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At least 379 records · Page 21

Research on graphite reinforced glass matrix composites

A broad group of fibers and matrices were combined to create a wide range of composite properties. Primary material fabrication procedures were developed which readily permit the fabrication of flat plate and shaped composites. Composite mechanical properties were measured under a wide range of test conditions. Tensile, flexure mechanical fatigue, thermal fatigue, fracture toughness, and fatigue crack growth resistance were evaluated. Selected fiber-matrix combinations were shown to maintain their strength at up to 1300 K when tested in an inert atmosphere. Composite high temperature mechanical properties were shown to be limited primarily by the oxidation resistance of the graphite fibers. Composite thermal dimensional stability was measured and found to be excellent.

Prewo, K. M.↗

Temperature-dependent spectral emittance of bauxite and silica particle beds

Bauxite and silica particles are candidate materials for solar thermal energy storage at high temperatures. The temperature-dependent emittance of packed beds with bauxite and silica particles was measured using a newly upgraded emissometer at wavelengths 2 μm ≤ λ ≤ 16 μm and temperatures up to ~730 K. The room-temperature emittance was obtained from the measured directional-hemispherical reflectance. A fused silica disc was used to test the emissometer by comparing the measured spectral emittance with the calculated emittance from a fitted Lorentz oscillator model. For the polycrystalline silica particles and the fused silica disc, the measured emittance increases with temperature in the mid-infrared region. The underlying mechanism is interpreted as the temperature-dependent damping coefficient in the Lorentz oscillator model. Two types of bauxite particles with different compositions and sizes were investigated. For λ > 10 μm, the measured emittance at elevated temperatures is higher than that at room temperature. In the region 2 μm < λ < 6 μm, the temperature dependence varies for different types of particles. The total emittance of bauxite particle beds was calculated by spectral integration using Planck’s distribution at the prescribed temperature. As a result, the calculated total emittance is between 0.89 and 0.96, but it does not change monotonically with temperature.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Temperature effects on the universal equation of state of solids

Recently it has been argued based on theoretical calculations and experimental data that there is a universal form for the equation of state of solids. This observation was restricted to the range of temperatures and pressures such that there are no phase transitions. The use of this universal relation to estimate pressure-volume relations (i.e., isotherms) required three input parameters at each fixed temperature. It is shown that for many solids the input data needed to predict high temperature thermodynamical properties can be dramatically reduced. In particular, only four numbers are needed: (1) the zero pressure (P=0) isothermal bulk modulus; (2)it P=0 pressure derivative; (3) the P=0 volume; and (4) the P=0 thermal expansion; all evaluated at a single (reference) temperature. Explicit predictions are made for the high temperature isotherms, the thermal expansion as a function of temperature, and the temperature variation of the isothermal bulk modulus and its pressure derivative. These predictions are tested using experimental data for three representative solids: gold, sodium chloride, and xenon. Good agreement between theory and experiment is found.

Vinet, P.↗

Temperature effects on the universal equation of state of solids

Recently it has been argued based on theoretical calculations and experimental data that there is a universal form for the equation of state of solids. This observation was restricted to the range of temperatures and pressures such that there are no phase transitions. The use of this universal relation to estimate pressure-volume relations (i.e., isotherms) required three input parameters at each fixed temperature. It is shown that for many solids the input data needed to predict high temperature thermodynamical properties can be dramatically reduced. In particular, only four numbers are needed: (1) the zero pressure (P = 0) isothermal bulk modulus; (2) its P = 0 pressure derivative; (3) the P = 0 volume; and (4) the P = 0 thermal expansion; all evaluated at a single (reference) temperature. Explicit predictions are made for the high temperature isotherms, the thermal expansion as a function of temperature, and the temperature variation of the isothermal bulk modulus and its pressure derivative. These predictions are tested using experimental data for three representative solids: gold, sodium chloride, and xenon. Good agreement between theory and experiment is found.

