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At least 199 records · Page 11

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NASA NTRS1976

Sustained load crack growth design data for Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy tanks containing hydrazine

Sustained load crack growth data for Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy in hydrazine per MIL-P-26536 and refined hydrazine are presented. Fracture mechanics data on crack growth thresholds for heat-treated forgings, aged and unaged welds, and aged and unaged heat-affected zones are reported. Fracture mechanics design curves of crack growth threshold stress intensity versus temperature are generated from 40 to 71 C.

Lewis, J. C.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Hygrothermal aging effects on polyimide and acrylate-based adhesive materials in high-performance flat-flex cable assemblies

Flat-flex assemblies are widely used across a diverse range of technologies, including consumer electronics, automotive systems, aerospace and defense applications, and medical devices, due to their compact form factor and flexibility. However, environmental stressors like temperature and humidity are known to degrade performance over time, though the main mechanisms for degradation remain unknown. Here, in this work, we examined the aging behavior of copper/polyimide/adhesive laminate systems under varying temperature and humidity conditions, focusing on material degradation and its effects on mechanical and dielectric properties. Results show that peel strength and breakdown voltage decrease with exposure time, temperature, and humidity; spectroscopic characterization revealed that the adhesive, and not the polyimide, is the weak link in the material stack-up. The adhesive, identified as a butyl acrylate-acrylonitrile (BA-AN) copolymer, exhibited age-related spectral changes that correlated with exposure severity and duration. Hydrolysis at BA ester and AN nitrile groups was identified as the primary degradation mechanism, producing amides, acids, and alcohols. We developed a mechanistic model that connects kinetic parameters for BA-AN spectral band decay to peel strength and breakdown voltage, and implicates hydrolysis at the AN moiety, not BA, in performance decrements. Modeling predictions at ambient conditions indicate faster decline in peel strength than dielectric strength at early times, followed by plateauing of both properties at longer times. These findings provide critical insights into laminate aging mechanisms and highlight the importance of addressing BA-AN degradation to improve the long-term reliability of these systems in high-humidity environments.

organic↗

NASA NTRS1988

Dispersion strengthening of precipitation hardened Al-Cu-Mg alloys prepared by rapid solidification and mechanical alloying

Several Al-4Cu-1Mg-1.5Fe-0.75Ce alloys have been processed from either rapidly solidified or mechanically alloyed powder using various vacuum degassing parameters and consolidation techniques. Strengthening by the fine subgrains, grains, and the dispersoids individually or in combination is more effective when the alloys contain shearable precipitates; consequently, the strength of the alloys is higher in the naturally aged rather than the artificially aged condition. The strengths of the mechanically alloyed variants are greater than those produced from prealloyed powder. Properties and microstructural features of these dispersion strengthened alloys are discussed in regards to their processing histories.

Gilman, P. S.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Determining the Crosslinking and Degradation Reaction Kinetics in Photovoltaic Encapsulants Using Accelerated Aging: Preprint

Degradation of photovoltaic (PV) module encapsulant mechanical characteristics that lead to embrittlement and delamination remains a cause of failure in solar installations. A multiscale reliability model based on detailed molecular degradation reaction kinetics was previously published, connecting the encapsulant mechanical properties (elastic modulus, yield strength, and adhesion energy) to the degraded molecular structure and interfacial bond density to adjacent solar cell and glass substrates. The model, developed primarily for poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) encapsulants, remains to be experimentally validated. Determining the degradation and crosslinking kinetics of alternative encapsulants, such as polyolefin elastomer (POE) and EVA/POE/EVA composites (EPE), can further generalize the model. Importantly, the activation energy for crosslinking of fully cured PV encapsulant products from temperature or UV is presently unknown or unavailable. In this work, we subject EVA, POE, and EPE encapsulants to a set of accelerated aging conditions, varying the temperature, UV intensity, and relative humidity. We use DSC, FTIR, and Soxhlet extraction (gel content) to characterize the encapsulants' changing molecular structure. This allows for determination of the photochemical degradation and crosslinking kinetics of the encapsulants. Preliminary results show an increase in gel content (crosslinking) and a decrease in crystallinity of EVA, POE, and EPE encapsulants under hot-aerobic (90 deg C, 22% RH) and hot-anaerobic (90oC, sealed in N2 air) accelerated aging, even in the absence of UV and crosslinking initiating agents. For a least squares regression with an assumed first-order crosslinking kinetics, the crosslinking rate parameters were computed for the three encapsulants under hot-aerobic and hot-anaerobic aging conditions. FTIR analysis showed insignificant encapsulant degradation for hot-aerobic and hot-anaerobic aging, demonstrating the critical role of UV and moisture in accelerating degradation. Aging conditions with UV exposure and elevated humidity are presently in progress.

