Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “metallic components”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 433 records · Page 24
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Design optimization of lightweight automotive seatback through additive manufacturing compression overmolding of metal polymer composites

With the growing demand for enhanced automotive fuel efficiency and environmental sustainability, there is a need for lightweighting automotive components through innovative design and manufacturing processes. Here, this study leverages a combination of numerical iterative design optimization and hybrid additive manufacturing–compression molding (AM-CM) technique for metal polymer composites to lightweight an automotive seatback. The AM-CM process enables robust mechanical interlocking between metals and composites, boasting high stiffness and strength with low overall density. Replacing metallic components with such metal polymer composites allows for comparable mechanical performance while significantly reducing the overall weight. First, the automotive seatback design space is reduced to critical load carrying regions using topology optimization and high stress concentration areas are identified using finite element analysis. Next, a lightweight metal polymer subcomponent is designed for a high stress concentration region. The full seatback frame with spatially heterogeneous material-specific design is then iteratively optimized to enable enhanced stiffness with minimal weight. Overall, the automotive seatback frame designed with location-specific metal, polymer, and metal polymer composite materials weighs 20% less than the metal-only design while exhibiting similar stiffness.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enabling Ethanol Dehydrogenation Catalysis by Postsynthetic Anion Exchange of Triazolate-Based Metal–Organic Frameworks

Materials containing soft, polarizable elements are expanding the boundaries of catalytic properties, offering unique electronic communication and stability characteristics compared with their harder counterparts due to the enhanced covalent nature of metal–ligand interactions. However, integrating soft components like sulfur into metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for catalytic applications remains a largely underexplored challenge. Here, we report the synthesis of a family of triazole-based MOFs and expand upon established postsynthetic anion exchange methods to incorporate sterically encumbered polarizable elements, such as alkyl thiolates. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction, coupled with elemental analysis, confirms the successful anion exchange within M 2 X 2 BBTA (M = Co, Ni; X = μ-Cl, μ-OH, μ-SH, μ-SMe, μ-SEt; H 2 BBTA = 1H,5H-benzo(1,2-d:4,5-d′)bistriazole). We found that the anion identity significantly impacts the catalytic activity and selectivity of the MOFs, especially in nonoxidative ethanol dehydrogenation. Temperature-programmed experiments indicated that the metal single sites act as catalytically active sites below 250 °C. This work not only expands the synthetic toolbox for incorporating polarizable components into MOFs but also provides critical insights into their catalytic potential.

Anions↗
DOE OSTI2025

gRASPA

GPU Monte Carlo Simulation Code with a taste of RASPA We present enhancements in Monte Carlo simulation speed and functionality within an open-source code, gRASPA, which uses graphical processing units (GPUs) to achieve significant performance improvements compared to serial, CPU implementations of Monte Carlo. The code supports a wide range of Monte Carlo simulations, including canonical ensemble (NVT), grand canonical, NVT Gibbs, Widom test particle insertions, and continuous-fractional component Monte Carlo. Implementation of grand canonical transition matrix Monte Carlo (GC-TMMC) and a novel feature to allow different moves for the different components of metal-organic framework (MOF) structures exemplify the capabilities of gRASPA for precise free energy calculations and enhanced adsorption studies, respectively. The introduction of a High-Throughput Computing (HTC) mode permits many Monte Carlo simulations on a single GPU device for accelerated materials discovery. The code can incorporate machine learning (ML) potentials. The open-source nature of gRASPA promotes reproducibility and openness in science, and users may add features to the code and optimize it for their own purposes. The code is written in CUDA/C++ and SYCL/C++ to support different GPU vendors. The gRASPA code is publicly available at https://github.com/snurr-group/gRASPA.

