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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 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Excellent high cyclic fatigue properties of a novel ultrafine-grained medium entropy alloy

Fatigue is a major cause of failure and requires dedicated investigation to validate the integrity of potential structural materials. As high and medium entropy alloys (HEAs and MEAs) are garnering significant attention from scientific communities, it is important to test the structural integrity of these novel alloys in cyclic loading environment. This study analyzed both monotonic and cyclic loading properties of a novel medium entropy alloy (MEA) CoCr 1.3 Ni in the ultrafine-grained (UFG) and fine grain (FG) conditions. The UFG MEA performs better than the FG MEA during cyclic loading. Microstructural evolution after cyclic loading via electron back-scattered diffraction shows microstructural stability of both FG and UFG microstructures. Transmission electron microscopy suggests formation of stacking faults and fine-scale HCP transformation during cyclic loading.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Predicting structural material degradation in advanced nuclear reactors with ion irradiation

Swelling associated with the formation and growth of cavities is among the most damaging of radiation-induced degradation modes for structural materials in advanced nuclear reactor concepts. Ion irradiation has emerged as the only practical option to rapidly assess swelling in candidate materials. For decades, researchers have tried to simulate the harsh environment in a nuclear reactor in the laboratory at an accelerated rate. Here we present the first case in which swelling in a candidate alloy irradiated ~ 2 years in a nuclear reactor was replicated using dual ion irradiation in ~ 1 day with precise control over damage rate, helium injection rate, and temperature and utilize physical models to predict the effects of radiation in reactors. The capability to predict and replicate the complex processes surrounding cavity nucleation and growth across many decades of radiation dose rate highlights the potential of accelerated radiation damage experiments. More importantly, it demonstrates the capability to predict the swelling evolution and the possibility to predict other features of the irradiated microstructure evolution that control material property degradation required to accelerate the development of new, radiation-tolerant materials.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2016

MARMOT Modeling of Microstructure-Dependent Thermal Conductivity in Nuclear Fuels

Uranium dioxide (UO{sub 2}) is the primary nuclear fuel in light water reactors. The thermal conductivity of UO{sub 2} is an important fuel performance metric as it affects nuclear energy conversion efficiency and safety. Unfortunately UO{sub 2} has a very low thermal conductivity, even in the single crystal form. In reactor environment, the radiation-induced defects, fission products, and complex microstructural evolution degrade the thermal conductivity of UO{sub 2} significantly. These defects and microstructures in UO{sub 2} fuels include point defects, gas bubbles, metallic precipitates, etc.. In the rim region of a fuel pellet, high burnup structure also forms which contains many nanograins and thus high density of grain boundaries. Therefore, understanding how different irradiation-induced microstructures affect the thermal conductivity in nuclear fuels is important for predicting the overall thermal transport properties in nuclear fuels. In this work, the unit effect of each microstructure on the thermal conductivity of UO{sub 2} is evaluated, using grain boundary as an example. The obtained unit mechanism can be used as input for the multiplier model that describes the combined effect of various microstructures. In this work we use phase field simulations coupled with heat conduction calculations to study the co-evolution of grain size and thermal conductivity. The simulation data are used to calibrate an analytical model. Based on the sufficient statistics from simulations, we conclude that the analytical model can well predict the grain-size-dependent thermal conductivity over a wide range of grain sizes if the input parameters are calibrated. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Quantitative investigation into the influence of temperature on carbide and austenite evolution during partitioning of a quenched and partitioned steel

Here, the influence of partitioning temperature on microstructural evolution during quenching and partitioning was investigated in a 0.38C-1.54Mn-1.48Si wt.% steel using Mössbauer spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. η-carbide formation occurs in the martensite during the quenching, holding, and partitioning steps. More effective carbon partitioning from martensite to austenite was observed at 450 than 400°C, resulting in lower martensite carbon contents, less carbide formation, and greater retained austenite amounts for short partitioning times. Conversely, greater austenite decomposition occurs at 450°C for longer partitioning times. Lastly, cementite forms during austenite decomposition and in the martensite for longer partitioning times at 450°C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Microstructural changes in NiO–ScSZ composite following reduction processes in pure and diluted hydrogen

