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Effect of Heat Treatments on the Tensile Properties of Additively Manufactured 15-5 Ph Stainless Steel

This study investigated the effect of post-manufacture heat treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 15-5 PH stainless steel (SS) fabricated by laser powder-directed energy deposition (LP-DED). Various heat treatment procedures (CA-H900 and CA-H1150) were conducted to evaluate their effects on the tensile behavior of LP-DED 15-5 PH SS. Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the microstructural features and the fracture surfaces. Tensile tests were performed to evaluate the mechanical properties at cryogenic and room temperatures. Reduction in area of CA-H1150 treated specimens after tensile tests was significantly higher than CA-H900 ones, while the ultimate tensile and yield strengths of CA-H900 specimens were higher compared to the CA-H1150 ones. The mechanical behavior of the LP-DED 15-5 PH SS in various heat treatment conditions is discussed based on their microstructures and fracture surfaces.

Laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED)↗

NASA NTRS1975

The effect of microstructure and strength on the fracture toughness of an 18 Ni, 300 grade maraging steel

A 300 grade maraging steel was chosen as a vehicle by which to understand the inverse relationship between strength and toughness in high strength alloys such as the 18 Ni maraging steels. The 18 Ni, 300 grade maraging material was a commercial grade consumable-electrode, vacuum arc remelted heat obtained in the form of forged and annealed plate. The matrix contained a population of second-phase impurity inclusions which was a product of the casting and hot working processes. These inclusions did not change with subsequent precipitation hardening. Changes in microstructure resulting in strength increases were brought about by variations in aging temperature and time. Maximum strength was attained in the 300 grade maraging steel by aging at 427 C (800 F) for 100 hours. Tensile, fatigue precracked Charpy impact, and plane-strain fracture toughness tests were performed at room temperature, 20 C (68 F). With increasing strength the fracture toughness decreases as smaller and smaller inclusions act as sites for void initiation.

Psioda, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

HP9-4-.30 weld properties and microstructure

HP9-4-.30, ultra high strength steel, the case material for the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM), must exhibit acceptable strength, ductility, toughness, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) resistance after welding and a local post weld heat treatment (PWHT). Testing, to date, shows that the base metal (BM) properties are more than adequate for the anticipated launch loads. Tensile tests of test specimens taken transverse to the weld show that the weld metal overmatches the BM even in the PWHT condition. However, that is still some question about the toughness and SCC resistance of the weld metal in the as welded and post weld heat treated condition. To help clarify the as welded and post weld heat treated mechanical behavior of the alloy, subsize tensile specimens from the BM, the fusion zone (FZ) with and without PWHT, and the heat affected zone (HAZ) with and without PWHT were tested to failure and the fracture surfaces subsequently examined with a scanning electron microscope. Results are given and briefly discussed.

Watt, George W.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Self-Organized Criticality and Phase Problem in Magnetoaocustic Emission Burst in Ferromagnets

Two types of ferromagnets, pure iron and steel with varying geometry and microstructural properties, were prepared for the present study of magnetoacoustic emission (MAE). The purpose was to separate the effects of structural property variations from changes caused by differences in the sample geometry. The position and shape of the leading MAE sub-burst and its variation among the samples are explained by magnetic anisotropy and the results of numerical simulations which utilized the concept of self-organized criticality (SOC). The amplitude and duration of the second sub-burst, which previously was thought to occur as a result of a complicated interaction between non-180 deg domain walls and lattice defects, can easily be explained by the results of our simulation.

Namkung, M.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Development of High Temperature Dissimilar Joint Technology for Fission Surface Power Systems

NASA is developing fission surface power (FSP) system technology as a potential option for use on the surface of the moon or Mars. The goal is to design a robust system that takes full advantage of existing materials data bases. One of the key components of the power conversion system is the hot-side Heat Exchanger (HX). One possible design for this heat exchanger requires a joint of the dissimilar metals 316L stainless steel and Inconel 718, which must sustain extended operation at high temperatures. This study compares two joining techniques, brazing and diffusion bonding, in the context of forming the requisite stainless steel to superalloy joint. The microstructures produced by brazing and diffusion bonding, the effect of brazing cycle on the mechanical tensile properties of the alloys, and the strength of several brazed joints will be discussed.

