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NASA NTRS2018

Characterization of Titanium Alloys Produced by Electron Beam Directed Energy Deposition

Functionally graded materials offer the potential to improve structural efficiency by allowing the material composition and/or microstructural features to spatially vary within a component. Additive manufacturing techniques enable the fabrication of such graded materials and structures. While examining several titanium alloys, this paper focuses on Ti-8Al-1Er as it has a unique microstructure that is only feasible when produced by rapid solidification methods like electron beam directed energy deposition, an additive manufacturing process. The results show that, when mixed, Ti-8Al-1Er and commercially-pure titanium uniformly mix at various ratios and the resultant static tensile properties of the mixed alloys behave according to rule-of-mixtures. At discontinuous interfaces between Ti-8Al-1Er and commercially-pure titanium, the crack growth behavior progresses smoothly across the discontinuity as the crack transitions from one crack growth regime into another. Studies on monolithic samples shows the mechanisms of damage in the Ti-8Al-1Er; specifically, that strain localization occurs near grain boundaries of high mis-orientation on the microscale and that twinning and dislocation density is concentrated near erbia-strengthening particles (Er2O3) on the nanoscale.

Newman, John A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Layerwise Analysis of Thermal Shape Control in Graded Piezoelectric Beams

A layerwise finite element formulation developed for piezoelectric materials is used to investigate the displacement and stress response of a functionally graded piezoelectric bimorph actuator. The formulation is based on the principles of linear thermopiezoelectricity and accounts for the coupled mechanical, electrical, and thermal response of piezoelectric materials. The layerwise laminate theory is implemented into a linear beam element in order to provide a more accurate representation of the transverse and shear effects that are induced by increased inhomogeneities introduced through-the-thickness by using functionally graded materials. The accuracy of the formulation is verified with previously published experimental results for a piezoelectric bimorph actuator. Additional studies are conducted to analyze the impact of electric and thermal loads on the deflections and stresses in a bimorph actuator. Results of the study help demonstrate the capability of the layerwise theory to provide a more complete representation of shear effects that are no longer negligible even in thin piezoelectric beams. In addition, the effects of varying piezoelectric properties through-the-thickness of the beam are shown to provide additional benefits in minimizing the induced deformations and stresses.

Lee, Ho-Jun↗
NASA NTRS2003

Functionally Graded Nanophase Beryllium/Carbon Composites

Beryllium, beryllium alloys, beryllium carbide, and carbon are the ingredients of a class of nanophase Be/Be2C/C composite materials that can be formulated and functionally graded to suit a variety of applications. In a typical case, such a composite consists of a first layer of either pure beryllium or a beryllium alloy, a second layer of B2C, and a third layer of nanophase sintered carbon derived from fullerenes and nanotubes. The three layers are interconnected through interpenetrating spongelike structures. These Be/Be2C/C composite materials are similar to Co/WC/diamond functionally graded composite materials, except that (1) W and Co are replaced by Be and alloys thereof and (2) diamond is replaced by sintered carbon derived from fullerenes and nanotubes. (Optionally, one could form a Be/Be2C/diamond composite.) Because Be is lighter than W and Co, the present Be/Be2C/C composites weigh less than do the corresponding Co/WC/diamond composites. The nanophase carbon is almost as hard as diamond. WC/Co is the toughest material. It is widely used for drilling, digging, and machining. However, the fact that W is a heavy element (that is, has high atomic mass and mass density) makes W unattractive for applications in which weight is a severe disadvantage. Be is the lightest tough element, but its toughness is less than that of WC/Co alloy. Be strengthened by nanophase carbon is much tougher than pure or alloy Be. The nanophase carbon has an unsurpassed strength-to-weight ratio. The Be/Be2C/C composite materials are especially attractive for terrestrial and aerospace applications in which there are requirements for light weight along with the high strength and toughness of the denser Co/WC/diamond materials. These materials could be incorporated into diverse components, including cutting tools, bearings, rocket nozzles, and shields. Moreover, because Be and C are effective as neutron moderators, Be/Be2C/C composites could be attractive for some nuclear applications.

