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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 163 records · Page 9

High capacity, air-stable, structurally isomorphous lithium alloy multilayer porous foams

The invention relates to composite multilayer lithium ion battery anodes that include a porous metal alloy foam, and a lithium ion conductor coating applied to the metal alloy foam. The metal alloy foam can include structurally isomorphous alloys of lithium and, optionally, lithium and magnesium. The lithium ion conductor coating can include ternary lithium silicate, such as, lithium orthosilicate. Lithium ions from the ternary lithium silicate may be deposited within the pores of the metal alloy foam. Optionally, the lithium ion conductor coating may include a dopant. The dopant can include one or more of magnesium, calcium, vanadium, niobium and fluorine, and mixtures and combinations thereof.

Kumta, Prashant N.↗

Microstructure and properties of additively manufactured Al–Ce–Mg alloys

Additive manufacturing of aluminum alloys is largely dominated by a near-eutectic Al-Si compositions, which are highly weldable, but have mechanical properties that are not competitive with conventional wrought Al alloys. In addition, there is a need for new Al alloys with improved high temperature properties and thermal stability for applications in the automotive and aerospace fields. In this work, we considered laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of two alloys in the Al–Ce–Mg system, designed as near-eutectic (Al–11Ce–7Mg) and hyper-eutectic (Al–15Ce–9Mg) compositions with respect to the binary L → Al + Al 11 Ce eutectic reaction. The addition of magnesium is used to promote solid solution strengthening. A custom laser scan pattern was used to reduce the formation of keyhole porosity, which was caused by excessive vaporization due to the high vapor pressure of magnesium. The microstructure and tensile mechanical properties of the alloys were characterized in the as-fabricated condition and following hot isostatic pressing. The two alloys exhibit significant variations in solidification structure morphology. These variations in non-equilibrium solidification structure were rationalized using a combination of thermodynamic and thermal modeling. Both alloys showed higher yield strength than AM Al-10Si-Mg for temperatures up to 350 °C and better strength retention at elevated temperatures than additively manufactured Scalmaloy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Metal alloy layers on substrates, methods of making same, and uses thereof

Metal alloy layers on substrates. The metal-alloy layers (e.g., lithium-metal layers, sodium-metal layers, and magnesium-metal layers) can be disposed on, for example, a solid-state electrolyte material. The metal-alloy layers can be used in, for example, solid-state batteries. A metal alloy layer can be an anode or part of an anode of a solid state battery.

Hu, Liangbing↗

Inhibited Surface Diffusion in Nanoporous Multi-Principal Element Alloy Thin Films Prepared by Vacuum Thermal Dealloying

Nanoporous structures with 3D interconnected networks are traditionally made by dealloying a binary precursor. Certain approaches for fabricating these materials have been applied to refractory multi-principal element alloys (RMPEAs), which can be suitable candidates for high-temperature applications. In this study, nanoporous refractory multi-principal element alloys (np-RMPEAs) were fabricated from magnesium-based thin films (VMoNbTaMg) that had been prepared by magnetron sputtering. Vacuum thermal dealloying (VTD), which involves sublimation of a higher vapor pressure element, is a novel technique for synthesizing nanoporous refractory elements that are prone to oxidation. When VMoNbTaMg was heated under vacuum, a nanoporous structure was created by the sublimation of the highest vapor pressure element (Mg). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling indicated significantly less ligament oxidation during VTD as compared to traditional dealloying methods. Furthermore, np-RMPEAs exhibited outstanding stability against coarsening, retaining smaller ligaments (~25 nm) at elevated temperature (700 °C) for a prolonged period (48 h).

Das Gupta, Tibra (ORCID:0000000317103025)↗

Advanced cast aluminum alloys for automotive engine application with superior high-temperature properties

A high fatigue strength aluminum alloy comprises in weight percent copper 3.0-3.5%, iron 0-1.3%, magnesium 0.24-0.35%, manganese 0-0.8%, silicon 6.5-12.0%, strontium 0-0.025%, titanium 0.05-0.2%, vanadium 0.20-0.35%, zinc 0-3.0%, zirconium 0.2-0.4%, a maximum of 0.5% other elements and balance aluminum plus impurities. The alloy defines a microstructure having an aluminum matrix with the Zr and the V in solid solution after solidification. The matrix has solid solution Zr of at least 0.16% after heat treatment and solid solution V of at least 0.20% after heat treatment, and both Cu and Mg are dissolved into the aluminum matrix during the heat treatment and subsequently precipitated during the heat treatment. A process for heat treating an Al—Si—Cu—Mg—Fe—Zn—Mn—Sr-TMs alloy comprises heat treating the alloy to produce a microstructure having a matrix with Zr and V in solid solution after solidification.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Laser-Induced Plasma as a Method for the Metallic Materials Hardness Estimation: An Alternative Approach

