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At least 127 records · Page 7

Friction Stir Processed Repair Welding of Dry Storage Canisters and Mitigation Strategies: Effect of Engineered Barrier Layer on Environmental Degradation

The proposed project aims to develop a friction sir based repair technique to heal cracks of stainless steel dry storage canisters (DSCs), created by the effect of stress corrosion cracking (SCC). In real service conditions, the welded parts of the canisters become prone to SCC under exposure to aggressive chemical environment. The focus of the project is on developing a mitigation strategy that can be implemented for countering SCC in DSCs following a two-pronged approach: (i) apply friction stir processing (FSP) as a crack repair technique while creating compressive residual stresses at the canister material surface, thus improving resistance against SCC; (ii) add molybdenum and/or nitrogen by friction stir based alloying process to create compositions that improve pitting resistance and thus enhance resistance against SCC. The specific project objectives are listed below: • Investigate FSW of 304L SS a potential repair welding technique of dry storage canisters; • Optimize the FSW parameters to introduce surface compressive stress profiles in the weldments; • Develop a FSP method to surface alloy the 304L with nitrogen and Mo by adding CrN and Mo powders; • Evaluate the surface compressive residual stress profile during FSW and FSP processes; • Evaluate the localized corrosion resistance of the FSW and FSP samples as a function of temperature, chloride concentration, and surface alloy composition; • Evaluate the SCC behavior of the FSW and FSP samples as a function of stress, chloride concentration, and temperature at different surface chemistries and induced residual stress profiles.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Microstructure, Hardness, and Residual Stress of the Dissimilar Metal Weldments of SA508-309L/308L-304L

A dissimilar metal weldment consisting of SA508-309L-308L-304L is widely used in light-water nuclear reactors. These weldments demonstrate dissimilar susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking that are related to the microstructure, properties, and residual stress. In this work, microstructures, hardness, and the residual stress distribution of the dissimilar metal weldments were investigated, with the correlation of increased hardness in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) to the microstructure. 304L HAZ demonstrated similar grain morphology as the base material, and the increase in hardness was primarily attributed to the increased dislocation density. SA508 HAZ demonstrated a change of grain morphology resulting from the different peak temperatures and cooling rates. The increased hardness in the SA508 HAZ was attributed to the refined grain morphology, higher dislocation density, and higher number density of precipitates. A ~ 20–30-μm-wide martensitic zone formed at the fusion boundary of SA508-309L, where Cr-rich carbide precipitates were observed, with the average size and the number density of 44.1 ± 16.9 nm and 1.5 × 10 21 m ₋3 , respectively. In conclusion, residual stress results demonstrated the largest tensile stress at 309L butter, indicating its high cracking susceptibility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Stress corrosion cracking mechanism of cold spray coating on a galvanically similar substrate

Here, the chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) mechanism of cold spray (CS) coating on a galvanically similar substrate is investigated. Arc welded 304L stainless steel (SS) specimens are loaded into four-point bend fixtures, cold sprayed with 304L SS, then immersed in boiling MgCl 2 . Interconnected porosity forms through crevice corrosion along CS splat boundaries, allowing corrosive species to penetrate through the CS layer. Nevertheless, the substrate is resistant to CISCC likely because of compressive stress introduced by peening during CS particle impacts. These findings underscore the importance of residual stress in the environmental degradation of CS coatings or repairs of engineering structures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Defect Recognition for Eddy Current Testing of Spent Nuclear Fuel Canister using Convolutional Neural Network

This paper proposes an accurate and robust defect detection solution for 304L and 306L stainless steel (SS) weld. In the proposed solution, Eddy current testing (ECT) is employed to generate 2-dimensional (2D) data for samples under test with defects. The 2D data can be treated as images for deep learning-based defect detection. Since convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are powerful in processing images, CNN is employed in this study for defect detection. Experiments are conducted on a submerged arc welding (SAW) 304L SS weld sample with an artificial crack generated by waterjet cutting. The ECT data on this seeded fault sample is utilized to verify the proposed solution. For this purpose, the ECT measurement are separated as from Fault area and Normal area, which are used for CNN training. After training, the testing data is used for verification. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed solution.

