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At least 1,189 records · Page 66
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Effect of heat treatment on microstructural evolution and hardness homogeneity in laser powder bed fusion of alloy 718

The thermal history developed in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processes has been shown to be complex resulting in equally complex microstructures and mechanical properties. Microscopic observations and Vickers micro-hardness mapping measurements were carried out on diff ;erent section planes of LPBF alloy 718 cuboids. Three-dimensional finite element analysis was used to simulate thermal history and to predict the residual stress distribution in the as-built material. Computational thermodynamics was used to predict the micro-segregation and nucleation driving force of various phases in the bulk and in segregated regions. Varied heat-treatments such as simulated hot isostatic pressing, and double aging were applied. Their influence on the microstructure, microsegregation, precipitate formation, and micro-hardness variations of LPBF alloy 718 were investigated. Hardness map results showed heterogeneous micro-hardness on the xy- and xz-planes of the as-built parts where the bottom plane and center regions had larger hardness of ~315 HV 0.5 while the top plane and contours showed hardness of ~300 HV 0.5 . It was found that the aging treatment increased the overall hardness of the as-built condition from ~310 HV 0.5 to 470 HV 0.5 but also increased the hardness gradient throughout the coupon. After simulated hot isostatic pressing process (i.e., without applied pressure) at 1020 °C for 4 h followed by water quench (HIPWQ), the hardness gradient and hardness was minimized (~210 HV 0.5 ) as the microstructure transitioned from heterogeneous columnar grains in the as-built condition to more uniform recrystallized grains. A double aging treatment was applied to enhance hardness from ~210 HV 0.5 to ~440 HV 0.5 . Finally, HIPWQ followed by double aging produced a homogeneous microstructure and more uniform hardness map with enhanced mechanical properties in LPBF alloy 718 coupons.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

The superior hydrothermal stability of Pd/SSZ-39 in low temperature passive NOx adsorption (PNA) and methane combustion

We successfully synthesized uniform SSZ-39 with an average crystal size of about a micron. Pd (0.7 - 3 wt%) was supported on SSZ-39 with Si/Al ratio ~12. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by FTIR, XRD, Helium Ion Microscopy, HAADF-STEM imaging, 27 Al, 29 Si and H solid state NMR spectroscopic techniques. FTIR studies with CO and NO probe molecules reveal that the 0.7 wt% Pd/SSZ-39 material with Si/Al ~12 has the majority of Pd dispersed atomically as isolated Pd(II) and Pd(II)-OH centers, and thus can be used as a low-temperature passive NOx adsorber. Pd(II)-NO, Pd(II)(OH)(NO) and Pd(II)(CO)(NO) complexes form during PNA in this material. We compare this PNA material directly with the Pd/SSZ-13 system (with Si/Al ratio ~12) and show its superior hydrothermal stability. Remarkably, Pd/SSZ-39 with Si/Al ratio ~12 survives hydrothermal aging up to 815 ºC in 10% H 2 O/Air vapor for 16 hours without significant loss in activity. The SSZ-39 crystal structure remains intact during hydrothermal aging up to 1,000 ºC as we elucidate it with XRD and HAADF-STEM imaging/EDS mapping. However, changes to the framework during such harsh hydrothermal treatment significantly change the NOx release profiles during PNA as evidenced by high-field 27 Al NMR on fresh and aged Pd/SSZ-39 samples as well as PNA performance measurements. Besides PNA application, these hydrothermally very stable materials (3 wt% Pd on SSZ-39 with Si/Al ratio ~12) can be used as a robust methane combustion catalyst under industrially relevant conditions (GHSV~600,000hr -1 ). This catalyst shows minimal deactivation after both harsh hydrothermal aging at 750 and 800 ºC, and prolonged time on stream (105 hrs) at 425 °C. In contrast, both 3wt% Pd/alumina and 3wt% SSZ-13 supported samples lose a significant portion of their activity. Our study opens new avenues to prepare the most hydrothermally stable known Pd/zeolite materials with applications for adsorption and catalytic hydrocarbon combustion under industrially relevant conditions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Earthquake-triggered submarine canyon flushing transfers young terrestrial and marine organic carbon into the deep sea

