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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancement of Extreme Environment Additively Manufactured Alloys for Next Generation Space Propulsion Applications

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been involved in the development and maturation of metal additive manufacturing (AM) for space applications since the late 2000’s. Several efforts focused on the understanding of AM processes through material characterization and testing, standards development, component fabrication, and infusion into propulsion development and flight applications. NASA matured commonly used aerospace alloys from various alloy families (Nickel, Copper, Stainless and Steel, Aluminum, and Titanium-based) through detailed AM process and heat treatment characterization, in addition to mechanical and thermophysical testing. While these alloys are actively used in many propulsion applications, there is a need for ongoing AM optimized alloys using integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) and process development for high performance applications. The applications targeted are liquid rocket engines; advanced propulsion systems; and in-space propulsion with high heat fluxes, high pressure, and/or that use propellants that can degrade alloys (e.g., hydrogen). This paper highlights the characterization and physical properties of the more common AM alloys using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) processes. Additionally, this paper discusses some of the ongoing novel alloy development and maturation using AM for use in these harsh environments, such as GRCop-42, GRCop-84, NASA HR-1, GRX-810, and C-103. The results from these processes demonstrated that AM could enable rapid development and ongoing efforts for optimized alloys using ICME, yielding higher performances. These alloys have undergone modeling, fundamental metallurgical evaluations, heat treatment studies, detailed microstructure characterization, and mechanical testing campaigns. This, combined with direct application-specific component fabrication and hot-fire testing, enabled the increase of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) through high duty-cycle testing. A background and overview of these novel AM-enabled alloys and AM processing developments including metallurgical and mechanical property studies is presented here. The latest advancement in the parallel component development and hot-fire testing and future developments for these alloys is also discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗

NASA NTRS2006

Integrated Liquid Bismuth Propellant Feed System

A prototype bismuth propellant feed and control system was constructed and tested. An electromagnetic pump was used in this system to provide fine control of the hydrostatic pressure, and a new type of in-line flow sensor was developed to provide an accurate, real-time measurement of the mass flow rate. High-temperature material compatibility was a driving design requirement for the pump and flow sensor, leading to the selection of macor for the main body of both components. Post-test inspections of both components revealed no cracks or leaking in either. In separate proof-of-concept experiments, the pump produced a linear pressure rise as a function of current that compared favorably with theoretical pump pressure predictions, with a pressure of 10 kPa at 30 A. Flow sensing was successfully demonstrated in a bench-top test using gallium as a substitute liquid metal. A real-time controller was successfully used to control the entire system, simultaneously monitoring all power supplies and performing data acquisition duties.

Polzin, Kurt A.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Multi-Node Modeling of Cryogenic Tank Pressurization System using Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program

This paper presents a multi-node model of autogenous pressurization of cryogenic propellant in a flight tank using the Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP), a general purpose flow network code developed at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center. Tests were conducted to measure the pressure and temperatures at the various axial locations of the stratified ullage at 75% and 45% fill level. Liquid nitrogen was pressurized by gaseous nitrogen from a supply tank while the drain valve from the tank remained closed during the pressurization process. The ullage was discretized into 25 uniformly distributed nodes: 5 in the radial direction and 5 in the axial direction assuming the flow to be axisymmetric. Heat and mass transfer between the liquid and vapor has been modeled at the liquid vapor interface. Heat transfer between wall and vapor at the ullage has been accounted for by assuming heat transfer occurs by natural convection. The model also accounts for heat leak to the tank through the insulation and metal wall by heat conduction. The predicted pressures and temperatures are compared with the measured data.

Bandyopadhyay, Alak↗

NASA NTRS2000

Experimental Results of the Impact of an Ion Thruster Plasma on Microwave Propagation

