Developing New Time-Resolved Techniques Monitoring Response of Soft Materials to Mechanical Deformation

许多软材料响应于压力、剪切和/或温度而经历可逆的相变或取向转变。这种微观结构的变化往往对产品的机械性能有显著影响。因此，了解软材料对压力、温度和剪切变形的动态响应对于控制制造过程非常重要。该提案旨在开发新的X射线技术，使用基于实验室的源，以获得软材料过程动态的时间分辨数据。将对周期性剪切或拉伸系统进行X射线图案的数据分箱，以便收集各种软固体在相关时间尺度上的数据。使用先进的数据采集控制软件将使时间分辨的X射线散射实验的曝光时间低于一秒，与目前的技术相比，有很大的提高。来自一些共同申请人的初步数据证明了该技术的可行性。这将提供一个前所未有的平行设施，在剑桥和阅读的软材料的研究，通过X射线散射。我们将研究弹性聚合物、溶液中的生物聚合物原纤维和明胶等弹性生物聚合物网络的排列和流变响应。预计在理解结构-流动关系方面将取得重大突破，这将最终使设计更好的材料用于不同的应用。开发新的方法来进行这种类型的基于实验室的X射线散射实验将潜在地使大量的用户群受益（并且可以商业化）。它还很好地补充了英国在钻石光源方面的投资，因为它将使更高强度光源的使用更加优化。

Many soft materials undergo reversible phase or alignment transitions in response to pressure, shear and/or temperature. Such microscopic structural changes often have significant effects on the mechanical properties of the product. Understanding the dynamic response of soft materials to deformations of pressure, temperature and shear is therefore important for the control of manufacturing processes. This proposal aims to develop new x-ray techniques using lab-based sources to obtain time-resolved data on the dynamics of processes in soft materials. Data binning of X-ray patterns will be performed for cyclically sheared or stretched systems, in order to gather data over relevant timescales for a variety of soft solids. Use of advanced data acquisition control software will enable time-resolved x-ray scattering experiments with exposure times below one second, a substantial boost compared to current technology. Preliminary data from some of the co-applicants has demonstrated the feasibility of the technique. This will be developed to provide an unprecedented parallel facility at Cambridge and Reading for the study of soft materials by x-ray scattering. We will investigate the alignment and rheological response of elastomeric polymers, biopolymer fibrils in solution and elastic biopolymer networks such as gelatin. Significant breakthroughs are expected in the understanding of structure-flow relationships which will ultimately enable the design of better materials for diverse applications. The development of new methods to perform laboratory based x-ray scattering experiments of this type will potentially benefit a large user base (and could be commercialised). It also complements well the UK's investment in the Diamond light source, since it will enable more optimised use of the higher intensity source.