1. National Science Foundation Surface of the Sun Testing of Materials on Earth Erica L. Corral, University of Arizona, DMR 0954110 Outcome: Researchers at the University of Arizona are investigating high temperature testing methods that can reach 1/2 the surface temperature of the sun in order to study their ceramic materials oxidation resistance. Impact: These testing methods will allow researchers to duplicate extreme aerospace and nuclear material application environments in order to make more heat tolerant materials and as a result more energy efficient materials. High temperature testing of ultra high temperature resistant ceramic materials. Explanation: In order to enable more space exploration and fuel efficient aerospace vehicles we need materials that can operate at higher temperatures in oxygen rich environments. Therefore, we investigate materials that are stable in air up to 1800 °C (2700 °F) and do not melt until 3200 °C (5792°F). Professor Corral, of the University of Arizona’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering and recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, leads the team which develops these new materials and testing methods. Photo courtesy of Univ. of Arizona.

2. National Science Foundation High Strength-High Purity Ceramics Erica L. Corral, University of Arizona, DMR 0954110 High temperature ceramics are excepted to maintain their strengths up to 1500°C. However, high temperature mechanical properties are dependent upon the mobility of impurities in the ceramic which can limit high strengths. Graduate student David Pham found that spark plasma sintering densification in combination with extensive powder pre-heat treatments with oxygen impurity removal additives results in high strength ceramics at room temperature. Amazingly, these result show the direct correlation between densification behavior to impurity concentration, strength and grain size. We are currently investigating the microstructure in order to determine the role of the impurities in room temperature and high temperature mechanical properties. Direct current heating can be used to employ conventional diffusion based sintering mechanisms or hot forging methods in order to densify ceramics using a wide rage of high temperatures and time. Densification Behavior of High Purity ZrB 2

3. National Science Foundation Training the Next Generation of Women Engineers Erica L. Corral, University of Arizona, DMR 0954110 The Southwest Materials Research and Training (SMaRT) Program picks up the pace in education outreach and training future scientists in high temperature materials. SMaRT Program targets, trains, educates and develop under represented groups and women to pursue graduate school education in materials science. The outcomes of the program has contributed to the training of 15 undergraduate students, where half are women, and half of all students are preparing to pursue graduate education in the field of ceramic materials. Undergraduate students, Ashley Ormsby, and Anne Ellis, and Professor Corral discuss high temperature ceramic material preparation for microscope analysis as seen on the front cover of the daily newspaper (courtesy Arizona Daily Star).