Locci, Ivan E.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Improved Processing Techniques for Inclusion-Free Steel for Bearing and Mechanical Component Applications

High hardness, high carbide powder metallurgy tools steels such as M62 enable the operation of ball bearings at extremely high load and stress levels. Operation under such conditions increases the potential for rolling contact fatigue failure attributed to ceramic particle inclusions. To address this challenge, industry has sought steel made from ever increasing levels of cleanliness but the results have been uneven owing to the random nature of the occurrence of material flaws. One common approach is to rely upon careful ingot inspections prior to bearing manufacture. By selecting the cleanest portion of an ingot, it is expected that bearings relatively free from material flaws will result. This approach is not always successful because detrimental flaws that exist deep within an ingot can pass inspection undetected potentially causing subsequent failure. Recent efforts to commercialize an intermetallic material, 60NiTi, for rolling element bearings demonstrates a pathway to produce bearing steel that is free from unwanted ceramic particle inclusions. In this paper, the process used to make bearing grade ceramic-free NiTi alloys is described and applied to steelmaking. At its core, the NiTi process differs from steel making in one key aspect. NiTi alloys are made from elementally pure starting materials that are melted, blended and processed in equipment absolutely free from exposure to oxygen and ceramics ensuring a ceramic particle-free product. In contrast, the predominant method to make bearing steel is to employ a successive series of purification steps to reduce contamination levels below required thresholds. This paper describes the processes developed and applied to high carbide tool steel, M62. The resulting material and microstructures are evaluated and compared to M62 prepared by conventional powder metallurgy techniques. It is hoped that the application of materials manufacturing techniques used for fracture sensitive ceramics and intermetallic materials like NiTi can provide a pathway to Ultra-Clean, Ceramic-Inclusion free steels for rolling element bearings and other failure critical applications.

Steel↗

NASA NTRS1993

The effect of microstructure on microbiologically influenced corrosion

Results of several investigations involving stainless steels, aluminum alloys, and low-alloy steels are reviewed, and the effect of welding on microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) susceptibility in these materials is discussed. Emphasis is placed on research performed at California Polytechnic State University on the relationship between MIC and metallurgical microstructure. Topics addressed include initial stages of film development in materials with different microstructure and surface conditions, effects of inclusion on the MIC response of materials, aluminum 2219, effects of welding, and constitutional liquation.

Walsh, Dan↗

NASA NTRS1990

Characterization of welded HP 9-4-30 steel for the advanced solid rocket motor

Solid rocket motor case materials must be high-strength, high-toughness, weldable alloys. The Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) cases currently being developed will be made from a 9Ni-4Co quench and temper steel called HP 9-4-30. These ultra high-strength steels must be carefully processed to give a very clean material and a fine grained microstructure, which insures excellent ductility and toughness. The HP 9-4-30 steels are vacuum arc remelted and carbon deoxidized to give the cleanliness required. The ASRM case material will be formed into rings and then welded together to form the case segments. Welding is the desired joining technique because it results in a lower weight than other joining techniques. The mechanical and corrosion properties of the weld region material were fully studied.

Watt, George William↗

NASA NTRS1992

Microstructural development during directional solidification of peritectic alloys

Despite the widespread commercial use of peritectic alloys (e.g., steels, brass, bronze, intermetallic compounds, Co based superalloys and A3B type superconductors), the characterization of the microstructural development during directional solidification of peritectics has historically lagged behind similar efforts directed towards other types of binary invariant reactions such as eutectic or monotectic. A wide variety of possible microstructures has been shown to form in peritectics depending upon the imposed temperature gradient, G, the solidification velocity, V, as well as the presence or absence of convection in the melt. This has important technological implications since many commercially important alloys exhibit peritectics and processing methods such as casting and welding often involve widely changing conditions. It has been the aim of this project to examine, in a systematic fashion, both experimentally and theoretically, the influence of gravitationally driven convection on segregation and microstructural development during solidification in peritectic systems under terrestrial conditions. The scientific results of the project will be used to establish ground based data in support of a meaningful microgravity flight experiment.

