Annual Review of Materials Research 

About: Annual Review of Materials Research is an academic journal published by Annual Reviews. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Chemistry & Engineering. It has an ISSN identifier of 1531-7331. Over the lifetime, 398 publications have been published receiving 85221 citations. The journal is also known as: Materials research & Annual reviews : materials research.

Phase-Field Models for Microstructure Evolution

Abstract: ■ Abstract The phase-field method has recently emerged as a powerful computational approach to modeling and predicting mesoscale morphological and microstructure evolution in materials. It describes a microstructure using a set of conserved and nonconserved field variables that are continuous across the interfacial regions. The temporal and spatial evolution of the field variables is governed by the Cahn-Hilliard nonlinear diffusion equation and the Allen-Cahn relaxation equation. With the fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic information as the input, the phase-field method is able to predict the evolution of arbitrary morphologies and complex microstructures without explicitly tracking the positions of interfaces. This paper briefly reviews the recent advances in developing phase-field models for various materials processes including solidification, solid-state structural phase transformations, grain growth and coarsening, domain evolution in thin films, pattern formation on surfaces, dislocation microstructures, crack propagation, and electromigration.

Wetting and Roughness

Abstract: We discuss in this review how the roughness of a solid impacts its wettability. We see in particular that both the apparent contact angle and the contact angle hysteresis can be dramatically affected by the presence of roughness. Owing to the development of refined methods for setting very well-controlled micro- or nanotextures on a solid, these effects are being exploited to induce novel wetting properties, such as spontaneous filmification, superhydrophobicity, superoleophobicity, and interfacial slip, that could not be achieved without roughness.

Proton-conducting oxides

Abstract: ▪ Abstract The structural and chemical parameters determining the formation and mobility of protonic defects in oxides are discussed, and the paramount role of high-molar volume, coordination numbers, and symmetry are emphasized. Symmetry also relates to the structural and chemical matching of the acceptor dopant. Y-doped BaZrO3-based oxides are demonstrated to combine high stability with high proton conductivity that exceeds the conductivity of the best oxide ion conductors at temperatures below about 700°C. The unfavorably high grain boundary impedances and brittleness of ceramics have been reduced by forming solid solutions with small amounts of BaCeO3, and an initial fuel cell test has demonstrated that proton-conducting electrolytes based on Y-doped BaZrO3 provide alternatives for separator materials in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). These materials have the potential to operate at lower temperatures compared with those of conventional SOFCs, and the appearance of chemical water diffusion across the...

Inkjet Printing of Functional and Structural Materials: Fluid Property Requirements, Feature Stability, and Resolution

Abstract: Inkjet printing is viewed as a versatile manufacturing tool for applications in materials fabrication in addition to its traditional role in graphics output and marking. The unifying feature in all these applications is the dispensing and precise positioning of very small volumes of fluid (1–100 picoliters) on a substrate before transformation to a solid. The application of inkjet printing to the fabrication of structures for structural or functional materials applications requires an understanding as to how the physical processes that operate during inkjet printing interact with the properties of the fluid precursors used. Here we review the current state of understanding of the mechanisms of drop formation and how this defines the fluid properties that are required for a given liquid to be printable. The interactions between individual drops and the substrate as well as between adjacent drops are important in defining the resolution and accuracy of printed objects. Pattern resolution is limited by the extent to which a liquid drop spreads on a substrate and how spreading changes with the overlap of adjacent drops to form continuous features. There are clearly defined upper and lower bounds to the width of a printed continuous line, which can be defined in terms of materials and process variables. Finer-resolution features can be achieved through appropriate patterning and structuring of the substrate prior to printing, which is essential if polymeric semiconducting devices are to be fabricated. Low advancing and receding contact angles promote printed line stability but are also more prone to solute segregation or “coffee staining” on drying.

Phase-Field Simulation of Solidification

Abstract: ▪ Abstract An overview of the phase-field method for modeling solidification is presented, together with several example results. Using a phase-field variable and a corresponding governing equation to describe the state (solid or liquid) in a material as a function of position and time, the diffusion equations for heat and solute can be solved without tracking the liquid-solid interface. The interfacial regions between liquid and solid involve smooth but highly localized variations of the phase-field variable. The method has been applied to a wide variety of problems including dendritic growth in pure materials; dendritic, eutectic, and peritectic growth in alloys; and solute trapping during rapid solidification.