Engineering topics
Mao, Keyou
Publications and source records attributed to Mao, Keyou.
Phase separation during the direct powder bed fusion of SiC
Powder bed fusion (PBF) is an attractive additive manufacturing option for fabrication of SiC object with complex geometries. However, the density and microstructure controls remain a challenge. This study is aimed at understanding laser–SiC interactions, with emphasis on microstructure-processing relationships, to identify potential solutions for the process improvement. SiC tubes were fabricated by PBF of pure SiC powders without sintering additives. Further, comprehensive analysis by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy indicated that binding of SiC particles was achieved by incongruent melting of SiC to a Si/C mixture containing SiC micro- and nanocrystallites. The phase evolution under laser irradiation of SiC was explained by phase diagrams. This study uncovered the PBF SiC microstructure at different length scales and the relationship between the microstructure and the processing parameters.
Plasmon-Induced Hot-Carrier Excited-State Dynamics in Plasmonic Semiconductor Nanocrystals
The variance of carrier relaxation pathways for WO 3–x plasmonic semiconductor nanocrystals (PSNCs) is monitored by transient absorption spectroscopy following excitation of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) versus the optical band gap (E g,opt ). Excitation of the LSPR leads to efficient hot carrier population above the Fermi level in WO 3–x via Landau damping, in analogy to noble metal LSPR relaxation mechanisms. Hot carrier depopulation occurs on the femtosecond timescale, observed as the concomitant recovery of an LSPR bleach with the appearance of discrete interband and intraband photoinduced absorption features. Further, by comparison, the direct excitation of E g,opt results in trion recombination at donor–acceptor sites within the WO 3–x NC, consistent with exciton decay dynamics observed for typical wide-band-gap semiconductor NCs. From the analysis of pump power dependency data, a hot-carrier electron–phonon coupling constant of 1.47 × 10 11 J K –1 s –1 cm –3 is extracted. The direct comparison of the decay dynamics following E g,opt versus LSPR excitation confirms that the observed plasmon in trioctylphosphine oxide passivated, spherical WO 3–x is a resonance state in which hot carriers are generated only from excitation on resonance with the LSPR frequency. This study on WO 3–x PSNCs provides a toolset that can be used to evaluate the role of hot carriers following LSPR excitation of n-type, plasmonic transparent conducting oxide NCs, where enhancement of photocatalysis, photovoltaic performance, and optical enhancement has been reported.
Mechanical properties of Haynes 282 casting
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Corrosion of 316H stainless steel in flowing FLiNaK salt
In this report type 316H stainless steel samples were exposed to flowing FLiNaK salt for 1000 h in a monometallic thermal convection loop (TCL) with a maximum temperature of 650 °C and a minimum of 540 °C. Samples in the hottest part of the TCL lost mass, with a maximum mass loss of 1.4 mg/cm 2 , while samples in the coldest parts of the TCL gained mass, with a maximum mass gain of 1.0 mg/cm 2 . Analysis of the samples that gained mass showed an Fe-rich layer on the sample surfaces, indicating that Fe, not Cr, was the primary deposition product in the TCL. Cr loss was apparent to a depth of ~5 µm in the hot leg. Post-exposure analysis of the salt showed major increases in the Cr, Fe, and Mn contents. The TCL was modeled using the TRANSFORM code. Modeled values matched the experimental temperature measurements showing that TRANSFORM is capable of accurately simulating the TCL conditions.
Insights from microstructure and mechanical property comparisons of three pilgered ferritic ODS tubes
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Effect of heterogeneous microstructure on the tensile and creep performances of cast Haynes 282 alloy
Precipitation-strengthened Ni-based superalloys are leading candidate materials for advanced ultra-supercritical (A-USC) plants with steam conditions up to 760 °C (1400 °F) and 35 MPa (5 ksi). This study evaluates representative specimens from a large casting of Haynes 282 to study the effect of microstructural heterogeneity on the mechanical behavior of this alloy. The tensile test results of cast Haynes 282 over the temperature range 20–816 °C exhibited lower tensile strength and ductility in comparison with the reference wrought Haynes 282. However, the creep rupture tests of the cast alloy below 704–788 °C and 190–431 MPa presented a similar stress-Larson-Miller parameter to that of the wrought material. Microstructural and dislocation characterizations using scanning electron microscopy, conventional transmission electron microscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy in conjunction with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were performed to understand the microstructural evolution before and after the mechanical tests. The heterogeneous microstructures of the cast Haynes 282 material, including the coarse grains, potential casting defects, and a bimodal size distribution of γ' precipitates, were detrimental to the tensile behavior, whereas the coarse-scale grains had a positive effect on the creep performance because diffusional creep was the dominant creep mechanism.
Suppression of Helium Induced Cracking in Laser Repair Welding of Highly Irradiated Stainless Steels
Welding repair of irradiated nuclear reactor materials such as austenitic stainless steels used for the reactor internals has been challenging due to irradiation generated helium in the material matrix over an extended period of time. In this study, improved laser welding techniques, including the novel Auxiliary Beam Stress Improved (ABSI) technique that proactively manages the stresses during laser repair welding is investigated to substantially reduce or avoid the occurrence of intergranular helium-induced cracking (HeIC). Here, laser weld cladding, with and without ABSI technique, was applied to deposit weld metal on irradiated stainless steel (Type 304 L) blocks with various helium concentrations up to approximately 20 atomic parts per million (appm). Welded samples were cross-sectioned and analyzed using optical and electron microscopes. It was found that, with the improved laser welding techniques, no macroscopic (millimeter-sized) cracks were observed in any of the samples. Microscopic (less than 50 μm) cracks were present in the heat affected zone. Statistical analysis on the sample with the highest helium concentration (~20 appm) reveals that the ABSI technique could effectively reduce the size and amounts of microscopic cracks.
In Situ Nano-Indentation Techniques for Post-Irradiation Examinations
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In-situ Micromechanical Testing of Neutron Irradiated FeCrAl Alloys
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