Vinet, Pascal↗

Thermophysical aspects of re-entry flows

The present conference discusses low density aerothermodynamics, the drag of bodies in rarefied hypersonic flow, transitional hypervelocity aerodynamic simulation and scaling, high temperature kinetics and transport properties, electron-nitrogen molecule collisions in high temperature nonequilibrium air, theoretical studies of dissociative recombination, the transport properties of some atom/ion interactions in air, and the interaction energies, dipole transition moments, and transport cross sections of N(+)-N and O(+)-O. Also discussed are the results of studies of potential fluid mechanisms for enhanced stagnation heating, vortex-induced leeward heating on a biconic at Mach 6 and 10, the effects of surface discontinuities on convective heat transfer in hypersonic flow, computational convergence in chemical reacting flows, and three-dimensional viscous shock layer applications for the Space Shuttle Orbiter.

Moss, J. N.↗

Grain Boundary Engineering the Mechanical Properties of Allvac 718Plus(Trademark) Superalloy

Grain Boundary Engineering can enhance the population of structurally-ordered "low S" Coincidence Site Lattice (CSL) grain boundaries in the microstructure. In some alloys, these "special" grain boundaries have been reported to improve overall resistance to corrosion, oxidation, and creep resistance. Such improvements could be quite beneficial for superalloys, especially in conditions which encourage damage and cracking at grain boundaries. Therefore, the effects of GBE processing on high-temperature mechanical properties of the cast and wrought superalloy Allvac 718Plus (Allvac ATI) were screened. Bar sections were subjected to varied GBE processing, and then consistently heat treated, machined, and tested at 650 C. Creep, tensile stress relaxation, and dwell fatigue crack growth tests were performed. The influences of GBE processing on microstructure, mechanical properties, and associated failure modes are discussed.

Gabb, Timothy P.↗

Monitoring processing properties of high performance thermoplastics using frequency dependent electromagnetic sensing

An in situ NDE dielectric impedance measurement method has been developed for ascertaining the cure processing properties of high temperature advanced thermoplastic and thermosetting resins, using continuous frequency-dependent measurements and analyses of complex permittivity over 9 orders of magnitude and 6 decades of frequency at temperatures up to 400 C. Both ionic and Debye-like dipolar relaxation processes are monitored. Attention is given to LARC-TPI, PEEK, and poly(arylene ether) resins' viscosity, glass transition temperature, recrystallization, and residual solvent content and evolution properties.

Kranbuehl, D. E.↗

High Strength and Fracture Resistance of Reduced-Activity W-Ta-Ti-V-Zr High-Entropy Alloy for Fusion Energy Applications

Refractory high-entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising candidates for next-generation nuclear applications, particularly fusion reactors, due to their excellent high-temperature mechanical properties and irradiation resistance. Here, the microstructure and mechanical behavior were investigated for an equimolar WTaTiVZr HEA, designed from a palette of low-activation elements. The as-cast alloy exhibited a dendritic microstructure composed of W-Ta rich dendrites and Zr-Ti-V rich inter-dendritic regions, both possessing a body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure. Room temperature bulk compression tests showed ultra-high strength of around 1.6 GPa and plastic strain ~6%, with fracture surfaces showing cleavage facets. The alloy also demonstrated excellent high-temperature strength of ~650 MPa at 500 °C. Scratch-based fracture toughness was ~38 MPa√m for the as-cast WTaTiVZr HEA compared to ~25 MPa√m for commercially used pure tungsten. This higher value of fracture toughness indicates superior damage tolerance relative to commercially used pure tungsten. These results highlight the alloy’s potential as a low-activation structural material for high-temperature plasma-facing components (PFCs) in fusion reactors.

