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At least 289 records · Page 16

Solidification processing of intermetallic Nb-Al alloys

Several Nb-Al alloys, including single-phase NbAl3 and the eutectic of Nb2Al and NbAl3, were prepared either by nonconsumable arc melting in Ar or by zone processing in He following initial induction melting and rod casting, and the effect of the solidification route on the microstructure and room-temperature mechanical properties of these alloys was investigated. Automated control procedures and melt conditions for directional solidification of NbAl3 and the Nb2Al/Nb3Al eutectic were developed; high purity and stoichiometry were obtained. The effects of ternary additions of Ti and Ni are described.

Smith, Preston P.↗

Radial and directional solidification of metallic systems in space

Investigation of the solidification behavior of spherical specimens of Ni-12 wt % Sn and Ni-1 wt % Ag that froze radially from the surface toward the center and cylindrical specimens of Al-33 wt % Cu eutectic that froze directionally under appropriately selected conditions of thermal gradient at the solid-liquid interface and growth rate. Possible effects of vacuum and low gravity conditions, under which the spherical specimens were processed, on observed nucleation and growth phenomena are discussed. A genetic explanation is given of observed microstructures, and the distributions of alloying elements is discussed. In directionally solidified eutectic specimens a comparison is made between statistically evaluated growth defects in Skylab and in ground specimens.

Katamis, T. Z.↗

The solubility of gold in silicate melts: First results

The effects of oxygen fugacity and temperature on the solubility of Au in silicate melts were determined. Pd-Au alloys were equilibrated with silicate of anorthite-diopside eutectic composition at different T-fO2 conditions. The behavior of Au was found to be similar to that of Pd reported recently. Au solubilities for alloys with 30 to 40 at. percent Au decrease at 1400 C from 12 ppm in air to 160 ppb at a log fO2 = -8.7. The slope of the log(Me-solubility) vs. log(fO2) curve is close to 1/4 for Au and the simultaneously determined Pd suggesting a formal valence of Au and Pd of 1+. Near the IW buffer Pd and Au solubilities become even less dependent on fO2 perhaps reflecting the presence of some metallic Au and Pd.

Borisov, A.↗

Superalloy eutectic composites with the VI A refractory elements - Cr, Mo and W

The paper discusses the phase equilibria for the ternary systems NiAlCr, NiAlMo, and NiAlW, with emphasis on reactions from the liquid state, although some of the solid state reactions are mentioned. It is shown that eutectics in the Ni-Al-refractory element (Cr, Mo, W) systems offer the potential for high-temperature turbine blade and vane applications. In particular, it is shown that the phase diagrams of these ternary systems can be manipulated to alter the eutectic phases and morphologies by simple quaternary alloying modifications. The resultant combination of chemistry and structure can be controlled to ensure a behavior that is well-matched to hot section component materials requirements.

Jackson, M. R.↗

Corrosion evaluation of Al-Cu-Mn-Zr cast alloys in 3.5% NaCl solution

Corrosion behavior of cast Al-Cu-Mn-Zr (ACMZ) and RR350 alloys was compared to a cast 319 alloy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl. After 168 h immersion, ACMZ and RR350 alloys suffered from preferential attack adjacent to intermetallic particles decorated at grain boundaries while the attack in 319 occurred in eutectic Al-Si dendritic boundaries. Electrochemical data allowed semiquantitative comparison of alloy resistance to corrosion initiation, and ACMZ type alloys, including RR350 and three alloys with higher Cu, were considered more resistant than 319 due to the absence of deleterious Si particles. In case of 319, such Si particles presumably drove higher micro-galvanic influence to initiate and sustain Al corrosion. With lower susceptibility to corrosion initiation, ACMZ alloys should exhibit higher or at minimum similar resistance compared to cast 319.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Copper/nickel eutectic brazing of titanium

Technique joins titanium or one of its alloys to materials, such as iron, nickel or cobalt base material, or to refractory metals. To ensure formation of a satisfactory bond, the temperature, time, environment and pressure must be controlled.

Kutchera, R. E.↗

Binary alloys for refractory-metal brazing

Data on binary-metal eutectics and melting-point minimums have been assembled for use in selecting brazing filler compositions for refractory metals. Data are presented in four tables for ready reference. Brief discussion of problems and potentials of metallides is included in appendix.

Morris, J. F.↗

The effect of thermal cycling on the structure and properties of a Co, Cr, Ni-TaC directionally solidified eutectic composite

A Co, Cr, Ni-TaC directionally solidified eutectic composite was subjected to thermal fatigue between 427-1093°C. The material suffered degradation in microstructure and elevated temperature mechanical properties. The loss in properties varied with the maximum cycling temperature and number of cycles. This behavior is attributed to the increasing solubility of the TaC in the matrix with temperature from 0.4% at room temperature to 2.2% at 1200°C. During the thermal cycling, the TaC is subjected to solution and reprecipitation which form serrations on the fibers since the easy growth planes of the TaC are not coincident with the fiber faces exposed to the matrix.