A Ni–ScSZ cermet is widely used as the anode in a solid oxide fuel cell because it possesses the appropriate electrochemical properties. However, it is susceptible to degradation during operation. Samples of a NiO–ScSZ composite were reduced in pure and diluted hydrogen to determine the microstructural evolution and the degradation behavior of the material. The resulting changes in microstructure were investigated using scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The resulting data revealed that the various conditions during the reduction processes had a significant effect on the microstructures. The high porosity of the reduced nickel phase and cracking between the Ni and the ZrO{sub 2} phases after reduction resulted in a reduction in the strength of the anode material. - Highlights: • Structure of NiO/Ni strongly depends on the concentration of reduction atmosphere • Scandium rich precipitations are visible in YSZ phase after reduction process • Nanopores and nanograins are formed in reduced Ni phase.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Evolution of B2 and laves phases in a ferritic steel under Fe 2+ ion irradiation at 475 °C

Microstructural evolution in a novel ferritic steel (Fe–12Cr–3W–3Ni–3Al–1Nb, in wt.%) computationally designed to contain B2 and Laves phases after 4 MeV Fe 2+ ion irradiation up to 220 dpa at 475 °C was characterized using transmission electron microscopy in conjunction with x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. The ferritic matrix phase exhibited dislocation loops and tangled dislocations, but our focus was on stability of two types of intermetallic precipitates. The B2–NiAl precipitates ~13 nm in size remained crystalline and appeared to have slightly lower Al concentration after irradiation. The Laves phase, (Fe,Cr) 2 (Nb,W), were present in two size ranges: coarse micron-scale precipitates which were amorphized with a slight composition change at irradiation doses above~30 dpa, while the finer precipitate particles~100 nm in size were partially disintegrated with a noticeable composition change at doses above~70 dpa. Meanwhile, many Nb/Cr-enriched particles ~8 nm in size formed within a few hundreds of nanometers from the disintegrated particles. The understanding of the phase stability would help design advanced steels and engineer microstructures that are stable against high irradiation doses, while retaining good high temperature strength.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Identifying multiple synergistic factors on the susceptibility to stress relaxation cracking in variously heat-treated weldments

The 347H austenitic stainless steel has been widely used for pressure vessels and pipeline (PVP) applications due to its excellent creep and corrosion resistance, which fit ideally to the harsh conditions in petrochemical industries, fossil fuel or nuclear power plants, and modern energy storages. However, a failure mode has been commonly observed with cracks emerging at the heat affected zone (HAZ) of weldments during post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) or under intermediate to high temperature service conditions. This phenomenon is termed as Stress Relaxation Cracking (SRC) since the purpose of PWHT is to relieve the welding-induced residual stress fields, or as Stress Age Cracking (SAC) if failure happens during service. A leading literature explanation of this failure suggests that the residual stress relaxation and the precipitation dissolution and/or re-precipitation occur in the same temperature range, which can lead to locally high strains and thus to crack at the grain boundaries. Since in situ spatial measurements of residual stress fields, microstructural evolution, and failure processes are nearly infeasible, this work recourses to a micromechanical finite element framework that models the high temperature failure as the nucleation and growth of grain boundary cavities, whereas various parameters such as thermomechanical loading history and its evolution, the competition of grain-interior dislocation creep and grain-boundary diffusion in failure lifetime, and microstructural heterogeneities (such as the precipitate free zone near grain boundaries) can be quantitatively incorporated. It can be concluded from these microstructure-explicit simulations that an accurate knowledge of residual stress evolution and a carefully calibrated set of material constitutive parameters are the essential prerequisites for lifetime predictions. The understanding of individual governing factors also leads to a mechanistic interpretation of the observed SRC susceptibility C-curves. In conclusion, these results suggest that the criticality of residual stress evolution, but not the precipitation-induced local strains, be the leading factor for SRC.

