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At least 37 records · Page 2

High Temperature Mechanical Characterization of Ceramic Matrix Composites

A high temperature mechanical characterization laboratory has been assembled at NASA Lewis Research Center. One contribution of this work is to test ceramic matrix composite specimens in tension in environmental extremes. Two high temperature tensile testing systems were assembled. The systems were assembled based on the performance and experience of other laboratories and meeting projected service conditions for the materials in question. The systems use frames with an electric actuator and a center screw. A PC based data acquisition and analysis system is used to collect and analyze the data. Mechanical extensometers are used to measure specimen strain. Thermocouples, placed near the specimen, are used to measure the specimen gage section temperature. The system for testing in air has a resistance element furnace with molybdenum disilicide elements and pneumatic grips with water cooling attached to hydraulic alignment devices. The system for testing in an inert gas has a graphite resistance element furnace in a chamber with rigidly mounted, water cooled, hydraulically actuated grips. Unidirectional SiC fiber reinforced reaction bonded Si3N4 and triaxially woven, two dimensional, SiC fiber reinforced enhanced SiC composites were tested in unidirectional tension. Theories for predicting the Young's modulus, modulus near the ultimate strength, first matrix cracking stress, and ultimate strength were applied and evaluated for suitability in predicting the mechanical behavior of SiC/RBSN and enhanced SiC/SiC composites. The SiC/RBSN composite exhibited pseudo tough behavior (increased area under the stress/strain curve) from 22 C to 1500 C. The rule of mixtures provides a good estimate of the Young's modulus of the SiC/RBSN composite using the constituent properties from room temperature to 1440 C for short term static tensile tests in air or nitrogen. The rule of mixtures significantly overestimates the secondary modulus near the ultimate strength. The ACK theory provides the best approximation of the first matrix cracking stress when residual stresses are ignored. The theory of Cao and Thouless, based on Weibull statistics, gave the best prediction for the composite ultimate strength. The enhanced SiC/SiC composite exhibited nonlinear stress/strain behavior from 24 C to 1370 C in air with increased ultimate strain when compared to monolithic SiC. The theory of Yang and Chou with the assumption of a frictional fiber/matrix interface provided the best estimate of the Young's modulus. The theory of Cao and Thouless gave the best estimate for the ultimate strength.

Gyekenyesi, John Z.↗

Neural network prediction of aluminum-lithium weld strengths from acoustic emission amplitude data

AE flaw growth activity was monitored in aluminum-lithium weld specimens from the onset of tensile loading to failure. Data on actual ultimate strengths together with AE data from the beginning of loading up to 25 percent of the expected ultimate strength were used to train a backpropagation neural network to predict ultimate strengths. Architecturally, the fully interconnected network consisted of an input layer for the AE amplitude data, a hidden layer to accommodate failure mechanism mapping, and an output layer for ultimate strength prediction. The trained network was then applied to the prediction of ultimate strengths in the remaining six specimens. The worst case prediction error was found to be +2.6 percent.

Hill, Eric V. K.↗

Neural Network Prediction of Aluminum-Lithium Weld Strengths from Acoustic Emission Amplitude Data

Acoustic Emission (AE) flaw growth activity was monitored in aluminum-lithium weld specimens from the onset tensile loading to failure. Data on actual ultimate strengths together with AE data from the beginning of loading up to 25 percent of the expected ultimate strength were used to train a backpropagation neural network to predict ultimate strengths. Architecturally, the fully interconnected network consisted of an input layer for the AE amplitude data, a hidden layer to accommodate failure mechanism mapping, and an output layer for ultimate strength prediction. The trained network was the applied to the prediction of ultimate strengths in the remaining six specimens. The worst case prediction error was found to be +2.6 percent.

Hill, Eric v. K.↗

Effect of Load Rate on Ultimate Tensile Strength of Ceramic Matrix Composites at Elevated Temperatures

The strengths of three continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic composites, including SiC/CAS-II, SiC/MAS-5 and SiC/SiC, were determined as a function of test rate in air at 1100 to 1200 C. All three composite materials exhibited a strong dependency of strength on test rate, similar to the behavior observed in many advanced monolithic ceramics at elevated temperatures. The application of the preloading technique as well as the prediction of life from one loading configuration (constant stress-rate) to another (constant stress loading) suggested that the overall macroscopic failure mechanism of the composites would be the one governed by a power-law type of damage evolution/accumulation, analogous to slow crack growth commonly observed in advanced monolithic ceramics. It was further found that constant stress-rate testing could be used as an alternative to life prediction test methodology even for composite materials, at least for short range of lifetimes and when ultimate strength is used as the failure criterion.