Physics↗

The Tensile Properties of Advanced Nickel-Base Disk Superalloys During Quenching Heat Treatments

There is a need to increase the temperature capabilities of superalloy turbine disks. This would allow full utilization of higher temperature combustor and airfoil concepts under development. One approach to meet this goal is to modify the processing and chemistry of advanced alloys, while preserving the ability to use rapid cooling supersolvus heat treatments to achieve coarse grain, fine gamma prime microstructures. An important step in this effort is to understand the key high temperature tensile properties of advanced alloys as they exist during supersolvus heat treatments. This could help in projecting cracking tendencies of disks during quenches from supersolvus heat treatments. The objective of this study was to examine the tensile properties of two advanced disk superalloys during simulated quenching heat treatments. Specimens were cooled from the solution heat treatment temperatures at controlled rates, interrupted, and immediately tensile tested at various temperatures. The responses and failure modes were compared and related to the quench cracking tendencies of disk forgings.

Gabb, Timothy P.↗

Time-temperature-stress capabilities of composites for supersonic cruise aircraft applications

A range of baseline properties was determined for representatives of 5 composite materials systems: B/Ep, Gr/Ep, B/PI, Gr/PI, and B/Al. Long-term exposures are underway in static thermal environments and in ones which simultaneously combine programmed thermal histories and mechanical loading histories. Selected results from the environmental exposure studies with emphasis placed on the 10,000-hour thermal aging data are presented. Results of residual strength determinations and changes in physcial and chemical properties during high temperature aging are discussed and illustrated using metallographic, fractographic and thermomechanical analyses. Some initial results of the long-term flight simulation tests are also included.

Haskins, J. F.↗

Phase formation in the CaO–Al 2 O 3 –ZnO system as an analogue to CaO–Al 2 O 3 –MgO in spinel containing refractories

Recently, gahnite (ZnAl 2 O 4 ) is gaining attraction as a potential refractory ceramic because of the similarity of its structure and properties with those of magnesium aluminate (MgAl 2 O 4 ) spinel refractories. Formation of MgO and hibonite solid solution (CaMg x Al 12−x O 19−0.5x ; 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.18), CAM-I (Ca 2 Mg 2−3x Al 28+2x O 46 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3), and CAM-II (CaMg 2−3x Al 16+2x O 27 , 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) phases with platelet and interlocking microstructure in the CaO–Al 2 O 3 –MgO ternary system significantly enhances the high temperature mechanical properties of refractory castables. The CaO–Al 2 O 3 –ZnO ternary system has been studied, for the first time to our knowledge, in a selected compositional range with reference to the CaO–Al 2 O 3 –MgO system from 1650°C to 1700°C. The formation of ZnO and hibonite solid solution (CaZn x Al 12−x O 19−0.5x ; 0 < x < 0.18), CAZ-I (Ca 2 Zn 2−3x Al 28+2x O 46 ; 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3), and CAZ-II (CaZn 2−3x Al 16+2x O 27 ; 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) phases with platelet and interlocking morphology have been found. The crystal structures and lattice parameters of ZnO and hibonite solid solution, CAZ-I, and CAZ-II are comparable, respectively, with MgO and hibonite solid solution, CAM-I, and CAM-II. Furthermore, CAZ-I and CAZ-II phases also form due to reaction between hibonite (CaO·6Al 2 O 3 ) and ZnAl 2 O 4 .

calcium aluminate cement↗

Fabrication and Testing of Solid-Solution Strengthened Corrosion Resistant Alloys For Service in Molten Fluoride Environments