Li, Zhao [Purdue/Northwestern/Notre Dame Universit↗
NASA NTRS2005

Thermal and Environmental Barrier Coatings for Advanced Turbine Engine Applications

Ceramic thermal and environmental barrier coatings (T/EBCs) will play a crucial role in advanced gas turbine engine systems because of their ability to significantly increase engine operating temperatures and reduce cooling requirements, thus help achieve engine low emission and high efficiency goals. Advanced T/EBCs are being developed for the low emission SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) combustor applications by extending the CMC liner and vane temperature capability to 1650 C (3000 F) in oxidizing and water vapor containing combustion environments. Low conductivity thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are also being developed for metallic turbine airfoil and combustor applications, providing the component temperature capability up to 1650 C (3000 F). In this paper, ceramic coating development considerations and requirements for both the ceramic and metallic components will be described for engine high temperature and high-heat-flux applications. The underlying coating failure mechanisms and life prediction approaches will be discussed based on the simulated engine tests and fracture mechanics modeling results.

Zhu, Dong-Ming↗
DOE OSTI2026

Interfacial Charge Transfer Pathways in Photoelectrochemical H 2 Evolution by a Single-Component Molecular Catalyst on a Conductive Metal Oxide

Dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells traditionally combine a photosensitizing dye to harvest light and a catalyst to generate chemical fuels on a semiconductor. Here, in this work, a photoactive catalyst capable of both light absorption and fuel formation, [Cp*Ir(4,4′-Y 2 -bpy)Cl][Cl] (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, Y = CH 2 PO 3 H 2 ), is anchored to a mesoporous tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) electrode and facilitates photoelectrochemical H 2 evolution in water without the need for additional photosensitizers or sacrificial reductants. Spectroelectrochemistry indicates a single-site H 2 evolution mechanism involving charge injection to ITO, in contrast to the bimetallic mechanism observed in solution. Cyclic voltammetry and variable-potential chronoamperometry under illumination probe competing pathways via interfacial electron transfer between the Ir hydride excited state and the conductive ITO electrode. A Marcus theory framework provides reorganization energies for competing interfacial electron transfer pathways from potential-dependent quantum yield measurements. The light-driven H 2 evolution catalysis on conducting oxide proceeds with high Faradaic efficiency and current densities comparable to photoelectrodes utilizing p-type semiconductors. By uncovering the principal electron transfer pathways that govern photocatalytic efficiency, this study establishes design principles for hybrid molecular photoelectrocatalysts.

catalysts↗
NASA NTRS1983

Sputtering phenomena in ion thrusters

Sputtering effects in discharge chambers of ion thrusters are lifetime limiting in basically two ways: (1) ion bombardment of critical thruster components at energies sufficient to cause sputtering removes significant quantities of material; enough to degrade operation through adverse dimensional changes or possibly lead to complete component failure, and (2) metals sputtered from these intensely bombarded components are deposited in other locations as thin films and subsequently flake or peel off; the flakes then lodge elsewhere in the discharge chamber with the possibility of providing conductive paths for short circuiting of thruster components such as the ion optics. This experimental work has concentrated in two areas. The first has been to operate thrusters for multi-hour periods and to observe and measure the films found inside the thruster. The second was to simulate the environment inside the discharge chamber of the thruster by means of a dual ion beam system. Here, films were sputter deposited in the presence of a second low energy bombarding beam to simulate film deposition on thruster interior surfaces that undergo simultaneous sputtering and deposition. Mo presents serious problems for use in a thruster as far as film deposition is concerned. Mo films were found to be in high stress, making them more likely to peel and flake.

Robinson, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Foam Core Shielding for Spacecraft

A foam core shield (FCS) system is now being developed to supplant multilayer insulation (MLI) systems heretofore installed on spacecraft for thermal management and protection against meteoroid impacts. A typical FCS system consists of a core sandwiched between a face sheet and a back sheet. The core can consist of any of a variety of low-to-medium-density polymeric or inorganic foams chosen to satisfy application-specific requirements regarding heat transfer and temperature. The face sheet serves to shock and thereby shatter incident meteoroids, and is coated on its outer surface to optimize its absorptance and emittance for regulation of temperature. The back sheet can be dimpled to minimize undesired thermal contact with the underlying spacecraft component and can be metallized on the surface facing the component to optimize its absorptance and emittance. The FCS systems can perform better than do MLI systems, at lower mass and lower cost and with greater volumetric efficiency.

