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At least 235 records · Page 13

Ceramic research

X-ray diffraction micrography data on atomic structure of magnesium oxide grain boundaries

X-RAY ANALYSIS↗

High-temperature strength stability of three forms of chemically vapor deposited tungsten

Three types of CVD tungsten (fluoride-produced, chloride-produced, and a layered composite of the two-termed duplex) were evaluated to determine their high-temperature strength and microstructural stability following 5000-hr exposure to temperatures of 1540 and 1700 C. At the highest temperatures investigated (1540 and 1700 C), the tensile strengths of the two basic materials were essentially equal. At lower temperatures, chloride tungsten possessed lower yield strength but higher ultimate strength than fluoride tungsten while the behavior of the duplex material was generally intermediate. Apparent anomalies in high-temperature elongation behavior are explained on the basis of grain boundary cavity formation and recrystallization. The grain size of fluoride tungsten changed only slightly following 5000-h treatment at 1700 C. In contrast, chloride tungsten possessed both poor resistance to grain growth and an accompanying relatively high ductile-brittle transition temperature.

Bryant, W. A.↗

Quantitative analysis of defects in silicon. Silicon sheet growth development for the large are silicon sheet task of the low-cost solar array project

One hundred and seventy four silicon sheet samples were analyzed for twin boundary density, dislocation pit density, and grain boundary length. Procedures were developed for the quantitative analysis of the twin boundary and dislocation pit densities using a QTM-720 Quantitative Image Analyzing system. The QTM-720 system was upgraded with the addition of a PDP 11/03 mini-computer with dual floppy disc drive, a digital equipment writer high speed printer, and a field-image feature interface module. Three versions of a computer program that controls the data acquisition and analysis on the QTM-720 were written. Procedures for the chemical polishing and etching were also developed.

Natesh, R.↗

Erosion of aluminum 6061-T6 under cavitation attack in mineral oil and water

Studies of the erosion of aluminum 6061-T6 under cavitation attack in distilled water, ordinary tap water and a viscous mineral oil are presented. The mean depth of penetration for the mineral oil was about 40 percent of that for water at the end of a 40 min test. The mean depth of penetration and its rate did not differ significantly for distilled and tap water. The mean depth of penetration rate for both distilled and tap water increased to a maximum and then decreased with test duration, while that for mineral oil had a maximum during the initial period. The ratio h/2a of the pit depth h to the pit diameter 2a varied from 0.04 to 0.13 in water and from 0.06 to 0.20 in mineral oil. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that the pits are initially formed over the grain boundaries and precipitates while the surface grains are deformed under cavitation attack.

Rao, B. C. S.↗

Ceramic research

Effect of grain boundaries and impurities on mechanical behavior of polycrystalline ceramics

CERAMICS↗

Effect of autoclave heat treatments on the mechanical properties of the prealloyed powder cobalt-base alloy HS-31

The cobalt-base alloy HS-31 was atomized into powder and then consolidated by extrusion or by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) in an autoclave over a range of temperatures spanning the solidus, approximately 2340 F. Extrusions were subsequently autoclaved at the same conditions. Extrusions autoclaved at 2420 F had a life of 300 hours at 1200 F and 30 hours at 1800 F at stresses that result in a 10-hour life with cast HS-31. Superior stress rupture lives of autoclaved material are probably related to the solidification structure at the grain boundaries as well as to the increased grain size.

