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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 1,603 records · Page 89
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Evaluation of the Role of Metallic Matrix on Environmentally Assisted Embrittlement of Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) Using High Si Steel

The objective of this work stems from the environmentally assisted embrittlement suffered by austempered ductile iron (ADI) when its surface is submerged in water. This phenomenon leads to a drop in elongation and ultimate tensile strength of about 75% and 10%, respectively, while the 0.2% offset strain stress remains unaffected. Heat-treating a high Si steel, an ausferritic matrix similar to that present in the ADI under study is obtained, yielding giving a very good combination of tensile strength and elongation. In this manner, it was possible to examine the influence of the metallic matrix such as that present in ADI, though without nodules and cell boundaries, also called last to freeze zones (LTF). Tensile test evaluations on ADI and steel samples under dry and wet conditions were carried out. Additionally, a very specific test, introducing surface cracks, was conducted with the purpose of expanding the current knowledge on this particular kind of fracture. Earlier investigations on ADI have suggested that the process of embrittlement starts in a surface crack generated at the early stages of plastic deformation in LTF zones, which results from the solidification process, where pores, inclusions and unreacted austenite are present. In this manner, water penetrates and weakens the material strength, making the crack grow very fast and leading to an instantaneous samples failure. The main results obtained in this work include the confirmation of the deleterious effect of the LTF zones in the embrittlement process and the fracture surface analysis showing characteristic features of this kind of failure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Tribological Behavior of Solid-State Processed Al-1100/GNP Surface Nanocomposites

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were infused onto aluminum alloy (Al-1100) surface by a solid-state processing technique to form surface nanocomposites which enrich the mechanical and tribological properties of the aluminum (Al) surface. Electrical resistance heating which locally softens the Al surface, followed by hot pressing, mechanically impregnates and embeds GNPs onto the Al substrate. It was observed that the GNPs mainly occupy the grain boundaries in the matrix during subsequent solidification which leads to strengthening of the matrix through various mechanisms. A detailed tribological study was carried out, and it was found that the wear rate and coefficient of friction decreases by > 85%. Least wear depth in nanoscratch testing was obtained at processing parameters 2200 A and 0.5 s, which could be identified as the optimum current/time combination. The microhardness and Young’s modulus results also show an improvement > 200%, corroborating the tribological studies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effect of Ni Addition to Sn0.7Cu Solder Alloy on Thermal Behavior, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties

The addition of Ni on lead-free solder alloys Sn0.7Cu was tested in this study. A small amount of Ni was added to the solder alloys to evaluate the thermal behavior, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the composite solders after sintering and isothermal aging for 3 days and then compared with the results of the binary Sn0.7Cu solder. The results indicated that the ultimate tensile strength and yield tensile strength changed when adding 0.25 wt.% of Ni. The tested results of the differential scanning calorimeter showed that the addition of Ni (such as 0.5 and 1 wt.%) could obviously increase the solidification temperature of Sn0.7Cu alloys in the cooling process. When the Ni content was increased to 0.25 wt.% in the ternary condition, which includes the Sn0.7Cu-xNi (x = 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 wt.%) solder alloys for the indentation creep test, the minimum creep rate reached the maximum; however, the trend was reversed as the Ni content was higher than this level. In addition, the microstructure of Sn-0.7Cu-xNi solder alloys was obviously different with the eutectic Sn-0.7Cu solder, such that the Ni gradually accumulated in the (Cu, Ni){sub 6}Sn{sub 5} IMCs within the Ni-containing solder alloys. Additionally, this process refined the microstructure of the Sn-0.7Cu solder. The fracture surface of the eutectic Sn-0.7Cu solder revealed ductile fracture modes; however, there was no mixed ductile–brittle fracture mode occurred when the Ni content was in the range of 0-1 wt.%.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Processing, As-Cast Microstructure and Wear Characteristics of a Monotectic Al-Bi-Cu Alloy

