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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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120 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Microstructure of Neutron-Irradiated Al 3 Hf-Al Thermal Neutron Absorber Materials

A thermal neutron-absorbing metal matrix composite (MMC) comprised of Al 3 Hf particles in an aluminum matrix was developed to filter out thermal neutrons and create a fast flux environment for material testing in a mixed-spectrum nuclear reactor. Intermetallic Al 3 Hf particles capture thermal neutrons and are embedded in a highly conductive aluminum matrix that provides conductive cooling of the heat generated due to thermal neutron capture by the hafnium. These Al 3 Hf-Al MMCs were fabricated using powder metallurgy via hot pressing. The specimens were neutron-irradiated to between 1.12 and 5.38 dpa and temperatures ranging from 286 °C to 400 °C. The post-irradiation examination included microstructure characterization using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. This study reports the microstructural observations of four irradiated samples and one unirradiated control sample. All the samples showed the presence of oxide at the particle–matrix interface. The irradiated specimens revealed needle-like structures that extended from the surface of the Al 3 Hf particles into the Al matrix. An automated segmentation tool was implemented based on a YOLO11 computer vision-based approach to identify dislocation lines and loops in TEM images of the irradiated Al-Al 3 Hf MMCs. This work provides insight into the microstructural stability of Al 3 Hf-Al MMCs under irradiation, supporting their consideration as a novel neutron absorber that enables advanced spectral tailoring.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1989

Arcjet cathode phenomena

Cathode tips made from a number of different materials were tested in a modular arcjet thruster in order to examine cathode phenomena. Periodic disassembly and examination, along with the data collected during testing, indicated that all of the tungsten-based materials behaved similarly despite the fact that in one of these samples the percentage of thorium oxide was doubled and another was 25 percent rhenium. The mass loss rate from a 2 percent thoriated rhenium cathode was found to be an order of magnitude greater than that observed using 2 percent thoriated tungsten. Detailed analysis of one of these cathode tips showed that the molten crater contained pure tungsten to a depth of about 150 microns. Problems with thermal stress cracking were encountered in the testing of a hafnium carbide tip. Post test analysis showed that the active area of the tip had chemically reacted with the propellant. A 100 hour continuous test was run at about 1 kW. Post test analysis revealed no dendrite formation, such as observed in a 30 kW arcjet lifetest, near the cathode crater. The cathodes from both this test and a previously run 1000 hour cycled test displayed nearly identical arc craters. Data and calculations indicate that the mass losses observed in testing can be explained by evaporation.

Curran, Francis M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Arcjet Cathode Phenomena

Cathode tips made from a number of different materials were tested in a modular arcjet thruster in order to examine cathode phenomena. Periodic disassembly and examination, along with the data collected during testing, indicated that all of the tungsten-based materials behaved similarly despite the fact that in one of these samples the percentage of thorium oxide was doubled and another was 25 percent rhenium. The mass loss rate from a 2 percent thoriated rhenium cathode was found to be an order of magnitude greater than that observed using 2 percent thoriated tungsten. Detailed analysis of one of these cathode tips showed that the molten crater contained pure tungsten to a depth of about 150 microns. Problems with thermal stress cracking were encountered in the testing of a hafnium carbide tip. Post test analysis showed that the active area of the tip had chemically reacted with the propellant. A 100 hour continuous test was run at about 1 kW. Post test analysis revealed no dendrite formation, such as observed in a 30 kW arcjet lifetest, near the cathode crater. The cathodes from both this test and a previously run 1000 hour cycled test displayed nearly identical arc craters. Data and calculations indicate that the mass losses observed in testing can be explained by evaporation.

Curran, Francis M.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Evaluation of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics for Propulsion Application

Ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) materials consisting of zirconium diboride or hafnium diboride plus silicon carbide offer a combination of properties that make them candidates for airframe leading edges on sharp-bodied reentry vehicles. These UHTC perform well in the environment for such applications, i.e. low pressure air. The purpose of this study was to examine three of these materials under conditions more representative of a propulsion environment, i.e. higher oxygen and total pressure. Results of stren$h and fracture toughness measurements, furnace oxidation, and thermal shock exposures are presented. The poor oxidation resistance of UHTCs is the predominant factor limiting their applicability to propulsion.

