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At least 901 records · Page 50
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Elastic properties of Ca-based metallic glasses predicted by first-principles simulations

First-principles simulations of Ca-based metallic glass-forming alloys yield sample amorphous structures whose structures can be compared to experiment and whose properties can be analyzed. In an effort to understand and control ductility, we investigate the elastic moduli. Calculated Poisson ratios depend strongly on alloying elements in a manner that correlates with ionicity (charge transfer). Consequently, we predict that alloying Ca with Mg and Zn should result in relatively ductile glasses compared to alloying with Ag, Cu, or Al. Experimental observations validate these predictions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Alloying effect of niobium and tin on the zirconium alloy fuel cladding behavior at high temperature oxidation in steam - 2016-0072

As the materials for fuel claddings for water-cooled reactors, binary and multicomponent zirconium alloys zirconium-niobium (Zr-Nb) (E110, M5), zirconium-tin-iron (Zr-Sn-Fe) (Zircaloy-2,-4), and zirconium-niobium-tin-iron (Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe) (E635, ZIRLO{sup R} ) most commonly are used. Improvement extends, in particular, by varying their composition by niobium, tin, and iron. At the same time, importance is given to ensuring the safe operation of the fuel rods not only in normal conditions but also in emergency situations such as a loss of coolant accident. In this paper, we present the research results of studies of the influence of alloying elements niobium, tin, and iron on corrosion resistance and embrittlement at high-temperature steam oxidation of fuel claddings based on the alloy types Zr-xNb (x=1.0/2.5) and Zr-xNb-ySn-zFe (x=0.6/2.4; y=0.24/1.1; z=0.18/0.34) made by using zirconium sponge. We conducted high-temperature steam oxidation tests at temperatures of 1,000 deg. C, 1,100 deg. C, and 1,200 deg. C with continuous measurement of the weight gain during the experiment and subsequent cooling in steam with rate ∼ 20 deg. C/s. We conducted studies of kinetics of high-temperature oxidation in steam, structural-phase state changes, alloying elements distribution, absorbed hydrogen content, and residual ductility after rapid cooling of the oxidized specimens. We revealed the difference in the oxidation kinetics of the materials studied, which decreased as the oxidation temperature increased. Likewise, an increase of the tin content in the alloy influenced a specimen's breakaway oxidation intensification at 1,000 deg. C. This shows that the mechanical properties of fuel claddings oxidized under the same conditions depend on their alloying composition, and the hydrogen fraction is absorbed by the specimen and formed by the oxidation of ZrO{sub 2}, α-Zr(O), and ex-β layer structures, which in turn varies depending on the alloy composition. The increase of niobium, tin, and iron content in the zirconium alloy leads to a decrease in the residual ductility of fuel claddings after high-temperature steam oxidation. According to obtained results, among the materials studied, Zr-1.0Nb alloy is the most resistant to embrittlement during high-temperature steam oxidation at temperatures of 1,000-1,200 deg. C. (authors)

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Cu-Cr Literature Review

Cu-Cr alloys are part of a class of face-centered cubic (FCC)-body-centered cubic (BCC) composites that includes similar alloys, such as Cu-Nb and Cu-Ta. When heavily deformed, these FCC-BCC materials create 'in situ' composites with a characteristic structure-nanoscale BCC filaments in a ductile FCC matrix. The strength of these composites is vastly greater than predicted by the rule of mixtures, and has been shown to be inversely proportional to the filament spacing. Lower raw materials costs suggest that Cu-Cr alloys may offer more economical solution to high-strength, high-conductivity wire than either their Nb or Ta counterparts. However, Cr is also more brittle and soluble in Cu than Nb or Ta. These qualities necessitate thermal treatments to remove solute atoms from the Cu matrix, improve conductivity, and maintain the ductility of the Cr filaments. Through the use of different thermomechanical processing routes or the addition of select dopants, alloys with strength in excess of 1 GPa at 70% IACS have been achieved. To date, previous research on Cu-Cr alloys has focused on a relatively small number of alloy compositions and processing methods while the effects of dopants and ageing treatments have only been studied independently. Consequently, there remains considerable opportunity for the development and optimization of these alloys as a leading high-strength, high-conductivity material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

DE-NE0000724 - Research Performance Final Report - Investigation of Thermal Aging Effects on the Evolution of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cast Duplex Stainless Steels

