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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 919 records · Page 51
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

A Perspective on Solid-State Additive Manufacturing of Aluminum Matrix Composites Using MELD

MELD, previously known as additive friction stir, is an emerging solid-state process that enables additive manufacturing of a broad range of metals and metal matrix composites. Here, we discuss its potential for fabricating aluminum matrix composites by showing examples of Al-SiC, Al 6061-Mo, and Al 6061-W composites. Thanks to its solid-state nature, MELD is uniquely suited for the use of high-strength aluminum alloys as matrix material, which would suffer from hot cracking problems in liquid-state processes. Using complementary characterization tools, we show that this process results in aluminum matrix composites with no observed porosity and homogeneous particle distribution. These properties stem from the extensive material flow and mixing during the deposition process. In addition to the high quality of produced composites, its ease of use, versatility of feed materials, and scalability all make MELD an attractive tool for additive manufacturing of aluminum matrix composites. We also discuss the limitations of MELD for composite fabrication, with issues related to maximum reinforcement loading, tool wear, and in-plane resolution. Finally, we compare the benefits and limitations of MELD with other composite fabrication processes such as powder bed fusion, friction stir processing, stir casting, and powder processing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Corrosion Investigation of Zinc–Aluminum Alloy (ZA-27) Matrix Reinforced with In Situ Synthesized Titanium Carbide Particle Composites

ZA-27 alloy matrix composites comprised of different volume fractions of TiC particles as reinforcement phase were synthesized by in situ technique. Microstructural, hardness and electrochemical analysis were performed on these samples along with the base ZA-27 alloy to assess any beneficial effect of making the composites over the base alloy. It was observed that hardness increases in composites as compared to the base alloy. However, hardness of the composite reduces on increasing the reinforcement percentage. Corrosion behavior was investigated by using Tafel and EIS plots in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution at room temperature for all the samples. The results showed increase in corrosion resistance for composites than that of base alloy. However, ZA27 + 5%TiC composite showed better results as compared to that of ZA27 + 10%TiC composite. The decreased property of ZA27 + 10%TiC composite is because of the agglomeration of particles and also by the formation of galvanic cell.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effect of MWCNT Content on the Structure and Properties of Spark Plasma-Sintered Iron-MWCNT Composites Synthesized by High-Energy Ball Milling

The effect of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) content on the physical and mechanical properties of Fe-MWCNT composites has been studied. High-energy ball milling (HEBM) is employed to produce the composite powder; following this, spark plasma sintering (SPS) process has been adopted for powder consolidation. The composite powder and the sintered products were subjected to structural characterization by XRD. Microstructural studies were carried out by optical, field-emission scanning and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. While Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic study of composites was done to understand the bonding characteristics, Raman spectroscopy was employed to assess the structural damage of MWCNT after HEBM. The effects of processing on the behavior of C-C, C-O and Fe-O bonds are studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Microhardness and compressive strength of composites are also determined. Finally, magnetic and electrical properties of the composites were characterized. It was observed that optimized ball milling conditions help to preserve the structural identity of MWCNT. Consolidation by SPS insured good interfacial bonding. The microhardness and compression strength are significantly improved in MWCNT-reinforced iron matrix composite. MWCNT has appreciably improved the electrical conductivity of the composites. Tethering of MWCNT by iron oxide has led to appreciable improvement in saturation magnetization till 3 wt.% MWCNT.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Investigation on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of TA10–Q245R Composite Plate Formed by Explosive Welding