Voronov, Oleg A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Functionally Graded Nanophase Beryllium/Carbon Composites

Beryllium, beryllium alloys, beryllium carbide, and carbon are the ingredients of a class of nanophase Be/Be2C/C composite materials that can be formulated and functionally graded to suit a variety of applications. In a typical case, such a composite consists of a first layer of either pure beryllium or a beryllium alloy, a second layer of B2C, and a third layer of nanophase sintered carbon derived from fullerenes and nanotubes. The three layers are interconnected through interpenetrating spongelike structures. These Be/Be2C/C composite materials are similar to Co/WC/diamond functionally graded composite materials, except that (1) W and Co are replaced by Be and alloys thereof and (2) diamond is replaced by sintered carbon derived from fullerenes and nanotubes. (Optionally, one could form a Be/Be2C/diamond composite.) Because Be is lighter than W and Co, the present Be/Be2C/C composites weigh less than do the corresponding Co/WC/diamond composites. The nanophase carbon is almost as hard as diamond. WC/Co is the toughest material. It is widely used for drilling, digging, and machining. However, the fact that W is a heavy element (that is, has high atomic mass and mass density) makes W unattractive for applications in which weight is a severe disadvantage. Be is the lightest tough element, but its toughness is less than that of WC/Co alloy. Be strengthened by nanophase carbon is much tougher than pure or alloy Be. The nanophase carbon has an unsurpassed strength-to-weight ratio. The Be/Be2C/C composite materials are especially attractive for terrestrial and aerospace applications in which there are requirements for light weight along with the high strength and toughness of the denser Co/WC/diamond materials. These materials could be incorporated into diverse components, including cutting tools, bearings, rocket nozzles, and shields. Moreover, because Be and C are effective as neutron moderators, Be/Be2C/C composites could be attractive for some nuclear applications.

Choi, Michael K.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Oxidation Resitant HfC-TaC Rocket Thruster for High Performance Propellants

The purpose of this reasearch effort was to develop high temperature, oxidation resistant thrusters which would lessen the thruster cooling requirements, resulting in increased performance and longer life for onboard propulsion systems for spacecraft. This research effort focussed on developing ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) for this application, and specifically investigated the use of HfC stabilized with TaC. This material composition can potentially operate in a stoichiometric oxygen to hydrogen ratio at a temperature of 5000 deg F (2760 deg C) in a radiatively cooled mode. Various compositions of Hafnium Carbide (HfC) and Tantalum Carbide (TaC) were deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and tested, in an attempt to identify the composition which offered the best oxidation resistance. Although it was identified that small amounts of TaC appeared to offer improved oxidation resistance over HfC alone, an optimal composition was not identified. A 251bf thruster was fabricated from a novel CMC sandwich construction with a HfC-TaC matrix, and survived two test firings, each of 5 seconds before a failure in the injector caused the run to be aborted. It was not possible to control the relative stoichiometry of the HfC and TaC composition throughout the reactor due to the large difference in the thermodynamics of the HfC and TaC formation from their respective chlorides. This also resulted in an inability to infiltrate TaC into the preform under the experimental conditions investigated. Other material compositions were fabricated and tested and two material systems; HfC-SiC functionally graded to C(sub f)/C and Re functionally graded to C(sub f)/C were selected for further testing. These functionally graded composites have use in a number of propulsion applications presently of interest to NASA and the defense industry. Their ability to withstand extremely hostile thermal environments and the light-weight and high-strength exhibited from the C(sub f)/C composite make these materials particularly suited for these applications. In the Phase III which is presently underway, Re functionally graded to C(sub f)/C is being further developed and tested for application in the thrust cells for the Linear Aerospike Engine for the X33 and RLV.

