Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Spalling”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 253 records · Page 14

Additive Manufactured Materials Studies

The production of additively manufactured (AM) materials, is a growing technology that potentially offers more cost effective ways to produce metallic components for various uses. Mechanical properties of some AM metals have been studied, but more work is needed to better understand their dynamic properties as a function of orientation. Due to the melting and reheating of molten metal during fabrication, these materials tend to have internal porosity and slightly different microstructures along the weldments and normal to the weldments that may cause the materials to behave differently than their forged counterparts. The AM process builds up a part layer by layer, which provides opportunities to tailor geometry and optimize structural performance in addition to minimizing the amount of material waste for oddly shaped parts, thereby reducing cost. These advanced materials hold great promise for revolutionizing design, fabrication, and assembly of engineered components and could be used for many NNSA-specific applications including armoring complex elements of nuclear weapons, and customized diagnostic components in subcritical experiments. We have conducted materials studies in collaboration with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) as well as Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) under our Site-Directed Research and Development program and the Nevada Science Initiative. We are currently placing emphasis on quantifying how dynamic properties are affected by directionality and porosity of the material. A study of dynamic failure events in forged, layered, and additive manufactured (AM) titanium alloy subject to hypervelocity impact was conducted in collaboration with UNLV. Experiments were conducted using a two stage light-gas gun, 0.22-caliber Lexan projectiles, and different types of titanium target plates. A four-channel Photonic Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) system was used to study the free surface velocities to provide an understanding of the different failure mechanisms in these materials. The experimental measurements were used to validate computational simulations, which describe the behavior of these materials under shock. It was determined that AM, forged titanium, and multi-layered stacks produce similar velocity profiles during the early stage of impact, with the AM targets exhibiting spall at lower velocities and the multi-layered stacks exhibiting vibrations between plates. Simulations of solid and layered forged materials provide a good match to experimental data.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Chemomechanical weakening of muscovite quantified with in situ liquid nanoindentation

Abstract Chemomechanical weakening of layered phyllosilicate muscovite mica was studied as a function of chemical environment via in situ liquid-nanoindentation under four conditions (dry, deionized water, and two NaCl solutions of different pH). While traditional indentation analyses of layered materials with extreme mechanical anisotropy have been limited due to displacement bursts (pop-ins), here the bursts were used as proxies for delamination, fracture, and spalling events. Since displacement bursts during an indent represent a stochastic process, 120 indents were conducted for each condition to generate statistically significant amounts of data. In total, over 9000 bursts were assessed using a load–displacement threshold criterion, classifying this as a high-throughput nanoscale fracture technique. For each burst, initiation load, initiation displacement, plastic zone volume at initiation, and energy dissipation were analyzed. A power-law relationship between the burst load and burst energy was noted which separated the bursts into two continuous distributions: (1) bursts due only to the mechanics of the indent and (2) bursts due to both the mechanics of the indent and the environment. By using a cumulative probability distribution, it was found that the NaCl solutions decreased the minimum plastic zone volume necessary to initiate a displacement burst by an order of magnitude relative to the dry condition. Finally, the underlying mechanisms explaining the trends in initiation volume as a function of environment were discussed, with a focus on the chemomechanical degradation processes via chemical attack and cation exchange.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Long-lived contaminants in cyclotron-produced radiopharmaceuticals: measurement and dosimetry

Oxygenated target waters of cyclotron targets contain long-lived contaminants due to (p,n) reactions in the HAVAR target window that are spalled into the target water. These contaminants are largely removed during the synthesis of the final imaging agent. Currently the USP requires that the final drug product be 99.5% pure, so the total activity of the long-lived contaminants can be no more than 0.5% of the final radiopharmaceutical product. A method has been developed to identify and quantify the primary contaminants using high resolution gamma spectroscopy and VRF, a new spectrum analysis tool. Uptake, retention, and excretion functions for each of the contaminating isotopes in a soluble, injected chemical form have also been calculated using International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 123 models and are presented in the Appendices A and B of Electronic Supplementary Material. In addition, specific organ and effective dose coefficients were also calculated using ICRP Publication 103 tissue weighting factors and are also presented in the Appendices A and B of Electronic Supplementary Material. As a result, typical imaging agents have contaminant loads far below the USP limit and contribute negligible doses to the patients receiving the drugs.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Stochastic Model for High Temperature Oxidation of Cr–Ni Austenitic Steels Assisted by Spallation