Freche, J. C.↗

Characterization of Iridium Coated Rhenium Used in High-Temperature, Radiation-Cooled Rocket Thrusters

Materials used for radiation-cooled rocket thrusters must be capable of surviving under extreme conditions of high-temperatures and oxidizing environments. While combustion efficiency is optimized at high temperatures, many refractory metals are unsuitable for thruster applications due to rapid material loss from the formation of volatile oxides. This process occurs during thruster operation by reaction of the combustion products with the material surface. Aerojet Technical Systems has developed a thruster cone chamber constructed of Re coated with Ir on the inside surface where exposure to the rocket exhaust occurs. Re maintains its structural integrity at high temperature and the Ir coating is applied as an oxidation barrier. Ir also forms volatile oxide species (IrO2 and IrO3) but at a considerably slower rate than Re. In order to understand the performance limits of Ir-coated Re thrusters, we are investigating the interdiffusion and oxidation kinetics of Ir/Re. The formation of iridium and rhenium oxides has been monitored in situ by Raman spectroscopy during high temperature exposure to oxygen. For pure Ir, the growth of oxide films as thin as approximately 200 A could be easily detected and the formation of IrO2 was observed at temperatures as low as 600 C. Ir/Re diffusion test specimens were prepared by magnetron sputtering of Ir on Re substrates. Concentration profiles were determined by sputter Auger depth profiles of the heat treated specimens. Significant interdiffusion was observed at temperatures as low as 1000 C. Measurements of the activation energy suggest that below 1350 C, the dominant diffusion path is along defects, most likely grain boundaries, rather than bulk diffusion through the grains. The phases that form during interdiffusion have been examined by x ray diffraction. Analysis of heated test specimens indicates that the Ir-Re reaction produces a solid solution phase of Ir dissolved in the HCP structure of Re.

Stulen, R. H.↗

Microstructural and Creep Properties of Boron- and Zirconium-Containing Cobalt-Based Superalloys

The effects of micro-additions of boron and zirconium on grain-boundary (GB) structure and strength inpolycrystalline γ(f.c.c.) plus γ’(L12) strengthened Co-9.5Al-7.5W-X at. % alloys (X=0-Ternary, 0.05B, 0.01B,0.05Zr, and 0.005B-0.05Zr at. %) are studied. Creep tests performed at 850 °C demonstrate that GB strength and cohesion limit the creep resistance and ductility of the ternary B- and Zr-free alloy due to intergranular fracture. Alloys with 0.05B and 0.005B-0.05Zr both exhibit improved creep strength due to enhanced GB cohesion,compared to the baseline ternary Co-9.5Al-7.5W alloy, but alloys containing 0.01B or 0.05Zr additions displayed no benefit. Atom-probe tomography (APT) is utilized to measure GB segregation, where B and Zr are demonstrated to segregate at GBs. A Gibbsian interfacial excess of 5.57 ± 1.04 atoms nm(exp) -2 was found for B at aGB in the 0.01B alloy and 2.88 ± 0.81 and 2.40 ± 0.84 atoms nm2 for B and Zr, respectively, for the 0.005B-0.05Zr alloy. The GBs in the highest B-containing (0.05B) alloy exhibit micrometer-sized boride precipitates with adjacent precipitate denuded-zones (PDZs), whereas secondary precipitation at the GBs is absent in theother four alloys. The 0.05B alloy has the smallest room temperature yield strength, by 6%, which is attributedto the PDZs, but it exhibits the largest increase in creep strength (with an ~2.5 order of magnitude decrease inthe minimum strain rate for a given stress at 850 °C) over the baseline Co-9.5Al-7.5W alloy.

Creep↗

Micromechanics of high temperature deformation and failure

The micromechanics of the constitutive behavior of elastoplastic materials at high temperatures was examined. The experimental work focused on the development of microscopic defects in superalloys (Waspaloy), especially the formation of voids at grain boundary carbides, and slip induced surface cracks within grains upon cyclic loading at high temperatures. The influence of these defects on the life expectancy of the material was examined. The theoretical work consists of two parts: (1) analytical description of the mechanisms that lead to defects observed experimentally; and (2) development of macroscopic elastoplastic nonlinear constitutive relations based on mechanical modeling.

