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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

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

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

Constitutive modeling↗
NASA NTRS1999

Flexible composite material with phase change thermal storage

A highly flexible composite material having a flexible matrix containing a phase change thermal storage material. The composite material can be made to heat or cool the body or to act as a thermal buffer to protect the wearer from changing environmental conditions. The composite may also include an external thermal insulation layer and/or an internal thermal control layer to regulate the rate of heat exchange between the composite and the skin of the wearer. Other embodiments of the PCM composite also provide 1) a path for evaporation or direct absorption of perspiration from the skin of the wearer for improved comfort and thermal control, 2) heat conductive pathways within the material for thermal equalization, 3) surface treatments for improved absorption or rejection of heat by the material, and 4) means for quickly regenerating the thermal storage capacity for reuse of the material. Applications of the composite materials are also described which take advantage of the composite's thermal characteristics. The examples described include a diver's wet suit, ski boot liners, thermal socks, gloves and a face mask for cold weather activities, and a metabolic heating or cooling blanket useful for treating hypothermia or fever patients in a medical setting and therapeutic heating or cooling orthopedic joint supports.

Buckley, Theresa M.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Flexible composite material with phase change thermal storage

A highly flexible composite material having a flexible matrix containing a phase change thermal storage material. The composite material can be made to heat or cool the body or to act as a thermal buffer to protect the wearer from changing environmental conditions. The composite may also include an external thermal insulation layer and/or an internal thermal control layer to regulate the rate of heat exchange between the composite and the skin of the wearer. Other embodiments of the PCM composite also provide 1) a path for evaporation or direct absorption of perspiration from the skin of the wearer for improved comfort and thermal control, 2) heat conductive pathways within the material for thermal equalization, 3) surface treatments for improved absorption or rejection of heat by the material, and 4) means for quickly regenerating the thermal storage capacity for reuse of the material. Applications of the composite materials are also described which take advantage of the composite's thermal characteristics. The examples described include a diver's wet suit, ski boot liners, thermal socks, ,gloves and a face mask for cold weather activities, and a metabolic heating or cooling blanket useful for treating hypothermia or fever patients in a medical setting and therapeutic heating or cooling orthopedic joint supports.

Buckley, Theresa M.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Compositional Modifications to Alter and Suppress Laves Phases in Al x CrMoTa y Ti Alloys

The development of refractory complex concentrated alloys in the Al–Cr–Mo–Ta–Ti alloy system is reported. Alloys with modified Al and Ta concentrations are designed using CALPHAD tools and produced via arc melting and characterized in both as-cast and annealed forms. Properties of the alloys, nature of the microstructures, and phase transformation behavior are described via X-ray diffraction, microstructural characterization, microhardness, and differential scanning calorimetry. Two alloys, namely, Al 0.25 CrMoTa 0.8 Ti and Al 0.75 CrMoTa 0.8 Ti, are represented by a body-centered-cubic matrix phase after annealing, along with a secondary Cr–Ta Laves phase of the C15 and C14 polytypes, respectively. In as-cast and annealed forms, the Al 0.75 CrMoTa 0.45 Ti alloy comprises a single-bcc phase. Microhardness of the Laves phase containing alloys demonstrates susceptibility to cracking, whereas the Al 0.75 CrMoTa 0.45 Ti alloy displays high specific hardness, signs of ductility as evidenced by slip traces near indentations, and minimal scatter of hardness values.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Polymer Composite Material Screening for a Cryotank Application

Composite cryotanks will play a key role in enabling the next generation of efficient aircraft. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have the benefits of reduced weight and potentially higher structural strength compared to traditional metallic fuel tanks. A material screening study was conducted to inform material selection for liquid hydrogen (LH2) fuel storage. Three composite materials were considered because of their aerospace grade toughness, strength, and existing data to compare against. These materials were a thermoplastic low-melt polyaryletherketone (LM-PAEK)/carbon fiber (CF), thermoset/CF, and hybrid thermoset/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) veil/CF composite. Mechanical screening tests included tension, compression, in-plane shear (IPS), and tensile-tensile fatigue (TTF). Each material was tested at both a baseline (no liquid nitrogen/LN2 cycling) and 100 LN2-cycled conditions to determine the knockdown factor, if any, of each material when exposed to environmental loading effects in a cryotank. Results show minimal effects of the LN2-cycling compared against baseline values. The three materials behaved similarly in tension; however, the thermoplastic/CF had the highest IPS toughness. The hybrid thermoset/TPU/CF composite had the lowest IPS strength, compressive strength, and toughness. LN2-cycling had minimal effects on tensile-tensile fatigue performance of the thermoplastic/CF material. Mechanical data was captured to guide material down selection for future commercially viable hydrogen aircraft design.

