A1 Sample
Zhou Yu'an went into seclusion to reflect on his past, while the FASTER Project Team, under Shen Qi's leadership, fought with all their might and united as one.
Metallic Plastic were first discovered and successfully prepared by the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Shen Qi obtained the key information from Director Zhan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at that time.
According to the data, the team at the Institute of Physics did not have a mature theoretical basis at the time. They kept conducting experiments and finally succeeded in producing Amorphous Metallic Plastic whose main components were Cerium Aluminum Copper in one experiment.
The earliest products are the most creative, but not necessarily the best. Shen Qi's current work is essentially an improvement, and he has a set of self-created theoretical bases.
"Based on Shen Qi Definition No. 4, I think it would be a good choice to select the metallic elements germanium, tin, and lead from the Carbon Group Elements and dope them into the Cerium Aluminum Copper amorphous system," Shen Qi put forward his idea.
In his book, "Review of Condensed Matter Physics Structure," author Shen Qi innovatively proposes a universal theoretical principle, a fundamental rule for phase transitions, a basic Mathematical Physics equation, and a defining description of microstructure.
To facilitate its use in daily work, the physics community refers to the above theory as Shen Qi Principle No. 1, Shen Qi Rule No. 2, Shen Qi Equation No. 3, and Shen Qi Definition No. 4.
Among them, Shen Qi Rule No. 2 and Shen Qi Equation No. 3 have been widely recognized by the Physics Community and have been included in textbooks, namely Shen Qi Phase Transition Rule and Shen Qi Equation.
The Shen Qi Principle No. 1 and Shen Qi Definition No. 4 are still being verified internationally and have not yet become standard theoretical bases.
Although the outside world has not fully accepted Shen Qi Principle No. 1 and Shen Qi Definition No. 4, the FASTER Project Team was the first to recognize these two Condensed Matter Physics theories.
Theory without practical testing is empty, and practice without theoretical guidance is blind.
Tang Yuan stated, "In germanium, tin, and lead, the stability of the +2 oxidation state increases sequentially with increasing atomic number, while the stability of the +4 oxidation state decreases sequentially. The ns² electron pair gradually stabilizes with increasing n value, which is the so-called Inert Pair Effect. According to Shen Qi Definition No. 4, translated into the language of Condensed Matter Physics, the addition of germanium, tin, and lead will theoretically result in a more compact localized microstructure in the new experimental sample. I agree with Academician Shen's viewpoint that the improvement work should be based on cerium-based amorphous materials, starting with doping with germanium, tin, and lead."
Shen Jinbao, the only female researcher on the project team, shook her head. "I disagree. I think we need to continue the research."
This female researcher, also surnamed Shen, was a doctoral student. Her previous project was forced to stop due to problems with her supervisor, leaving her without a project to work on, which would prevent her from graduating. So, Shen Jinbao came to Shen Qi's FASTER Project Team.
"Junior Sister Jinbao, where do you think we should start?" Tang Yuan had already graduated with a doctorate and was Shen Jinbao's senior.
Shen Jinbao isn't particularly pretty; she wears glasses and is the type of research-oriented, science-oriented woman. She said, "Germanium, tin, and lead are not suitable for doping in this project; further research is needed."
Tang Yuan pressed further, "In which direction should we research? Could you be more specific?"
Shen Jinbao: "This requires further study."
"Shen Jinbao, isn't what you're saying just nonsense? It's so empty, there's no substance at all." Tang Yuan called Shen Jinbao junior sister, but he never treated her as a woman; they were best buddies.
"Hmph." Yang Ding Tian snorted at Shen Jinbao. He and Shen Jinbao entered the Yanjing University Physics Department in the same year. They were both top students and are now both doctoral students.
"Yang Ding Tian, are you a whiny guy? Just say what you want to say, stop whining." Shen Jinbao looked at Yang Ding Tian. The two had known each other for a long time. She had lost to Yang Ding Tian in the undergraduate academic competition of the School of Physics.
"So many years have passed, and you haven't made any progress." Yang Ding Tian ignored Shen Jinbao, snorted, and then went back to looking up information on his own.
"Hey, you guys are really interesting." Shen Qi, who had been observing, spoke up. He said to Shen Jinbao, "Jinbao, you can raise your ideas. My team has always advocated academic freedom, but you can't just deny something without giving specific reasons for your denial, right?"
Shen Jinbao nodded and then shook his head, saying, "Academician Shen, I simply believe that the elemental properties of germanium, tin, and lead are not suitable for improving the microscopic properties of cerium-based amorphous materials. Theoretically, I don't have your depth of understanding and cannot refute or even overturn Shen Qi Definition No. 4. My statement of disagreement is merely a woman's intuition."