Niu, Guangxing↗

Fatigue and Fracture Behavior of Additively Manufactured Austenitic Stainless Steel

Additive manufacturing (AM) includes a diverse suite of innovative manufacturing processes for producing near-net shape components, typically from powder or wire feedstock. Reported mechanical properties of AM materials vary significantly depending on the details of the manufacturing process and the characteristics of the processing defects (namely, lack of fusion defects). However, an excellent combination of strength, ductility and fracture resistance can be achieved in AM type 304L and 316L austenitic stainless steels by minimizing processing defects. It is also important to recognize that localized solidification processing during AIVI produces microstructures more analogous to weld microstructures than wrought microstructures. Consequently, the mechanical behavior of AM austenitic stainless steels in harsh environments can diverge from the performance of wrought materials. This report gives an overview of the fracture and fatigue response of type 304L materials from both directed energy deposition (DED) and powder bed fusion (PBF) techniques. In particular, the mechanical performance of these materials is considered for high-pressure hydrogen applications by evaluating fatigue and fracture resistance after thermally precharging of test specimens in high-pressure gaseous hydrogen. The mechanical behaviors are considered with respect to previous reports on hydrogen-assisted fracture of austenitic stainless steel welds and the unique characteristics of the AM microstructures. Fatigue crack growth can be relatively insensitive to processing defects, displaying similar behavior as wrought materials. Fracture resistance of dense AM austenitic stainless steel, on the other hand, is more consistent with weld metal than with compositionally-similar wrought materials. Hydrogen effects in the AM materials are generally more severe than in wrought materials, but comparable to measurements on welded austenitic stainless steels in hydrogen environments. While hydrogenassisted fracture manifests differently in welded and AM austenitic stainless steel, the fracture process appears to have a common origin in the compositional microsegregation intrinsic to solidification processes.

additive manufacturing, austenitic stainless steel↗

FY23 Simulation of Elastic-Plastic Failure Propagation

This memo summarizes the simulation of ductile failure propagation work conducted under the ASC project “V&V of Ductile Failure” conducted during FY 23. Physically, the failure propagation consists of crack propagation in the material. In the numerical setting—specifically in a finite element model—propagation can be accomplished through element death when critical conditions occur locally at an element that is then deleted from the simulation. The validation of the finite element models is evaluated by direct comparison between the experimental and simulation results regarding the rate of crack growth and its influence on the load-deflection response of the specimens tested. This work considers two geometries that display stable crack propagation under displacement-controlled conditions. The first geometry consists of hat specimens loaded in compression with nominally identical geometries but made with three different materials: Steel A286, Al 7075-T651 and 304L stainless steel. The three materials represent a range of ductility values that affect the response and crack propagation within the specimen. The crack induced propagates under an essentially mode-II type of deformation. The second geometry consists of a pre-cracked 304L stainless steel compact tension test specimen loaded so as to induce a mode-I deformation at the crack.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Validation Exercise of a Coarse Finite Element Model of Laser Welds

The objective of this project is to validate low-fidelity models of 304L to 304L stainless steel partial-penetration laser welds for thin sheets. Low-fidelity means that the weld is represented by coarsely meshed element blocks. Here, the hexahedral element size is approx imately half the weld penetration depth. The material behavior of the block is represented by a J2 plasticity model with a Voce hardening function. The source of the data used in this work is an extensive experimental study conducted by Sharlotte Kramer (1528) and published in 2015. Figure 1 shows a cross-section of the weld of interest. The nominal thickness of the sheets is 0.063 in. while the target penetration depth of the weld is in the range of 0.028 to 0.032 in., extending about half the sheet thickness. Uniaxial tension tests provided data for calibration of base material and weld models. Results of two validation geometries were also provided. The principal validation geometry is shown in Fig. 2. It consists of a plate specimen with in-plane dimensions 6 in × 2.875 in loaded in tension. A circular plug with a 1.5 in. diameter was cut from the center of the plate and then welded in place. The details of the welding schedule are given. An important assumption is that the welds in the calibration and validation specimens have similar geometric and material properties as those in the validation tests. The task was to first calibrate models for the base material and the welds and then simulate the validation tests until the point of weld first failure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Ultra-High Vacuum Outgassing Characterization of Thermally Processed Low-Carbon Steel for Advanced Particle Accelerator and Gravitational Wave Detector Applications

