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At least 811 records · Page 45

Effect of Environment on Stress-Rupture Behavior of a Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) Ceramic Matrix Composite

Stress-rupture tests were conducted in air, vacuum, and steam-containing environments to identify the failure modes and degradation mechanisms of a carbon fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) composite at two temperatures, 600 and 1200 C. Stress-rupture lives in air and steam containing environments (50 - 80% steam with argon) are similar for a composite stress of 69 MPa at 1200 C. Lives of specimens tested in a 20% steam/argon environment were about twice as long. For tests conducted at 600 C, composite life in 20% steam/argon was 20 times longer than life in air. Thermogravimetric analysis of the carbon fibers was conducted under similar conditions to the stress-rupture tests. The oxidation rate of the fibers in the various environments correlated with the composite stress-rupture lives. Examination of the failed specimens indicated that oxidation of the carbon fibers was the primary damage mode for specimens tested in air and steam environments at both temperatures.

Verrilli, Michael J.↗

Analyses of Fatigue and Fatigue-Crack Growth under Constant- and Variable-Amplitude Loading

Studies on the growth of small cracks have led to the observation that fatigue life of many engineering materials is primarily crack growth from micro-structural features, such as inclusion particles, voids, slip-bands or from manufacturing defects. This paper reviews the capabilities of a plasticity-induced crack-closure model to predict fatigue lives of metallic materials using small-crack theory under various loading conditions. Constraint factors, to account for three-dimensional effects, were selected to correlate large-crack growth rate data as a function of the effective stress-intensity factor range (delta K(sub eff)) under constant-amplitude loading. Modifications to the delta K(sub eff)-rate relations in the near-threshold regime were needed to fit measured small-crack growth rate behavior. The model was then used to calculate small- and large-crack growth rates, and to predict total fatigue lives, for notched and un-notched specimens under constant-amplitude and spectrum loading. Fatigue lives were predicted using crack-growth relations and micro-structural features like those that initiated cracks in the fatigue specimens for most of the materials analyzed. Results from the tests and analyses agreed well.

Newman, J. C., Jr.↗

Vectran Fiber Time-Dependent Behavior and Additional Static Loading Properties

Vectran HS appears from literature and testing to date to be an ideal upgrade from Kevlar braided cords for many long-term, static-loading applications such as tie-downs on solar arrays. Vectran is a liquid crystalline polymer and exhibits excellent tensile properties. The material has been touted as a zero creep product. Testing discussed in this report does not support this statement, though the creep is on the order of four times slower than with similar Kevlar 49 products. Previous work with Kevlar and new analysis of Vectran testing has led to a simple predictive model for Vectran at ambient conditions. The mean coefficient of thermal expansion (negative in this case) is similar to Kevlar 49, but is not linear. A positive transition in the curve occurs near 100 C. Out-gassing tests show that the material performs well within parameters for most space flight applications. Vectran also offers increased abrasion resistance, minimal moisture regain, and similar UV degradation. The effects of material construction appear to have a dramatic effect in stress relaxation for braided Vectran. To achieve the improved relaxation rate, upgrades must also examine alternate construction or preconditioning methods. This report recommends Vectran HS as a greatly improved replacement material for applications where time-dependent relaxation is a major factor.

Fette, Russell B.↗

(abstract) Effects of Radiation and Oxidative Stress on Development and Morphology of Intestinal Cells

Intestinal cells when subjected to oxidative stress or radiation exhibit abnormal nuclear divisions observed as: 1) supernumerary cell divisions in anterior intestinal cells or 2) incomplete nuclear division and the persistence of anaphase bridges between daughter nuclei. Two oxygen sensitive mutants, mev-1 and rad-8 were observed to exhibit spontaneous supernumerary nuclear divisions at low frequency. N2 can be induced to undergo these divisions by treatment with the superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibitor diethyl dithicarbamate or with the free radical generator methyl viologen. By contrast, the free radical generator bleomycin produces anaphase bridges in N2 intestinal nuclei at high frequency. Intestinal anaphase bridges can be induced by ionizing radiation and their formation is dependent on dose and radiation type.

division↗

Tensile Creep and Fatigue of Sylramic-iBN Melt-Infiltrated SiC Matrix Composites: Retained Properties, Damage Development, and Failure Mechanisms

