Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Grain boundary fracture”

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

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

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2008

Multiscale Modeling of Intergranular Fracture in Aluminum: Constitutive Relation For Interface Debonding

Intergranular fracture is a dominant mode of failure in ultrafine grained materials. In the present study, the atomistic mechanisms of grain-boundary debonding during intergranular fracture in aluminum are modeled using a coupled molecular dynamics finite element simulation. Using a statistical mechanics approach, a cohesive-zone law in the form of a traction-displacement constitutive relationship, characterizing the load transfer across the plane of a growing edge crack, is extracted from atomistic simulations and then recast in a form suitable for inclusion within a continuum finite element model. The cohesive-zone law derived by the presented technique is free of finite size effects and is statistically representative for describing the interfacial debonding of a grain boundary (GB) interface examined at atomic length scales. By incorporating the cohesive-zone law in cohesive-zone finite elements, the debonding of a GB interface can be simulated in a coupled continuum-atomistic model, in which a crack starts in the continuum environment, smoothly penetrates the continuum-atomistic interface, and continues its propagation in the atomistic environment. This study is a step towards relating atomistically derived decohesion laws to macroscopic predictions of fracture and constructing multiscale models for nanocrystalline and ultrafine grained materials.

Yamakov, V.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Grain detachment and transport clogging during mineral dissolution in carbonate rocks with permeable grain boundaries

In this paper, we explore the effect of permeable grain boundaries on carbonate rock dissolution in order to improve our understanding of grain detachment and migration during reactive flow. To do so we investigated the effects of grain size and enhanced reactivity along grain boundaries on global dissolution kinetics. Variations of permeability and porosity were calculated, and exponential relationships were observed in fractured rocks. Our model employed a reactive transport framework based on the Darcy-Brinkman equation to simulate calcite dissolution in carbonate rocks composed of microporous grains and, included fluid transport along grain boundaries. The model includes fluid flow, solute transport by advection–diffusion, heterogeneous reaction between fluid and minerals and grain detachment with subsequent grain transport in macropores. The migration of solid particles due to dissolution was based on cluster analysis and local movement, and the results show that grain detachment can lead to significant decreases in permeability due to the clogging of transport pathways. Microporous media with smaller grain sizes (fine grains in this study) showed a higher average reaction rate than those with coarser grains. In addition, as the overall rates of geochemical processes are commonly affected by the presence of texture heterogeneities such as fractures, a single fracture (macropore) introduced into a microporous matrix composed of permeable grains and grain boundaries was modelled as a large channel connecting the inlet and outlet of the simulation domain. It was found that macropore clogging by grain detachment temporary decreased permeability, lowering the long-term global reaction rates. Lastly, we observed that increases in flow rate can reduce detachment and fracture clogging by reducing local dissolution along grain boundaries.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1972

Effect of metallurgical structure and properties on adhesion and friction behavior of cobalt alloys

The metallurgical structure and some of the mechanical properties of two cobalt alloys, cobalt-50% iron and cobalt-25% molybdenum-10% chromium, were determined under various heat treated conditions. The mechanical properties of the bcc disordered Co-50Fe alloy, which was found to be very brittle, indicated an exceedingly low fracture strength, low hardness, and very weak grain boundary strength. Ordering by suitable heat treatment only produced a more brittle material with a lower fracture strength and a slightly higher hardness value. Work hardening was found to produce a finer grain structure and a greater grain boundary strength. Tensile properties were examined. It was found that the Co-25Mo-10Cr alloy was difficult to place in the alpha Co solid solution condition, which limited the ability to use precipitation as a hardening reaction. Over two hundred adhesion cycles from zero contact load, to maximum load, to fracture were conducted between couples for each of the above alloys in an ultrahigh vacuum system which would permit the sample surfaces to be cleaned of all contaminant layers. In the Co-50Fe case, the calculated fracture stress from the adhesion tests showed values in the range of 80 to 150 k.s.i., which is about ten times greater than the values from tension tests.

Keller, D. V., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Stress Concentration and Fracture at Inter-variant Boundaries in an Al-Li Alloy

Delamination fracture has limited the use of lightweight Al-Li alloys. Studies of secondary, delamination cracks in alloy 2090, L-T fracture toughness samples showed grain boundary failure between variants of the brass texture component. Although the adjacent texture variants, designated B(sub s1) and B(sub s2), behave similarly during rolling, their plastic responses to mechanical tests can be quite different. EBSD data from through-thickness scans were used to generate Taylor factor maps. When a combined boundary normal and shear tensor was used in the calculation, the delaminating grains showed the greatest Taylor Factor differences of any grain pairs. Kernel Average Misorientation (KAM) maps also showed damage accumulation on one side of the interface. Both of these are consistent with poor slip accommodation from a crystallographically softer grain to a harder one. Transmission electron microscopy was used to confirm the EBSD observations and to show the role of slip bands in the development of large, interfacial stress concentrations. A viewgraph presentation accompanies the provided abstract.

