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Results for “rate-dependent material”

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.

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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Thermoviscoplastic analysis of engine cowl leading edge subjected to oscillating shock-shock interaction

A finite element thermoviscoplastic analysis method, which employs a unified constitutive model proposed by Bodner and Partom, is used to predict rate-dependent nonlinear structural behavior. The method is evaluated by predicting stress-strain behavior of a uniaxially loaded bar of nickel-based superalloy (B1900 + Hf) material. The method is used to predict the time-dependent thermoviscoplastic response of a B1900 + Hf leading edge subjected to oscillating shock-shock interaction loading. Viscoplastic analysis shows that the leading edge experiences significant plastic straining. The plastic region increases with cyclic loading in the high heat flux area.

Pandey, Ajay K.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Light thermal structures and materials for high speed flight

Over the last twenty years, unified viscoplastic constitutive models have evolved to meet this need. These constitutive models provide a means for representing a material's response from the elastic through the plastic range including strain-rate dependent plastic flow, creep, and stress relaxation. Rate-dependent plasticity effects are known to be important at elevated temperatures. The purpose of this paper is to describe computational and experimental research programs underway at the Light Thermal Structures Center focused on the investigation of the response of structures and materials to local heating. In the first part of the paper, finite element thermoviscoplastic analysis is highlighted. In the second part of the paper, the thermal-structures experimental program is outlined.

Thornton, Earl A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Strongly nonlinear wave propagation in elasto-plastic metamaterials: Low-order dynamic modeling

Nonlinear elastic metamaterials are known to support a variety of dynamic phenomena that enhance our capacity to manipulate elastic waves. Since these properties stem from complex, subwavelength geometry, full-scale dynamic simulations are often prohibitively expensive at scales of interest. Prior studies have therefore utilized low-order effective medium models, such as discrete mass-spring lattices, to capture essential properties in the long-wavelength limit. While models of this type have been successfully implemented for a wide variety of nonlinear elastic systems, they have predominantly considered dynamics depending only on the instantaneous kinematics of the lattice, neglecting history-dependent effects, such as wear and plasticity. Here, to address this limitation, the present study develops a lattice-based modeling framework for nonlinear elastic metamaterials undergoing plastic deformation. Due to the history- and rate-dependent nature of plasticity, the framework generally yields a system of differential-algebraic equations whose computational cost is significantly greater than an elastic system of comparable size. We demonstrate the method using several models inspired by classical lattice dynamics and continuum plasticity theory and explore means to obtain empirical plasticity models for general geometries, thereby gaining insight into the influence of microstructural plasticity on effective material performance, which can be used to improve the design of nonlinear mechanical metamaterials.

Dynamic simulation↗
NASA NTRS1985

Advances and trends in structures and dynamics; Proceedings of the Symposium, Washington, DC, October 22-25, 1984

Among the topics discussed are developments in structural engineering hardware and software, computation for fracture mechanics, trends in numerical analysis and parallel algorithms, mechanics of materials, advances in finite element methods, composite materials and structures, determinations of random motion and dynamic response, optimization theory, automotive tire modeling methods and contact problems, the damping and control of aircraft structures, and advanced structural applications. Specific topics covered include structural design expert systems, the evaluation of finite element system architectures, systolic arrays for finite element analyses, nonlinear finite element computations, hierarchical boundary elements, adaptive substructuring techniques in elastoplastic finite element analyses, automatic tracking of crack propagation, a theory of rate-dependent plasticity, the torsional stability of nonlinear eccentric structures, a computation method for fluid-structure interaction, the seismic analysis of three-dimensional soil-structure interaction, a stress analysis for a composite sandwich panel, toughness criterion identification for unidirectional composite laminates, the modeling of submerged cable dynamics, and damping synthesis for flexible spacecraft structures.

