Microwave-enabled Manufacturing of Single-phase, Multi-principal Element Alloy Nanoparticles

单相、多主元合金纳米粒子的微波制造

基本信息

批准号：
1946912
负责人：
Yugang Sun
金额：
$ 33.51万
依托单位：
Temple University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2020
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2020-02-01 至 2023-01-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1946912&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Microwave enabled Manufacturing Single phase

项目摘要

This grant supports research that contributes new knowledge in the processing of single-phase, multi-principal element alloy (MPEA) nanoparticles. Multi-principal element alloys such as high entropy alloys are technologically important because of their extraordinary properties. Mixing different principal elements uniformly results in new properties that do not exist in nanoparticles made of pure elements. Most principal elements are immiscible at ambient temperatures, which results in the segregation of different elements in the nanoparticles when they are manufactured using conventional heating and cooling methods that are usually slow. This award supports fundamental research to develop a microwave-enabled flash or rapid heating and cooling method for the manufacture of multi-principal element alloy nanoparticles. Flash heating enables uniform mixing of the different elements at high temperatures. Flash cooling rapidly freezes the uniformly mixed elements to form single-phase multi-principal element alloy nanoparticles. Successfully manufacturing multi-principal element alloy nanoparticles opens an entirely new opportunity to explore novel properties and applications of these nanoparticles for high-performance catalysis, structural engineering, and additive manufacturing. Therefore, the results of this research benefits the U.S. economy and society. This research involves the use of large-scale facilities at national laboratories that train students to become specialists in advanced materials manufacturing and characterization. More broadly, performing this research educates students, especially, those from underrepresented groups, with multidisciplinary knowledge and prepares a technically trained workforce for a wide-range industries including advanced manufacturing. The microwave-enabled flash heating and cooling of nanometer-sized alloys can overcome the limitations of conventional heating and cooling methods. However, scientific and technical barriers of creating high temperature gradients around nanometer-sized alloys are yet to be overcome to realize the manufacturing of single-phase multi-principal element (MPEA) nanoparticles of different compositions. The technique involves exposing a reaction system to a high-power microwave pulse that selectively heats metal alloy nanoparticles confined in micelle vesicles (metal salts) to generate an extremely high temperature gradient across the thin walls of the micelle vesicles dispersed in a microwave transparent solvent. The ensuing rapid melting and solidification results in single-phase super-saturated nanoparticles. In situ, high-energy synchrotron small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) are used to study the complex microstructure evolution kinetics in the MPEA nanoparticles under the radiation of a microwave pulse. The research team fabricates MPEA nanoparticles of catalytic and refractory metals, and explores their applications in catalysis, e.g., selective electrochemical reduction of CO2 to ethanol and ammonia synthesis, and additive manufacturing, focusing on 3D printing of refractory metal nanoparticles.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这笔赠款支持为单相多主元合金 (MPEA) 纳米颗粒加工贡献新知识的研究。高熵合金等多主元合金因其非凡的性能而在技术上具有重要意义。均匀混合不同的主要元素会产生纯元素制成的纳米颗粒所不存在的新特性。大多数主要元素在环境温度下是不混溶的，这导致当使用通常缓慢的传统加热和冷却方法制造纳米粒子时，纳米粒子中不同元素的分离。该奖项支持基础研究，开发微波闪蒸或快速加热和冷却方法，用于制造多主元素合金纳米颗粒。快速加热可以在高温下均匀混合不同的元素。闪蒸冷却将均匀混合的元素快速冻结，形成单相多主元素合金纳米颗粒。成功制造多主元素合金纳米颗粒为探索这些纳米颗粒在高性能催化、结构工程和增材制造方面的新特性和应用开辟了全新的机会。因此，这项研究成果有利于美国经济和社会。这项研究涉及使用国家实验室的大型设施，培训学生成为先进材料制造和表征方面的专家。更广泛地说，进行这项研究可以教育学生，特别是那些来自代表性不足群体的学生，使其具备多学科知识，并为包括先进制造业在内的广泛行业培养受过技术培训的劳动力。纳米合金的微波快速加热和冷却可以克服传统加热和冷却方法的局限性。然而，要实现不同成分的单相多主元素（MPEA）纳米粒子的制造，仍需克服在纳米尺寸合金周围产生高温梯度的科学和技术障碍。该技术涉及将反应系统暴露于高功率微波脉冲，选择性地加热限制在胶束囊泡（金属盐）中的金属合金纳米粒子，以在分散在微波透明溶剂中的胶束囊泡的薄壁上产生极高的温度梯度。随后的快速熔化和凝固产生单相过饱和纳米颗粒。利用高能同步加速器小角 X 射线散射 (SAXS) 和广角 X 射线散射 (WAXS) 原位研究微波脉冲辐射下 MPEA 纳米粒子的复杂微观结构演化动力学。研究团队制造了催化和难熔金属的 MPEA 纳米颗粒，并探索了它们在催化领域的应用，例如二氧化碳选择性电化学还原为乙醇和氨合成以及增材制造，重点是难熔金属纳米颗粒的 3D 打印。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定奖项使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。