(AGENPARL) – ven 22 marzo 2024 A weekly compendium of media reports on science and technology achievements
at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Though the Laboratory reviews
items for overall accuracy, the reporting organizations are responsible for
the content in the links below.
….. LLNL Report, March 22, 2024
Supercomputer simulations predicting the synthesis pathways for the elusive
BC8 “super-diamond”, involving shock compressions of diamond precursor,
inspire ongoing Discovery Science experiments at NIF. Image by Mark
Meamber/LLNL.
… Squeezing diamonds
Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring material on Earth, but a
supercomputer just modeled stuff that’s even harder. Called a
“super-diamond,” the theoretical material could exist beyond our
planet—and maybe, one day, be created here on Earth.
Like normal diamonds, super-diamonds are made from carbon atoms. This
specific phase of carbon, composed of eight atoms, should be stable at
ambient conditions. In other words, it could exist in an Earth laboratory.
The specific phase, called BC8, is a high-pressure phase typically found in
silicon and germanium. And as the new model suggests, carbon also can exist
in this particular phase if squeezed under enormous pressures, according to
Lawrence Livermore researchers and collaborators.
Frontier — the fastest and first exascale supercomputer — modeled the
evolution of billions of carbon atoms put under immense pressures. The
supercomputer predicted that BC8 carbon is 30% more resistant to compression
than plain ol’ diamonds.
Read More
A photo taken by a scanning electron microscope shows a pit at the surface of
an additively manufactured (3D-printed) stainless steel part. Image by Thomas
Voisin/LLNL.
… Slags are corrosive
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-uncover-culprits-pitting-corrosion-3d.html
Like a hidden enemy, pitting corrosion attacks metal surfaces, making it
difficult to detect and control. This type of corrosion, primarily caused by
prolonged contact with seawater in nature, is especially problematic for
naval vessels.
In recent research, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists
delved into the mysterious world of pitting corrosion in additively
manufactured (3D-printed) stainless steel 316L in seawater.
Stainless steel 316L is a popular choice for marine applications due to its
excellent combination of mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. This
holds even more true after 3D printing, but even this resilient material
isn’t immune to the scourge of pitting corrosion.
The LLNL team discovered the key players in this corrosion drama are tiny
particles called “slags,” which are produced by deoxidizers such as manganese
and silicon. In traditional stainless steel 316L manufacturing, these
elements are typically added prior to casting to bind with oxygen and form a
solid phase in the molten liquid metal that can be easily removed
post-manufacturing.
Researchers found these slags also form during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)
3D printing but remain at the metal’s surface and initiate pitting corrosion.
Read More
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-uncover-culprits-pitting-corrosion-3d.html
LLNL researchers helped develop the innovative gamma-ray and neutron
spectrometer that will be mounted on the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX)
mission spacecraft. Image courtesy of NASA.
… Lab instrument to head to Mars’ moons
https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_and_JAXA_advance_Martian_Moons_study_with_instrument_handoff_999.html
NASA completed the delivery of its innovative gamma-ray and neutron
spectrometer to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for its
incorporation into the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission spacecraft,
marking a significant milestone in preparation for the mission’s final
system-level testing.
Developed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in collaboration
with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Mars-moon Exploration
with Gamma Ray and Neutrons (MEGANE) instrument is set to play a pivotal role
in the MMX mission. This mission is focused on analyzing the composition and
origins of Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, and aims to return a sample from
Phobos back to Earth.
The research initiative seeks to determine whether these moons are the
remnants of a significant collision between Mars and another large body or if
they were asteroids captured by Mars’ gravitational pull. Through the
detection of neutrons and gamma rays emitted from Phobos’ surface, MEGANE
will unveil the moon’s elemental composition, providing insights into its
likely genesis.
Read More
https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_and_JAXA_advance_Martian_Moons_study_with_instrument_handoff_999.html
Simon Pang (left) and Buddhinie Jayathilake assemble and prepare a prototype
bubble column electrobioreactor to test additively manufactured
three-dimensional electrodes. Under their project, excess renewable
electricity from wind and solar sources would be stored in chemical bonds as
renewable natural gas. Photo by Nathan Ellebracht/LLNL.
… Renewable natural gas on the horizon
https://hydrogen-central.com/socalgas-joins-lawrence-livermore-national-laboratory-and-electrochaea-to-help-advance-gas-infrastructure-decarbonization-hydrogen-and-co2-into-rng/
Lawrence Livermore is collaborating with Southern California Gas
Company (SoCalGas) and Electrochaea on an innovative research project that
aims to develop a single-stage electro-bioreactor to transform excess
renewable electricity and biogas into carbon-neutral synthetic biomethane,
also known as renewable natural gas (RNG).
This approach could mark a significant advancement in power to gas technology
and underscores the viability of potential for synthetic biomethane to help
decarbonize natural gas infrastructure and its end uses from residential
heating to manufacturing industries and transportation. SoCalGas has
contributed to the project’s technical development and helped provide
funding, which also was supported by a $1 million grant from the Department
of Energy.
If developed at scale, this technology could increase the yield of RNG
produced from carbon dioxide sources like anaerobic digesters, landfills,
dairies, fermentation facilities or industrial processes. The hybrid
bioreactor and electrolyzer system harnesses the power of Electrochaea’s
proprietary microbial biocatalyst, which consumes hydrogen and carbon
dioxide, transforming these inputs into RNG.  
“We believe this technology will help enable decarbonization of the natural
gas grid infrastructure by providing a renewable source of natural gas,”
said Simon Pang,* *a materials scientist in LLNL’s Materials Science
Division who heads the project.
Read More
https://hydrogen-central.com/socalgas-joins-lawrence-livermore-national-laboratory-and-electrochaea-to-help-advance-gas-infrastructure-decarbonization-hydrogen-and-co2-into-rng/
Under a three-year collaboration, LLNL scientists and engineers will work
with Precision Neuroscience to develop future versions of the company’s
flexible, thin-film neural implant for patients with a variety of
neurological disorders. Photo by Randy Wong/LLNL..
… The brains behind neural implants
https://www.independentnews.com/news/livermore_news/llnl-to-collaborate-on-neural-implants-to-help-patients-without-motor-control/article_17da743c-e23a-11ee-839e-0fce9f4adb62.html
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is joining forces with New
York-based Precision Neuroscience Corp. to advance the technology of neural
implants for patients suffering from a variety of disorders, including
stroke, spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Under a three-year research and development agreement, LLNL will work with
Precision to develop future versions of the company’s neural implant, a
thin-film microelectrode array called the Layer 7 Cortical Interface.
The brain implant is designed to allow users to operate computer systems
entirely through thought, which could benefit patients who have lost motor
coordination or the ability to speak.
The project will leverage LLNL’s background in developing flexible,
thin-film multielectrode neural implants, as well as its micro-fabrication
facility and regulatory-compliant quality management system for prototype
medical device manufacturing.
Read More
https://www.independentnews.com/news/livermore_news/llnl-to-collaborate-on-neural-implants-to-help-patients-without-motor-control/article_17da743c-e23a-11ee-839e-0fce9f4adb62.html
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