-Ray Diffraction System for Magneto-Thermo-Mechanical Materials Characterization Research and Education

Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, College Station TX

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal seeks the acquisition of a state-of-the-art X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD) system that is, on the one hand, unique in its configuration in the U.S., and on the other hand, a robust multi-user machine consisting of well-proven components. The system will enable over 20 faculty and their students from five institutions to study temperature-dependent structural properties including crystallographic texture, and in-situ magnetic field and mechanical loading-induced structural changes of many inorganic materials at temperatures from 10K to 900 K. The exact configuration of the magneto-thermo-mechanical (MTM) characterization tools was chosen to effectively underpin interdisciplinary research and training needs at Texas A&M University (TAMU) as well as within the region (Angelo State, Lamar, Prairie View A&M Universities and the University of Texas at Arlington). The unique features of the proposed instrument are: powder diffractometry with heating/cooling capability between 10 K and 900 K in an environmental chamber; Eulerian cradle providing simultaneous phase identification and crystallographic texture evaluation capability (from 90 K to 900 K); attachment of an existing miniature in-situ loading stage capable of applying tensile and compressive loads up to 4500 N and of heating and cooling the sample from 90 K up to 900 K; and application of magnetic field up to 1 Tesla to track field induced structural changes with heating cooling capability from 90 K to 900 K. Specific research activities supported by the proposed XRD system include: 1) development, characterization and modeling of magnetic shape memory alloys, 2) molecular nanomagnets, thin films, novel magnetic nanostructures and nanostructured materials, exchange-coupled nanocomposite magnets, 3) fabrication and characterization of bulk amorphous metals, 4) Deformation and texture of rocks and minerals at elevated temperatures and pressures, 5) magnetism in silicon clathrates:, 6) twinning induced grain boundary engineering in ultrafine grained materials, 7) texture and structure control in conventional (NiTi), high temperature (NiTiHf) and iron based shape memory alloys, and 8) texture control and grain refinement in niobium, Nb3Sn and tantalum for superconducting and defense application, and in bismuth telluride for thermoelectric applications. This proposal seeks the acquisition of a state-of-the-art X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD) system that is, on the one hand, unique in its configuration in the U.S., and on the other hand, a robust multi-user machine consisting of well-proven components. The system will enable over 20 faculty and their students from five institutions to study temperature-dependent structural properties including crystallographic texture, and in-situ magnetic field and mechanical loading-induced structural changes of many inorganic materials at temperatures from 10K to 900 K. Specific research activities supported by the proposed XRD system include: 1) development, characterization and modeling of magnetic shape memory alloys, 2) molecular nanomagnets, thin films, novel magnetic nanostructures and nanostructured materials, exchange-coupled nanocomposite magnets, 3) fabrication and characterization of bulk amorphous metals, 4) Deformation and texture of rocks and minerals at elevated temperatures and pressures, 5) magnetism in silicon clathrates:, 6) twinning induced grain boundary engineering in ultrafine grained materials, 7) texture and structure control in conventional (NiTi), high temperature (NiTiHf) and iron based shape memory alloys, and 8) texture control and grain refinement in niobium, Nb3Sn and tantalum for superconducting and defense application, and in bismuth telluride for thermoelectric applications.