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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 793 records · Page 44
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Additive manufacturing and mechanical characterization of high density fully stabilized zirconia

Mechanical properties of additively manufactured 8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) parts were extensively studied for the first time. A novel freeform extrusion fabrication process, called Ceramic On-Demand Extrusion (CODE), was employed to deposit an aqueous viscous suspension (~50 vol% solids loading) of fully stabilized zirconia powder in a layer-by-layer fashion. Each layer was exposed to infrared radiation after deposition to attain partial solidification due to drying. Before exposure, the layer was surrounded by oil to preclude non-uniform evaporation, which could cause warpage and crack formation. After the fabrication process was completed, the parts were humid-dried in an environmental chamber and densified by sintering under atmospheric pressure. Here standard test methods were employed to examine the properties of sintered parts including density, Vickers hardness, fracture toughness, Young's modulus, and flexural strength. Microstructural evaluation was also performed to observe the microstructural morphology and measure grain size. The results indicate that the properties of 8YSZ parts produced by the CODE process match those obtained by conventional fabrication techniques.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Anisotropic thermal-conductivity degradation in the phase-field method accounting for crack directionality

Dynamic loads applied to metals may lead to brittle or ductile fracture depending on the imposed strain rates, material properties, and specimen geometry. With an increase in the applied velocity, brittle to ductile failure mode transition may also be observed. Furthermore, at high strain rates, ductile fracture may be preceded by shear bands, which are narrow bands of intense plastic deformation, typically accompanied by a significant rise in temperature. Reliable models are needed to predict the response of metals subject to dynamic loads. In particular, capturing the interplay between heat conduction and crack propagation using the phase-field fracture method is still an open research field. To accurately capture the heat transfer physics across crack surfaces, damage models degrading thermal-conductivity are necessary. While isotropic thermal-conductivity degradation models were proposed, they may lead to errors as they are indifferent to crack directionality. In our current work, a new anisotropic approach is proposed in which thermal-conductivity, which depends on the phase-field gradient, is degraded solely across the crack. Here, it is shown that this approach improves the near-field approximation of temperature and heat flux compared with isotropic degradation, when taking the discontinuous crack solutions as reference. Additionally, the anisotropic degradation approach is implemented in a unified dynamic fracture model and a couple of examples demonstrate the viability of this approach.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS2018

Determination of Ballistic Limit for IM7/8552 Using LS-DYNA MAT 261

The goal of the NASA ACC High Energy Dynamic Impact Project is to determine the state of the art of dynamic fracture simulations for high velocity impact for composite fuselage shielding applications. Using a building block approach, several computational models considered under NASA ACC are being validated against test data, starting at unconfigured panels and progressing to configured panels under combined out-of-plane and in-plane loading due to ballistic impact. The computational models being evaluated in this project include MAT 162, MAT 213, MAT 261, SPG, and Peridynamics. In this paper, the simulation results using LS-Dyna Material MAT 261 are presented. In particular, a series of blind predictions for unconfigured panels were performed to determine the ballistic limit or V50 velocity. MAT 261 employs failure approach that is generally physically-based using fracture toughness criteria. The overall material model relies on typical ply-level stiffness properties, similar to MAT 162 and other composite continuum damage material models. The fracture toughness values are based on standard tests, and thus are not subject to extensive calibration. This approach is more efficient than performing extensive optimization studies for calibration of parameters. Also, this approach of relying on physical properties reduces the uncertainty of results, as questions concerning the quality and extent of the calibration studies is no longer relevant. However, it was found that carefully controlled coupon-level tests are needed to accurately obtain the required fracture toughness values. Additionally, it should be noted that there is one significant parameter in MAT 261 that does appear to require calibration, and that is the overall failure strain. This is the strain at which the element is deleted, and is not the same as the strain at which damage begins to accumulate. This failure strain is termed EFS (Effective Failure Strain), and is the maximum effective stain for element failure. Simulations have shown that this value will significantly affect impact response and failure. The paper presents the effect of this element failure strain parameter, along with possible uncertainties in fracture toughness values. With an adjusted appropriate value for EFS, it is seen that simulation results compare well with impact test data for predicted penetration velocity.