The titanium alloy TA10 and the carbon steel Q245R are welded by explosive welding, and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) is carried out for the TA10–Q245R composite plate. Microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite plate are investigated both in as-welded (AW) condition and after PWHT, respectively. Results show that, in AW condition, the bonding interface of composite plate presents wavy morphology, and at both sides of the interface plastic deformation is generated to a certain degree. Near the interface interdiffusion zone of alloying elements exists, and no Fe-Ti intermetallic compound is produced at the interface. SEM images indicate that the tensile fracture of composite plate presents the characteristic of ductile fracture, and no defects such as gas pores or impurities are found on the surface of shear fracture. After PWHT, the interfacial microstructure of the composite plate is obviously changed. Compared with the mechanical properties of the composite plate in AW condition, both tensile strength and shear strength of the composite plate are decreased to a certain extent after PWHT. With various factors into consideration, the suitable heat treatment procedure of TA10–Q245R composite plate is determined as follows: 550 °C × 1.5 h.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Composite laminate failure parameter optimization through four-point flexure experimentation and analysis

Fiber-reinforced composite materials offer light-weight solutions to many structural challenges. In the development of high-performance composite structures, a thorough understanding is required of the composite materials themselves as well as methods for the analysis and failure prediction of the relevant composite structures. However, the mechanical properties required for the complete constitutive definition of a composite material can be difficult to determine through experimentation. Therefore, efficient methods are necessary that can be used to determine which properties are relevant to the analysis of a specific structure and to establish a structure's response to a material parameter that can only be defined through estimation. The objectives of this paper deal with demonstrating the potential value of sensitivity and uncertainty quantification techniques during the failure analysis of loaded composite structures; and the proposed methods are applied to the simulation of the four-point flexural characterization of a carbon fiber composite material. Utilizing a recently implemented, phenomenological orthotropic material model that is capable of predicting progressive composite damage and failure, a sensitivity analysis is completed to establish which material parameters are truly relevant to a simulation's outcome. Then, a parameter study is completed to determine the effect of the relevant material properties' expected variations on the simulated four-point flexural behavior as well as to determine the value of an unknown material property. This process demonstrates the ability to formulate accurate predictions in the absence of a rigorous material characterization effort. Finally, the presented results indicate that a sensitivity analysis and parameter study can be used to streamline the material definition process as the described flexural characterization was used for model validation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Thermal energy storage composites with preformed expanded graphite matrix and paraffin wax for long-term cycling stability and tailored thermal properties

Harvesting solar energy, preventing hot spots in electronics, transport of temperature-sensitive materials, and capture and repurposing of thermal energy require a latent heat thermal energy storage (TES) system to store/discharge heat repeatedly. For the practical application of phase change material (PCM) composites within TES systems, reliable thermal performance throughout its operational lifetime is essential. Nevertheless, the reliability of thermal conductivity in multi-phase composites over relevant numbers (>10 3 ) of melt/freeze cycles has barely been studied, particularly for composites containing fillers for thermal conductivity enhancement. Here, we introduce a preform-type expanded graphite (EG)/paraffin wax composite possessing highly robust heat transfer and storage properties even after 10,000 melt/freeze cycles. To achieve such excellent reliability, comparative studies on the combined influence of fabrication process, particle size, EG vol%, binder amount, and compaction on both magnitude and robustness of thermal conductivity were undertaken. Our parametric study has yielded a trade-off between thermal conductivity and latent heat. Based on our modeling, 20 vol% EG approaches the case where all EG particles are well-connected thermally while 10 vol% EG is close to loosely connected fillers in the matrix. Thermal conductivity of our paraffin composites containing 20 vol% EG (25.1 W·m -1 ·K -1 ) is highest among other EG/paraffin composites without aligned EG in the literature. After 10,000 thermal cycling, negligible conductivity fading was observed for the 10 vol% EG composite, while reduction in latent heat remained within 10% for all 10, 14, 17 and 20 vol% EG samples. Here we anticipate this work provides insight on suitable recipe for desirable magnitude and robustness of thermal conductivity of EG/paraffin composites.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Physics augmented machine learning discovery of composition-dependent constitutive laws for 3D printed digital materials

