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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 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Texture development in magnetostrictive Fe-Ga alloys processed by laser powder bed fusion

Iron-gallium (Fe-Ga, Galfenol) alloys are promising magnetostrictive materials for actuators, sensors, and energy harvesting, but their performance is highly sensitive to microstructure and texture. Additive manufacturing by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) offers a pathway to engineer texture and integrate functional materials into complex geometries. Here, we fabricate Fe-Ga alloys (Fe 82.2 Ga 17.8 ) by LPBF of gas-atomized powders and systematically optimize laser power and scan speed to maximize density and control texture. Nearly full-density parts (up to 99.6 %) are achieved within a narrow processing window. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) reveals a strong <100> fiber texture aligned with the build direction and columnar grains up to 1 mm long. Magnetostriction measurements show saturation magnetostriction of 190 ppm in the build direction. Correlating texture data with macroscopic magnetostriction, we estimate intrinsic magnetostriction constants (λ 100 = 228 ppm, λ 111 = 12 ppm), closely matching single crystal-derived values. These results demonstrate the critical interplay between processing, texture, and functional performance in additively manufactured Fe-Ga alloys and establish LPBF as a viable route for high-performance magnetostrictive materials.

Additive manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2020

Effect of heat treatment on microstructural evolution and hardness homogeneity in laser powder bed fusion of alloy 718

The thermal history developed in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processes has been shown to be complex resulting in equally complex microstructures and mechanical properties. Microscopic observations and Vickers micro-hardness mapping measurements were carried out on diff ;erent section planes of LPBF alloy 718 cuboids. Three-dimensional finite element analysis was used to simulate thermal history and to predict the residual stress distribution in the as-built material. Computational thermodynamics was used to predict the micro-segregation and nucleation driving force of various phases in the bulk and in segregated regions. Varied heat-treatments such as simulated hot isostatic pressing, and double aging were applied. Their influence on the microstructure, microsegregation, precipitate formation, and micro-hardness variations of LPBF alloy 718 were investigated. Hardness map results showed heterogeneous micro-hardness on the xy- and xz-planes of the as-built parts where the bottom plane and center regions had larger hardness of ~315 HV 0.5 while the top plane and contours showed hardness of ~300 HV 0.5 . It was found that the aging treatment increased the overall hardness of the as-built condition from ~310 HV 0.5 to 470 HV 0.5 but also increased the hardness gradient throughout the coupon. After simulated hot isostatic pressing process (i.e., without applied pressure) at 1020 °C for 4 h followed by water quench (HIPWQ), the hardness gradient and hardness was minimized (~210 HV 0.5 ) as the microstructure transitioned from heterogeneous columnar grains in the as-built condition to more uniform recrystallized grains. A double aging treatment was applied to enhance hardness from ~210 HV 0.5 to ~440 HV 0.5 . Finally, HIPWQ followed by double aging produced a homogeneous microstructure and more uniform hardness map with enhanced mechanical properties in LPBF alloy 718 coupons.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Pressureless Sintering of Pre-Alloyed Nanostructured Bainitic Steel Powders

A recent study shows that powder metallurgy and pressureless sintering are a viable pathway to realize full-density bulk components of nanostructure bainitic steels. A scalable, pressureless supersolidus liquid phase sintering (SLPS) approach to process nanostructured bainitic steel is evaluated. Furthermore, to address the oxidation issues associated with the mechanical alloying of elemental powders, powder atomization is used to produce pre-alloyed nanostructured bainitic steel powders.

mechanical alloying↗
DOE OSTI2022

Melt-Pool Dynamics and Microstructure of Mg Alloy WE43 under Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing Conditions

Magnesium-based alloy WE43 is a state-of-the-art bioresorbable metallic implant material. There is a need for implants with both complex geometries to match the mechanical properties of bone and refined microstructure for controlled resorption. Additive manufacturing (AM) using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) presents a viable fabrication method for implant applications, as it offers near-net-shape geometrical control, allows for geometry customization based on an individual patient, and fast cooling rates to achieve a refined microstructure. In this study, the laser–alloy interaction is investigated over a range of LPBF-relevant processing conditions to reveal melt-pool dynamics, pore formation, and the microstructure of laser-melted WE43. In situ X-ray imaging reveals distinct laser-induced vapor depression morphology regimes, with minimal pore formation at laser-scan speeds greater than 500 mm/s. Optical and electron microscopy of cross-sectioned laser tracks reveal three distinct microstructural regimes that can be controlled by adjusting laser-scan parameters: columnar, dendritic, and banded microstructures. These regimes are consistent with those predicted by the analytic solidification theory for conduction-mode welding, but not for keyhole-mode tracks. The results provide insight into the fundamental laser–material interactions of the WE43 alloy under AM-processing conditions and are critical for the successful implementation of LPBF-produced WE43 parts in biomedical applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Influence of microstructural heterogeneities on small-scale mechanical properties of an additively manufactured Al-Ce-Ni-Mn alloy