An understanding of the elevated temperature tensile creep, fatigue, rupture, and retained properties of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) envisioned for use in gas turbine engine applications are essential for component design and life-prediction. In order to quantify the effect of stress, time, temperature, and oxidation for a state-of-the-art composite system, a wide variety of tensile creep, dwell fatigue, and cyclic fatigue experiments were performed in air at 1204 C for the SiC/SiC CMC system consisting of Sylramic-iBN SiC fibers, BN fiber interphase coating, and slurry-cast melt-infiltrated (MI) SiC-based matrix. Tests were either taken to failure or interrupted. Interrupted tests were then mechanically tested at room temperature to determine the residual properties. The retained properties of most of the composites subjected to tensile creep or fatigue were usually within 20% of the as-produced strength and 10% of the as-produced elastic modulus. It was observed that during creep, residual stresses in the composite are altered to some extent which results in an increased compressive stress in the matrix upon cooling and a subsequent increased stress required to form matrix cracks. Microscopy of polished sections and the fracture surfaces of specimens which failed during stressed-oxidation or after the room-temperature retained property test was performed on some of the specimens in order to quantify the nature and extent of damage accumulation that occurred during the test. It was discovered that the distribution of stress-dependent matrix cracking at 1204 C was similar to the as-produced composites at room temperature; however, matrix crack growth occurred over time and typically did not appear to propagate through thickness except at final failure crack. Failure of the composites was due to either oxidation-induced unbridged crack growth, which dominated the higher stress regime (> 179 MPa) or controlled by degradation of the fibers, probably caused by intrinsic creep-induced flaw growth of the fibers or internal attack of the fibers via Si diffusion through the CVI SiC and/or microcracks at the lower stress regime (< 165 MPa).

Morscher, Greg↗

Terahertz NDE of Stressed Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels - Initial Testing

Terahertz radiation nondestructive evaluation was applied to a set of Kevlar composite overwrapped pressure vessel bottles that had undergone a series of thermal and pressure tests to simulate stress rupture effects. The bottles in these nondestructive evaluation tests were bottles that had not ruptured but had survived various times at the elevated load and temperature levels. Some of the bottles showed evidence of minor composite failures. The terahertz radiation did detect visible surface flaws, but did not detect any internal chemical or material degradation of the thin overwraps.

Madaras, Eric I.↗

Multiscale Fatigue Life Prediction for Composite Panels

Fatigue life prediction capabilities have been incorporated into the HyperSizer Composite Analysis and Structural Sizing Software. The fatigue damage model is introduced at the fiber/matrix constituent scale through HyperSizer s coupling with NASA s MAC/GMC micromechanics software. This enables prediction of the micro scale damage progression throughout stiffened and sandwich panels as a function of cycles leading ultimately to simulated panel failure. The fatigue model implementation uses a cycle jumping technique such that, rather than applying a specified number of additional cycles, a specified local damage increment is specified and the number of additional cycles to reach this damage increment is calculated. In this way, the effect of stress redistribution due to damage-induced stiffness change is captured, but the fatigue simulations remain computationally efficient. The model is compared to experimental fatigue life data for two composite facesheet/foam core sandwich panels, demonstrating very good agreement.

Bednarcyk, Brett A.↗

Damage Characterization of EBC-SiCSiC Ceramic Matrix Composites Under Imposed Thermal Gradient Testing

Due to their high temperature capabilities, Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) components are being developed for use in hot-section aerospace engine applications. Harsh engine environments have led to the development of Environmental Barrier Coatings (EBCs) for silicon-based CMCs to further increase thermal and environmental capabilities. This study aims at understanding the damage mechanisms associated with these materials under simulated operating conditions. A high heat-flux laser testing rig capable of imposing large through-thickness thermal gradients by means of controlled laser beam heating and back-side air cooling is used. Tests are performed on uncoated composites, as well as CMC substrates that have been coated with state-of-the-art ceramic EBC systems. Results show that the use of the EBCs may help increase temperature capability and creep resistance by reducing the effects of stressed oxidation and environmental degradation. Also, the ability of electrical resistance (ER) and acoustic emission (AE) measurements to monitor material condition and damage state during high temperature testing is shown; suggesting their usefulness as a valuable health monitoring technique. Micromechanics models are used to describe the localized stress state of the composite system, which is utilized along with ER modeling concepts to develop an electromechanical model capable of characterizing material behavior.

protective coatings (nonmetallic)↗

Performance Improvement of Friction Stir Welds by Better Surface Finish

The as-welded friction stir weld has a cross section that may act as a stress concentrator. The geometry associated with the stress concentration may reduce the weld strength and it makes the weld challenging to inspect with ultrasound. In some cases, the geometry leads to false positive nondestructive evaluation (NDE) indications and, in many cases, it requires manual blending to facilitate the inspection. This study will measure the stress concentration effect and develop an improved phased array ultrasound testing (PAUT) technique for friction stir welding. Post-welding, the friction stir weld (FSW) tool would be fitted with an end mill that would machine the weld smooth, trimmed shaved. This would eliminate the need for manual weld preparation for ultrasonic inspections. Manual surface preparation is a hand operation that varies widely depending on the person preparing the welds. Shaving is a process that can be automated and tightly controlled.

