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

许多软材料在压力、剪切和/或温度的响应下经历可逆的相变或取向转变。这种微观结构变化往往会对产品的机械性能产生重大影响。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。这项提议旨在开发新的X射线技术，使用基于实验室的来源来获得关于软材料过程动力学的时间分辨数据。将对周期性剪切或拉伸系统进行X射线图样的数据入库，以便收集各种软固体的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曝光时间低于一秒的时间分辨X射线散射实验成为可能，与目前的技术相比，这是一个巨大的进步。来自一些共同申请者的初步数据已经证明了该技术的可行性。这将在剑桥大学和雷丁大学为软材料的X射线散射研究提供一个前所未有的平行设施。我们将研究弹性聚合物、溶液中的生物聚合物原纤维和弹性生物聚合物网络(如明胶)的排列和流变性响应。预计在理解结构-流动关系方面将取得重大突破，最终将能够为不同的应用设计更好的材料。开发以实验室为基础进行这种类型的X射线散射实验的新方法将潜在地使大量用户受益(并可能商业化)。它也很好地补充了英国对钻石光源的投资，因为它将使更高强度的光源得到更优化的使用。

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.