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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 361 records · Page 20
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2018

The 105-Month Swift-BAT All-Sky Hard X-Ray Survey

We present a catalog of hard X-ray sources detected in the first 105 months of observations with the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) coded-mask imager on board the Swift observatory. The 105-month Swift-BAT survey is a uniform hard X-ray all-sky survey with a sensitivity of 8.40 x 10(exp -12) erg s(exp -1) cm(exp -2) over 90% of the sky and 7.24 x 10(exp -12) erg s(exp -1) cm(exp -2) over 50% of the sky in the 14-195 keV band. The Swift-BAT 105-month catalog provides 1632 (422 new detections) hard X-ray sources in the 14-195 keV band above the 4.8 sigma significance level. Adding to the previously known hard X-ray sources, 34% (144/422) of the new detections are identified as Seyfert active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in nearby galaxies (z < 0.2). The majority of the remaining identified sources are X-ray binaries (7%, 31) and blazars/BL Lac objects (10%, 43). As part of this new edition of the Swift-BAT catalog, we release eight-channel spectra and monthly sampled light curves for each object in the online journal and at the Swift-BAT 105-month website.

Oh, Kyuseok↗
NASA NTRS2019

Hardness and Microstructure of Binary and Ternary Nitinol Compounds

The hardness and microstructure of twenty-six binary and ternary Nitinol compounds (Ni-Ti, Ni-Ti- Ta, Ni-Ti-Hf, and Ni-Ti-Zr) were studied. A small (50g) button of each compound was produced by vacuum arc melting (VAM). Each alloy was homogenized in vacuum for 48 hr followed by furnace cooling. Specimens from the buttons were then heat treated at 800, 900, 1000 or 1100 °C for 2 hr followed by water quenching. The hardness and microstructure of each specimen was compared to the baseline (55-Nitinol, 55 at.% Ni – 45 at.% Ti, after heat treatment at 900 °C). The results show that sixteen of the studied compounds had higher hardness values than the baseline material with relatively low levels of secondary phase precipitation. Moreover, five of these compounds had hardness values greater than or equal to approximately 660HV (≈58HRC) with essentially no property-degrading precipitation phases.

Stanford, Malcolm K.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The NEP Hard X-ray Survey with ART-XC

We will report the status of the Astronomical Roentgen Telescope X-ray Concentrator (ART-XC) survey in the North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) region. ART-XC is a hard X-ray instrument onboard the Spectrum Röntgen Gamma (SRG) mission, the observations of the ecliptic pole regions have reached exceptional depth thanks to the survey design of overlapping exposure in these regions over the course of the SRG's all-sky survey mission. The unique area-depth combination of the ART-XC NEP survey probes a population of hard X-ray selected sources yet to be explored by existing hard X-ray instruments. We will report the hard X-ray source catalog detected using the ART-XC data in the NEP region, and the multiwavelength data for the ART-XC sources, including results from the Palomar Observatory optical follow-up campaign.

Chien-Ting Chen↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mechanical Characterization of Fe-Co-2V (Hiperco): Fatigue/Monotonic Testing Hardness Testing and Fractography

Fe-Co-2V is a popular metallic alloy used in electromagnetic applications. However, there is a lack of mechanical fatigue characterization of this alloy in the literature. In this work, Fe-Co-2V specimens with rectangular cross-sections were carefully prepared in accordance with standards. They were measured for surface roughness and then subjected to quasi-static monotonic testing, as well as fatigue testing at both 0.5 Hz and 1 Hz frequencies. Both Rockwell hardness and Vickers micro- hardness testing were performed. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy imaging of the fractured surfaces was done. The quasi-static testing revealed a flat yield region characteristic of Laders bands. Here, the fatigue results did not show significant differences or sensitivity to change in frequency, although the fatigue life was higher on average for the 0.5 Hz. However, the fatigue results differed from published work at 0.33 Hz. The fractography revealed purely brittle fracture, with clear chevron marks and fracture initiation always starting at the surface. Lastly, it was identified that the C, D, and F Rockwell hardness scales were appropriate for testing this material and that the grain size necessitated the use of the upper end of indentation force for Vickers micro-hardness testing.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

INSIGHT INTO ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS AND HOST GALAXY CO-EVOLUTION FROM HARD X-RAY EMISSION

