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

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At least 649 records · Page 36
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

Comprehensive characterization of irradiation induced defects in ceria: Impact of point defects on vibrational and optical properties

Validation of multiscale microstructure evolution models can be improved when standard microstructure characterization tools are coupled with methods sensitive to individual point defects. We demonstrate how electronic and vibrational properties of defects revealed by optical absorption and Raman spectroscopies can be used to compliment transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) in the characterization of microstructure evolution in ceria under non-equilibrium conditions. Experimental manifestation of non-equilibrium conditions was realized by exposing cerium dioxide (CeO2) to energetic protons at elevated temperature. Two sintered polycrystalline CeO2 samples were bombarded with protons accelerated to a few MeVs. These irradiation conditions produced a microstructure with resolvable extended defects and a significant concentration of point defects. A rate theory (RT) model was parametrized using the results of TEM, XRD, and thermal conductivity measurements to infer point defect concentrations. An abundance of cerium sublattice defects suggested by the RT model is supported by Raman spectroscopy measurements, which show peak shift and broadening of the intrinsic T2g peak and emergence of new defect peaks. Additionally, spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements performed in lieu of optical absorption reveals the presence of Ce3+ ions associated with oxygen vacancies. This work lays the foundation for a coupled approach that considers a multimodal characterization of microstructures to guide and validate complex defect evolution models.

Chauhan, Vinay S.↗
DOE OSTI2013

The Role of Elastic and Plastic Anisotropy of Sn in Recrystallization and Damage Evolution During Thermal Cycling in SAC305 Solder Joints

Because failures in lead-free solder joints occur at locations other than the most highly shear-strained regions, reliability prediction is challenging. To gain physical understanding of this phenomenon, physically based understanding of how elastic and plastic deformation anisotropy affect microstructural evolution during thermomechanical cycling is necessary. Upon solidification, SAC305 (Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu) solder joints are usually single or tricrystals. The evolution of microstructures and properties is characterized statistically using optical and orientation imaging microscopy. In situ synchrotron x-ray measurements during thermal cycling are used to examine how crystal orientation and thermal cycling history change strain history. Extensive characterization of a low-stress plastic ball grid array (PBGA) package design at different stages of cycling history is compared with preliminary experiments using higher-stress package designs. With time and thermal history, microstructural evolution occurs mostly from continuous recrystallization and particle coarsening that is unique to each joint, because of the specific interaction between local thermal and displacement boundary conditions and the strong anisotropic elastic, plastic, expansion, and diffusional properties of Sn crystals. The rate of development of recrystallized microstructures is a strong function of strain and aging. Cracks form at recrystallized (random) boundaries, and then percolate through recrystallized regions. Complications arising from electromigration and corrosion are also considered.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Microstructure, texture evolution and magnetic properties of strip-casting non-oriented 6.5 wt.% Si electrical steel doped with cerium

A 0.3 mm thick non-oriented 6.5 wt.% Si electrical steel sheet doped with cerium is produced by twin-roll strip casting, hot rolling, warm rolling and annealing. A detailed study of the cerium precipitates in the as-cast strip, microstructure and texture evolution at different processing stages is carried out by electron probe micro-analysis, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron backscattered diffraction analysis. Grain interior distributing precipitates identified as Ce-oxides, Ce-oxysulfides and Ce-phosphides, and boundary distributing Ce-oxides and Ce-phosphides are observed in the as-cast strip. The initial as-cast strip is characterized by a much finer solidification microstructure and dominated by obvious < 001 >//ND texture through the strip thickness. After hot and warm rolling, inhomogeneous microstructure containing large amounts of in-grain shear bands is characterized by mixed < 110 >//RD and < 111 >//ND textures. The texture of the annealed sheet with a relatively large average grain size is far more optimized by the domination of the beneficial cube, rotated cube, (001)< 120 > to (001)< 130 > and Goss texture components, and the elimination of the detrimental γ-fiber texture, leading to a superior magnetic induction and improved iron loss. - Highlights: • An Fe–6.5 wt.% Si as-cast strip doped with cerium was produced. • A thin warm rolled sheet with limited edge cracks was obtained. • Microstructure and texture evolution at each stage were investigated. • Strong λ-fiber and Goss recrystallization textures were formed. • The magnetic properties of the annealed sheet were significantly improved.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Systematic Study on the Dynamic Softening Behavior of a Heat-Resistant Alloy Considering Thermal and Microstructural Effects

