NSF/Sandia: Atomistic-Based Continuum Models of Micro- and Nano-Scale Engineered Systems/Processes

纳米技术已被公认为对21世纪美国经济福祉至关重要的关键技术领域，具有无与伦比的改善我们未来生活水平的潜力。然而，要实现纳米技术的潜在好处，必须开发使能技术，将纳米组件扩大到微观/介观产品甚至更多。该项目组建了一个具有互补专业知识的多学科研究团队，研究纳米技术碳纳米管复合材料中一类非常重要的工程材料的集成加工、制造和建模问题。本工作的目的是使用基于原子论的连续介质模型来研究碳纳米管复合材料的性能和可制造性。拟议的研究计划包括三个主要领域：i)研究纳米管-聚合物复合材料的加工和表征；ii)探索各种制造技术对这些复合材料的适用性；以及iii)开发基于原子的多尺度纳米管复合材料的加工、制造和机械性能模型。该研究项目有望产生物理上合理的模型，可用于研究纳米管复合材料的可制造性和性能，并解决与纳米管复合材料加工和制造相关的关键问题。这项研究可能会带来许多潜在的好处。目前，人们对超硬纳米材料的可制造性了解非常有限。通过了解材料去除机理和碳纳米管在加工过程中的作用，结合多尺度建模工作，将为碳纳米管复合材料加工提供指导，以提高复合材料的力学性能和可制造性。力学分析将产生强有力的工具，将纳米结构与材料的宏观行为联系起来。所提出的研究结果也可用于模拟碳纳米管复合材料在未来应用中的性能，如航空航天工业、医疗和生物医疗设备中的关键承载部件。除了研究活动，拟议的计划还包含一个全面的教育计划。该教育计划旨在就纳米科学和工程以及纳米制造的潜力和问题对研究生和本科生、K-12学校教师和普通公众进行培训和教育。具体地说，该计划强调了以下努力：培训纳米制造方面的下一代领导者；通过教师研究经验(RET)计划让中学和高中教师参与研究，作为接触K-12学生的工具；通过与校园内的女性和少数族裔学生组织合作，促进代表不足群体的成员的参与；以及通过参加年度工程开放参观计划，教育普通公众关于纳米科学和工程的机会和影响。此外，拟议的教育计划预计将极大地激发年轻一代对这一新兴领域的兴趣，并通过培养训练有素的研究人员和工程师来提高美国行业未来在纳米技术方面的竞争力。

Nanotechnologies have been recognized as a key technological area critical to the economic well-being of the United States in the 21st century, with potentials of unparalleled improvement in our future standard of living. To realize the potential benefits of nanotechnologies, however, one must develop enabling technologies to scale up the nano-scopic components to micro/meso-scopic products and beyond. This project assembles a multidisciplinary research team with complementary expertise to investigate integrated processing, manufacturing and modeling issues of a class of very important engineering material for nanotechnologies Carbon nanotube composites. The goal of this work is to use the atomistic-based continuum models to investigate the properties and manufacturability of carbon nanotube composites. The proposed research program includes three main thrust areas: i) studying the processing and characterization of nanotube-polymer composites; ii) exploring the applicability of various manufacturing techniques for these composites; and iii) developing multiscale, atomistic-based models for processing, manufacturing, and mechanical properties of nanotube composites. The research project is expected to produce physically sound models that can be used to study the manufacturability and properties of nanotube composites, and to address the critical issues related to processing and manufacturing of nanotube composites. Many potential benefits may accrue from this research. At present, there is very limited understanding of the manufacturability of ultra-hard, nano-materials. The proposed study, through understanding of the mechanisms of material removal and the role of Carbon Nanotubes during the machining process, combined with multi-scale modeling efforts, will provide guidelines for Carbon Nanotubes composite processing to enhance both the mechanical properties and the manufacturability of the composites. The mechanics analysis will give rise to powerful tools to link nano-structures to the macroscopic behavior of the material. The results of the proposed research could also be used to model performance of Carbon Nanotubes composites in future applications, such critical load-carrying components in aerospace industry, medical and bio-medical devices. In addition to the research activities, the proposed program contains a comprehensive educational plan. The educational plan aims at the broader objective of training and educating graduate and undergraduate students, K-12 school teachers, and the general public on potentials and issues of nanoscale science and engineering and nano-manufacturing. Specifically, the program highlights efforts to train next generation leaders in nano-manufacturing; to involve middle school and high school teachers in the research through Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program as a vehicle to reach out to K-12 students; to boost participation of members of underrepresented groups by partnering with women and minority student organizations on campus; and to educate the general public about the opportunities and implications of nano-science and engineering by participating in the annual Engineering Open House program. Furthermore, the proposed educational program is expected to significantly stimulate younger generation's interests in this emerging field, and to improve U.S. industry's future competitiveness in nanotechnology by producing well-trained researchers and engineers.