We study the issue of active galactic nucleus (AGN) and host co-evolution by focusing on the correlation between the hard X-ray emission from central AGNs and the stellar populations of the host galaxies. Focusing on galaxies with strong H{alpha} line emission (EW(H{alpha}) > 5 A), both X-ray and optical spectral analyses are performed on 67 (partially) obscured AGNs that are selected from the XMM-Newton 2XMMi/SDSS-DR7 catalog originally cross-matched by Pineau et al. The sample allows us to study central AGN activity and host galaxy activity directly and simultaneously in individual objects. Combining the spectral analysis in both bands reveals that the older the stellar population of the host galaxy, the harder the X-ray emission will be, which was missed in our previous study where ROSAT hardness ratios were used. By excluding the contamination from host galaxies and from jet beaming emission, the correlation indicates that Compton cooling in the accretion disk corona decreases with the mean age of the stellar population. We argue that this correlation is related to the correlation of L/L{sub Edd} with the host stellar population. In addition, the [O I]/H{alpha} and [S II]/H{alpha} narrow-line ratios are identified to correlate with the spectral slope in hard X-rays, which can be inferred from the currently proposed evolution of the X-ray emission because of the confirmed tight correlations between the two line ratios and stellar population age.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A SUZAKU DISCOVERY OF A SLOWLY VARYING HARD X-RAY CONTINUUM FROM THE TYPE I SEYFERT GALAXY NGC 3516

The bright type I Seyfert galaxy NGC 3516 was observed by Suzaku twice, in 2005 October 12-15 and 2009 October 28-November 2, for a gross time coverage of 242 and 544 ks and a net exposure of 134 and 255 ks, respectively. The 2-10 keV luminosity was 2.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 41} erg s{sup -1} in 2005 and 1.6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 41} erg s{sup -1} in 2009. The 1.4-1.7 keV and 1.7-10 keV count rates both exhibited peak-to-peak variations of a factor of {approx}2 in 2005 and {approx}4 in 2009. In both observations, the 15-45 keV count rate was less variable. The 2-10 keV spectrum in 2005 was significantly more convex than that in 2009. Through a count-count plot technique, the 2-45 keV signals in both sets of data were successfully decomposed in a model-independent way into two distinct broadband components. One is a variable emission with a featureless spectral shape, and the other is a non-varying hard component accompanied by a prominent Fe-K emission line at 6.33 keV (6.40 keV in the rest frame). The former was successfully fitted by an absorbed power-law model, while the latter requires a new hard continuum in addition to a reflection component from distant materials. The spectral and variability differences between the two observations are mainly attributed to long-term changes of this new hard continuum, which was stable on timescales of several hundreds of kiloseconds.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

INTEGRAL SPI observations of Cygnus X-1 in the soft state: What about the jet contribution in hard X-rays?

During the first 7 yr of the INTEGRAL mission (2003-2009), Cyg X-1 has essentially been detected in its hard state (HS), with some incursions in intermediate HSs. This long, spectrally stable period allowed in particular the measurement of the polarization of the high-energy component that has long been observed above 200 keV in this peculiar object. This result strongly suggests that here we see the contribution of the jet, known to emit a strong synchrotron radio emission. In 2010 June, Cyg X-1 underwent a completed transition toward a soft state (SS). It gave us the unique opportunity to study in detail the corona emission in this spectral state, and to investigate in particular the behavior of the jet contribution. Indeed, during the SS, the hard X-ray emission decreases drastically, with its maximum energy shifted toward lower energy and its flux divided by a factor of ∼5-10. Interestingly, the radio emission follows a similar drop, supporting the correlation between the jet emission and the hard component, even though the flux is too low to quantify the polarization characteristics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Thermal Simulation Analysis of Microstructure and Hardness for CrMoV with PWHT in Type IV Region

Welded components of CrMoV steam pipe exhibit a pernicious form of type IV cracking after long-term service at elevated temperature. To investigate the cracking mechanism, the type IV microstructure and hardness were characterized after thermal simulation of post-weld heat treatment. Below 1098 K (825 °C), loss of carbon from the pearlite region was apparent, and the work zone exhibited a slightly lower hardness than the parent material because of a minor amount of austenite transformation. In addition, for peak temperatures above 1133 K (860 °C), additional transformation into austenite occurred and was followed by retransformation into ferrite upon further increasing the temperature. The pearlite formed at 1173 K to 1223 K (900 °C to 950 °C) resulted in an increase of the volume fraction of pearlite and microstructural refinement, which yielded a remarkable increase of hardness in the work zone. For the peak temperature of 1573 K (1300 °C), previous austenite grains were coarsened and alloy carbides were dissolved in the austenite, which significantly hardened the work zone.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Study of Microstructure Evolution During Creep of 9Cr-1Mo Steel Using Ultrasonic and Hardness Measurements