Abstract Cr–Ni austenitic steels offer significant high temperature corrosion protection by forming a surface oxide layer. However, above critical service conditions (temperature, atmosphere, thermal cycling), oxidized surface can experience intensive degradation because of scale spallation, which could be detrimental to the in-service life. To predict the effect of scale spallation on oxidation kinetics, a simulation was implemented using a stochastic model. The model considers topological parameters and intensity of spallation which can occur, while delivering a true oxidation constant. The experimental procedure identified the amount of formed spalled scale and topology of spallation based on the use of element mapping of the surface. This information was used to determine a true kinetic constant for a corresponding spallation intensity in oxidized Cr–Ni austenitic steel. To illustrate the capability of the stochastic model, a parametric analysis was performed. The model verified how the spallation parameters could change the oxidation processes from parabolic growth of an adhered oxide layer without spallation to a mixed linear-parabolic, or with a constant thickness of residual scale at high spallation intensity. The spallation model will be used in a separate article to characterize high temperature surface degradation of several Cr–Ni austenitic steels during harsh oxidation environments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fireside Corrosion Behaviors of Super304H and HR3C in Coal Ash/Gas Environment with Different SO{sub 2} Contents at 650 °C

The corrosion behaviors of Super304H and HR3C used for USC boiler applications were investigated in simulated coal ash/gas environments with 0.1 and 1.5% of SO{sub 2} at 650 °C for 500 h. The results indicated that the increase in SO{sub 2} accelerated the corrosion rate and the spalling tendency of the corrosion layer in both tested alloys. Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} and FeCr{sub 2}O{sub 4} main peaks were revealed by XRD on Super304H, but on HR3C only the Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} peak showed a high intensity. The SO{sub 2} content did not affect the corrosion product composition of any of the alloys, but accelerated the inner sulfidation and the spallation on Super304H. No obvious internal sulfidation was observed on HR3C in either SO{sub 2} content. Based on the experimental results, the alloy corrosion mechanism and the influence of sulfur content on the corrosion process were discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Tribological Performance of Ni{sub 3}Al Matrix Self-Lubricating Composites Containing Multilayer Graphene Prepared by Additive Manufacturing

In order to improve tribological performance of Ni{sub 3}Al-based alloy, Ni{sub 3}Al matrix composites containing 1.5 wt.% multilayer graphene (MLG) are prepared through additive manufacturing (AM) and spark plasma sintering (SPS), which are denoted as NMAM and NMSPS, respectively. Tribological behaviors of NMAM and NMSPS against Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} balls are researched under constant speed (0.2 m/s) and varied loads (from 4 to 16 N) for evaluating the tribological properties of NMAM and NMSPS. The results present that NMAM exhibits the excellent tribological properties [low friction coefficients (0.26-0.40) and considerable wear resistance (2.8-4.6 × 10{sup −5} mm{sup 3} N{sup −1} m{sup −1})] as compared to NMSPS, which attributes to the uniform enrichment of MLG with properties of high tensile strength and being easily sheared off on the worn surfaces. Owing to the use of spherical prealloyed powder containing multilayer graphene and the characteristics of layer by layer depositing in the AM process, NMAM has a more compact and uniform substrate, which persistently provides a source of the formation of continuous and stable frictional layer. Due to the characteristics of AM rapid solidification, NMAM has the small grain size and well-compacted microstructure, which can effectively reduce the probability of spalling wear and lead to the increase in wear resistance of materials. The research can offer the reference for self-lubricating materials prepared by AM technology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of Lithium on the Discharge and Corrosion Behavior of Mg-3 wt.% Al Alloy as the Anode for Seawater Activated Battery