Patterson, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1975

High efficiency graded band-gap Al/x/Ga/1-x/As-GaAs p-on-n solar cell

A theoretical analysis of p-on-n (p/n) graded band-gap Al/x/Ga/1-x/As-GaAs solar cells including all practical energy loss mechanisms predicts air mass zero efficiencies of 17.3%. The energy losses include those due to spectral reflection, surface, bulk and junction recombination currents, and series resistance. The device consists of a layer of p-type Al/x/Ga/1-x/As 3.5-micron thick on top of an n-type GaAs substrate. The graded band-gap is achieved by decreasing x from 0.35 at the surface to zero at the junction. The same structure without the graded Al concentration, no longer an optimum device, has an efficiency of 10.4%. The primary function of the graded band-gap material is the reduction of surface and bulk recombination losses in the surface layer by a built-in electric field. A comparison of the p/n structure with an optimized n/p structure indicates that the latter has a slightly higher efficiency (17.7%) for assumed minority carrier diffusion lengths and surface recombination velocity.

Hutchby, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Development and Testing of Cooled CMCs for High Thermal Flux Applications

Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCS) offer the potential for significant weight savings and improved performance for a range of propulsion components utilizing refractory materials. This paper describes the fabrication and testing of functionally graded CMCs produced via a low cost process that represents an order of magnitude cost savings over conventionally fabricated CMCS. Test cylinders were fabricated, characterized and evaluated during exposure to high thermal fluxes of up to 10MW/meters squared at the Laser Hardened Materials Evaluation Laboratory (LHMEL). The bulk density of the CMC tubes was approximately 2.2 grams per cubic centimeters. The performance of cryogenically cooled CMCs was compared with uncooled CMCs against similar thermal loads, and fundamental property data collected for this relatively new breed of CMC. Finally, test thrust cells were fabricated from the functionally graded composite and tested using liquid H2 and O2 propellants at NASA Glen.

Patterson , Mark↗
NASA NTRS2013

Applications for Gradient Metal Alloys Fabricated Using Additive Manufacturing

Recently, additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have been developed that may shift the paradigm of traditional metal production by allowing complex net-shaped hardware to be built up layer-by-layer, rather than being machined from a billet. The AM process is ubiquitous with polymers due to their low melting temperatures, fast curing, and controllable viscosity, and 3D printers are widely available as commercial or consumer products. 3D printing with metals is inherently more complicated than with polymers due to their higher melting temperatures and reactivity with air, particularly when heated or molten. The process generally requires a high-power laser or other focused heat source, like an electron beam, for precise melting and deposition. Several promising metal AM techniques have been developed, including laser deposition (also called laser engineered net shaping or LENS® and laser deposition technology (LDT)), direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), and electron beam free-form (EBF). These machines typically use powders or wire feedstock that are melted and deposited using a laser or electron beam. Complex net-shape parts have been widely demonstrated using these (and other) AM techniques and the process appears to be a promising alternative to machining in some cases. Rather than simply competing with traditional machining for cost and time savings, the true advantage of AM involves the fabrication of hardware that cannot be produced using other techniques. This could include parts with "blind" features (like foams or trusses), parts that are difficult to machine conventionally, or parts made from materials that do not exist in bulk forms. In this work, the inventors identify that several AM techniques can be used to develop metal parts that change composition from one location in the part to another, allowing for complete control over the mechanical or physical properties. This changes the paradigm for conventional metal fabrication, which relies on an assortment of "post-processing" methods to locally alter properties (such as coating, heat treating, work hardening, shot peening, etching, anodizing, among others). Building the final part in an additive process allows for the development of an entirely new class of metals, so-called "functionally graded metals" or "gradient alloys." By carefully blending feedstock materials with different properties in an AM process, hardware can be developed with properties that cannot be obtained using other techniques but with the added benefit of the net-shaped fabrication that AM allows.

Hofmann, Douglas C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Interfaces - Weak Links, Yet Great Opportunities

Inadequate turbomachine interface design can rapidly degrade system performance, yet provide great opportunity for improvements. Engineered coatings of seals and bearing interfaces are major issues in the operational life of power systems. Coatings, films, and combined use of both metals and ceramics play a major role in maintaining component life. Interface coatings, like lubricants, are sacrificial for the benefit of the component. Bearing and sealing surfaces are routinely protected by tribologically paired coatings such as silicon diamond like coatings (SiDLC) in combination with an oil lubricated wave bearing that prolongs bearing operational life. Likewise, of several methods used or researched for detecting interface failures, dopants within coatings show failures in functionally graded ceramic coatings. The Bozzolo-Ferrante-Smith (BFS) materials models and quantum mechanical tools, employed in interface design, are discussed.