In this work, microstructural changes during creep of 9Cr-1Mo steel were characterized using ultrasonic and hardness measurements. The creep testing of this steel was firstly performed at 873 K under the initial stresses of 160 and 175 MPa, respectively. Then, eight specimens under each stress level were prepared by the interrupted tests to simulate various creep states. Subsequently, two parameters of ultrasonic attenuation and velocity were introduced by the ultrasonic testing. Experiment results showed that regardless of the stresses, the ultrasonic attenuation experiences a peak at about 20% of the creep rupture time and a minimum value at about 50%, showing a strong correlation between ultrasonic attenuation and the creep life fraction. In addition to a slight increase during the primary creep, the ultrasonic velocity exhibits a significant change during the tertiary creep. Based on the analysis of microstructure changes, it indicated that the ultrasonic attenuation is significantly sensitive to the dynamic changes of the dislocation. In contrast, the velocity is mainly related to the evolution of precipitates. The Vickers hardness decreases monotonously during the creep process and presents a linear relation with the inverse of average diameter of M{sub 23}C{sub 6} carbides during the secondary and tertiary creep. Accordingly, it suggested that the present ultrasonic and hardness measurements provided a convenient tool to evaluate the microstructure evolution during creep degradation of heat-resistant steels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Extremely hard amorphous-crystalline hybrid steel surface produced by deformation induced cementite amorphization

Amorphous and nanograined (NG) steels are two categories of strong steels. However, over the past decade, their application has been hindered by their limited plasticity, the addition of expensive alloying elements, and processing challenges associated with producing bulk materials. Here in this work, we report that the surface of a carburized Fe-Mn-Si martensitic steel with extremely low elemental alloying additions can be economically fabricated into an amorphous-nanocrystalline hybrid structure. Atom probe tomography and nanobeam diffraction of a hard turned steel surface together with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal that the original cementite surface structure experiences a size-dependent amorphization and phase transformation during heavy plastic deformation. MD simulations further show that the martensite-cementite interface serves as a nucleation site for cementite amorphization, and that cementite can become disordered if further strained when the cementite particles are relatively small. These graded structures exhibit a surface hardness of ~16.2 GPa, which exceeds the value of ~8.8 GPa for the original nanocrystalline martensitic steel and most nanocrystalline steels reported before. Finally, this practical and cost-efficient approach for producing a hard surface with retained bulk ductility and toughness can provide expanded opportunities for producing an amorphous-crystalline hybrid structure in steels and other alloy systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Rapid discovery of high hardness multi-principal-element alloys using a generative adversarial network model

Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) continue to gain research prominence due to their promising high-temperature microstructural and mechanical properties. Recently, machine learning (ML) and materials informatics have been used extensively for screening MPEAs, however, most of these efforts were focused on constructing classification and regression models for predicting phase stability and mechanical properties of known compositions. These approaches may accelerate the screening process but optimizing new compositions with desirable properties within a practical time frame from an infinitely large design space of MPEA systems remains a grand challenge. To tackle this composition optimization challenge, a generative adversarial network coupled with a neural-network ML model was utilized to design MPEAs by filtering compositions that have high hardness. Even in a high-dimensional space with 18 elements as descriptors, the ML model was able to generate optimized compositions from which one composition was found to have 10% higher hardness (941 HV) than the maximum in the training data (857 HV). Density-functional theory was used to provide thermodynamic and electronic insights to higher hardness of the new MPEA found. The present work can optimize compositions from a wide design space of 18 elements (including W, Ta and Nb) that presents an opportunity to synthesize new compositions for applications ranging from corrosion-resistant alloys to nuclear materials. Here the findings suggest that generative ML can greatly accelerate materials discovery by identifying novel compositions, which can serve as a data-informed tool to guide experiments.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Atomic migration of carbon in hard turned layers of carburized bearing steel

