MRI: Development of and Broad-Based Materials Research with the Next Generation Nanomechanical Testing Laboratory

非技术性：该项目的目标是通过发展下一代纳米机械测试实验室，并利用它在几个关键科学领域推进对材料行为的基本理解，将纳米机械科学的前沿推向新的地平线。来自几个不同学术机构的团队成员计划进行四项核心科学研究。这些是：(1)对工程材料尺寸减小到亚微米和纳米尺度时往往产生巨大强度的变形机制的基础研究；(2)地球物理材料与地震等大规模地球物理现象有关并加以控制的纳米尺度力学研究；(3)限制用于先进燃料电池可持续能量转换和存储的材料性能的科学因素；以及(4)块体金属玻璃的异常变形和断裂机制，这是一种相对较新的工程材料，具有普通金属无法实现的独特性能。除了这四项核心研究外，还组建了一个由九个学术机构和一个国家实验室的研究伙伴组成的扩大团队，以开发和使用该系统，用于先进电池、焊接、微电子机械系统、添加剂制造、防护陶瓷涂层、空间电力系统和二维板材结构等领域的各种其他尖端材料研究活动。研究和开发合作伙伴支持许多将在研究中使用该仪器的博士生和博士后。为了促进这些互动，计划举办暑期工作坊，为研究生和博士后提供基本的操作指导，并为本科生提供暑期研究经验。一个关键的工业合作伙伴将把这项技术商业化。技术：纳米机械测试实验室可用于纳米压痕、纳米压缩和纳米拉伸测试，基于世界上任何其他仪器都无法获得的几项新技术和能力。这些功能包括：高度局部化的电阻加热，用于在高真空或受控气体环境中进行高达1100摄氏度的极高温度测试；革命性的亚纳米分辨率激光干涉位移测量系统，可消除长期存在的热漂移问题和负载框架合规性问题；用于高速数据采集和反馈控制的快速傅立叶信号分析仪，可在MHz范围内进行快速数据采集和反馈控制，以解决许多有关速率对材料行为的未回答但及时的问题；通过长工作距离光学系统和五个独立的压电陶瓷驱动器实现前所未有的样品定位和校准，以实现最大对准和瞄准能力；以及用于快速特性映射的高速率测试。许多其他尖端的设计元素也被融入到设计中。团队中拥有材料科学、机械工程、物理、化学和地质学方面的特殊技能和专业知识的广泛的科学家和工程师的集体专业知识，极大地促进了系统组件和子系统的有效集成。在完全开发后，该系统将作为田纳西大学先进材料联合研究所的国家共享用户设施运行。

Non-technical: The objective of this project is to push the frontier of nanomechanical science to new horizons by developing the next generation nanomechanical testing laboratory and using it to advance fundamental understanding of materials behavior in several key scientific areas. Four core scientific studies are planned by team members from several different academic institutions. These are: (1) a fundamental study of the mechanisms of deformation that often produce enormous strength when the size of an engineering material is reduced to the sub-micrometer and nanometer scales; (2) nano-scale mechanical studies of geophysical materials as they relate to and control large-scale geophysical phenomena like earthquakes; (3) scientific factors limiting the performance of materials used for sustainable energy conversion and storage in advanced fuel cells; and (4) the unusual mechanisms of deformation and fracture in bulk metallic glasses, a relatively new class of engineering materials with unique properties not achievable in ordinary metals. In addition to the four core studies, an extended team of research partners from nine academic institutions and a national laboratory has been assembled to develop and use the system for a variety of other cutting edge materials research activities in areas as diverse as advanced batteries, welding, micro-electro-mechanical systems, additive manufacturing, protective ceramic coatings, space power systems, and two-dimensional sheet structures. The research and development partners support numerous PhD students and postdocs who will use the instrument in their research. To facilitate these interactions, summer workshops are planned to provide basic operational instruction for the graduate students and postdocs as well as summer research experiences for undergraduates. A key industrial partner will commercialize the technology. Technical: The nanomechanical testing laboratory, which can be used for nanoindentation, nano-compression, and nano-tensile testing, is based on several new technologies and capabilities not available on any other instrument in the world. These include: highly localized electrical resistance heating for very high temperature testing up to 1100C in high vacuum or in controlled gaseous environments; a revolutionary laser interferometric displacement measurement system with sub-nanometer resolution that eliminates longstanding problems caused by thermal drift and load frame compliance; fast Fourier signal analyzers for high speed data acquisition and feedback control at rates in the MHz range to address many unanswered but timely questions about rate effects on material behavior; unprecedented sample positioning and alignment made possible through long working distance optical systems and five independent piezo motion actuators to maximize alignment and targeting capability; and high rate testing for rapid property mapping. Many other cutting-edge design elements are also incorporated in the design. Effective integration of system components and subsystems is greatly facilitated by the collective expertise of the broad range of scientists and engineers on the team who have special skills and expertise in materials science, mechanical engineering, physics, chemistry and geology. When fully developed, the system will be operated as a national shared user facility in the Joint Institute for Advanced Materials at the University of Tennessee.