Crooks, Roy↗
DOE OSTI2021

Microscopic and Macroscopic Characterization of Grain Boundary Energy and Strength in Silicon Carbide via Machine-Learning Techniques

Predicting the properties of grain boundaries poses a challenge because of the complex relationships between structural and chemical attributes both at the atomic and continuum scales. Grain boundary systems are typically characterized by parameters used to classify local atomic arrangements in order to extract features such as grain boundary energy or grain boundary strength. The present work utilizes a combination of high-throughput atomistic simulations, macroscopic and microscopic descriptors, and machine-learning techniques to characterize the energy and strength of silicon carbide grain boundaries. Additionally, a diverse data set of symmetric tilt and twist grain boundaries are described using macroscopic metrics such as misorientation, the alignment of critical low-index planes, and the Schmid factor, but also in terms of microscopic metrics, by quantifying the local atomic structure and chemistry at the interface. These descriptors are used to create random-forest regression models, allowing for their relative importance to the grain boundary energy and decohesion stress to be better understood. Results show that while the energetics of the grain boundary were best described using the microscopic descriptors, the ability of the macroscopic descriptors to reasonably predict grain boundaries with low energy suggests a link between the crystallographic orientation and the resultant atomic structure that forms at the grain boundary within this regime. For grain boundary strength, neither microscopic nor macroscopic descriptors were able to fully capture the response individually. However, when both descriptor sets were utilized, the decohesion stress of the grain boundary could be accurately predicted. These results highlight the importance of considering both macroscopic and microscopic factors when constructing constitutive models for grain boundary systems, which has significant implications for both understanding the fundamental mechanisms at work and the ability to bridge length scales.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1986

The effect of diffusive hydrogen segregation on fracture of polycrystalline nickel

Hydrogen embrittlement of polycrystalline nickel was studied under conditions which allowed the diffusion and segregation of hydrogen to grain boundaries to be controlled. It was shown that even at high solute concentrations of hydrogen, the fracture mode was ductile shear rupture, if transport of hydrogen to the grain boundaries was not allowed. As the amount of hydrogen segregation to the grain boundaries was increased, the fracture mode became increasingly intergranular. Analysis of the temperature dependence of this transition from ductile rupture to transgranular fracture yields a hydrogen segregation enthalpy of 11.6 kJ/mol. The transition in the fracture mode was also observed at a constant aging temperature by increasing the solute hydrogen concentration. The kinetics of this fracture transition suggest that the hydrogen segregation layer extends about 35 nm from the grain boundary. It is suggested that the fracture mechanism is a softening of the material in this segregation region due to the high hydrogen concentration.

Lassila, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Mechanistic Study of Delamination Fracture in Al-Li Alloy C458 (2099)

Delamination fracture has limited the use of lightweight Al-Li alloys. In the present study, electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) methods were used to characterize crack paths in Al-Li alloy C458 (2099). Secondary delamination cracks in fracture toughness samples showed a pronounced tendency for fracture between grain variants of the same deformation texture component. These results were analyzed by EBSD mapping methods and simulated with finite element analyses. Simulation procedures include a description of material anisotropy, local grain orientations, and fracture utilizing crystal plasticity and cohesive zone elements. Taylor factors computed for each grain orientation subjected to normal and shear stresses indicated that grain pairs with the largest Taylor factor differences were adjacent to boundaries that failed by delamination. Examination of matching delamination fracture surface pairs revealed pronounced slip bands in only one of the grains bordering the delamination. These results, along with EBSD studies, plasticity simulations, and Auger electron spectroscopy observations support a hypothesis that delamination fracture occurs due to poor slip accommodation along boundaries between grains with greatly differing plastic response.

Tayon, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Deformation, recrystallization, strength, and fracture of press-forged ceramic crystals.

Sapphire and ruby were very difficult to press-forge because they deformed without cracking only in a limited temperature range before they melted. Spinel crystals were somewhat easier and MgO, CaO, and TiC crystals much easier to forge. The degree of recrystallization that occurred during forging (which was related to the ease and type of slip intersections) varied from essentially zero in Al2O3 to complete (i.e., random polycrystalline bodies were produced) in CaO. Forging of bi- and polycrystalline bodies produced incoherent bodies as a result of grain-boundary sliding. Strengths of the forged crystals were comparable to those of dense polycrystalline bodies of similar grain size. However, forged and recrystallized CaO crystals were ductile at lower temperatures than dense hot-pressed CaO. This behavior is attributed to reduced grain-boundary impurities and porosity. Fracture origins could be located, indicating that fracture in the CaO occurs internally as a result of surface work hardening caused by machining.-