In grain finement and non-equilibrium there is carbon segregation within grain boundaries alters the mechanical performance of hard turning layers in carburized bearing steel. Moreover, an atom probe tomography (APT) study on the nanostructured hard turning layers reveals carbon migration to grain boundaries as a result of carbide decomposition during severe plastic deformation. In addition, samples exposed to different cutting speeds show that the carbon migration rate increases with the cutting speed. For these two effects lead to an ultrafine carbon network structure resulting in increased hardness and thermal stability in the severely deformed surface layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ameliorating the sodium storage performance of hard carbon anode through rational modulation of binder

Hard carbon anodes have emerged as promising candidates for sodium-ion batteries due to their inherent advantages. Nevertheless, the surface imperfections in these materials often culminate in irreversible electrolyte consumption, fostering the development of a heterogeneous and fragile solid electrolyte interface (SEI), thereby compromising the initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE). Here, drawing inspiration from the catalytic potential of C=O (carbonyl) bonds in directing preferential salt reduction, we introduce a novel strategy that leverages the modulation of the binder, a long-term overlooked pivotal components in the electrode process. Specifically, Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), abundant in C=O groups, is partially substituted for PVDF, ensuring robust adhesion of the electrode material to the current collector while preserving superior mechanical properties. The accurate combination of two binders with delightful compatibility in the state-of-art electrode process, can promote a uniform formation of the SEI on the hard carbon surface enriched in inorganic components, which can ensure long-term interfacial stability and suppresses excessive solvent decomposition and facilitates Na + transfer at the interface. Consequently, the initial Coulombic efficiency of the hard carbon anode with 70 %PMMA binder achieves 86 %, with prominent cycling stability (88 % capacity retention over 500 cycles) at a high current density of 1.2 A g −1 . When paired with high loading cathodes to assemble the pouch cell, it also demonstrates stable operational scenarios.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Prediction of novel hard phases of Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}: First-principles calculations

Exploration of novel hard metastable phases of silicon nitride was performed using a recently developed particle-swarm optimization method within the CALYPSO software package. Three potential hard metastable phases of t-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, m-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, and o-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} were predicted. These phases are mechanically and dynamically stable at ambient pressure based on their elastic constants and phonon dispersions. t-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and m-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} exhibit lower energies than γ-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} at pressures below 2.5 GPa and 2.9 GPa, respectively, which promise that the formers could be obtained by quenching from γ-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}. o-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} is a better high-pressure metastable phase than CaTi{sub 2}O{sub 4}-type Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} proposed by Tatsumi et al. and it can come from the transition of γ-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} under 198 GPa. The theoretical band gaps of t-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, m-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, and o-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} at ambient pressure were 3.15 eV, 3.90 eV, and 3.36 eV, respectively. At ambient pressure, the Vickers hardness values of t-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} (32.6 GPa), m-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} (31.5 GPa), and o-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} (36.1 GPa) are comparable to β-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and γ-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}. With the pressure increasing, t-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, m-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, and o-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} will change from the brittle to ductile state at about 15.7 GPa, 7.3 GPa and 28.9 GPa, respectively. - Graphical abstract: This figure shows the crystal structures of three Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} predicted in this manuscript, and left to right: t-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, m-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and o-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}. - Highlights: • We explored three metastable phases of Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} — t-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, m-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}, and o-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}. • The enthalpies of t and m- are much lower than that of γ at ambient pressure. • ois one further high pressure phase than γ. • o-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} is the most hardest phase in Si{sub 3}N4 system. • Increasing pressure will change them from brittle to ductile state.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Microstructural and hardness investigations on a dissimilar metal weld between low alloy steel and Alloy 82 weld metal

The investigation on microstructure and hardness at the fusion boundary (FB) region of a dissimilar metal weld (DMW) between low alloy steel (LAS) A508-III and Alloy 82 weld metal (WM) was carried out. The results indicated that there were two kinds of FBs, martensite FB and sharp FB, with obvious different microstructures, alternately distributed in the same FB. The martensite FB region had a gradual change of elemental concentration across FB, columnar WM grains with high length/width ratios, a thick martensite layer and a wide heat affected zone (HAZ) with large prior austenite grains. By comparison, the sharp FB region had a relatively sharp change of elemental concentration across the FB, WM grains with low length/width ratios and a narrow HAZ with smaller prior austenite grains. The martensite possessed a K-S orientation relationship with WM grains, while no orientation relationship was found between the HAZ grains and WM grains at the sharp FB. Compared with sharp FB there were much more Σ3 boundaries in the HAZ beside martensite FB. The hardness maximum of the martensite FB was much higher than that of the sharp FB, which was attributed to the martensite layer at the martensite FB. - Highlights: •Martensite and sharp FBs with different microstructures were found in the same FB. •There were high length/width-ratio WM grains and a wide HAZ beside martensite FB. •There were low length/width-ratio WM grains and a narrow HAZ beside sharp FB. •Compared with sharp FB, there were much more Σ3 boundaries in HAZ of martensite FB. •Hardness maximium of martensite FB was much higher than that of sharp FB.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Radiation hardness characterization of LKH-5 scintillating glass