Russell, Sam↗

Sex-Specific Effects of Unpredictable Variable Prenatal Stress: Implications for Mammalian Developmental Programming During Spaceflight

During adaptation to the microgravity environment, adult mammals experience stress mediated by the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis. In our previous studies of pregnant rats exposed to 2-g hypergravity via centrifugation, we reported decreased corticosterone and increased body mass and leptin in adult male, but not female, offspring. In this study, we utilized Unpredictable Variable Prenatal Stress to simulate the stressors of spaceflight by exposing dams to different stressors. Stress response modulation occurs via both positive and negative feedback in the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex resulting in the differential release of corticosterone (CORT), a murine analog to human cortisol.

Prenatal Stress↗

Sidewall Effects on Exact Reynolds-Stress Budgets in an Impinging Shock Wave/Boundary Layer Interaction

Large-eddy simulations are performed using wall-resolved mesh for a Mach 2.29 impinging shock wave/boundary-layer interaction. Flow conditions are based on an experiment and therefore entire span was simulated, including the two sidewalls. Mean flow comparison with the experimental data showed that the interaction was larger in the simulation. Time-series analysis of a rake of pressure probes immediately downstream of the mean reflected shock position showed a peak in weighted power spectral density occurred about $St_{Lint}=0.01$, owing to a larger interaction length. Budgets of Reynolds-stress transport calculated across the span and along the corner bisector showed high degree of anisotropy. Merging of the secondary flows and separation along the corner gives rise to unstablecounter rotating vortices, which straddle the corner and grow in size. This also leads to a development of new behavior in the viscous sublayer along the corner bisector, where the pressure strain andmolecular diffusion mechanisms become prominent.

Vyas, Manan A.↗

The Effects of CDKN1a/p21 on Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Function During Long Duration Spaceflight

Broad tissue degeneration and the failure of normal tissue regenerative processes in microgravity because of mechanical unloading are increasing concerns for sustaining life in space as the duration of future flight missions increases. Work in our laboratory has identified normal adult stem cell-based tissue regenerative processes, such as the formation of new bone, cartilage, and immune cells, as being particularly sensitive to the stresses of mechanical unloading in microgravity. Our studies have also identified the inhibition of differentiation of marrow mesenchymal stem cells and activation of CDKN1ap21-mediated cell cycle arrest in proliferative osteoprecursor cells on the bone surface as potential mechanisms for spaceflight-induced skeletal changes. This finding, in combination with the role of CDKN1ap21 as a suppressor of mammalian tissue regeneration, suggests that this gene could be responsible for suppressing stem cell-based tissue regeneration in response to disuse. In this work, we hypothesized that CDKN1ap21 regulates regenerative bone formation in response to alterations in mechanical load and tested this hypothesis by studying the skeletal phenotype and stem cell regenerative ability of juvenile (4-11 weeks old) and adult (18 weeks-12 months old) p21 (--) knockout (KO) mice. Additionally, we analyzed bone micro-architectural properties, bone formation rates and differentiation capacity of bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) from male and female KO mice exposed to hindlimb unloading (HU) for 15-30 days. We found that juvenile KO mice exhibited increased femoral trabecular and cortical bone formation, whilst three-point bending of the tibias from KO mice showed decreased bone stiffness. Conversely, adult KO mice exhibited no significant differences in micro-architectural properties compared to WT (wild-type) but woven bone structure was indicative of rapid bone remodeling. Furthermore, cortical bone properties showed similar characteristics to aged bone, including increased cross-sectional area and perimeter, whilst three-point bending showed increased stiffness and toughness. Interestingly, in-vitro, KO mice exhibited increased differentiation and mineralized nodule formation in osteoblastogenesis assays compared to WT. Preliminary results from CDKN1ap21 KO mice subjected to HU suggest altered sensitivity to mechanical unloading resulting in decreased cortical thickness compared to WT mice. However, KO mice subjected to short and long-duration HU show increased in-vitro differentiation potential of BMSCs to from form mature, mineral-forming osteoblasts, indicating maintenance of regenerative potential. Analysis of bone formation rates, cell proliferation rates and key genes of interest are currently underway. These results indicate a novel role for CDKN1ap21 in load-dependent osteoprogenitor proliferation and differentiation and that deletion of CDKN1ap21 results in an age-dependent release of osteoblast proliferation inhibition and increased bone formation and turnover.