Adams, Marc↗
NASA NTRS2016

Environmentally Preferred Coatings for Steel

NASA is responsible for a number of facilities and structures with metallic structural and nonstructural components in a highly corrosive environment. Metals require periodic maintenance activity to guard against the insidious effects of corrosion and thus ensure that structures meet or exceed design or performance life. The deleterious effects of corrosion result in steep costs, asset downtime affecting mission readiness, and safety risks to personnel. It is vital to reduce corrosion costs and risks in a sustainable manner.

environmentally preferred coatings for steel↗
DOE OSTI2024

Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Property of 316L Stainless Steel Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

The advanced non-light water reactor designs (Gen IV reactors), including molten salt/ very high temperature/ sodium-cooled and lead-cooled fast reactors, typically operate at higher temperatures and more extreme radiation conditions than light water reactors. An intrinsic part of the deployment and progress of Gen IV reactor designs is selecting the most suitable structural material for a specific application. Additive manufacturing (AM), a fairly new process of making physical, three-dimensional objects from a computer design file, is going to completely change the way of design, build and certify nuclear systems. It offers a range of opportunities to produce complex geometries from existing materials, offers new routes for processing of previously difficult to process materials, allows for design of new high-performance materials, and finally facilitates hybridization of dissimilar materials. This emerging technology has successfully produced cars, wind turbine blade molds and even live cells. It could also open up big opportunities for the nuclear industry to quickly deploy technologies at a fraction of the cost. So far, AM techniques have been preliminarily applied in the field of nuclear reactors, including the classical parts such as the pressure vessel of a small reactor with 508-III steel, the bottom nozzle of a fuel assembly with 304L steel, the fuel cladding with zirconium alloy and the integrated impeller of a pump and the multi-channel valve body with 316L steel [6,7]. The AM applications for operating nuclear reactors started in auxiliary plant components and have slowly migrated to metallic reactors and core components, but many of these are not safety critical components. Although many parts used for nuclear reactors have been fabricated by AM techniques, practical applications in engineering are still a long way off due to the uncertainty factors focused on the processing, material properties, analysis methods and application standards, which feeds the safety and life-cycle of the nuclear reactor. Due to rapid, repeated heating and cooling during production, a high dislocation density was present in the AM material. This microstructure feature is unstable at elevated temperature while high temperature is one of the typical operation environments for nuclear reactors. Thus, it is important to understand the thermal effect on the microstructure of AM material. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel produced by laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing, and to determine an appropriate heat treatment practice that will be applied to the lightweight AM lattice-structured material with the same chemistry. The heat treatment study consisted of annealing the samples at a temperature range of 800 to 1200 oC with a 50 oC increment for different times (1-24 hours), followed by vacuum or air cooling. Microstructural characterization was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Grain size and crystallographic orientation were investigated by Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). Vickers hardness tests with a 0.5 kg load were employed to determine the hardness of samples after different heat treatments. After heat treatment, the random crystallographic orientation was preserved, and the volume fraction of high-angle grain boundaries (grain boundary misorientation =15 oC) remained the same. The dislocation density decreased with annealing temperature due to recovery. The fine subgrain structures in the as-printed specimen were quite stable up to 1200 oC. Minimal recrystallization was observed up to 1200 oC. Recrystallization initiated only after 8.5 hours at 1200 oC. The SEM images did not show obvious dependence of microstructure on cooling rate. The hardness of the specimens decreased with increasing annealing temperature as a result of the decrease in dislocation density. It is interesting to note that the AM material showed very similar hardness to the wrought material when annealing at similar temperature, although the microstructures are very different. Annealing at 1050 oC for 1 hour followed by air cooling was selected as the heat treatment procedure for the lattice designed lightweight AM 316L material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2012

Integration Science and Technology of Advanced Ceramics for Energy and Environmental Applications