Nasser, S. N.↗

A three-dimensional study of metal grains in equilibrated, ordinary chondrites

Metal particles in Guarena (H6), Colby (L6) and St. Severin (LL6) were studied by optical microscopy and by electron microprobe analysis. Observations from successive polished sections through the metal particles show that kamacite and taenite grains, which often appear to be isolated particles, are connected directly or by intervening sulfides. Also tetrataenite rims are widest when adjacent to sulfide or kamacite. These observations indicate that transfer of Ni during cooling when kamacite-taenite phase growth takes place does not occur through the silicate phases but proceeds through metal and sulfide phases or along grain boundaries. By utilizing the central Ni content of taenite grains from successive sections, metallographic cooling rates were determined more precisely than by using one arbitrary section. Cooling rates determined in this manner for Guarena, Colby, and St. Severin are 4.3 K, 4.0 K, and 1.0 K per million years, respectively.

Willis, J.↗

Aging Optimization of Aluminum-Lithium Alloy C458 for Application to Cryotank Structures

Compared with aluminum alloys such as 2219, which is widely used in space vehicle for cryogenic tanks and unpressurized structures, aluminum-lithium alloys possess attractive combinations of lower density and higher modulus along with comparable mechanical properties. These characteristics have resulted in the successful use of the aluminum-lithium alloy 2195 (Al-1.0 Li-4.0 Cu-0.4 Mg-0.4 Ag-0.12 Zr) for the Space Shuttle External Tank, and the consideration of newer U.S. aluminum-lithium alloys such as L277 and C458 for future space vehicles. These newer alloys generally have lithium content less than 2 wt. % and their composition and processing have been carefully tailored to increase the toughness and reduce the mechanical property anisotropy of the earlier generation alloys such 2090 and 8090. Alloy processing, particularly the aging treatment, has a significant influence on the strength-toughness combinations and their dependence on service environments for aluminum-lithium alloys. Work at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center on alloy 2195 has shown that the cryogenic toughness can be improved by employing a two-step aging process. This is accomplished by aging at a lower temperature in the first step to suppress nucleation of the strengthening precipitate at sub-grain boundaries while promoting nucleation in the interior of the grains. Second step aging at the normal aging temperature results in precipitate growth to the optimum size. A design of experiments aging study was conducted for plate. To achieve the T8 temper, Alloy C458 (Al-1.8 Li-2.7 Cu-0.3 Mg-0.08 Zr-0.3 Mn-0.6 Zn) is typically aged at 300F for 24hours. In this study, a two-step aging treatment was developed through a comprehensive 2(exp 4) full factorial design of experiments study and the typical one-step aging used as a reference. Based on the higher lithium content of C458 compared with 2195, the first step aging temperature was varied between 175F and 250F. The second step aging temperatures was varied between 275F and 325F, which is in the range of the single-step aging temperature. The results of the design of experiments used for the T8 temper as well as a smaller set of experiments for the T6 temper will be presented. The process of selecting the optimum aging treatment, based on the measured mechanical properties at room and cryogenic temperature as well as the observed deformation mechanisms, will be presented in detail. The implications for the use of alloy C458 in cryotanks will be discussed.

Sova, B. J.↗

Aging Optimization of Aluminum-Lithium Alloy C458 for Application to Cryotank Structures