Composites↗
DOE OSTI2024

Complete Optimization of LPBF Ni-Based Alloys Down-Selected from FY23 Candidate Materials Including, Thermodynamic Modeling, Sample Fabrication and Microstructure Characterization

The goal of the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program is to accelerate the incorporation of new materials and manufacturing technologies into advanced nuclear-related systems. Although 316H stainless steel fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) has already been identified as an alloy that could have a significant effect on various reactor technologies, many other materials and manufacturing techniques are being evaluated. Nickel-based alloys typically offer higher-temperature capabilities compared with advanced stainless steels, and previous reports looked at three Ni-based alloy categories: low-Co alloys with a potential use close to the reactor core; high-temperature, high-strength alloys; and molten salt–compatible alloys. In the first category, alloy 718 was studied in 2023, and creep testing at 600°C and 650°C revealed that the alloy exhibited great creep strength after the appropriate annealing but had low ductility. Advanced characterization was recently conducted to highlight the presence of strengthening γ' and γ" precipitates after creep testing and to show that brittle phases at grain boundaries might explain the low ductility of LPBF 718 compared with wrought 718. For the high-temperature, high-strength alloys, previously purchased powders of alloys 617, 230, and 625 were used to assess the printability of these three solution-strengthened alloys. Hot cracking could not be suppressed for alloy 617 and 230, and it was shown that these cracks, which were elongated along the build direction (BD), had a drastic effect on the ductility of alloy 230 at room temperature when specimens were machined perpendicular to the BD. On the contrary, LPBF printing of crack-free alloy 625 was achieved using similar printing parameters, and the alloy looked like a promising candidate for various reactor technologies. The fabrication of alloy 282 by LPBF, a γ'-strengthened alloy with great creep strength up to 800°C, was performed in 2023, and x-ray computed tomography (XCT) scans of the alloy before and after creep testing at 750°C were carried out to assess the effect of flaws on the alloy’s creep behavior. Correlation between the flaws’ volume fraction, creep ductility, and creep lifetime could be established, and future work on LPBF 625 will take full advantage of in situ printing data and ex situ XCT scans to accelerate the alloy qualification. Finally, single track experiments were performed on the two alloys previously identified as good molten salt–resistant, Ni-based candidates: Hastelloy N and 244. Various laser parameters were considered, and cracking was not observed for either of the two alloys. Wrought 244 offers better creep strength and molten salt compatibility than alloy 625, and future work will aim to establish the alloy LPBF processing window.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nucleation and growth of α phase in a metastable β-Titanium Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr alloy: Influence from the nano-scale, ordered-orthorhombic O" phase and α compositional evolution

We investigated the nucleation and growth of α precipitates in the presence of nano-scale, titanium-rich, ordered-orthorhombic O" precipitates formed during heating at 5 °C/min to 400 °C in a metastable β-Ti alloy, Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr. The O" precipitates are found to assist α nucleation by serving as preferential nucleation sites. In the very initial stages of its precipitation, the α phase is found to have formed via a coupled diffusional-displacive mode as titanium-rich plates. At this stage, aluminum partitions equally between the β matrix and the growing α precipitates, but slowly diffuses up-hill into the α phase during isothermal aging at 400 °C for 15 h. The interplay between such pre-formed metastable phases and α can be exploited to tailor the microstructure, by refining the α distribution, and consequently improve the mechanical properties of β-Ti alloys. Finally, our work paves the way for exploiting this cascade of metastable phases for further microstructural engineering of β-Ti alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1971

The effect of alloy composition on the mechanism of stress corrosion cracking of titanium alloys in aqueous environments

Emphasis has been placed on determining the interrelations among the composition, phase structure, deformation, and fracture properties of the alpha phase in susceptible alpha-beta alloys. The program is divided into two parts: (1) evaluation of the aqueous stress corrosion susceptibility of a series of alloys that contain various alpha-soluble elements; and (2) investigations of the metallurgical aspects of the mechanism of aqueous stress corrosion cracking.

