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At least 1,315 records · Page 73
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Nanoscale analysis of ion irradiated ODS 14YWT ferritic alloy

In this work, the nanoscale microstructure of an advanced oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) 14YWT ferritic alloy (SM13 heat) with nominal composition Fe–14Cr–3W-0.4Ti-0.3Y 2 O 3 (wt. %) has been characterized by atom probe tomography (APT) before and after ion irradiation with 70 MeV Fe 9+ ions at 450 °C to a total dose of 21 dpa. A detailed solute cluster analysis of APT data reveals that, in the manufacturing process, larger nanoparticles form in or close to the grain boundaries respective to those inside grains. The evolution of the nanoparticles after irradiation seems to be related to their location, as a higher increase in the number density and in the Y:Ti ratio is observed for the nanoparticles in or close to grain boundaries. Furthermore, APT analysis also shows Cr, W and C segregation to grain boundaries enhanced by the irradiation. A previous study of this same alloy before and after irradiation reports that the mechanical properties do not seem to be affected, but the microstructure was not investigated to confirm. The present work confirms little microstructural evolution after irradiation in this 14YWT alloy, indicating tolerance at the given irradiation conditions.

14YWT↗
DOE OSTI2022

Efficient high-fidelity TRISO statistical failure analysis using Bison: Applications to AGR-2 irradiation testing

The ability of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) fuel to contain fission products is largely dictated by the quality of the manufacturing process, since most of the fission product release is expected to occur due to coating layer failure in a small number of particles containing defects. The Bison fuel performance code has capabilities to predict failure in individual particles, accounting for the presence of defects, and to apply statistical analysis methods to compute the probability of failure in a set of fuel particles. Bison has recently undergone significant development both to improve its physical representations of fuel particle behavior and to improve the efficiency of its statistical failure calculations. Physical model improvements include new capabilities to account for the pressure generated by fission gases on inner pyrolytic carbon (IPyC) crack surfaces and to use local material coordinate orientation to accurately incorporate the anisotropy in the material properties in aspherical particles. To improve statistical modeling efficiency, a direct integration approach which involves directly integrating the failure probability function associated with statistically varying parameters has been developed. The direct integration approach is much more efficient than the Monte Carlo (MC) schemes commonly employed, and allows Bison to directly run high-dimensional fuel performance models, which improves the accuracy of failure probability calculations. Finally, a set of benchmark problems is considered here to compare the MC and direct integration approaches, and a statistical failure analysis of compacts in the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR)-2 experiments is performed using the direct integration approach.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Microrheological modeling of lithium ion battery anode slurry

The rheological properties of electrode slurries used in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries affect the manufacturing processes as well as the battery quality, such as electrochemical and durability performance. There is thus an urgent need to develop a physics-based model to describe the rheological properties of these electrode slurries to enable further optimization of battery electrode production. Here in this paper, we present a microrheological model for estimating the viscosity of electrode slurries that incorporates colloidal forces such as van der Waals and polymeric steric repulsion forces. Finally, the model shows good agreement with the experimentally determined viscosities of a graphite-based anode slurry and should be extendable to describe the rheological properties of cathode slurries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Lithium substituted poly(amic acid) as a water-soluble anode binder for high-temperature pre-lithiation

Multifunctional binders hold great promise in advanced electrode designs for both fundamental research and practical utilization of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The reactions between Si/SiO x -dominated anodes with lithium are expected to be exothermic in principle, while the thermal tolerance along with the volume change makes high-temperature binders attractive for large scale roll-to-roll manufacturing. For instance, if a high temperature binder is also water soluble, it can be compatible with the current graphite-based anode manufacturing process. In this work, we present a water-soluble poly(amic acid)-based binder, which can withstand high temperature for industrial pre-lithiation process and effectively hold active materials together during repeated charge and discharge cycles. This lithium substituted poly(amic acid) binder (denoted as Li-Pa) can serve as a drop-in replacement for environmentally friendly electrode fabrication in large scale by providing aqueous solubility, exceptional thermal stability and mechanical flexibility.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

The impacts of membrane pinholes on PEM water electrolysis

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis is a promising technology to efficiently produce green hydrogen. Irregularities in membrane electrode assembly (MEA) component materials caused by manufacturing, processing, handling, or operation can lead to performance loss and failure. One example is the presence of pinholes in the membrane, which can cause increased gas transport (crossover) and lead to electrical shorting. This work investigates the effects of intentionally introduced pinholes with various sizes up to 350μm in diameter. The presence of the pinholes resulted in minimal impacts on the cell voltage (±30 mV at 4Acm -2 ). However, the pinholes significantly increased H 2 crossover, which decreased hydrogen production efficiency and increased the minimum current density for safe operation. The impacts of the pinhole on the H 2 crossover and efficiency are more severe for open pinhole features than tear-like pinhole features. In conclusion, this research demonstrates that even small pinholes cannot be disregarded from a safety, efficiency, and operating strategy perspective.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2015