This dissertation investigated AISI 1020 low-carbon steel as an alternative vacuum chamber material to conventional stainless steel for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and extreme-high vacuum (XHV) applications. After a 400 °C/48 h bake, AISI 1020 tube chambers achieved a hydrogen outgassing rate of 2.4 × 10¿¹6 Torr·L·s¿¹·cm¿², approximately 2,300 times lower than the prebaked 316L stainless-steel comparator, among the lowest hydrogen outgassing rates ever reported for an uncoated metallic vacuum chamber. Bare and magnetite-coated AISI 1020 chambers were then compared using throughput and rate-of-rise methods. The magnetite coating yielded 5× lower water outgassing at room temperature, but this advantage disappeared after 80 °C baking. After full thermal conditioning (400 °C/48 h prebake followed by 150 °C/96 h and 200 °C/110 h), bare steel achieved 25× lower hydrogen outgassing than the magnetite-coated chamber (9.6 × 10¿¹6 Torr·L·s¿¹·cm¿²) and >99% H2 purity with carbon species below RGA detection. Monte Carlo molecular flow simulations of a CEBAF photogun beamline (96 scenarios) showed that replacing 304L stainless steel with AISI 1020 reduces equilibrium H2 pressure by a factor of 833; a single 304L electrode contributes 98.8% of the gas load despite occupying only 9.1% of the internal surface area. A 500-m Einstein Telescope beampipe screening showed that corrugated bellows contribute 18% of the gas load from only 0.7% of the surface area. A five-model adsorption isotherm framework applied to 22 pumpdown datasets (164 fits with AR(1)-GLS correction) established that the experimental protocol, not the material, controls isotherm identifiability: Dubinin–Radushkevich wins isothermal pipe pumpdowns; Langmuir wins thermally dominated chamber bakes. Cross-dataset joint fitting of the AISI 1020 pipe pumpdowns yielded an H2 diffusion activation energy Ed = 7.24 ± 1.28 kcal·mol¿¹, consistent with trap dominated diffusion in commercial low-carbon steels. Two companion innovations were developed: a Variable Conductance Device (VCD, patent pending IDF-00723) for XHV outgassing measurement, and VacuumDesignerPro (VDP), a MATLAB-based design tool validated against LIGO benchmarks.

Al-Allaq, Aiman H [Old Dominion University]↗

Special tooling for joining tubing in place

The Saturn S-II stage and the Apollo spacecraft will include in their design and construction various pressurized tubing systems that will encounter service temperatures of 280° F to -423° F. Design engineering and reliability requirements and weight restrict ions have dictated new concepts to assure leak-tight joints for rocket engine fuel lines, pressurization systems, utility systems, and hydraulic systems. An investigation was initiated at North American Aviation, Inc., Space and Information Systems Division, utilizing the in-place automatically controlled miniaturized fusion-welding equipment originally developed by the Los Angeles Division of NAA and modified to meet the needs of Apollo and Saturn welded tubular systems. The objective was to make circumferential flanged weld joints in any position in 304L stainless for Saturn S-II and sleeve-type joints in 304L for Apollo. Inconel X, commercially pure titanium, 5052-0 aluminum, and 6061 T6 aluminum were also tested experimentally. Extensive environmental, static, and dynamic testing programs were conducted to determine the as-welded mechanical properties, design allowables, and reliability for the tube joints. This paper discusses both the experimental and production phases. Subsequently, the new tube welding process was approved and incorporated into manufacturing fabrication methods for tube joining.

Saturn S-II stage↗

Thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of porous material

Thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity of porous materials, including 304L stainless steel Rigimesh, 304L stainless steel sintered spherical powders, and OFHC sintered spherical powders at different porosities and temperatures are reported and correlated. It was found that the thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity can be related to the solid material properties and the porosity of the porous matrix regardless of the matrix structure. It was also found that the Wiedermann-Franz-Lorenz relationship is valid for the porous materials under consideration. For high conductivity materials, the Lorenz constant and the lattice component of conductivity depend on the material and are independent of the porosity. For low conductivity, the lattice component depends on the porosity as well.