Byar, Alan↗
DOE OSTI2017

Development of Advanced Geopolymerized Brine Sludge Based Composites

For the first time in the world, geopolymerized brine sludge has been developed as it leads to the formation of enhanced geopolymeric gel which not only helps in further improving the interfacial binding of the conventional geopolymeric matrix using jute and glass fiber as reinforcement but also helps in making the toxic elements non-leachable from the geopolymerized brine sludge due to enhanced geopolymerization reaction taking place in the brine sludge incorporated advance matrix. The advanced geopolymerized matrix is capable of providing improved interfacial binding due to formation of additional C–S–H gel along with Na–S–H gel of conventional geopolymeric matrix in the geopolymeric brine sludge system. The simultaneous presence of desired components and constituents in the single matrix of geo polymeric brine sludge lead to the enhanced homogeneity among the reinforcement and matrix. The geo polymerized brine sludge was further used for making advance composites (AC) using closed mold fabrication system, with hand layup manual technique (a) without any fiber reinforcement, (b) with jute fiber reinforcement (c) and with glass fiber reinforcement of dimensions 12 in. × 12 in. × 6 in. The morphologies of all the three developed AC were examined using SEM and were also tested for their various mechanical properties like tensile strength, flexural strength, impact strength, abrasion resistance. The results indicate that fiber reinforced based AC shows the increase in the mechanical properties as compare to non-fiber reinforced AC. Further, the glass fiber reinforced AC showed better results than jute fiber reinforced AC. This remarkable enhancement is due to the unique properties of fiber in tolerating greater bending and fracture forces than the non reinforced matrix based materials. Graphical Abstract: .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Characterizing the Impacts of Multi-Scale Heterogeneity on Solute Transport in Fracture Networks

We model flow and transport in fracture networks with varying degrees of fracture-to-fracture aperture heterogeneity and network intensity to show how changes in these properties can cause the emergence of anomalous flow and transport behavior. If fracture-to-fracture aperture heterogeneity is increased in sparse networks, velocity fluctuations inhibit high flow rates and solute transport can be delayed. Surprisingly, transport can be slowed even in cases where hydraulic aperture is monotonically increased. As the intensity of the networks is increased, more connected pathways allow for particles to bypass these effects. There exists transition behavior where with relatively few connected pathways in a network, first arrival times of particles are not heavily affected by fracture-to-fracture aperture heterogeneity, but the scaling behavior of the tails is strongly influenced. These results reinforce the importance of considering multi-scale effects in fractured systems and can inform flow and transport processes in both natural and engineered fractured systems.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Measurement of fracture toughness by nanoindentation methods: Recent advances and future challenges

In this study, we describe recent advances and developments for the measurement of fracture toughness at small scales by the use of nanoindentation-based methods including techniques based on micro-cantilever beam bending and micro-pillar splitting. A critical comparison of the techniques is made by testing a selected group of bulk and thin film materials. For pillar splitting, cohesive zone finite element simulations are used to validate a simple relationship between the critical load at failure, the pillar radius, and the fracture toughness for a range of material properties and coating/substrate combinations. The minimum pillar diameter required for nucleation and growth of a crack during indentation is also estimated. An analysis of pillar splitting for a film on a dissimilar substrate material shows that the critical load for splitting is relatively insensitive to the substrate compliance for a large range of material properties. Experimental results from a selected group of materials show good agreement between single cantilever and pillar splitting methods, while a discrepancy of ~25% is found between the pillar splitting technique and double-cantilever testing. It is concluded that both the micro-cantilever and pillar splitting techniques are valuable methods for micro-scale assessment of fracture toughness of brittle ceramics, provided the underlying assumptions can be validated. Although the pillar splitting method has some advantages because of the simplicity of sample preparation and testing, it is not applicable to most metals because their higher toughness prevents splitting, and in this case, micro-cantilever bend testing is preferred.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Assessment of structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of portlandite through molecular dynamics simulations

The structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of portlandite, the primary solid phase of ordinary hydrated cement paste, are investigated using the molecular dynamics method. To understand the effects of temperature on the structural properties of portlandite, the coefficients of thermal expansion of portlandite are determined in the current study and validated with what reported from the experimental tests. The atomic structure of portlandite equilibrated at various temperatures is then subjected to uniaxial tensile strains in the three orthogonal directions and the stress-strain curves are developed. Based on the obtained results, the effect of the direction of straining on the mechanical properties of portlandite is investigated in detail. Structural damage analysis is performed to reveal the failure mechanisms in different directions. The energies of the fractured surfaces are calculated in different directions and compared to those of the ideal surfaces available in the literature. The key mechanical properties, including tensile strength, Young's modulus, and fracture strain, are extracted from the stress-strain curves. The sensitivity of the obtained mechanical properties to temperature and strain rate is then explored in a systematic way. This leads to valuable information on how the structural and mechanical properties of portlandite are affected under various exposure conditions and loading rates. - Graphical abstract: Fracture mechanism of portlandite under uniaxial strain in the z-direction. - Highlights: • The structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of portlandite are investigated. • The coefficients of thermal expansion are determined. • The stress-strain relationships are studied in three orthogonal directions. • The effects of temperature and strain rate on mechanical properties are examined. • The plastic energy required for fracture in the crystalline structure is reported.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Friction Stir Lap Welding 0.8-mm-Thick 2024 Aluminum Alloy with the Assistance of Stationary Shoulder