Levine, Stanley R.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Unlocking AlN Piezoelectric Performance with Earth‐Abundant Dopants

Abstract The increasing demand for high‐performance piezoelectric materials and toxicity and thermal stability issues of the widely used lead zirconate titanates (PZT) have spurred a search for better alternatives in electronic devices. In comparison to PZT, group III nitrides such as aluminum nitride (AlN), are only weakly piezoelectric, but doping AlN with scandium (Sc) improves the piezoelectric response by nearly 500%. Relative to PZT, doped‐AlN piezoelectric materials are advantageous because they are far more compatible with complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) materials, and they maintain both piezoelectric and thermodynamic stability up to very high temperatures. Unfortunately, rare‐earth metals are notoriously expensive, and fabricating stable films with rare‐earth dopants is also challenging, limiting their use in industrial applications. In this work, ab initio calculations are combined with targeted fabrication and experimentation to identify alternative earth‐abundant dopants for AlN from the periodic table d‐block. Amongst the 23 elements screened, it is found that group IVB metals, titanium, zirconium, and hafnium induce large piezoelectric enhancements comparable to Sc. This improvement is traced to shifts in the atomic sublattice structure and changes in the local charge states. In demonstrating a highly accessible and affordable path for technological adaptation of AlN‐based piezoelectrics, this work provides the foundation for sustainable, next‐generation electronics.

Startt, Jacob↗
NASA NTRS2001

Evaluation of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics for Aeropropulsion Use

Among the ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTC) are a group of materials consisting of zirconium diboride or hafnium diboride plus silicon carbide, and in some instances, carbon. These materials offer a good combination of properties that make them candidates for airframe leading edges on sharp-bodied reentry vehicles. These UHTC perform well in the environment for such applications, i.e., air at low pressure. The purpose of this study was to examine three of these materials under conditions more representative of a propulsion environment, i.e., higher oxygen partial pressure and total pressure. Results of strength and fracture toughness measurements, furnace oxidation and high velocity thermal shock exposures are presented for ZrB2 plus 20 volume % SiC, ZrB2 plus 14 volume % SiC plus 30 volume % C, and SCS-9a SiC fiber reinforced ZrB2 plus 20 volume % SiC. The poor oxidation resistance of UHTCs is the predominant factor limiting their applicability to propulsion applications.

Levine, Stanley R.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Arc Jet Testing of Hafnium Diboride Based Ultra High Temperature Ceramics

Hafnium Diboride (HFB,) based materials have shown promise for use in a number of high temperature aerospace applications, including rocket nozzles and as leading edges on hypersonic reentry vehicles. The stability of the materials in relevant environments is key to determining their suitability for a particular application. In this program we have been developing HfB2/SiC materials for use as sharp leading edges. The program as a whole included processing and characterization of the HfBJSiC materials. The specific work discussed here will focus on studies of the materials oxidation behavior in simulated reentry environments through arc jet testing. Four flat face models were tested to examine the influence of heat flux and stagnation pressure on the materials oxidation behavior. The results from arc jet testing of two HfB2/SiC cone models will also be discussed. Each cone model was run multiple times with gradually increasing heat fluxes. Total run times on a single cone model exceeded 80 minutes. For both the flat face and cone models surface temperatures well in excess of 2200 C were measured. Post test microstructural examination of the models and correlations with measured temperatures will be discussed.

Ellerby, Don↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evaluating Use of Boron- and Hafnium-Modified Polysilazanes for Ceramic Matrix Minicomposites

In this study, the potential of polymer-derived Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) is demonstrated by addition of thin ceramic coatings on Carbon Fiber (CF) bundles. Boron- and hafnium- modified polysilazane liquid precursors were synthesized and used to infiltrate the fiber bundles of CF to fabricate lab-scale Si(B)CN/CF and Si(Hf)CN/CF CMC mini-composites, respectively. The precursor-to-ceramic conversion process was achieved at 800°C with crosslinked precursor to ceramic yield of approx. 90% in Ar environment. The Si(B)CN/CF contained Si-N and B-N bonds, while Si-N and Hf-O-Si bonds were observed for Si(Hf)CN/CF sample with uniform and dense surfaces. Room-temperature tensile tests showed that the Si(Hf)CN/CF sample could reach a tensile strength of ~790 MPa and elastic modulus of 66.88 GPa among the composites. Oxidation study of the Si(Hf)CN/CF mini-composites showed higher stability compared to SiCN/CF and Si(B)CN/CF mini-composites up to 1500°C.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mechanistically Guided Materials Chemistry: Synthesis of Ternary Nitrides, CaZrN 2 and CaHfN 2