Lograsso, Thomas A.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Effect of Microstructural Parameters on the Relative Densities of Metal Foams

A detailed quantitative microstructural analyses of primarily open cell FeCrAlY and 314 stainless steel metal foams with different relative densities and pores per inch (p.p.i.) were undertaken in the present investigation to determine the effect of microstructural parameters on the relative densities of metal foams. Several elements of the microstructure, such as longitudinal and transverse cell sizes, cell areas and perimeters, ligament dimensions, cell shapes and volume fractions of closed and open cells, were measured. The cross-sections of the foam ligaments showed a large number of shrinkage cavities, and their circularity factors and average sizes were determined. The volume fractions of closed cells increased linearly with increasing relative density. In contrast, the volume fractions of the open cells and ligaments decreased with increasing relative density. The relative densities and p.p.i. were not significantly dependent on cell size, cell perimeter and ligament dimensions within the limits of experimental scatter. A phenomenological model is proposed to rationalize the present microstructural observations.

Raj, S. V.↗

NASA NTRS2003

The Role of Convection and Growth Competition on Phase Selection in Microgravity

For a wide range of compositions, Fe-Cr-Ni alloys can solidify by a two-step process: a metastable solid forms first, subsequently transforming into the stable solid phase. This two-step solidification produces a profoundly different microstructure, and therefore different properties, in the final solid. The delay time between the two steps of the solidification process varies from microseconds to seconds. This delay time is a strong function of composition and a weak function of the undercooling of the melt below the metastable liquidus. From the results obtained during the MSL-1 mission and in ground based electrostatic levitation testing at NASA MSFC, we know that convection also has a significant effect on the delay time. By examining the effect of convection on delay time over a wide range of convection, for several different alloys, we can gain a better understanding and better control of the microstructural evolution and final structure of stainless steel alloys. MSFC provides ESL for ground-based testing in a low-convection state, and the numerical modeling that enables estimation of the convection levels under the different process conditions.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1993

Fracture-tough, high hardness stainless steel and method of making same

A cryogenically-formed and tempered stainless steel is provided having improved fracture toughness and corrosion resistance at a given hardness level, such as, for example, of at least about Rc 60 for bearing applications. The steel consists essentially of, in weight %, about 21 to about 24% Co, about 11 to about 13% Cr, about 7 to about 9% Ni, about 0.1 to about 0.5% Mo, about 0.2 to about 0.3% V, about 0.28 to about 0.32% C, and the balance iron. The steel includes a cryogenically-formed martensitic microstructure tempered to include about 5 to about 10 volume % post-deformation retained austenite dispersed therein and M.sub.2 C-type carbides, where M is Cr, Mo, V, and/or Fe, dispersed in the microstructure.

Olson, Gregory B.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Materials design - An undergraduate course

General principles of systems engineering are applied to the design of materials to meet specific performance objectives. Results of ongoing reseach on processing/structure and structure/property relations in ultrahigh-strength steels are used to illustrate the formulation of quantitative microstructural objectives to achieve required property combinations, and the computer thermodynamics-based design of compositions responding to prescribed processing conditions. A class project addresses the conceptual design of a 7-component stainless bearing steel for a critical Space Shuttle application.

Olson, G. B.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Influence of Microstructure on the Fatigue Crack Growth of A516 in Hydrogen

Some day hydrogen may be used as a viable energy storage and transport medium within the United States. Hydrogen gas may be used to dilute and extend our present methane supply as a blend or may even be used in its pure elemental form as a primary fuel. Independent of the methods of production, storage, and distribution, the interaction of hydrogen with its containment material will play an integral role in the success of a hydrogen energy program. Presently, the selection of hydrogen containment materials can be made such that the material will remain reasonably free from environmental degradation; however, costly alloying additions are required. Unfortunately, high alloy steels are economically prohibitive when large-scale hydrogen energy storage, transmission, and conversion systems are desired. Therefore, in order to implement such hydrogen energy systems in the future, existing low-cost materials must be improved via mechanical, thermal, or thermo-mechanical processing methods or new low-cost materials which are compatible with hydrogen must be developed. Originally, low strength, low alloy steels at room temperature were thought to be immune to hydrogen gas embrittlement, since no sustained load crack growth is observed. However, results of Clark in HY8O and Nelson in SAE 1020 have shown that the fatigue crack growth rate can be greatly accelerated in the presence of hydrogen gas. In recent results reported by Louthan and Mucci, the smooth bar fatigue life of an A1068 pipeline steel was reduced up to a factor of ten when the tests were performed in a 13.8 MPa hydrogen environment. These results suggest that the selection of material for structures designed to operate in hydrogen under cyclic loads must include consideration of hydrogen/metal fatigue interaction. Although the hydrogen/metal fatigue interaction can be severe in low strength low alloy steels, the degree of degradation may be altered by the underlying ferrous microstructure. At present, no correlation between microstructure and degree of hydrogen susceptibility exists for low strength steels. However, in high strength steels, susceptibility to hydrogen embrittlement has been shown to be strongly sensitive to the metallurgical microstructure. In addition, compositional effects and grain size can 703 Some day hydrogen may be used as a viable energy storage and transport medium within the United States. Hydrogen gas may be used to dilute and extend our present methane supply as a blend or may even be used in its pure elemental form as a primary fuel. Independent of the methods of production, storage, and distribution, the interaction of hydrogen with its containment material will play an integral role in the success of a hydrogen energy program. Presently, the selection of hydrogen containment materials can be made such that the material will remain reasonably free from environmental degradation; however, costly alloying additions are required. Unfortunately, high alloy steels are economically prohibitive when large-scale hydrogen energy storage, transmission, and conversion systems are desired. Therefore, in order to implement such hydrogen energy systems in the future, existing low-cost materials must be improved via mechanical, thermal, or thermo-mechanical processing methods or new low-cost materials which are compatible with hydrogen must be developed.