The discharge and corrosion behavior of Mg-3 wt.% Al alloys added with different contents of lithium in 3.5 wt.% NaCl aqueous solution is studied by electrochemical methods and microstructure characterization. The results indicate that adding 4 wt.% lithium severely promotes the self-corrosion and the addition of 12 wt.% lithium is not valuable to the spalling of discharge products. In contrast, doping Mg-3 wt.% Al with 8 wt.% lithium negatively shifts the discharge potentials and inhibits the self-discharge, attributed to the dual-phase structure of α-Mg plus β-Li that removes the discharge products and favors the uniform dissolution in the course of discharge. Moreover, the multi-pass rolling with 40% reduction could tailor the microstructure of Mg-3 wt.% Al-8 wt.% Li alloy and further enhance its discharge activity, even though the corrosion resistance is slightly reduced. This means that the rolled Mg-3 wt.% Al-8 wt.% Li sheet is suitable to serve as the anode for seawater activated battery.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of Microstructure and Properties of Ni-WC Composite Coatings on Their Solid Particle Erosion Behavior

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) of WC in Co or Ni matrices are widely used due to their high wear resistance. Previous studies showed that tailoring the mechanical properties through optimum WC content can significantly extend the life cycle of MMCs. In this study, composite coatings of Ni with various WC content ranging from 10 to 55 vol.% were cold sprayed using agglomerated WCNi powders and two different sizes of Ni powders, − 10 + 4 (d{sub 50} = 7 µm) referred to as Ni(7) and − 35 + 15 (d{sub 50} = 25 µm) to as Ni(25). Microstructural characterization, including the deformed structure of Ni splats and retention and distribution of WC, was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Composite coatings were subjected to solid particle erosion following ASTM G76-13 standard. At low WC content coatings, erosion occurred primarily by plastic deformation of Ni matrices and knocking out of WC particles. At high WC concentrations, network distribution of compacted WCNi particles in the matrices led to a significant drop in erosion rates of coatings, due to a change in erosion mechanism from severe cutting and plowing of Ni and WC dislodging to WCNi splats spalling. Composite coatings sprayed using finer size Ni powder were usually more erosion resistant.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamic Tensile Experimental Techniques for Geomaterials: A Comprehensive Review

Here, this review article is dedicated to the Dynamic Behavior of Materials Technical Division for celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Society for Experimental Mechanics (SEM). Understanding dynamic behavior of geomaterials is critical for analyzing and solving engineering problems of various applications related to underground explosions, seismic, airblast, and penetration events. Determining the dynamic tensile response of geomaterials has been a great challenge in experiments due to the nature of relatively low tensile strength and high brittleness. Various experimental approaches have been made in the past century, especially in the most recent half century, to understand the dynamic behavior of geomaterials in tension. In this review paper, we summarized the dynamic tensile experimental techniques for geomaterials that have been developed. The major dynamic tensile experimental techniques include dynamic direct tension, dynamic split tension, and spall tension. All three of the experimental techniques are based on Hopkinson or split Hopkinson (also known as Kolsky) bar techniques and principles. Finally, uniqueness and limitations for each experimental technique are also discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Shock-Wave Proprieties of High-Strength Ceramics

The shock and release response of a suite of high-strength ceramics has been investigated with controlled planar impact methods and velocity interferometry diagnostics. The study provides Hugoniot, yield and post-yield compressive strength, phase transformation and tensile spall material properties data for these ceramics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Multimodal 3D characterization of voids in shock-loaded tantalum: Implications for ductile spallation mechanisms

Predicting the failure of crystalline materials at high strain rates requires knowledge of the underlying failure mechanisms and their dependence on microstructure. However, little experimental consensus exists on the underlying micromechanics of spallation. In this study, a 3D-EBSD characterization experiment is performed on tantalum prior to and after partial spallation by plate impact, which allowed for the statistical assessment of the microstructural neighborhoods surrounding incipient voids. In analyzing the resulting dataset containing 5884 grains and 467 voids, it is observed that the voids were roughly spherical and consistent in size throughout the spalled material. The voids mostly resided at quadruple points, at triple junctions, at grain boundaries, and within grains, in decreasing order of prevalence. Moreover, voids tended to form at grain boundaries with high degrees of plastic incompatibility, growing into the plastically soft grain but orienting primarily with or perpendicular to the loading direction. Here, the statistics from these analyses of 3D microstructural data support dynamic cavitation models for ductile spallation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Improving stability of ALD ZrN thin film coatings over U-Mo dispersion fuel