Oxidation behaviors of porous Haynes 214 alloy at high temperatures

The oxidation behaviors of porous Haynes 214 alloy at temperatures from 850 to 1000 °C were investigated. The porous alloys before and after the oxidation were examined by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The oxidation kinetics of the porous alloy approximately follows a parabolic rate law and exhibits two stages controlled by different oxidation courses. Complex oxide scales composed of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}, NiCr{sub 2}O{sub 4} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} are formed on the oxidized porous alloys, and the formation of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} on its outer layer is promoted with the oxidation proceeding. The rough surface as well as the micropores in the microstructures of the porous alloy caused by the manufacturing process provides fast diffusion paths for oxygen so as to affect the formation of the oxide layers. Both the maximum pore size and the permeability of the porous alloys decrease with the increase of oxidation temperature and exposure time, which may limit its applications. - Highlights: • Two-stage oxidation kinetics controlled by different oxidation courses is showed. • Oxide scale mainly consists of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}, NiCr{sub 2}O{sub 4} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. • Rough surface and micropores lead to the formation of uneven oxide structure. • Content of Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} in the outer layer of the scale increases with time at 1000 °C. • Maximum pore size and permeability decrease with increasing temperature and time.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Grain structure, texture and mechanical property evolution of automotive aluminium sheet during high power ultrasonic welding

High power ultrasonic spot welding (HPUSW) is a joining technique which is performed within less than a second and provides a more energy-efficient alternative to friction stir spot welding (FSSW), which is considered a longer cycle manufacturing process for joining automotive alloys. To date, only a few reports exist on the deformation mechanisms that take place during high power ultrasonic spot welding. In this work, dynamic recrystallization and grain growth were examined using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). HPUSW causes extensive deformation within the weld zone where the temperature increases to 440 °C. An ultra-fine grain structure was observed in a thin band of flat weld interface within a short welding time of 0.10 s. With increasing welding time the interface was displaced and ‘folds’ or ‘crests’ appeared together with shear bands. The weld interface progressively changed from flat to sinusoidal and eventually to a convoluted wave-like pattern when the tool fully penetrated the workpiece, having a wavelength of ~ 1 mm after 0.40 s. Finally, the microstructure and texture varied significantly depending on the location within the weld. Although the texture near the weld interface was relatively weak, a shift was observed with increasing welding time from an initially Cube-dominated texture to one where the typical β-fibre Brass component prevailed. - Highlights: •Lap shear strength of ~2.9 kN was achieved in 0.30 sec welding time. •Temperature approached 440 °C along the weld centreline for the highest welding time. •The texture near the teeth was dominated by Brass, P and S components at optimum condition. •The weld interface showed typical β-fibre deformation texture at optimum condition.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Effect of compositional changes on microstructure in additively manufactured aluminum alloy 2139

Highlights: • Volatile elements preferentially vaporize during additive manufacturing. • Vapor losses affect precipitate habit plane in aluminum alloy 2139. • Above 0.2 wt% Mg the precipitate forms on the preferred {111} habit plane. • Higher strength is associated with precipitates on the {111} habit planes. - Abstract: A matrix of nine experiments was conducted on aluminum alloy 2139 samples made by an electron beam directed energy deposition additive manufacturing process to characterize the effect of magnesium vaporization loss on microstructure and properties. The nine-sample matrix included three different magnesium levels deposited onto material at three different temperatures. The goal was to quantify the variability in the deposited material as a function of allowable magnesium content and the local temperature of the substrate or previous layer. The results show that temperature variations in the substrate up to 100 K have no significant effect on the amount of magnesium loss; however, relatively large variations in Mg content, up to a ±0.25 wt%, can significantly affect the microstructure and mechanical properties. This is due to a change in how the precipitate phase forms, which influences the mechanism by which the alloy is strengthened.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Closed-loop control of meltpool temperature in directed energy deposition

