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At least 415 records · Page 23

Effect of strain rate on the deformation of hollow CoS nanoboxes and doubly porous self-assembled films

Nanomaterials with multiscale porosity are attractive as lightweight structural materials because unique deformation mechanisms can be programmed at different length scales. Here, we explore this concept by investigating the mechanics of hollow nanoboxes, as well as films self-assembled from nanoboxes. Hollow CoS nanoboxes with lengths of 900 nm and <30 nm wall thickness are synthesized using colloidal methods. Individual nanoboxes are compressed inside a scanning electron microscope at strain rates of 0.001 s –1 , 0.01 s –1 , and 0.1 s –1 . Nanoboxes are found to have a first peak stress of 15 MPa and loading modulus of ~240 MPa regardless of strain rate. The nanoboxes deform through ductile, plastic bending of side walls at 0.001 s –1 strain rate, while brittle fracture occurs at the higher strain rates. Self-assembly of these nanoboxes results in films with relative density of <0.1. Nanoindentation shows strain rate independent behavior with average modulus and hardness of ~15 MPa and ~230 kPa, respectively. Furthermore, the mechanical behavior of the film is compared to that of the nanobox building blocks, cellular foams and granular materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The stabilizing effect of compressibility in turbulent shear flow

Direct numerical simulation of turbulent homogeneous shear flow is performed in order to clarify compressibility effects on the turbulence growth in the flow. The two Mach numbers relevant to homogeneous shear flow are the turbulent Mach number M(t) and the gradient Mach number M(g). Two series of simulations are performed where the initial values of M(g) and M(t) are increased separately. The growth rate of turbulent kinetic energy is observed to decrease in both series of simulations. This 'stabilizing' effect of compressibility on the turbulent energy growth rate is observed to be substantially larger in the DNS series where the initial value of M(g) is changed. A systematic companion of the different DNS cues shows that the compressibility effect of reduced turbulent energy growth rate is primarily due to the reduced level of turbulence production and not due to explicit dilatational effects. The reduced turbulence production is not a mean density effect since the mean density remains constant in compressible homogeneous shear flow. The stabilizing effect of compressibility on the turbulence growth is observed to increase with the gradient Mach number M(g) in the homogeneous shear flow DNS. Estimates of M(g) for the mixing and the boundary layer are obtained. These estimates show that the parameter M(g) becomes much larger in the high-speed mixing layer relative to the high-speed boundary layer even though the mean flow Mach numbers are the same in the two flows. Therefore, the inhibition of turbulent energy production and consequent 'stabilizing' effect of compressibility on the turbulence (over and above that due to the mean density variation) is expected to be larger in the mixing layer relative to the boundary layer in agreement with experimental observations.

Sarkar, S.↗

Plastic deformation of single crystals of the equiatomic Cr-Mn-Fe-Co-Ni high-entropy alloy in tension and compression from 10 K to 1273 K

In this report the plastic deformation behavior of single crystals of the quinary, equiatomic Cr-Mn-Fe-Co-Ni high-entropy alloy (HEA) with the face-centered cubic structure has been investigated in tension and compression as a function of crystal orientation and temperature from 10 K to 1373 K. The critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) for {111}<110> slip at room temperature is 42-45 MPa. It does not depend much on crystal orientation (i.e., the Schmid law holds true) and the sense (tension vs. compression) of the applied load. The CRSS for {111}<110> slip increases with the decrease in temperature, without showing any significant inertia effects at cryogenic temperatures below 77 K. Extrapolation from the measured yield stresses down to 10 K yields a CRSS value at 0 K of 168 MPa. At cryogenic temperatures, the measured strain-rate sensitivity of flow stress is consistent with a very small activation volume. The concept of stress equivalence holds true both for the temperature dependence of CRSS and the stress dependence of activation volume, indicating that solid-solution hardening is the major strengthening mechanism. Deformation twinning occurs at 77 K but not at room temperature, resulting in higher tensile elongation to failure at 77 K than at room temperature. Deformation twinning at 77 K occurs at a shear stress of 378 MPa on conjugate ($\bar1\bar11$) planes in the form of Lüders deformation after large plastic strain (about 85%) achieved by the stage I (easy glide) and stage II (linear work-hardening) deformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Stochastic nonlinear analysis of unidirectional fiber composites using image-based microstructural uncertainty quantification