347H stainless steel weldments↗
DOE OSTI2018

Lattice distortion in a strong and ductile refractory high-entropy alloy

Here, the maximization of the mixing entropy with the optimal range of enthalpy in high-entropy alloys (HEAs) can promote the formation of a stable single solid-solution phase with the absence of competing intermetallic compounds. The resultant effects, such as lattice distortion, can contribute to excellent mechanical properties, which has motivated numerous efforts to develop and design single-phase HEAs. However, challenges still remain, particularly on quantifying the lattice distortion and relating it to materials properties. In this study, we have developed a NbTaTiV refractory HEA with a single body-centered-cubic (BCC) structure using an integrated experimental and theoretical approach. The theoretical efforts include thermodynamic modeling, i.e., CALculation of PHAse Diagram (CALPHAD). The microstructural evolutions have been investigated by systematic heat-treatment processes. The typical dendrite microstructure was observed, which is caused by the elemental segregation during the solidification in the as-cast condition. The structural inhomogeneity and chemical segregation were completely eliminated by the proper homogenization treatment at 1200 °C for 3 days. The homogeneous elemental distribution was quantitatively verified by the Atom Probe Tomography (APT) technique. Importantly, results indicate that this HEA exhibits the high yield strength and ductility at both room and high temperatures (up to 900 °C). Furthermore, the effects of the high mixing entropy on the mechanical properties are discussed and quantified in terms of lattice distortions and interatomic interactions of the NbTaTiV HEA via first-principles calculations. It is found that the local severe lattice distortions are induced, due to the atomic interactions and atomic-size mismatch in the homogenization-treated NbTaTiV refractory HEA.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Consumable development to tailor residual stress in parts fabricated using directed energy deposition processes

Distortion and residual stresses are major challenges that limit the ability to fabricate large scale structures using Additive Manufacturing (AM). Researchers worldwide are evaluating techniques to induce compressive residual stress in the parts via intermittent rolling. While reasonable success has been documented, the idea of lowering the martensite start temperature to induce compressive stresses has not been evaluated in the context of AM, despite demonstrated success by the welding community. This study validates the hypothesis that, by a proper selection of materials and process parameters, one may effectively reduce distortion and induce a compressive residual stress in AM parts. Using neutron diffraction to measure residual stresses in parts, we demonstrate that, in addition to selection of the correct materials, the inter pass temperature plays a major role in controlling the residual stress evolution. The observations relating to the residual stresses are rationalized based on a microstructural evolution in these samples. Based on this preliminary study, a strategy to fabricate large structures with minimal distortion and residual stress is outlined.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of a minor actinides bearing metallic fuel pin irradiated in EBR-II

The X501 transmutation experiment irradiated in Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) was intended to evaluate the safety and performance of the addition of minor actinides (Am, Np) into the metallic nuclear fuel system. The irradiation of this experiment is also of paramount importance for comparisons between true fast spectrum irradiations (e.g. EBR-II) and shrouded irradiation capsules performed at the thermal neutron spectrum Idaho National Laboratory Advanced Test Reactor. The X501 experimental fuel pins were irradiated to a peak measured burnup of 6.2% fission per initial heavy metal atom. This paper reports and discusses Postirradiation Examination results for one of two minor actinide bearing pins from the EBR-II X-501 experiment (X501-G591) with a focus on fuel microstructure evolution. Additionally, fuel swelling, fission product distribution, cladding strain, fission gas release, fuel microstructure and fuel cladding chemical interaction were all evaluated. The fission gas release was 79.9% and the microstructure along the fuel pin presented several characteristics very similar to other EBR-II U-Pu-Zr ternary metallic fuel experience. Minor actinides seem to not dramatically affect the overall performance of this candidate transmutation fuel. Scanning Electron Microscopy was also performed and an in-depth characterization of the different regions and phases is presented. Performance data from these irradiations can be used to inform the feasibility of minor actinide transmutation in future reactor systems.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Geometry and size dependent microstructure and crack formation in Rene 41 superalloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

This study provides a systematic investigation into the size and geometry-dependent microstructural evolution and cracking susceptibility of LPBF-fabricated Rene 41. By coupling experimental microstructural analysis with thermal modeling, this research uniquely identifies the relationship between geometry-specific thermal histories, carbide coarsening, and liquation cracking. Four different geometries with varying thickness were fabricated with the identical process parameters. It was found that the grain size and morphology are not affected by the part size. However, the thinner parts exhibited coarser sub-grain structures compared to the thicker ones. The crack formation was observed for the parts with cross-sections smaller than 1 mm, whereas thicker parts had high density without any defects. Further, the cracks were observed in the interdendritic regions, suggesting that liquation cracking was the active micro-crack formation mechanism. The detailed microstructural analysis combined with a thermal finite element analysis proved that the heat extraction efficiency was lower for thinner parts causing a lower cooling rate and coarser carbides, making them more susceptible to constitutional liquation. Microhardness measurements were conducted for each geometry and correlated with the observed microstructural variations. The findings highlight the critical need for geometry-specific optimization of LPBF process parameters to mitigate cracking and achieve microstructural uniformity, offering valuable insights into the fabrication of complex, high-performance aerospace components.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Effects of magnetic field assisted heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-0.63 %C alloy