Noor, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Analysis of thermomechanical fatigue of unidirectional titanium metal matrix composites

Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) data was generated for a Ti-15V-3Cr-3Al-3Sn (Ti-15-3) material reinforced with SCS-6 silicon carbide fibers for both in-phase and out-of-phase thermomechanical cycling. Significant differences in failure mechanisms and fatigue life were noted for in-phase and out-of-phase testing. The purpose of the research is to apply a micromechanical model to the analysis of the data. The analysis predicts the stresses in the fiber and the matrix during the thermal and mechanical cycling by calculating both the thermal and mechanical stresses and their rate-dependent behavior. The rate-dependent behavior of the matrix was characterized and was used to calculate the constituent stresses in the composite. The predicted 0 degree fiber stress range was used to explain the composite failure. It was found that for a given condition, temperature, loading frequency, and time at temperature, the 0 degree fiber stress range may control the fatigue life of the unidirectional composite.

Mirdamadi, M.↗
NASA NTRS1977

An experimental investigation on the tensile moduli and strengths of graphite/epoxy laminates

The results of a series of tensile tests on some graphite/epoxy laminates, at rates varying from 0.002 to 2 in./min are examined. The loads were applied at various angles to the fiber directions in each case. The rate-dependent behavior of the stress-strain response is assessed. Evidence is presented to indicate that failure first occurs on inner plies, and that, in some cases, moduli increase with increasing stress (or strain) level. Lamination theory is used to predict the moduli, and comparisons with experiment are given. This theory is also used in conjunction with three failure theories to predict ultimate strengths (with varying degrees of success). Further, two approaches to ply unloading after first-ply failure are used and discussed. One is a standard method found in the literature while the other is a proposed 'strength-of-materials' type of technique which is computationally much simpler.

Yeow, Y. T.↗
DOE OSTI2025

2024 Second Half Semi Annual Report: Modeling plasticity-mediated flow in metals with pressurized cavities

The objective is to better predict the bulk-scale mechanical behavior of porous metals that have over pressurized cavities (e.g., irradiated metals with helium bubbles) by quantifying the complex coupling among cavity aspects (e.g., size distribution, inhomogeneous overpressure values, spatial arrangement) and metal properties (e.g., rate-dependency, crystallographic lattice). This requires up-scaling local mechanical fields from the single crystal scale and will be accomplished using a homogenization approach that combines full-field numerical simulations, analytical formalisms, and physics-informed machine learning to produce symbolically-defined constitutive equations (e.g., gauge functions). These equations will satisfy the objective because they enable computationally efficient predictions that approach the accuracy of computationally expensive full-field numerical simulations, abide by theoretical requirements (e.g., conservation of energy, work conjugacy), and retain the transparency of analytical models.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Facet-Dependent Doping and Dopant-Dependent Faceting in Si-Doped GaAsSb Nanowires

Here, we correlate the spatial distributions of Si, Sb, and rotational twins in Si-doped GaAs 1-x Sb x nanowires. GaAs 1-x Sb x nanowires were grown epitaxially on Si(111) substrates by tuning process conditions to achieve repeated nucleation of rotational twins and growth along the [111]B direction; dilute Sb and Si fluxes were chosen to create a sufficient twin density to achieve high yield while avoiding growth of the wurtzite phase. While the impact of Si and Sb on twin density and nanowire growth rate has been previously reported, the facet-dependent incorporation of these species has not been established. Scanning transmission electron microscopy was used to confirm that Sb incorporates preferentially on the (111)B facets relative to {1 ̅1 ̅0} facets prior to nucleation of a rotational twin. With periodic twinning, this facet dependence leads to alternating regions of enriched and depleted Sb concentration attributed to a growth rate-dependent Sb-As-exchange mechanism. Atom probe tomography measurements establish that while Si doping is not perturbed by twinning on (111)B facets, Si and Sb concentrations are anti-correlated for growth on non-(111)B facets. Density functional theory calculations underpin a thermodynamic model that explains the observed anisotropies in dopant incorporation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Understanding Oxide–Metal Interactions During Hot Isostatic Pressing to Diffusion Bond Aluminum Alloy 6061 Plates