Electric thrusters are being considered for a variety of space missions because of the significant propellant savings that result from the use of high performance, electric propulsion technologies. Propellant mass savings reduces spacecraft launch requirements and increases mission lifetime and payload. The impact of electric thruster plasma plumes on microwave signal propagation however is an important spacecraft integration concern. Arcjets were the first electric thrusters to be considered for operational missions. Ling, et al. studied the effect of arcjet plumes on propagation. Arcjets produce a lightly ionized plume and Ling's analysis predicted that the plume would have a negligible effect on communication. Plumes from the higher performance ion thrusters being developed exhibit higher ionization levels, plasma temperatures and particle velocities than arcjets. Therefore, there was a need to assess the impact due to these plumes. To address this need, the authors designed and performed a series of experiments to examine propagation effects of plumes. The challenge with these experiments was that they had to be performed in the operational environment of the thruster. Therefore, the experiments were conducted inside a metal chamber which could be depressurized to simulate a near vacuum condition of space. The metal chamber presents a potential large source of error to the propagation measurements due to the corruption of the desired data by multiple wall reflections within the chamber. This chamber effect was minimized by employing a pulsed-continuous wave transmitter and receiver system. This system based on an HP8510 Network Analyzer, uses external hardware time gating to eliminate the clutter of the spurious reflections. Additionally, high gain antennas were used in the measurements to ensure that minimal amounts of energy were transmitted/received in undesirable directions. The measurements took place in Vacuum Facility 5 of the Electric Propulsion Laboratory at the NASA Glenn Research Center. This facility utilizes a cylindrical, stainless steel, vacuum chamber, which is 18.3 m long and 4.6 m in diameter. For the tests being described here a 30 cm diameter, xenon ion thruster was used. The thruster provided between 500 W and 2.3 kW of operating power. The thruster was mounted on a stand along the axis of the chamber near one of its ends and could be moved axially.

Zaman, Afroz J.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Experimental Results of the Impact of an Ion Thruster Plasma on Microwave Propagation

Electric thrusters are being considered for a variety of space missions because of the significant propellant savings that result from the use of high performance, electric propulsion technologies, Propellant mass savings reduces spacecraft launch requirements and increases mission lifetime and payload. The impact of electric thruster plasma plumes on microwave signal propagation however is an important spacecraft integration concern. Arcjets were the first electric thrusters to be considered for operational missions. Ling, et al., studied the effect of arcjet plumes on propagation. Arcjets produce a lightly ionized plume and Ling's analysis predicted that the plume would have a negligible effect on communication. Plumes from the higher performance ion thrusters being developed exhibit higher ionization levels, plasma temperatures and particle velo@ities than arcjets. Therefore, there was a need to assess the impact due to these plumes. To address this need, the authors designed and performed a series of experiments to examine propagation effects of plumes. The challenge with these experiments was that they had to be performed in the operational environment of the thruster. Therefore, the experiments were conducted inside a metal chamber which could be depressurized to simulate a near vacuum condition of space. The metal chamber presents a potential large source of error to the propagation measurements due to the corruption of the desired data by multiple wall reflections within the chamber. This chamber effect was minimized by employing a pulsed-continuous wave transmitter and receiver system. This system, based on an HP8510 Network Analyzer, uses external hardware time gating to eliminate the clutter of the spurious reflections. Additionally, high gain antennas were used in the measurements to ensure that minimal amounts of energy ",ere transmitted/received in undesirable directions. The measurements took place in Vacuum Facility 5 of the Electric Propulsion Laboratory at the NASA Glenn Research Center. This facility utilizes a cylindrical, stainless steel, vacuum chamber, which is 18.3 m long and 4.6 m in diameter. For the tests being described here a 30 cm diameter, xenon ion thruster was used. The thruster provided between 500 W and 2.3 kW of operating power. The thruster was mounted on a stand along the axis of the chamber near one of its ends.

Zaman, Afroz J.↗

DOE OSTI2025

External perturbation-driven Sabatier breakthrough

The Sabatier reaction (CO 2 + 4H 2 → CH 4 + 2H 2 O) is gaining renewed interest due to its potential to reduce energy carrier storage costs, serve as a feedstock for various organic chemicals, and supply in-situ propellant and life-support resources for long-duration Mars missions. This study demonstrates that combining a modest 2 mA electric field with H 2 feed modulation markedly elevates the CO 2 hydrogenation activity of 2 wt% Ru/CeO 2 catalyst. CO 2 conversion reaches 88 % and 93 % with a CH 4 yield of 83 % and 89 % at 350 °C and 450 °C, respectively. A simple lumped kinetic model reveals that the combined external perturbations not only shift the reaction mechanism but also redistribute key surface-adsorbed intermediates such as hydrogen adatoms and hydrogen-activated CO 2 among the Ru clusters, Ru/CeO 2 interface, and ceria surface. The electric field accelerates the conversion of adsorbed CO 2 to the hydrogenated CO 2 species on Ru and boosts CH 4 formation rate constant, while simultaneously suppresses the formation of undesired, non-reactive surface intermediates. Degree-of-rate-control analysis pinpoints proton migration across the metal-support interface as the decisive lever under these coupled perturbations. In conclusion, these findings establish that rational pairing of metal-support design with well-tuned electric fields and feed oscillations can unlock unprecedented Sabatier rates, guiding the development of next-generation reactors for efficient CO 2 to CH 4 conversion.