Radiation hardness is an important property to examine in scintillators to help determine their expected lifetime in application cases where significant radiation dose is expected. Industrial imaging systems using 9 MV linear accelerators for x-ray radiography are one such application where significant radiation doses are expected to the scintillators used. Cadmium tungstate scintillators (CWO) and Thallium doped Cesium Iodide scintillators (CsI(Tl)) are used in some high energy cargo x-ray radiography systems. However, CWO has a high manufacturing cost for adequately uniform crystals and CsI(Tl) does not have sufficient radiation hardness. LKH-5 glass is being investigated as a potential low cost replacement for CWO and CsI(Tl). In this experiment 36 samples of a terbium doped silicate glass called LKH-5 were irradiated at doses up to 5 MRad using a 9 MV linear accelerator, and the change in their transmission properties was observed. Additionally, the glass was discovered to be a radiation hard glass due to the relatively small change in the transmission of the glass: less than 3% per cm at its emission peak of 550 nm and 5 MRad. This is similar to CWO which has a reported reduction in transmitted light of 2% per cm at 5 MRad and the emission peak of 475 nm and better than CsI(Tl) which is reported to have a reduction in transmitted light of 5% per cm at the emission peak of 550 nm and 4.2 MRad dose. Furthermore, an annealing procedure is described that returned the transmission of the glass to pre-irradiation values.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Microstructural Assessment of Molybdenum Disulfide Coatings Using Nanoindentation Hardness

MoS 2 coatings are used extensively in aerospace and defense applications due to their ultralow friction and high wear resistance. Burnished and resin-bonded MoS 2 coatings are commonly used in these applications due to simplicity in deposition and history of use, despite issues with consistency in coating properties and performance. Physical vapor deposition (PVD) of MoS 2 thin films has emerged as a process alternative in the past 50 years, promising far greater control over film structure and composition but at a greater cost. Despite PVD’s benefits, hesitance to adoption persists in high-consequence applications, not only due to increased costs but variability in resulting coating properties. These variations in properties and subsequent performance are in part due to the complexity of the PVD process and the sensitive interplay between coating process-structure-property relationships. This work aims to demystify the remaining uncertainties of the process-structure-property relationships in PVD MoS 2 . The microstructure and mechanical and tribological properties of 61 different PVD pure MoS 2 coatings are examined herein. Emphasis has been placed on developing performance-based (i.e., hardness, modulus) metrics that can assess microstructural changes (density, orientation, and crystallinity) and be utilized to accelerate process development and coating optimization. Relationships established within suggest that nanoindentation hardness can be used to infer coating performance (i.e., wear rate) and properties (i.e., density, crystalline texture, and stoichiometry). Furthermore, this work demonstrates that PVD MoS 2 coatings close to the theoretical density of MoS 2 consistently have the best tribological performance and can be reliably identified by their hardness.

MoS2↗
DOE OSTI2012

Sensitivity study of ignition capsule implosion performance on the hard x-ray spectral distribution of hohlraum

The paper investigates theoretically the sensitivities of ignition capsule implosion performance on the hard x-ray spectral distribution of hohlraum. In the simulation, the hohlraum radiation is represented by a Planckian spectrum for the main drive plus a gaussian bump centered at energy E{sub c} for preheating x-rays. Simulation results show that with the increasing of center energy E{sub c}, the Atwood number at the fuel-ablator interface increases rapidly due to the preheating and expanding of the inner undoped CH layer. The growing of Atwood number indicates the hydrodynamic instability (HI) growth and mixing at this interface. On the other hand, the increasing of E{sub c} results in a large density gradient scale length of ablation front and stabilizes the HI growth at ablation front. The changes of the hard x-ray spectrum have significant influences on other important implosion parameters including the ablator mass remaining, shock timing, implosion velocity, and yield as well. High-precision results on the hard x-ray spectral distribution of hohlraum are thus critical for optimizing the ignition capsule design to limit the HI growth.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