Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Energy

Michael Paul Bakas

Henry S Chu

Robert C O'Brien

Henry Shiu-Hung Chu

Benjamin Robert Langhorst

Steven K Cook

Thomas Martin Lillo

Gary L Thinnes

Todd L Johnson

Thomas Andrew Zagula

James Wade Schondel

A method of forming silicon carbide by spark plasma sintering comprises loading a powder comprising silicon carbide into a die and exposing the powder to a pulsed current to heat the powder at a rate of between about 50&#xb0; C./min and about 200&#xb0; C./min to a peak temperature while applying a pressure to the powder. The powder is exposed to the peak temperature for between about 30 seconds and about 5 minutes to form a sintered silicon carbide material and the sintered silicon carbide material is cooled. Related structures and methods are disclosed.

Methods of forming articles including silicon carbide by spark plasma sintering

Methods of forming silicon carbide by spark plasma sintering

Protective barriers for protecting assets (e.g., electrical power transformers and other substation components). The protective barrier may include a lower portion and an upper portion. The lower portion may include first and second laterally spaced A-frame structures having a first protective member assembly extending between aligned legs of the respective A-frame structures on one side thereof. The first protective member assembly may include a first plurality of substantially horizontally extending protective members oriented at an angle relative to a horizontal plane. The first and second A-frame structures may have a second protective member assembly extending between aligned legs of the respective A-frame structures on an opposing side thereof. The upper portion may comprise a third protective member assembly. Methods of making a protective barrier are also disclosed.

Protective barriers and related methods

Methods of making bainitic steels may involve austenitizing a quantity of steel by exposing the quantity of steel to a first temperature. A composition of the quantity of steel may be configured to impede formation of non-bainite ferrite, pearlite, and Widmanst&#xe4;tten ferrite. The quantity of steel may be heat-treated to form bainite by exposing the quantity of steel to a second, lower temperature. The second, lower temperature may be stabilized by exposing the quantity of steel to the second, lower temperature in the presence of a thermal ballast.

Methods of making bainitic steel materials

The disclosure provides a shock absorbing layer comprised of one or more shock absorbing cells, where a shock absorbing cell is comprised of a cell interior volume containing a plurality of hydrogel particles and a free volume, and where the cell interior volume is surrounded by a containing layer. The containing layer has a permeability such that the hydrogel particles when swollen remain at least partially within the cell interior volume when subjected to a design shock pressure wave, allowing for force relaxation through hydrogel compression response. Additionally, the permeability allows for the flow of exuded free water, further dissipating wave energy. In an embodiment, a plurality of shock absorbing cells is combined with a penetration resistant material to mitigate the transmitted shock wave generated by an elastic precursor wave in the penetration resistant material.

Lightweight armor system

Methods of forming aluminum oxynitride (AlON) materials include sintering green bodies comprising aluminum orthophosphate or another sacrificial material therein. Such green bodies may comprise aluminum, oxygen, and nitrogen in addition to the aluminum orthophosphate. For example, the green bodies may include a mixture of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, and aluminum orthophosphate or another sacrificial material. Additional methods of forming aluminum oxynitride (AlON) materials include sintering a green body including a sacrificial material therein, using the sacrificial material to form pores in the green body during sintering, and infiltrating the pores formed in the green body with a liquid infiltrant during sintering. Bodies are formed using such methods.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Michael Paul Bakas