ITR: 3-D Microstructure/Property Investigations of Open-Cell Polymer Foams

信息技术研究奖（ITR）。 这是一个计算密集型的研究计划，将探测开孔聚合物泡沫的微观结构/性能关系，具有前所未有的细节。 首先，一个全面的数据库的全三维（3-D）的微观结构的广泛的泡沫材料将获得通过使用高分辨率同步辐射X射线显微断层扫描与集成的3-D图像处理。 其次，这些数据将为基于超级计算机的微观力学模拟提供现实的初始条件，以隔离现有泡沫力学理论中理解不足的关键结构元素。 第三，微结构数据库将在因特网上迅速传播，以提供细胞固体领域的独特教育和研究资源。 这种三维微观结构信息将促进材料加工和泡沫力学理论的改进。 研究结果应该在消费品、医疗、工业和航空航天产品等领域得到应用。 参与该项目的研究生和本科生将接受凝聚态物理，材料科学，机械工程和信息技术的多学科培训。信息技术研究奖（ITR）。 随着频率的增长，材料研究的前沿以实验、计算和理论之间的密切相互作用为标志。 该项目将首次将这种协同作用应用于聚合物泡沫材料的研究。 这些材料在全球范围内应用于消费品、医疗、工业和航空航天产品。 然而，对泡沫材料真实的三维微观结构的认识不足，既制约了新材料的设计，也制约了现有泡沫力学理论的完善。 三维X射线成像，计算机视觉和基于超级计算机的模拟的新组合将用于克服这一障碍。 这些技术将使全面的研究真实的微观结构，并导致一个真实的模拟微观力学的开孔聚合物泡沫的范围很广。 该项目的一项主要成果将是迅速建立一个独特的泡沫微结构互联网数据库，以提供新的教育资源，并大大增加国家材料研究基础设施。 参与该项目的研究生和本科生将接受凝聚态物理，材料科学，机械工程和信息技术相结合的多学科培训。

This an Information Technology Research (ITR) award. It is a computationally-intensive research program that will probe the microstructure/property relationships of open-cell polymer foams with unprecedented detail. First, a comprehensive database of the full 3-dimensional (3-D) microstructures of a wide range of foam materials will be obtained by using high-resolution synchrotron x-ray microtomography with integrated with 3-D image processing. Second, these data will provide realistic initial conditions for supercomputer-based micromechanical simulations to allow isolation of key structural elements that are poorly understood in existing theories of foam mechanics. Third, the microstructure database will be rapidly disseminated on the Internet to provide a unique educational and research resource in the field cellular solids. This 3-D microstructure information should stimulate improvements in both materials processing and theories of foam mechanics. The results should have applications in areas spanning consumer, medical, industrial, and aerospace products. The graduate and undergraduate students involved in this project will receive multidisciplinary training in condensed matter physics, materials sciences, mechanical engineering, and information technology. This an Information Technology Research (ITR) award. With growing frequency, the frontiers of materials research are marked by an intimate interplay between experiment, computation, and theory. This project will apply this synergy to the study of polymer foam materials for the first time. These materials have global applications spanning consumer, medical, industrial, and aerospace products. However, lack of knowledge of their real 3-dimensional microstructures is constraining both the design of new materials and also the improvement of existing theories of foam mechanics. A new combination of 3-dimensional x-ray imaging, computer vision, and supercomputer-based simulations will be used to overcome this barrier. These techniques will enable a comprehensive study of the real microstructures, and lead to a realistically-simulated micromechanics for a wide range of open-cell polymer foams. A major output of the project will be the rapid creation of a unique Internet database of foam microstructures to provide a new educational resource and add significantly to the national materials research infrastructure. The graduate and undergraduate students involved in this project will receive multidisciplinary training combining condensed matter physics, materials sciences, mechanical engineering, and information technology.