CAREER: Understanding Forces in Far-from-Equilibrium Materials Processing Under Electromagnetic Fields

电磁（EM）波，如微波辐射（用于快速加热我们的食物）可以实现低温，节能的制造过程，甚至对于传统上需要在极高温度下加工的材料，如陶瓷，也是如此。该学院早期职业发展计划（Career）奖支持基础研究，研究电磁波如何在陶瓷材料内部施加力，从而有可能实现陶瓷的三维（3D）打印。这些3D打印陶瓷部件将在各个领域得到应用，包括可持续基础设施、交通、清洁能源、水管理、航空航天和医疗保健。与传统方法相比，使用电磁波制造先进材料的技术进步将导致更小的能源足迹，因此可以在制造高强度材料时显著节省能源使用。这项研究需要将多个学科的进展联系起来，如电气和计算机工程、电磁学、材料科学、机械和化学工程。因此，利用基于游戏的技术增强学习的综合研究和教育计划将允许学生通过实践培训和材料处理的可视化来探索这一多学科领域。流行的建造游戏很好地教会了学生如何建造（加工）可以改变材料组装（结构）的方式，并导致机械行为和强度等属性的差异。游戏创造了更高水平的学生参与度和更刺激的学习环境，在课堂上接触到更广泛的学习者，解决了在美国制造业培养多样化和高技能劳动力的挑战。这项研究将支持一个多方面的调查，以发现电磁（EM）场诱导电荷输运的难熔陶瓷氧化物，如氧化锆，在重力驱动下的机制。电磁场相互作用将选择性定位，进行固体和液相合成实验，在微波辐射下在导电（金属）层上生长陶瓷膜。研究小组将首先利用各种纳米级表征工具对原子结构进行静态非原位研究；缺陷结构;以及在(i)无外加场和（ii）不同外加场强度、频率和极化下生长的薄膜的微观结构变化。接下来，动态原位研究将使用极化中子反射仪跟踪薄膜中的示踪离子，比较在固定温度下不同场参数下的传输特性，如扩散系数。包括分子动力学模拟在内的计算方法将预测和比较每个实验案例的扩散系数值。本研究首次采用实验与计算相结合的方法，证明了在电磁场作用下，重力动势对原子尺度输运现象的影响。最后，关于重动力对陶瓷加工的影响的知识将应用于使用逐层方法在低温下创建陶瓷增材制造的新平台。研究任务将与教育和推广计划同时进行，该计划涉及一种集成的游戏/课堂方法来学习增材制造中的加工-结构-属性关系。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Electromagnetic (EM) waves such as microwave radiation (used to rapidly heat our food) can enable low temperature, energy-efficient manufacturing processes, even for materials that conventionally require processing at extremely high temperatures, such as ceramics. This Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award supports fundamental research that will investigate how EM waves exert forces inside ceramic materials, potentially enabling the three-dimensional (3D) printing of ceramics. These 3D printed ceramic parts will find use in various areas including sustainable infrastructure, transportation, clean energy, water management, aerospace, and healthcare. Such technological advances in manufacturing advanced materials using EM waves will lead to a smaller energy footprint compared to conventional methods and as such can provide significant savings in energy use in the manufacture of high-strength materials. This research requires linking together advances in multiple disciplines such as electrical and computer engineering, electromagnetics, materials science, mechanical, and chemical engineering. Accordingly, an integrated research and education plan using game-based technology enhanced learning will allow students to explore this multidisciplinary area through hands-on training and visualization of materials processing. Popular builder's games are well equipped for teaching students how building (processing) can change the way materials assemble (structure) and lead to differences in properties such as mechanical behavior and strength. Games create a higher level of student engagement and a more stimulating learning environment, reaching a broader spectrum of learners in classrooms, addressing the challenge of cultivating a diverse and highly skilled workforce in manufacturing in the United States.This research will support a multifaceted investigation to discover the mechanisms of electromagnetic (EM) field induced charge transport in refractory ceramic oxides such as zirconia, under ponderomotive driving forces. EM field interactions will be selectively localized to conduct both solid and liquid phase synthesis experiments to grow ceramic films on conducting (metal) layers under microwave radiation. The research team will first use various nanoscale characterization tools to conduct static ex-situ studies on atomic structure; defect structure; and microstructural changes in films grown under (i) no applied field and (ii) different intensity, frequency, and polarizations of the applied field. Next, dynamic in-situ studies will use polarized neutron reflectometry to follow tracer ions in a film, comparing transport properties like diffusion coefficients for varying field parameters at fixed temperature. Computational methods including molecular dynamics simulations will predict and compare diffusion coefficient values for each experimental case. This study is the first to combine experiment and computation to demonstrate the effect of ponderomotive forces on atomic scale transport phenomena under EM fields. Finally, knowledge about the influence of ponderomotive forces on ceramic processing will be applied to create a novel platform for additive manufacture of ceramics at low temperatures, using a layer-by-layer approach. The research tasks will proceed simultaneously with an education and outreach program, which involves an integrated game/classroom approach to learning processing-structure-property relationships in additive manufacturing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.