Rice, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Hot tensile properties and deformation response of a gamma/Ni/-gamma prime/Ni3Al/-delta/Ni3Nb/ eutectic composite

Three distinct regions of tensile, deformation and fracture behavior were observed in a 2.5 wt. per cent Al gamma/gamma prime-delta eutectic alloy as the testing temperature was varied. The major finding was an extraordinary ductility maximum at about 550 C. It was shown that this phenomenon is caused by the deflection of transverse cracks at the eutectic grain boundaries when yielding occurs. This delamination between eutectics grains caused by fracture of a gamma prime eutectic grain boundary film leads to a distinctly different 'wood-like' fracture surface morphology. Above 690 C to 926 C, yield and tensile strength values decrease while ductility increase slightly. Cooperative twinning of both phases develops giving rise to block-like deformation of the microstructure quite in parallel to the behavior observed previously in the gamma-delta system.

Bertorello, H. R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Making ultrastrong steel tough by grain-boundary delamination

Developing ultrahigh-strength steels that are ductile, fracture resistant, and cost effective would be attractive for a variety of structural applications. We show that improved fracture resistance in a steel with an ultrahigh yield strength of nearly 2 gigapascals can be achieved by activating delamination toughening coupled with transformation-induced plasticity. Delamination toughening associated with intensive but controlled cracking at manganese-enriched prior-austenite grain boundaries normal to the primary fracture surface dramatically improves the overall fracture resistance. As a result, fracture under plane-strain conditions is automatically transformed into a series of fracture processes in “parallel” plane-stress conditions through the thickness. The present “high-strength induced multidelamination” strategy offers a different pathway to develop engineering materials with ultrahigh strength and superior toughness at economical materials cost.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1957

Rupture Strength of Several Nickel-base Alloys in Sheet Form

The 100-hour rupture strengths of Inconel X, Inconel 700, Incoloy 901, Refractaloy 26, and R-235 at 1200 and 1350 F. in both the annealed and heat-treated conditions were determined. Inconel 700 had the highest rupture strength at both temperatures; Incoloy 901 was second strongest at 1200 F, and R-235 second strongest at 1350 F. With the exception of Incoloy 901, ductility was low. Photomicrographs show that fractures are through the grain boundaries. Results are compared with published data for other sheet alloys and bar stock.

ALLOYS, HEAT-RESISTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Irradiation-assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking of PWRirradiated Type 347 Stainless Steel (NSUF CINR 19-16567)

This document serves as the final report for NSUF Project 19-16567 (Reference 1) and its supporting contracts (References 2 and 3). It documents completion of testing of specimens fabricated as previously described in Reference 4. At a high level, the purpose of the testing is to generate data to support continued operation of light water reactors (LWR) and provide further understanding of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion crack (IASCC) initiation in baffle-former bolt materials. Baffle-former bolts that had been extracted from commercial pressurized water reactors (PWRs) were machined into miniature 4-point bend specimens and TEM samples at the Westinghouse Churchill Site hot cell facility. These samples were then shipped to the University of Michigan to undergo IASCC initiation testing in simulated PWR primary coolant containing either LiOH or KOH additions. Overall, 15 samples were tested, 8 in water with KOH additions and 7 in water with LiOH additions, until indications of cracking were observed. Crack initiation stress was similar in both water environments at 50-60% of the irradiated yield stress. Post-test examination of the cracking sites, including scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, demonstrated that the crack initiation mechanism and crack initiation rates were similar between the two different water chemistries. A grain boundary oxidation and oxide fracture mechanism was observed to be responsible for crack initiation.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1980

The relative stress-corrosion-cracking susceptibility of candidate aluminum-lithium alloys for aerospace structural applications

The microstructure and tensile properties of two powder metallurgy processed aluminum-lithium alloys were determined. Strength properties of 480 MPa yield and 550 MPa ultimate tensile strength with 5% strain to fracture were attained. Very little reduction in area was observed and fracture characteristics were brittle. The magnesium bearing alloy exhibited the highest strength and ductility, but fracture was intergranular. Recrystallization and grain growth, as well as coarse grain boundary precipitation, occurred in Alloy 2. The fracture morphology of the two alloys differed. Alloy 1 fractured along a plane of maximum shear stress, while Alloy 2 fractured along a plane of maximum tensile stress. It is found that a fixed orientation relationship exists between the shear fracture plane and the rolling direction which suggests that the PM alloys are strongly textured.