Deep understanding of the relationships among flow softening behaviors, microstructure evolution and process parameters is an essential issue due to the varied strain rate and temperature in industrial hot working schedules. In this research, substantial hot compression tests of a SNCrW heat-resistant alloy were conducted to quantitatively investigate the extrinsic dynamic flow softening behaviors and intrinsic grain size evolution. The thermal softening ratio (TSR) and microstructural softening ratio (MSR) were introduced to, respectively, characterize the degree of deformation heating-induced thermal softening and dynamic recrystallization-induced microstructural softening, respectively. To obtain more accurate results, the TSR was calculated with an improved algorithm that considered strain effects. Additionally, a 3D TSR map and MSR map of the SNCrW heat-resistant alloy were constructed to study the response relationships between thermal softening or microstructural softening and the deformation parameters. In addition, a superimposed contour map of the average grain size on the MSR map was developed to reveal the relationships between microstructural evolution and the macromechanical response. The results show that the grain size of the SNCrW heat-resistant alloy exhibits an inverse correlation with the MSR and is slightly correlated with thermal softening.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Small angle neutron scattering analyses and high temperature mechanical properties of nano-structured oxide dispersion strengthened steels produced via cryomilling

Three oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steels are produced in order to investigate the effect of the mechanical alloying (MA) temperature on the microstructural evolution and high temperature mechanical properties. The microstructural evolution with different MA conditions is examined using small angle neutron scattering. As the MA temperature decreases, the density of the nanoclusters below 10 nm increases and their mean diameter decreases. A low temperature during MA leads to a high strength in the compression tests performed at 500 *C; however, this effect disappears in testing at 900 *C. The milling process at *70 *C exhibits excellent high fracture toughness, which is better than the benchmark material 14YWT-SM10. However, the *150 *C milling process results in significantly worse fracture toughness properties. The reasons for this strong temperature dependency are discussed.

Oxide dispersion strengthened alloy, Fracture toug↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effect of strain level on the evolution of microstructure in a recently developed AD730 nickel based superalloy during hot forging

Highlights: • Hot forging of AD730 led to formation of large non-recrystallized grains. • Similarity in chemical compositions of the non-recrystallized zones and the matrix. • Increase in strain level promoted recrystallization. - Abstract: Design and control of microstructure of engineering parts made from nickel based superalloys with superior mechanical properties for high temperature applications, require the parts to be subjected to certain thermo-mechanical processing during forging. This often includes sequential straining and annealing at elevated temperatures followed by subsequent aging heat treatments at lower temperatures. In this study, the effect of strain magnitude on the evolution of microstructure during hot forging of a recently developed AD730 nickel based superalloy has been investigated. Microstructural heterogeneity was observed in a forged material manifested in a form of large non-recrystallized grains within the recrystallized matrix that is observed to be dependent on the level of deformation (i.e. strain magnitude). Analyses of microstructure indicated significant reduction in the fraction of low-angle grain boundaries and sub-structures with an increase in the applied strain, suggesting higher fraction of recrystallization with higher levels of strains. It was concluded that the lower strain levels were insufficient to provide enough driving force for complete recrystallization throughout the entire microstructure of the forged material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

A Phase-field Model for Deformation Twinning

We propose a phase-field model for modeling microstructure evolution during deformation twinning. Using a face-centered cubic aluminum as an example, the deformation energy as a function of shear strain is obtained using first-principle calculations. The gradient energy coefficients are fitted to the twin boundary energies and to the dislocation core energies. The elastic energy of twinned structures is included using the Khachaturyan’s elasticity theory. We simulated the twinning process under a number of fixed deformation magnitudes and predicted the microstructures.

