Material design and development: From classical thermodynamics to CALPHAD and ICME approaches

This paper presents an overview and examples of material design and development using (1) classical thermodynamics; (2) CALPHAD (calculation of phase diagrams) modeling; and (3) Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) approaches. Although the examples are given in lightweight aluminum and magnesium alloys for structural applications, the fundamental methodology and modeling principles are applicable to all materials and engineering applications. The examples in this paper have demonstrated the effectiveness and limitations of classical thermodynamics in solving specific problems (such as nucleation during solidification and solid-state precipitation in aluminum alloys). Computational thermodynamics and CALPHAD modeling, when combined with critical experimental validation, have been used to guide the selection and design of new magnesium alloys for elevated-temperature applications. The future of material design and development will be based on a holistic ICME approach. However, key challenges exist in many aspects of ICME framework, such as the lack of diffusion/mobility databases for many materials systems, limitation of current microstructural modeling capability and integration tools for simulation codes of different length scales.     

化工冶金学家陈家镛

1958年中国科学院化工冶金研究所(现过程工程研究所)的创建,与建国初期的国家经济发展和国防建设的需求紧密相关。1956年陈家镛受到世界著名冶金学家叶渚沛的邀请,到正在筹建中的化工冶金研究所工作。作为国内该领域开拓者和学术带头人,陈家镛院士的学术经历是本文主线。以他带领同事们开展湿法冶金研究为案例,分析了国家重大战略需求与科学技术研究之间的关系。重点介绍了他在冶金、化工、材料等研究领域做出的重要学术贡献,以及将代表性科研成果经过中间试验应用于实际生产、解决企业所面临的技术难题的情况。藉此反映了以过程工程研究所为代表的国立科研机构,围绕国家重大战略需求开展科技攻坚的历程与成果。     

课程群案例嵌入协同教学模式的探索

在课程群的教学中由于每门课程各自独立开展教学,缺乏知识的融合和衔接,导致学生运用综合知识解决问题的能力较弱。在课程群的教学中采用案例嵌入协同教学模式,将完整的工程案例嵌入到课程群各门课程的教学中,协同规划各门课程的教学任务,每门课程再围绕案例展开研究性教学。通过嵌入的工程案例衔接各门课程的知识点,帮助学生建构完整的知识体系,强化工程应用的概念；同时通过研究性教学,培养学生分析问题和解决问题的能力,两部分相结合,提高了学生运用综合知识解决复杂问题的能力。     

Mechanophysical Cues in Extracellular Matrix Regulation of Cell Behavior

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a macromolecular network that can provide biochemical and structural support for cell adhesion and formation. It regulates cell behavior by influencing biochemical and physical cues. It is a dynamic structure whose components are modified, degraded, or deposited during connective tissue development, giving tissues strength and structural integrity. The physical properties of the natural ECM environment control the design of naturally or synthetically derived biomaterials to guide cell function in tissue engineering. Tissue engineering is an important field that explores physical cues of the ECM to produce new viable tissue for medical applications, such as in organ transplant and organ recovery. Understanding how the ECM exerts physical effects on cell behavior, when cells are seeded in synthetic ECM scaffolds, is of utmost importance. Herein we review recent findings in this area that report on cell behaviors in a variety of ECMs with different physical properties, i.e., topology, geometry, dimensionality, stiffness, and tension.     

A cathode support structure for use in a magnetron oscillator experiment

A low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) material system has been used to develop a protype field emission cathode structure for use in an experimental magnetron oscillator. The structure is designed for used with 30 gated field emission array (GFEA) die electrically connected through silver metal traces and electrical vias. To approximate a cylinder, the cathode structure (48 mm long and 13.7 mm in diameter) is comprised of 10 faceted plates which cover the GFEA dies. Slits in the facet plates allow electron injection. The GFEA die (3 mm × 8 mm) are placed in axial columns of 3 and spaced azimuthally around a cylindrical support structure in a staggered configuration resulting in 10 azimuthal locations. LTCC manufacturing techniques were developed in order to fabricate the newly designed cathode with seven layers wrapped to form the cylinder with electrical traces and vias. Two different cathode wrapping techniques and two different via filling techniques were studied and compared. Two different facet plate manufacturing techniques were studied. Finally, four different support stand configurations for firing the cylindrical structure were also compared with a square post stand having the best circularity and linearity measurements of the fired structure.     