This study investigates the influence of an applied magnetic field on the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of hypoeutectoid steels subjected to heat treatment. Tensile tests and microstructural analysis were performed on samples processed under varying magnetic field strengths (0 T, 5 T, and 9 T) and different austenitization incubation times. The results indicate that the application of a magnetic field alters the fraction of proeutectoid ferrite phase without changing the cooling rates and heat treatment process. Additionally, pearlite microstructural features such as lamellar spacing and misorientation angles exhibit variations under different field strengths. While the pearlite nodule diameter remains largely unaffected, an increase in percentage elongation and strength is observed in the 5 T treated sample, attributed to changes in microstructural features with the magnetic field. Additionally, the percentage elongation is reduced in the samples heat treated with reduced austenitization incubation times. The study further demonstrates that low-angle misorientations increased in the samples taken parallel to the magnetic field direction, influencing the mechanical response. These findings suggest that applying a magnetic field during heat treatment provides an additional driving force for phase transformations, offering a manufacturing process for tailoring microstructures and optimizing mechanical properties. Moreover, integrating magnetic fields in heat treatment processes has potential benefits in energy efficiency.

High magnetic field↗
DOE OSTI2014

Effect of processing conditions on microstructural features in Mn–Si sintered steels

Sintering of steels containing oxidation sensitive elements is possible if such elements are alloyed with others which present lower affinity for oxygen. In this work, a master alloy powder containing Fe–Mn–Si–C, specifically designed to create a liquid phase during sintering, has been used for such purpose. The effect of processing conditions such as sintering temperature and atmosphere was studied with the aim of describing the microstructural evolution as well as the morphology and distribution of oxides in the sintered material, evaluating the potential detrimental effect of such oxides on mechanical properties. Chemical analyses, metallography and fractography studies combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses on the fracture surfaces were used to reveal the main mechanism of fracture and their correlation with the chemical composition of the different fracture surfaces. The results indicate that the main mechanism of failure in these steels is brittle fracture in the surrounding of the original master alloy particles due to degradation of grain boundaries by the presence of oxide inclusions. Mn–Si oxide inclusions were observed on intergranular decohesive facets. The use of reducing atmospheres and high sintering temperatures reduces the amount and size of such oxide inclusions. Besides, high heating and cooling rates reduce significantly the final oxygen content in the sintered material. A model for microstructure development and oxide evolution during different stages of sintering is proposed, considering the fact that when the master alloy melts, the liquid formed can dissolve some of the oxides as well as the surface of the surrounding iron base particles. - Highlights: • Oxide distribution in steels containing oxidation-sensitive elements • Mn, Si introduced in a master alloy powder, mixed with a base iron powder • Selective oxidation of Mn and Si on iron grain boundaries • Decohesive fracture caused by degradation of grain boundaries by oxide inclusions • Reducing agents efficient at low temperatures critical for avoiding oxide inclusions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Effect of strain on evolution of dynamic recrystallization in Nb-1 wt%Zr-0.1 wt%C alloy at 1500 and 1600 °C

Uniaxial compression tests were carried out on Nb-1 wt%Zr-0.1 wt%C alloy at temperature of 1500 and 1600 °C and strain rate of 0.1 s{sup −1} to study the evolution of dynamic recrystallization with strain. Electron back scatter diffraction was used to quantify the microstructural evolution. Nb-1Zr-0.1C alloy showed a necklace structure at a strain of 0.9 when deformed at 1500 °C and at strain of 0.6 when deformed at 1600 °C, both at strain rate of 0.1 s{sup −1}. This suggested the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization. At 1500 °C and strain of 0.9 the local average misorientation and the grain orientation spread was low confirming the presence of dynamic recrystallization at this deformation condition. At both 1500 and 1600 °C and all measured strains the recrystallized grains had a strong fiber component of <001>. - Highlights: • Necklace formation of dynamically recrystallized grains occurred at strain of 0.6 and 0.9 for 1500 and 1600 °C, respectively. • Equiaxed microstructures were seen with increase in strain for both 1500 and 1600 °C. • At large strains the predominant recrystallized texture evolved to <001> pole.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Co-Based superalloy morphology evolution: A phase field study based on experimental thermodynamic and kinetic data

