Mrs BulletinPub Date : 2024-06-19DOI: 10.1557/s43577-024-00734-5
Paul Grandgeorge, Ian R. Campbell, Hannah Nguyen, Rebekah Brain, Mallory Parker, Scott Edmundson, Deborah Rose, Khadijah Homolke, Chinmayee Subban, Eleftheria Roumeli
{"title":"Adhesion in thermomechanically processed seaweed-lignocellulosic composite materials","authors":"Paul Grandgeorge, Ian R. Campbell, Hannah Nguyen, Rebekah Brain, Mallory Parker, Scott Edmundson, Deborah Rose, Khadijah Homolke, Chinmayee Subban, Eleftheria Roumeli","doi":"10.1557/s43577-024-00734-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-024-00734-5","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>The increasing concerns associated with petroleum-derived polymers motivate the development of sustainable, renewably sourced alternatives. In ubiquitous applications such as structural materials for infrastructure, the built environment as well as packaging, where natural materials such as wood are used, we rely on nonrenewable and nondegradable polymers to serve as adhesives. In wood panels, such as medium density fiberboards (MDFs), formaldehyde-based resins are predominantly used to bond wood fibers and to provide strength to the materials. To further mitigate the environmental impact of construction materials, more sustainable adhesives need to be investigated. In this article, we introduce <i>Ulva</i> seaweed as an adhesive to enable cohesion and strength in hot-pressed wood panels. Upon hot-pressing, powdered <i>Ulva</i> flows in between the wood particles, generating a matrix, which provides strong binding. We show that the flexural strength of <i>Ulva</i>-bonded wood biocomposites increases with increasing <i>Ulva</i> concentrations. At an <i>Ulva</i> concentration of 40 wt%, our composites reach an average elastic modulus of 6.1 GPa, and flexural strength of 38.2 MPa (compared to 4.7 GPa and 22.6 MPa, respectively, for pure wood compressed at the same pressing conditions). To highlight the bonding mechanisms, we performed infrared and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and identified indications of fatty acid mobility during hot-pressing. In addition, we demonstrate that the presence of <i>Ulva</i> improves other properties of the composites such as water resistance and flame retardancy. <i>Ulva</i> is also shown to behave as an excellent adhesive agent between two prepressed beams. Finally, we perform an in-depth analysis of the environmental impact of wood-<i>Ulva</i> biocomposites.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Impact statement</h3><p>This research introduces a sustainable alternative to petroleum-derived adhesives used in wood-based panels, addressing a pressing environmental concern in our infrastructure and construction materials. Here, we discuss the use of <i>Ulva</i>, a green seaweed species, as a renewable and biodegradable solution for such adhesives. We demonstrate its efficacy as a bonding agent in hot-pressed wood panels, offering enhanced strength and durability. Moreover, the use of <i>Ulva</i> contributes to mitigating the environmental footprint associated with traditional materials, aligning with global efforts toward sustainability and circular economy principles. Through comprehensive spectroscopic analyses and mechanical testing, we provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of <i>Ulva</i>-based adhesion. Furthermore, we report the water resistance and improved flame retardancy of <i>Ulva</i>-bonded wood, which are essential for applications in infrastructure and construction. Finally, we discuss environmental and social advantages of <i>Ulva</i>-bas","PeriodicalId":18828,"journal":{"name":"Mrs Bulletin","volume":"111 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141524105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Applications of unified phase-field methods to designing microstructures and mechanical properties of alloys","authors":"Yuhong Zhao, Tongzheng Xin, Song Tang, Haifeng Wang, Xudong Fang, Hua Hou","doi":"10.1557/s43577-024-00720-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-024-00720-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article highlights the applications of integrated unified phase-field methods in guiding the design of high-performance engineering alloys and the optimization of manufacturing processes within an integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) framework. By combining macro process data, solidification, precipitation, and recrystallization conditions, phase-field modeling is used to predict the precipitation, segregation, and crack tendency of NbC as the crack source in austenitic stainless steels, thereby optimizing casting parameters and improving the product qualification rate from 40% to more than 80%. Phase-field modeling is also used to reveal the internal microstructure evolution of Mg–Li-based alloys during spinodal phase separation and help design the Mg–Li–Al alloy with an ultrahigh specific strength (470–500 kN m kg<sup>−1</sup>) surpassing all engineering alloys. Phase-field simulations of dendritic growth incorporating macro-temperature field and shrinkage defects in solidification allow us to adjust the casting process parameters for optimizing the alloy and casting’s mechanical properties.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Graphical abstract</h3>","PeriodicalId":18828,"journal":{"name":"Mrs Bulletin","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141258862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mrs BulletinPub Date : 2024-06-03DOI: 10.1557/s43577-024-00724-7
Long-Qing Chen, Nele Moelans
{"title":"Phase-field method of materials microstructures and properties","authors":"Long-Qing Chen, Nele Moelans","doi":"10.1557/s43577-024-00724-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-024-00724-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The phase-field method has become the main computational technique for modeling and predicting the microstructure evolution in materials science and engineering. Its versatility and ability to capture complex microstructure phenomena under different processing conditions make it a valuable tool for researchers and engineers in advancing our understanding and engineering of materials microstructures and properties. This issue of <i>MRS Bulletin</i> is focused on a few recent success stories of applying the phase-field method to understanding, discovering, and designing mesoscale structures and for guiding the design of experiments to optimize properties or discover new phenomena or functionalities. We hope this issue will inspire increasing future focus on utilizing the phase-field method to guide experimental synthesis and characterization for desirable properties.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Graphical Abstract</h3>","PeriodicalId":18828,"journal":{"name":"Mrs Bulletin","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141258860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mrs BulletinPub Date : 2024-05-07DOI: 10.1557/s43577-024-00718-5
Hanjun Yang, Wenhao Shao, Jiaonan Sun, Jeong Hui Kim, Yoon Ho Lee, Libai Huang, Letian Dou
{"title":"Ligand-variant two-dimensional halide perovskite lateral heterostructure","authors":"Hanjun Yang, Wenhao Shao, Jiaonan Sun, Jeong Hui Kim, Yoon Ho Lee, Libai Huang, Letian Dou","doi":"10.1557/s43577-024-00718-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-024-00718-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The perovskite heterostructure is a novel semiconducting building block that contains multiple spatially organized functionalities within individual particles. The structurally tunable organic ligands in a two-dimensional (2D) perovskite heterostructure play a central role enhancing the stability and affecting the optical properties. Here, we report the synthesis of ligand-variant 2D perovskite lateral heterostructure nanocrystals, based on the sequential solvent evaporation strategy. The fabricated 2D perovskite heterostructures can tolerate large lattice mismatch in the vertical orientation as much as 16.5 percent. The synthesis strategy can be expanded to various combinations of ligands and halides, yielding a clear interface and tailorable electronic structure. This work presents an important step to further the understanding of the interfacial structure of the 2D perovskite heterostructure and the design of perovskite nanodevices with tailored optoelectronic properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":18828,"journal":{"name":"Mrs Bulletin","volume":"156 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140929966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mrs BulletinPub Date : 2024-04-30DOI: 10.1557/s43577-024-00719-4
Sabrina Sartori, Ryan O’Hayre, Zongping Shao
{"title":"Materials for green hydrogen production, storage, and conversion","authors":"Sabrina Sartori, Ryan O’Hayre, Zongping Shao","doi":"10.1557/s43577-024-00719-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-024-00719-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18828,"journal":{"name":"Mrs Bulletin","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140842355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}