Submarine canyons transfer substantial amounts of sediment and organic carbon (OC) into the deep ocean, nourishing deep-sea ecosystems and contributing to the global carbon cycle through OC burial and sequestration. Tracking lateral OC transport through submarine canyon systems is challenged by the deep-ocean setting, difficulties with constraining episodic depositional events, and the need to assess the composition and age of marine and terrestrial organic matter. We apply innovative parallel ramped pyrolysis oxidation accelerator mass spectrometry and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with isotope analyses to track OC age and sources in the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake-triggered, canyon-flushing event that deposited along >1300 km of a submarine canyon-channel system, offshore Aotearoa New Zealand. Specifically, these techniques allow us to determine the ages, sources, and partitioning of OC within the Kaikoura turbidite deposit and test hypotheses of how submarine canyon systems contribute to lateral OC flux and burial. Our results show that, despite considerable canyon floor erosion, substantial amounts of young OC were flushed into the deep sea, with relatively little (~2%) pre-Holocene OC contributions. Even without a direct connection between rivers and submarine canyons, most (~55%) of the OC in the Kaikoura event bed is from terrestrial sources. However, the deposit also contains substantial amounts (~22%) of marine-derived OC and ~23% of the material is of unassignable origin. Particle sorting imparts variability on the age and composition of OC within turbidite deposits and along the turbidity current flow path. Terrestrial-derived OC is preferentially older than marine-derived OC and concentrated in coarser particle sizes found more commonly at the deposit base and in proximal settings. Young, marine-derived OC is concentrated at the surface of the deposits and tends to be enriched in finer particle sizes. Such OC partitioning in turbidites supports the relevance of depositional models for predicting and quantifying distribution of OC in deep-sea deposits. Earthquake-triggered, canyon flushing events and resulting turbidites enhance OC burial efficiency and can sequester OC effectively, contributing an important carbon sink to the sedimentary carbon cycle.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Daily operational impacts on battery degradation in heavy-duty electric drayage trucks

Battery aging is a critical factor influencing the performance, longevity, and cost of ownership of battery electric trucks (BETs). This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of battery aging for two Li-ion battery chemistries, Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) and Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP), accounting for both cycling and calendar aging. In contrast to traditional methods that rely on simplified linear degradation models based on manufacturer-provided data, this study employs semi-empirical aging models calibrated to experimentally collected data. The models are integrated into a detailed vehicle simulation environment, enabling a comprehensive assessment of battery degradation under realistic operating conditions. A case study focusing on heavy-duty electric drayage truck operations in the Port of Savannah, GA, is presented to illustrate the impact on battery pack lifespan of: seasonal variations, daily operational activities, charging strategies, and battery storage conditions. The results illuminate the significance of the battery pack’s state of charge during stationary periods, such as overnight storage or weekend parking, on battery degradation and its potential implications for long-term vehicle viability. Additionally, the study explores how different operational and environmental factors affect battery degradation, offering critical insights into best battery charging and storage practices. Our results demonstrate that LFP outperforms NMC in terms of years of useful life; however, by utilizing charging strategies that minimize the amount of time the battery spends resting at high levels of state-of-charge, the lifespan of the battery pack that uses NMC can nonetheless be increased by more than a factor of two.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparison of the earliest NC and CC planetesimals: Evidence from ungrouped iron meteorites