The discovery of new and innovative materials has been known to culminate in major turning points in human history. The transformative impact and functional manifestation of new materials have been demonstrated in every historical era by their integration into new products, systems, assemblies, and devices. In modern times, the integration of new materials into usable products has a special relevance for the technological development and economic competitiveness of industrial societies. Advanced ceramic technologies dramatically impact the energy and environmental landscape due to potential wide scale applications in all aspects of energy production, storage, distribution, conservation, and efficiency. Examples include gas turbine propulsion systems, fuel cells, thermoelectrics, photovoltaics, distribution and transmission systems based on superconductors, nuclear power generation, and waste disposal. Robust ceramic integration technologies enable hierarchical design and manufacturing of intricate ceramic components starting with geometrically simpler units that are subsequently joined to themselves and/or to metals to create components with progressively higher levels of complexity and functionality. However, for the development of robust and reliable integrated systems with optimum performance under different operating conditions, the detailed understanding of various thermochemical and thermomechanical factors is critical. Different approaches are required for the integration of ceramic-metal and ceramic-ceramic systems across length scales (macro to nano). In this presentation, a few examples of integration of ceramic to metals and ceramic to ceramic systems will be presented. Various challenges and opportunities in design, fabrication, and testing of integrated similar (ceramic-ceramic) and dissimilar (ceramic-metal) material systems will be discussed. Potential opportunities and need for the development of innovative design philosophies, approaches, and integrated system testing under simulated application conditions will also be presented.

Singh, M.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Controlling Heterogeneous Catalysis with Organic Monolayers on Metal Oxides

A key theme of heterogeneous catalysis research is achieving control of the environment surrounding the active site to precisely steer the reactivity toward desired reaction products. One method toward this goal has been the use of organic ligands or self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on metal nanoparticles. Metal-bound SAMs are typically employed to improve catalyst selectivity but often decrease the reaction rate as a result of site blocking from the ligands. Recently, the use of metal oxide-bound organic modifiers such as organophosphonic acid (PA) SAMs has shown promise as an additional method for tuning reactions on metal oxide surfaces as well as modifying oxide-supported metal catalysts. In this Account, we summarize recent approaches to enhance catalyst performance with oxide-bound monolayers. These approaches include (1) modification of metal oxide catalysts to tune surface reactions, (2) formation of SAMs on the oxide component of supported metal catalysts to modify sites at the metal–support interface, and (3) enhancement of catalyst performance (e.g., stability) through modification of sites remote from the active sites. Further, both the headgroups and organic tail groups of PA SAMs or other ligands can influence reactions on metal oxide surfaces. Binding of the headgroup can selectively poison certain active sites, altering the selectivity in a manner analogous to metal-bound ligands (at the expense of active site quantity). Moreover, tail groups can be functionalized to interact favorably with reactants and intermediates, for instance through dipole–dipole interactions. On supported metal catalysts like Pt/Al 2 O 3 , PA SAMs can selectively form on the oxide support. This selective deposition allows for modification of the metal–support interface with minimal blockage of metal sites. PA headgroups were shown to provide tunable acid sites at the interface, dramatically improving hydrodeoxygenation rates of various alcohols. Additionally, organic tail functionality was used to activate or stabilize specific reactants at the interface, such as with the use of amine-functionalized PAs to stabilize chemisorption of CO 2 during the reverse water gas shift reaction. PAs have also been found to affect the electronic properties of bulk metal sites through long-range electron withdrawal via the oxide, providing an additional avenue to tune catalytic behavior. Finally, organic modifiers were shown to enhance catalytic performance without directly modifying the active site. For instance, in biphasic liquid environments the modification of catalyst particles with hydrophobic or hydrophilic SAMs shifts the selectivity of multipath reactions on the basis of the hydrophobicities of different intermediates and products. As another “long-range” effect, the deposition of ligands on oxide supports improved catalyst stability through both improved resistance to sintering and suppression of active site poisoning. The recent contributions discussed in this Account demonstrate the versatility and significant potential for the approach of modifying catalysts with oxide-bound organic monolayers.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

High temperature thermochemical energy storage materials

Disclosed are high enthalpy thermochemical energy storage materials that exhibit high thermal conductivity and stability at high temperature reaction conditions. Disclosed materials include hydride-based alloys that can undergo high temperature reversible hydrogenation/dehydrogenation reactions without phase change of any metal or metalloid components of the alloy. The materials undergo a reversible exothermic hydrogenation reaction to form a metal hydride and a ternary alloy that includes a high thermal conductivity metal that, in its pure state, would exhibit a phase change at the hydrogenation reaction conditions.