This report details the research activities carried out under DOE-NEUP award number DE-NE0000724 concerning the evolution of structural and mechanical properties during thermal aging of CF–3 and CF–8 cast duplex stainless steels (CDSS). The overall objective of this project was to use state-of-the-art characterization techniques to elucidate trends and phenomena in the mechanical and structural evolution of cast duplex stainless steels (CDSS) during thermal aging. These steels are commonly used as structural materials in commercial light water nuclear power plants, undergoing aging for decades in operation as cooling water pipes, pump casings, valve bodies, etc. During extended exposure to these conditions, CDSS are known to undergo a change in mechanical properties resulting in a loss of ductility, i.e. embrittlement. While it is generally accepted that structural changes within the ferrite phase, such as decomposition into iron (Fe)-rich and chromium (Cr)-rich domains, lead to the bulk embrittlement of the steels, many questions remain as to the mechanisms of embrittlement at multiple length scales. This work is intended to shed insight into the atomic level composition changes, associated kinetic mechanisms, and effects of changing phase structure on micro- and nano-scale deformation that lead to loss of impact toughness and tensile ductility in these steels. In general, this project provides a route to answer some of these major questions using techniques such as 3-dimensional (3-D) atom probe tomography (APT) and real-microstructure finite element method (FEM) modeling, which were not readily available when these steels were originally selected for service in light water reactors. Mechanical properties evaluated by Charpy V-notch impact testing (CVN), tensile testing, and microhardness and nanohardness measurements were obtained for each condition and compared with the initial baseline properties to view trends in deformation behavior during aging. Concurrent analysis of the microstructure and nanostructure by atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provide mechanistic insight into the kinetic and mechanical behavior occurring on the nano-scale. The presence and morphology of the ferrite, austenite, and carbide phases have been characterized, and formation of new phases during aging, including spinodal decomposition products (α- and α'-ferrite) and G-phase, have been observed. The mechanical and structural characterization have been used to create accurate FEM models based on the real micro- and nano-structures of the systems. These models provide new insight into the local deformation behavior of these steels and the effects of each individual phase (including ferrite, austenite, carbides, and spinodal decomposition products) on the evolving bulk mechanical behavior of the system. The project was divided into three major tasks: 1. Initial Microstructure and Mechanical Property Survey and Initiate Heat Treatment; 2. Microstructural Characterization and Mechanical Property Testing During Aging; and 3. Microstructure-based Finite Element Modeling. Each of these tasks was successfully executed, resulting in reliable data and analysis that add to the overall body of work on the CDSS materials. Baseline properties and aging trends in mechanical data confirm prior observations and add new insights into the mechanical behavior of the steels. Structural characterization on multiple length scales provides new information on phase changes occurring during aging and sheds light on the kinetic processes occurring at the atomic scale. Furthermore, a combination of mechanical testing and microstructural characterization techniques was utilized to design FEM models of local deformation behavior of the ferrite and austenite phases, providing valuable new information regarding the effects of each of the microstructural components on the hardening and embrittlement processes. The data and analysis presented in this report and the publication associated with this project (§V) increase the understanding of aging and deformation in CF–3 and CF–8 steels. These results provide valuable information that can be utilized to aid in making informed decisions regarding the ongoing use of these steels in commercial nuclear infrastructure.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Crack-Free Joining of High-Strength AA7055 Sheets by Friction Based Self-Piercing Riveting with the Aid of Numerical Design

Unique friction-based self-piercing riveting (F-SPR) was employed to join high-strength, low-ductility aluminum alloy 7055 for lightweight vehicle applications. This study aimed to maximize the joint strength of the AA7055 F-SPR joint while avoiding cracking issues due to low ductility at room temperature. A fully coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) model was employed to predict the process temperature during F-SPR, and the temperature field was then mapped onto a 2D axisymmetric equivalent model for accelerated numerical analysis. The geometry, dimensions, and material strength of the rivet, as well as the depth of the die cavity and plunging depth, were investigated to enhance joint formation. Also, a static finite-element analysis model was developed to predict and analyze the stress distribution in the rivet under different mechanical testing loading conditions. Overall, the numerical model showed good agreement with the experiment results, such as joint formation and mechanical joint strength. With the aid of virtual fabrication through numerical modeling, the joint design iterations and process development time of F-SPR were greatly reduced regarding the goal of lightweight, high-strength aluminum joining.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fast Neutron Irradiation Embrittlement-ductilitization of an Iron-based Amorphous Alloy using In Situ Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction

Amorphous Fe-based nanostructured alloy coatings thermally sprayed on bcc steel substrate, were subjected to neutron irradiation doses up to 2 × 10 19 n/cm 2 . It is shown that the interplay between embrittlement and recovery of ductility is governed by amorphous to crystallization transition and phase decomposition in which temperature and irradiation dose have reciprocal effects. Microscopic (X-ray diffraction) observations on the behavior of the amorphous Fe-based alloy are correlated with relevant macroscopically observed mechanical behavior. It is shown that amorphous Fe-based alloy coatings maintain and even enhance their amorphous structure with irradiation, exhibit radiation-induced restoration of thermally-induced embrittlement and finally exhibit resistance to ductility loss up to the fluence of 2 × 10 18 n/cm 2 and good thermal stability up to 350 °C. The latter is deduced from X-ray diffraction experiments of in-situ tensile strain application on the irradiated coating.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Alloying effect of Nb and Sn on the Zirconium alloy fuel claddings behavior at high temperature oxidation in steam - 6.1 STP-2016-0072

As the material of fuel claddings for water cooled reactors most commonly used binary and multicomponent zirconium alloys Zr-Nb (E110,M5), Zr-Sn-Fe (Zircaloy-2,-4) and Zr-Nb-Sn-Fe (E635, Zirlo) are used, which improvement extends, in particular, by varying their composition by Nb, Sn and Fe. At the same time, the importance is given to ensuring the safe operation of the fuel rods not only in normal conditions but also in emergency situations such as LOCA. In this paper the researches results of the studies of influence of alloying elements Nb, Sn (and Fe) on corrosion resistance and embrittlement at high temperature steam oxidation of fuel claddings based on alloys types Zr-xNb (x=1.0/2.5) and Zr-xNb-ySn-zFe (x=0.6/2.4; y=0.24/1.1; z=0.18/0.34) made with using zirconium sponge are presented. High temperature steam oxidation tests were carried out at temperatures of 1000, 1100 and 1200 deg. C with continuous measurement of the weight gain during the experiment and subsequent cooling in steam with rate ∼ 20 deg. C/s. The studies of kinetics of high-temperature oxidation in steam, structural-phase state changes, alloying elements distribution, absorbed hydrogen content and residual ductility after rapid cooling of the oxidized specimens were made. The difference in the oxidation kinetics of the materials studied was revealed, it decreases with the oxidation temperature increase. At the same time, an increase of the Sn content in the alloy influences on specimens 'breakaway' oxidation intensification at 1000 deg. C. It is shown that the mechanical properties of fuel claddings oxidized under the same conditions depend on their alloying composition, the hydrogen fraction absorbed by the specimen and formed by the oxidation ZrO2, a-Zr(O) and 'ex-β' layers structure, which in turn varies depending on the alloy composition. The increase of Nb, Sn and Fe content in the zirconium alloy leads to decrease in residual ductility of fuel claddings after high temperature steam oxidation. According to obtained results the most resistant to high-temperature steam oxidation and embrittlement at temperatures of 1000-1200 deg. C among the materials studied is Zr-1Nb alloy. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Surface-modified microchannel-type process heat exchanger (PHE) for hydrogen production using sulfur-iodine cycle - 18481

For massive production of hydrogen using a very high temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR) system, a small-scale process heat exchanger (PHE) for feasibility testing of a sulfur-iodine (S-I) cycle is designed at KAERI. Printed circuit type heat exchanger (PCHE), which is suitable for a helium/decomposed sulfuric acid (SO{sub 3}/SO{sub 2}) heat transfer system, is employed with surface modification to protect the substrate alloy from the corrosive sulfuric acid environment. Experiments on diffusion bonding, which is a key technology in compact-type heat exchangers, are conducted to achieve considerable strength and ductility at both room and high temperature. Metallographic examination reveals the migrated grain boundary across the interface. Tensile ductility over 35 % is achieved and dimples are observed on the fracture surface in all testing temperatures. For surface modification, β-SiC having high corrosion resistance is deposited on the surface of the microchannels using electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) followed by ion-beam irradiation to enhance the adherence at the interface of β-SiC/alloy. Through corrosion testing in aqueous sulfuric acid (60 vol.%), the weight loss of the surface-modified specimens is decreased by one order of magnitude, implying the relevance of coating for this application. (authors)