The interaction between Mg, Si, and Al 2 O 3 during hot isostatic pressing diffusion bonding of aluminum alloy 6061 (AA6061) plates was investigated through thermodynamic calculations and experimental microstructural characterization. Thermodynamic calculations as functions of temperature, pressure, and composition revealed that the interaction among Mg, Si, and Al 2 O 3 yields Mg 2 Si and either MgO + Al or MgAl 2 O 4 + Al, facilitating the reduction of Al 2 O 3 and allowing Al/Al metallic bonds to form. Total pressure variation had a negligible influence on the oxygen partial pressure, and consequently, the reaction product formation. Oxygen partial pressure variation as a function of temperature and initial amount of Al 2 O 3 determined the formation of either MgO or MgAl 2 O 4 . Experimental Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP) bonding at 723 K and 833 K under a constant pressure of 1017 atm documented the cooling rate-dependent formation of β–Mg 2 Si precipitates. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging and selected area electron diffraction patterns verified the formation of β–Mg 2 Si and MgO at the interface but did not detect MgAl 2 O 4 . In conclusion, findings from this study clarify the role of thermochemical interactions in oxide disruption and bonding mechanisms during HIP diffusion bonding of AA6061 and provide guidance for optimizing joining processes for monolithic nuclear fuel assemblies.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Implications of point defect accumulation on UO 2 thermal conductivity and fission gas release under accelerated fuel irradiation

Evaluation of thermal properties is a crucial factor for nuclear fuel performance. During reactor operation, the accumulation of fission products and irradiation-induced lattice defects are responsible for degradation in thermal conductivity. Consequently, it affects fuel temperature and fission gas release (FGR) among other Multiphysics processes important for economics and safety analysis. We analyze the implications of point defects (PD) accumulation described using a rate theory (RT) Model on lattice thermal conductivity of UO 2 . Here, we demonstrate that fission rate-dependent point defect concentrations have the largest impact on in-pile thermal conductivity in the periphery of light water reactor fuels below a temperature threshold governed by the migration barrier of defects. Our analysis provides a mechanistic description of this phenomena which current fuel performance codes treat empirically. The reduction of thermal conductivity in the low -temperature rim region acts as additional thermal resistance and leads to a temperature notably larger than suggested by Lucuta thermal conductivity correlation. These effects are anticipated to have notable impacts when fuels are exposed to accelerated radiation. The impact of such point defect-informed treatment of thermal conductivity on fuel performance is evaluated by a detailed analysis of fission gas behavior and its release. We consider several models capturing different stages of fission gas bubble evolution and fission gas release (FGR). Finally, a new fission rate-dependent correction to the Lucuta correlation is proposed. The results show a significant reduction in thermal conductivity at the fuels’ periphery and an increase in fuel centerline temperature specifically at low burnups. Ultimately a modified LC shows a higher FGR compared to the original LC, while the acceleration process results in a reduction in overall FGR.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Understanding rate-dependent textured growth in zinc electrodeposition via high-throughput in situ x-ray diffraction

Zn-ion batteries with aqueous electrolytes are promising for large-scale energy storage as they are low-cost, environment-friendly and safe. The commercialization of Zn-ion batteries is hindered by several challenges such as the formation of detrimental Zn dendrites. High current density is previously thought to stimulate the dendritic growth of metals such as Li in electrodeposition. However, our study finds that for metallic Zn negative electrode in Zn-ion batteries, high-current deposition results in a dense and flat Zn layer with a (002) texture, which extends the cycling life. Low-current deposition, on the other hand, leads to a porous and dendritic morphology and a short cycling life. Using a synchrotron-based high-throughput in situ X-ray diffraction method we recently developed, Zn deposition under different conditions is systematically investigated, and a texture formation mechanism is proposed. Based on these findings, we suggest guidelines for designing cycling protocols that enable long-lasting Zn-ion batteries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