Here, we present a data-driven nonlinear uncertainty quantification and propagation framework to study the microstructure-induced stochastic performance of unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. The proposed approach integrates (1) microscopic image characterization, (2) stochastic microstructure reconstruction, and (3) efficient multiscale finite element simulations enabled by self-consistent clustering (SCA) analysis. To model the complex microstructural variability, the proposed UQ methods take the non-Gaussian uncertainty sources into account through a distribution-free sampling approach leveraging nonparametric and asymptotic statistical tools. A hierarchical conditional sampling strategy enables the simultaneous sampling of multiple sources of uncertainties. Our approach provides insights into the impact of microstructural variabilities, which are shown to have an increasing impact on the nonlinear responses of UD CFRP parts under progressive compression loading and ultimately on the failure rate over time. We discover that before CFRP parts start to fail, a characteristic time period emerges with distinctive uncertainty distributions specific to the microstructure variability and the probability of failure. Identifying the failure time period is crucial to the reliability prediction, which is an essential component of CFRP design.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A prediction model of failure threshold for shear deformation in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass

The failure of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) during plastic deformation at room temperature is abrupt and instantaneous, while the analysis of precursor information based on avalanche events helps predict catastrophic failure. An acoustic emission (AE) signal can provide accurate precursor information for material failure, due to its sensitive and high fast calculation ability. In the current study, AE monitoring tests are carried out during uniaxial compression tests of BMGs at different strain rates. The AE experimental failure threshold, E max , is proposed on the basis of AE cumulative energy, which reflects the intensity of damage evolution at different loading conditions. Compared with the critical shear band velocity (CSBV) associated with stick-slip dynamics of serrated flow, E max is a more sensitive failure parameter since it is connected with the local microscopic changes that occur during the material response process. Here, the E max is obtained prior to reaching the CSBV since the calculation of these two avalanches analysis focuses on the different stages of shear band growth. In particular, AE events are related to the “dry” friction process in the first stage, however, the CSBV is responsible for the “viscous” glide in the second stage. Therefore, Emax is not affected by the complex interactions between the shear bands during the stick-slip process. The maximum avalanche of serrated flow, S max , is proposed as the experimental failure threshold, which depends on the applied strain rate as S max ~ $\dot{ε}$ –λ . According to the relationship of E max and S max , the theoretical failure threshold, E max , follows a criterion E max = 2545$\dot{ε}$ –λ - 4468, where λ is equivalent to 0.15 for this work. Finally, combining the different calculations and AE measurements, this model gives new insights to predict the deformation failure behavior of Zr-based BMGs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A physically based mechanical model for Mullins effect in thermoplastic polyurethanes

Despite decades of research, connecting the chemical and physical structure of thermoplastic polyurethanes to their mechanical properties remains highly challenging. Of particular note are their large-deformation and rate-dependent behaviors, which vary greatly with molecular chemistry, including the type and relative content of soft and hard segments. In this work, we develop a physically motivated mechanical theory for predicting the behavior of thermoplastic polyurethanes. The theory incorporates a representation of microstructural evolution during mechanical deformation, which captures the signatures of stress softening over cyclic loading (commonly referred to as the Mullins effect). There are only eight physically motivated fitting parameters, including a direct dependence on the hard segment fraction. The model predicts that increasing the hard segment fraction leads to higher stiffness and greater energy dissipation, in quantitative agreement with published experimental data. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the model and validate its predictions across several independent datasets focused on mechanical characterization. Direct comparisons to experimental data demonstrate its predictive capability on the effect of loading rate, cyclic deformations, and applied tension or compression. Altogether, this work establishes a predictive framework that connects polymer chemistry and microstructure to emergent mechanical behaviors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Refinement and demonstration of a coupled BISON-Griffin workflow for designing targeted TRISO transient experiments in TREAT

The U.S. nuclear industry is expected to deploy tristructural isotropic (TRISO) particle fuel technologies for commercial reactors within the next decade. In previous work, we defined a preliminary transient design space for TRISO fuels, identified potential gaps in the available data, and began to develop multiphysics modeling tools that could be applied to design targeted Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) experiments to fill these gaps. Here, this work builds on that foundation by (1) updating BISON fuel performance and Griffin reactor physics models to reflect the current TREAT experiment tube and capsule designs, (2) coupling the codes to improve the accuracy and usability of the transient design analyses, and (3) demonstrating their use over an expanded design space that includes fuel burnup. The simulated mechanical responses of the TRISO particles were complex functions of fission product accumulation, fission gas release, and irradiation-induced dimensional change in the pyrolytic carbon layers. The predicted tangential stresses in the particles' silicon carbide layers were least compressive for preheated tests involving fresh fuels but remained compressive throughout the ranges of temperature, heat rate, and burnup considered in this work. Finally, comparisons between the potential TREAT transients and historical test reactor irradiations showed that the TREAT tests would produce significantly lower average energy deposition rates, yielding less severe transients with greater relevance to near-term commercial applications. The use of these predictive capabilities has the potential to increase the value of each test, improving the overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness of transient testing for TRISO and other advanced fuels.