Cobalt-based superalloys with two phase $\gamma$/$\gamma '$ microstructures offer great promise as candidates for next-generation high-temperature alloys for applications, such as turbine blades. It is essential to understand the thermodynamic and kinetic factors that influence the microstructural evolution of these alloys in order to optimize the alloy compositions and processing steps with a goal to improve their coarsening, creep and rafting behavior. We are using a continuum phase field approach to study the diffusion process and to predict the equilibrium shapes of Co-Al-W $\gamma '$ precipitates. In order to obtain quantitatively predictive capabilities, we extract chemical free energies for the $\gamma$/$\gamma '$ phases based on CALculation of PHAse Diagrams (CALPHAD) thermodynamic data and diffusion mobilities for Co alloys based on CALPHAD kinetic data. We also use experimental or first-principles data for other quantities, such as misfit strain and interface information, for the parameterization of our model. A particular focus of our study is to understand how different energy balances, misfit strain and kinetics affect the coarsening and rafting behavior of $\gamma '$ precipitates, and the sensitivity of the final precipitate shape to materials parameters. Here, we find that the equilibrium shape of the precipitate results from a delicate competition between chemical, interfacial, and elastic energies, and it is very sensitive to changes in model parameters. Here, we examine how modeling input parameters affect the equilibrium shape of precipitates and relate these parameters to experimentally available values.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Processing of High-Entropy AlCoCr{sub 0.75}Cu{sub 0.5}FeNi Alloy by Spray Forming

Compositionally complex AlCoCrCuFeNi alloy system is one of the extensively studied high-entropy alloys (HEA). Most of these studies have been carried out on as-cast materials that witness slow cooling rate during solidification. In the present investigation, HEA based on AlCoCrCuFeNi system was processed employing spray forming so as to realize its inherent rapid solidification effect and unique microstructural evolution mechanism. The spray formed as well as the as-cast alloys were compared in terms of their microstructural features, phase constitution and hardness. These microstructural features were also compared with that of the overspray powders (< 250 µm) obtained as a by-product of spray forming. Both the as-cast and spray formed alloys showed a mixture of mainly two phases, i.e., face-centered and body-centered cubic (BCC) phases, in contrast to a single BCC phase in overspray powders. However, the spray formed alloy revealed unidentified phases, as against the as-cast material, which disappeared after heat treatment at 1473 K for 3 h. The grain size of the as-cast alloy was around 600-1000 μm compared to a highly refined grain size of 25-30 μm in the as-spray formed alloy. It was found that the hardness of the regions dominated by the constituent phases as well as the bulk of the spray formed material was higher than that of the as-cast alloy. The results validate the efficacy of the process in achieving drastic refinement in grain size, in a single step of large-scale spray forming. The characteristic microstructural features and the phase constitutions have been discussed in light of the prevailing mechanisms of structural evolution and possible solidification phenomena during spray atomization and deposition. This study gives a new direction in processing of these alloys and understanding their solidification behavior under the conditions of layer-by-layer deposition of semi-solid/liquid droplets.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Functional Materials Under Stress: In Situ TEM Observations of Structural Evolution

The operating conditions of functional materials usually involve varying stress fields, resulting in structural changes, whether intentional or undesirable. Complex multiscale microstructures including defects, domains, and new phases, can be induced by mechanical loading in functional materials, providing fundamental insight into the deformation process of the involved materials. On the other hand, these microstructures, if induced in a controllable fashion, can be used to tune the functional properties or to enhance certain performance. In situ nanomechanical tests conducted in scanning/transmission electron microscopes (STEM/TEM) provide a critical tool for understanding the microstructural evolution in functional materials. In our study, select results on a variety of functional material systems in the field are presented, with a brief introduction into some newly developed multichannel experimental capabilities to demonstrate the impact of these techniques.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Predicting Geometric Influences in Metal Additive Manufacturing

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) has evolved from scientific curiosity to a potential paradigm shift in materials manufacturing owing to its ability to control microstructure and fabricate complex geometries. However, geometry, often ignored as a variable, can have a significant impact on microstructure evolution, thereby indirectly limiting the design flexibility offered by AM. Currently, the process of retaining microstructure with changing geometry relies on trial and error-based processing followed by microstructural evaluation that places significant demands on time and costs associated with experimentation and characterization. We demonstrate herein that lightweight thermal models can be effectively used to predict microstructural changes with geometry. These models can in turn be used as precursors to developing geometry independent scan strategies and achieve microstructure control in various alloy systems. Even if the thermal signatures predicted by the model are not accurate, scan strategies can be developed to mimic the thermal conditions during initial process development. We present a case study on one of the most studied AM alloys: Ti-6Al-4V.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