Williams, D. N.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Sinusoidal response of composite-material plates with material damping.

A general forced-vibration analysis is presented for laminated anisotropic rectangular plates including material damping. The theory used is the laminated version of the Mindlin plate theory and includes thickness-shear flexibility and rotatory and coupling inertia. A solution is obtained by the Rayleigh-Ritz method, extended to include the energy dissipated and the work done by the excitation. The analysis is applied to prediction of the resonant frequencies and associated nodal patterns and damping ratios of the first five modes for a series of rectangular plates with free edges. The plates considered consist of unidirectional boron-fiber/epoxy composite material with respective fiber orientations of 0, 10, 30, 45, 60, and 90 deg.

Siu, C. C.↗
NASA NTRS1961

Development of Ceramic Fibers for Reinforcement in Composite Materials

Refinements of the vertical arc fiberizing apparatus resulted in its ability to fiberize very different refractory glasses having wide ranges of properties. Although the apparatus, was originally designed as a laboratory research tool for the evaluation of many compositions daily, up to one quarter pound of fibers of a single composition could be produced in an 8-hour day. Fibers up to six and a half feet long were produced with the apparatus. Studies were conducted of two methods of fiberizing refractory glasses requiring rapid freezing from the melt. The first method consisted of fiberizing droplets of molten glass passing through an annular nozzle. The second method consisted of reconstructing the annular nozzle in. the shape of a horseshoe to achieve a shorter delay in blasting a molten droplet from the tip of a rod. Both methods were judged feasible for producing fibers of glasses requiring rapid freezing. The first method would be more amenable to volume fiber production. Studies of induction heating for fiber formation did not lead to its designation as a very efficient heating method. Problems. remain to be solved, in the design of a suitable susceptor for a higher heating rate, in protecting the susceptor from oxidation with an inert gas, in contamination of the melt from a refractory crucible, and in the protective radiation shielding of the induction concentrator coil. It is not considered practical to continue studies of this heating method. In the course of this program 151 refractory glass compositions were evaluated for fiber, forming characteristics. Of the various types of materials studied, the following showed promise in producing acceptable refractory fibers: sIlica- spinel (magnesium aluminate), silica- spinel-zirconia, silica-zirconia, silica-zinc spinel, aluminum phosphate glasses, and fluoride glasses. Compositions which did not produce acceptable fibers were high zirconia materials, barium spinels, and calcium aluminates. Improvements in the. testing apparatus for single fiber tensile strength increased the precision. of tests conducted on nine fibers. The highest mean tensile strength, a value of 295,000 pounds per square inch, was obtained with R-141 fibers. Treatment of R-74 fibers with anhydrous Linde A-1100 silane finish improved its mean fiber tensile strength by 25 percent. The lapse of time after fiber formation had no measurable effect on tensile strength. A static heating test conducted with various high melting fibers indicated that Fiberfrax and R-108 underwent no significant changes in bulk volume or resiliency on exposure to 2750 degrees Fahrenheit (1510 degrees Centigrade) in an oxidizing atmosphere. For fiber-resin composition fabrication, ten fiber materials were selected on the bases of high fiber yield, fusion temperature, and type of composition. Fiberfrax, a commercial ceramic fiber, was included for comparison. A new, more effective method of removing pellets from blown fibers was developed. The de-pelletized fibers were treated with a silane finish and felted into ten-inch diameter felts prior to resin impregnation. Composites containing 30 percent by weight of CTL 91-LD phenolic resin were molded under high pressure from the impregnated felts and post-cured to achieve optimum properties. Flexural strength, flexural modules of elasticity, and punch shear strength tests were conducted on the composite specimens. The highest average flexural strength obtained was 19,958 pounds per square inch with the R-74-fiber-resin composite. This compares very favorably with the military specification of 13,000 pounds per square inch flexural strength for randomly oriented fiber reinforced composites. The highest punch shear strength (11,509 pounds per square inch) was obtained with the R-89 fiber-resin composite. The effects of anhydrous fiber finishes on composite strength were not clearly indicated. Plasma arc tests at a heat flux of 550 British Thermal Units per square foot per second on eight composite materials indicated ablation rates generally equivalent to Fiberglas-Micarta No. 259-2. The composite reinforced with R-99 fibers had an average ablation rate of 0.008 inch per second and appears quite promising on the basis of these tests. Preliminary studies for processing fibers into yarn and fabric were conducted with R-99 fibers. The use of certain organic gums aided in 2 fabricating by hand several relatively strong yarns and a crude fabric swatch. This indicated the practicality of developing techniques for processing these fibers into yarn and fabric without significant damage to the fibers.