Ternary Al-based monotectic alloys have a good combination of wear resistance and mechanical strength. While self-lubricating soft elements guarantee an adequate wear resistance, the modification with third elements can increase the ability to support load. In the present investigation, a collection of microstructures is generated through transient directional solidification of the Al-3.2wt.%Bi-3.0wt.%Cu alloy. Samples with different Bi spacing have been subjected to micro-adhesive wear ball tests. A relationship linking the wear volume, V, the microstructural spacing and the test time is proposed for Bi spacing higher than 16 μm, according to which V decreases with the decrease in Bi spacing. It is observed that wider and deeper grooves emerged on the surface of the samples related to more refined Bi and Al{sub 2}Cu phases, that is, associated with Bi spacing and Bi diameter lower than 16 and 2.4 μm, respectively. A reverse trend is noted for these finer microstructures, for which V increases with further decrease in Bi spacing. This can be caused by the detachment of the very fine and less cohesive Al{sub 2}Cu lamellas as the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} oxide breaks up forming debris, with the presence of these lamellas as loose debris at the interface acting as third-body abrasives.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effect of Grain Refining on Properties of a Cast Superaustenitic Stainless Steel

The goal of this study was to evaluate the industrial performance of cast high-alloy superaustenitic 19Cr-17Ni-6Mo stainless steel by refining the as-cast structure. A grain-refined, as-cast structure was achieved by the in situ inoculation with titanium nitrides (TiN) co-precipitated on previously formed spinel (MgAl{sub 2}O{sub 4}) inclusions, thus promoting heterogeneous nucleation of austenite during solidification. A homogenization heat treatment of the casting did not provide significant changes of the as-cast grain macrostructure in either the base or grain-refined steels. However, it was found that a combination of inoculation with heat treatment is an effective way of reducing interdendritic segregation. The industrial performance which includes the mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and machinability was evaluated in the heat-treated condition for both base and inoculated steels. Tensile testing revealed improvements in ultimate tensile strength, ductility, and yield strength of the inoculated steel. The room-temperature impact properties exhibited a slight decrease in average impact energy but showed reduced variability in the inoculated steel compared to the base steel. The machining results showed that the inoculated steel had a slight improvement in machinability. The inoculated steel exhibited a lower corrosion rate but showed an increase in mass loss due to pitting. The changes in steel performance were linked to microstructure and nonmetallic inclusion families obtained by automated ASPEX SEM/EDX analysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Effect of Brazing on Microstructure of Honeycomb Liner Material Hastelloy X

Labyrinth seals with abradable metallic honeycomb structures are common in gas turbines to ensure a tight sealing between rotor and stator. These seals have a big impact on the turbine efficiency. The honeycombs made from nickel-based superalloys are brazed onto backing segments in order to form liners. In this work, the microstructure of Hastelloy X honeycombs after brazing with a nickel-chromium-silicon braze filler alloy is investigated. It was found that the braze filler can wet the honeycomb foils over their entire height up to the contact surface with the rotor. After solidification, the braze filler alloy forms γ and silicides (NiSi and Ni{sub y}(Mo, Cr){sub x}Si). The intermetallic silicides give high hardness to the honeycomb liners. Between the braze filler alloy and the honeycomb foils, interdiffusion zones are observed. For the rub-in behavior of the honeycomb liners, not only the foil material but also the comportment of the composite made up of the foil material, the braze filler material and the interdiffusion zones has to be considered.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Experimental Investigation and Numerical Study on the Elimination of Porosity in Aluminum Alloy Laser Welding and Laser–GMA Welding

Keyhole-induced porosity can strongly weaken the joint strength during aluminum alloy laser welding. Two factors are proposed to be responsible for the porosity formation: bubble formation caused by the instability of the keyhole and bubble captured by the solidification interface. Based on numerical and experimental results, the porosity is suppressed with preheating, due to the capillary stability of the keyhole and easy escape of bubble. N{sub 2} shielding gas has a minor effect on keyhole stability, but it reduces the porosity number as N{sub 2} bubble can dissolve into the liquid aluminum alloy melt pool quickly. The laser–gas metal arc (laser–GMA) welding process can stabilize the metallic plume and enlarge the weld pool. As a result, few spatters and bubbles are formed, and bubbles are easily escaped, both of which contribute to the suppression of porosity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of As-Cast γ-TiAl Alloys with Different Cooling Rates