The demand for higher system thermal efficiencies requires the operation of power generation cycles and heat conversion systems at progressively higher temperatures. As the system operating temperature increases, existing materials may not provide adequate mechanical properties or environmental compatibility or both. There is an increasing commercial interest in the development and deployment of liquid-fueled Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs). Hastelloy®N, the highest performing candidate MSR structural alloy, is not capable of operations at temperatures above 700°C, thus limiting the performance of these systems. Using an Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME)-approach and small laboratory scale heats, ORNL developed a class of patented alloys covered by U.S. Patent 9, 435, 011 B2, “Creep-resistant, Cobalt-free alloys for high temperature, liquid-salt heat exchanger systems,” similar to Hastelloy®N in that they are primarily solid solution strengthened. In contrast to precipitation strengthened alloys, the microstructure of solid solution alloys and hence the high temperature mechanical properties are stable for extended periods of time allowing long reactor operating life. The new alloys have shown to possess good resistance to liquid fluorides at temperatures up to 850°C and have significantly improved creep properties when compared to Hastelloy®N. The purpose of the CRADA project was for ORNL to collaborate with Haynes International- a materials producer, MetalTek International- a foundry, and Kairos Power – an advanced reactor developer – to scale-up selected alloys, evaluate their properties, and identify one solid solution strengthened alloy that can meet the property requirements for the reactor being developed by Kairos Power and other similar liquid fluoride-salt cooled reactors. As part of the project, eight alloys were down-selected and fabricated in larger industrial scale heats by Haynes International. Resistance to molten salt was evaluated in flowing FLiNaK and FLiBe by Kairos Power using their Rotating Cage Loop (RCL) system. Accounting for iron deposition during these tests, the new alloys displayed very low net mass change showing excellent corrosion performance in molten salt. Creep properties evaluated at ORNL were found to be better than that of Hastelloy®N and 316 stainless steel. Long-term stabilities of the alloys evaluated by Haynes International showed that these alloys have excellent thermal stability in the temperature range 704.4-815.6°C, with the change in strength and ductility being less than 10-15% after a 4000-hour exposure at 815.6°C. Autogenously Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) welded samples showed less than 10% change in yield strength / ultimate tensile strength / total elongation compared to the basemetal, indicating that the alloys have excellent weldability. Three parts were successfully investment-cast using one alloy with very little voiding showing feasibility of fabricating parts using the casting process. This project enabled extensive interaction between the material producer Haynes International, casting supplier MetalTek, and reactor developer Kairos Power. This facilitated testing of materials and components produced using the newly developed alloys by the end-user. This allowed the generation of critical dataset required for down-selection of a few promising alloys for further development. This data is also currently being shared with other reactor designers for them to evaluate the suitability of this alloy for their reactor design. The availability of this alloy will ultimately enable the design and development and deployment of MSRs with increased temperature of operation and thus, improved efficiencies.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Fabrication and Testing of Solid-Solution Strengthened Corrosion Resistant Alloys For Service in Molten Fluoride Environments

The demand for higher system thermal efficiencies requires the operation of power generation cycles and heat conversion systems at progressively higher temperatures. As the system operating temperature increases, existing materials may not provide adequate mechanical properties or environmental compatibility or both. There is an increasing commercial interest in the development and deployment of liquid-fueled Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs). Hastelloy®N, the highest performing candidate MSR structural alloy, is not capable of operations at temperatures above 700°C, thus limiting the performance of these systems. Using an Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME)-approach and small laboratory scale heats, ORNL developed a class of patented alloys covered by U.S. Patent 9,435,011 B2, “Creep-resistant, Cobalt-free alloys for high temperature, liquid-salt heat exchanger systems,” similar to Hastelloy®N in that they are primarily solid solution strengthened. In contrast to precipitation strengthened alloys, the microstructure of solid solution alloys and hence the high temperature mechanical properties are stable for extended periods of time allowing long reactor operating life. The new alloys have shown to possess good resistance to liquid fluorides at temperatures up to 850°C and have significantly improved creep properties when compared to Hastelloy®N. The purpose of the CRADA project was for ORNL to collaborate with Haynes International- a materials producer, MetalTek International- a foundry, and Kairos Power – an advanced reactor developer – to scale-up selected alloys, evaluate their properties, and identify one solid solution strengthened alloy that can meet the property requirements for the reactor being developed by Kairos Power and other similar liquid fluoride-salt cooled reactors. As part of the project, eight alloys were down-selected and fabricated in larger industrial scale heats by Haynes International. Resistance to molten salt was evaluated in flowing FLiNaK and FLiBe by Kairos Power using their Rotating Cage Loop (RCL) system. Accounting for iron deposition during these tests, the new alloys displayed very low net mass change showing excellent corrosion performance in molten salt. Creep properties evaluated at ORNL were found to be better than that of Hastelloy®N and 316 stainless steel. Long-term stabilities of the alloys evaluated by Haynes International showed that these alloys have excellent thermal stability in the temperature range 704.4-815.6°C, with the change in strength and ductility being less than 10-15% after a 4000-hour exposure at 815.6°C. Autogenously Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) welded samples showed less than 10% change in yield strength / ultimate tensile strength / total elongation compared to the basemetal, indicating that the alloys have excellent weldability. Three parts were successfully investment-cast using one alloy with very little voiding showing feasibility of fabricating parts using the casting process. This project enabled extensive interaction between the material producer Haynes International, casting supplier MetalTek, and reactor developer Kairos Power. This facilitated testing of materials and components produced using the newly developed alloys by the end-user. This allowed the generation of critical dataset required for down-selection of a few promising alloys for further development. This data is also currently being shared with other reactor designers for them to evaluate the suitability of this alloy for their reactor design. The availability of this alloy will ultimately enable the design and development and deployment of MSRs with increased temperature of operation and thus, improved efficiencies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Thermal stability of additively manufactured austenitic 304L ODS alloy

