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

这项提议寻求收购一种最先进的X射线衍射仪(XRD)系统，一方面该系统的配置在美国是独一无二的，另一方面是一台由经过充分验证的组件组成的坚固的多用户机器。该系统将使来自五个机构的20多名教职员工和他们的学生能够研究许多无机材料在10K到900K的温度下随温度变化的结构特性，包括晶体结构、原位磁场和机械加载引起的结构变化。磁热机械(MTM)表征工具的准确配置被选为有效地支持德克萨斯农工大学(TAMU)以及该地区(安吉洛州立大学、拉马尔大学、草原景观A&Amp；M大学和德克萨斯大学阿灵顿分校)的跨学科研究和培训需求。该仪器的独特之处在于：粉末衍射仪在环境室内具有10K至900K的加热/冷却能力；欧拉摇架提供了同时进行物相鉴定和晶体织构评估的能力(90K至900K)；现有的微型原位加载平台能够施加高达4500N的拉伸和压缩载荷，并可在90K至900K范围内加热和冷却样品；并应用高达1特斯拉的磁场跟踪磁场诱导的结构变化，加热冷却能力从90K到900K。具体的研究活动包括：1)磁性形状记忆合金的开发、表征和建模，2)分子纳米磁体、薄膜、新型磁性纳米结构和纳米结构材料、交换耦合纳米复合磁体，3)大块非晶金属的制备和表征，4)岩石和矿物在高温和压力下的变形和织构，5)硅笼合物中的磁性：6)超细晶材料中的孪生诱导晶界工程，7)常规(NiTi)的织构和结构控制，8)用于超导和国防应用的Nb、Nb3Sn和Ta的织构控制和细化，以及用于热电应用的碲化铋的织构控制和细化。这项提议寻求获得一种最先进的X射线衍射仪系统，一方面它的配置在美国是独一无二的，另一方面，一台由经过充分验证的组件组成的坚固的多用户机器。该系统将使来自五个机构的20多名教职员工和他们的学生能够在10K至900K的温度下研究许多无机材料的随温度变化的结构特性，包括晶体织构、原位磁场和机械载荷引起的结构变化。建议的X射线衍射系统支持的具体研究活动包括：1)磁性形状记忆合金的开发、表征和建模；2)分子纳米磁体、薄膜、新型磁性纳米结构和纳米结构材料、交换耦合纳米复合磁体；3)大块非晶态金属的制备和表征；4)高温和压力下岩石和矿物的变形和结构；5)硅笼状结构中的磁性：6)超细晶材料中的孪晶诱导晶界工程，7)常规(NiTi)、高温(NiTiHf)和铁基形状记忆合金中的织构和结构控制，8)超导和国防用Nb、Nb_3Sn和Ta中的织构控制和细化，以及热电应用中的碲化铋中的织构控制和细化。

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 effectivelyunderpin 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 samplefrom 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.