10 - SYNTHETIC FUELS↗

NASA NTRS2005

Materials Chemistry Issues in the Development of a Single-Crystal Solar/Thermal Refractive Secondary Concentrator

A translucent crystal concentrates and transmits energy to a heat exchanger, which in turn heats a propellant gas, working gas of a dynamic power system, or a thermopile. Materials are the limiting issue in such a system. Central is the durability of the crystal, which must maintain the required chemical, physical/optical, and mechanical properties as it is heated and cooled. This report summarizes available data to date on the materials issues with this system. We focus on the current leading candidate materials, which are sapphire (Al2O3) for higher temperatures and silica (SiO2) for lower temperatures. We use data from thermochemical calculations; laboratory coupon tests with silica and sapphire; and system tests with sapphire. The required chemical properties include low-vapor pressure and interfacial stability with supporting structural materials. Optical properties such as transmittance and index of refraction must be maintained. Thermomechanical stability is a major challenge for a large, single-crystal ceramic and has been discussed in another report. In addition to the crystal, other materials in the proposed system include refractory metals (Nb, Ta, Mo, W, and Re), carbon (C), and high-temperature ceramic insulation. The major issue here is low levels of oxygen, which lead to volatile refractory metal oxides and rapid consumption of the refractory metal. Interfacial reactions between the ceramic crystal and refractory metal are also discussed. Finally, high-temperature ceramic insulating materials are also likely to be used in this system. Outgassing is a major issue for these materials. The products of outgassing are typically reactive with the refractory metals and must be minimized.

Jacobson, Nathan S.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lightweight Thrust Chamber Assemblies using Multi-Alloy Additive Manufacturing and Composite Overwrap

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has brought significant design and fabrication opportunities for complex components with internal features such as liquid rocket engine thrust chambers not previously possible. This technology allows for significant cost savings and schedule reductions in addition to new performance optimization through weight reduction and increased margins. Specific to regeneratively-cooled combustion chambers and nozzles for liquid rocket engines, additive manufacturing offers the ability to form the complex internal coolant channels and the closeout of the channels to contain the high pressure liquid propellants with a single operation. Much of additive manufacturing development has focused on monolithic alloys using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), which do not allow for complete optimization of the structure. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) completed feasibility of an AM bimetallic L-PBF GRCop-84 copper-alloy combustion chamber with an AM electron beam freeform Inconel 625 structural jacket under the Low Cost Upper Stage Propulsion (LCUSP) Project. A follow-on project called Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology (RAMPT) is under development to further expand large-scale multi-alloy thrust chambers while maturing composite overwrap technology for significant weight savings opportunities. The RAMPT project has three primary objectives: 1) Advancing blown powder Directed Energy Deposition (DED) to fabricate integral-channel large scale nozzles, 2) Develop composite overwrap technology to reduce weight and provide structural capability for thrust chamber assemblies, and 3) Develop bimetallic and multi-metallic additively manufactured radial and axial joints to optimize material performance. In addition to these primary manufacturing developments, analytical modeling efforts compliment the process development to simulate the AM processes to reduce build failures and distortions. The RAMPT project is also maturing the supply chain for various manufacturing processes described above in addition to L-PBF of GRCop-42. This paper will present an overview of the RAMPT project, the process development and hardware progress to date, material and hot-fire testing results, along with future developments.