Ward, Patrick A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pulsed Thermal Tomography Nondestructive Examination of Additively Manufactured Reactor Materials and Components (Final Technical Report)

Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a promising method for cost-efficient fabrication of complex shape structures for applications in harsh environment, such as in a nuclear reactor. However, internal defects (pores) occur in high-strength AM alloys, which are manufactured with Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) AM method. Pulsed Infrared Thermography (PIT) is an efficient nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method to examine actual structures, because this method offers one-sided non-contact measurements, and fast processing of large sample areas. However, imaging of material defects, particularly defects with sizes at microscopic level, is challenging. In this report, we benchmark the performance of several Unsupervised Learning (UL) algorithms designed to enhance imaging of microscopic defects in metals with PIT. UL aims to learn the latent principal patterns (dictionaries) in PIT data to detect defects with minimal human supervision. Performance of Independent Component Analysis (ICA), Sparse Coding (SC), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was compared using F-score, UL model training time and defects reconstruction time. We obtained the average F-score of 0.75, and a highest F-score of 0.89 for the EFA algorithm. Overall, EFA outperforms other UL algorithms considered in this study. In another approach, we investigate Thermal Tomography (TT), which is a computational method for reconstruction of depth profile of internal material defects from PIT nondestructive evaluation (NDE). TT algorithm obtains depth reconstructions of thermal effusivity, which has been shown to provide visualization of subsurface internals defects in metals. In many applications, one needs to determine the defect shape and orientation from reconstructed effusivity images. Interpretation of TT images is non-trivial because of blurring, which increases with depth due to heat diffusion-based nature of image formation. We have developed a deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify size and orientation of subsurface material defects in TT images. CNN was trained with TT images produced with computer simulations of 2D metallic structures (thin plates) containing elliptical subsurface voids. Performance of CNN was investigated using test TT images developed with computer simulations of plates containing elliptical defects, and defects with shape imported from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. CNN demonstrated the ability to classify radii and angular orientation of elliptical defects in previously unseen test TT images. We have also demonstrated that CNN trained on TT images of elliptical defects is capable of classifying shape and orientation of irregular defects. Training the CNN on irregular defect shapes instead of on elliptical shapes would make the resulting classifications more descriptive of actual defect shapes. However, this requires a much higher volume of SEM images of material defects, which are difficult to obtain because of random occurrence of defects in LPBF. To address this challenge, we developed a generative adversarial network (GAN) to augment the existing dataset of SEM defect images. The GAN model is demonstrated to create novel yet realistic defect shapes that can be used as input for simulated PTT images to train CNN. We also investigate several approaches based on Gaussian Random Circle and Bezier Curves for constructing parametric models of irregular-shape defects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2003

Basic and Applied Materials Science Research Efforts at MSFC Germane to NASA Goals

Presently, a number of investigations are ongoing that blend basic research with engineering applications in support of NASA goals. These include (1) "Pore Formation and Mobility (PFMI) " An ISS Glovebox Investigation" NASA Selected Project - 400-34-3D; (2) "Interactions Between Rotating Bodies" Center Director's Discretionary Fund (CDDF) Project - 279-62-00-16; (3) "Molybdenum - Rhenium (Mo-Re) Alloys for Nuclear Fuel Containment" TD Collaboration - 800-11-02; (4) "Fabrication of Alumina - Metal Composites for Propulsion Components" ED Collaboration - 090-50-10; (5) "Radiation Shielding for Deep-Space Missions" SD Effort; (6) "Other Research". In brief, "Pore Formation and Mobility" is an experiment to be conducted in the ISS Microgravity Science Glovebox that will systematically investigate the development, movement, and interactions of bubbles (porosity) during the controlled directional solidification of a transparent material. In addition to promoting our general knowledge of porosity physics, this work will serve as a guide to future ISS experiments utilizing metal alloys. "Interactions Between Rotating Bodies" is a CDDF sponsored project that is critically examining, through theory and experiment, claims of "new" physics relating to gravity modification and electric field effects. "Molybdenum - Rhenium Alloys for Nuclear Fuel Containment" is a TD collaboration in support of nuclear propulsion. Mo-Re alloys are being evaluated and developed for nuclear fuel containment. "Fabrication of Alumina - Metal Composites for Propulsion Components" is an ED collaboration with the intent of increasing strength and decreasing weight of metal engine components through the incorporation of nanometer-sized alumina fibers. "Radiation Shielding for Deep-Space Missions" is an SD effort aimed at minimizing the health risk from radiation to human space voyagers; work to date has been primarily programmatic but experiments to develop hydrogen-rich materials for shielding are planned. "Other Research" includes: BUNDLE (Bridgman Unidirectional Dendrite in a Liquid Experiment) activities (primarily crucible development), vibrational float-zone processing (with Vanderbilt University), use of ultrasonics in materials processing (with UAH), rotational effects on microstructural development, and application of magnetic fields for mixing.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2007