Shen Qi could not change the established research plan because of a woman's intuition, so he directed the researchers to prepare the experimental sample codenamed A1.
By following a specific composition ratio and through a series of complex experimental operations, including alloy smelting, ingot crushing, electromagnetic induction heating, high-purity Argon Gas protected melting, rapid cooling and spinning, and electric arc heating, the project team successfully prepared the A1 sample.
The sample is a small metal sphere with a silvery-gray metallic luster and a diameter of 7 millimeters.
After obtaining the A1 sample, the project team used X-ray Diffractometer to test it in order to confirm whether an amorphous phase had formed.
Specialized drainage pipes are installed in the laboratory for the discharge and recovery of radioactive materials and hazardous vapors, ensuring the safety and health of the laboratory environment and laboratory personnel.
Shen Qi and his team, fully equipped with protective gear, tested the A1 sample.
XRD results showed that the A1 sample formed a typical amorphous phase.
The first Metallic Plastic sample of the FASTER project was successfully prepared, which made everyone very happy. Under Academician Shen's leadership, the progress has been very smooth.
The main component of A1 sample is Cerium Aluminum Copper amorphous material, with a certain amount of germanium doped in it.
The exact proportions of the ingredients must be kept secret; this is essentially the formula. This is what has scientific value, and this is what makes it valuable.
A1 sample has high strength at room temperature and possesses all the excellent properties of metals.
If it's just about synthesizing a complex metal lump, it doesn't require an academician team; blacksmiths can do it.
The unique feature of Metallic Plastic is that when the temperature rises, they enter a new state, namely a supercooled liquid state.
The transition from an amorphous state to a supercooled liquid is commonly known as the Glass Transition.
Glass is a very familiar material. When heated to a certain temperature, glass begins to soften and exhibits viscous flow properties, allowing it to be deformed at will.
However, glass is very brittle at room temperature, while Amorphous Alloy are equivalent to metals at room temperature.
In physics, Tg is commonly used to describe the softening point of glass, and it is also used to describe the softening point of Metallic Plastic.
According to tests conducted by Shen Qi Team, the Tg of A1 sample was 78 degrees Celsius.
In other words, when heated to 78 degrees Celsius, the A1 sample began to soften, changing from metal to "plastic".
Shen Qi Team subjected the A1 sample, a small metal ball, to various plastic deformation operations such as stretching, compressing, bending, and pressing in boiling water, and they pressed out the patterns of RMB coins of one cent, five cents, and one yuan.
Minting coins is illegal, and Shen Qi and his group certainly knew that.
The FASTER Project Team did not create real coins; the diameter of the embossed coins is smaller than that of real coins, but the patterns are exactly the same.
Using their scientific knowledge, Shen Qi and his team successfully pressed a miniature version of the entire set of RMB coins into boiling water at 78 degrees Celsius using A1 Metallic Plastic samples.
This is very significant, as it means that metal products of any shape can be manufactured in boiling water with relatively low processing costs.
"Yeah!"
The researchers high-fived in celebration; the project had made significant progress.
What are the commercial implications of bringing the A1 sample to the real world?
Based on the current experimental results, A1 sample can be used in the processing and manufacturing of automotive parts.
This type of Metallic Plastic composite is lighter than traditional automotive steel sheets and can be used to replace some automotive metal parts.
Lightweighting of automobiles has always been an important research topic in the automotive industry. Whether it is a gasoline-powered, electric, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, reducing the overall vehicle weight means reducing energy consumption, which has a positive effect on environmental protection.
The processing cost of Metallic Plastic is extremely low. In the future, we won't need stamping machines to process automotive metal parts. Just soak them in boiling water and break them apart.
Lower manufacturing costs mean lower car prices, but that's a matter for later. How much a car will cost in the future is not something Shen Qi and his team need to worry about.
"Shen Jinbao, do you see that? It's okay to add germanium, right?" Tang Yuan said.
Shen Jinbao shook his head. "You can't say that. I think we need to continue researching."
Tang Yuan rolled her eyes at Shen Jinbao: "You're just a 'shaking-head baby,' no way, you can't say that, we need to keep researching... It's the same old routine all day long, where's the substance?"
Shen Jinbao insisted, "We still need to test various parameters of the A1 sample the nanometer and micrometer scale."
Tang Yuan: "Isn't that obvious? Do you even need to tell me?"
"Jinbao is right, I think there's something wrong." Shen Qi stared at the XRD, DSC curves, TTT Curve and other data for a long time, then suddenly frowned, feeling that something was not right.