Evolution of Chemical Elements Degradation due to Corrosion in Metals

技术：铝、钛和钢合金等结构金属对环境的破坏是一个复杂的过程，是许多工程行业的一个主要问题。损伤/失效机制的一个基本方面是它们通常在微/纳米结构水平上开始，研究微/纳米结构与力学性能之间的关系是很重要的。目前，对化学元素在多个尺度上的降解及其与力学性能和材料完整性的关系还没有准确的了解。开发模型和算法对于探索各种化学元素造成的退化及其在多个层面上的相互作用至关重要。拟议项目的总体目标是确定腐蚀过程中各种化学元素的降解情况。将开发受控实验、分析显微镜技术和计算智能模型来分析和解释损伤的演变和材料的完整性。这项研究的学术价值来自于将“多尺度计算智能模型”方法与实验验证和模拟相结合。它提供了一种独特而新颖的方式，为特定环境条件下的多功能材料提供了无缝设计。以化学元素降解为导向合成新材料具有开发新一代多功能材料的潜力。非技术性：这项拟议研究的广泛影响将提供新材料技术工具方面有价值的基础发展，并对航空航天、民用和重型机械领域各种技术的多功能金属日益增长的开发领域做出关键贡献。这类材料的潜在应用包括智能金属和自我调节金属。这项研究还为开发最先进的金属降解方法提供了环境，以便进一步推广和应用。对社会的好处可能包括为各种日常工程应用开发化学定制的金属。总体而言，拟议的研究将以多学科的方式捕获和连接微米和纳米尺度的材料/结构信息，并导致用于各种工程应用的智能金属的开发，从而极大地推进现有的计算技术。将鼓励学生，包括来自参与该项目的代表不足的群体的学生，在会议、开放参观和实验室参观中展示他们的成果，以宣传和吸引他们的同学参与这项令人兴奋的技术。通过该项目开发的模型/算法将直接用于材料、建模和模拟课程。在项目过程中，还计划了与高中生的外联活动。

TECHNICAL: Environmental damage in structural metals such as aluminum, titanium, and steel alloys, is a complex process, and presents a major problem in many engineering industries. A fundamental aspect of damage/failure mechanisms is that they usually initiate at the micro/nano-structural level and it is important to study the relationship between micro/nano-structures and mechanical properties. Currently, there is no precise understanding of the degradation of chemical elements at multiple scales and the relationship with mechanical properties and material integrity. Developing models and algorithms is essential for exploring degradation caused by a variety of chemical elements, and their interplay at multiple levels. The overall goal of the proposed project is to identify the degradation of various chemical elements during the corrosion process. Controlled experiments, analytical microscopy techniques, and computational intelligence models will be developed to analyze and interpret the evolution of damage and the integrity of the material. The intellectual merit of the proposed research stems from integrating the "Multiscale Computational Intelligence Models" approach with experimental validation and simulations. It offers a unique and novel way to design in a seamless fashion multi-functional materials for specific environmental conditions. Synthesizing new materials guided by chemical elements degradation has the potential to develop a new generation of multifunctional materials. NON-TECHNICAL: The broad impact of this proposed research will provide valuable basic developments in new materials technology tools and also make key contributions to the growing area of development of multi-functional metals for a variety of technologies in aerospace, civil, and heavy machinery fields. Potential applications of such materials include smart metals, and self-regulating metals. The research also provides an environment for developing state-of-the-art metal degradation methodology for further dissemination and applications. The benefits to society may include the development of chemically tailored metals for a variety of every day engineering applications. Overall, the proposed research will greatly advance existing computational techniques by capturing and linking micro- and nano-scale material/structural information in a multidisciplinary fashion and leading to the development of intelligent metals for a variety of engineering applications. The students including from underrepresented groups involved in the project will be encouraged to present their results in meetings, open houses, and lab tours to promote and to attract their fellow students into this exciting technology. The models/algorithms developed through this project will be directly used in materials, modeling, and simulation courses. Outreach activities with high school students are also planned during the course of the project.