Multi-material 3D printing, particularly through polymer jetting, enables the fabrication of digital materials by mixing distinct photopolymers at the micron scale within a single build to create a composite with tunable mechanical properties. Here, this work presents an integrated experimental and computational investigation into the composition-dependent mechanical behavior of 3D printed digital materials. We experimentally characterize five formulations, combining soft and rigid UV-cured polymers under uniaxial tension and torsion across three strain and twist rates. The results reveal nonlinear and rate-dependent responses that strongly depend on composition. To model this behavior, we develop a physics-augmented neural network (PANN) that combines a partially input convex neural network (pICNN) for learning the composition-dependent hyperelastic strain energy function with a quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) formulation for time-dependent response. The pICNN ensures convexity with respect to strain invariants while allowing non-convex dependence on composition. To enhance interpretability, we apply $L_0$ sparsification. For the time-dependent response, we introduce a multilayer perceptron (MLP) to predict viscoelastic relaxation parameters from composition. The proposed model accurately captures the nonlinear, rate-dependent behavior of 3D printed digital materials in both uniaxial tension and torsion, achieving high predictive accuracy for interpolated material compositions. This approach provides a scalable framework for automated, composition-aware constitutive model discovery for multi-material 3D printing.

Constitutive modeling↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-throughput ion irradiation of additively manufactured compositionally complex alloys

Several advanced nuclear reactor designs promise efficiency and safety improvements over the current reactor fleet but are limited by the current set of ASME code-qualified materials. Novel alloys including high-entropy alloys (HEAs), and more broadly compositionally complex alloys (CCAs), have shown promising irradiation-tolerance. However, the vast range of alloy compositions adds to an already time-consuming alloy development process. In this study, to accelerate the development of novel alloys for nuclear applications, a high-throughput (HTP) methodology has been employed. Additive manufacturing has been used to produce a compositional array of unary, binary, ternary, and quaternary alloys, including several CCAs, which span the Cr-Fe-Mn-Ni composition space. Additionally, the compositional array was homogenized at 1000°C for 24 hours and each sample was irradiated using 4-MeV Ni2+ ions at room temperature to a peak damage of 50 dpa, as estimated using SRIM, at the University of Wisconsin Ion Beam Laboratory. A custom XY stage was built to accommodate the large compositional array and half of each sample was masked during irradiation enabling both the irradiated and unirradiated properties of each alloy to be characterized side-by-side. Each alloy was characterized using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and nanoindentation. CALPHAD simulations spanning the entire Cr-Fe-Mn-Ni composition space at 1000°C were performed to compare predicted equilibrium phases with phases identified experimentally from the unirradiated regions of each alloy. Nanoindentation measurements indicate radiation-induced hardening ranging from ~1-1.5 GPa in each of Cr-Fe-Mn-Ni CCAs, which is relatively insensitive to modest changes in alloy composition and comparable to hardening observed in neutron irradiated Cr-Fe-Mn-Ni CCAs in the literature. Overall, a substantial time savings was realized by employing HTP synthesis, irradiation, and characterization in this study compared to conventional techniques, the implications of which are discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

An ab initio molecular dynamics study of varied compositions of the $\text{LiF-NaF-KF}$ molten salt

With increasing interest in molten salt reactors, there becomes a demand for investigations into thermophysical properties of salt systems. The LiF-NaF-KF (FLiNaK) salt system is a primary candidate for use in these reactors. However, the thermophysical properties of compositions outside the eutectic composition are still largely unknown. In this article, properties of ten unique compositions, including four ternary compositions, are investigated using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations across five temperatures between 900 K and 1300 K. The properties of interest are the density, thermal expansion, bulk modulus, compressibility, heat capacity, and enthalpy of mixing. In general, the results were found to be in good agreement with other literature and experimental results. The density and heat capacity had a tendency to be slightly underpredicted. No conclusions could be drawn about the bulk modulus and compressibility in terms of compositional dependence. The thermal expansion had a negative trend with respect to the LiF concentration and no trends were observed for the NaF or KF concentration. The enthalpy of mixing shows minima for the ternary compositions, with the near-equiatomic composition exhibiting the lowest values. Here this work shows the potential for compositional tailoring in the FLiNaK system to optimize thermophysical properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Ionic conductivity and the formation of cubic CaH{sub 2} in the LiBH{sub 4}–Ca(BH{sub 4}){sub 2} composite