The objective of this work is to mitigate flaw formation in powder and laser-based directed energy deposition (DED) additive manufacturing process through close-loop control of the meltpool temperature. In this work, the meltpool temperature was controlled by modulating the laser power based on feedback signals from a coaxial two-wavelength imaging pyrometer. The utility of closed-loop control in DED is demonstrated in the context of practically inspired trapezoid-shaped stainlesssteel parts (SS 316L). We demonstrate that parts built under closed-loop control have reduced variation in porosity and uniform microstructure compared to parts built under open-loop conditions. For example, post-process characterization showed that closed-loop processed parts had a volume percent porosity ranging from 0.036% to 0.043%. In comparison, open-loop processed parts had a larger variation in volume percent porosity ranging from 0.032% to 0.068%. Further, parts built with closed-loop processing depicted consistent dendritic microstructure. By contrast, parts built with open-loop processing showed microstructure heterogeneity with the presence of both dendritic and planar grains, which in turn translated to large variation in microhardness

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Thin-film composite membranes based on hyperbranched poly(ethylene oxide) for CO 2 /N 2 separation

Cross-linked amorphous poly(ethylene oxide) (XLPEO) is one of the leading membrane materials for post-combustion CO 2 capture. For example, XLPEO prepared from poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGMEA) exhibited CO 2 permeability of 570 Barrer and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 41 at 35 °C. However, these XLPEOs cannot be dissolved in coating solutions, making it impossible to be fabricated into thin-film composite (TFC) membranes using state-of-the-art manufacturing processes. In this study, we synthesized high molecular weight yet soluble HPEO via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). These polymers were thoroughly characterized and compared with XLPEO, including thermal transitions, free volumes, and pure-gas sorption and permeation properties. A polymer with the best combination of CO 2 permeability (540 Barrer) and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity (43) was fabricated into defect-free TFC membranes with a thickness as thin as 506 ± 44 nm. When challenged with simulated flue gas containing water vapor at 35 °C for over 100 h, the membrane shows stable CO 2 permeance of 850 GPU and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 37, comparable to the leading commercial membranes for carbon capture.

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

Surface engineering of polymeric membranes with metal oxides for improved fouling resistance and superior oil-water separation

Rapid industrial growth has increased the need for efficient membranes to separate oil-water emulsions. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes, although widely used due to their chemical inertness and favorable mechanical properties, suffer from fouling due to their intrinsic hydrophobicity. Modifying these membranes after fabrication offers a practical solution as it easily fits into existing large-scale manufacturing processes. Atomic layer deposition (ALD), an atomically-precise vapor phase surface modification technique, can create ultrathin metal oxide layers that greatly improve membrane hydrophilicity without significantly affecting the original pore size. However, PVDF's lack of reactive chemical moieties makes ALD challenging. Here, in this study, we present a simple alkali treatment that greatly enhances ALD nucleation and growth on PVDF membranes. This treatment imparts exceptional oil-water emulsion separation capabilities and antifouling behavior in PVDF membranes after just a few ALD cycles, surpassing the performance of PVDF membranes coated with hundreds of ALD cycles. This dramatic reduction in the number of ALD cycles required could enable cost-effective modification of commercial PVDF membranes at scale using spatial, roll-to-roll ALD. These modified membranes outperform reported modified PVDF membranes, with >99 % permeance recovery and <1 % irreversible loss of permeance and >98 % oil rejection from oil-water emulsions over 100 h continuous operation, making them promising for advanced water purification technologies.

Atomic layer deposition↗
DOE OSTI2025

Assessment of the grindability of robocast silicon carbide

The demand for high-performance lightweight optics has driven interest in silicon carbide (SiC) due to its exceptional thermal stability, hardness, and strength-to-weight ratio. This study investigates the potential of robocasting, an additive manufacturing process, as a viable method for producing lightweighted SiC components for optical applications. Four samples with varied starting powder phases (α and β) and sintering conditions were fabricated and evaluated. Post-sintering surface and form were assessed using coherence scanning interferometry (CSI) and coordinate measuring machine (CMM) techniques. A three-stage grinding process was applied to each sample, with surface roughness assessed at each stage. Results demonstrate that samples with predominantly α-phase SiC and smaller particle sizes achieved superior surface finish, particularly sample D2-α-2135 °C, which displayed the lowest post-grinding Sq value of 0.178 µm. The analysis also indicated no significant print-through effect from the lightweighting structure, or print artifacts, at this stage of grinding. However, β-phase samples showed poorer grindability, increased surface roughness, and pitting. These findings suggest that phase composition and particle size are critical for achieving the desired surface quality in robocast SiC optics. Future work will incorporate additional samples and finer grinding wheels to refine surface quality further, supporting the development of SiC for high-precision optical applications.