Compared with aluminum alloys such as 2219, which is widely used in space vehicle for cryogenic tanks and unpressurized structures, aluminum-lithium alloys possess attractive combinations of lower density and higher modulus along with comparable mechanical properties. These characteristics have resulted in the successful use of the aluminum-lithium alloy 2195 (Al-1.0 Li-4.0 Cu-0.4 Mg-0.4 Ag-0.12 Zr) for the Space Shuttle External Tank, and the consideration of newer U.S. aluminum-lithium alloys such as L277 and C458 for future space vehicles. These newer alloys generally have lithium content less than 2 wt. % and their composition and processing have been carefully tailored to increase the toughness and reduce the mechanical property anisotropy of the earlier generation alloys such 2090 and 8090. Alloy processing, particularly the aging treatment, has a significant influence on the strength-toughness combinations and their dependence on service environments for aluminum-lithium alloys. Work at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center on alloy 2195 has shown that the cryogenic toughness can be improved by employing a two-step aging process. This is accomplished by aging at a lower temperature in the first step to suppress nucleation of the strengthening precipitate at sub-grain boundaries while promoting nucleation in the interior of the grains. Second step aging at the normal aging temperature results in precipitate growth to the optimum size. A design of experiments aging study was conducted for plate. To achieve the T8 temper, Alloy C458 (Al-1.8 Li-2.7 Cu-0.3 Mg- 0.08 Zr-0.3 Mn-0.6 Zn) is typically aged at 300 F for 24 hours. In this study, a two-step aging treatment was developed through a comprehensive 24 full factorial design of experiments study and the typical one-step aging used as a reference. Based on the higher lithium content of C458 compared with 2195, the first step aging temperature was varied between 175 F and 250 F. The second step aging temperatures was varied between 275 F and 325 F, which is in the range of the single-step aging temperature. The results of the design of experiments used for the T8 temper as well as a smaller set of experiments for the T6 temper will be presented. The process of selecting the optimum aging treatment, based on the measured mechanical properties at room and cryogenic temperature as well as the observed deformation mechanisms, will be presented in detail. The implications for the use of alloy C458 in cryotanks will be discussed.

Sova, B. J.↗

Numerical Implementation of Ice Rheology for Europa's Shell

We present a discussion of approximations to the temperature dependent part of the rheology of ice. We have constructed deformation maps using the superplastic rheology of Goldsby & Kohlstedt and find that the rheologies that control convective flow in the Europa's are likely grain boundary sliding and basal slip for a range of grain sizes 0.1 mm < d < 1 cm. We compare the relative merits of two different approximations to the temperature dependence of viscosity and argue that for temperature ranges appropriate to Europa, implementing the non-Newtonian, lab-derived flow law directly is required to accurately judge the onset of convection in the ice shell and temperature gradient in the near-surface ice.

Barr, A. C.↗

Effect of boron on tensile properties of B2 BeAl

Small additions of boron were shown to improve the room temperature ductility of the intermetallic compound Ni3Al. Boron is believed to segregate to the gain boundaries and strengthen them, allowing the inheret ductility of the grains to be achieved. The present study was undertaken to see if boron has a similar effect on the low temperature tensile properties of the equiatomic intermetallic compound FeAl. A binary alloy without boron is compared with an alloy containing 0.78 at % B (0.2 wt %) B, by tensile testing over the temperature range of 300 K to 640 K. Both alloys were processed by powder metallurgy. Results showed that 0.78 at % B addition to FeAl does indeed change the room temperature fracture mode from intergranular to transgranular, suggesting a strengthening of grain boundaries. The alloy containing boron is, however, still brittle at room temperature. A slight decrease in the ductile to brittle transition temperature is, nevertheless, observed. In addition a significant increase in strength of the alloy is observed with boron addition.

Crimp, M.↗

The effect of various metallurgical parameters on the flow and fracture behavior of polycrystalline NiAl near the brittle-to-ductile transition

An investigation of the effect of various metallurgical parameters such as interfaces, allowing additions, test temperature, and strain rate on the flow and fracture behavior of polycrystalline NiAl is summarized. From this study, a more complete understanding of the deformation and fracture behavior of polycrystalline NiAl near the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature has been developed. A mechanism for the BDTT is proposed that is based on the operation of localized dislocation climb processes that operate within the vicinity of the grain boundaries and provide the additional deformation mechanisms necessary for grain-to-grain compatibility during plastic deformation. Finally, methods for improving the low temperature mechanical behavior of NiAl were considered and reviewed within the context of the present knowledge of NiAl-based materials and the operative deformation and fracture mechanisms determined in this study. Special emphasis was placed on the use of second phases for improving low temperature properties.

Noebe, Ronald D.↗