Control of Space-Based Electron Beam Free Form Fabrication

Engineering a closed-loop control system for an electron beam welder for space-based additive manufacturing is challenging. For earth and space based applications, components must work in a vacuum and optical components become occluded with metal vapor deposition. For extraterrestrial applications added components increase launch weight, increase complexity, and increase space flight certification efforts. Here we present a software tool that closely couples path planning and E-beam parameter controls into the build process to increase flexibility. In an environment where data collection hinders real-time control, another approach is considered that will still yield a high quality build.

Seifzer. W. J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Status Report on ASME Code Development for Nonmetallic Core Components in 2020

The purpose of this report is to provide a status update on the progress and ongoing activities of the current ASME Boiler Pressure Vessel (BPV) Code Section III, Division 5, on nonmetallic core components and assemblies which includes the design rules for graphite and ceramic composite materials. Section III is concerned with the design and construction of nuclear reactor components and Division 5 focuses on high temperature reactors (HTR). The ASME Section III Committee’s function for nuclear items other than pressure-retaining components, is to establish rules of safety related to structural integrity. The term “construction” refers to the all-inclusive effort comprising of materials, design, fabrication, examination, inspection, testing, certification, and pressure relief. The Department of Energy (DOE) supports industry codes and standards development through focused research providing the technical basis for new or modified codes and standards and the participation of subject matter experts in codes and standards committees. The activities for the nonmetallic core components and assemblies committees are the pursuit of two working groups that meet quarterly during ASME BPV Code Week meetings. The two working groups are General Requirements for Graphite and Ceramic Composite Core Components and Assemblies (GR GCCCCA) and Nonmetallic Design and Materials (NDM). The rules on general requirements for nonmetallic core components are discussed in the articles of Subsection HA subpart B. Ceramic composites were recently incorporated within the rules, and the GR GCCCCA working group is now in the process of aligning the requirements with the subsections and articles of ASME BPV Code Section III NCA, the general requirements for Division 1 and 2 of the code. The NDM working group is concerned with the design rules for graphite and composite materials for core components and assemblies discussed in Subsection HH (Class SN Nonmetallic Core Components) subpart A and subpart B which reference graphite and composite materials respectively. The bulk of the progress and work is done within this working group. A significant undertaking, with discussion that started in 2015, is to gain endorsement of ASME Section III, Division 5, by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In June 2018, ASME formally recommended endorsement to the NRC. The NRC has since initiated the endorsement review process, which is to be concluded early in 2021. ASME task groups on metallic structures and components, as well as non-metallic core support structures, have been formed to define potential pathways and schedules for NRC endorsement of Division 5. NRC determined to perform a review on the 2017 edition of Section III Division 5 as a baseline. As a result, the use of graphite as nonmetallic core components formed part of the review, but it excluded composite materials (which were first introduced in the 2019 edition). This report documents progress in FY 2020 directed toward ASME’s efforts to develop design codes for graphite and composites. Progress includes a major code review by NRC, the first code enquiry, and its solution, an overhaul of the treatment of Weibull Statistics, and the addition of Nonmandatory Appendices to the composites code relating to carbon-carbon composite materials.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