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2016

Rethinking of Zircaloy Embrittlement Criteria for Improving Safety Margin of Light Water Reactor

Zircaloy embrittlement criteria have become a basis for the current emergency core cooling system (ECCS) criteria to maintain the coolable geometry. U.S. NRC has considered that retaining adequate cladding ductility is a simple and effective way for ensuring the structural integrity of fuel rods under the accident conditions. Considering this, the current ECCS criteria limits the peak cladding temperature(PCT) to be 1204 deg. C, and equivalent cladding reacted (ECR) to be 17%, calculated by the Baker-Just equation. However, the criteria were established based on the experimental investigations in early 1970's and it has inevitably limitations, in particular, about hydrogen embrittlement with burnup. As a consequence, the new draft-rule proposes a relation that gives rise to a decreasing ECR limit with respect to pre-transient hydrogen content by U.S NRC. The regulation of Japan is quite different from that of U.S. NRC. This rule is set to assure structural integrity of ruptured fuel rods upon water-quenching. Recently, Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) conducted integral fuel rod thermal shock tests with high burnup claddings. These investigations confirmed that the original criteria (PCT 1200 deg. C, ECR 15% calculated by Baker-Just equation ) still successfully guarantee fuel rod structural integrity upon thermal shock and concluded that the high-burnup effects are inconsiderable as the thermal-shock fracture boundary is not significantly reduced. Hence, there exists an obvious disagreement between the embrittlement-based and the thermal shock fracture-based criterion particularly when it comes to the high burnup consideration. The one of them can be adopted to define safety limit and safety margin which is the difference between the regulation limit and actual value of the parameter. Also, it is worth noting that the temperature limit (1204 deg. C) of the Zircaloy embrittlement criteria has not been altered since it was first determined in 1970's. Such a qualitative concern alone should not limit further discussions on the potential increase in the temperature limit. Indeed, there is ample experimental evidence that supports the possibility that Zircaloy ductility can be maintained beyond 1204 deg. C if it is oxidized for a limited time period. The increase in the temperature margin can lead to a reactor power uprate, or allow an increased accident coping time. This paper aims to achieve a comprehensive understanding of an engineering compatibility between nuclear fuel behaviors, safety system, and safety criteria, in the pursuit of increasing safety margin of LWRs. Specifically, this study presents a revision the current temperature limit (1204 deg. C) with adjustable ECR levels through an extensive literature review. And the impact of this temperature limit on the actual design basis accident margin is discussed. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2018

The Potential for Metamorphic Thermal Pulses to Develop During Compaction-Driven Fluid Flow

Compaction-driven fluid flow below the brittle-ductile transition may be a means of transporting fluids during metamorphism. In particular, when a decompaction weakening mechanism is introduced to account for the rock viscosity reduction due to fluid overpressures, channeling instabilities evolve into high-porosity/permeability fluid conduits that focus mass and energy transfer. In this study, we consider a crustal rheology that accounts simultaneously for upward-increasing viscosity and decompaction weakening to examine the nucleation and evolution of fluid channelization in two dimensions (2-D). The model shows that plume-shaped flow patterns can develop on time scales as short as 104 years, during which the plume tails act as fluid conduits and the plume heads act as fluid dispersion zones near the brittle-ductile transition. Collection of fluids into conduits is accomplished by a basal fluid catchment zone characterized by strong lateral fluid pressure gradients but low porosity/permeability. Relatively narrow ranges of viscous activation energy (~100 kJ mo -1 ) and decompaction weakening factor (~10 -4 ) are constrained if the fluid conduits are of kilometer scale in width. Significant thermal excursions (~65 °C) can be induced if a high flow rate, potentially from rapid intermittent dehydration, is realized within channels. Moreover, if the focused fluids emanate from external anomalously hot sources (e.g., magma intrusion), thermal pulses (>100°C), and steep lateral temperature gradients (>50°C km -1 ) can be generated. Given the focusing efficiency estimated from our 2-D compaction model, simple 3-D modeling further shows that tubular conduits have the potential to cause thermal pulses >200°C within 10 4 years

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

High Shear Deformation to Produce High Strength and Energy Absorption in Mg Alloys