Recent computational studies have predicted many new ternary nitrides, revealing synthetic opportunities in this underexplored phase space. However, synthesizing new ternary nitrides is difficult, in part because intermediate and product phases often have high cohesive energies that inhibit diffusion. Here, we report the synthesis of two new phases, calcium zirconium nitride (CaZrN 2 ) and calcium hafnium nitride (CaHfN 2 ), by solid state metathesis reactions between Ca 3 N2 and MCl 4 (M = Zr, Hf). Although the reaction nominally proceeds to the target phases in a 1:1 ratio of the precursors via Ca 3 N 2 + MCl4 → CaMN 2 + 2 CaCl 2 , reactions prepared this way result in Ca-poor materials (Ca x M 2–x N2, x < 1). A small excess of Ca 3 N 2 (ca. 20 mol %) is needed to yield stoichiometric CaMN 2 , as confirmed by high-resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction. In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies reveal that nominally stoichiometric reactions produce Zr 3+ intermediates early in the reaction pathway, and the excess Ca 3 N 2 is needed to reoxidize Zr 3+ intermediates back to the Zr 4+ oxidation state of CaZrN 2 . Analysis of computationally derived chemical potential diagrams rationalizes this synthetic approach and its contrast from the synthesis of MgZrN 2 . These findings additionally highlight the utility of in situ diffraction studies and computational thermochemistry to provide mechanistic guidance for synthesis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1993

Small rocket research and technology

Small chemical rockets are used on nearly all space missions. The small rocket program provides propulsion technology for civil and government space systems. Small rocket concepts are developed for systems which encompass reaction control for launch and orbit transfer systems, as well as on-board propulsion for large space systems and earth orbit and planetary spacecraft. Major roles for on-board propulsion include apogee kick, delta-V, de-orbit, drag makeup, final insertions, north-south stationkeeping, orbit change/trim, perigee kick, and reboost. The program encompasses efforts on earth-storable, space storable, and cryogenic propellants. The earth-storable propellants include nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) as an oxidizer with monomethylhydrazine (MMH) or anhydrous hydrazine (AH) as fuels. The space storable propellants include liquid oxygen (LOX) as an oxidizer with hydrazine or hydrocarbons such as liquid methane, ethane, and ethanol as fuels. Cryogenic propellants are LOX or gaseous oxygen (GOX) as oxidizers and liquid or gaseous hydrogen as fuels. Improved performance and lifetime for small chemical rockets are sought through the development of new predictive tools to understand the combustion and flow physics, the introduction of high temperature materials to eliminate fuel film cooling and its associated combustion inefficiency, and improved component designs to optimize performance. Improved predictive technology is sought through the comparison of both local and global predictions with experimental data. Results indicate that modeling of the injector and combustion process in small rockets needs improvement. High temperature materials require the development of fabrication processes, a durability data base in both laboratory and rocket environments, and basic engineering property data such as strength, creep, fatigue, and work hardening properties at both room and elevated temperature. Promising materials under development include iridium-coated rhenium and a ceramic composite of mixed hafnium carbide and tantalum carbide reinforced with graphite fibers.