adhesion↗

DOE OSTI2025

Developing the Science Basis for Understanding Polymer Encapsulant Degradation Mechanisms: DuraMAT 2.0 Final Project Report

Polymeric encapsulants are essential materials in photovoltaic modules, protecting sensitive electronics from the environment while providing mechanical integrity to the multilayered assembly. However, these polymeric materials are susceptible to degradation processes driven by the ingress of environmental species, ultraviolet radiation, thermal stresses, and mechanical loading. In this study, we employ a combined atomistic simulation and accelerated aging experimental approach to study the molecular-scale mechanisms of encapsulant degradation. Classical molecular dynamics simulations quantify the diffusion of environmental and degradation species through the polymer matrix, producing composition-specific diffusion coefficients. Reactive simulations characterize activation energy barriers and reaction rate constants for key chemical pathways. In parallel, thermal-desorption analyses coupled with mass spectrometry monitor the emergence and concentration profiles of degradation products under controlled stressor conditions. By integrating simulation and experiment, we establish quantitative correlations between polymer composition, species diffusivity, and chemical reactivity. We anticipate that these relations and quantitative values could serve as high-fidelity inputs to reaction-diffusion models, enabling physics-informed lifetime predictions and guiding the design of more durable encapsulant materials for solar energy applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1996

Cosmic-Ray-Exposure Ages of Diogenites and the Collisional History of the HED Parent Body or Bodies

Cosmic-ray-exposure ages of meteorites provide information on the collisional history of their parent bodies and the delivery mechanism of meteorites to Earth. The exposure-age distributions of ordinary chondrites show distinct patterns for H, L, and LL types, consistent with their origin on different parent bodies. The exposure-age distributions of howardites, eucrites. and diogenites (HEDS) show a common pattern with major peaks at 22 Ma and 38 Ma This provides additional evidence for a common origin of the HED meteorites, possibly 4 Vesta, although orbital dynamics calculations showed that the delivery of meteorites from Vesta to Earth is difficult. However, the discovery of several kilometer-sized Vesta-like asteroids in the region between Vesta and the 3:1 resonance suggested that these seem more likely parent bodies of the HEDs than Vesta itself. This implies that the exposure-age clusters may represent samples of several parent bodies. Therefore, the near-absence of diogenites with ages <20 Ma might be of interest for the composition of these kilometer-sized fragments of Vesta. Here we present cosmic-ray-exposure ages of 20 diogenites, including 9 new meteorites. In addition, we calculate the probability for each peak to occur by chance, assuming a constant production rate of HED fragments.

Welten, K. C.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Buried Impact Basins and the Earliest History of Mars

The "Quasi-Circular Depressions" (QCDs) seen in MOLA data which have little or no visible appearance in image data have been interpreted as buried impact basins on Mars. These have important implications for the age of the lowland crust, what mechanisms could produce the crustal dichotomy, and the existence of crust older than the oldest observed surface units on Mars. A global survey of large QCDs using high resolution MOLA data now available has provided further details of the earliest history of Mars. The lowlands are of Early Noachian age, slightly younger than the buried highlands and definitely older than the exposed highland surface. A depopulation of large visible basins at diameters 800 to 1300 km suggests some global scale event early in martian history, maybe related to the formation of the lowlands and/or the development of Tharsis. A suggested early disappearance of the global magnetic field can be placed within a temporal sequence of formation of the very largest impact basins.

H V Frey↗

DOE OSTI2025

Effects of Minor Alloying Elements and Impurities on Long-Range Ordering in Ni-Cr-Based Alloys

There is growing concern about long-range ordered Ni2Cr phase forming during thermal aging of Ni-Cr-based alloys (e.g., 690, 625), which leads to lattice contraction, hardening, and embrittlement, possibly limiting the service life of light water reactor components. The timespan when this phase transformation occurs can vary in orders of magnitude between model and commercial alloys and is likely related to the presence of major (e.g., Fe, Mo) and minor alloying elements (e.g., Ti, Si, Nb). These minor alloying elements have been hypothesized to bind with vacancies and therefore limit diffusion. Contrarily, impurities (e.g., P, S) are believed to enhance vacancy diffusion and accelerate the Ni2Cr phase transformation because of a vacancy drag mechanism. This study implements experimental isothermal aging of model Ni-Cr binary and Ni-Cr-X ternary alloys, where X is Ti, Si, Nb, and P to help understand how each minor alloying element affects the Ni2Cr phase transformation timeline. Synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction and hardness measurements are used to quantify the evolution of the Ni2Cr phase transformation through a variety of short aging times to identify the onset of long-range order. These experimental results are compared to first principles simulations from literature to understand the mechanism by which each element impacts vacancy diffusion and the formation of the long-range ordered phase, Ni2Cr.