In this work, 0.8-mm-thick 2024 aluminum alloy was friction stir lap welded with the assistance of a stationary shoulder system. The joint surface formation, microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded joints were studied. The results showed that sound joints without defect could be obtained at a wide parameter range because stationary shoulder increased the material flow during welding. The stationary shoulder decreased the joint roughness from 125.5 to 58.9 µm. A thickness reduction of 4% was achieved at a welding speed of 200 mm/min. The joint fabricated by the stationary shoulder system had superior lap shear properties compared to the joint fabricated using the conventional tool. A high failure load of 7440 N was achieved at welding speed of 200 mm/min. The joint presented tensile fracture mode and the fracture morphology showed typical ductile fracture.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1977

Thermal environment effects on strength and impact properties of boron-aluminum composites

Thermal effects on fracture strength and impact energy were studied in 50 volume percent unidirectional composites of 143 and 203 micron boron fibers in 6061 and 1100 aluminum matrices. For 6061 matrix composites, strength was maintained to approximately 400 C in the cyclic tests and higher than 400 C in the static tests. For the 1100 matrix composites, strength degradation appeared near 260 C after cycling and higher than 260 C in static heating. This composite strength degradation is explained by a fiber degradation mechanism resulting from a boron-aluminum interface reaction. The impact energy absorption degraded significantly only above 400 C for both matrix alloys. Thus, while impact loss for the 6061 composite correlates with the fiber strength loss, other energy absorption processes appear to extend the impact resistance of the 1100 matrix composites to temperatures beyond where its strength is degraded. Interrupted impact tests on as-received and thermally cycled composites define the range of load over which the fibers break in the impact event.

Grimes, H. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Anisotropic Tribological Properties of Silicon Carbide

The anisotropic friction, deformation and fracture behavior of single crystal silicon carbide surfaces were investigated in two categories. The categories were called adhesive and abrasive wear processes, respectively. In the adhesive wear process, the adhesion, friction and wear of silicon carbide were markedly dependent on crystallographic orientation. The force to reestablish the shearing fracture of adhesive bond at the interface between silicon carbide and metal was the lowest in the preferred orientation of silicon carbide slip system. The fracturing of silicon carbide occurred near the adhesive bond to metal and it was due to primary cleavages of both prismatic (10(-1)0) and basal (0001) planes.

Miyoshi, K.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Mechanical properties of high-temperature superconducting wires

Bending strength, fracture toughness, and elastic modulus data were acquired for YBa2Cu3O(x), Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(x) (Bi,Pb)2Sr2Ca2Cu3O(x), and Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O(x) bars. These data and thermal expansion coefficients strongly suggest that the maximum possible tensile strain without fracture of bulk tapes or wires is approximately equals 0.2%. In Ag-clad conductors, residual stresses will be of limited benefit, but fractures produced by larger strains can be accommodated by shunting current through the Ag.

Goretta, K. C.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Microstructure, Phase Transformation, Mechanical Behavior, Bio-corrosion and Antibacterial Properties of Ti-Nb-xSn (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.5) SMAs

Porous Ti-Nb-xSn shape memory alloys (SMAs) are fabricated by microwave sintering technology. The microstructures exhibit needle-like morphologies, β{sub (N)} (normal straight and crossed needles along with needle-like morphology that resembles spaghetti or irregular lines with α-phases in between) as well as plate-like morphologies [normal straight plate-like morphology, α′′ and dendritic plate-like morphology, β{sub (D)}]. Increases in Sn addition significantly induce an increase in the density of the α-phase. XRD patterns exhibited three phases, namely the β-main phase with smaller intensities of α′′ and α. Further, the addition of 0.25% Sn led to more effective improvement in the intensity of the α′′-phase compared with 0.5% and 1.5% Sn addition. Additions of Sn also enhanced the fracture strength and its corresponding strain along with the shape memory effect (SME), where the best enhancement was achieved at 0.25% Sn. The corrosion rate (Ri) was reduced by rising Sn content, while both corrosion resistance and antibacterial zones were increased. The lower elastic modulus, as well as the robust mechanical properties and bioactivity, made these SMAs rather suitable for biomedical application purposes, where the low elastic modulus had value in terms of avoiding the problem of “stress shielding.”.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Size Effects on Deformation and Fracture of Scandium Deuteride Films.