Schneider, Steven↗
NASA NTRS2007

Ultrahigh-Temperature Ceramics

Ultrahigh temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are a class of materials that include the diborides of metals such as hafnium and zirconium. The materials are of interest to NASA for their potential utility as sharp leading edges for hypersonic vehicles. Such an application requires that the materials be capable of operating at temperatures, often in excess of 2,000 C. UHTCs are highly refractory and have high thermal conductivity, an advantage for this application. UHTCs are potentially applicable for other high-temperature processing applications, such as crucibles for molten-metal processing and high-temperature electrodes. UHTCs were first studied in the 1960 s by the U.S. Air Force. NASA s Ames Research Center concentrated on developing materials in the HfB2/SiC family for a leading-edge application. The work focused on developing a process to make uniform monolithic (2-phase) materials, and on the testing and design of these materials. Figure 1 shows arc-jet models made from UHTC materials fabricated at Ames. Figure 2 shows a cone being tested in the arc-jet. Other variations of these materials being investigated elsewhere include zirconium based materials and fiber-reinforced composites. Current UHTC work at Ames covers four broad topics: monoliths, coatings, composites, and processing. The goals include improving the fracture toughness, thermal conductivity and oxidation resistance of monolithic UHTCs and developing oxidation-resistant UHTC coatings for thermal-protection-system substrates through novel coating methods. As part of this effort, researchers are exploring compositions and processing changes that have yielded improvements in properties. Computational materials science and nanotechnology are being explored as approaches to reduce materials development time and improve and tailor properties.

Johnson, Sylvia M.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Ultra-High-Temperature Ceramics Evaluated for Aeropropulsion Use

Ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTC) are a group of materials consisting of zirconium diboride (ZrB2) or hafnium diboride (HfB2) plus silicon carbide (SiC), and in some instances, carbon (C). They offer a combination of properties that make them candidates for airframe leading edges on sharp-bodied reentry vehicles. These UHTCs perform well in the environment for such applications (i.e., air at low pressures). The purpose of this study at the NASA Glenn Research Center was to examine three of these materials under conditions more representative of a propulsion environment: that is, higher oxygen partial pressure and total pressure. Relatively long, multiple-exposure cycles were emphasized. We completed an in-house study of ZrB2 plus 20 vol% SiC (abbreviated as ZS), ZrB2 plus 14 vol% SiC and 30 vol% C (ZSC), and SCS-9a SiC fiber-reinforced ZrB2 plus 20 vol% SiC (ZSS). HfB2-based compositions were not included in the study because of their high cost. The capability of UHTC for propulsion applications must be compared with that of mature, available, and commercially used ceramics such as silicon nitride (e.g., AS-800) to put things in proper perspective. In terms of mechanical properties, UHTCs fall short in terms of strength and fracture toughness. At about 1300 C, the creep resistance of ZS appears to be superior to the creep resistance reported for AS-800. However, the stress rupture life for Si3N4 under stress and temperature conditions similar to those used in this study is measured in hundreds of hours. Because of oxidation, ZS could not achieve such lives. In terms of oxidation resistance, acceptable amounts of material recession in 1 hour to thousands of hours, depending on the specific propulsion application, are on the order of 100 to 300 mm. This converts to an acceptable range of parabolic recession rate constants kp" of approximately less than or equal to 10(exp -1) to 10(exp -2) square millimeters per hour for a 1-hr application. For a 100-hr application, an acceptable range of kp" would be less than or equal to those values divided by 100. For the more oxidation resistant ZS material, measured parabolic recession rate constants were 4.7 x 10(exp -3) millimeters per hour at 1327 C, 7.8 x 10(exp -2) square millimeters per hour at 1627 C, and 1.3 millimeters per hour at 1927 C. Thus, recession rate constants for ZS are acceptable at 1327 C for a 1-hr application, but here silicon nitride is a superior material. At 1627 C, ZS oxidation is marginal for a 1-hr application, but dimensional growth would be an issue. In a 100-hr application, ZS cannot be considered at any temperature. Our cursory examination of thermal shock, both from a theoretical and experimental viewpoint, indicated that the ZS and ZSC UHTCs are inferior to AS-800 silicon nitride. On the basis of this limited study, UHTCs are not ready to be considered as aeropropulsion materials for any applications longer than a few minutes. Current materials suffer from aggressive oxidation and moisture attack (Quynhgiao Nguyen, NASA Glenn, and Raymond C. Robinson, QSS Group, Inc., Cleveland, OH, 2002, private communication), and they are susceptible to thermal shock. For long-term propulsion applications, major improvements in environmental durability are needed. Work is in progress to improve the oxidation resistance of UHTC materials.

Levine, Stanley R.↗