Composites↗

Osmium Solubility in Silicate Melts: New Efforts and New Results

In a recent paper, Borisov and Palme reported the first experimental results on the partitioning of Os between metal (Ni-rich OsNi alloys) and silicate melt of anorthite-diopside eutectic composition at 1400 C and 1 atm total pressure and and at function of O2 from 10(exp -8) to 10(exp -12) atm. Experiments were done by equilibrating OsNi metal loops with silicate melt. Metal and glass were analyzed separately by INAA. D(sup 0s) ranged from 10(exp 6) to 10(exp 7), which is inconsistent with core/ mantle equilibrium for HSEs and favors the late veneer hypothesis. Unfortunately, there was practically no function of O2 dependence of Os partitioning, and the scatter of experimental results was quite serious, so the formation of Os nuggets was suspected. This new set of experiments was specifically designed to avoid of at least minimize the nugget problem

Borisov, A.↗

Uncovering the re-distribution mechanism of Ni in a de-alloyed Ni-Cr alloy in molten fluorinated salts

A mechanism of Ni redeposition during dealloying corrosion of Ni-Cr is investigated. A model Ni20Cr (wt%) metal alloy was exposed to molten LiF-NaF-KF eutectic (FLiNaK) at 600 °C and at an applied potential of +2.1 VK+/K, above the critical potential for onset of dealloying. Upon extended exposure times (up to 12 h), prominent salt-filled corrosion channels emerge along grain boundaries. A unique grain boundary corrosion mechanism, with respect to the exposed faces of the grains, a central focus of this investigation, is intrinsically connected to the formation of high purity Ni-rich de-alloyed regions within the salt-filled channel. We implement microscale techniques such as energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) to uncover morphological and compositional variations in relevance to the formation of bicontinuous porosity from corrosion dealloying. To rationalize our findings, a phase-field model is developed and discovers a mechanism in which dissolved Ni from one grain can be redeposited on an adjacent grain at a given difference in interfacial energies. The interaction of chemical and structural factors at the grain boundaries plays a central role in elucidating the dynamics of this phenomenon and its implications towards corrosion.

Mills, Sean H↗

Coatings for directional eutectics

Coating compositions were evaluated for oxidation protection of directionally solidified composite alloy NiTaC-13. These coatings included three NiCrAlY compositions (30-5-1, 25-10-1 and 20-15-1), two FeCrAlY compositions (30-5-1 and 25-10-1), a CoCrAlY composition (25-10-1), and one duplex coating, Ni-35Cr + Al. Duplicate pin samples of each composition were evaluated using two cyclic furnace oxidation tests of 100 hours at 871 C and 500 hours at 1093 C. The two best coatings were Ni-20Cr-15Al-lY and Ni-35Cr + Al. The two preferred coatings were deposited on pins and were evaluated in detail in .05 Mach cyclic burner rig oxidation to 1093 C. The NiCrAlY coating was protective after 830 hours of cycling, while the duplex coating withstood 630 hours. Test bars were coated and cycled for up to 500 hours. Tensile tests indicated no effect of coatings on strength. In 871 C air stress rupture, a degradation was observed for coated relative to bare material. The cycled NiCrAlY coating offered excellent protection with properties superior to the bare cycled NiTaC-13 in 1093 C air stress rupture.

Jackson, M. R.↗

Triggered Nucleation in Ni60Nb40 Using an Electrostatic Levitator

External triggering of nucleation in an undercooled liquid metal has been performed for the first time in an electrostatically levitated sample of undercooled eutectic Ni60Nb40. With the Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) facility at NASA/MSFC, NiNb alloys were externally nucleated at various undercooling increments. Observation of the resulting microstructure indicates that only one nucleation site is initiated with a trigger if the undercooling is sufficiently high. Well-defined transition zones exist in all the samples. An "anomalous" fine structured eutectic is initially grown from the nucleation point into the undercooled liquid followed by an unexpected variable width transition zone leading to a coarse structured region of dendrites. Our study tends to corroborate the findings of other studies on highly undercooled eutectics regarding a coupled growth zone within which the lamellar structure is formed and outside of which the anomalous is found.