Laser powder bed fusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) is a promising method to fabricate creep-resistant Al-rare earth alloys (Al-Ce-Ni-Mn) with stable microstructures at up to 400°C. However, creep testing of these alloys at high temperatures shows that void coalescence and failure initiation occurs along the melt pool boundaries in the microstructure. Hence it is crucial to understand how the local mechanical behavior of the melt pool boundaries would influence the global properties of the AM produced alloy. In this study, in situ nanoindentation conducted at room temperature and 300°C revealed a reduced hardness at the melt pool boundaries. Similarly, micro-pillar compression showed a slight decline in yield strength at these boundaries, indicating that they are the weak spots in the microstructure. Such multimodal local mechanical property studies are necessary for understanding the influence of melt pool boundaries on the bulk response of fusion-based AM alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Accelerating Manufacturing of Powder-Processed Strong, Lightweight and Thermally Stable Bulk Nanocrystalline Al Alloys via Engineered Interface States

The overarching goal of this program is to develop an integrated materials by design framework enabling a simple, scalable, and efficient manufacturing route for thermally stable nanocrystalline Al-based alloys with high specific strength over a range of service temperatures. The central scientific principle underpinning this program is the elucidation, and ultimately implementation in novel alloy design, of unique interfacial structures and chemistries driven by segregation in multi-component systems that give rise to unprecedented processability and properties. This program targeted nanocrystalline Al-based ternary alloys produced by mechanical alloying of powders followed by compaction and sintering with hot pressing, which are inherently scalable and inexpensive manufacturing routes, but when applied to nanocrystalline alloys are usually plagued by low density and/or poor retention of the intended nanostructures during processing. This program successfully demonstrated manufacturing of a bulk (>1 cm 3 ) nanocrystalline Al-based alloy with a combination of thermal stability, high temperature strength retention, and specific strength that exceeds the current-state-of-the-art of Al alloys. It is anticipated that the greatest technological impact will occur by demonstration of rapid and scalable manufacturing of bulk nanocrystalline Al alloys with exceptional thermal stability and mechanical performance, thus enabling increased energy efficiency in high performance power generation systems via: (i) replacement of existing components with lightweight Al-based alloys and (ii) increasing operating temperatures with property retention. The program focused on the development of a simple and efficient manufacturing route for thermally stable nanocrystalline Al-based alloys with high specific strength over a range of service temperatures. The program is expected to have direct impact on scalable and economic manufacturing of bulk nanocrystalline alloys. This program profited from the recent discovery by the project team of segregation-driven amorphous intergranular films in nanocrystalline metallic alloys that can be kinetically frozen-in at sub-solidus temperatures. These interfacial states (also known as amorphous complexions) comprise a large fraction of the total material in nanocrystalline alloys and are responsible for two beneficial characteristics that anchor the proposed work: (1) activated sintering leading to high density and (2) retained nanostructures leading to high strengths that approach a substantial fraction of the theoretical limit. More specifically, these engineered interfaces led to a three-fold benefit: (i) high-throughput materials processing with low energy budget and cost, (ii) exceptional thermal stability, and (iii) high specific strength at both room temperature and intermediate temperatures experienced during service.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

Additive Manufacturing of Pure Mo and Mo + TiC MMC Alloy by Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion

A metal matrix composite powder of molybdenum (Mo) + TiC was produced by mechanical alloying (MA) and used in additive manufacturing by electron beam powder bed fusion along with pure Mo powder to form sandwich structures. The Mo + TiC solid layers formed mixed structures of Mo with discrete TiC particles, eutectic Mo + TiC, and Mo dendrites. Thermodynamic modeling showed that the system contained an invariant eutectic reaction in the composition range used and indicated that the system was highly sensitive to changes in composition and temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Tensile properties of powder-metallurgical-processed tungsten alloys after neutron irradiation near recrystallization temperatures

The tensile properties of powder-metallurgical-processed Pure W, K-doped W, W-3%Re, and K-doped W-3%Re were examined after neutron irradiation up to 0.7 dpa at 910–1020 °C with a thermal neutron shield in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). After irradiation, recrystallized Pure W (R) exhibited a brittle fracture mode, while recrystallized K-doped W-3%Re (R) exhibited a ductile fracture mode at 500 °C. K-doped W-3%Re (R) has fine grains, and hence, contains a considerable number of grain boundaries that act as sinks for irradiation defects. Solid solute Re in the W matrix could improve not only the mechanical properties of W, but also its resistance to neutron irradiation. At 500 °C, the ductility of K-doped W-3%Re after irradiation was significantly higher than that of Pure W. The irradiation at ~1000 °C did not induce hardening of stress-relieved (SR) W materials, but SR W materials tended to exhibit a decrease in the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and an increase in total elongation (TE). Here, the softening due to the recovery and recrystallization of SR W materials and the hardening due to the formation of irradiation defect clusters were balanced during irradiation at ~1000 °C, and ductility was exhibited without an increase in strength.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