Choi, Sung R.↗

Tensile properties of titanium electrolytically charged with hydrogen

Yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation were studied for annealed titanium electrolytically charged with hydrogen. The hydrogen was present as a surface hydride layer. These tensile properties were generally lower for uncharged titanium than for titanium with a continuous surface hydride; they were greater for uncharged titanium than for titanium with an assumed discontinuous surface hydride. We suggest that the interface between titanium and titanium hydride is weak. And the hydride does not necessarily impair strength and ductility of annealed titanium. The possibility that oxygen and/or nitrogen can embrittle titanium hydride is discussed.

Smith, R. J.↗

An evaluation of GTAW-P versus GTA welding of alloy 718

Mechanical properties were evaluated to determine statistically whether the pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW-P) process produces welds in alloy 718 with room temperature structural performance equivalent to current Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) welds manufactured by the constant current GTAW-P process. Evaluations were conducted on two base metal lots, two filler metal lots, two heat input levels, and two welding processes. The material form was 0.125-inch (3.175-mm) alloy 718 sheet. Prior to welding, sheets were treated to either the ST or STA-1 condition. After welding, panels were left as welded or heat treated to the STA-1 condition, and weld beads were left intact or machined flush. Statistical analyses were performed on yield strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and high cycle fatigue (HCF) properties for all the post welded material conditions. Analyses of variance were performed on the data to determine if there were any significant effects on UTS or HCF life due to variations in base metal, filler metal, heat input level, or welding process. Statistical analyses showed that the GTAW-P process does produce welds with room temperature structural performance equivalent to current SSME welds manufactured by the GTAW process, regardless of prior material condition or post welding condition.

Gamwell, W. R.↗

Improved Warm-Working Process For An Iron-Base Alloy

Warm-working process produces predominantly unrecrystallized grain structure in forgings of iron-base alloy A286 (PWA 1052 composition). Yield strength and ultimate strength increased, and elongation and reduction of area at break decreased. Improved process used on forgings up to 10 in. thick and weighing up to 900 lb.

Cone, Fred P.↗

Thermostructural Properties Of Sic/Sic Panels With 2.5d And 3d Fiber Architectures

CMC hot-section components in advanced engines for power and propulsion will typically require high cracking strength, high ultimate strength and strain, high creep- rupture resistance, and high thermal conductivity in all directions. In the past, NASA has demonstrated fabrication of a variety of SiC/SiC flat panels and round tubes with various 2D fiber architectures using the high-modulus high-performance Sylramic-iBN Sic fiber and Sic-based matrices derived by CVI, MI, and/or PIP processes. The thermo- mechanical properties of these CMC have shown state-of-the-art performance, but primarily in the in-plane directions. Currently NASA is extending the thermostructural capability of these SiC/SiC systems in the thru-thickness direction by using various 2.5D and 3D fiber architectures. NASA is also using specially designed fabrication steps to optimize the properties of the BN-based interphase and Sic-based matrices. In this study, Sylramic-iBN/SiC panels with 2D plain weave, 2.5D satin weave, 2.5D ply-to-ply interlock weave, and 3D angle interlock fiber architectures, all woven at AITI, were fabricated using matrix densification routes previously established between NASA and GEPSC for CVI-MI processes and between NASA and Starfire-Systems for PIP processes. Introduction of the 2.5 D fiber architecture along with an improved matrix process was found to increase inter-laminar tensile strength from 1.5 -2 to 3 - 4 ksi and thru-thickness thermal conductivity from 15-20 to 30-35 BTU/ft.hr.F with minimal reduction in in-plane strength and creep-rupture properties. Such improvements should reduce thermal stresses and increase the thermostructural operating envelope for SiC/SiC engine components. These results are analyzed to offer general guidelines for selecting fiber architectures and constituent processes for high-performance SiC/SiC engine components.