Pizzo, P. P.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Dynamic recrystallization and grain boundary migration in B2 FeAl

Transmission electron microscopy and optical microscopy were used to examine polycrystalline specimens of the B2-structured alloy FeAl strained under tension to fracture at elevated temperature. Strain-induced grain boundary migration was observed above 900 K and dynamic recrystallization was found at 1000 K and 1100 K. Little evidence of dynamic recovery was evident but some networks were formed at 1100 K.

Baker, I.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bulk nanocrystalline Al–Mg–Y alloys with amorphous grain boundary complexions display high strength and compressive plasticity

Although nanocrystalline alloys regularly exhibit high strengths, their use in structural applications often face challenges due to sample size limitations, unstable microstructures, and the limited ability to plastically deform. The incorporation of amorphous grain boundary complexions has been proposed to address these issues, by simultaneously stabilizing nanocrystalline grain structures for scale-up processing and improving alloy toughness. In the present study, the mechanical behavior of bulk nanocrystalline Al–Mg–Y is examined with macroscale compression testing, probing a length scale that is relevant to real-world structural applications. Bulk samples were fabricated via a simple powder metallurgy approach, with different hot-pressing temperatures and durations employed for consolidation in order to investigate microstructural and property evolution. All of the specimens contained primary face-centered cubic Al and secondary Al 4 C 3 and Al 3 Y phases, with the Al 3 Y particles exhibiting two populations of small equiaxed and larger elongated particles. Appreciable plasticity was measured along with high ultimate stresses over 800 MPa due to the presence of amorphous grain boundary complexions. Microstructural characterization of fracture surfaces revealed that the area fraction of dimpled regions increased with longer hot-pressing time. Most importantly, the elongated Al 3 Y particles formed regular cellular patterns with increasing hot-pressing time, delaying shear localization and significantly enhancing plasticity. The hierarchy present in the microstructure of the Al–Mg–Y alloy, from amorphous grain boundary complexions to secondary phases, gives rise to excellent bulk mechanical properties, which are attractive for structural applications.

Bulk nanocrystalline alloy↗
NASA NTRS1981

Further Study of near Solidus Intergranular Cracking in Inconel 718

A series of tests, performed to determine the strain necessary to initiate intergranular cracking in Inconel 718 as a function of temperature, contained enough scatter near the melting temperature that questions remained as to the best curve of curves to fit to the data. Fracture surface analysis showed that the scatter was due to incipient melting in the grain boundary region. The melting contributed to low fracture strain but had only a small on the incipient cracking strain. Gleeble tests, which could be interrupted by water quenching, were used to study the incipient intergranular melting of Inconel 718. This modified weld simulation test provided a sufficiently rapid quench to preserve the intergranular microstructure created during incipient melting. This structure was studied both microscopically and with energy dispensive X-ray analysis. The implications of incipient melting and low-strain incipient cracking on the development of microfissuring envelopes are discussed.

Thompson, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Ductility and fracture in B2 FeAl alloys

The mechanical behavior of B2FeAl alloys was studied. Stoichiometric Fe-50Al exhibits totally brittle behavior while iron-rich Fe-40Al yields and displays about 3% total strain. This change in behavior results from large decreases in the yield strength with iron-rich deviations from stoichiometry while the fracture stress remains essentially constant. Single crystal studies show that these yield strength decreases are directly related to decreases in the critical resolved shear stress for a group of zone axes /111/ set of (110) planes slip. This behavior is rationalized in terms of the decrease in antiphase boundary energy with decreasing aluminum content. The addition of boron results in improvements in the mechanical behavior of alloys on the iron-rich side of stoichiometry. These improvements are increased brittle fracture stresses of near-stoichiometric alloys, and enhanced ductility of up to 6% in Fe-40Al. These effects were attributed to increased grain boundary adhesion as reflected by changes in fracture mode from intergranular to transgranular failure. The increases in yield strength, which are observed in both polycrystals and single crystals, result from the quenching in of large numbers of thermal vacancies. Hall-Petch plots show that the cooling rate effects are a direct result of changes in the Hall-Petch intercept/lattice resistance flow.

Crimp, Martin A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Wear of single-crystal silicon carbide in contact with various metals in vacuum

Sliding friction experiments were conducted in vacuum with single crystal silicon carbide (0001) surface in contact with transition metals (tungsten, iron, rhodium, nickel, titanium, and cobalt), copper, and aluminum. The hexagon shaped cracking and fracturing of silicon carbide that occurred is believed to be due to cleavages of both the prismatic and basal planes. The silicon carbide wear debris, which was produced by brittle fracture, slides or rolls on both the metal and silicon carbide and produces grooves and indentations on these surfaces. The wear scars of aluminum and titanium, which have much stronger chemical affinity for silicon and carbon, are generally rougher than those of the other metals. Fracturing and cracking along the grain boundary of rhodium and tungsten were observed. These may be primarily due to the greater shear moduli of the metals.

Miyoshi, K.↗