The Elevated-Temperature Cyclic Properties of Alloy 316L Manufactured Using Powder Metallurgy Hot Isostatic Pressing

According to developers at the GAIN 2019 microreactors workshop, advanced manufacturing (AM) is needed to fabricate microreactor components. A methodology has not been established to qualify AM for elevated-temperature nuclear construction. A potential approach is to use the wrought design methodology by establishing the AM properties as equivalent to or better than wrought. This investigation aims to understand the relationship between powder metallurgy hot isostatic pressing (PM HIP) and material characteristics for Alloy 316L as they relate to elevated-temperature component design and construction. The elevated-temperature cyclic behavior of Alloy 316L manufactured by PM HIP differs from wrought. Of particular significance is the reduced number of cycles to failure for the PM HIP Alloy 316L compared to wrought. Additional work to identify the microstructural feature that control the elevated-temperature cyclic behavior is needed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Effect of Composition on the Phase Structure and Magnetic Properties of Ball-Milled LaFe11.71-xMnxSi1.29H1.6 Magnetocaloric Powders

Magnetocaloric alloys are an important class of materials that enable non-vapor compression cycles. One promising candidate for magnetocaloric systems is LaFeMnSi, thanks to a combination of factors including low-cost constituents and a useful curie temperature, although control of the constituents’ phase distribution can be challenging. In this paper, the effects of composition and high energy ball milling on the particle morphology and phase stability of LaFe11.71-xMnxSi1.29H1.6 magnetocaloric powders were investigated. The powders were characterized with optical microscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that the powders retained most of their original magnetocaloric phase during milling, although milling reduced the degree of crystallinity in the powder. Furthermore, some oxide phases (<1 weight percent) were present in the as-received and milled powders, which indicates that no significant contamination of the powders occurred during milling. Finally, the results indicated that the Curie temperature drops as Fe content decreases (Mn content increases). In all of the powders, milling led to an increase in the Curie temperature of ~3–6 °C.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Transformations of Ti-5Al-5V-5Cr-3Mo powder due to reuse in laser powder bed fusion: A surface analytical approach

Reactive Ti-5Al-5 V-5Cr-3Mo (Ti5553) alloy feedstock powder is used in laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF). Due to the large quantity of powder necessary for LPBF, powder is reused numerous times under oxidizing environments. Transformations to the powder’s native surface oxide may impact the LPBF process and lead to deviations from expected behavior of printed parts. In this work, we present a multimodal characterization of new and reused powder by combining X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of focused ion beam (FIB)-prepared cross sections of individual powder particles to understand how the surface oxide composition changes, grows, and becomes hydroxylated and hydrated due to reuse. We show that the native oxide film of Ti5553 powder is a hydroxylated mixed oxide composed of TiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 that grows from 5.6 +/- 0.7 nm to 8.3 +/- 1.1 nm due to reuse. Al oxide regions of the surface oxide become more hydroxylated during reuse in comparison to Ti oxide regions. This indicates that an outer oxide of pure TiO 2 may enhance recyclability of Ti5553 powder while the presence of Al oxides may decrease recyclability. Further characterization of surface transformations due to recyclability may eliminate unnecessary variation in LPBF.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mechanical Behavior Assessment of Ti-6Al-4V ELI Alloy Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The present work correlates the quasi-static, tensile mechanical properties of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V extra low interstitial (ELI, Grade 23) alloy to the phase constituents, microstructure, and fracture surface characteristics that changed with post-heat treatment of stress relief (670 °C for 5 h) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP with 100 MPa at 920 °C for 2 h under an Ar atmosphere). Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy tensile specimens in both the horizontal (i.e., X and Y) and vertical (Z) directions were produced by the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technique. Higher yield strength (1141 MPa), higher tensile strength (1190 MPa), but lower elongation at fracture (6.9%), along with mechanical anisotropy were observed for as-stress-relieved (ASR) samples. However, after HIP, consistent and isotropic mechanical behaviors were observed with a slight reduction in yield strength (928 MPa) and tensile strength (1003 MPa), but with a significant improvement in elongation at fracture (16.1%). Phase constituents of acicular α' phase in ASR and lamellar α + β phases in HIP samples were observed and quantified to corroborate the reduction in strength and increase in ductility. The anisotropic variation in elongation at fracture observed for the ASR samples, particularly built in the build (Z) direction, was related to the presence of “keyhole” porosity.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