LiBH{sub 4}–Ca(BH{sub 4}){sub 2} composites were prepared by ball milling. Their crystal structures and phase composition were investigated using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement, and their ionic conductivity was measured using impedance spectroscopy. The materials were found to form a physical mixture. The composites were composed of α-Ca(BH{sub 4}){sub 2}, γ-Ca(BH{sub 4}){sub 2} and orthorhombic LiBH{sub 4}, and the relative phase quantities of the Ca(BH{sub 4}){sub 2} polymorphs varied significantly with LiBH{sub 4} content. The formation of small amounts of orthorhombic CaH{sub 2} and cubic CaH{sub 2} in a CaF{sub 2}-like structure was observed upon heat treatment. Concurrent formation of elemental boron may also occur. The ionic conductivity of the composites was measured using impedance spectroscopy, and was found to be lower than that of ball milled LiBH{sub 4}. Electronic band structure calculations indicate that cubic CaH{sub 2} with hydrogen defects is electronically conducting. Its formation along with the possible precipitation of boron therefore has an effect on the measured conductivity of the LiBH{sub 4}–Ca(BH{sub 4}){sub 2} composites and may increase the risk of an internal short-circuit in the cells. -- Graphical abstract: An Arrhenius plot of the ionic conductivity of the LiBH{sub 4}–Ca(BH{sub 4}){sub 2} composites (red, blue, green). The ionic conductivity of ball milled (gray) and non-milled (black) LiBH{sub 4} is shown for comparison. The filled symbols are measured during heating runs and the empty symbols are measured during subsequent cooling runs. The conductivity of the composites is in all cases higher during cooling, most probably due to the formation of an electronically conducting layer containing defect-rich cubic CaH{sub 2}. Such layer formation could eventually lead to a short circuit in the cell and reveals a general issue of chemical stability that should be attended to in the development of solid electrolyte materials. Highlights: • The LiBH{sub 4}–Ca(BH{sub 4}){sub 2} composite forms a physical mixture rather than a solid solution. • The formation of defect-rich, cubic CaH{sub 2} in a CaF{sub 2}-like structure is observed. • A new layer containing cubic CaH{sub 2} is conducting and may lead to a short-circuit.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Large-scale fabrication of linear low density polyethylene/layered double hydroxides composite films with enhanced heat retention, thermal, mechanical, optical and water vapor barrier properties

Novel LDH intercalated with organic aliphatic long-chain anion was large-scale synthesized innovatively by high-energy ball milling in one pot. The linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE)/layered double hydroxides (LDH) composite films with enhanced heat retention, thermal, mechanical, optical and water vapor barrier properties were fabricated by melt blending and blowing process. FT IR, XRD, SEM results show that LDH particles were dispersed uniformly in the LLDPE composite films. Particularly, LLDPE composite film with 1% LDH exhibited the optimal performance among all the composite films with a 60.36% enhancement in the water vapor barrier property and a 45.73 °C increase in the temperature of maximum mass loss rate compared with pure LLDPE film. Furthermore, the improved infrared absorbance (1180–914 cm{sup −1}) of LLDPE/LDH films revealed the significant enhancement of heat retention. Therefore, this study prompts the application of LLDPE/LDH films as agricultural films with superior heat retention. - Graphical abstract: The fabrication process of LLDPE/LDH composite films. - Highlights: • LDH with basal spacing of 4.07 nm was synthesized by high-energy ball milling. • LLDPE composite films with homogeneous LDH dispersion were fabricated. • The properties of LLDPE/LDH composite films were improved. • LLDPE/LDH composite films show superior heat retention property.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Strengthening behavior of chopped multi-walled carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum matrix composites