The application of an alternative laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) method based on transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) CO2 laser was investigated for the first time for estimating the hardness of metallic materials. The human eye-safe (TEA) CO2 laser, operating at 10.6 µm, was used for plasma generation. The LIBS spectra were recorded by employing a cost-effective CCD camera for the time-integrated and spatial resolved measurements. The cast iron and aluminum alloys samples with different hardness have been tested. The ratio between the magnesium ionic and neutral lines in LIBS spectra was applied for estimating the material hardness. In addition, the hardness of all samples included in this study was determined using the conventional method for material hardness determination, i.e. Vickers hardness test. The linear dependence of magnesium lines intensity ratio on the sample’s hardness was obtained for both kinds of materials. Profilometric measurements were used to verify that the newly-introduced method is almost nondestructive for the investigated metals. The results obtained in the present work confirmed the potential of using this original LIBS system not only for the fast elemental analysis but also for the direct estimation of the hardness of metals and alloys. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-temperature corrosion of a nickel-based alloy in a molten chloride environment – The effect of thermal and chemical purifications

There is currently an ever-increasing demand for higher process efficiencies in next generation (Gen3) concentrating solar power (CSP). Higher process efficiencies may be procured by increasing the operating temperature, and simultaneously, minimizing the degradation of materials used for construction of CSP plants (e.g., piping, thermal storage tanks, solar receivers and heat exchangers). Thus, understanding materials corrosion in the presence of molten salt mixtures used as thermal energy storage media and heat transfer fluids is indispensable for CSP development. The present paper provides insights into the effects of salt purification on the corrosion of a nickel-based alloy (Haynes 230) isothermally exposed to a stagnant chloride-based salt mixture at 800 °C. The MgCl 2 -based salt mixture was thermally dehydrated and chemically treated with (0.1 and 0.5 wt %) elemental magnesium. Results reveal the electrochemical nature of the corrosion process, and the formation of corrosion products such as oxides (MgO, MgCr 2 O 4 , and MgAl 2 O 4 ) and nitrides (CrN) on the alloy surface and in sub-surface regions. Magnesium additions enhanced the ability to resist corrosion by reducing the concentration of impurities (H 2 O, MgOH + , OH - species) and polarizing the alloy surface. The formation of nitrides in all cases studied indicates the impact of using nitrogen as a protective gas in the system. Results also reveal that a single step treatment of the salt using metallic Mg could be considered as a measure to control the salt's impurity level, e.g., if required for system control.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Role of Short-Range Order on Diffusion Coefficients in the Li–Mg Alloy

Li–Mg alloys are important because of their beneficial role in fostering uniform plating and stripping of lithium in all-solid-state batteries. The alloy Li x Mg 1–x forms a solid solution on the BCC crystal structure when the lithium content is greater than x ≈ 0.3. The activation barriers of lithium and magnesium exchanges with a vacancy, crucial for substitutional diffusion, are predicted to be exceptionally low and almost identical, with negligible dependence on the alloy composition. The equilibrium vacancy concentration at room temperature is predicted to be very low, and it also remains almost constant with no dependence on Mg content in the alloy (for x Li ≥ 0.5). Nevertheless, both experiments and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations indicate that the tracer diffusion coefficients decrease by almost an order of magnitude with the addition of Mg to the alloy. In this contribution, the crucial role that chemical short-range order plays in affecting the diffusion coefficients is studied. Chemical short-range order is found to increase the effective activation barrier for lithium and magnesium diffusion by making successive atomic hops with vacancies correlated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Micromechanical Fields Associated with Irregular Deformation Twins in Magnesium

Understanding and controlling the development of deformation twins is paramount for engineering strong and stable hexagonal close-packed (HCP) Mg alloys. Actual twins are often irregular in boundary morphology and twin crystallography, deviating from the classical picture commonly used in theory and simulation. In this work, the elastic strains and stresses around irregular twins are examined both experimentally and computationally to gain insight into how twins develop and the microstructural features that influence their development. A nanoprecession electron diffraction (N-PED) technique is used to measure the elastic strains within and around a $\left\{ {10\overline{1}2} \right\}$ tensile twin in AZ31B Mg alloy with nm scale resolution. A full-field elasto-viscoplastic fast Fourier transform (EVP-FFT) crystal plasticity model of the same sub-grain and irregular twin structure is employed to understand and interpret the measured elastic strain fields. The calculations predict spatially resolved elastic strain fields in good agreement with the measurement, as well as all the stress components and the dislocation density fields generated by the twin, which are not easily obtainable from the experiment. The model calculations find that neighboring twins, several twin thicknesses apart, have little influence on the twin-tip micromechanical fields. Furthermore, this work reveals that irregularity in the twin-tip shape has a negligible effect on the development of the elastic strains around and inside the twin. Importantly, the major contributor to these micromechanical fields is the alignment of the twinning shear direction with the twin boundary.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Method and apparatus for efficient metal distillation and related primary production process

