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At least 685 records · Page 38

Development of Niobium-based alloys for Turbine Applications: 20/CJ000/08/09 (ULTIMATE Phase I project)

Current Ni-based alloys used in turbine blade applications are operating at 1100°C which is approximately 90% of the solidus of Ni-based alloys. Further increases in temperature can be achieved only through the use of alloys with higher solidus temperatures such as refractory alloys which include Mo, Nb, W, Ta alloys. Niobium has a unique combination of physical properties that include a high melting point (2468°C), lowest density (8.57 g/cc), and the lowest modulus amongst refractory alloys, a good thermal conductivity that increases from 45 W/mK at room temperature to 62 W/mK at 1093°C, good ductility with fabricability using traditional techniques, high strength, good creep resistance, and general chemical inactivity. Hence niobium alloys offer many advantages for use at the desired temperature of 1300°C. One of the major deterrents to the use of niobium and its alloys at high temperatures is achieving good oxidation resistance. In addition, achieving balanced properties of room temperature strength, ductility, fracture toughness, high temperature strength, and creep resistance required for 1300°C operation at a density of 9 g/cm 3 is extremely challenging since the addition of W which is a potent strengthener increases the density of the alloy. This project seeks to enable the development of a tri-layered turbine blade that can operate continuously at 1300°C with the core of the turbine blade providing good creep resistance, the second layer providing improved oxidation resistance over the core layer, and the third layer being an environmental barrier providing oxidation resistance. The objective of this Phase 1 project was to use computational modeling and advanced characterization tools to develop two classes of Nb alloys which could be used as the core layer and the transition layer.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Alloy design with oxide dispersoids and precipitates

The mechanical behavior of particle-strengthened alloys is reviewed. On the basis of this knowledge, it is concluded that second-phase particles, coherent or incoherent, can enhance the flow strength, creep resistance, and stress-rupture life of alloys. Unfortunately, particles are usually not beneficial alloy-design elements if enhanced uniaxial ductility, plane-strain ductility, stress-rupture ductility, and toughness are called for. Such properties as fatigue-crack propagation resistance appear to require, for example, both high strength and high ductility, a situation which can come to pass only when the perennial conflict between strength and ductility is resolved in particle-strengthened systems in particular and in any other material system in general. Wherever possible, the role of coherent and incoherent particles in alloy design is distinguished.

Tien, J. K.↗

Evaluation of two bisimide additives in LARC-TPI adhesive

The processability of aromatic polyimides can be improved by the addition of bis (amide) acids or bisimides to LARC-TPI. These low molecular weight additives apparently lower the melt viscosity of aromatic polyimides without affecting the glass transition temperature. Well-consolidated, fiber reinforced composites were fabricated using this technology. LARC-TPI can be processed as a thermoplastic polyimide to form high strength bonds, however, this is generally accomplished by processing at relatively high bonding pressures. An adhesive investigation is presented on the effects of two bisimide additives to LARC-TPI in an attempt to improve the bonding process by lowering the viscosity of the material to achieve improved bond strength properties. Apparently, the high flow which is exhibited by the additives when they melt, tended to be masked by the more viscous LARC-TPI.

Progar, Donald J.↗

High-Entropy Borides under Extreme Environment of Pressures and Temperatures

The high-entropy transition metal borides containing a random distribution of five or more constituent metallic elements offer novel opportunities in designing materials that show crystalline phase stability, high strength, and thermal oxidation resistance under extreme conditions. We present a comprehensive theoretical and experimental investigation of prototypical high-entropy boride (HEB) materials such as (Hf, Mo, Nb, Ta, Ti)B2 and (Hf, Mo, Nb, Ta, Zr)B2 under extreme environments of pressures and temperatures. The theoretical tools include modeling elastic properties by special quasi-random structures that predict a bulk modulus of 288 GPa and a shear modulus of 215 GPa at ambient conditions. HEB samples were synthesized under high pressures and high temperatures and studied to 9.5 GPa and 2273 K in a large-volume pressure cell. The thermal equation of state measurement yielded a bulk modulus of 276 GPa, in excellent agreement with theory. The measured compressive yield strength by radial X-ray diffraction technique in a diamond anvil cell was 28 GPa at a pressure of 65 GPa, which is a significant fraction of the shear modulus at high pressures. The high compressive strength and phase stability of this material under high pressures and high temperatures make it an ideal candidate for application as a structural material in nuclear and aerospace fields.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hydrogen Embrittlement of Medium Mn Steels