Strengthening behavior of the aluminum composites reinforced with chopped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) or aluminum carbide formed during annealing at 500 °C has been investigated. The composites were fabricated by hot-rolling the powders which were ball-milled under various conditions. During the early annealing process, aluminum atoms can cluster inside the tube due to the diffusional flow of aluminum atoms into the tube, providing an increase of the strength of the composite. Further annealing induces the formation of the aluminum carbide phase, leading to an overall drop in the strength of the composites. While the strength of the composites can be evaluated according to the rule of mixture, a particle spacing effect can be additionally imparted on the strength of the composites reinforced with the chopped MWCNTs or the corresponding carbides since the reinforcing agents are smaller than the submicron matrix grains. - Highlights: • Strengthening behavior of chopped CNT reinforced Al-based composites is investigated. • Chopped CNTs have influenced the strength and microstructures of the composites. • Chopped CNTs are created under Ar- 3% H2 atmosphere during mechanical milling. • Strength can be evaluated by the rule of the mixture and a particle spacing effect.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

SEM and TEM characterization of microstructure of stainless steel composites reinforced with TiB{sub 2}

Steel-8TiB{sub 2} composites were produced by two new sintering techniques, i.e. Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and High Pressure-High Temperature (HP-HT) sintering. This study discusses the impact of these sintering methods on the microstructure of steel composites reinforced with TiB{sub 2} particles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS), X-ray diffraction, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the microstructure evolution in steel matrix composites. The results of microscopic examinations revealed a close relationship between the composite microstructure and the methods and conditions of sintering. Substantial differences were observed in the grain size of materials sintered by HP-HT and SPS. It has been demonstrated that the composites sintered by HP-HT tend to form a chromium-iron-nickel phase in the steel matrix. In contrast, the microstructure of the composites sintered by SPS is characterized by the presence of complex borides and chromium-iron phase. - Highlights: •The steel-8TiB{sub 2} composites were fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and High Pressure-High Temperature (HP-HT). •Sintering techniques has an important effect on changes in the microstructure of steel-8TiB{sub 2} composites. •New phases of different size and morphology were identified.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Microstructure evolution and properties of graphene nanoplatelets reinforced aluminum matrix composites

Highlights: • Lamellar structure of GNPs fibers and Al matrix was obtained in the rolling direction. • Stacking faults were observed in Al grains due to greatly increased GNPs/Al interfaces. • Strength of Al-0.2 wt% GNPs increased 36.8% with negligible electrical conductivity loss. - Abstract: Aluminum matrix composites reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were prepared by continuous casting and subsequent rolling. Al-GNPs master alloy, prepared by ball milling and cold pressing, was added into Al melts to fabricate the composites. Microstructure evolution of the composites were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD). GNPs distributed uniformly in the as-cast specimen and then transformed into fibers in the rolling direction after deformation and finally a lamellar structure formed in the composites. Raman spectra showed that the structural damage of GNPs mainly came from ball milling. The interface between GNPs and Al was well combined in general while a few microcracks were observed, which reduced the ductility of the composites and no adverse aluminum carbide (Al{sub 4}C{sub 3}) was detected at the interface. Stacking faults were observed interior of the aluminum grain, which may due to the existence of plentiful interface introduced by GNPs. Fracture observation revealed that the load transferred from Al matrix to GNPs. The ultimate tensile strength of Al-0.2 wt% GNPs composites was about 36.8% higher than that of pure Al with the same casting and rolling process, which should result from the lamellar structure and load transfer, while the conductivity of the composites decreased slightly, indicating that interface scattering between Al and GNPs is very limited. The investigation results show that Al-GNPs composite is potential for high strength and high conductivity application.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

The AMWCNTs supported porous nanocarbon composites for high-performance supercapacitor