Metal hydride films have been observed to crack during production and use, prompting mechanical property studies of scandium deuteride films. The following focuses on elastic modulus, fracture, and size effects observed in the system for future film mechanical behavior modeling efforts. Scandium deuteride films were produced through the deuterium charging of electron beam evaporated scandium films using X-ray diffraction, scanning Auger microscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction to monitor changes in the films before and after charging. Scanning electron microscopy, nanoindentation, and focused ion beam machined micropillar compression tests were used for mechanical characterization of the scandium deuteride films. The micropillars showed a size effect for flow stress, indicating that film thickness is a relevant tuning parameter for film performance, and that fracture was controlled by the presence of grain boundaries. Elastic modulus was determined by both micropillar compression and nanoindentation to be approximately 150 GPa, Fracture studies of bulk film channel cracking as well as compression induced cracks in some of the pillars yielded a fracture toughness around 1.0 MPa-m1/2. Preliminary Weibull distributions of fracture in the micropillars are provided. Despite this relatively low value of fracture toughness, scandium deuteride micropillars can undergo a large degree of plasticity in small volumes and can harden to some degree, demonstrating the ductile and brittle nature of this material

Teresi, C. S.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Experimental studies of Micro- and Nano-grained UO 2 : Grain Growth Behavior, Sufrace Morphology, and Fracture Toughness

This activity is supported by the US Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Fuels Product Line (FPL) and aims at providing experimental data for the validation of the mesoscale simulation code MARMOT. MARMOT is a mesoscale multiphysics code that predicts the coevolution of microstructure and properties within reactor fuel during its lifetime in the reactor. It is an important component of the Moose-Bison-Marmot (MBM) code suite that has been developed by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to enable next generation fuel performance modeling capability as part of the NEAMS Program FPL. In order to ensure the accuracy of the microstructure-based materials models being developed within the MARMOT code, extensive validation efforts must be carried out. In this report, we summarize the experimental efforts in FY16 including the following important experiments: (1) in-situ grain growth measurement of nano-grained UO 2 ; (2) investigation of surface morphology in micrograined UO 2 ; (3) Nano-indentation experiments on nano- and micro-grained UO 2 . The highlight of this year is: we have successfully demonstrated our capability to in-situ measure grain size development while maintaining the stoichiometry of nano-grained UO 2 materials; the experiment is, for the first time, using synchrotron X-ray diffraction to in-situ measure grain growth behavior of UO 2 .

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Microstructural characterization, formation mechanism and fracture behavior of the needle δ phase in Fe–Ni–Cr type superalloys with high Nb content

Microstructural characterization, formation mechanism and fracture behavior of the needle δ phase in Fe–Ni–Cr type superalloys with high Nb content (GH4169, equivalent to Inconel 718) have been quantitatively investigated in this research. The typical microstructures of δ phases with the stick, mixed and needle shapes obviously present in Inconel 718 after the isothermal upsetting at the temperature of 980–1060 °C with the initial strain rate of 10{sup −3}–10{sup −1} s{sup −1}. It is found that the shape of the δ phase has a great effect on the mechanical properties of the alloy, viz., the stick δ phase behaves good plasticity and the needle δ phase has good strength. In addition, the needle δ phase can be used to control the grain size as it can prevent grain growth. The combined effect of the localized necking and microvoid coalescence leads to the final ductile fracture of the GH4169 components with the needle δ phase. Both dislocation motion and atom diffusion are the root-cause for the needle δ phase to be firstly separated at grain boundary and then at sub-boundary. The formation mechanism of the needle δ phase is the new finding in this research. Furthermore, it is the primary mechanism for controlling the needle δ phase in Fe–Ni–Cr type superalloys with high Nb content. - Highlights: • Shape of the δ phase takes great effect on mechanical property. • Needle δ phase plays a great role to prevent grain growth. • Needle δ phase can enhance the fracture strength. • Microstructure mechanism of the needle δ phase has been investigated. • Fracture behavior of the needle δ phase has been studied.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Reactive flash sintering and characterization of bulk high entropy nitrides