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Ferroelastic Hysteresis in Thin Films of Methylammonium Lead Iodide

Mechanical strain can modify the structural and electronic properties of methylammonium lead iodide MAPbI 3 . The consequences of ferroelastic hysteresis, which involves the retention of structural memory upon cycles of deformation, are reported for polycrystalline thin films of MAPbI 3 . Repeatedly bent films were examined using grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) to quantitatively characterize the strains and proportions of twin domains. Approximate locations for the coercive stress and saturation on the ferroelastic stress–strain curve are identified, and changes to the stress–strain curve with cyclic strain are characterized. Notably, an external stress source, such as thermal stress from the substrate or a roll-to-roll printing setup, must apply at least |50| MPa to modify the proportions of different twins. The presence of specific twin domains is found to correlate to previously reported strain and defect heterogeneity in MAPbI 3 films. Domains from differently strained twin sets interact with each other. Long-term stability testing reveals that the domain walls are highly immobile over extended periods. Nucleation of new domain walls occurs for specific mechanical strains and correlates closely with degradation. Furthermore, these results help to explain the behavior of ion migration, degradation rate, and photoluminescence in thin films under compressive and tensile strain.

Defects↗

Characterization of a 1D-imaging high-energy x-ray backlighter driven by the National Ignition Facility Advanced Radiographic Capability laser

Plastic deformation of samples compressed to Mbar pressures at high strain rates at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) forms the basis of ongoing material strength experiments in conditions relevant to meteor impacts, geophysics, armor development, and inertial confinement fusion. Hard x-ray radiography is the primary means of measuring the evolution of these samples, typically employing a slit-collimated high-Z microdot driven by the NIF laser to generate >40 keV x rays [E. Gumbrell et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 89, 10G118 (2018) and C. M. Huntington et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 89, 10G121 (2018)]. Alternatively, a dysprosium “micro-flag” target driven by the Advanced Radiographic Capability laser (~2 kJ, 10 ps) can deliver significantly higher spatiotemporal resolution [M. P. Hill et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 92, 033535 (2021)], especially in high-opacity samples. Here, initial experiments revealed problematic brightness and spectral gradients from this source, but by radiographing a set of diamond-turned, 105 µm-thick Pb test objects and supported by simulations using the 3D Monte Carlo code GEANT4, these geometry-dependent gradients across the field of view are quantified and mitigation strategies are assessed. In addition to significantly enhancing the modulation transfer function compared to the existing system, image stacking from multiple layers of image plate is shown to almost double the signal to noise ratio that will reduce uncertainties in future dynamic strength experiments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

High-pressure response of vibrational properties of b-As x P 1– x : in situ Raman studies

The structural evolution of black arsenic-phosphorous (b-As x P 1–x ) alloys with varying arsenic concentrations was investigated under hydrostatic pressure using in situ Raman spectroscopy. High-pressure experiments were conducted using a diamond anvil cell, which revealed pressure-induced shifts in vibrational modes associated with P–P bonds (A 1 g , A 2 g , ${B}_{2g}$), As–As bonds (A 1 g , A 2 g , ${{B}}_{2g}$), and As–P bonds in b-As x P 1–x alloys. Two distinct pressure regimes were observed. In the first regime (region I), all vibrational modes exhibited a monotonic upshift, indicating phonon hardening due to hydrostatic pressure. In the second regime (region II), As 0.4 P 0.6 and As 0.6 P 0.4 alloys displayed a linear blueshift (or negligible change in some modes) at a reduced rate, suggesting local structural reorganization with less compression on the bonds. Notably, the alloy with the highest As concentration, As 0.8 P 0.2 , exhibited anomalous behavior in the second pressure regime, with a downward shift observed in all As–As and As–P Raman modes (and some P–P modes). Interestingly, the emergence of new peaks corresponding to the E g mode and A 1g mode of the gray-As phase was observed in this pressure range, indicating compressive strain-induced structural changes. The anomalous change in region II confirms the formation of a new local structure, characterized by elongation of the P–P, As–As, and As–P bonds along the zigzag direction within the b-As x P 1–x phase, possibly near the grain boundary. Additionally, a gray-As phase undergoes compressive structural changes. This study underscores the significance of pressure in inducing structural transformations and exploring novel phases in two-dimensional materials, including b-As x P 1–x alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Gyrokinetic simulation of low-frequency Alfvénic modes in DIII-D tokamak