Method and apparatus are provided for efficient metal distillation, and for related primary product process. Vertically stacked and gravity-driven evaporators and condensers are employed to distill metals, such metals having different volatilities. A multiple-effect thermal system of magnesium and other volatile metals is used to efficiently distill and separate metals from multiple metal alloys.

Powell, IV, Adam Clayton↗

USAMP Low-Cost Mg Sheet Component Development and Demonstration Project

The overarching objective of this USAMP project was to develop and demonstrate door panels made from magnesium (Mg) sheet with a cost penalty over conventional steel stampings of no more than $\$5.50$/kg saved. The technical approach integrated experiments with advanced computational tools based on Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) methods to develop new alloy chemistries and their thermomechanical processing that promise improved formability and lower forming temperatures. A penultimate task before finally forming the stampings was to incorporate actual microstructure into models that would enable formability simulations. This approach would, for the first time, account for individual magnesium grains moving in an anisotropic fashion unlike that for aluminum or steel that have isotropic properties upon which the current simulation tools are based. In separate activities, new coatings and lubricants to facilitate forming and improved corrosion protection and joining strategies, were developed to ensure that the door could be produced with stated product requirements. A technical cost model, which included parts production, assembly, and paint for a door specifically designed for Mg sheet, showed the cost penalty to be between $\$4.26$ to $\$6.60$/kg saved, which enveloped the project’s cost targets. The cost of the coated Mg sheet was identified as the key driver for the cost penalty. The mass of the Mg-intensive door was 7.9 kg, which was 54% less than the baseline steel door.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hot rolling of ZK60 magnesium sheet with isotropic tensile properties from tubing made by Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE)

In order to evaluate the viability of ShAPE processed Mg alloys as a feedstock for fabricating lightweight sheet material, tubes consisting of ShAPE-extruded Mg alloy ZK60 were flattened into plates and hot rolled at 450 °C to reductions of 37%, 68%, and 93%. The mechanical properties and microstructure of the rolled material were characterized through tensile testing and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). ZK60 specimens rolled to 68% reduction had tensile properties similar to published properties of rolled ZK60 sheets fabricated using conventional processes, and exhibited negligible tensile anisotropy referenced to the rolling direction. Additional rolling from 68% to 93% reduced the ultimate tensile stress in the rolling direction from 341.74±5.96 MPa to 260.76±22.4MPa. The yield stress and elongation to failure of the material also decreased from 292.16±1.11 MPa to 256.93±18.4 MPa and 6.95±1.94% to 3.38±0.51%, respectively, but negligible little anisotropy was observed with respect to loading direction. EBSD mapping indicated that the as-extruded ZK60 had texture rotated away from the basal direction which developed into a strong basal texture over numerous hot rolling steps. This evolution in texture has been observed after rolling for hot-rolled ZK60 fabricated through conventional extrusion processes. The initial grain structure was found to have experienced noticeable twinning from flattening the tube into plate. After hot rolling, the grain structure became more equiaxed, but the average grain diameter did not change appreciably from 5.15 ± 3.39 µm in the ShAPE extruded material, to 5.27 ± 12.44 µm in the 93% hot rolled sheet. This response to hot rolling is similar to the response of ZK60 fabricated using other methods such as Equal Channel Angular Processing (ECAP). Therefore, this work demonstrates ShAPE has the potential as an alternative method to producing feedstock for Mg alloy sheets. Modifications to the experimental procedure which could lead to improvements in observed properties are briefly discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High Entropy Rare-earth Oxide (HERO) Coatings for Refractory Alloys

The HERO coating was developed to protect refractory alloys for application in the harsh hot section of the turbine engine environment addressing ARPA-E ULTIMATE Project Topic 2: Coating Development. The effort was both innovative in its utilization of high entropy rare earth oxides as well as transformational in our approach: holistic design of a single layer thermal/environmental barrier coating (T/EBC) for refractory alloys, with an excellent coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) match to the alloy substrate, chemical compatibility with the underlying alloy, low oxidant permeability, stability in combustion environments, low thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance, and resistance to degradation by siliceous debris (calcium magnesium alumino-silicates-CMAS). The high entropy rare earth oxide approach enables two critical coating properties: tailoring CTE match to the substrate and, most significantly, substantially reduced thermal conductivity. The summation of these proposed coating capabilities goes well beyond the technical requirements specified in the ULTIMATE program objectives, and additionally is essential for a successful first stage turbine blade application.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Cast iron alloy for automotive engine applications with superior high temperature oxidation properties