36 - MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS1998

Stress, Aging and Thirst

After growth during adolesence, total body water decreases progressively with aging from 65% of body weight to about 53% of body weight in the 70th decade; a majority of the loss occurs from the extracellular volume, from 42% to about 25%, respectively. Cellular volume also reaches equilibrium in the 70th decade at about 25% of body weight. Various stresses such as exercise, heat and attitude exposure, ad prior dehydration attenuate voluntary fluid intake (involuntary dehydration). Voluntary fluid intake appears to decrease with aging (involuntary dehydration in this sense aging can be considered as a stress. Kidney function and muscle mass (80% water) decrease somewhat with aging, and voluntary fluid intake (thirst) is also attenuated. Thirst is stimulated by increasing osmolality (hypernatremia) of the extracellular fluid and by decreased extracellular volume (mainly plasma volume) which act to increase intracellular fluid volume osmolality to activiate drinking. The latter decreases fluid compartment osmolality which ' It terminates drinking. However, this drinking mechanism seems to be attenuated with aging such that increasing plasma osmolality no longer stimulates fluid intake appropriately. Hypernatremia in the elderly has been associated all too frequently with greater incidence of bacterial infection and increased mortality. Involuntary dehydration can be overcome in young men by acclimation to an intermittent exercise-in-heat training program. Perhaps exercise training in the elderly would also increase voluntary fluid intake and increase muscle mass to enhance retention of water.

Greenleaf, John E.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Analyzing the Ages of South Polar Craters on the Moon: Implications for the Sources and Evolution of Surface Water Ice

Surface water ice in the permanently shadowed polar regions of the Moon has a patchy surficial distribution and is not found within all available cold-trapping areas. To date it is not well understood when the ice was delivered, which has important implications for the surficial characteristics of the ice as well as for possible delivery mechanisms. Here we present absolute model ages for 20 south polar craters that host surface water ice, providing maximum estimates of the ages of surface ice contained within these craters. We quantify the amount of available cold-trapping surface area that is occupied by water ice in order to examine the relationship between the patchiness of ice within each crater and the age of each host crater. The majority of surface ice is contained in old craters ≥∼3.1 Gyr, where the majority of cold-trapping area on the pole exists. The ice is these ancient craters is very patchy in surficial distribution, occupying <11.5% of cold-trapping surface area available in individual craters. This patchy distribution of ice in old craters is likely to be due to impact bombardment and regolith overturn within the polar regions. Interestingly, surface ice is also located within smaller craters (<15 km in diameter), whose sharp crater rim crest morphologies suggest that they may be relatively young. Ice in fresh-looking craters suggests that ice has been delivered to the lunar surface more recently, perhaps from micrometeorites or through solar wind interactions with the lunar regolith. Finally, we also analyze a group of ancient craters that does not host surface water ice, even though these craters are present-day cold traps. These specific ancient craters would not have been thermally stable for the cold-trapping of water ice before the onset of true polar wander suggested by Siegler et al. (2016). If true polar wander did occur on the Moon, then the ages of ice-bearing craters presented here set an upper limit for the age of post-true polar wander hydrogen emplacement of 4.1 ± 0.1 Gyr.

Deutsch, Ariel N.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Chronology and Petrology of Silicates From IIE Iron Meteorites: Evidence of a Complex Parent Body Evolution