Isotope anomalies in meteorites reveal a fundamental dichotomy between Non-Carbonaceous- (NC) and Carbonaceous-type (CC) planetary bodies. Until now, this dichotomy is established for the major meteorite groups, representing about 36 distinct parent bodies. Ungrouped meteorites represent an even larger number of additional parent bodies, but whether they conform to the overall NC-CC dichotomy is unknown. Here, the genetics and chronology of 26 ungrouped iron meteorites are considered through nucleosynthetic Mo and radiogenic W isotopic compositions. Secondary cosmic ray-induced modifications of these isotope compositions are corrected using Pt isotope measurements on the same samples. We find that all of the ungrouped irons have Mo isotope anomalies within the range of the major meteorite groups and confirm the NC-CC dichotomy for Mo, where NC and CC meteorites define two distinct, subparallel s-process mixing lines. All ungrouped NC irons fall on the NC-line, which is now precisely defined for 41 distinct parent bodies. The ungrouped CC irons show scatter around the CC-line indicative of small r-process Mo heterogeneities among these samples. These r-process Mo isotope variations correlate with O isotope anomalies, most likely reflecting mixing of CI chondrite-like matrix, chondrule precursors, and Ca-Al-rich inclusions. This implies that CC iron meteorite parent bodies accreted the same nebular components as the later-formed carbonaceous chondrites. The Hf-W model ages of core formation for the ungrouped irons overlap with those of the iron meteorite groups from each reservoir and reveal a narrow age peak at ∼3.3 Ma after Ca-Al-rich inclusions for the CC irons. By contrast, the NC irons display more variable ages, including younger ages indicative of impact-induced melting events, which seem absent among the CC irons. This is attributed to the more fragile and porous nature of the CC bodies, making impact-induced melting on their surfaces difficult. The chemical characteristics of all iron meteorites together reveal slightly more oxidizing conditions during core formation for CC compared to NC irons. More strikingly, strong depletions in moderately volatile elements, typical of many iron meteorite parent bodies, predominantly occur among CC irons, for reasons that remain unclear at present.

Chondrite components↗
DOE OSTI2024

Geological study of an outburst flood event in the upper Yangtze River and risk of similar extreme events

Here, outburst flood sediments are studied on the upper course of the Yangtze River (known as the Jinsha River) where is a key region for the development of hydroelectric power. As the history and magnitude of outburst flooding in this stretch of the Jinsha River during historic times has remained largely undocumented, we have endeavored as part of this study to conduct field investigations into, and provide numerical dating (using OSL and 14 C dating techniques) of outburst flood evidence found in the First Bend area of the Yangtze River. Carbonized nutshells and charcoal from the ancient settlement yielded 14 C ages that precisely pinpointed an outburst flood event ~1200–1300 cal yr BP, during China's Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). However, OSL ages using the minimum age model for all outburst flood samples ranged from 9.1 to 1.8 ka, which was ~0.5–7.8 ka older than the 14 C-dated outburst flood. This discrepancy suggests a potential overestimation of quartz age when dating outburst flood sediments from the Holocene period. Furthermore, using 2D hydraulic modeling, we estimated the magnitude of the aforementioned outburst flood, revealing a reconstructed peak flow discharge of 51,000–55,300 m 3 /s. This discharge was three times greater than the 10,000-year flood for the hydroelectric power station nearest to the study area. Our study underscores the significant role of combining archaeological and geological evidence in enhancing paleoflood hydrology research. Through a multidisciplinary approach, our findings emphasize the importance of paleoflood hydrology studies in comprehending both the latent and catastrophic flood risks in alpine mountain areas amid the context of global warming.