Recent research efforts to develop advanced–/ultrahigh–strength medium-Mn steels have led to the development of a variety of alloying concepts, thermo-mechanical processing routes, and microstructural variants for these steel grades. However, certain grades of advanced–/ultrahigh–strength steels (A/UHSS) are known to be highly susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement, due to their high strength levels. Hydrogen embrittlement characteristics of medium–Mn steels are less understood compared to other classes of A/UHSS, such as high Mn twinning–induced plasticity steel, because of the relatively short history of the development of this steel class and the complex nature of multiphase, fine-grained microstructures that are present in medium–Mn steels. The motivation of this paper is to review the current understanding of the hydrogen embrittlement characteristics of medium or intermediate Mn (4 to 15 wt pct) multiphase steels and to address various alloying and processing strategies that are available to enhance the hydrogen-resistance of these steel grades.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Conducting High Cycle Fatigue Strength Step Tests on Gamma TiAl

High cycle fatigue strength testing of gamma TiAl by the step test method is investigated. A design of experiments was implemented to determine if the coaxing effect occurred during testing. Since coaxing was not observed, step testing was deemed a suitable method to define the fatigue strength at 106 cycles.

Lerch, Brad↗

An interlaminar tension strength specimen

This paper describes a technique to determine interlaminar tension strength, sigma(sub 3c) of a fiber reinforced composite material using a curved beam. The specimen was a unidirectional curved beam, bent 90 degrees, with straight arms. Attached to each arm was a hinged loading mechanism which was held by the grips of a tensile testing machine. Geometry effects of the specimen, including the effects of loading arm length, inner radius, thickness, and width, were studied. The data sets fell into two categories: low strength corresponding to a macroscopic flaw related failure and high strength corresponding to a microscopic flaw related failure. From the data available, the loading arm length had no effect on sigma(sub 3c). The inner radius was not expected to have a significant effect on sigma(sub 3c), but this conclusion could not be confirmed because of differences in laminate quality for each curve geometry. The thicker specimens had the lowest value of sigma(sub 3c) because of poor laminate quality. Width was found to affect the value of sigma(sub 3c) only slightly. The wider specimens generally had a slightly lower strength since more material was under high stress, and hence, had a larger probability of containing a significant flaw.

Jackson, Wade C.↗

Role of crystallographic orientation on intragranular void growth in polycrystalline FCC materials

In this study, we study the effect of crystallographic orientation and applied triaxiality on the growth of intragranular voids. Two 3D full-field micromechanics methods are used, the dilatational visco-plastic fast-Fourier transform (DVP-FFT) and the crystal plasticity Finite Elements (CP-FE), both of which incorporate a combination of crystalline plasticity and dilatational plasticity. We demonstrate with several select cases that predictions of void growth from both formulations agree qualitatively. With the more computationally efficient DVP-FFT, additional effects of polycrystalline microstructure and the influence of nearest neighborhood are investigated. Crystals bearing a single intracrystalline void are studied in three types of 3D microstructural environments: isolated single crystals, individual equal-sized grains within a regular polycrystal, and individual variable sized grains within a polycrystal with grains and voids randomly located. We show that loading type plays a significant role. In strain-rate controlled conditions, voids in the hardest [111]-crystals grow the fastest in time, whereas in stress-controlled conditions, voids in the softest [100]-crystal grow the fastest in time. The analysis reveals that on average void growth is slower for the same starting orientation in the polycrystal than in the single crystal. We find that at the highest triaxiality tested that the correlation between crystal orientation and void growth rate in the polycrystal strengthens, drawing closer to that seen in the isolated single crystals. These results and model can help guide the microstructural design of polycrystalline materials with high strength and damage-tolerance in high-rate deformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Universal Maximum Strength of Solid Metals and Alloys

As described here, interstitial electron density ρ o is offered as a direct metric for maximum strength in metals, arising from universal properties derived from an electron-gas – ρ o sets the exchange-correlation parameter r s in density-functional theory (DFT). It holds also for maximum shear strength τ max in polycrystals [Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 125501]. Elastic moduli and τ max for polycrystalline (amorphous) metals are linear with ρ o and melting T m (glass-transition T g ) temperature. ρ o or r s , even with rule-of-mixture estimate, predicts relative strength for rapid, reliable selection of high-strength alloys with ductility, as confirmed for elements to steels to complex solid-solutions, and validated experimentally.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Extending Ultrasonic Welding Techniques to New Material Pairs (FY 2023 Annual Progress Report)