Phase-field model, deformation twin↗
DOE OSTI2016

Microstructure, texture, and mechanical properties of friction stir welded commercial brass alloy

Microstructural evolution during friction stir welding of single-phase brass and corresponding mechanical properties were investigated. For this purpose, 2 mm thick brass plate was friction stir welded at a rotational speed of 450 rpm and traverse speed of 100 mm/min. The microstructure of the joint was studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy equipped with electron back scattered diffraction system, and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The mechanical properties were measured using hardness and tensile tests. The formation of subgrains and their transformation into new grains in conjunction with existence of A{sub 1}{sup ⁎}, A{sub 2}{sup ⁎} and C texture components revealed that the continuous dynamic recrystallization plays a dominant role in the microstructural evolution. However, grain boundary bulging, along with the formation of twin boundaries, and presence of the G texture component showed that the discontinues dynamic recrystallization may participate in the new grain formation. Furthermore, the different strengthening mechanisms, which caused the higher strength of the joint, were discussed. - Highlights: •Microstructural evolution during FSW of a single phase brass was investigated. •CDRX and DDRX were the main mechanisms of the grain structure formation during FSW. •GDRX and SRX were not contributed in grain structure formation. •The lamellas TBs were formed in the SZ of the joints. •Grain boundary, dislocation, and texture effects resulted in higher strength.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Evolution of microstructure and residual stress during annealing of austenitic and ferritic steels

In this work the recovery and recrystallization processes occurring in ferritic and austenitic steels were studied. To determine the evolution of residual stresses during material annealing the nonlinear sin{sup 2}ψ diffraction method was used and an important relaxation of the macrostresses as well as the microstresses was found in the cold rolled samples subjected to heat treatment. Such relaxation occurs at the beginning of recovery, when any changes of microstructure cannot be detected using other experimental techniques. Stress evolution in the annealed steel samples was correlated with the progress of recovery process, which significantly depends on the value of stacking fault energy. - Highlights: • X-ray diffraction was used to determine the first order and second order stresses. • Diffraction data were analyzed using scale transition elastoplastic models model. • Stress relaxation in annealed ferritic and austenitic steels was correlated with evolution of microstructure. • Influence of stacking fault energy on thermally induced processes was discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multiscale and Machine Learning Modeling for Process-informed Microstructure Prediction in Additively Manufactured Materials using MALAMUTE

The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program under the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy aims to develop and qualify additively manufactured materials for nuclear applications. One key challenge to this is the microstructural variability observed in the additively manufactured products and their impact on the properties and performance of the material in extreme environments. AMMT is using a combination of high-throughput experimental and modeling techniques to accelerate qualification. Conventionally, in-situ and ex-situ characterizations and testing are performed to correlate different aspects of the additive manufacturing process to the final product and its performance. However, adopting a trial-and-error approach to experimentally evaluate the vast range of process parameters required to capture microstructural variability is cost-prohibitive. Modeling and simulation provide a comparatively inexpensive way to understand and correlate the microstructural evolution to the processing conditions. The modeling and simulation work-packages within the AMMT program aims to use physics-based and machine learning models to develop a digital twin for additive manufacturing that can correlate the process conditions to the final product and establish a process-structure-property-performance (PSPP) correlation. The melting and subsequent solidification that occurs during the additive process is a complex phenomenon that requires multiscale multiphysics analysis. This work package focuses on understanding the role of process variabilities on the unique microstructural characteristics of additively manufactured materials. Microstructural features at the subgrain level, such as compositional micro-heterogeneity and dislocation cells, are of particular interest here since they can influence the creep properties and radiation performance. Idaho National Laboratory’s Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE), specifically the MOOSE Application Library for Advanced Manufacturing UTilitiEs (MALAMUTE) software, provides an ideal platform for developing the multiphysics multiscale model to explore the intricacies of the microstructural evolution during the AM processes within a single framework. Furthermore, given that such full-fidelity simulations can be computationally intensive, reduced order models are necessary to explore the PSPP space for additively manufactured materials in an efficient, reliable, and cost-effective way. This work focuses on capturing the microstructural variabilities at the subgrain level that are often missing in the part-scale models. In fiscal year 2025, we significantly advanced upon our work in the last fiscal year, in terms of the predictive capabilities of the physics-based and ML models, by adding the capabilities to capture subgrain-level micro-segregation during solidification using phase-field model and to predict the time-dependent dynamics of the AM process through the MOGPAR model. The alloy solidification model in MOOSE incorporates the thermodynamic properties and free energy relevant to 316 stainless steel. The model demonstrates the Cr and Ni segregation that occurs during solidification, including that the rate of solidification. The microstructural evolution model is connected to the process conditions via the surrogate model developed in this work. This enables predictions of the final microstructure in conjunctions with the manufacturing process. This work supports AMMT's rapid qualification goals by laying the foundation for an efficient and cost-effective model establishing the PSPP correlation for AM. The generated microstructures and predicted micro-segregation can be used by other work packages under AMMT to evaluate the properties and environmental response of the material at the mesoscale. Thus, this work helps to identify the key microstructural features at the subgrain level that are significant in property and performance predictions of additively manufactured components. This work will also provide inputs to the large-scale process variability models to reevaluate and validate assumptions and simplifications made in the part-scale models. Furthermore, through active learning this work can help identify the data need from both modeling and experimental sides for development of a robust digital twin for additive manufacturing and accelerate the AMMT's qualification efforts.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