14C dating↗
DOE OSTI2022

Development and performance of INCONEL® alloy 740H® seam-welded piping

INCONEL® alloy 740H® is an age-hardenable nickel-based alloy approved for pressure vessels and piping within ASME Section I, VIII, and B31.1. Currently, the code applies a weld strength reduction factor (WSRF) of 0.7 to the allowable stresses for longitudinal seam welds in the time dependent creep regime. In this work, a full-scale seam weld was successfully produced using typical industrial practices. The component was solution heat-treated and aged after fabrication to improve the performance of the weldment. Tensile, bend, impact, and low-cycle fatigue tests showed the component met all the specification requirements and elevated temperature properties were within base metal expectations with failures predominately in the weld metal. Long-term creep tests, including large samples more representative of the entire weldment, were fabricated and tested to times in excess of 10,000 h at multiple temperatures. Analysis of the creep data supports a WSRF of 0.9 for the solution annealed + aged weldments in contrast to the WSRF of 0.7 currently applied to welded + aged weldments. Metallurgical analysis shows that the solution annealing causes recrystallization of the weld metal and reduces the chemical compositional and microstructural gradients in the weldments resulting in acceptable short-term performance. In long-term creep, evidence for coarsened zones in the weldments due to discontinuous coarsening reactions were identified as the mechanism leading to accelerated creep damage formation in the weld metal and sample failure.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Quantifying structural errors in cloud condensation nuclei activity from reduced representation of aerosol size distributions

Aerosol effects on clouds and radiation are the dominant contribution to uncertainty in radiative forcing relative to the pre-industrial atmosphere. While previous studies have assessed the impact of parametric uncertainty on modeled forcing, structural errors from the numerical representation of particle distributions have not been well quantified. Here we present a framework for quantifying error in aerosol size distributions and cloud condensation nuclei activity, which we apply to the widely used 4-mode version of the Modal Aerosol Module (MAM4). Box model predictions from the MAM4 are evaluated against the Particle Monte Carlo Model for Simulating Aerosol Interactions and Chemistry (PartMC-MOSAIC), a benchmark model that tracks the evolution of individual particles. We show that size distributions simulated by MAM4 diverge from those simulated by PartMC-MOSAIC after only a few hours of aging by condensation and coagulation in polluted conditions, which leads to large errors in modeled cloud condensation nuclei concentrations. We find that differences between MAM4 and PartMC-MOSAIC are largest under polluted conditions, where the size distribution evolves rapidly though aging by condensation of semi-volatile substances and coagulation among particles. These findings suggest that structural error in modeled aerosol properties contributes to the large inter-model variability in aerosol radiative forcing.

Fierce, Laura M.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Elevated temperature microstructure evolution of a medium-entropy CrCoNi superalloy containing Al,Ti

A new medium-entropy superalloy was produced based on the compositions of equiatomic CrCoNi and Ni-base superalloy Inconel 740H. Initial alloy design was performed using Thermo-Calc. The aging response and microstructural stability were assessed following heat treatment at temperatures between 600 and 900 °C and durations up to 100 h. Aging from a fully recrystallized state resulted in negligible grain growth and produced γ’ and σ phases. The same phases were present after aging from a cold-rolled state, but partially recrystallized microstructures resulted in multi-modal size distributions and heterogeneous spatial arrangements. Finally, room temperature hardness measurements were used to correlate aging conditions with quantitative precipitate measurements and mechanical properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Probing thermodynamics of radiogenic helium and defects in $δ$-plutonium alloys and interactions with adsorbed environmental gases

Differential scanning calorimetry coupled with simultaneous evolved gas analysis (DSC-EGA) on aged δ-Pu samples shows that most radiogenic helium remains trapped within the Pu matrix at temperatures very close to, or slightly above, the melting temperature. Our results indicate that helium release from 50-year-old δ-Pu occurs as a burst just below the melting temperature (>0.994 T m ), with subsequent pressure oscillations as temperature increases. Subordinate quantities of H 2 were also released along with helium. Here, the helium emission tails off and ceases above ~720 – 750°C. In a δ-Pu alloy aged 6 years, the initial helium burst occurs slightly above melting (~1.015 – 1.042 T m ), with a discrete, larger helium spike occurring between 670 and 686°C. The proximity of helium release to the liquidus transition presented challenges in the deconvolution of overlapping process enthalpies, the liquidus endotherm, and the exotherm resulting from bubble collapse, annealing and gas expulsion. Helium’s strong affinity for vacancy binding in a 2He-vac configuration is predicted by Density Functional Theory (DFT) modeling. The measured stored energy associated with the He release events in a 50-year-old δ alloy is on the order of ~ 10–11 J/g, which is significantly higher than stored energies measured in the sub-solidus regimes (~2 J/g) that are related to the solid-state annealing of processing- and radiation-induced defects. This implies that aged δ Pu alloys have a remarkable resilience to accommodate the lattice strain produced by the internal pressure of the helium bubbles and provides further insight into the thermodynamic behavior of aged δ Pu.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Hardenability and microstructural evolution of a precipitation strengthened Ni 50 Ti 21 Hf 25 Al 4 alloy