IIE iron meteorites contain silicate inclusions whose characteristics suggest a parent body similar to that of H-chondrites. However, these silicates show a wide range of alteration, ranging from Netschadvo and Techado, whose inclusions are little altered. to highly differentiated silicates like-those in Kodaikanal, Weekeroo Station and Colomera, which have lost metal and sulfur and are enriched in feldspar. We find these inclusions to show varying degrees of shock alteration. Because only a limited amount of data on - isotopic ages of HE silicates were available, we made Ar-39 - Ar-40 age determinations of Watson, Techado, miles Colomera, and Sombrerete. Watson has an Ar-Ar age of 3.653 +/- 0.012 Gyr, similar to previously reported ages for Kodaikanal and Netschadvo. We suggest that the various determined radiometric ages of these three meteorites were probably reset by a common impact event. The space exposure ages for these three meteorites are also similar to each other and are considerably younger than exposure ages of other IIEs. Ar-39 - Ar-40 ages inferred for the other four meteorites analyzed are considerably older than Watson and are: Techado =4.49 +/- 0.01 Gyr, Miles =4.412 +/- 0.016 Gyr, Colomera =4.469 +/- 0.012 Gyr, and Sombrerete =4.535 +/- 0.005 Gyr. These ages are in fair agreement with previously reported Rb-Sr isochron ages for Colomera and Weekeroo Station. Although several mechanisms to form HE meteorites previously were suggested, it is not obvious that a single mechanism could produce a suite of meteorites with very different degrees of silicate differentiation and with isotopic ages that differ by >0.8 Gyr. We suggest that those IIEs with older isotopic ages are a product of partial melting and differentiation within the parent body, followed by mixing of silicate and metal while both were relatively hot. Netschadvo and Watson may have formed by this same process or by impact mixing about 4.5 Gyr ago, but their isotopic ages were subsequently reset by shock heating. Kodaikanal apparently is required to have formed more recently, in which case impact melting and differentiation seems the only viable process. We see no compelling reasons to believe that IIE silicate and metal derived from different parent bodies or that the parent body of IIEs was the same as that of H-chondrites.

Bogard, Donald D.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Supersonic Retropulsion Surface Preparation of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites for Adhesive Bonding

Surface preparation is widely recognized as a key step to producing robust and predictable bonds in a precise and reproducible manner. Standard surface preparation techniques, including grit blasting, manual abrasion, and peel ply, can lack precision and reproducibility, which can lead to variation in surface properties and subsequent bonding performance. The use of a laser to ablate composite surface resin can provide an efficient, precise, and reproducible means of preparing composite surfaces for adhesive bonding. Advantages include elimination of physical waste (i.e., grit media and sacrificial peel ply layers that ultimately require disposal), reduction in process variability due to increased precision (e.g. increased reproducibility), and automation of surface preparation, all of which improve reliability and process control. This paper describes a Nd:YAG laser surface preparation technique for composite substrates and the mechanical performance and failure modes of bonded laminates thus prepared. Additionally, bonded specimens were aged in a hot, wet environment for approximately one year and subsequently mechanically tested. The results of a one year hygrothermal aging study will be presented.

Palmieri, Frank L.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Natural aging and reversion behavior of Al-Cu-Li-Ag-Mg alloy Weldalite (tm) 049

This study was initiated to understand the natural aging and reversion behavior of Weldalite (trademark) 049 in tempers without cold work. Of particular interest are: (1) the microstructural basis for the high strength in the T4 condition; (2) an explanation of the reversion phenomenon; and (3) the effect of re-aging at room temperature after a reversion treatment. Mechanical properties were measured and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis performed at various stages of microstructural development during aging, reversion, and subsequent re-aging.

Gayle, Frank W.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Crosslink Density and Molecular Weight Effects on the Viscoelastic Response of a Glassy High-Performance Polyimide

Durability and long-term performance are among the primary concerns for the use of advanced polymer matrix composites (PMCs) in modern aerospace structural applications. For a PMC subJected to long-term exposure at elevated temperatures. the viscoelastic nature of the polymer matrix will contribute to macroscopic changes in composite stiffness, strength and fatigue life. Over time. changes in the polymer due to physical aging will have profound effects on tile viscoelastic compliance of the material, hence affecting its long-term durability. Thus, the ability to predict material performance using intrinsic properties, such as crosslink density and molecular weight, would greatly enhance the efficiency of design and development of PMCs. The objective of this paper is to discuss and present the results of an experimental study that considers the effects of crosslink density, molecular weight and temperature on the viscoelastic behavior including physical aging of an advanced polymer. Five distinct variations in crosslink density were used to evaluate the differences in mechanical performance of an advanced polyimide. The physical aging behavior was isolated by conducting sequenced, short-term isothermal creep compliance tests in tension. These tests were performed over a range of sub-glass transition temperatures. The material constants, material master curves and physical aging-related parameters were evaluated as a function of temperature crosslink density and molecular weight using time-temperature and time-aging time superposition techniques.

