Materials

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Electronics & Computers

High-Cycle Life Testing of RF MEMS Switches

The electromechanical, RF, and charging properties of an "air-gap" capacitive switch enable it to be utilized in high-cycle life testing. Monitoring both high-speed and low-speed switching...

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Briefs
Materials

Composites Containing Nanostructured Shape-Memory Alloys

A continuing program of research is devoted to understanding composite materials that include nanostructured shape-memory alloy (SMA) constituents and to developing methods of fabricating components from such materials. This research is intended to improve the utilization of SMAs in...

Briefs
Physical Sciences

Some Advances in Understanding of Environmental Fatigue

A research program has yielded advances in understanding of numerous aspects of environmental crack propagation in aerospace aluminum alloys. From one perspective, the objective of this program was to quantitatively establish governing crack-tip-mechanics conditions and damage mechanisms...

Briefs
Electronics & Computers

Microscale Electrical Contacts for Self-Assembly

An experimental study of self-assembly processes in which small, heterogeneous components become spontaneously aligned with each other and bonded through soldering of mating electrical contacts...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Microcompression Tests of a BMG and a Tungsten/BMG Composite

Uniaxial-compression tests of micron-scale specimens (microcompression tests) of a bulk metallic glass (BMG) and of a tungsten/BMG composite have been performed to contribute to...

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Briefs
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Inexpensive Free-Form Fabrication of Titanium-Alloy Parts

A continuing effort to devise relatively inexpensive means of manufacturing titanium-alloy parts has been focused on a free-form fabrication approach. As used here, “free-form...

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Briefs
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Experiments in Vacuum Brazing of Titanium

An experimental study of vacuum brazing of titanium and of the effects of changes in brazing alloys and brazing process conditions has been performed. [As used here, “titanium” signifies both...

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Briefs
Materials

Alloys for Nozzles of Hypersonic Wind Tunnels

Alloys are being developed for nozzles of hypersonic wind tunnels to be used in testing components of future hypersonic missiles, aircraft, and space transportation systems. The nozzle components...

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Briefs
Test & Measurement

Multiscale Virtual Design and Testing of Materials

Progress has been made in research on several fronts in an effort to develop computational simulation capabilities for use in virtual design and testing of advanced structural materials. It is...

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Briefs
Electronics & Computers

Improved Magnetic Sensor Based on Giant Magneto-Impedance

A low-power, highly stable electronic sensor circuit for measuring a small change in the ambient magnetic field with high sensitivity exploits the giant magneto-impedance (GMI) effect,...

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Briefs
Materials

Accelerated Evaluation of Properties of Polyphase Alloys

A methodology for accelerated evaluation of mechanical properties of polyphase alloys is based on digital representations of the alloys. For a given alloy material system, this...

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Briefs
Materials

Friction Stir Welding of Aerospace Materials

AFRL scientists are studying a unique metal joining process— friction stir welding (FSW)—for building major structural assemblies. FSW is a solid-state welding process that forces a spinning tool...

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Briefs
Materials

Textile Capacitor

The Air Force (AF) is evolving from a Cold War-era force with a large, containment- focused infrastructure to a smaller, more responsive and affordable Air and Space Expeditionary Force. In support of this transformation, AFRL...

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Briefs
Materials

Strain-Induced Porosity Model

AFRL scientists developed advanced computer models to improve the processing and quality of titanium alloys used in manufacturing gas turbine engine parts and critical structural components for military aircraft....

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Briefs
Materials

Super-High-Strength Aluminum Alloy

AFRL researchers developed a super-high-strength aluminum alloy that engineers can use to improve the capability and performance of aerospace components—cryogenic rocket engine components, in particular....

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Briefs
Materials

Characterizing Mechanical Properties at the Microscale

Scientists from AFRL, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, and General Electric Aircraft Engines, working under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Accelerated Insertion of Materials...

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Briefs
Materials

Predicting the Composition of Metallic Glasses

AFRL scientists made significant progress in developing bulk metallic glasses to improve the durability and performance of aerospace components. They also successfully created working scientific...

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