NiTi-based quaternary alloys are used in a variety of mechanical components, such as bearings, actuators, and dampers, owing to their good hardenability, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. Additionally, one of the most notable characteristics of NiTi-based alloys is their shape memory effect and pseudoelastic properties. Connecting the macroscopic processing parameters employed in the design of new intermetallic alloys to the nanoscale structural characteristics dictating their behavior is crucial for improving their mechanical properties and expanding the spectrum of potential applications. Here, in this work, an arc melted Ni 50 Ti 21 Hf 25 Al 4 (at%) alloy was solution treated at 1050 °C followed by quenching and aging at 600 °C to investigate the effect of aging time on the microstructure and mechanical properties. Two types of nano-sized precipitates were observed and determined as face-centered orthorhombic H-phase (TiHf)Ni and L2 1 Heusler precipitates Ni 2 TiAl. The morphology and orientation of the H-phase were investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), elucidating the coarsening kinetics and strengthening contribution of that phase to the intermetallic mechanical behavior. Following coarsening, the presence of Heusler nanoprecipitates was detected under overaged conditions through TEM imaging and nanobeam electron diffraction patterns. A peak hardness condition of 756 HV was achieved after 70 h of aging, indicating that the co-precipitation of H-phase and Heusler precipitates through a well-designed aging treatment can lead to optimal mechanical performance, thus elevating the alloy’s potential as a viable material for industrial applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Collaborative or competitive phase transformation processes in an additively manufactured-maraging steel M300

Although retained austenite is present in minor amounts in as-built additively manufactured-maraging steels, its evolution during ageing is key to controlling the final microstructure. This study investigates the relationship between austenite reversion and precipitation evolution during ageing, particularly whether these processes compete or cooperate. Using Scanning/Transmission Electron Microscopy, Atom Probe Tomography and Thermo-Calc® PRISMA simulations, the presence and evolution of retained austenite, Ni 3 Ti and Fe 7 Mo 6 intermetallic phases was characterised across different ageing conditions. Experimental results revealed the presence of non-enriched austenite in the as-built condition. Nevertheless, with increasing ageing temperature, Ni and Mo segregation became evident. High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy revealed that Ni 3 Ti precipitation primarily occurred within the martensitic matrix, while Fe 7 Mo 6 nucleated preferentially at the austenite-martensite interface. PRISMA simulations indicated early and rapid precipitation in solute-enriched areas (i.e., intercellular regions), with Ni 3 Ti forming prior to Fe 7 Mo 6 . Both experimental and simulation results suggested Ni diffusion controls retained austenite growth, while Ti and Mo drive Ni 3 Ti and Fe 7 Mo 6 precipitation, respectively. The evidence reported in this work supports a both collaborative and independent phase transformation mechanism, where austenite reversion and precipitation co-evolve.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Drive Cycles, Battery Pack Scaling, and Usage Considerations for Long-Haul and Regional-Haul Electric Trucks