A novel approach to quantifying the kinetics of point defect absorption at dislocations

We report that microstructure evolution under creep loading and/or irradiation is largely affected by the two-way coupling between dislocation induced plasticity and point defect diffusion as mediated by the internal elastic strain field within the medium. The magnitude of this effect has been quantified only in idealized, simplified environments such that estimates of absorption rates of point defects to dislocations ignore the collective effects on capture rates arising from particular distribution of dislocations in a given network, the interaction of point defects with the internal strain, or in many cases both. To quantify these effects, we advance a novel methodology to determine point defect capture rates locally within a spatially resolved finite difference solution to the diffusion problem for arbitrarily directed dislocations and the corresponding strain fields. In addition to examining the effects of these couplings on local and effective absorption rates of dislocation networks, the potential consequences of these interactions on other microstructure evolution phenomena are examined using void swelling under irradiation as an example. Our study indicates that local rates of defect mediated microstructural changes such as cavity growth can vary strongly as a consequence of the arrangement of the dislocation network and the corresponding strain state. Lastly, the heterogeneous aspects of the resultant defect populations are shown to provide mechanisms for microstructural evolution under irradiation that are not available in the conventional homogeneous theory.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Evolution of microstructure and grain boundary character distribution of a tin bronze annealed at different temperatures

Specimens cut from a rolled tin bronze sheet were annealed at 400–800 °C for 1 h and evolution of their microstructures was then characterized in details by electron channeling contrast imaging and electron backscatter diffraction techniques. Particularly, statistics on special boundaries (SBs) with Σ ≤ 29 and network connectivity of random high angle boundaries (HABs) in the annealed specimens were examined to probe optimization potentials of grain boundary character distribution (GBCD) for this material. Results show that the deformed microstructure in the as-received material begins to be recrystallized when the annealing temperature increase to 500 °C and average grain sizes surge with further increasing temperatures. As a result of the recrystallization, a large number of annealing twins (with Σ3 misorientation) are produced, leading to remarkably increased fractions of SBs (f{sub SBs}). Thanks to preexisting dense low angle boundaries, the majority of SBs in the 500 °C specimen with only partial recrystallization are Σ3{sub ic} (incoherent) boundaries, which effectively disrupt connectivity of random HABs network. Although the f{sub SBs} can be further increased (up to 72.5%) in specimens with full recrystallization (at higher temperatures), the Σ3{sub ic} boundaries would be replaced to some extent by Σ3{sub c} (coherent) boundaries which do not contribute directly to optimizing the GBCD. This work should be able to provide clear suggestions on applying the concept of grain boundary engineering to tin bronze alloys. - Highlights: • The rolled tin bronze begins to be recrystallized as temperature increases to 500 °C. • A lot of SBs are produced after recrystallization and the highest f{sub SBs} is 72.5%. • Partially recrystallized specimen has the optimum GBCD due to more Σ3{sub ic} boundaries. • The Σ3{sub ic} boundaries are replaced by Σ3{sub c} boundaries after full recrystallization.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Understanding grain refinement and intergranular gas bubble evolution in U-10Mo fuel using phase-field modeling