Magnesium alloys have the potential to reduce the mass of transportation systems however to fully realize the benefits it must be usable in more applications including those that require higher strength and ductility. It has been known that fine grain size in Mg alloys leads to high strength and ductility. However, the challenge is how to achieve this optimal microstructure in a cost effective way. This work has shown that by using optimized high shear deformation and second phase particles of Mg2Si and MgxZnZry the energy absorption of the extrusions can exceed that of AA6061. The extrusion process under development described in this presentation appears to be scalable and cost effective. In addition to process development a novel modeling approach to understand the roles of strain and state-of-strain on particle fracture and grain size control has been developed

Extrusion↗
DOE OSTI2017

Extreme-value statistics reveal rare failure-critical defects in additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing enables the rapid, cost effective production of large populations of material test coupons such as tensile bars. By adopting streamlined test methods including ‘drop-in’ grips and non-contact extensometry, testing these large populations becomes more efficient. Unlike hardness tests, the tensile test provides a direct measure of yield strength, flow properties, and ductility, which can be directly incorporated into solid mechanics simulations. In the present work, over 1000 nominally identical tensile tests were used to explore the effect of process variability on the mechanical property distributions of a precipitation hardened stainless steel, 17-4PH, produced by a laser powder bed fusion process, also known as direct metal laser sintering. With this large dataset, rare defects are revealed that affect only ~2% of the population, stemming from a single build lot of material. Lastly, the rare defects caused a substantial loss in ductility and were associated with an interconnected network of porosity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Unveiling Atomistic Mechanisms Governing Additive Manufacturing Processability and Mechanical Behavior of a Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloy

Extending the concept of complex concentrated alloys (CCAs) to the refractory alloys (solidus temperature over 2000 °C) space potentially facilitates the design of lightweight structural alloys with service temperatures that exceed those of Ni and Co‐based alloys. However, the room and elevated temperature tensile properties of the current refractory‐CCAs (R‐CCAs) are inferior to those of the Ni/Co‐based alloys. Furthermore, the manufacturing scalability of R‐CCAs remains challenging, in that cracks are prevalent in all R‐CCAs when processed using near‐net shape manufacturing processes, such as fusion‐based additive manufacturing (F‐BAM). Still, mechanisms governing the poor F‐BAM processability of R‐CCAs remain unexplored. Here, to this end, this work unveils the atomistic mechanisms underlying F‐BAM process‐induced cracking in a NbTiTaMoHfZrC R‐CCA. The implications of light elements’ presence for intrinsic ductility and grain boundary cohesion, and subsequently for F‐BAM processability and mechanical behavior, are revealed. Leveraging the insights, we accomplish what is, to the best of the knowledge, the first instance of crack‐free F‐BAM processing of any R‐CCA. Additionally, the R‐CCA exhibits over 20% tensile ductility and ≈160 MPa tensile yield strength at 1200 °C. In addition to facilitating the design of lightweight R‐CCAs, findings enable scalable manufacturing of these ultra‐high temperature alloys for structural applications.

Refractory alloys↗
DOE OSTI2020

F4‐TCNQ as an Additive to Impart Stretchable Semiconductors with High Mobility and Stability

Abstract Numerous strategies are developed to impart stretchability to polymer semiconductors. Although these methods improve the ductility, mobility, and stability of such stretchable semiconductors, they nonetheless still need further improvement. Here, it is shown that 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4‐TCNQ) is an effective molecular additive to tune the properties of a diketopyrrolopyrrole‐based (DPP‐based) semiconductor. Specifically, the addition of F4‐TCNQ is observed to improve the ductility of the semiconductor by altering the polymer’s microstructures and dynamic motions. As a p‐type dopant additive, F4‐TCNQ can also effectively enhance the mobility and stability of the semiconductor through changing the host polymer’s packing structures and charge trap passivation. Upon fabricating fully stretchable transistors with F4‐TCNQ‐DPP blended semiconductor films, it is observed that the resulting stretchable transistors possess one of the highest initial mobility of 1.03 cm 2 V −1 s −1 . The fabricated transistors also exhibit higher stability (both bias and environmental) and mobility retention under repeated strain, compared to those without F4‐TCNQ additive. These findings offer a new direction of research on stretchable semiconductors to facilitate future practical applications.