Additive Manufacturing↗

NASA NTRS2020

Electric Propulsion for the Psyche Mission: Development Activities and Status

NASA’s Psyche mission will launch in 2022 and begin a 3.6-year cruise to the metallic asteroid Psyche, where it will examine this unique body. The baseline spacecraft design is a hybrid of JPL’s deep-space heritage subsystems with commercial partner Maxar’s electric propulsion, power, and structure subsystems. All primary propulsion will be done with SPT-140 thrusters, which will be the first use of Hall thrusters for a NASA mission. The electric propulsion subsystem and its implementation for the Psyche mission are described here. Major testing activities have included the successful completion of subsystem integrated testing with the design modifications required for Psyche, and a series of low-power thrust repeatability tests that were performed in support of navigation analyses. Thruster performance models have been further validated with new SPT-140 flight data, and new analyses of thruster swirl torque have been performed that result in much higher values than previously estimated. Analysis of recent Maxar flight data has also provided a new understanding of in-flight propellant usage uncertainties. Subsystem integration and test activities are now underway and the status and plans are discussed.

Johnson, Ian↗

NASA NTRS2026

Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of LP-DED NASA HR-1 – A Hydrogen Resistant AM Superalloy for Space Propulsion Applications

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has actively pursued metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies for spaceflight applications since the late 2000s. AM offers transformative advantages in cost, schedule, part consolidation, and design flexibility. Among the various AM techniques, laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) is particularly well suited for fabricating complex geometries with fine feature resolution. In propulsion systems that utilize high-pressure gaseous hydrogen—such as liquid hydrogen rocket engines—hydrogen environment embrittlement (HEE) presents a serious threat to material performance 1,2 . Mechanical property degradation under these conditions can compromise component reliability, especially under cyclic loading. To address this challenge, NASA developed NASA HR-1 (Hydrogen Resistant-1) as a solution for liquid rocket engine components operating in hydrogen-rich environments, using the LP-DED technique 3-9 . A key component in a liquid rocket engine is the exhaust nozzle, which is typically regeneratively cooled (regen) due to the high heat flux. NASA HR-1 was specifically developed for regen nozzle applications using hydrogen as a propellant, providing resistance to HEE, a critical issue for many materials. The AM version of NASA HR-1 was also formulated to achieve high ultimate tensile strength, along with high yield strength and ductility in this environment 5,6 . Low-cycle fatigue (LCF) is another important consideration in nozzle design, as components are expected to endure multiple starts and missions. Additionally, the LP-DED version of the alloy exhibits improved thermal conductivity compared to its wrought counterpart, which benefits nozzle cooling. Overall, NASA HR-1 offers an excellent balance of high strength, HEE resistance, LCF performance, thermal conductivity, and ductility to meet the demanding requirements of channel-cooled nozzles and other components used with hydrogen and other propellants. The LP-DED–processed NASA HR-1 requires several post-processing heat treatment steps to achieve the material properties desirable for its intended application 6 . These steps include stress relief, homogenization, solution annealing, and aging for precipitation hardening. The stress relief treatment mitigates residual stresses accumulated during the LP-DED process and minimizes the potential for distortion. Homogenization, a common step for AM materials, reduces elemental segregation and promotes recrystallization to develop a more equiaxed grain structure. The subsequent solution annealing treatment heats the part to a solid solution temperature to dissolve the undesirable η-phase that forms during cooling from homogenization, followed by rapid cooling to retain an η-phase–free microstructure. Finally, aging promotes precipitation of the strengthening γ′ phase in the alloy. The integration of compositional design and optimized thermal processing enables high-quality LP-DED NASA HR-1 components with excellent microstructural and mechanical stability. Improved chemical and microstructure homogeneity enhances ductility and fatigue resistance—both critical for safe and reliable operation in high-pressure hydrogen environments. NASA has successfully fabricated and hot-fire tested multiple subscale and full-scale channel wall nozzles using LP-DED NASA HR-1 5,6, 9-14 . These efforts included process refinements to support thin-wall construction and various channel geometries. Throughout development, several key observations emerged. After homogenization, the as-built columnar grain structure transforms into a fully equiaxed microstructure. However, subsequent treatments—such as solution annealing and aging—result in changes that are more difficult to track. The grain structure remains largely unchanged, and the γ′ precipitates, typically 5–10 nm in diameter, are beyond the resolution of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). While transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can resolve these fine precipitates, TEM sample preparation is time-consuming and difficult for LP-DED material. As an alternative, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) offers a useful, qualitative approach to monitor precipitate evolution throughout different stages of heat treatment. The overall goal is to improve the understanding of how heat treatment affects the microstructure and mechanical performance of LP-DED NASA HR-1. This paper presents heat treatment design considerations, microstructural characterization, mechanical testing – including tensile and LCF testing in both air and hydrogen environments.