Monolithic U-10Mo fuel undergoes significant microstructural changes in the form of grain refinement and gas bubble formation during burnup, which degrades its mechanical properties. In this talk, I present a phase-field model for microstructure evolution in U-10Mo developed using the Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) framework. Simulations demonstrate that grain refinement initiates at pre-existing grain boundaries (GBs) to eliminate the lattice distortion energy caused by the accumulation of self-interstitial loops. By employing an equation of state for xenon gas, we simulate the evolution of gas bubbles in the polycrystal microstructure. Large, interconnected bubbles are found to form along the triple junctions. The effects of defect production rate, diffusivities and GB mobility on the microstructure evolution are systematically studied. Homogenization is employed on the microstructures to obtain effective elastic constants and diffusivity as a function of fission density. The simulations provide critical insights on microstructure and property degradation in U-10Mo fuel.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Microstructural development in DED stainless steels: applying welding models to elucidate the impact of processing and alloy composition

Austenitic stainless steel microstructures produced by directed energy deposition (DED)are analogous to those developed during welding, particularly high energy density welding. To better understand microstructural development during DED, theories of microstructural evolution,which have been established to contextualize weld microstructures, are applied in this study to microstructural development in DED austenitic stainless steels. Phenomenological welding models that describe the development of oxide inclusions, compositional microsegregation, ferrite,matrix austenite grains, and dislocation substructures are utilized to clarify microstructural evolution during deposition of austenitic stainless steels. Two different alloys, 304L and 316L, arecompared to demonstrate the broad applicability of this framework for understanding microstmctural development during the DED process. Despite differences in grain morphology and solidification mode for these two alloys (which can be attributed to compositional differences),similar tensile properties are achieved. It is the fine-scale compositional segregation and dislocation structures that ultimately determine the strength of these materials. The evolution of microsegregation and dislocation structures is shown to be dependent on the rapid solidification and thermomechanical history of the DED processing method and not the composition of the starting material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Impact of forging direction on the recrystallization behaviour of nickel base superalloy AD730 billet material at subsolvus temperatures

Highlights: • Large unrecrystallized grains present a fine distribution of intragranular γ′ precipitates; • Intragranular precipitates play a key role on strain distribution and subsequent recrystallization behaviour for AD730; • Continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) promotes the gradual consumption of large unrecrystallized grains. • Undissolved secondary precipitates play a key role on the microstructural evolution of AD730 • No significant effect associated to the forging direction on the recrystallization behaviour of AD730 was found. AD730™ is a newly developed Ni-based superalloy for turbine disk applications produced by cast and wrought processes. Conventional ingot-to-billet conversion is an expensive and very complex operation. Because of the difficulties to achieve a uniform strain for recrystallization, large unrecrystallized grains are retained along this process. Heterogeneities of grain size have a negative impact on subsequent forging processes as well as ultrasonic inspectability of the destination part. The main aim of this work is to analyse the impact of both forging direction (billet, cogging) and strain (ε = 0.3–2) on the microstructural evolution of AD730 at subsolvus temperatures from a semi-finished product (billet) under conditions representative of both cogging and hot forging operations. Special attention to the presence of large unrecrystallized grains was paid. Double truncated cones (DTCs) were hot forged at subsolvus temperatures followed by air cooling. SEM and EBSD analysis were conducted in the as-received (billet) and the as-forged conditions. AD730 alloy presents a complex microstructure characterized by the presence of large unrecrystallized grains, aligned in the billet direction, with remarkable differences in γ′ precipitates distribution as compared to recrystallized structures. The fine distribution of primary γ′ precipitates (pinning effect) plays a key role on grain size control but also on the recrystallization behaviour. Continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) mechanism was found to be operating in the large unrecrystallized grains, promoting the formation intragranular DRX grains and the gradual recrystallization of these grains. Strain presents a strong effect on the microstructural evolution of AD730, increasing the recrystallization fraction and refining the structure. By contrast, no significant effect associated to the forging direction was found. Conditions representative of cogging operations (ε ≤ 0.6) at subsolvus temperatures were translated into large fractions of unrecrystallized structures (strain accumulation).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Model Parameter Development for Complex Materials: Species-Specific Diffusion Barriers in 316 Stainless Steel from Systematic DFT Calculations