A rheological model for loose sands with insights from DEM

A rheological model for loose granular media is developed to capture both solid-like and fluid-like responses during shearing. The proposed model is built by following the mathematical structure of an extended Kelvin–Voigt model, where an elastic spring and plastic slider act in parallel to a viscous damper. This arrangement requires the partition of the total stress into rate-independent and rate-dependent stress components. To model the solid-like behavior, a simple frictional plasticity model is adopted without modifications, thus contributing to the rate-independent stress. Instead, the fluid-like or rate-dependent stress is further decomposed into deviatoric and volumetric parts, by proposing a new formulation based on a combination of the μ(I) relation, originally developed under pressure-controlled shear, with a pressure-shear rate relation derived under volume-controlled shear. The proposed formulation allows the model to capture both the increase in the friction coefficient and the enhanced dilation at high shear rates. High-fidelity simulation data, obtained from discrete element method and multiscale modelling, are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed constitutive model. The model provides accurate results under both drained and undrained simple shear paths across a wide range of shear rates. Furthermore, it successfully reproduces at much lower computational cost the flowslide mobility computed through multiscale simulations, which is primarily regulated by the shear rate dependence of the material properties during the dynamic runout stage.

Elasticity↗
DOE OSTI2026

A physically based mechanical model for Mullins effect in thermoplastic polyurethanes

Despite decades of research, connecting the chemical and physical structure of thermoplastic polyurethanes to their mechanical properties remains highly challenging. Of particular note are their large-deformation and rate-dependent behaviors, which vary greatly with molecular chemistry, including the type and relative content of soft and hard segments. In this work, we develop a physically motivated mechanical theory for predicting the behavior of thermoplastic polyurethanes. The theory incorporates a representation of microstructural evolution during mechanical deformation, which captures the signatures of stress softening over cyclic loading (commonly referred to as the Mullins effect). There are only eight physically motivated fitting parameters, including a direct dependence on the hard segment fraction. The model predicts that increasing the hard segment fraction leads to higher stiffness and greater energy dissipation, in quantitative agreement with published experimental data. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the model and validate its predictions across several independent datasets focused on mechanical characterization. Direct comparisons to experimental data demonstrate its predictive capability on the effect of loading rate, cyclic deformations, and applied tension or compression. Altogether, this work establishes a predictive framework that connects polymer chemistry and microstructure to emergent mechanical behaviors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Recrystallization driven softening and heating rate dependencies of FeCrAl nuclear fuel cladding during accident transients

A refined understanding of FeCrAl cladding behavior during rapid transients is critical for its potential deployment in light-water reactors. Current assessments focus on transient burst testing metrics such as balloon geometry, burst temperature, and hoop stress, often used as proxies for simpler conventional tensile properties. However, directly correlating isothermal tensile and creep data with accident transient scenarios remains a challenge, although it is essential for high fidelity model development. Recent modeling based on tensile tests up to 800 °C, conducted with both immediate loading and a 10-minute soak, showed that immediate loading better predicts experimental burst temperatures, indicating a thermal softening effect. Building upon this observation, the current study connects transient performance, microstructural evolution, and high-temperature tensile properties by leveraging results from C26M claddings burst tests performed at heating rates of 1–50 °C/s and hoop stresses from 25 to 100 MPa. At 25 MPa, rupture temperatures varied by only 6 °C, but at 100 MPa, the difference reached 116 °C, with faster heating yielding higher burst temperatures. Microstructural analysis identified recrystallization as the primary cause of heating rate-dependent softening, eliminating prior cold-working. In-situ thermomechanical data linked ballooning onset to localized instabilities, similar to ultimate tensile strength behavior in conventional tensile tests. High heating rates correlated with immediate loading tensile data, while lower rates matched soaked data. Furthermore, by linking burst performance to microstructural evolution and tensile properties, this work provides a foundation for more accurate modeling of FeCrAl claddings and potentially other Fe-based materials under accident conditions.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Flow-Driven Stretch Fluctuations Govern the Nonlinear Viscoelasticity of Elongating Associative Polymer Networks