Yun, H. M.↗

Mechanical Tensile Testing of Hiperco 50A at Cryogenic Temperature

Hiperco 50A is a highly desired material for use in cryogenic applications, specifically for adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators (ADRs) due to its magnetic field shielding capabilities. Although the alloy has good strength, there is a concern with the material's brittle behavior which is believed to worsen at low temperature based on previous tests. The testing described here investigates the mechanical properties of Hiperco 50A at cryogenic temperature through mechanical tensile testing to failure and evaluation of the failed coupons. The methods and techniques used to determine the elongation, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and break strength of the material as well as the results will be presented here.

material properties↗

An investigation into geometry and microstructural effects upon the ultimate tensile strengths of butt welds

A mathematical theory was evaluated empirically. This theory predicts weld ultimate tensile strength based on material properties and fusion line angles, mismatch, peaking, and weld widths. Welds were made on 1/4 and 1/2 in. aluminum 2219-T87, their geometries were measured, they were tensile tested, and these results were compared to theoretical predictions. Statistical analysis of results was performed to evaluate correlation of theory to results for many different categories of weld geometries.

Gordon, Stephen S.↗

Theoretical Model of the Effect of Crack Tip Blunting on the Ultimate Tensile Strength of Welds in 2219-T87 Aluminum

A theoretical model representing blunting of a crack tip radius through diffusion of vacancies is presented. The model serves as the basis for a computer program which calculates changes, due to successive weld heat passes, in the ultimate tensile strength of 2219-T81 aluminum. In order for the model to yield changes of the same order in the ultimate tensile strength as that observed experimentally, a crack tip radius of the order of .001 microns is required. Such sharp cracks could arise in the fusion zone of a weld from shrinkage cavities or decohered phase boundaries between dendrites and the eutectic phase, or, possibly, from plastic deformation due to thermal stresses encountered during the welding process. Microstructural observations up to X2000 (resolution of about .1 micron) did not, in the fusion zone, show structural details which changed significantly under the influence of a heat pass, with the exception of possible small changes in the configuration of the interdendritic eutectic and in porosity build-up in the remelt zone.

Beil, R. J.↗

Bearing Tests of Magnesium-alloy Sheet

Bearing tests of AM-3S, AM-52S, and AM-C57S magnesium-alloy sheet in various thicknesses and tempers were made. Bearing yield and ultimate strengths were determined and compared for various edge distances and for various ratios of loading-pin diameter to sheet thickness. Tensile strengths were determined and ratios of average bearing yield and ultimate strength to tensile strength are given. The results of the tests indicated that ultimate bearing strengths increased with edge distances up to 1.5 to 2 times the diameter of the loading pin; that ultimate bearing strengths are a function of the ratio of pin diameter to sheet thickness; and that these properties are effected only slightly by increases in edge distance greater than 1.5 diameters.

Sharp, W H↗

Damage Initiation and Ultimate Tensile Strength of Scaled [0 deg n/90 deg n/0 deg n]sub T Graphite-Epoxy Coupons

Previous research on scaling effects in composite materials has demonstrated that the stress levels at first ply failure and ultimate failure of composite laminates are dependent on the size of the laminate. In particular, the thickness dimension has been shown to be the most influential parameter in strength scaling of composite coupons loaded in tension. Geometrically and constitutively scaled laminates exhibit decreasing strength with increasing specimen size, and the magnitude of the strength-size effect is a function of both material properties and laminate stacking sequence. Some of the commonly used failure criteria for composite materials such as maximum stress, maximum strain, and tensor polynomial (e.g., Tsai-Wu) cannot account for the strength-size effect. In this paper, three concepts are developed and evaluated for incorporating size dependency into failure criteria for composite materials. An experimental program of limited scope was performed to determine the first ply failure stress in scaled cross-ply laminates loaded in tension. Test specimens were fabricated of AS-4/3502 graphite-epoxy composite material with laminate stacking sequences of [0 deg n/90 deg n/o deg n]subT where n=1-6. Two experimental techniques were used to determine first ply failure, defined as a transverse matrix crack in the 90 deg ply: (1) step loading with dye penetrant x-ray of the specimen at each load interval, and (2) acoustic emission. The best correlation between first ply failure analysis and experimental data was obtained using a modified Weibull approach which incorporated the residual thermal stress and the outer ply constraint, as well as the ply thickness effect. Finally, a second set of experiments was performed to determine the tensile response and ultimate failure of the scaled cross-ply laminates. The results of these experiments indicated no influence of specimen size on tensile response or ultimate strength.

