Basic materials research programs at the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Abstract

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) annually sponsors approximately 5000 research scientists at 1000 universities and laboratories, generating about 10,000 Ph.D. graduates per decade, all expected to publish their basic research findings in peer-reviewed journals. After a brief introduction of the nature of AFOSR's support to basic research in the U.S. and international scientific communities, work it supports at the frontiers of materials science is highlighted. One focused research theme that drives our investment is the MEANS program. It begins with the end in mind; materials are designed with practicable manufacture as an explicit initial goal. AFOSR's broad research portfolio comprises many materials. Nanotechnology efforts include optical materials that reduce distortion to the scale of the nanoparticles themselves. Advances in semiconductors include breakthroughs in Group III nitrides, some of which emanated from Asia under sponsorship from AFOSR's Asian office. Advances in structural materials include those for use at ultra-high temperatures and self-healing composites. The growing role of high-performance computing in design and study of functional, biological, and structural materials is also discussed. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Smart “All Acrylate” ABA Triblock Copolymer Bearing Reactive Functionality via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP): Demonstration of a “Click Reaction” in Thermoreversible Property

“…7 Smart materials are expected to contribute greatly to the safety and durability of polymeric components without high costs of active monitoring or external repair. [2][3][4][5] Homo-and copolymers of furfuryl methacrylate (FMA) are interesting materials because of the presence of reactive furfuryl functionality. [8][9][10][11] This reactive diene functionality can be used for the Diels-Alder (DA) reaction using a suitable bismaleimide (BM) as dienophile.…”

Self-healing: A new paradigm in materials design

“…Microcracks are the precursors to structural failure [126] and the ability to heal them will enable structures with longer lifetimes and less maintenance. Consequently, significant research interest and growing investment from scientific funding agencies is being shown [127][128][129]. Though the potential benefits are quite high, there are several practical limitations (such as crack healing kinetics and stability of the healing functionality to environmental conditions) that need to be overcome in order for the benefits to be realized in society.…”

Experimental Study of the Probabilistic Fatigue Residual Strength of a Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composite

“…in compliant polymeric resins represent a large class of manmade lightweight structural materials that have been finding rapidly expanding applications in aerospace, aeronautical and ground vehicles, sports utilities, gas and liquid pipeline transportation, offshore and marine construction, and civil infrastructure, among others [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Such broad applications are resulting mainly from the unique properties of PMCs including their high specific stiffness and strength, excellent fatigue tolerance and immunity to corrosion, amicable manufacturability, etc., [1][2][3]5]. As microstructures, PMCs are highly heterogeneous materials, and when subjected to external loading, high stress inhomogeneities and stress singularities exist in PMCs, which result in their progressive damage [12].…”