Gates, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Guidelines for the Utilization of Composite Materials in Oxygen Storage Tanks

Space travel is inherently dangerous and, currently, quite expensive. NASA has always done everything possible to minimize the risk associated with the materials chosen for space travel applications by requiring that all materials associated with NASA programs meet the strict requirements established by NASA testing standard NASA-STD-600 1 Flammability, Odor, Offgassing, and Compatibility Requirements and Test Procedures for Materials in Environments that Support Combustion. NASA also has the need to develop lighter weight structural materials that will allow more payload weight to be carried into space. NASA is utilizing composite materials inside the orbiter to lighten the overall weight, but has not considered composite materials for oxygen tanks because of the inherent incompatibility of composite materials with atomic oxygen. This presentation will focus on how oxygen tanks can be built from composite materials. Details will be provided for the design and compatibility testing techniques that will be utilized to create a new NASA standard, NASA-HDBK-6018, which will serve as the starting point for the design of oxygen tanks made from composite materials.

Davis, Samuel E.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Damage Simulation in Composite Materials: Why It Matters and What Is Happening Currently at NASA in This Area

Use of lightweight composite materials in space and aircraft structure designs is often challenging due to high costs associated with structural certification. Of primary concern in the use of composite structures is durability and damage tolerance. This concern is due to the inherent susceptibility of composite materials to both fabrication and service induced flaws. Due to a lack of general industry accepted analysis tools applicable to composites damage simulation, a certification procedure relies almost entirely on testing. It is this reliance on testing, especially compared to structures comprised of legacy metallic materials where damage simulation tools are available, that can drive costs for using composite materials in aerospace structures. The observation that use of composites can be expensive due to testing requirements is not new and as such, research on analysis tools for simulating damage in composite structures has been occurring for several decades. A convenient approach many researchers/model-developers in this area have taken is to select a specific problem relevant to aerospace structural certification and develop a model that is accurate within that scope. Some examples are open hole tension tests, compression after impact tests, low-velocity impact, damage tolerance of an embedded flaw, and fatigue crack growth to name a few. Based on the premise that running analyses is cheaper than running tests, one motivation that many researchers in this area have is that if generally applicable and reliable damage simulation tools were available the dependence on certification testing could be lessened thereby reducing overall design cost. It is generally accepted that simulation tools if applied in this manner would still need to be thoroughly validated and that composite testing will never be completely replaced by analysis. Research and development is currently occurring at NASA to create numerical damage simulation tools applicable to damage in composites. The Advanced Composites Project (ACP) at NASA Langley has supported the development of composites damage simulation tools in a consortium of aerospace companies with a goal of reducing the certification time of a commercial aircraft by 30%. And while the scope of ACP does not include spacecraft, much of the methodology and simulation capabilities can apply to spacecraft certification in the Space Launch System and Orion programs as well. Some specific applications of composite damage simulation models in a certification program are (1) evaluation of damage during service when maintenance may be difficult or impossible, (2) a tool for early design iterations, (3) gaining insight into a particular damage process and applying this insight towards a test coupon or structural design, and (4) analysis of damage scenarios that are difficult or impossible to recreate in a test. As analysis capabilities improve, these applications and more will become realized resulting in a reduction in cost for use of composites in aerospace vehicles. NASA is engaged in this process from both research and application perspectives. In addition to the background information discussed previously, this presentation covers a look at recent research at NASA in this area and some current/potential applications in the Orion program.

McElroy, Mack↗