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZrN is a candidate technology for coating U-Mo dispersion fuel as a diffusion barrier coating. During the early development stages of the coating the ZrN deposition showed to be mechanically unstable and ultimately resulted in spalling. Based on experimental outcomes it was found that instabillity can be eliminated through the introduction of a thin amorphous (a) Al 2 O 3 interlayer coating deposited in between the ~1-μm thick ZrN and the U-Mo. substrate. To elucidate these findings simulations were performed with density functional theory (DFT) to measure work of adhesions at different interfaces while finite element modeling (FEM) was performed to measure the residual stress distribution. DFT indicated that the ZrN coating deposited over (a)-Al 2 O 3 is ~2.5 times stronger when compared to direct deposition over U or UO 2 substrate. While calculations from FEM recognized; (1) large stress concentrations can originate from the irregularly distributed native surface oxides (UO 2 ) over U-Mo and (2) stress concentrations can be reduced if those surface UO 2 can be modified to a uniform layer (achieved after application of a 8 nm (a)-Al 2 O 3 interlayer). These results provided explanations and confirmed the role played by interlayer in eliminating the original mechanical instability of the ZrN.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

A discrete-continuum coupled finite element modelling approach for fibre reinforced concrete

Highlights: • An easy-to-implement but effective meso-scale modelling approach is developed for FRC. • It is capable of simulating and interpreting all main failure mechanisms in FRC. • It is critically validated by experiments with single or multiple random fibres under various loading conditions. • It can be used to optimise key design factors of FRC at meso/material scale by parametric studies. - Abstract: Fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) exhibits complicated failure modes such as fibre breakage, mortar cracking, crushing and spalling, fibre-mortar interfacial debonding, depending on many material properties, geometric dimensions, boundary and loading conditions. Most existing numerical models are unable to reproduce these failure modes that may occur simultaneously or sequentially in a specimen, mainly due to difficulties in generating finite element meshes with a large number of randomly-oriented fibres. Herein we develop a discrete-continuum coupled finite element modelling approach for FRC materials capable of effectively simulating all the major failure modes. The continuum damaged plasticity model is used to simulate damage and fracture behaviour of the mortar, while debonding of fibre-mortar interfaces is modelled by nonlinear cohesive interfacial elements. Unique techniques are devised to generate conforming meshes between fibres and the surrounding mortar so that the randomly-oriented fibres are easily modelled. The modelling approach is validated by simulating single fibre pullout tests with different inclination angles, notched and non-notched direct tensile tests and three-point bending beam tests with randomly-distributed multiple fibres.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Application of neutron imaging to investigate fundamental aspects of durability of cement-based materials: A review

Service life and durability of reinforced concrete structures have become crucial issues in all industrialized countries because of their economic and ecological relevance. Limited durability is frequently due to deterioration of steel and cement-based materials, such as mortar and concrete, by interactions with water and aggressive aqueous solutions. Neutron imaging has proved to be a powerful non-destructive technique to study quantitatively water content and water movement in porous materials. A neutron beam is much more attenuated by hydrogen in water than by most other elements present in cement-based materials. In this review, focus is placed on applications of both two-dimensional neutron radiography and three-dimensional neutron tomography to investigate specific aspects of durability and deterioration of cement-based materials. Examples of results obtained by qualitative and quantitative investigations of moisture movement in cracked and uncracked cement-based materials are presented. Self-healing, efficiency of water repellent treatment, internal curing, frost damage, fire spalling, ettringite formation and observations of various reinforced concrete components are addressed. The results obtained by neutron imaging provide a solid basis for better understanding of deterioration mechanisms of cement-based materials. Recent improvements of neutron imaging facilities have allowed unexpected possibilities to study complex processes in cement-based materials. The potential for further research based on this promising technology is outlined and discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Analysis of moisture migration in concrete at high temperature through in-situ neutron tomography