Koh, J. C. Y.↗

Isothermal Calorimetric Observations of the Affect of Welding on Compatibility of Stainless Steels with High-Test Hydrogen Peroxide Propellant

Compatibility is determined by the surface area, the chemical constituency and the surface finish of a material. In this investigation exposed area is obviously not a factor as the welded samples had a slightly smaller surface than the unwelded, but were more reactive. The chemical makeup of welded CRES 316L and welded CRES 304L have been observed in the literature to change from the parent material as chromium and iron are segregated in zones. In particular, the ratio of chromium to iron in CRES 316L increased from 0.260 to 0.79 in the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the weld and to 1.52 in the weld bead itself. In CRES 304L the ratio of chromium to iron increased from 0.280 to 0.44 in the HAZ and to 0.33 in the weld bead. It is possible that the increased reactivity of the welded samples and of those welded without purge gas is due to this segregation phenomenon. Likewise the reactivity increased in keeping with the greater roughness of the welded and welded without purge gas samples. Therefore enhanced roughness may also be responsible for the increased reactivity.

Gostowski, Rudy C.↗

Preliminary Thermal Stress Analysis of a High-Pressure Cryogenic Storage Tank

The thermal stresses on a cryogenic storage tank strongly affect the condition of the tank and its ability to withstand operational stresses. These thermal stresses also affect the growth of any surface damage that might occur in the tank walls. These stresses are particularly of concern during the initial cooldown period for a new tank placed into service, and during any subsequent thermal cycles. A preliminary thermal stress analysis of a high-pressure cryogenic storage tank was performed. Stresses during normal operation were determined, as well as the transient temperature distribution. An elastic analysis was used to determine the thermal stresses in the inner wall based on the temperature data. The results of this elastic analysis indicate that the inner wall of the storage tank will experience thermal stresses of approximately 145,000 psi (1000 MPa). This stress level is well above the room-temperature yield strength of 304L stainless steel, which is about 25,000 psi (170 MPa). For this preliminary analysis, several important factors have not yet been considered. These factors include increased strength of 304L stainless steel at cryogenic temperatures, plastic material behavior, and increased strength due to strain hardening. In order to more accurately determine the thermal stresses and their affect on the tank material, further investigation is required, particularly in the area of material properties and their relationship to stress.

Baker, J. Mark↗

Elastic-Plastic Thermal Stress Analysis of a High-Pressure Cryogenic Storage Tank

The thermal stresses on a cryogenic storage tank contribute strongly to the state of stress of the tank material and its ability to withstand operational stresses. These thermal stresses also affect the growth of any surface damage that might occur in the tank walls. These stresses are particularly of concern during the initial cooldown period for a new tank placed into service, and during any subsequent thermal cycles. A previous preliminary elastic analysis showed that the thermal stress on the inner wall would reach approximately 1,000MPa (145,000 psi). This stress far exceeds the ASTM specified room temperature values for both yield (170MPa) and ultimate (485 MPa) strength for 304L stainless steel. The present analysis determines the thermal stresses using an elastic-plastic model. The commercial software application ANSYS was used to determine the transient spatial temperature profile and the associated spatial thermal stress profiles in a segment of a thick-walled vessel during a typical cooldown process. A strictly elastic analysis using standard material properties for 304L stainless steel showed that the maximum thermal stress on the inner and outer walls was approximately 960 MPa (tensile) and - 270 MPa (compressive) respectively. These values occurred early in the cooldown process, but at different times, An elastic-plastic analysis showed significantly reducing stress, as expected due to the plastic deformation of the material. The maximum stress for the inner wall was approximately 225 MPa (tensile), while the maximum stress for the outer wall was approximately - 130 MPa (compressive).

Barker, J. Mark↗

Corrosion Study Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

Corrosion is a common phenomenon. It is the destructive result of chemical reaction between a metal or metal alloy and its environment. Stainless steel tubing is used at Kennedy Space Center for various supply lines which service the orbiter. The launch pads are also made of stainless steel. The environment at the launch site has very high chloride content due to the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Also, during a launch, the exhaust products in the solid rocket boosters include concentrated hydrogen chloride. The purpose of this project was to study various alloys by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy in corrosive environments similar to the launch sites. This report includes data and analysis of the measurements for 304L, 254SMO and AL-6XN in primarily neutral 3.55% NaCl. One set of data for 304L in neutral 3.55%NaCl + 0.1N HCl is also included.