Electrifying Class-8 heavy-duty trucks presents a promising opportunity to enhance energy efficiency and reduce freight transport costs. Battery electric trucks (BETs), once considered niche, are gaining traction due to advancements in battery technology and cost reductions. However, accurately predicting battery lifespan under realistic usage conditions remains a key challenge. Understanding battery failure mechanisms and their links to design, operation, and management is essential for developers and fleet operators. This study introduces a method to develop simplified, lab-testable dynamic stress test (DST) cycles for regional and long-haul Class-8 BETs, derived from real-world diesel truck usage. These DSTs enable benchmarking of battery technologies, identification of aging stressors, and optimization of battery design, life, and cost. The approach supports evaluation of key metrics such as levelized cost of driving and total cost of ownership, aiding fair comparisons and adoption decisions. We also propose feasible battery pack sizes that meet current driving demands with strategic charging, and a method to scale pack-level DSTs to cell-level cycles for lab-based testing. These tools facilitate tradeoff analysis across battery chemistries, pack sizing, and charging strategies, while offering means to get insights into battery aging under realistic conditions-ultimately supporting informed BET deployment decisions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

The use of analgesics for intentional self-poisoning: Trends in U.S. poison center data

In the U.S., intentional self-poisonings with analgesics that are available without a prescription increased from 2000 to 2018. Given concerns regarding mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, we examined and compared trends in pediatric and adult intentional self-poisoning with acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen from 2016 to 2021 using the National Poison Data System (NPDS) to see if these trends have continued. We extracted annual case counts of all suspected suicide attempts from intentional poisoning, and of suspected suicide attempts resulting in major effects or death, from the NPDS for non-prescription single ingredient adult formulation acetaminophen, non-prescription single ingredient adult formulation aspirin, single ingredient formulation ibuprofen, and single ingredient formulation naproxen. We enumerated the cases by year, age, and gender. Most cases of intentional self-poisoning within the review period involved acetaminophen and ibuprofen and the 13–19-year-olds constituted the highest proportion of intentional self-poisoning cases across age groups for all four analgesics. Cases involving females predominated cases involving males by 3:1 or greater. Here, the 13–19-year-old age group also represented the largest proportion of cases that resulted in major clinical effects or deaths. An increasing trend in suicide poisoning cases with acetaminophen and ibuprofen was observed in the 6-19-years age group and this trend appeared to exacerbate from 2020 to 2021 corresponding with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic period.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Microstructural evolution and strengthening mechanisms in a heat-treated additively manufactured Al–Cu–Mn–Zr alloy

In this report the microstructural and strength evolution of an additively manufactured Al-8.6Cu-0.5Mn-0.9Zr alloy upon aging at 300, 350, and 400 °C is investigated. The strengthening phases of the alloy evolve significantly upon aging, with breakdown and spheroidization of the interconnected θ-Al 2 Cu network, dissolution of metastable θ'-Al 2 Cu precipitates, and precipitation of nanometric L1 2 -Al 3 Zr from a matrix supersaturated in Zr. In the peak-aged states, the alloy displays a favorable combination of strength and ductility, with a room-temperature yield strength of 314–341 MPa and ductility of 11–13%. The measured yield strengths for microstructures with different aging treatments are compared to predictions of yield strengths from grain boundary, solid solution, and particle strengthening contributions. The observed strain hardening behavior is related to fundamental precipitate and dislocation interactions. Comparison between predicted and measured strength values indicates a continued need for strengthening models specifically developed for the heterogeneous microstructures of additively manufactured alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Precipitation hardening of laser powder bed fusion Ti-6Al-4V