γ-TiAl alloys composed of Ti-45Al-5Nb-1W-1B (at.%) solidified at three different cooling rates by vacuum electromagnetic induction melting under a controlled degree of vacuum of under 2 Pa. The influence of the cooling rate on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the γ-TiAl alloy samples was investigated. A relatively large temperature gradient at the beginning of solidification led to a thin fine-grained layer around the graphite mold, and undercooling had two main effects: (a) promoting nucleation in the grain-refining surface layer and (b) promoting the growth of columnar crystals beneath the surface. Moreover, all prepared ingots of this alloy could be clearly divided into Regions S, M and C from the surface to the core. The colony size of Region M was larger than those of the other two regions due to composition segregation and the growth of columnar grains. The existence of tungsten led to micro-inhomogeneity, and the mechanical properties of the alloy changed according to concentration fluctuations. The degrees of homogeneity were expressed as H{sub 0.1} and H{sub 0.2}. The alloy with the highest values, which possesses the best mechanical properties, solidified at a relatively low cooling rate. The deformation mechanism is also discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Microstructure and Work Hardening Behavior of Micro-plasma Arc Welded AISI 316L Sheet Joint

The aim of this research is to investigate the microstructural changes and work hardening behavior of AISI 316L 0.5-mm-thick sheet due to micro-plasma arc welding. AISI 316L similar sheets were welded in single-pass square butt joint configuration. The microstructure in the fusion zone typically contains a variety of complex δ-ferrite-austenitic structure, which significantly increased hardness value compared to the base material because of rapid solidification of the weld pool. Systematic tensile test was performed to investigate strain rate sensitivity of the welded joint under quasi-static loading conditions. The multistage work hardening behavior was determined by Kocks–Mecking (K–M) model and differential Crussard–Jaoul analysis. In both the cases, stage III work hardening behavior and stage IV work hardening behavior were observed. The stress–strain curves of welded specimen at different strain rates were analyzed in terms of Hollomon, Ludwik and Swift equations to determine work hardening exponent values. The welded joints were ruptured in the transition zone of heat affected and fusion zones. The fractographic observation exhibited variation in dimple and void density over strain rate from 0.0001 to 0.0015 s{sup −1}.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Application of Canned Deformation to a Hard-Deformed Spray-Deposited Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy

A wide variety of industrial applications require Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys with high strength and ductility. However, Zn-rich Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys prepared by rapid solidification methods usually show excellent strength but poor formability, which restricts their wide application in complex forming. In this study, we developed a new deformation method for the spray-deposited Zn-rich Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy to avoid crack formation and achieve isotropic properties. The microstructure evolution and crystallographic textures were analyzed and compared with the results of a normal deformation process. Crack-free forgings with the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS) and elongation of 727 ± 5 MPa, 690 ± 3 MPa, 5.0 ± 0.7% along the radial direction and 735 ± 2 MPa, 693 ± 3 MPa, 6.3 ± 0.2% along the tangential direction were finally obtained. The improvement in the mechanical properties can be attributed to the larger amount of subgrains and substructures generated in the canned deformed alloy. The results of this study show excellent advantages and potential application prospects of the canned deformation to hard-deformed Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Interaction of Strain Refined Precipitates and Recrystallized Grains in Nb-Ti Microalloyed Steel during Continuous Casting, Hot-Core Heavy Reduction Rolling, and Reheating Process

Hot-core heavy reduction rolling (HHR{sup 2}) is an energy-saving process that directly rolls continuously cast slabs at the end of solidification that have a large temperature gradient. Here, we elucidated the interaction of strain refined precipitates and recrystallized grains in Nb-Ti microalloyed steel during continuous casting, hot-core heavy reduction rolling, and reheating process. Furthermore, theoretical models were established to calculate recrystallization driving force and pinning force at temperatures in the range of 850-1300 °C by a two-stage interrupted compression test using a Gleeble-3800 thermomechanical simulator. The study indicated that a random dispersion of strain refined precipitates with a size range of ~ 6-10 nm was obtained in the hot-core heavy reduction rolled slab, which was different from the coarse and uneven distribution of precipitates in a conventional slab. Upon reheating, the austenite grains in the hot-core heavy reduction rolled slab were significantly refined and evenly distributed along the thickness direction. This is attributed to the random dispersion of strain refined precipitates formed in the HHR{sup 2} process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Effects of Transition Layer on Bending Resistance in Copper-Clad Aluminum Composite Casting

