<p>Crystal growth has been recognized as a paradigm for non-equilibrium pattern formation for decades. Scientific interest in this field has focused on the growth rates and curvature of branches in snow flake-like structures patterned after a solid's crystallographic orientations. Similar patterns have been extensively identified in solidification of metals and organic metal analogues and are known as dendrites, which is originated from a Greek word "dendron" meaning tree.</p> <p>Dendritic spacing and morphology established during casting often sets the final microstructure and second phase formation that develops during manufacturing of alloys. This is particularly true in emerging technologies such as twin belt casting of aluminum alloys, where a reduced amount of thermomechanical processing reduced the possibility of modifying microstructure from that determined at the time of solidification. Predicting and controlling these microstructure of cast alloys has thus been a driving force behind various studies on solidification of materials.</p> <p>Mg-based alloys are another class of materials gaining importance due to the high demand for weight reduction in the transportation industry which accordingly reduces the gas consumption. While the solidified microstructure and its effect on the material properties have been the subject of intensive studies, little is known about the fundamental mechanisms that determine dendritic microstructure in Mg alloys and its evolution under directional growth conditions.</p> <p>This thesis investigates the relationship between the microstructure and cooling conditions in unsteady state upward directional solidification of Al-Cu and Mg-Al alloys. The four-fold symmetry of Al-Cu alloys are used to study the dynamical spacing selection between dendrites, as the growth conditions vary dynamically, whereas, the Mg-Al system with a six-fold symmetry is used to study a competition between neighbouring, misoriented grains and the effect of this as the resulting microstructure. Mg-Al also presents a situation wherein the cooling conditions dynamically vary from the preferred crystallographic growth direction. Analysis of phase field simulations is used to shed some light on the morphological development of dendrite arms during solidification under transient conditions. Our numerical results are compared to new casting experiments.</p> <p>Chapter three studies spacing selection in directional solidification of Al-Cu alloys under transient growth conditions. New experimental results are presented which reveal that the mean dendritic spacing versus solidification front speed exhibits plateau-like regions separated by regions of rapid change, consistent with previous experiments of Losert and co-workers. In fact, The primary spacing of a dendritic array grown under transient growth conditions displays a distribution of wavelengths. As the rate of change in solidification front velocity is decreased, the evolution of the spacing follows the prediction of the geometrical models within a band of spacing fluctuations. The width of the band is shown to highly depend on the rate of the solidification front velocity acceleration, such that the higher the rate, the wider the band of available spacings. Quantitative phase field simulations of directional solidification with dynamical growth conditions approximating those in the experiments confirm this behavior. The mechanism of this type of change in mean dendrite arm spacing is consistent with the notion that a driven periodically modulated interface must overcome an energy barrier before becoming unstable, in accord with a previous analytical stability analysis of Langer and co-workers.</p> <p>In chapter four, it is demonstrated both computationally and experimentally that a material's surface tension anisotropy can compete with anisotropies present in processing conditions during solidification to produce a continuous transition from dendritic microstructure morphology to so-called seaweed and fractal-like solidification microstructures. The phase space of such morphologies is characterized and the selection principles of the various morphologies explored are explained. These results have direct relevance to the microstructure and second phase formation in commercial lightweight metal casting.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>Continuum atomistic and mesoscopic models are developed and utilized in the context of studying microstructural evolution and phase selection in materials systems. Numerous phenomena are examined, ranging from defect-solute interaction in solid state systems to microstructural evolution under external driving conditions. Emphasis is placed on the derivation and development of models capable of self consistently describing the intricate mechanisms at work in the systems undergoing these phenomena.</p> <p>Namely, grain growth dynamics are studied in nanocrystalline systems under external driving conditions using a newly developed phase-field-crystal model, which couples an additional free energy source term to the standard phase-field-crystal model. Such external driving can be attributed to incident energetic particles. The nanocrystalline system is found to be susceptible to enhanced grain growth as a function of the intensity/flux associated with the external driving and the energy of driving. Static kinetic phase diagram calculations also seem to confirm that systems under external driving conditions can be forced into long metastable states.</p> <p>Early stage solute clustering and precipitation in Al alloys is also examined with a variant of the phase-field-crystal method, so-called structural phase-field-crystal models for multi-component alloys developed as part of this thesis. We find that clustering is aided by quenched-in defects (dislocations), whereby the nucleation barrier is reduced and at times eliminated, a mechanism proposed by Cahn for a single dislocation for spinodal systems. In a three-component system, we predict a multi-step mechanism for clustering, where the nature and amount of the third species plays an important role in relieving stresses caused by the quenched-in dislocations before clustering, i.e., segregation as predicted by the equilibrium phase diagram, can occur.</p> <p>Finally, we present a new coarse-graining procedure for generating complex amplitude models, i.e., complex order-parameter phase-field models, derived from phase-field-crystal models. They retain many salient atomistic features and behaviours of the original phase-field-crystal model, however is now capable of describing mesoscopic length scales like the phase-field model. We demonstrate the scheme by generating an amplitude model of the two-dimensional structural phase-fieldcrystal model, which allows multiple crystal structures to be stable in equilibrium, a crucial aspect of proper multi-scale modelling of materials systems. The dynamics are demonstrated by examining solidification and coarsening, peritectic growth, along with grain growth and the emergence of secondary phases.</p> / Doctor of Science (PhD)