Thermal stability and high-temperature mechanical properties of a 304L austenitic oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy manufactured via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) are examined in this work. Additively manufactured 304L ODS alloy samples were aged at temperatures of 1000, 1100, and 1200 °C for 100 h in an argon atmosphere. Microstructure characterization of LPBF 304L ODS alloy before and after the thermal stability experiments revealed that despite the annihilation of dislocations, induced cellular substructure by the LPBF process was partially retained in the ODS alloy even after aging at 1200 °C. The size of Y-Si-O nanoparticles after aging at 1200 °C increased from 25 to 50 nm. EBSD analysis revealed that nanoparticles retained the microstructure of LPBF 304L ODS and hindered recrystallization and further grain growth. At 600 °C and 800 °C, the yield stress of the 290 and 145 MPa were measured, respectively, which are substantially higher than 113 MPa, and 68 MPa for 304L at the same temperatures. Furthermore, the creep properties of LPBF 304L ODS alloy were evaluated at a temperature of 700 °C under three applied stresses of 70, 85, and 100 MPa yielding a stress exponent (n) of ~7.7; the minimum creep rate at 100 MPa was found to be about two orders of magnitude lower than found in the literature for wrought 304L stainless steel.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Damage Resistance of Titanium Aluminide Evaluated

As part of the aviation safety goal to reduce the aircraft accident rate, NASA has undertaken studies to develop durable engine component materials. One of these materials, g-TiAl, has superior high-temperature material properties. Its low density provides improved specific strength and creep resistance in comparison to currently used titanium alloys. However, this intermetallic is inherently brittle, and long life durability is a potential problem. Of particular concern is the material s sensitivity to defects, which may form during the manufacturing process or in service. To determine the sensitivity of TiAl to defects, a team consisting of GE Aircraft Engines, Precision Cast Parts, and NASA was formed. The work at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field has concentrated on the fatigue response to specimens containing defects. The overall objective of this work is to determine the influence of defects on the high cycle fatigue life of TiAl-simulated low-pressure turbine blades. Two types of defects have been introduced into the specimens: cracking from impact damage and casting porosity. For both types of defects, the cast-to-size fatigue specimens were fatigue tested at 650 C and 100 Hz until failure.