Superalloy↗

NASA NTRS1973

Composite propulsion feedlines for cryogenic space vehicles, volume 1

Thin metallic liners that provide leak-free service in cryogenic propulsion systems are overwrapped with a glass-fiber composite that provides strength and protection from handling damage. The resultant tube is lightweight, strong and has a very low thermal flux. Several styles of tubing ranging from 5 to 38 cm in diameter and up to 305 cm long were fabricated and tested at operating temperatures from 294 to 21 K and operating pressures up to 259 N/sq cm. The primary objective for the smaller sizes was thermal performance optimization of the propulsion system while the primary objective of the larger sizes was weight optimization and to prove fabricability. All major program objectives were met resulting in a design concept that is adaptable to a wide range of aerospace vehicle requirements. Major items of development included: bonding large diameter aluminum end fittings to the thin Inconel liner; fabrication of a 38 cm diameter tube from 0.008 cm thick Inconel; and evaluation of tubing which provides essentially zero quality propellant in a very short period of time resulting in a lower mass of propellant expended in chilldown.

Hall, C. A.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Oxygen Extraction from Minerals

Oxygen, whether used as part of rocket bipropellant or for astronaut life support, is a key consumable for space exploration and commercialization. In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) has been proposed many times as a method for making space exploration more cost effective and sustainable. On planetary and asteroid surfaces the presence of minerals in the regolith that contain oxygen is very common, making them a potential oxygen resource. The majority of research and development for oxygen extraction from minerals has been for lunar regolith although this work would generally be applicable to regolith at other locations in space. This presentation will briefly survey the major methods investigated for oxygen extraction from regolith with a focus on the current status of those methods and possible future development pathways. The major oxygen production methods are (1) extraction from lunar ilmenite (FeTiO3) with either hydrogen or carbon monoxide, (2) carbothermal reduction of iron oxides and silicates with methane, and (3) molten regolith electrolysis (MRE) of silicates. Methods (1) and (2) have also been investigated in a two-step process using CO reduction and carbon deposition followed by carbothermal reduction. All three processes have byproducts that could also be used as resources. Hydrogen or carbon monoxide reduction produce iron metal in small amounts that could potentially be used as construction material. Carbothermal reduction also makes iron metal along with silicon metal and a glass with possible applications. MRE produces iron, silicon, aluminum, titanium, and glass, with higher silicon yields than carbothermal reduction. On Mars and possibly on some moons and asteroids, water is present in the form of mineral hydrates, hydroxyl (-OH) groups on minerals, andor water adsorbed on mineral surfaces. Heating of the minerals can liberate the water which can be electrolyzed to provide a source of oxygen as well. The chemistry of these processes, some key development and demonstration projects, the challenges remaining to be overcome, and possible future directions will be discussed with a goal of increased understanding of these important ISRU technologies and their potential applications to space exploration and settlement.

propellant production↗

NASA NTRS2019

Extreme-Temperature Carbon- and Ceramic-Matrix Composite Nozzle Extensions for Liquid Rocket Engines