The influence of chemical short-range order on the nanoindentation properties of high-entropy alloys prepared via laser powder bed fusion

Chemical short-range order (CSRO) plays an instrumental role in determining the mechanical properties of high-entropy alloys (HEAs). Current methods for controlling CSRO mainly focus on cast HEAs, which can not solve the problem of grain coarsening caused by homogenization treatments. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), which has extremely high cooling rates, can suppress compositional segregation, refine grain structures, and achieve low CSRO. This offers a promising avenue for quantitatively controlling CSRO without the need for homogenization treatments. In this study, we investigate the CSRO of HEAs fabricated via LPBF and elucidate their influence on nanoindentation behavior. The results show that, at the low cooling rate, the average size of CSRO is 0.66 nm and they occupy 2.8% of the cross-sectional area, while at high cooling rate, the corresponding values are 0.92 nm and 9.9%, respectively, both of which are significantly smaller than those of cast HEAs. Furthermore, by analyzing samples with different CSROs, we observe that the hardness increases and then decreases with the increase of CSRO, primarily due to the preferential formation of dislocations in regions enriched with Cr-Mn-Ni. With the improvement of CSRO, both the size and quantity of Cr-Mn-Ni rich region gradually increased; subsequently, as multiple Cr-Mn-Ni rich regions tend to merge into one during the CSRO improvement, the size of the Cr-Mn-Ni rich region continued to increase while the quantity gradually decreased; when the size of the Cr-Mn-Ni rich region is moderate and widely dispersed, the dislocation density is higher with much more uniform distributions, which favorably improves nanoindentation hardness.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

3D Printing with Mixed Powders of Boron Carbide and Al Alloy

Laser additive manufacturing with mixed powders of boron carbide and aluminum alloy is investigated. Parameters such as laser power, scan speed, scan pattern, and hatching space are systematically evaluated and optimized to obtain the desired density and porosity. These results show that the AM part contains 20 wt% boron carbide and 80 wt% aluminum alloy, which are well mixed and synthesized during the melting process. Its mechanical properties are close to those of aluminum. A thin-wall structure based two dimensional and three dimensional radial collimators were fabricated with well-controlled geometry for neutron scattering measurement.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Microstructural Transitions during Powder Metallurgical Processing of Solute Stabilized Nanostructured Tungsten Alloys

Exploiting grain boundary engineering in the design of alloys for extreme environments provides a promising pathway for enhancing performance relative to coarse-grained counterparts. Due to its attractive properties as a plasma facing material for fusion devices, tungsten presents an opportunity to exploit this approach in addressing the significant materials challenges imposed by the fusion environment. Here, we employ a ternary alloy design approach for stabilizing W against recrystallization and grain growth while simultaneously enhancing its manufacturability through powder metallurgical processing. Mechanical alloying and grain refinement in W-10 at.% Ti-(10,20) at.% Cr alloys are accomplished through high-energy ball milling with transitions in the microstructure mapped as a function of milling time. We demonstrate the multi-modal nature of the resulting nanocrystalline grain structure and its stability up to 1300 °C with the coarser grain size population correlated to transitions in crystallographic texture that result from the preferred slip systems in BCC W. Field-assisted sintering is employed to consolidate the alloy powders into bulk samples, which, due to the deliberately designed compositional features, are shown to retain ultrafine grain structures despite the presence of minor carbides formed during sintering due to carbon impurities in the ball-milled powders.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Multimodal and multiscale strengthening mechanisms in Al-Ni-Zr-Ti-Mn alloy processed by laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing

The unique thermokinetics of laser-powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (L-PBFAM) has been exploited for development of a novel high-strength Al-Ni-Ti-Zr-Mn alloy. The addition of 0.5 wt% Mn leads to extraordinary improvement in ultimate tensile strength (502 MPa) and work hardening due to the activation of two Mn-induced strengthening mechanisms. First, by a bimodal particle strengthening effect due to Al 31 Mn 6 Ni 12 nano-quasi-crystal particles rejected in inter-dendritic spaces and fibrous Al 3 Ni eutectic dendritic channels, which predominately contributes to the strength improvement, and second by solid solution strengthening from remaining Mn entrapped in Al. These mechanisms supplement the particle strengthening effect imparted by coherent and incoherent Al 3 (Ti,Zr) co-precipitates present at melt pool boundaries, dislocation strengthening due to solidification induced strain, and Hall-Petch and backstress strengthening effect due to heterogenous grain size distribution occurring at various length scales. In conclusion, the solidification dynamics and hierarchical heat distribution that are associated with L-PBFAM resulted in complex spatial variations in these strengthening phenomena and were investigated via a high-throughput multiscale structure–property correlation that involved thermokinetic simulation, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution nanoindentation mapping, and site-specific transmission electron microscopy of the alloy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