Spalling, which is a phenomenon encountered when high-performance concrete is exposed to high temperature, can lead to large economical damage and can be a major safety hazard. Moisture distribution in concrete during exposure to fire is of paramount importance for understanding the complex mechanism of this phenomenon. To capture in its fullness this mechanism, it is crucial to account for the heterogeneous nature of concrete. In this paper, the first 3D analysis of moisture distribution in concrete at high temperature through in-situ neutron tomography is presented. The world-leading flux at the Institute Laue Langevin in Grenoble, France allowed capturing one 3D scan per minute, which is sufficient to follow the fast dehydration process. The paper describes the experimental setup with the heating system and discusses in detail the framework of the neutron tomography test. Quantitative analysis showing the effect of the aggregate size on the moisture distribution is presented.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Temperature transformation of blended magnesium potassium phosphate cement binders

In this study, a multi-technique approach was utilised to determine the high temperature performance of magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC) blended with fly ash (FA) or ground granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) with respect to nuclear waste immobilisation applications. Conceptual fire conditions were employed (up to 1200 °C, 30 min) to simulate scenarios that could occur during interim storage, transportation or within a final geological disposal facility. After exposure up to 400 °C, the main crystalline phase, struvite-K (MgKPO{sub 4}·6H{sub 2}O), was dehydrated to poorly crystalline MgKPO{sub 4} (with corresponding volumetric and mass changes), with MgKPO{sub 4} recrystallisation achieved by 800 °C. XRD and SEM/EDX analysis revealed reaction occurred between the MgKPO{sub 4} and FA/GBFS components after exposure to 1000–1200 °C, with the formation of potassium aluminosilicate phases, leucite and kalsilite (KAlSi{sub 2}O{sub 6} and KAlSiO{sub 4}), commensurate with a reduced relative intensity (or complete elimination) of the dehydrated struvite-K phase, MgKPO{sub 4.} This was further supported by solid-state NMR ({sup 27}Al and {sup 29}Si MAS), where only residual features associated with the raw FA/GBFS components were observable at 1200 °C. The high temperature phase transformation of blended MKPC binders resulted in the development of a glass/ceramic matrix with all existing porosity infilled via sintering and the formation of a vitreous phase, whilst the physical integrity was retained (no cracking or spalling). This study demonstrates that, based on small-scaled specimens, blended MKPC binders should perform satisfactorily under fire performance parameters relevant to the operation of a geological disposal facility, up to at least 1200 °C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Clinkerless ultra-high strength concrete based on alkali-activated slag at high temperatures

This work investigates the degradation mechanisms of clinkerless alkali-activated slag based ultra-high strength concrete (AAS-UHSC) upon exposure to high temperatures up to 800 °C. The heat-induced mechanical, mineralogical, molecular, microstructural, and pore structure alterations of AAS-UHSC prepared with various activator types, water-to-powder ratios, and fiber incorporation are studied. The results demonstrate the beneficial roles of potassium incorporation on improving the thermal stability and integrity of AAS-UHSC, via suppressing deleterious crystallization and transformation of aluminosilicate phases at high temperature. In contrast to Portland cement clinker-based UHSC, no sign of explosive spalling is observed in AAS-UHSC, likely due to the presence of microcracks that enhance the pore network connectivity. The mechanical degradation of AAS-UHSC at high temperature below 600 °C is resulted from dehydration and decomposition of phases and consecutive thermal cracking, together with enlarged porosity and coarsened pore structure. As the temperature rising to 800 °C, crystallization and transformation of phases, as well as formation of porous microstructure, considerably aggravate the mechanical degradation of AAS-UHSC. In contrast to the thermal damage mitigation by polymeric fibers in conventional UHSC, the fiber incorporation has little positive impact on the thermal resistance of AAS-UHSC.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