The performance of the transition layer in a Cu/Al composite casting directly affects the quality of subsequent plastic deformation processing; however, there are no universal or standardized measurement indices for the performance of the transition layer. In this study, Cu/Al composite castings were prepared using the pouring aluminum method, and the resulting solidification microstructures on the bending resistance were investigated. The results of this study lay a theoretical foundation for the development of the plastic processing technologies of these composite castings. A thinner transition layer in the Cu/Al composite casting led to improved bending resistance. In addition, for a fixed total thickness of the transition layer, the bending resistance was mainly controlled by the γ/β interface and β + eutectic (α + β) microstructure, and the thickness of the γ phase had a negligible effect on the bending resistance. The γ/β interface cracked first when the transition layer bore the tensile and shear stress during the bending process, which resulted in the transition layer easily separating from the copper. The bending resistance of the transition layer can be feasibly judged by measuring the bending angle of the specimen tip, which can be easily performed when the specimen bends toward the aluminum direction, suggesting that our proposed method has considerable practical significance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Improved Electrochemical Performance of Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation Coating on Titanium in Simulated Body Fluid

The effect of plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) pre-treatments on corrosion behavior of titanium in simulated body fluid (SBF) is investigated. Three pre-treatments are compared, using silicate, calcium phosphate and mixed silicate and calcium phosphate (1:1) electrolytes, respectively. The resultant coatings in different compositions and morphologies were examined by high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive spectrometer and x-ray diffraction. The PEO-treated specimens revealed distribution of coating species, mainly the titanium-rich inner coating region. However, findings show highly localized variations in composition within their crystalline structures, due to the melting and rapid solidification of the coating material in three different electrolytes. Corrosion behavior of the coatings was also examined in SBF at 37 °C by potentiodynamic polarization, revealing an improvement in corrosion resistance for mixed electrolyte compared to silicate and calcium phosphate electrolytes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

High-Resolution Electron Microscopy and Kinetic Studies of Precipitation Hardening Reactions in Cast Al-5.8Zn-2.2Mg-2.5Cu

Precipitation age hardening (T6) response of Al-5.8Zn-2.2Mg-2.5Cu alloy in near-net-shaped cast condition was investigated. Cast samples were manufactured using the controlled diffusion solidification (CDS) technology combined with a metallic mold tilt pour gravity casting process. This study was conducted using (1) non-isothermal aging during differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments and (2) isothermal aging during which transient bulk and micro-hardness measurements taken at four aging temperatures of 343, 393, 433 and 473 K. A detailed microstructural investigation combined with a quantitative image analysis was carried out on both DSC and hardness specimens using high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) elemental mappings. Hardness measurements were analyzed using a kinetic modeling approach (single state variable combined with a kinetic equation that is valid for the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys). The results confirm the formation of hardening phases of GP zone, intermediate hardening metastable phase η′ and equilibrium phase η. The results of calorimetric measurements, electron microscopy and selected area diffraction patterns are in good agreement and confirm transient precipitation/dissolution sequences. A mean value of activation energy Q{sub A} of 75 kJ/mol was evaluated for combined bulk diffusion rate of alloying elements during precipitation of strengthening phases within Al matrix.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Dissimilar Joining of Pure Aluminum to SiC{sub p}/Al-MMCs Using an AlMgGaLi Active Interlayer Foil

To broaden the application of advanced metal matrix composites in the electronic packaging industry, a lead-free AlMgGaLi interlayer was developed for active soldering of aluminum to aluminum metal matrix composites. The effect of joining pressure on the microstructure evolution, interfacial wettability and mechanical properties of the dissimilar joints was investigated. The experimental results indicated that as the joining pressure increased, the mean thickness of the bond seam was 46.02 μm, and solidification of a solid solution occurred (detected by SEM/XRD analysis). The composition of the Al-based solid solution (in atom%) was 86.52% Al, 9.32% Mg, 2.56% O, 1.5% Ga and 0.1% Si. The pressure improved the interfacial wettability by enhancing the atom diffusion between the interlayer and parent materials. The joint shear strength initially increased and then decreased, and a sound joint with a maximum shear strength of ~ 45 MPa was produced at 450 °C and 0.75 MPa. The fracture crack initially occurred at the interfaces of the Al/filler metal and then propagated mainly along the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer on the Al side. A novel model describing the pressure-induced microstructure changes within the joint and the formation of an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} diffusion barrier layer at the Al/filler metal interface is proposed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Effect of Weld Metal Composition on Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Dissimilar Welds Between Monel 400 and Inconel 600