Rathz, T.↗

Identification of salt-alloy combinations for thermal energy storage applications in advanced solar dynamic power systems

Thermodynamic calculations based on the available data for flouride salt systems reveal that a number of congruently melting compositions and eutectics exist which have the potential to meet the lightweight, high energy storage requirements imposed for advanced solar dynamic systems operating between about 1000 and 1400 K. Compatibility studies to determine suitable containment alloys to be used with NaF-22CaF2-13MgF2, NaF-32CaF2, and NaF-23MgF2 have been conducted at the eutectic temperature + 25 K for each system. For these three NaF-based eutectics, none of the common, commercially available high temperature alloys appear to offer adequate corrosion resistance for a long lifetime; however mild steel, pure nickel and Nb-1Zr could prove useful. These latter materials suggest the possibility that a strong, corrosion resistant, nonrefractory, elevated temperature alloy based on the Ni-Ni3Nb system could be developed.

Whittenberger, J. D.↗

Elucidating the corrosion mechanism of commercial Ni-based Superalloys in UCl3 containing-chloride Molten Salt Systems

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) have gained renewed interest, providing several advantages over their predecessors, including the capability to consume spent fuels, enhancing the environmental sustainability of the uranium fuel cycle. For example, molten chloride fast reactors (MCFRs) can reach criticality with molten chloride spent fuel containing high concentrations of impurities, such as actinide products like uranium chloride (UCl3). However, the redox potential of chloride molten salt fuels may change in the presence of these impurities, dictating their corrosivity and in turn the corrosion performance of structural components, such as those constructed from nickel (Ni)-based alloys. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the extent of corrosion of Ni-based alloy, Inconel 617, when exposed to UCl3-LiCl-KCl eutectic salt. Inconel 617 one of only six structural materials that are fully qualified by the American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for high-temperature nuclear reactor components, making it a technologically mature material to consider for constructing MCFRs. Inconel 617 specimens were submerged in a static LiCl-KCl-UCl3 eutectic salt mixture heated at 700 C for 1000 h under an inert atmosphere. Upon completion, the extent of corrosion was analyzed through a multi-modal characterization approach spanning the engineering to nanoscale, employing computed tomography, focused-ion beam, and transmission electron microscopy techniques. Results from this investigation will enhance our understanding of property-to-performance relationships of candidate structural materials for MSRs with respect to corrosion resistance and interactions between the salt and alloy interface.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

From irregular to regular eutectic growth in the Al-Al 3 Ni system: In situ observations during directional solidification

Here we investigate the irregular eutectic growth dynamics of the Al-Al 3 Ni alloy, in which one of the solid phases (Al 3 Ni) grows faceted from the liquid. Leveraging in situ optical microscopy and synchrotron transmission x-ray microscopy, we address the question of the degree of coupling between Al and Al 3 Ni at the growth front and that of the shape of the microstructures left behind in the bulk solid during directional solidification. Real-time optical observations bring evidence for a morphological transition from a eutectic-grain dependent, irregular eutectic growth at low solidification velocity V (typically 1 μm s -1 ), to a weakly anisotropic, regular growth at higher V ( reaching 10 μm s -1 ). Unprecedented x-ray nano-imaging of the solid–liquid interface, and 3D characterization of the growth patterns, were made possible by a new DS setup at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s NSLS-II. At low V, the leading tips of partly faceted Al 3 Ni crystals are observed to grow not far ahead of the Al growth front. Correlating in situ images and postmortem 3D tomographic reconstructions reveals that the presence of faceted and non-faceted regions of Al 3 Ni crystals in the solid is a direct consequence of coupling and decoupling during DS, respectively. Upon increasing V, the lead distance of Al 3 Ni vanishes, and the shape of Al 3 Ni ceases to be governed by faceted growth. These observations cast light onto the basic mechanisms (faceted growth, diffusive coupling, and the dynamics of trijunctions) governing a faceted to rod-like transition upon increasing V in the Al 3 Ni system, with broad implications to a large class of irregular eutectics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

M551 metals melting experiment

Electron beam welding studies were conducted in the Skylab M551 metals melting experiment, on three different materials; namely 2219-T87 aluminum alloy, 304L stainless steel, and commercially pure tantalum (0.5 wt % columbium). Welds were made in both one gravity and zero gravity (Skylab) environments. Segments from each of the welds were investigated by microhardness, optical microscopy, scanning microscopy, and electron probe techniques. In the 2219-T87 aluminum alloy samples, macroscopic banding and the presence of an eutectic phase in the grain boundaries of the heat affected zone were observed. The stainless steel samples exhibited a sharp weld interface and macroscopic bands. The primary microstructural features found in the tantalum were the presence of either columnar grains (ground base) or equiaxed grains (Skylab). The factors contributing to these effects are discussed and the role of reduced gravity in welding is considered.

Busch, G.↗