MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Broad Beam Ion Mill for Advancing Research and Training

这项重大研究仪器(MRI)奖支持收购宽束离子磨机，用于制备用于电子显微镜检查的样品。新技术的发展往往需要更多地了解材料是如何构造的，以及如何在非常小的范围内进行变化。传统的研磨抛光样品制备方法实际上会掩盖或破坏最重要的特征。该仪器将被用来保存这些特征并对其进行详细研究。收购宽束离子磨机将支持纳米结构合金开发的研究，以开发高强度、轻质结构、低成本和高效的催化剂和电极，并改进添加剂制造工艺，以扩大材料类别。自由大学主要为其科学和工程专业的本科生服务，这种仪器和相关分析将被纳入这些课程的所有级别，以更好地培养未来的科学家和工程师。除了作为尖端研究的关键组成部分，该仪器还将用于自由大学新的研究生水平的机会。作为自由大学致力于在科学、技术、工程和数学领域吸引不同学生的承诺的一部分，该工具还将用于支持当地学校的外展和招聘，特别是那些在这些领域服务于历史上代表性不足的社区的学校。通过反复试验来开发新材料和新工艺既耗时又昂贵。集成计算材料工程是一种通过模拟和实验验证的相互作用来优化材料以适应应用的方法，以加速创新。拥有尽可能好的微观结构数据对这一过程至关重要。离子磨机将用于以最小的损害创建横截面和平面表面，以在各种机械和化学过程后保留纳米级特征，以阐明化学-结构-过程-性能之间的关系。这些数据将与将内部状态变量方法纳入多尺度建模的计算预测进行比较。这项研究将使在计算和实验工程方面具有专业知识的教师与当地行业配对，并包括与医学院在生物医学应用方面的跨学科工作。离子磨机将与Liberty大学世界级的显微镜设施协同使用，包括第一个用于电子显微镜的同类现场加热和机械测试平台。该项目由重大仪器研究计划(MRI)和民用、机械和制造创新部门(CMMI)联合资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of a broad beam ion mill that is used to prepare samples for examination by electron microscopy. The development of new technology often requires greater understanding of how materials are constructed and change at a very small scale. Traditional sample preparation by abrasive polishing can actually obscure or destroy the features that are most important. This instrument will be used to preserve those features and study them in detail. This broad beam ion mill acquisition will support research in nanostructured alloy development for high-strength, lightweight structures, low-cost and efficient catalysts and electrodes, and advancing additive manufacturing processes to extend the materials catalog. Liberty University primarily serves undergraduate students in its science and engineering programs, and this instrument and associated analysis will be incorporated into all levels of those programs to better prepare future scientists and engineers. In addition to being a critical component of cutting-edge research, the instrument will also be used in new graduate-level opportunities at Liberty University. As part of Liberty University’s commitment to engage a diverse range of students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the instrument will also be used to support outreach and recruitment in local schools, especially those which serve historically underrepresented communities in these fields. The development of new materials and processes by trial and error is time-consuming and expensive. Integrated computational materials engineering is a method that optimizes materials for applications through the interplay of simulation and experimental validation to accelerate innovation. Having the best possible microstructural data is crucial to this process. The ion mill will be used to create cross-sections and planar surfaces with minimal damage to preserve nanoscale features after various mechanical and chemical processes to illuminate chemistry-structure-process-property relationships. This data will be compared to computational predictions incorporating the internal state variable approach to multiscale modeling. The research enabled will pair together faculty with expertise in computational and experimental engineering with local industry and include interdisciplinary work in biomedical applications with the College of Medicine. The ion mill will be used synergistically with Liberty University’s world-class microscopy facilities, including a first-of-its-kind in-situ heating and mechanical testing stage for use in the electron microscope.This project is jointly funded by the Major Instrumentation Research Program (MRI) and the division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI).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.