The Centrifugal Synthesis & Processing of Functionally Gradient Materials

这项建议概述了一个跨学科的研究计划，用一种新的技术来合成功能梯度材料(FGM)，这是一种成分具有空间梯度的复合材料。该新工艺是在燃烧合成过程中，利用离心力使熔体中的细小颗粒发生相分离。该程序包括两类实验：燃烧合成离心法和金属热熔化离心法熔融金属。选择了两个具有潜在商业应用的体系进行研究：具有良好结构性能的金属-陶瓷和陶瓷-陶瓷复合材料，以及根据其在梯度折射率(GRIN)光学技术和量子点光电子学结构中的应用而选择的具有组成梯度的新型电光材料。%本研究计划在燃烧合成过程中利用离心力使熔体中的细小颗粒发生相分离来合成功能梯度材料(FGM)。选择了两个具有潜在商业应用的系统进行研究：用于结构应用的金属-陶瓷和陶瓷-陶瓷复合材料，以及用于光学和光电应用的电光材料。功能梯度材料的合成能力将大大增加其商业化应用的可能性。

This proposal outlined an interdisciplinary research program to synthesize, with a novel technique, functionally gradient materials (FGM), which are composites with a spatial gradient in composition. The novel process is to use centrifugal force to cause phase separations of fine particles in molten materials during the combustion synthesis. Two classes of experiments are included in the program: Combustion synthesis with centrifugation, and thermal melting of metals with centrifugation of fine particles into the melt. Two systems with potential commercial applications are selected for study: metal-ceramic and ceramic-ceramic composites with favorable structural properties, and novel electro-optic materials with compositional gradients chosen on the basis of their utility in gradient-index (GRIN) optical technology and quantum-dot optoelectronic structures. %%%% This study plans to synthesize functional gradient materials (FGM) using centrifugal force to cause phase separations of fine particles in molten materials during the combustion synthesis. Two systems with potential commercial applications are selected for study: metal-ceramic and ceramic-ceramic composites for structural applications, and electro-optic materials for optical and optoelectronic applications. The ability to synthesize FGM will increase the possibilities of commercial applications greatly.