MRI: Acquisition of Analytical TEM for Multi-User Materials Research Environment

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0922851Van AkenMissouri S&TTechnical AbstractAcquisition of an analytical transmission electron microscope (TEM) will complement and expand the Advanced Materials Characterization Lab (AMCL) at Missouri S&T. The proposed TEM will be equipped with a Schottky field emission gun and an X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer (XEDS), capable of operating in both conventional TEM mode and scanning transmission (STEM) mode. The enhanced capabilities of the TEM in the area of high resolution imaging, atomic number sensitive (Z-contrast) imaging, nano-beam electron diffraction, and XEDS line-scan/mapping will provide state-of-the-art materials characterization at Missouri S&T. Nearly a quarter of the 270 tenure track faculty members at Missouri S&T are engaged in materials-related research, cutting across 13 of the 21 academic departments on campus. Other institutions that will benefit from the acquisition of this equipment include the Research Alliance of Missouri and the Missouri Nanoalliance, organizations dedicated to facilitating collaborative nanoscience research in the State of Missouri. The TEM will be utilized in a number of projects, including: 1) structure/ chemistry/ property relations of 3rd generation advanced high strength steels, 2) domain structures and interface studies of epitaxial metal oxides films and superlattices, 3) structural and compositional inhomogeneities in friction stir processed aluminum alloys, 4) interface structure and concentration gradients in catalyst-dispersed nanowire arrays for proton exchange membrane fuel cells, 5) impurity segregation and defect interactions at grain boundaries in ultra-high temperature ceramics, 6) structure, defects and doping properties at grain boundaries of high temperature superconducting materials, and 7) glass/ceramic interfacial chemistry for the application in solid oxide fuel cells. The proposed instrument will be managed by the AMCL at Missouri S&T. Non-technicalAnalytical transmission electron microscopes are an essential tool in the development of new materials with nano-scale structures. This new instrument will be used to develop lightweight steel, new materials to generate electricity, new superconducting magnets, and high temperature heat shields. Other institutions that will benefit from the acquisition of this equipment include the Research Alliance of Missouri and the Missouri Nanoalliance, organizations dedicated to facilitating collaborative nanoscience research and facility development in the State of Missouri. The proposed instrument will be managed by the Advanced Materials Characterization Laboratory (AMCL) at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T). The proposed equipment will be immediately utilized in several undergraduate and graduate level classes in the areas of materials characterization and evaluation, where 200 Materials Science and Engineering students are exposed to cutting edge research in NSF-funded projects. In addition, the instrument will enhance recruitment efforts at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Missouri S&T, through programs such as the Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience (OURE), and the many summer programs coordinated by the Office of Pre-College Programs such as the Jackling Introduction to Engineering and the Materials Camp. Last year over 1,300 K-12 students were on campus, and most toured through the AMCL.