Farooq, Muhammad Umar↗

Corrosion Performance of Stainless Steels in a Simulated Launch Environment

At the Kennedy Space Center, NASA relies on stainless steel (SS) tubing to supply the gases and fluids required to launch the Space Shuttle. 300 series SS tubing has been used for decades but the highly corrosive environment at the launch pad has proven to be detrimental to these alloys. An upgrade with higher alloy content materials has become necessary in order to provide a safer and long lasting launch facility. In the effort to find the most suitable material to replace the existing AISI 304L SS ([iNS S30403) and AISI 316L SS (UNS S31603) shuttle tubing, a study involving atmospheric exposure at the corrosion test site near the launch pads and electrochemical measurements is being conducted. This paper presents the results of an investigation in which stainless steels of the 300 series, 304L, 316L, and AISI 317L SS (UNS S31703) as well as highly alloyed stainless steels 254-SMO (UNS S32154), AL-6XN (N08367) and AL29-4C ([iNS S44735) were evaluated using direct current (DC) electrochemical techniques under conditions designed to simulate those found at the Space Shuttle Launch pad. The electrochemical results were compared to the atmospheric exposure data and evaluated for their ability to predict the long-term corrosion performance of the alloys.

Calle, Luz Marina↗

Corrosion Behavior of Stainless Steels in Neutral and Acidified Sodium Chloride Solutions by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

The objective of this work was to evaluate the corrosion performance of three alloys by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and to compare the results with those obtained during a two-year atmospheric exposure study.' Three alloys: AL6XN (UNS N08367), 254SM0 (UNS S32154), and 304L (UNS S30403) were included in the study. 304L was included as a control. The alloys were tested in three electrolyte solutions which consisted of neutral 3.55% NaC1, 3.55% NaC1 in 0.lN HC1, and 3.55% NaC1 in 1.ON HC1. These conditions were expected to be less severe, similar, and more severe respectively than the conditions at NASA's Kennedy Space Center launch pads.

Calle, L. M.↗

Analysis of the laser welding keyhole using inline coherent imaging

Laser beam welding is a widely used fusion welding process in many industrial applications such as automotive, aerospace, energy, defense, and medical products. Industry has a fundamental need to model the laser welding process to minimize experimental testing and improve confidence in production welds. However, computational models attempting to predict weld formation are limited by an incomplete understanding of the beam-material interactions. As a consequence, these models do not accurately predict the mechanisms associated with laser weld formation. To improve the current state of prediction capabilities, it is vital to better detect/measure the physical aspects of the weld pool during high energy density welding. In this work, a novel real-time laser weld monitoring device using inline coherent imaging (ICI) was used to provide a fundamental understanding of laser weld formation via vaporization. The objective of this work was to investigate and quantify the relationship relating laser weld parameters and the vapor capillary (keyhole) through a state-of-the-art measurement technique. Bead-on-plate laser beam welds were produced with partial penetration on 304L stainless steel, 2205 duplex stainless steel, and Ti-6Al-4V. Keyhole monitoring was performed using a commercially available ICI system to collect keyhole penetration data in real time. These measurements were reconstructed to generate the vapor capillary shape at different welding parameters. Process parameters significantly influenced the keyhole shape and the keyhole root position relative to the process beam. Finally, the keyhole geometry showed distinct differences between the stainless steel alloys and Ti-6Al-4V.

2205↗

Mechanical rolling and annealing of wire-arc additively manufactured stainless steel plates

Thin walls of 304L stainless steel were fabricated by wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) followed by post build thermomechanical processing to modify the as built microstructure and properties. The walls were made using a high-deposition-rate robotically controlled gas-metal arc welding system and were characterized using optical microscopy and tensile tested for mechanical properties. Post processing consisted of mechanical rolling the walls to 25% and 40% strains, followed by annealing at 1050°C to demonstrate a wide range of properties. Results show that WAAM can be used to build custom sized semi-finished parts or blanks that can later be thermomechanically processed to increase strength and ductility through recrystallization of the as built microstructure, and/or processed into desired shapes with improved mechanical properties.

304L stainless steel↗