Here, the laser powder bed fusion (PBF-L) additive manufacturing (AM) community has dedicated significant efforts into process optimization and control for defect-free Ti-6Al-4V. As defects become less of an issue for PBF-L Ti-6Al-4V, the processing-structure-properties (PSP) relationships between AM microstructures can now be explored to optimize mechanical properties. Lower temperature aging treatments around 550 °C in wrought Ti-6A-4V have been historically understood to precipitation harden the α phase with an ordered, hexagonal close packed (HCP) α 2 phase. The α 2 phase existed as nanoscale Ti 3 Al precipitates coherent with the parent α phase. The goal of the present investigation was to implement a vacuum heat treatment of 545 °C for 100 hours on PBF-L Ti-6Al-4V. This vacuum heat treatment took place after an initial hot isostatic pressure (HIP) treatment that decomposed the as-built, martensitic microstructure. The vacuum aging successfully produced nanoscale precipitates of α 2 phase within α-laths, confirmed via atom probe tomography (APT). Microstructural-length scale and quasi-static mechanical properties were investigated by nanoindentation and uniaxial tensile tests of miniaturized test specimens. Given the sensitivity of Ti-6Al-4V mechanical properties to small changes in chemistry, all test specimens originated from the same build. The α 2 precipitation resulted in significantly harder α-laths (≈ 2 GPa) as measured via nanoindentation, as well as a relative yield and ultimate tensile strength increase of 60 MPa and 38 MPa, respectively. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the datasets revealed no statistical differences in total elongation between the HIPed and HIPed + aged specimens, indicative of the aging treatment producing a net benefit of strength with no loss in ductility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

A high strength Al-2Ni-0.5Zr conductor alloy fabricated via laser powder bed fusion

There is a current need for new aluminum alloy design strategies to target applications requiring high strength and conductivity with reductions in mass. A new lightweight Al-2Ni-0.5Zr (wt. %) conductor alloy was fabricated using laser powder bed fusion. A design of experiments probed the alloy's solidification cracking susceptibility. It was observed that solidification cracking was generally reduced with fast scan speeds, above 1500 mm/s, and smaller hatch spacings. The different cooling rates throughout the melt pool produced a heterogeneous distribution of cellular and equiaxed Al 3 Ni precipitates in the as-printed alloy. Additionally, the rapid solidification characteristic of laser powder bed fusion created a super-saturated Zr solid solution. An aging heat treatment at 375 °C for 24 h imparted strengthening through the precipitation of L1 2 -Al 3 Zr nanoprecipitates, which counteracted the softening caused by the fragmentation and coarsening of Al 3 Ni precipitates. The yield strength increased from 138 MPa in the as-printed condition to 168 MPa after aging, while the ductility remained constant at ∼21%. The aging treatment simultaneously increased the electrical conductivity from 40.8% IACS (International Annealed Copper Standard) to 53.5% IACS. Modeling of the strengthening mechanisms and electrical conductivity contributions rationalized the simultaneous increase in strength and conductivity upon aging. Furthermore, the strengthening efficacy of the Al 3 Ni and L1 2 -Al 3 Zr precipitates, combined with the low Ni and Zr solubility in the FCC Al matrix, facilitated both high strength and electrical conductivity. Overall, the combination of strength and electrical conductivity positions this alloy as a suitable choice for additively manufactured lightweight conductors.

Additive manufacturing↗
DOE OSTI2021

The subsurface structure of abraded Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy

Surface abrasion has been shown to introduce heavy shear stress and produce a few hundred nanometers thick altered surface layer (ASL) on Al alloys. Such ASLs exhibit microstructural changes at room temperature and different corrosion resistance than the underlying substrate. Here, we report how sample dimensions and temperature affect the deformed subsurface microstructure evolution on an abraded Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atom probe tomography. The ASL microstructure evolves differently in the bulk sample than in the thin TEM specimen. In the freshly abraded ASL, the original η'/η precipitates and grain boundaries were deformed toward the abrasion direction. After 7-day natural aging of the freshly abraded bulk sample, well-defined subgrains formed locally in the ASL, and unusual Al 2 Cu (θ) and Mg x Zn y phases precipitated at the subgrain boundaries. However, during natural aging of this TEM specimen taken from the abraded and aged bulk samples, much faster changes occurred, including the continued formation of subgrains and θ particles in the entire ASL, and the diffusion of Zn atoms out of Mg x Zn y particles to form a Zn particle. On the other hand, no obvious microstructural changes occurred in the ASL during 3-month natural aging of the TEM specimen immediately taken from the freshly abraded sample. Finally, this work advances the understanding of how Al alloy microstructures respond during and following any shear deformation, and complex and unexpected effects of sample dimensions on the behavior.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