The current work was carried out to characterize welding of Inconel 600 superalloy and Monel 400. In the present study, gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) with four types of filler metals (ENiCu, ENiCu-7, ENiCr-3 and ENiCrFe-3) was utilized. The filler metals were categorized into two groups based on the presence of Cr and Nb in their chemical composition. This paper describes the selection and application of welding consumables in manufacturing dissimilar metal combinations. It was found that (Nb/Cr) ratio and Fe content can affect on the size and amount of carbides. During solidification of ENiCr-3 and ENiCrFe-3 filler metals, Nb leaves dendritic cores and is rejected to inter-dendritic regions because of its high tendency for segregation. However, No brittle Laves phase was detected in the welds. The interface between weld metal and base metal and gradual changes in alloying elements were also investigated by scanning electron microscopy. EDX analysis was also applied for different samples. Microhardness measurements and tensile test were performed on the joints. The average hardness value in the weld metal obtained from ENiCrFe-3 is higher than the other welds. ENiCu-7 weld exhibited the highest tensile strength of 540 MPa and percent elongation of 53% in contrast to ENiCrFe-3 weld with the lowest tensile strength (518 MPa) and percent elongation (39%).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Computational Investigation of Melt Pool Process Dynamics and Pore Formation in Laser Powder Bed Fusion

In the laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process, the presence of porosity may result in cracks and significantly affects the part performance. A comprehensive understanding of the melt pool process dynamics and porosity evolution can help to improve build quality. In this study, a novel multi-physics computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model has been applied to investigate the fluid dynamics in melt pools and resultant pore defects. To accurately capture the melting and solidification process, major process physics, such as the surface tension, evaporation as well as laser multi-reflection, have been considered in the model. A discrete element method is utilized to model the generation of powder spreading upon build plate by additional numerical simulations. Multiple single track experiments have been performed to obtain the melt pool shape and cross-sectional dimension information. The predicted melt pool dimensions were found to have a reasonable agreement with experimental measurements, e.g., the errors are in the range of 1.3 to 10.6% for melt pool width, while they are between 1.4 and 15.9% for melt depth. Pores are captured by both CFD simulation and x-ray computed tomography measurement for the case with a laser power of 350 W and laser speed of 100 mm/s. The formation of keyholes maybe related to the melt pool front wall angle, and it is found that the front wall angle increases with the increase in laser line energy density. In addition, a larger laser power or smaller scanning speed can help to generate keyhole-induced pores; they also contribute to produce larger sized pores.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Long-Term Creep Behavior of a CoCrFeNi Medium-Entropy Alloy

We report that current research shows that high-entropy alloys (HEAs) can offer superior oxidation resistance compared to more traditional austenitic stainless steels with equivalent tensile mechanical performance. While many reports have been published on creep of CoCrFeNiMn, few focus on the CoCrFeNi family of low to medium entropy alloys. In this manuscript, uniaxial tensile creep test results for more than 46,000 accumulated hours are presented on the equiatomic CoCrFeNi alloy. The alloy was manufactured at NETL using a vacuum induction melt solidification approach with a computationally designed homogenization cycle. After completing the homogenization cycle, the ingot was first hot forged and then hot rolled into 10 mm thick plate, a product form that is relevant to many industries. Creep tests were performed in the temperature range of 600-650 °C using applied stresses from 120 to 189 MPa. This study builds upon previous results on the CoCrFeNiMn family of high-entropy alloys and offers a modicum of clarification about performance compared to small button melts by using ASTM standard test procedures and mechanical test specimens. The apparent creep activation energy and creep stress exponent were similar to those for CoCrFe medium-entropy and CoCrFeNiMn high-entropy alloys. The post-test creep microstructure showed some Cr segregation, which has also been noted for other CoCrFe alloys. The CoCrFeNi alloy also presents a double minimum or two minimum creep rate phenomena.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