2012 Gordon Research Conference on Solid State Studies in Ceramics: New Insights & New Paradigms for Fracture & Deformation in Ceramics; South Hadley, MA; 12-17 August 2012

该基金为参加2012年戈登研究会议（GRC）的参与者提供部分支持，该会议将于2012年8月12日至17日在美国马萨诸塞州南哈德利的Mount Holyoke学院举行，主题为“陶瓷固态研究：陶瓷断裂和变形的新见解和新范式”。两年一次的会议聚焦于陶瓷研究的前沿主题；2012年，该GRC将专注于陶瓷断裂和变形方面的前沿研究，包括探索新的理论、计算和实验方法，以突破我们对陶瓷力学行为的理解，以及在独特或极端环境下技术和结构陶瓷的行为。这些知识至关重要的应用包括能源应用陶瓷的故障预防，如燃料电池和电池应用的电化学电池，耐高温环境的新设计，如高超音速飞行，使用低成本材料或低能耗路线制造高强度陶瓷结构应用的创新方法，使用超轻多孔陶瓷的新方法。以及脆性材料断裂在生物学、人类健康和人类学中的应用。技术陶瓷在日常应用中有着广泛的应用，从我们汽车上的氧气传感器到我们体内的骨骼替代品，再到我们社区的路灯。这次会议的目的是为了更好地理解为什么以及如何在技术陶瓷中发生断裂和变形，以便防止失效。戈登研究会议的独特之处在于，他们关注正在进行的工作，鼓励对新概念的猜测和广泛讨论。通过传播理论和实验的新见解，从基础材料和应用两方面考虑，希望加强对该领域未来发展方向的理解和评价。这个GRC汇集了杰出的研究人员、初级研究人员和学生，为所有参与者之间的思想交流和新合作的发展提供了一个独特的论坛。这项NSF拨款将用于支付由于缺乏资金而无法参加会议的初级研究人员的会议费用，重点是支持妇女和代表性不足的少数民族。

This grant provides partial for support for participants at the 2012 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Solid State Studies in Ceramics: New Insights and New Paradigms for Fracture and Deformation in Ceramics, to be held August 12-17, 2012 at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA. The biennial conference focuses on topics at the leading edge of ceramics research; in 2012, this GRC will focus on research frontiers in ceramics with respect to fracture and deformation of ceramics, including exploration of new theories and computational and experimental approaches that push the boundaries of our understanding mechanical behavior of ceramics and the behavior of technical and structural ceramics under unique or extreme environments. Applications in which such knowledge is critical include failure prevention in ceramics for energy applications, such as in electrochemical cells for fuel cell and battery applications, new designs to withstand high temperature environments such as hypersonic flight, innovative methods to fabricate high strength ceramics for structural applications using low cost materials or low energy-consuming routes, novel approaches to using ultralight porous ceramics, and applications to fracture of brittle material in biology, human health, and anthropology. Technical ceramics are used in a wide range of everyday applications, from oxygen sensors in our cars to bone replacements in our bodies to streetlights in our neighborhood.The aim of this conference is to better understand why and how fracture and deformation occur in technical ceramics so that failure can be prevented. The Gordon Research Conferences are unique in that they focus on work in progress, encouraging speculation and extensive discussion of new concepts. By disseminating new insights from theory and experiment, considering both basic materials and applications, it is hoped that the understanding and evaluation of future directions for this field will be enhanced. This GRC comingles eminent researchers, junior investigators, and students and provides a unique forum for the exchange of ideas and the development of new collaborations among all participants. This NSF grant will be used to defray conference expenses for junior researchers who otherwise would be unable to attend due to a lack of funds, with an emphasis on support of women and underrepresented minorities.