Lerch, Bradley A.↗

Process Intensification for Nanostructure Aluminum Extrusions

A new technology called Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion (ShAPE™), pioneered at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), has the potential to revolutionize the US extrusion industry. Maturation of the ShAPE™ process would create a new cross cutting US manufacturing technology that advances three key the objectives within AMO; namely, nanomaterials processing, process intensification, and materials for extreme and harsh environments. PNNL and SCM Metals Products, Inc. (SCM), a division of Kymera International, will collaborate to mature the ShAPE™ extrusion process beyond TRL 3 to increase the likelihood of its adoption by industry. PNNL’s custom (one-of-a-kind in the world) ShAPE™ machine will be used to extrude round rods of high strength aluminum alloy feedstock powder provided by SCM. As proof-of-concept, PNNL has previously extruded 5 mm diameter rods with SCM aluminum alloy powder AL-12.4TM. This project aims to scale up the process to a diameter of 25 mm while retaining the excellent mechanical properties achieved for the 5 mm diameter rods. The degree of process intensification with ShAPE™ will also be estimated. The primary objectives of this project are as follows. 1) Fabricate 25 mm diameter nanostructured extrusions in bulk, directly from AL-12.4TM aluminum alloy powder without the need for canning, degassing, compaction, and other intermediate steps typical of powder metallurgy extrusion. 2) Achieve a microstructure with an ultrafine grained (UFG <1 µm) aluminum matrix having refined and homogenously distributed nanoscale second phases. 3) Show that the ram force can be significantly reduced compared to conventional powder metallurgy extrusion of the same material and estimate the extent of process intensification that may be possible with ShAPE™. 4) Demonstrate improved high-temperature mechanical properties compared to conventional extrusion of the same material. The following tasks will be undertaken to achieve these objectives. PNNL will develop the die set and process parameters necessary to fabricate Al-12.4TM extrusions with a 25 mm diameter. Microstructural analysis will be performed by PNNL while mechanical testing will be conducted by SCM. With information learned from the process development and characterization, PNNL will perform an estimate of the degree of process intensification that may be possible with ShAPE™.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Thermoelectric properties of pressure-sintered Si(0.8)Ge(0.2) thermoelectric alloys

The thermoelectric properties of 28 sintered Si(0.8)Ge(0.2) alloys, heavily doped with either B or P and prepared from powders with median particle sizes ranging from about 1 to over 100 microns, have been determined from 300 to 1300 K. The thermal conductivity decreases with decreasing particle size; however, the figure of merit is not significantly increased due to a compensating reduction in the electrical conductivity. The thermoelectric figure of merit is in good agreement with results of Dismukes et al. (1964) on similarly doped alloys prepared by zone-leveling techniques. The electrical and thermal conductivity are found to be sensitive to preparation procedure while the Seebeck coefficient and figure of merit are much less sensitive. The high-temperature electrical properties are consistent with charge carrier scattering by acoustic or optical phonons.

Vining, Cronin B.↗

Elevated temperature contact creep and friction of nickel-based superalloys using machine learning assisted finite element analysis

Nickel-based superalloys with superior thermochemical, mechanical, and tribological properties are highly utilized for critical components in several high temperature applications such as gas turbines and nuclear reactors. Inconel 617, in particular, is considered as one of the main candidate superalloys for tribo-components in very-high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors. Recent findings indicate that this alloy grows unique surface oxide especially in a high-temperature helium environment with distinctive wear, friction, and contact properties. Here, this study investigates the high temperature contact area evolution and frictional behavior of Inconel 617 using finite element simulation and provides predictive models for the contact and friction performance at different normal loads, dwell times, and temperatures. High temperature helium-aged Inconel 617 top surface properties (up to 600 °C) are utilized along with a single asperity-based deformable elastic-plastic contact model under combined normal and tangential loading. Machine learning is used to assist the finite element results and to predict friction coefficient as well as contact area evolution. While a small difference is observed in the instantaneous friction coefficient (no dwell time) for all temperatures, friction coefficient increases considerably with dwell time. This shows that the effect of contact creep for longer dwell times significantly dominants the effect of high temperature variation in basic mechanical parameters such as modulus and yield strength. It is found that increasing temperature and dwell times lead to the friction coefficient increase, yet the dominance of dwell time effects decreases at higher temperatures and loads. While the analysis is presented for Inconel 617, the methodology is easy to be generalized and can be applied to other HT alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