Hendricks, Robert C.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Aeroelastic Tailoring of the NASA Common Research Model via Novel Material and Structural Configurations

This work explores the use of tow steered composite laminates, functionally graded metals (FGM), thickness distributions, and curvilinear rib/spar/stringer topologies for aeroelastic tailoring. Parameterized models of the Common Research Model (CRM) wing box have been developed for passive aeroelastic tailoring trade studies. Metrics of interest include the wing weight, the onset of dynamic flutter, and the static aeroelastic stresses. Compared to a baseline structure, the lowest aggregate static wing stresses could be obtained with tow steered skins (47% improvement), and many of these designs could reduce weight as well (up to 14%). For these structures, the trade-off between flutter speed and weight is generally strong, although one case showed both a 100% flutter improvement and a 3.5% weight reduction. Material grading showed no benefit in the skins, but moderate flutter speed improvements (with no weight or stress increase) could be obtained by grading the spars (4.8%) or ribs (3.2%), where the best flutter results were obtained by grading both thickness and material. For the topology work, large weight reductions were obtained by removing an inner spar, and performance was maintained by shifting stringers forward and/or using curvilinear ribs: 5.6% weight reduction, a 13.9% improvement in flutter speed, but a 3.0% increase in stress levels. Flutter resistance was also maintained using straightrotated ribs although the design had a 4.2% lower flutter speed than the curved ribs of similar weight and stress levels were higher. These results will guide the development of a future design optimization scheme established to exploit and combine the individual attributes of these technologies.

Jutte, Christine V.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Fabrication and properties of functionally graded NiAl/Al2O3 composites

A modified sedimentation process was used in the production of a functionally gradient material (FGM), NiAl/Al2O3. A simple finite element model was used to guide our design and fabrication efforts by estimating residual stress states as a function of composite structure. This approach could lead to tailored designs that enhance or avoid specific residual stress states. Thermal cycling tests were factored into the model to predict time dependent or steady-state internal temperature and stress profiles. Four-point bend tests were conducted to establish the mechanical load-displacement behavior of a single interlayer FGM at room temperature, 800 and 1000 K. Room temperature bend strength of the FGM was 3-4 times that of the base NiAl. At elevated temperatures, composite fracture occurred in a gradual, noncatastrophic mode involving NiAl retardation of a succession of cracks originating in the alumina face.

Miller, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Analysis of Multiple Cracks in an Infinite Functionally Graded Plate

A general methodology was constructed to develop the fundamental solution for a crack embedded in an infinite non-homogeneous material in which the shear modulus varies exponentially with the y coordinate. The fundamental solution was used to generate a solution to fully interactive multiple crack problems for stress intensity factors and strain energy release rates. Parametric studies were conducted for two crack configurations. The model displayed sensitivity to crack distance, relative angular orientation, and to the coefficient of nonhomogeneity.

Shbeeb, N. I.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Drifting Recovery Base Concept for GEO Derelict Object Capture

Over 250 objects hover within 6 m/sec of perfect geostationary orbit. Over half of these objects lie within 0.1 m/sec of the GEO velocity. Such items have 62% of the total velocity required to achieve Earth gravitational escape. A conceptual architecture is proposed to clean this orbit area of derelict objects while providing a demonstration mission for many facets of future asteroid mining operations. These near-GEO objects average nearly 2000kg each, consisting of (typically functioning) power systems, batteries, and large quantities of components and raw aerospace-grade refined materials. Such a demonstration collection system could capture, collect and remove all GEO derelict objects in an international effort to create a depot of components and of aerospace-grade raw materials--with a total mass greater than that of the International Space Station--as a space scrap depot ready for transfer to lunar or Mars orbit, using only two heavy-lift launches and 2-3 years of on-orbit operations.