Over the past decade, numerous high-entropy ceramics have been synthesized, often displaying attractive properties. However, the study on facile preparation of bulk high entropy nitrides (HEN) are limited, despite its broad potential applications. This research demonstrates for the first time rapid fabrication (within ∼6 min) of bulk high-entropy nitrides, especially (Al 0.17 Nb 0.17 Ta 0.17 Ti 0.32 Zr 0.17 )N, from binary nitride powder mixtures using a highly efficient reactive flash sintering (RFS) technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows the HENs from RFS are near single-phase solid solutions with a rock salt crystal structure, while in situ synchrotron study carried out during RFS captured in real time the formation of HEN, which was preserved upon cooling, suggesting thermodynamic stability of the HEN phase, even up to extreme pressure (∼35.6 GPa). Microscopic analyses using SEM, STEM, and EDS reveal decent uniformity for HEN with no obvious segregation of elements, even to submicron scale. Some properties of the obtained bulk HENs are consistent with expectations. For example, their hardness and bulk modulus are close to estimates based on rule-of-mixture (ROM) values from the constituent binary nitrides. Meanwhile, some other measured properties seem to show surprises. For example, the fracture toughness for the HENs (e.g., 7.81 ± 1.40 MPa•m 1/2 or higher) turns out to be more than double of the expected ROM estimates. The significantly improved fracture toughness is attributed to the observed nano-layered structure of the HENs, despite the HEN’s cubic crystal structure and high hardness. In addition, the oxidation resistance shows improvement up till ∼800°C, possibly due to Ta doping that suppress oxygen vacancy formation in the oxide shell, while the 5-metal HEN of (Al 0.17 Nb 0.17 Ta 0.17 Ti 0.32 Zr 0.17 )N displays superconductivity (T c of ∼5–7 K from magnetism and resistivity measurements, slightly lower than ROM estimate), despite insulating property of starting AlN. Furthermore, future study combining experimental investigation using larger samples to confirm the observed increase in fracture toughness and oxidation resistance, theoretical modeling at different length scale, and more detailed structural/chemical characterization, especially at the atomic scale, are all needed to fully understand the inter-relationships between composition, processing, structure, and novel properties for these HENs and the development of related new materials for different applications.

Flash sintering↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Macro-scale Testing and Micromechanics Modeling of Fracture Behaviors for Boron Carbide Composites with Hierarchical Microstructures

With a unique combination of properties including high hardness, low density, wear and corrosion resistance, thermal stability, high neutron absorption, and semi-conductivity, boron carbide (B4C) is a candidate material for various engineering applications that involve extreme environment. The current applications of boron carbide, however, are limited by its intrinsic brittleness due to its strong covalent bonding. To toughen boron carbide, in this work hierarchical microstructure designs was used to provide multiple toughening mechanisms including crack deflection/bridging, micro-crack toughening, etc. Using field assisted sintering, B4C composites with hierarchical microstructure features including graphite platelets, micron and sub-micron sized TiB2 reinforcements were fabricated. The fracture toughness of fabricated B4C composites were previously measured at micro-scale using micro-indentation followed by post-testing microstructure inspection. However, questions including whether the fracture toughness enhancement measured at micro-scale can translate to macro-scale mechanical properties, and what are the fundamental mechanisms behind observed fracture toughness enhancement, remain to be answered. In this study, the fabricated B4C composites were tested using standardized four-point bending method to obtain fracture toughness at macro-scale. In addition, micromechanics modeling was conducted using MAC/GMC code and crack-band model to study the effect of residual stress and weak interphases on fracture behaviors of B4C composites reinforced with TiB2 particles. Through standardized four-point bending tests, fracture toughness enhancements up to 2.85, 3.32, and 3.65 MPa∙m(exp 1/2) (from 2.38 MPa∙m(exp 1/2)) were achieved for B4C composites with graphite platelets addition (micro/nano B4C), with TiB2 formation (micro B4C-TiB2), and with both graphite and TiB2 addition (micro/nano B4C-TiB2) respectively. Micromechanics modeling indicated that introduction of thermal residual stress and weak interphases caused enhanced micro-cracking behavior and resulted in the observed fracture toughness enhancement. These results furthered understanding about the mechanical behaviors at macro-scale and the mechanisms behind observed fracture toughness enhancement for B4C composites with hierarchical microstructures and can provide reference data for the future design of B4C composites with optimized microstructures for further fracture toughness enhancement.

Boron Carbide↗