A cast iron alloy is provided with a composition in weight percent (wt. %) of carbon between 2.6 to 3.4 wt. %, silicon between 2.4 to 3.2 wt. %, manganese between 0.3 to 0.6 wt. %, molybdenum between 0.4 to 1.2 wt. %, nickel between 0.6 to 1.75 wt. %, magnesium between 0.01 to 0.075 wt. %, aluminum between 1.8 to 3.5 wt. %, sulfur between 0.003 to 0.025 wt. %, zirconium between 0.001 to 0.02 wt. %, cerium between 0.001 to 0.03 wt. %, lanthanum between 0.0005 to 0.02 wt. %, and a balance of iron and unavoidable trace elements. A part formed from the cast iron alloy is also provided and the part has an Ac1 temperature equal to or greater than 895° C. and a thermo-mechanical fatigue lifetime of at least 10,000 cycles when cycled between 400° C. to 800° C. with a total cyclic strain equal to 0.001 m/m.

Godlewski, Larry Alan↗

Investigating Uranium Corrosion in Magnesium-containing Sludge Using X-ray Tomography - 20042

One of the current primary concerns within the British nuclear community is the decommissioning of legacy storage ponds in Sellafield Cumbria, where nuclear fuel cladding material (a Mg-Al alloy) resides along with fuel metallic swarf. Corrosion of the immersed metallic elements, which has been occurring over the storage period, has resulted in the formation of what is commonly known as Corroded Magnox Sludge. The behaviour of uranium metal within this particular environment and, more significantly, the identity of the corrosion products that may have formed is currently unknown. The present study attempts to shed some light on these aspects by investigating simplified surrogate systems, mimicking storage ponds. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Microstructural evolution and intermetallic formation in Zn-3Mg (wt%) powder mixture processed by high-pressure torsion

Severe plastic deformation (SPD) techniques have been used extensively over the past 40 years for producing strong metals and alloys. High-pressure torsion (HPT) is one of the most promising SPD techniques for achieving high strength through nanoscale grain refinement and phase transformation. In this research, a mixture of pure zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg) powders, Zn-3Mg (wt%), was HPT-processed under a pressure of 6 GPa for 1, 5, 10, 20, and 30 turns at room temperature to achieve a high strength biodegradable material. In order to understand the effects of pre-consolidation on the resulting microstructure and hardness, HPT processing was performed on loose powders placed in the die and also on a pre-compacted powder mixture and the resulting HPT disks were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atom probe tomography, and Vickers microhardness. In both cases, the HPT disk microstructures contained nanoscale grains, and stable and metastable strain-induced intermetallics, but an unusual softening appeared at large shear strains. Grain size, grain morphology, and the formation of different intermetallics were analyzed to explain the unusual hardness distribution, and it was found that an inverse Hall-Petch relationship between hardness and grain size exists. It is suggested that thermally-activated phenomena such as grain boundary sliding contributed to the strain-induced softening of this nano-structured biomaterial due to its low melting point. Finally, the current results are compared with those for HPT-processed cast alloys and hybrids of the same composition.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Phase-field model of deformation twin-grain boundary interactions in hexagonal systems

Here, a phase-field model for describing dynamic interactions between deformation twins and grain boundaries in a hexagonal close packed (HCP) metal is established. It is applied to simulating the coupled evolution mechanisms of grains and twins in magnesium (Mg) by probing the transmission of $\{10\bar{1}2\}$ deformation twins across grain boundaries. We analyze the effect of the strain relaxation near a grain boundary, which is related to the geometric compatibility arising from the misorientation angle between adjoining grains. Phase-field simulations demonstrate that twin transmission across a grain boundary into a neighboring grain leads to grain boundary migration towards the neighboring grain with a reduced grain boundary width. The preferred nucleation site of new twin variant in the neighboring grain is related to the elastic interaction energy distribution. These predicted transmission behaviors agree well with existing experimental observations and molecular dynamics simulations. By analyzing set of systematic phase-field simulation results, we establish a rotation-angle-related twin variant selection rule for analyzing the transmission of $\{10\bar{1}2\}$ deformation twins across grain boundaries in Mg and its alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