We use nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to verify recent tube-model predictions that associative polymer networks exhibit broad stretch fluctuations during elongational flow. Simulations further show that these fluctuating dynamics give rise to the rate-dependent extensional viscosity 𝜂 𝐸 measured in filament stretching experiments on H-bonding networks. Simulations model bivalent associative networks with a reactive bead-spring model for varying association strength and extensional strain rate. We observe that stretch fluctuations are driven by a new form of chain tumbling, where chains continually collapse and elongate as their associations break and reform within the advecting network. This produces a broad, nearly uniform distribution of chain stretch over a wide range of strain rates, manifesting as a rate-independent plateau in the extensional stress. Our results show that the nonlinear viscoelasticity of associative networks is dominated by large fluctuations in molecular response, which cannot be captured by current mean-field models.

biomimetic & bio-inspired materials↗
DOE OSTI2024

Elucidating the Link Between Alkali Metal Ions and Reaction-Transport Mechanisms in Cathode Electrodes for Alkali-ion Batteries

Our long-term goal is to improve the reliability of electrode materials and their ability to transport and store various metal ions for electrochemical energy storage applications. The main objective of this work was to investigate the intrinsic relationship between the role of alkali metal ions and electrochemically driven mechanical stability and kinetic properties of battery materials. The overall question was “What is the role of alkali metal ions on the electrochemical and mechanical behavior of cathode electrodes? Our guiding hypothesis was that intercalation of larger alkali metal ions (Na and K) inevitably alters the coupled transport-reaction processes during battery operation in organic electrolytes, leading to more intensive chemo-mechanical instabilities in cathode electrodes, resulting in rapid capacity fade. To validate the hypothesis, we experimentally characterized the reaction-transport processes and governing forces driving the instability of electrode materials in different alkali metal-ion environments. The project had three main tasks. The first one was to investigate intercalation-induced strains and associated stress generation, and their impact on structural deformations in composite cathode electrodes. The second task focused on identifying potential-dependent dynamic changes in the electrode-electrolyte interface in alkali metal ion batteries. The last task was focused on determining how larger alkali metal ions with slower diffusivity affect the transport-mechanics coupling at faster scan rates, compared to smaller ions with faster diffusivity in electrodes. We shortly provided the outcome of each task in the accomplishment section. This project produced 10 peer-reviewed publications (9 research papers and one review manuscript) and supported two Ph.D. students, who graduated from Oklahoma State University.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1973

Slow growth of cracks in a rate sensitive Tresca solid.

Extension of the classical theory of fracture to viscoelastic and elastic-plastic materials in which the plasticity effects are confined to a narrow band encompassing the crack front. It is suggested that the Griffith-Irwin criterion of fracture, which requires that the energy release rate computed for a given boundary value problem equal the critical threshold, ought to be replaced by a differential equation governing the slow growth of a crack prior to the onset of rapid propagation. A new term which enters the equation of motion in the dissipative media is proportional to the energy lost within the end sections of the crack, and thus it reflects the extent of inelastic behavior of a solid. A concept of 'apparent' surface energy is introduced to account for the geometry-dependent and the rate-dependent phenomena which influence toughness of an inelastic solid. Three hypotheses regarding the condition for fracture in the subcritical range of load are compared.

Wnuk, M. P.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Mechanical properties and morphology of poly(etheretherKetone)

Mechanical properties and morphology of poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) were studied for samples having different thermal histories. Isothermal and rate-dependent crystallization were studied to ascertain the relationship between crystallinity/morphology and processing condition. Degree of crystallinity and microstructure were controlled by cooling the melt at different rates, ranging from quenching to slowly cooling, and by annealing amorphous material above the glass transition temperature Tg. It is found that degree of crystallinity was not as important as processing history in determining the room temperature mechanical properties. Samples with the same degree of crystallinity had very different tensile properties, depending on rate of cooling from the melt. All samples yielded by shear band formation and necked down. Quenched films had the largest breaking strains, drawing to 270 percent. Slowly cooled films exhibited ductile failure at relatively low strains. Best combined mechanical properties were obtained from semicrystalline films cooled at intermediate rates from the melt.

Cebe, Peggy↗