More About Our Research

Focus areas in MST-8 include computational science, radiation tolerant ceramics, single crystal synthesis, multilayers, high-temperature structural materials, optically functional materials, and metastable and amorphous materials. The areas of interest transcend the team structure. For example, the study of near-surface phenomena and thin films of materials ranges from ion-modified films (for tribological enhancement) to multilayered, nanostructured materials that possess high strengths. Studies of the role of defects in materials, pursued using an ion implanter, allow inferences to be made about the radiation resistance of classes of ceramic materials. Several teams avail themselves of synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering for characterization; indeed, MST-8 is responsible for operating one of the spectrometers at LANSCE.

Another scientific focal area is predictive capability for the constitutive performance, over a range of strain rates and temperatures, of polycrystalline materials. Experimental capabilities in this arena include the ability to perform stress-strain tests at strain rates from 10ˆ-3 to 10ˆ6 and at temperatures from -200 to 1900°C. The commensurate evaluation of macroscopic flow under various conditions benchmarks polycrystalline constitutive performance codes. Collection of mechanical property data is performed for the US Department of Energy weapons program, as well as for other governmental defense and civilian customers.