Due to factors such as rising energy costs, diminishing resources, and climate change, the demand for high performance buildings is on the rise. As a result, several new building standards have emerged including the Passive House Standard, a rigorous energy-use standard based on a super-insulated and very tightly sealed building envelope. The standard requires that that air infiltration is less than or equal to 0.6 air changes per hour at a 50 Pascal pressure difference, annual heating energy is less than or equal to 15kWh/m2, and total annual source energy is less than or equal to 120 kWh/m2. A common complaint about passive houses is that they tend to overheat. Prior research using simulation suggests that the use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), which store heat as they melt and release heat as the freeze, can reduce the number of overheated hours and improve thermal comfort. In this study, an actual passive house duplex in Southeast Portland was thoroughly instrumented to monitor various air and surface temperatures. One unit contains 130kg of PCM while the other unit contains no PCM to serve as an experimental control. The performance of the PCM was evaluated through analysis of observed data and through additional simulation using an EnergyPlus model validated with observed data. The study found that installation of the PCM had a positive effect on thermal comfort, reducing the estimated overheated hours from about 400 to 200.

Amalgamations are a promising replacement for electronic solders, thermal interface materials, and other conductive joining materials. Amalgams are mechanically alloyed materials of a liquid constituent with a solid powder. Unlike traditional solders, these materials are processed at room temperature or slightly above, and can often operate at temperatures near, or beyond, their processing temperatures. Existing bonding processes require an excessive amount of heat, which may cause thermal stress to the electronic components and delaminate the attachment. Amalgams have promising characteristics for thermal interface materials (TIMs) due to being fully metallic, relatively easy of handling, and possessing metallic strength similar to solder or braze. Non-toxic gallium (Ga) based room temperature liquid metal alloys are a favorable material for structural amalgamations over conventional mercury (Hg). Unlike Hg amalgamations, Ga-based amalgamations have not been widely studied in the literature. In this work, the authors investigate a novel Ga-based amalgamation, further detailing the fabrication process and characterize the physical structure, chemistry, and mechanical strength. Different packing ratios are examined, by weight, 2:1, 1:1, 4:3, and 4:1 of Galinstan, which is composed of 68wt% Ga, 22wt% indium (In), 10wt% tin (Sn), to copper (Cu) powder. These ratios are molded into three-dimensional (3D) printed tensile bars of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard dimensions of a model that is per D638 TypeIV. The tensile bars are cured for 24-hours at three different temperatures (room temperature, 100°C, 200°C). The 4:1 ratio was the only specimen that failed to solidify. After allowing 24-hours of undisturbed curing, the samples that solidified were tested for their ultimate tensile strength. The optimal strength was achieved with the 2:1 ratio cured at 100°C, reaching an average tensile strength of 32.0 MPa. A scanning electron microscope (SEM), equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), was then utilized to perform microstructural characterization and local chemical composition mapping of fractured and polished sample surfaces. It is concluded that, of the packing ratios that set, there is no statistically significant correlation between packing ratio and tensile strength. Further, the phases formed during curing at room temperature are the same for all packing ratios but are present at different dispersions. However, it is found that the tensile strength decreases with statistical significance as the cure temperature is increased to 200°C. This change can be attributed to the presence of new phases that occur when the sample is heated to 200°C vs. when cured at room temperature. In the room temperature sample, x-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed the existence of pure Cu, CuGa2, and In3Sn. At 200°C, XRD shows a decrease in pure Cu, the presence of CuGa2 and In3Sn, and the emergence of a new Cu2Ga phase. These different phases form different interfaces with different bond energies, resulting in a change in tensile strength.

