MRI: Acquisition of a High-Temperature X-ray Diffraction System - Transforming Materials Science and Culture in West Texas

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This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of a High-Temperature X-Ray Diffraction System (XRD) at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) for potentially transformative fundamental research on nanotechnology and resilient building materials. The XRD allows researchers to investigate material properties under controlled temperature and pressure conditions, making it a critical tool for developing new materials, increasing the lifespan of materials, and improving production processes. The research team includes female and African American faculty and researchers from mechanical engineering, materials science and civil engineering. The instrumentation also provides broad educational opportunities for a regional, emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), enabling over 1500 K-12 and higher education students to have a research or laboratory experience with the XRD.The XRD has unique capabilities that will enable fundamental research on nanoaluminum, nanodiamonds, and resilient materials and infrastructure. Researchers will measure stress states at the nanoscale to determine how manipulation affects particle reactivity. This knowledge may lead to advances in nano aluminum energy storage capabilities. The XRD will be used in-situ to study the high bond energy of the nano-sized diamond and the effect of its highly functional surface when used as an additive in metallic mixtures. These alloys may enable advances in aerospace applications, where weight and temperature resistance are vital, and may hold promise for prosthetics and implant technology. The XRD probes atomic distances and provides information aabout material properties at the microscale. By analyzing structures with different materials both before and after damage, it is possible to estimate wind loads, ground accelerations and blast intensities that they can withstand. This knowledge enables the development of structural materials optimized for use in areas with a high probability of natural or man-made hazards.