Modern multimaterial vehicles require joining of various lightweight materials, such as aluminum (Al) and magnesium (Mg) alloys and carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP), with advanced high-strength steels together to form a high-performance and lightweight body structure. A variety of joining methodologies (e.g., resistance spot welding, adhesive bonding, linear fusion welding, hemming, clinching, bolting, riveting) have been attempted by the automotive industry to join different materials. Often, these joining techniques are limited to only certain material combinations. For capital and operational cost, automobile original equipment manufacturers need to limit the number of joining technologies implemented on an assembly line.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Cycle testing of boron filament wound tanks

Filament tensile strengths and pressure-strain characteristics of high modulus, high-strength, boron-filament-wound/resin-composite pressure vessel at ambient and cryogenic temperatures

Alfring, R. J.↗

Method for imparting strength to intermetallic phases

A method for achieving both improved high strength and improved ductility ·in intermediate phases is provided. The method, briefly stated, comprises the steps of providing a melt whose composition substantially corresponds to that of a preselected intermetallic phase having a crystal structure of the L1 2 type, such as nickel. aluminide, modified with from about 0.01 to 2.5 atomic percent boron, and rapidly solidifying the melt at a cooling rate of at least about 10 3 ° C./second to form a solid body, the principal phase of which is of the L1 2 type crystal structure in either its ordered or disordered state.

Shyh-Chin Huang↗

A statistical analysis of elevated temperature gravimetric cyclic oxidation data of 36 Ni- and Co-base superalloys based on an oxidation attack parameter

A large body of high temperature cyclic oxidation data generated from tests at NASA Lewis Research Center involving gravimetric/time values for 36 Ni- and Co-base superalloys was reduced to a single attack parameter, K(sub a), for each run. This K(sub a) value was used to rank the cyclic oxidation resistance of each alloy at 1000, 1100, and 1150 C. These K(sub a) values were also used to derive an estimating equation using multiple linear regression involving log(sub 10)K(sub a) as a function of alloy chemistry and test temperature. This estimating equation has a high degree of fit and could be used to predict cyclic oxidation behavior for similar alloys and to design an optimum high strength Ni-base superalloy with maximum high temperature cyclic oxidation resistance. The critical alloy elements found to be beneficial were Al, Cr, and Ta.

Barrett, Charles A.↗

Technology Development and Demonstration Concepts for the Space Elevator

During the 1990s several discoveries and advances in the development of carbon nano-tube (CNT) materials indicated that material strengths many times greater than common high-strength composite materials might be possible. Progress in the development of this material led to renewed interest in the space elevator concept for construction of a tether structure from the surface of the Earth through a geostationary orbit (GEO) and thus creating a new approach to Earth-to-orbit transportation infrastructures. To investigate this possibility the author, in 1999, managed for NASA a space elevator work:hop at the Marshall Space Flight Center to explore the potential feasibility of space elevators in the 21 century, and to identify the critical technologies and demonstration missions needed to make development of space elevators feasible. Since that time, a NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) funded study of the Space Elevator proposed a concept for a simpler first space elevator system using more near-term technologies. This paper will review some of the latest ideas for space elevator development, the critical technologies required, and some of the ideas proposed for demonstrating the feasibility for full-scale development of an Earth to GEO space elevator. Critical technologies include CNT composite materials, wireless power transmission, orbital object avoidance, and large-scale tether deployment and control systems. Numerous paths for technology demonstrations have been proposed utilizing ground experiments, air structures. LEO missions, the space shuttle, the international Space Station, GEO demonstration missions, demonstrations at the lunar L1 or L2 points, and other locations. In conclusion, this paper finds that the most critical technologies for an Earth to GEO space elevator include CNT composite materials development and object avoidance technologies; that lack of successful development of these technologies need not preclude continued development of space elevator systems in general; and that the critical technologies required for the Earth to GEO space elevator are not required for similar systems at the Moon, Mars, Europa, or for orbital tether systems at GEO, Luna, and other locations.

Smitherman, David V., Jr.↗