Jackson, Karen E.↗

Experimental and analytical investigation of the fracture processes of boron/aluminum laminates containing notches

Experimental results for five laminate orientations of boron/aluminum composites containing either circular holes or crack-like slits are presented. Specimen stress-strain behavior, stress at first fiber failure, and ultimate strength were determined. Radiographs were used to monitor the fracture process. The specimens were analyzed with a three-dimensional elastic-elastic finite-element model. The first fiber failures in notched specimens with laminate orientation occurred at or very near the specimen ultimate strength. For notched unidirectional specimens, the first fiber failure occurred at approximately one-half of the specimen ultimate strength. Acoustic emission events correlated with fiber breaks in unidirectional composites, but did not for other laminates. Circular holes and crack-like slits of the same characteristic length were found to produce approximately the same strength reduction. The predicted stress-strain responses and stress at first fiber failure compared very well with test data for laminates containing 0 deg fibers.

Johnson, W. S.↗

Analysis and Tests of Reinforced Carbon-Epoxy/Foam-Core Sandwich Panels with Cutouts

The results of a study of a low-cost structurally efficient minimum-gage shear-panel design that can be used in light helicopters are presented. The shear-panel design is based on an integrally stiffened syntactic-foam stabilized-skin with an all-bias-ply tape construction for stabilized-skin concept with an all-bias-ply tape construction for the skins. This sandwich concept is an economical way to increase the panel bending stiffness weight penalty. The panels considered in the study were designed to be buckling resistant up to 100 lbs/in. of shear load and to have an ultimate strength of 300 lbs/in. The panel concept uses unidirectional carbon-epoxy tape on a syntactic adhesive as a stiffener that is co-cured with the skin and is an effective concept for improving panel buckling strength. The panel concept also uses pultruded carbon-epoxy rods embedded in a syntactic adhesive and over-wrapped with a bias-ply carbon-epoxy tape to form a reinforcing beam which is an effective method for redistributing load around rectangular cutout. The buckling strength of the reinforced panels is 83 to 90 percent of the predicted buckling strength based on a linear buckling analysis. The maximum experimental deflection exceeds the maximum deflection predicted by a nonlinear analysis by approximately one panel thickness. The failure strength of the reinforced panels was two and a half to seven times of the buckling strength. This efficient shear-panel design concept exceeds the required ultimate strength requirement of 300 lbs/in by more than 100 percent.

Baker, Donald J.↗

High-temperature strength stability of three forms of chemically vapor deposited tungsten

Three types of CVD tungsten (fluoride-produced, chloride-produced, and a layered composite of the two-termed duplex) were evaluated to determine their high-temperature strength and microstructural stability following 5000-hr exposure to temperatures of 1540 and 1700 C. At the highest temperatures investigated (1540 and 1700 C), the tensile strengths of the two basic materials were essentially equal. At lower temperatures, chloride tungsten possessed lower yield strength but higher ultimate strength than fluoride tungsten while the behavior of the duplex material was generally intermediate. Apparent anomalies in high-temperature elongation behavior are explained on the basis of grain boundary cavity formation and recrystallization. The grain size of fluoride tungsten changed only slightly following 5000-h treatment at 1700 C. In contrast, chloride tungsten possessed both poor resistance to grain growth and an accompanying relatively high ductile-brittle transition temperature.

Bryant, W. A.↗

Metal matrix composite micromechanics - In situ behavior influence on composite properties

The influence of in situ fiber and matrix properties (such as in situ matrix strength and the interphase degradation) of high-temperature metal matrix composites (HTMMCs) on the unidirectional stress-strain behavior of the composite is examined using results of a numerical investigation of a SiC/Ti-15-3-3-3 unidirectional composite. It is shown that a reduction of the in situ matrix strength substantially decreases the transverse and the longitudinal tensile/compressive strengths, as well as the in-plane shear strength, of the composite. The interphase degradation affects the behavior in transverse tension/compression drastically; both the ultimate strength and strain showed significant reductions. The higher use temperature results in a reduction in the ultimate strength and in the initial tangential modulus for compression and for in-plane shear loading.

Murthy, P. L. N.↗

Criteria for selecting resin matrices for improved composite strength

Criteria are presented which can be used a priori to select matrices to yield composites with improved unidirectional strength. The criteria evolved from an investigation including both theoretical and experimental efforts. Composite micromechanics were used in conjunction with suitable experiments and reference data to identify those matrix properties which influence composite strength properties. Composites of graphite fibers and low, intermediate and high-modulus resins were investigated. It was found that the area under the matrix stress/strain diagram limited to one percent strain is a good index for an a priori assessment of the matrix contribution to composite strength. The corresponding initial modulus is a useful parameter in translating matrix properties to composite properties. Matrix properties such as ultimate strength, ultimate elongation, toughness, and fracture toughness are misleading in translating matrix properties to composite strength.

Chamis, C. C.↗