Mun, Jaewan↗
DOE OSTI2017

In Situ TEM Investigation of ZnO Nanowires during Sodiation and Lithiation Cycling

The development of sodium-ion batteries has drawn lots of attention recently due to the low-cost and eco-friendly sodium source. However, a fundamental understanding of the sodiation behavior for commonly used electrode materials is still limited. Here, combining in situ transmission electron microscopy, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, and ex situ battery cycling tests, the lithiation and sodiation behavior of ZnO nanowires is investigated. The findings show a direct correlation between the mechanical behavior of the lithiated/sodiated ZnO nanowires and their electrochemical cyclability. The mechanical brittleness of LiZn and the formation of nanocracks lead to the poor cyclability of Li-ion batteries with a ZnO anode. However, the sodiated ZnO nanowires show profuse dislocation plasticity. The observed high-density dislocations offer the sodiated ZnO anode more ductility and subsequently better cyclability than its Li-ion counterpart. The results reveal the importance of understanding the correlation between mechanical properties of battery electrodes and their cycling abilities.

Asayesh-Ardakani, Hasti↗
DOE OSTI2014

A Composite Modeling Analysis of the Deformation Behavior of Medium Manganese Steels

The deformation behavior of medium manganese steels was evaluated with uniaxial tensile testing and the results were correlated with predictions of a composite model shown previously to provide design insight into the development of multi-phase steels with third-generation advanced high strength steel (3GAHSS) properties. An equilibrium thermodynamic-based methodology to design microstructures containing systematic amounts of metastable austenite with controlled stability against transformation is presented. The analysis is based on Mn enrichment of austenite during intercritical annealing of medium Mn (7 and 10 wt pct.) low carbon (0.1 and 0.15 wt pct) steels. The steels were produced as laboratory heats that were hot and cold rolled prior to annealing. After annealing the microstructures consisted primarily of either a matrix of fine grained ferrite with austenite contents between 32.6 and 45.2 wt pct (7Mn, 0.1C steels) or a matrix of martensite with various amounts of austenite in the higher Mn steel. The different intercritical annealing conditions produced steels with wide variations in austenite contents and austenite compositions (Mn and C contents) resulting in steels with significant variations in austenite stability. Predictions based on the composite analysis with different assumed flow behaviors for the individual constituents and stability functions for the meta-stable austenite are presented and shown to accurately predict strength-ductility combinations over a range of austenite volume fractions for the 7Mn steel. Applicability of the composite analysis is extended to consider the deformation behavior of the 10Mn steel and evaluate other possible microstructural combinations leading to 3GAHSS properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Inverse measurement of stiffness by the normalization technique for J-integral fracture toughness

The single specimen normalization technique for J-integral fracture toughness has been successfully employed by several researchers to study the strongly non-linear fracture response of ductile semicrystalline polymers. As part of the normalization technique the load and the plastic component of displacement are normalized. The normalized data is then fit with a normalization function that approximates a power law for small displacements that are dominated by blunting and smoothly transitions to a linear relationship for large displacements that are dominated by stable crack extension. Particularly for very ductile polymers the compliance term used to determine the plastic displacement can dominate the solution and small errors in determining the elastic modulus can lead to large errors in the normalization or even make it ill-posed. This can be further complicated for polymers where the elastic modulus is strong strain rate dependent and simply using a 'quasistatic' modulus from a dogbone measurement may not equate to the dominant strain rate in the compact tension specimen. The current work proposes directly measuring the compliance of the compact tension specimen in the solution of J-integral fracture toughness and then solving for the elastic modulus. By comparison with a range of strain rate data the dominant strain rate can then be determined.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Microstructural modification of a high-pressure die-cast A380 alloy through friction stir processing and its effect on mechanical properties

Aluminum alloy A380 is one of the major high-pressure die-cast (HPDC) alloys fabricated in the die casting sector. However, microstructural features such as shrinkage and gas porosity, entrapped oxide inclusions, change in the morphology of eutectic Si particles as a function of casting location, and the presence of multiple second phase particulates, especially Fe-bearing phases in HPDC A380 alloy results in limited ductility, thus, affecting its structural application. However, through proper modification of the as-cast microstructure, it is possible to improve the mechanical performance of alloy A380. In this study, we report the effect of friction stir processing (FSP), a well-known severe plastic deformation (SPD) and thermomechanical processing tool for selective microstructural modification, on A380. FSP effectively refines the as-cast microstructure and breaks down the coarse Si particles, creating a homogenized distribution of equiaxed Si particles in the aluminum matrix. Additionally, FSP eliminates porosity that acts as crack initiation sites, leading to improved mechanical strength and ductility.

Friction stir processing, Aluminum alloys, Mechani↗