Synthesis of nanoporous Baghdadite by a modified sol-gel method and its structural and controlled release properties

In this research, a bimodal nanoporous Baghdadite (NB) (Ca3ZrSi2O9) was prepared by a modified sol-gel method using P123 as a surfactant. The effects of P123's contents on the structural and textural properties as well as the drug delivery behavior of NB were assessed in vitro. The usage of P123 offered a new route for the synthesis of NB. The synthesized NB samples with different amounts of P123 were studied through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), N2 adsorption-desorption, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis spectroscopy (EDAX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that a single-phase Baghdadite was obtained by this new method at the calcination temperature of 800?°C. It was found that an increase in P123's content up to 0.025?mol changed the morphology of NB samples from mountain-like to needle-like. The potential application of NB samples as drug delivery agents was assessed by estimating their release properties up to 240?h. This research revealed that the synthesized Baghdadite could be used as a potential nanoporous carrier with controlled release capability in bone tissue regeneration.     

An engineering method for complex structural optimization involving both size and topology design variables

This work presents an engineering method for optimizing structures made of bars, beams, plates, or a combination of those components. Corresponding problems involve both continuous (size) and discrete (topology) variables. Using a branched multipoint approximate function, which involves such mixed variables, a series of sequential approximate problems are constructed to make the primal problem explicit. To solve the approximate problems, genetic algorithm (GA) is utilized to optimize discrete variables, and when calculating individual fitness values in GA, a second-level approximate problem only involving retained continuous variables is built to optimize continuous variables. The solution to the second-level approximate problem can be easily obtained with dual methods. Structural analyses are only needed before improving the branched approximate functions in the iteration cycles. The method aims at optimal design of discrete structures consisting of bars, beams, plates, or other components. Numerical examples are given to illustrate its effectiveness, including frame topology optimization, layout optimization of stiffeners modeled with beams or shells, concurrent layout optimization of beam and shell components, and an application in a microsatellite structure. Optimization results show that the number of structural analyses is dramatically decreased when compared with pure GA while even comparable to pure sizing optimization.     

BIM技术在地下工程中的应用分析及展望

BIM技术以三维设计为基础,以数字信息为载体,将建筑信息贯穿于建筑的全生命周期中。然而由于地下工程的内部结构较为复杂,受地质条件影响较大,BIM技术在地下工程中的应用并不多见。叙述了BIM技术在隧道、地铁和矿井建设几种地下工程中应用的现状,并对几个典型案例进行分析,指出了BIM技术在地上工程和地下工程中应用的异同。最后,提出了目前BIM技术在地下工程中应用的问题以及对未来发展的建议。为推动BIM在我国地下工程中更广泛深入的应用提供重要参考价值。     

Stimuli-Responsive Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

The complex tissue-specific physiology that is orchestrated from the nano- to the macroscale, in conjugation with the dynamic biophysical/biochemical stimuli underlying biological processes, has inspired the design of sophisticated hydrogels and nanoparticle systems exhibiting stimuli-responsive features. Recently, hydrogels and nanoparticles have been combined in advanced nanocomposite hybrid platforms expanding their range of biomedical applications. The ease and flexibility of attaining modular nanocomposite hydrogel constructs by selecting different classes of nanomaterials/hydrogels, or tuning nanoparticle-hydrogel physicochemical interactions widely expands the range of attainable properties to levels beyond those of traditional platforms. This review showcases the intrinsic ability of hybrid constructs to react to external or internal/physiological stimuli in the scope of developing sophisticated and intelligent systems with application-oriented features. Moreover, nanoparticle-hydrogel platforms are overviewed in the context of encoding stimuli-responsive cascades that recapitulate signaling interplays present in native biosystems. Collectively, recent breakthroughs in the design of stimuli-responsive nanocomposite hydrogels improve their potential for operating as advanced systems in different biomedical applications that benefit from tailored single or multi-responsiveness.     

Interface engineering of copper-cobalt based heterostructure as bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting

It is of great significance to develop highly active and cost-effective electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline solution. Herein, we report an interface engineering strategy to fabricate 3D hierarchical CuCo₂O₄@CuCo₂S₄ heterostructure catalysts with efficient synergistic effects for water splitting. Owing to the special nano-architectures with abundant active interfaces, the as-prepared CuCo₂O₄@CuCo₂S₄ catalysts exhibit superior electrochemical activity and prominent electrochemical stability, with a small overpotential of 240 and 101 mV for oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², respectively. Remarkably, the CuCo₂O₄@CuCo₂S₄ materials directly applied as both anode and cathode electrode demonstrate excellent water splitting performance, achieving 10 mA cm⁻² at a low cell voltage of only 1.53 V, outperforming the integrated state-of-the-art RuO₂||Pt/C couple (1.56 V). Moreover, density functional theory calculations suggest that the excellent overall water splitting property of CuCo₂O₄@CuCo₂S₄ is attributed to a large amount of hierarchical hetero-interfaces, giving rise to effective adsorption and cleavage of H₂O molecules on the catalyst surface. This work represents a general strategy to exploit efficient and stable hybrid electrocatalysts for renewable energy applications by rational catalyst interface engineering.