The United States (US) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its US industry partners are developing extreme-temperature composite nozzle extensions for a variety of cryogenic liquid rocket engine propulsion systems. Applications under consideration at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) include launch vehicle (upper stage), in-space, and lunar lander descent/ascent propulsion systems. Composite material systems of interest include carbon-carbon (C-C) and carbon/silicon-carbide (C-SiC) composites, as well as modified versions of such composites (coatings, mixed matrices, oxidation inhibitors, etc.). Missions addressed include access to low Earth orbit, the lunar surface, and more distant destinations. Cryogenic upper-stage and in-space liquid rocket engines are optimized for performance through the use of high area ratio nozzles to fully expand combustion gases to low exit pressures, increasing exhaust velocities. As a result of the large size of such nozzles, and the related engine performance requirements, composite nozzle extensions are being considered to reduce mass impacts. Currently, metallic and foreign composite nozzle extensions used on the Atlas V, Delta IV, Falcon 9, and Ariane 5 launch vehicles represent the state-of-the-art. Such extensions are limited to use at or slightly above 2000°F (1093°C). Materials under development by MSFC and its industry partners have the potential to operate at temperatures up to (or above) 4250°F (2343°C). Marshall Space Flight Center efforts are aimed at (a) further developing the technology and databases needed to enable the use of composite nozzle extensions on cryogenic liquid rocket engines, (b) developing and demonstrating low-cost capabilities for testing and qualifying such nozzle extensions, and (c) advancing the US domestic supply chain for nozzle extensions. Through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs, low-level internal MSFC research projects, and teaming arrangements with domestic industry partners, composite material design, development, hot-fire test, and evaluation efforts are progressing. Hot- fire engine tests of subscale hardware have been conducted using oxygen/hydrogen (LOX/H2), oxygen/methane (LOX/CH4), and oxygen/kerosene (LOX/RP-1) propellants. These engine tests at MSFC have enabled the evaluation of both heritage and state-of-the-art material systems, demonstrating the initial capabilities of the extreme temperature materials and their fabrication methods. Recent, ongoing, and potential future work supporting cryogenic propulsion systems development will be presented. The composite nozzle extension technology and test capabilities being developed are intended to support both NASA and US Department of Defense requirements, as well as those of the broader Commercial Space industry.

Valentine, Peter G.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Maturation of Additive Manufactured Aerospace Alloys and Development of Mechanical and Thermophysical Properties for Space Applications

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been involved in the development and maturation of metal additive manufacturing (AM) for space applications since the late 2000’s. Several efforts have focused on the understanding of AM processes through design optimization, component fabrication, material characterization, testing, standards development, and infusion into propulsion development for flight applications. NASA and partners have matured commonly used aerospace alloys from various alloy families (Nickel, Steel, Iron, Aluminum, and Titanium) and AM processes. An extensive effort has been ongoing between NASA, industry partners, and academia to complete detailed AM process and heat treatment characterization, in addition to generating temperature-dependent mechanical and thermophysical properties. This presentation highlights the characterization and property results using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and laser powder directed energy deposition (LP-DED) processes among various alloys. In addition to commonly used alloys, there is a need for ongoing AM optimized alloys using integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) and process development for high performance applications. The applications targeted are launch vehicles, liquid rocket engines, advanced propulsion systems, advanced power systems, and in-space propulsion with high heat fluxes, high pressure, and that utilize propellants such as hydrogen, which can degrade alloys. This presentation will also discuss some of the ongoing novel alloy development and maturation using AM for use in these harsh environments, such as GRCop-42, GRCop-84, NASA HR-1, and C-103. The results from these processes have demonstrated that AM can enable rapid development and new AM optimized alloys can yield higher performance. These alloys have undergone modeling, fundamental metallurgical evaluations, heat treatment studies, and microstructure characterization and mechanical testing campaigns. This, combined with direct application-specific component fabrication and hot-fire testing, can enable the increase of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) through high duty-cycle testing. This presentation provides a background and overview of these various common and AM-enabled alloys and processing developments including the initial effort related to metallurgical, mechanical, and thermophysical property studies. It also covers the latest advancement in the parallel component development, hot-fire testing, and future developments for these alloys.

Additive Manufacturing↗

NASA NTRS2004

Environmental Remediation Technologies Derived from Space Industry Research

Beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, an abundance of effort and initiative was focused on propelling the space industry outward for planetary exploration and habitation. During these early years, the push to take space science to new levels indirectly contributed to the evolution of another science field that would not fully surface until the early 1980s, environmental remediation. This field is associated with the remediation or cleanup of environmental resources such as groundwater, soil, and sediment. Because the space-exploration initiative began prior to the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in December of 1970, many NASA Centers as well as space-related support contractors allowed for the release of spent chemicals into the environment. Subsequently, these land owners have been directed by the EPA to responsibly initiate cleanup of their impacted sites. This paper will focus on the processes and lessons learned with the development, testing, and commercialization initiatives associated with four remediation technologies. The technologies include installation techniques for permeable reactive barriers (PRBs), the use of ultrasound to improve long-term performance of PRBs, emulsified zero-valent iron for product-level solvent degradation, and emulsion technologies for application to metal and polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated media. Details of the paper cover technology research, evaluation, and testing; contracts and grants; and technology transfer strategies including patenting, marketing, and licensing.