Stem Cells↗

Friction Stir Processed Repair Welding of Dry Storage Canisters and Mitigation Strategies: Effect of Engineered Barrier Layer on Environmental Degradation

The proposed project aims to develop a friction sir based repair technique to heal cracks of stainless steel dry storage canisters (DSCs), created by the effect of stress corrosion cracking (SCC). In real service conditions, the welded parts of the canisters become prone to SCC under exposure to aggressive chemical environment. The focus of the project is on developing a mitigation strategy that can be implemented for countering SCC in DSCs following a two-pronged approach: (i) apply friction stir processing (FSP) as a crack repair technique while creating compressive residual stresses at the canister material surface, thus improving resistance against SCC; (ii) add molybdenum and/or nitrogen by friction stir based alloying process to create compositions that improve pitting resistance and thus enhance resistance against SCC. The specific project objectives are listed below: • Investigate FSW of 304L SS a potential repair welding technique of dry storage canisters; • Optimize the FSW parameters to introduce surface compressive stress profiles in the weldments; • Develop a FSP method to surface alloy the 304L with nitrogen and Mo by adding CrN and Mo powders; • Evaluate the surface compressive residual stress profile during FSW and FSP processes; • Evaluate the localized corrosion resistance of the FSW and FSP samples as a function of temperature, chloride concentration, and surface alloy composition; • Evaluate the SCC behavior of the FSW and FSP samples as a function of stress, chloride concentration, and temperature at different surface chemistries and induced residual stress profiles.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Effect of sliding speed and contact stress on tribological properties of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene

A pin on disk apparatus was used to investigate the effect of sliding speed on the friction, wear, and transfer film characteristics of hemispherically tipped AISI 440C high temperature (HT) stainless steel riders sliding against ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) disks. The surface morphology of the wear track was studied to determine possible wear mechanisms. Geometry effects were determined by comparing the results to those of others who used different specimen configurations. The results indicate that sliding speed, sliding distance, contact stress, and specimen geometry can all markedly influence the tribological properties of UHMWPE.

Fusaro, R. L.↗

Effects of 2G on Gene Expression of Stress-Related Hormones in Rat Placenta

Understanding the effects of spaceflight on mammalian reproductive and developmental physiology is important to future human space exploration and permanent settlement beyond Earth orbit. Fetal developmental programming, including modulation of the HPA axis, is thought to originate at the placental-uterine interface, where both transfer of maternal hormones to the fetus and synthesis of endogenous hormones occurs. In healthy rats, fetal corticosterone levels are kept significantly lower by 11BetaHSD-2, which inactivates corticosterone by conversion into cortisone. Placental tissues express endogenous HPA axis-associated hormones including corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), pre-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and vasopressin, which may contribute to fetal programming alongside maternal hormones. DNA methylase 3A, 11BetaHSD-2, and 11BetaHSD-1, which are involved in the regulation of maternal cortisol transfer and modulation of the HPA axis, are also expressed in placental tissues along with glucocorticoid receptor and may be affected by differential gravity exposure during pregnancy. Fetuses may respond differently to maternal glucocorticoid exposure during gestation through sexually dimorphic expression of corticosterone-modulating hormones. To elucidate effects of altered gravity on placental gene expression, here we present a ground-based analogue study involving continuous centrifugation to produce 2g hypergravity. We hypothesized that exposure to 2g would induce a decrease in 11BetaHSD-2 expression through the downregulation of DNA methylase 3a and GC receptor, along with concurrent upregulation in endogenous CRH, POMC, and vasopressin expression. Timed pregnant female rats were exposed to 2G from Gestational day 6 to Gestational day 20, and comparisons made with Stationary Control (SC) and Vivarium Control (VC) dams at 1G. Dams were euthanized and placentas harvested on G20. We homogenized placental tissues, extracted and purified RNA, synthesized cDNA, and quantified the expression levels of the genes of interest relative to the GAPDH housekeeping gene, using RT-qPCR and gene-specific cDNA probes. Elucidation of glucocorticoid transfer and synthesis in the placenta can provide new insights into the unique dynamics of mammalian development in microgravity and guide future multi-generational studies in space.

Benson, S.↗