MRI Consortium: Development of High Throughput High Energy Diffraction Microscope

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

Part 1: This MRI award by both the Division of Materials Research (DMR) in the Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) and the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) in the Directorate for Engineering (ENG) supports the development of a High Energy Diffraction Microscopy (HEDM) instrument by a consortium of four institution (Carnegie Mellon University, Purdue University, University of Utah, and Colorado School of Mines). The new instrument will make possible observations of unique in-situ studies of phase transformations, coarsening of materials and modeling thereof. Measurements with the instrument will also facilitate other types of measurements, from gas diffusion and storage to ultra-fast shock deformation and applications of coherent diffractive imaging that will be enhanced by the coming upgrades of synchrotrons around the world. The Development project and resulting instrument will have broader impacts through training and mentoring of post-doctoral associates, through advancements in x-ray science, and through the many applications of the instrument to materials of interest to industry and government laboratories. Through the availability of advanced characterization data it will be possible to develop improved models of material properties and responses and these improved models will lead to shorter development times and materials with improved properties. Part2: This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the development of a High Energy Diffraction Microscopy (HEDM) by a consortium of four institution (Carnegie Mellon University, Purdue University, University of Utah, and Colorado School of Mines). The instrument enables a suite of high energy (> 30 keV) x-ray measurement techniques that provide unique information about structure and structural evolution in the broad class of polycrystalline materials. Relevant materials include metals and their alloys, ceramics, and many functional materials. Understanding these materials and their evolution is a multi-scale problem with nano-scale lattice defects (dislocations and others) interacting in anisotropic and inhomogeneous crystalline environments. These interactions give rise to emergent mesoscale and macroscopic properties which must be tailored for applications in extreme environments such as jet engines, nuclear reactors, and general energy and transportation systems. HEDM is playing a central role improving understanding and modeling of these materials. Near- and Far-field HEDM use spatially resolved diffraction in three dimensions to probe structure deep inside of bulk samples. The measurements are non-destructive in hard materials allowing repeated measurements as the materials are subjected to a variety of thermal and mechanical treatments. The measurement techniques and associated software for interpreting the terabytes of raw image data that are collected have been developed over the past decade. Because the measurements require a high flux of monochromatic high energy x-rays that are specifically tailored (collimated and/or focused) for each technique, they are carried out at high energy synchrotron radiation facilities such as the Department of Energy's Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. The new multi-modal microscope will fully integrate data collection protocols and analysis software so that output data sets will be available to researchers on the same time scale as the data collection times thus allowing experimenters to optimize sample treatment parameters during the course of measurements. Hardware specifications will take advantage of recent developments in detector and positioning technologies. A high temperature capability will be available. The software developed for this instrument will be made available to the community at the Advanced Photon Source and other facilities around the world.