Quinn, Jacqueline↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancing GRCop-based Bimetallic Additive Manufacturing to Optimize Component Design and Applications for Liquid Rocket Engines

Additive manufacturing (AM) is advancing many applications of component design for liquid rocket engines. The ability to rapidly design and manufacture components has provided significant opportunities for development and flight programs across the propulsion industry. AM has demonstrated significant advantages that include cost and schedule savings in addition to performance improvements through new design opportunities. While these performance advantages can be in the characteristics of complex design features, they can also be in the form of new materials. AM has been demonstrated in these various component applications using a variety of metal alloys, many of which are traditional alloys for extreme environments. Additional developments were completed using AM to provide new alloys and maturing these material uses for high performance applications. Almost all of the prior developments across component applications have focused on single-alloys in these AM processes. NASA and industry partners have focused in recent years to advance processing to create bimetallic and multicomponent AM processes and materials. The role of multi-alloy AM offers advantages since it can further optimize weight, optimize reliability and performance by increasing the strength to weight ratio of a component, and can optimize materials for various engineering requirements. This is particularly important in liquid rocket engine combustion devices that must reject heat in high heat flux environments yet maintain adequate structural margins under high operational pressure. NASA has been exploring several AM processes, materials, and applications for combustion devices, specifically combustion chambers, injectors, nozzles, and ignition systems. These components require fine geometric features for internal flow or cooling functionality. They experience high thermal gradients across thin-walls and must survive high pressures and temperatures from propellants and the combustion process. A copper-based alloy is normally used to provide high thermal conductivity, but at the detriment of increased weight if used as a single alloy in an AM chamber. Various AM processes were demonstrated on these components using a copper-based alloy/superalloy bimetallic solution. The AM processes being explored individually and in combination for bimetallic applications include Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), Laser Powder Directed Energy Deposition (LP-DED), and cold spray. The combination of bimetallic material combinations explored in this research include copper-based material primarily and superalloys, Inconel 625 or NASA HR-1. The various aspects of the additive manufacturing processes and challenges, materials characterization, and the testing of bimetallic components in a relevant environment will be discussed.

Additive Manufacturing↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advancing GRCop-based Bimetallic Additive Manufacturing to Optimize Component Design and Applications for Liquid Rocket Engines

Additive Manufacturing↗

DOE OSTI2021

In–Depth Analysis of the Degradation Mechanisms of High–Nickel, Low/No–Cobalt Layered Oxide Cathodes for Lithium–Ion Batteries

A rational compositional design of high-nickel, cobalt-free layered oxide materials for high-energy and low-cost lithium-ion batteries would be expected to further propel the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), yet a composition with satisfactory electrochemical properties has yet to emerge. The previous work has demonstrated a promising LiNi 0.883 Mn 0.056 Al 0.061 O 2 (NMA-89) composition that outperformed high-nickel, cobalt-containing analogs in cycling stability and maintained a comparable rate performance and thermal stability. Herein, the capacity fading mechanism of NMA-89 in a pouch full cell with a 4.2 V cutoff is compared to that of its cobalt-containing analogs. The results reveal that particle cracking in LiNi 0.89 Mn 0.055 Co 0.055 O 2 (NMC-89) and LiNi 0.883 Co 0.053 Al 0.064 O 2 (NCA-89) leads to a loss of active material and an increase in surface area, thereby exacerbating structural and surface instabilities, accelerating impedance and polarization growth, and ultimately reducing their capacity retentions. LiNi 0.89 Mn 0.044 Co 0.042 Al 0.013 Mg 0.011 O 2 (NMCAM-89) and NMA-89 experience subdued surface reactions and maintain spherical particle structures, both of which are conducive to their capacity retentions during long-term cycling. Furthermore, this investigation offers insights into how specific transition-metal ions dictate the electrochemical stability of high-Ni layered oxide cathode materials, highlights the benefit of Mn-Al combination in NMA-89, and presents potential strategies to further enhance the performance of this novel class of cathode materials.

degradation mechanisms↗