Abstract An experimental method was developed that demonstrated the size effects in forming thin sheet metals, and a finite element model was developed to predict the effects demonstrated by the experiment. A universal testing machine (UTM) was used to form aluminum and copper of varying thicknesses (less than 1mm) into a hemispherical dome. A stereolithography additive manufacturing technology was used to fabricate the punch and die from a UV curing resin. There was agreement between the experimental and numerical models. The results showed that geometric size effects were significant for both materials, and these effects increased as the thickness of the sheets decreased. The demonstration presents an inexpensive method of testing small-scale size effects in forming processes, which can be altered easily to produce different shapes and clearances.

Congestion on roadways and high level of uncertainty of traffic conditions are major considerations for trip planning. The purpose of this research is to investigate the characteristics and patterns of spatial and temporal correlations and also to detect other variables that affect correlation in a freeway setting. 5-minute speed aggregates from the Performance Measurement System (PeMS) database are obtained for two directions of an urban freeway – I-10 between Santa Monica and Los Angeles, California. Observations are for all non-holiday weekdays between January 1st and June 30th, 2010. Other variables include traffic flow, ramp locations, number of lanes and the level of congestion at each detector station. A weighted least squares multilinear regression model is fitted to the data; the dependent variable is Fisher Z transform of correlation coefficient. Estimated coefficients of the general regression model indicate that increasing spatial and temporal distances reduces correlations. The positive parameters of spatial and temporal distance interaction term show that the reduction rate diminishes with spatial or temporal distance. Higher congestion tends to retain higher expected value of correlation; corrections to the model due to variations in road geometry tend to be minor. The general model provides a framework for building a family of more responsive and better-fitting models for a 6.5 mile segment of the freeway during three times of day: morning, midday, and afternoon. Each model is cross-validated on two locations: the opposite direction of the freeway, and a different location on the direction used for estimation. Cross-validation results show that models are able to retain 75% or more of their original predictive capability on independent samples. Incorporation of predictor variables that describe road geometry and traffic conditions into the model works beneficially in capturing a significant portion of variance of the response. The developed regression models are thus transferrable and are apt to predict correlation on other freeway locations.

This thesis provides guidance on how to balance matters related to the environmental stewardship, market sources, origin and uses, material properties, performance, and economic impact of using slag materials in pavements. The literature on this topic provides numerous references on the use of slag materials for specific applications, and this thesis aims to make use of those references along with other data from the author to describe slag materials from a holistic perspective and provide some suggestions for balancing several factors that impact optimal use of this resource within pavement structures. Discussion is given to the increased importance of recycling of other materials into the infrastructure and benchmarking those materials against recycling of steel slag. Ensuring adequate performance of pavements while increasing the use of recycled materials and maintaining safety is a successful measure relative to green initiatives and occurs only with careful planning, cooperation, and field validations.

Mode I interlaminar fracture of 3k 8-Harness-Satin Carbon cloth, with identical fill and weft yarns, pre-impregnated with Newport 307 resin was investigated through the DCB test (ASTM D5528). Crack propagations along both the fill and weft yarns were considered for both post-bonded (co-bonded) and co-cured laminates. A patent-pending delamination insertion method was compared to the standard Teflon film option to assess its applicability to mode I fracture testing. The Modified Beam Theory, Compliance Calibration method, and Modified Compliance Calibration method were used for comparative purposes for these investigations and to evaluate the validity of the proposed Equivalent Stiffness (EQS) method. Crack propagation, in all specimens, proceeded in a run-arrest manner for both delamination directions. Energy dissipation in the form of transverse yarn debonding, matrix deformation, and out of plane crack growth was witnessed for specimens with delaminations along weft yarns. A complete comparison between post-bonded and co-cured laminates was not achieved. The patent pending delamination insertion method was found to cause fewer instances of non-linear crack initiation behavior than the Teflon insert and, when non-linear behavior did occur, it was less prevalent. The EQS method was found to achieve fracture toughness values within 5% of the other three data reduction methods for 63% of the propagation values and achieved conservative values for over 33% of the propagations. Suggestions for future studies aimed at completing the comparisons above are provided in Chapter 5.

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