Nanometer-Scale Structure and Properties of Amorphous Alloys

该基金研究了影响非晶合金性能的结构和缺陷。该项目的目标是研究大约一纳米长度尺度上的结构秩序，以及纳米尺度的结构缺陷，特别是剪切带内部剧烈变形引起的空洞和结晶。由于非晶合金结构固有的无序性，其相关的纳米尺度结构特征难以观察和量化。主要目的是利用几种互补的实验技术，包括波动电子显微镜、高分辨率透射电子显微镜和共振x射线散射，其结果将输入基于反向蒙特卡罗方法的计算机模拟，以详细了解非晶合金的纳米级结构。这些信息将与机械行为和结晶动力学的测量相关联，以揭示结构-性能关系的重要方面。非晶态合金，又称金属玻璃，结合了金属优异的机械性能和玻璃的加工灵活性，使其成为各种工程应用的有前途的材料。该计划旨在了解非晶合金的纳米级结构和缺陷如何影响其性能。作为该计划的一部分，研究生、本科生和当地高中生的教育和培训将通过将学生纳入包括首席研究员和其他成员在内的研究小组而得到加强。将设计一个网站，描述金属玻璃的独特性能和应用，用于工程应用，可以帮助更广泛的受众。

The grant investigates the structure and defects of amorphous alloys that influence their properties. The objective of the project is to study the structural order over length scales of approximately one nanometer as well as nanometer-scale structural defects, particularly voids and crystallization resulting from intense deformation inside shear bands. Because of the inherent disorder of the structure of amorphous alloys, it is difficult to observe and quantify the relevant nanometer-scale structural features. A major aim is to use several complementary experimental techniques including fluctuation electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and resonant x-ray scattering the results of which will be input to computer simulations based on reverse Monte Carlo method to develop a detailed understanding of the nanometer-scale structure of amorphous alloys. This information will be correlated with measurements of mechanical behavior and crystallization kinetics to reveal important aspects of structure-property relationships.Amorphous alloys, also called metallic glasses, combine the outstanding mechanical properties of metals with the processing flexibility of glasses, making them promising materials for a variety of engineering applications. This program seeks to understand how the nanometer-scale structure and defects of amorphous alloys influence their properties. The education and training of graduate students, undergraduate students, and local high school students will be enhanced as part of this program by integrating the students into a research team that includes the principal investigator and the other members. A web site will be designed describing the unique properties and applications of metallic glasses for engineering applications that can help reach a broader audience.