Wachob, Harry F.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Crack growth behavior of AISI-4340 steel during environmental exposure

AISI-4340 is observed to undergo stress corrosion cracking when subjected to a constant load during exposure to a 3.5% NaCl solution. Crack initiation, nucleation, and growth has been monitored as a function of time. Stepped regions consisting of fast and slow crack growth periods are shown to correspond to microstructural changes observed in the fracture surface of the steel. These regions of fast and slow crack rate variations with time show that the crack growth rates do not increase continuously with an increase in the stress intensity.

Giannuzzi, Lucille A.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Fatigue-Life Prediction Methodology Using Small-Crack Theory

This paper reviews the capabilities of a plasticity-induced crack-closure model to predict fatigue lives of metallic materials using 'small-crack theory' for various materials and loading conditions. Crack-tip constraint factors, to account for three-dimensional state-of-stress effects, were selected to correlate large-crack growth rate data as a function of the effective-stress-intensity factor range (delta K(eff)) under constant-amplitude loading. Some modifications to the delta k(eff)-rate relations were needed in the near-threshold regime to fit measured small-crack growth rate behavior and fatigue endurance limits. The model was then used to calculate small- and large-crack growth rates, and to predict total fatigue lives, for notched and un-notched specimens made of two aluminum alloys and a steel under constant-amplitude and spectrum loading. Fatigue lives were calculated using the crack-growth relations and microstructural features like those that initiated cracks for the aluminum alloys and steel for edge-notched specimens. An equivalent-initial-flaw-size concept was used to calculate fatigue lives in other cases. Results from the tests and analyses agreed well.

Newmann, James C., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Post STS-133 Evaluation of Main Flame Deflector Witness Materials

NASA and USA Structures engineers submitted main flame deflector witness materials for evaluation after the launch of STS-133. The following items were submitted for analysis: HY-80 steel witness rods, 304 stainless steel caps, tungsten pistons, 17-4 precipitation hardened (PH) stainless steel and A-286 piston sleeves, Medtherm Corporation calorimeters, and Nanmac Corporation thermocouples. All of the items were photographed in order to document their condition after the launch of STS-133, and before they were reinstalled at the launch pad for future launches. The HY -80 witness rods, 304 stainless steel caps, and the piston sleeves were dimensionally measured in order to determine the amount of material lost during launch. Microstructural changes were observed in the HY-80 witness rod and 304 stainless steel cap metallographic samples due to the heat of the launch.

Long, Victoria↗

NASA NTRS1976

Use of fractography and sectioning techniques to study fracture mechanisms

Recent investigations of the effect of microstructure on the fracture mechanisms and fracture toughness of steels, aluminum alloys, and titanium alloys have used standard fractographic techniques and a sectioning technique on specimens plastically deformed to various strains up to fracture. The specimens are prepared metallographically for observation in both optical and electron beam instruments. This permits observations to be made about the fracture mechanism as it occurs in thick sections and helps remove speculation from the interpretation of fractographic features. This technique may be used in conjunction with other standard techniques such as extraction replicas and microprobe analyses. Care must be taken to make sure that the microstructural features which are observed to play a role in the fracture process using the sectioning technique can be identified with fractography.

Van Stone, R. H.↗