Bacon, John B.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Triphasic Tooling with Small Oriented Diamond Tip for Turning and Smoothing Lightweight Mirrors

We are developing a new method for the growth of small diamond crystals at very high temperatures and pressures directly from a carbon melt. A prototype "Supercell" has been developed for this purpose. This system is capable of high rate crystal growth in relatively large working volumes. The resulting high quality diamond crystals will be incorporated into a triphasic diamond/titanium carbide/titanium composite tool, with an oriented diamond crystal at its tip. High pressure is needed to prevent degradation of diamond at high temperature, and to ensure the formation of a crack & composite structure. After grinding and polishing, the composite material will be joined to a steel holder, thus forming a diamond-tipped tool for turning and smoothing of a mirror surface. A properly oriented single-crystal diamond cuts and smoothes much better than a conventional polycrystalline diamond crystal. This is because the hardness depends on crystallographic orientation-the difference corresponds to 60-100 GPa on the Knoop scale. Our goal is to achieve surface roughness of about 1 nm, which will be accomplished by precision cutting and smoothing. The hardness of the functionally-graded diamond/titanium carbide/titanium composite tool varies from 100 GPa at its tip to 15 GPa at its base. Previous work has shown that the mass of machined material using an oriented-diamond tool is much larger than that for a standard diamond-metal composite tool.

Voronov, O. A.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Properties and Performance Attributes of Novel Co-extruded Polyolefin Battery Separator Materials: Electrical Properties - Part 2

As NASA prepares for its next era of manned spaceflight missions, advanced energy storage technologies are being developed and evaluated to address and enhance future mission needs and technical requirements. Cell-level components for advanced lithium-ion batteries possessing higher energy, more reliable performance and enhanced, inherent safety characteristics have been under development within the NASA infrastructure. A key component for safe and reliable cell performance is the cell separator, which separates the two energetic electrodes and functions to inhibit the occurrence of an internal short circuit but preserves an ionic current. Recently, a new generation of co-extruded separator films has been developed by ExxonMobil Chemical and introduced into their battery separator product portfolio. Several grades of this new separator material were evaluated with respect to dynamic mechanical properties and safety-related performance attributes, and the results of these evaluations were previously reported in "Part 1: Mechanical Properties" of this publication. This current paper presents safety-related performance results for these novel materials obtained by employing a complementary experimental methodology, which involved the analysis of separator impedance characteristics as a function of temperature. The experimental results from this study are discussed with respect to potential cell safety enhancement for future aerospace as well as for terrestrial energy storage needs, and they are compared with pertinent mechanical properties of these materials, as well as with current state-of-the practice separator materials.

Baldwin, Richard S.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Meeting Radiation Protection Requirements and Reducing Spacecraft Mass - A Multifunctional Materials Approach

Both crew and radio-sensitive systems, especially electronics must be protected from the effects of the space radiation environment. One method of mitigating this radiation exposure is to use passive-shielding materials. In previous vehicle designs such as the International Space Station (ISS), materials such as aluminum and polyethylene have been used as parasitic shielding to protect crew and electronics from exposure, but these designs add mass and decrease the amount of usable volume inside the vehicle. Thus, it is of interest to understand whether structural materials can also be designed to provide the radiation shielding capability needed for crew and electronics, while still providing weight savings and increased useable volume when compared against previous vehicle shielding designs. In this paper, we present calculations and analysis using the HZETRN (deterministic) and FLUKA (Monte Carlo) codes to investigate the radiation mitigation properties of these structural shielding materials, which includes graded-Z and composite materials. This work is also a follow-on to an earlier paper, that compared computational results for three radiation transport codes, HZETRN, HETC, and FLUKA, using the Feb. 1956 solar particle event (SPE) spectrum. In the following analysis, we consider the October 1989 Ground Level Enhanced (GLE) SPE as the input source term based on the Band function fitting method. Using HZETRN and FLUKA, parametric absorbed doses at the center of a hemispherical structure on the lunar surface are calculated for various thicknesses of graded-Z layups and an all-aluminum structure. HZETRN and FLUKA calculations are compared and are in reasonable (18% to 27%) agreement. Both codes are in agreement with respect to the predicted shielding material performance trends. The results from both HZETRN and FLUKA are analyzed and the radiation protection properties and potential weight savings of various materials and materials lay-ups are compared.

Atwell, William↗