Global gyrokinetic simulations find that a beta-induced Alfvén eigenmode (BAE) and a Low frequency mode (LFM) coexist in the DIII-D tokamak experiments. The LFM can be excited without fast ions and has a frequency inside the gap of the beta-induced Alfvén-acoustic eigenmode (BAAE). The mode structure of the LFM from simulations and many of its parametric dependencies are consistent with experimental observations. For the BAE, the simulated mode structure is consistent with experiment but the frequency is lower than experiment. An antenna scan shows that the LFM is NOT the conventioanl BAAE; rather, it is an interchange-like electromagnetic mode excited by non-resonant drive of pressure gradients. The compressible magnetic perturbations significantly increase the growth rates of the BAE and LFM. On the other hand, effects of trapped electrons and equilibrium current have modest effects on the BAE and LFM. Finally, radial transfer of wave energy is different between the BAE and LFM, resulting in their respective triangular and elliptic mode shapes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Copper-Tantalum Metal Matrix Composites Consolidated from Powder Blends by Severe Plastic Deformation

We investigated the effectiveness of severe plastic deformation by equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) for consolidation of metal powders into metal matrix composites. Equal volumes of copper (Cu) and tantalum (Ta) powders were consolidated at ambient temperature via different ECAE routes. Composites processed by ECAE routes 4E and 4Bc were also processed at 300 °C. The resulting materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and compression testing. Processing by route 4Bc at 300 °C resulted in the highest compressive strength, lowest anisotropy, and least strain rate sensitivity. We conclude that the superior properties achieved by this route arise from mechanical bonding due to interlocking Cu and Ta phases as well as enhanced metallurgical bonds from contact of pristine metal surfaces when the material is sheared along orthogonal planes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Rocket engine thrust chamber heat transfer calculation and analysis

A parametric study of the heat transfer rate along the wall of a rocket nozzle is presented. The influences of different parameters; laminar and turbulent Lewis number, mixture ratio, initial wall temperature distribution, and eddy viscosity, were considered. The numerical evaluation of these influences on heat transfer rate was done by using three different compressible, reacting laminar and turbulent boundary layer computer programs; MABL (Mass Addition Boundary Layer Program), MABL-KE (MABL program is modified to include turbulent kinetic energy equation), and BLIMP (Boundary Layer Integral Matrix Procedure). This study also provided an excellent opportunity to evaluate the efficiencies of these three computer programs and to suggest one of them for future computational purposes.

Saha, H.↗

Low-cycle fatigue of Type 347 stainless steel and Hastelloy alloy X in hydrogen gas and in air at elevated temperatures

An investigation was conducted to assess the low-cycle fatigue resistance of two alloys, Type 347 stainless steel and Hastelloy Alloy X, that were under consideration for use in nuclear-powered rocket vehicles. Constant-amplitude, strain-controlled fatigue tests were conducted under compressive strain cycling at a constant strain rate of 0.001/sec and at total axial strain ranges of 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 %, in both laboratory-air and low-pressure hydrogen-gas environments at temperatures from 538 to 871 C. Specimens were obtained from three heats of Type 347 stainless steel bar and two heats of Hastelloy Alloy X. The tensile properties of each heat were determined at 21, 538, 649, and 760 C. The continuous cycling fatigue resistance was determined for each heat at temperatures of 538, 760, and 871 C. The Type 347 stainless steel exhibited equal or superior fatigue resistance to the Hastelloy Alloy X at all conditions of this study.

Jaske, C. E.↗

A real-time adaptive Hadamard transform video compressor

An adaptive video compressor was designed as part of the CTS Digital Video Curriculum Sharing Experiment. The compressor was constructed using field-to-field differencing on fields processed using a Hadamard transform method. The spatial resolution was improved using a fixed-rate, three-mode adaptive system to compress each field.

Jones, H. W., Jr.↗

NTSC composite video at 1.6 bits/pel

An adaptive algorithm for intraframe compression of NTSC composite color video signal is described. With an average of 80 percent compression (1.6 bits/pixel) and a bit error rate of 0.0001, excellent broadcast quality pictures were obtained. This is confirmed by a subjective evaluation of processed pictures by five viewers. The algorithm and the results of the subjective evaluation are given in this paper.

Kwatra, S. C.↗