Nicholson, Lee M.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Thermo-mechanical deterioration and molecular degradation of 3D-printed methacrylate-based polymer in various chemical environments

The advancement of additive manufacturing (AM) has accelerated the development of stereolithographic (SLA) photo-curable resins, particularly methacrylate-based polymers, due to the ability to their high-resolution, robust mechanical properties, and suitability. However, their long-term performance in chemical environments remains poorly understood. This study investigates the extent and mechanisms of degradation on an SLA-printed methacrylate-based polymer subjected to various chemicals, including polar and non-polar solvents, as well as strongly acidic aqueous solutions over a 12-week accelerated aging period. A comprehensive analytical approach incorporating swelling kinetics, surface morphology, tensile and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry (MS) was employed to characterize chemical absorption, structural integrity, and leached products. Results reveal that degradation severity is governed by both the polarity and reactivity of the chemical environment. Notably, exposure to 6 mol L -1 HNO₃ induced the most severe deterioration, with over threefold higher swelling compared to other media, and significant reductions in tensile strength, tensile modulus, and glass transition temperature (T g ). In contrast, specimens aged in non-polar solvents (xylene and dodecane) exhibited negligible chemical interaction and retained mechanical performance. FTIR and MS analyses identified acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of ester groups as prominent degradation pathways in acidic media, while diffusion-controlled plasticization prevailed in polar solvents. Furthermore, this study provides valuable insights into the chemical stability of SLA-printed polymers and develops predictive degradation profiles that are crucial for designing durable polymer systems for advanced industrial use.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Relationship Between Filler Type, Thermomechanical Properties, and Aging of RTV Silicone Foams

Room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone foams are used in many industrial applications that require the material to perform over long time periods. However, mechanical properties tend to deteriorate when these foams age under a compressive load. The chemical aging is attributed to the presence of unreacted functional groups of the prepolymers, residues from acid, and catalytically active tin (II) species. Here, an optimized thermal treatment of an RTV foam that achieves completion of curing reactions and deactivation of reactive species is proposed. Foams that were thermally aged for three months under compressive load showed no signs of compression set, indicative of the effectiveness of the implemented post-curing approach. In addition, the effects of fillers (diatomaceous earth, fumed silica, and carbon nanofibers) on thermomechanical properties were investigated. Tensile strength, tear strength, and thermal conductivity increased when these fillers were added to the unfilled RTV formulation, with carbon nanofibers (CNFs) being the most effective filler. Rheological studies of RTV formulations indicated that 2.5 wt.% of CNFs is the upper limit that can be added to the RTV formulation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2026

Dynamic Evolution of Mass and Physical Properties of Atmospheric Organic Aerosol under Solar Irradiance

Organic aerosol (OA) particles constitute a substantial fraction of sub-micron particulate mass in the atmosphere and play a critical role in climate system. OA undergoes dynamic aging processes in the atmosphere, with photolytic aging induced by ultraviolet solar irradiance being an important yet poorly characterized mechanism. Knowledge gaps persist regarding the role of volatility transformations during photolytic aging on the OA mass decay kinetics and the evolution of climate-relevant properties, such as hygroscopicity, hindering the model evaluation of OA spatiotemporal distributions and atmospheric budgets. In this study, we conduct isothermal photolytic aging experiments on both laboratory-generated secondary organic aerosols and ambient-collected particles from urban Atlanta, utilizing a high-sensitivity Quartz Crystal Microbalance. Our results reveal that photolytic aging reduces 40–66% of the low-volatility OA mass with lifetimes ranging from 8 to 200 hours under solar irradiance, and 44–92% of the photolytic mass loss is through slow evaporation of semi- or intermediate-volatile products, kinetically limited by their volatility. We observe up to ±50% changes in OA hygroscopicity with the transformation of fresh OA to photo-recalcitrant low-volatility products, associated with changes in oxygen-to-carbon ratio and molecular weight. A kinetic model incorporating photolytic volatility transformation provides a cohesive explanation for the observed photolysis-induced changes in mass, volatility, and hygroscopicity. Our results can help constrain model representation of the dynamic evolutions of mass and climate-relevant properties during photolytic aging processes of the ambient OA, improving our understanding of OA atmospheric behavior and climate impact.

Bai, Bin↗

NASA NTRS1974

The effect of microstructure on the fracture toughness of titanium alloys

The microstructure of the alpha titanium alloy Ti-5Al-2.5Sn and the metastable beta titanium alloy Beta 3 was examined. The material was from normal and extra low interstitial grade plates which were either air-cooled or furnace-cooled from an annealing treatment. Beta 3 was studied in alpha-aged and omega-aged plates which were heat treated to similar strength levels. Tensile and plane strain fracture toughness tests were conducted at room temperature on the alpha-aged material. The microstructure and fracture mechanisms of alloys were studied using optical metallography, electron microscopy, microprobe analyses, and texture pole figures. Future experiments are described.

Vanstone, R. H.↗