Vacancy-mediated diffusion barriers in 316 stainless steel have been systematically calculated using density functional theory to provide essential parameters for mesoscale microstructure evolution models. A statistical sampling approach employing 210 nudged elastic band calculations across multiple special quasi-random structures captures the effects of local chemical environments in this concentrated alloy. The computational methodology addresses challenges specific to chemically disordered systems, including proper magnetic treatment throughout multi-step calculations and validation against experimental structural properties. The calculated activation barriers reveal clear species-dependent diffusion behavior with the hierarchy Ni >> Fe ˜ Cr >> Mo. Nickel exhibits the highest barriers (0.74–1.31 eV, mean 1.045 eV), confirming its role as the slowest-diffusing major component. Iron and chromium show similar moderate barriers averaging 0.587 eV and 0.522 eV, respectively. Remarkably, molybdenum demonstrates exceptionally low barriers (0.12–0.28 eV, mean 0.194 eV), suggesting much higher mobility than previously recognized and potentially significant implications for precipitation kinetics and microstructure evolution. The barrier ranges remain consistent across different 316 SS compositions, supporting parameter transferability for modeling applications. The overall mean barrier of 0.64 eV provides a practical approximation for phase field simulations, while species-specific values enable detailed treatments of diffusion-controlled processes. This systematic approach establishes a validated framework for generating diffusion parameters in other concentrated alloys where experimental data are limited, while providing the first systematic set of species-specific barriers for predictive modeling of 316 stainless steel microstructure evolution.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Effect of aging temperature on phase decomposition and mechanical properties in cast duplex stainless steels

The microstructure and mechanical properties in unaged and thermally aged (at 280 oC, 320 oC, 360 oC, and 400 oC to 4300 h) CF–3 and CF–8 cast duplex stainless steels (CDSS) are investigated. The unaged CF–8 steel has Cr-rich M23C6 carbides located at the δ–ferrite/γ– austenite heterophase interfaces that were not observed in the CF–3 steel and this corresponds to a difference in mechanical properties. Both unaged steels exhibit incipient spinodal decomposition into Fe-rich α–domains and Cr-rich α’–domains. During aging, spinodal decomposition progresses and the mean wavelength (MW) and mean amplitude (MA) of the compositional fluctuations increase as a function of aging temperature. Additionally, G–phase precipitates form between the spinodal decomposition domains in CF–3 at 360 oC and 400 oC and in CF–8 at 400 oC. The microstructural evolution is correlated to changes in mechanical properties.

atom probe tomography↗
DOE OSTI2022

MEUMAPPS (C++ Version)

Many materials, metal alloys in particular, have features on the on micrometer or nanometer scale that have a large impact on the properties of the material. These features are known as the microstructure of the material. Understanding why and how the microstructure forms in a material is of fundamental scientific interest as well as of significant technological interest. The capability to predict microstructure evolution in a material allows the intentional design of microstructures and hence the intentional design of material properties. The phase-field method is one of the leading methods for predicting microstructure evolution. One of the most significant problems for phase-field models is their computational expense. Even limited phase-field simulations can easily require thousands of CPU core-hours to complete, which significantly limits their use. This code provides both a general framework for creating scalable, GPU-accelerated phase-field model applications as well as several applications themselves. The code is capable of using hundreds of GPUs efficiently, which greatly reduces the time required to perform simulations. The code is written with an emphasis on performance portability, that is the ability for the code to run efficiently on a number of different computing architectures without modification of the source code. The performance portability of this code is primarily enabled through the use of two libraries, Kokkos (performance portable data structures and execution patterns) and heFFTe (performance portable distributed 3D fast Fourier transforms). The code consists of a core library, applications, and tests. The core library includes shared functionality between applications. This includes interfaces with fast Fourier transform (FFT) libraries such as heFFTe, data structures based on Kokkos, file input and output capabilities, and a solver for infinitesimal strain mechanical equilibrium problems. Five applications are included in the code. The flagship application is the MEUMAPPS-SS application, which implements the Kim-Kim-Suzuki phase-field model for precipitation for an arbitrary number of phases and components in a metal alloy. Five simpler applications are also included that solve the Eshelby inclusion problem, Allen-Cahn equation, the coupled Allen-Cahn and diffusion equations, and the Cahn-Hilliard equation. The code includes two applications to solve the Cahn-Hilliard equation, one with constant-step-size first-order time integration and the second with adaptive high-order time integration.

DeWitt, Stephen [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), O↗