Graphical abstract: The AMWCNTs supported porous nanocarbon composites were prepared by a easy method. The composites had shown good performances for electrochemical energy storage with high specific capacitance and good stability. - Highlights: • The AMWCNTs supported porous nanocarbon composites were prepared. • The composites have good conductivity and large BET specific surface areas. • The composites had shown high specific capacitance, and good stability. - Abstract: The porous nanocarbons supported by acid-treated multiwall carbon nanotubes (PC@ACNTs) were prepared by the combination of the hydrothermal polymerization of glucose on ACNTs, carbonization under N{sub 2} protection and final activation with ZnCl{sub 2}. The materials were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectra. The results indicated that the ACNTs distributed uniformly into the framework of the porous carbon. The composites showed the high BET specific surface area up to 1712 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} and good conductivity. The electrochemical measurements indicated that the composites processed good performances for electrochemical energy storage (210 F g{sup −1} at 0.5 A g{sup −1}), and high stability (>99.9%), much higher than the corresponding ACNTs, porous carbons and the samples prepared by using raw MWCNTs as source. The good performance of PC@ACNTs composites was relative with the synergy of good conductivity of ACNTs and large specific surface areas of PC.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Copper ions removal from water using functionalized carbon nanotubes–mullite composite as adsorbent

Highlights: • CNTs–mullite composite was prepared via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. • The prepared composite was modified with concentrated nitric acid and chitosan. • The modified CNTs–mullite composites were used as novel adsorbents. • Copper ion removal from water by the prepared adsorbents was performed. • Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and two kinetic models were applied to fit the experimental data. - Abstract: Carbon nanotubes–mullite composite was synthesized by direct growth of carbon nanotubes on mullite particles via chemical vapor deposition method using cyclohexanol and ferrocene as carbon precursor and catalyst, respectively. The carbon nanotubes–mullite composite was oxidized with concentrated nitric acid and functionalized with chitosan and then used as a novel adsorbent for copper ions removal from water. The results demonstrated that modification with concentrated nitric acid and chitosan improves copper ions adsorption capacity of the prepared composite, significantly. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and two kinetic models were applied to fit the experimental data. The carbon nanotubes growth on mullite particles to form the carbon nanotubes–mullite composite with further modification is an inherently safe approach for many promising environmental applications to avoid some concerns regarding environment, health and safety. It was found that the modified carbon nanotubes–mullite composite can be considered as an excellent adsorbent for copper ions removal from water.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Preparation of graphene/WO3/TiO2 composite and its photocathodic protection performance for 304 stainless steel

Highlights: • TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles and WO{sub 3} nanorods were immobilized onto graphene by the hydrothermal method. • The composite can provide an effective protection for 304 stainless steel under visible light. • The composite can offer a sufficient cathodic protection even in the dark. • Possible photocathodic protection mechanism of graphene/WO{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} composite was proposed. - Abstract: Graphene/WO{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2} composite (RGO/WO{sub 3}/TiO{sub 2}) was successfully fabricated via a two-step hydrothermal method. The structure, morphology and optical property of the as-prepared composite were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectra, Raman spectra, transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra, respectively. Results showed that the composite was incorporated by graphene nanosheets, WO{sub 3} nanorods and TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles. It exhibited favorable absorption ability in both UV and visible light region. The photocathodic protection performance for 304 stainless steel (304SS) was proven by photocurrent density, open circuit potential, Tafel polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was found that the composite could provide an efficient protection for 304SS under visible light irradiation and even in the dark compared to the pure TiO{sub 2}. The electrode potentials negatively shifted to −760 mV under visible light. The possible photocathodic protection mechanism of the composite was also proposed.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Minor titanium addition markedly improves the co-deformability of copper-tantalum composites

We investigated the microstructures of equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) processed sintered composites of copper (Cu) and tantalum (Ta). These composites were produced with nominal Ta volume percentages ranging from 25% to 75%. Additional composites of the same nominal Ta content were prepared with a minor amount of titanium (Ti) added to facilitate interphase bonding. Ti addition was found to markedly improve the strength and co-deformability of the composites, allowing reliable extrusion of Cu-Ta composites with novel microstructures. A major influence of the Ti appears to be to soften the Ta, which contributes to improved co-deformability by reducing the flow stress mismatch between the composite constituents. Here, a change in the fracture surface morphology in the Ti-modified composite compared to the unmodified composite suggests that the Ti may also improve cohesion between Cu and Ta by reducing Ta surface oxides.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