Barrett, Taylor [ORNL]↗
DOE OSTI2016

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V: Mill-annealed versus direct metal laser melted alloys

Additive manufacturing processes such as direct metal laser melting (DMLM) are known to produce highly anisotropic microstructures. The present work compares the microstructure and mechanical properties of DMLM Ti–6Al–4V with that of mill-annealed alloys. Results show that the yield and hardening response of DMLM Ti–6Al–4V does not depend on the testing direction relative to the build direction, while the response of mill-annealed Ti–6Al–4V strongly depends on the testing direction. In conclusion, these results are discussed in light of the microstructure, texture, and polycrystal plasticity modeling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-temperature lean Cu alloys with Cr-to-Nb atomic ratio of 2

Two Cu-Cr-Nb alloys, denoted as alloy 1 (comprising Cu-0.89 at% Cr-0.42 at% Nb) and alloy 2 (comprising Cu-1.84 at% Cr-0.99 at% Nb), were produced through a series of manufacturing processes including vacuum induction melting, melt spinning, consolidation, brazing, and baking, with both alloys aimed at achieving a nominal Cr-to-Nb atomic ratio of 2. Microstructural characterization using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction identified the cubic C15 Laves-phase Cr 2 Nb as the dominant precipitate in both alloys, cross-validated by thermodynamic calculations and atomistic simulation-based density functional theory (DFT). Besides cubic C15 Cr 2 Nb, hexagonal C14-phase Cr 2 Nb and α-BiF3 cubic structured Cr 3 Nb were also observed in the alloys, including a coherent interface formed between the Cr 3 Nb precipitate and the Cu matrix. The hardness of the alloys increases, and the electrical conductivity decreases with increasing alloying addition content; two practical equations described the trends. Further DFT simulations revealed that the electrical conductivity (conductance) of the Cu/Cr 2 Nb interface is an order of magnitude higher than the intrinsic Cu high-angle grain boundaries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Slug-flow synthesis of NCMA: Effect of substitution of cobalt with aluminum on the electrochemical performance of Ni-rich cathode for lithium-ion battery

Nickle-rich Li[Ni 1-x-y Co x Mn y ]O 2 (x, y≤0.1) (NCM) layered materials are known as promising cathode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles owing to their high-reversible capacity and operating voltage of up to 3.6 vs Li/Li + . However, issues, such as irreversible phase transition, cation mixing, microcrack formation, thermal and structural stability of the material prevent its widespread adoption. Although, cation doping is a well-known technique to enhance the electrochemical performance of the NCM-based cathode material, the performance of the material is very sensitive to the doping amount. In this study, three Al-doped quaternary Ni-rich cathode materials Li[Ni 0.85 Co (0.1-x) Mn 0.05 Al x ]O 2 (where, x=0–0.04) (NCMA) are synthesized through three-phase slug-flow based continuous manufacturing process followed by high temperature calcination to study the effect of Aldoping on the performance of the cathode material while reducing Co. The slug flow-based production platform has several advantages, like particle size uniformity, high production rate, and homogeneity in elemental distribution. It is found that with an increase in Al content, the specific capacity decreases but the cyclic stability and rate capability increases. Furthermore, optimum Al-doping not only compensates for the adverse effect of low Co by decreasing the extent of cation mixing, but it also minimizes the electrode polarization and cracking of the particles.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ultra-efficient polymer binder for silicon anode in high-capacity lithium-ion batteries

As a highly promising anode material for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the low electronic conductivity and large volume variation of silicon (Si) make the slurry-coating Si based electrode requiring high content of “inert” materials and suffering rapid capacity fading. In this work, a polyimine, synthesized via one-step condensation reaction, has been demonstrated as an ultra-efficient polymer binder that can resolve the above issues. The polyimine binder containing Si electrode delivers superior electrochemical performance: a delithiation specific capacity of 804.4 mAh g –1 with capacity retention of 82.4% after 1000 cycles at the current density of 2 A g –1 . The high efficiency of polyimine binder for Si electrode has also been demonstrated with ultrahigh weight ratio of “active” material to “inert” material (R A/I ). The electrode with 95 wt% of Si (95Si/Polyimine, R A/I = 19) reveals a reversible delithiation capacity of 2114 mAh g –1 (capacity retention ~ 80.4%) over 200 cycles at the current density of 400 mA g –1 . Even at the high current density of 2 A g –1 , a delithiation capacity of 1087.8 mAh g –1 after 500 cycles can be obtained. Molecular simulations and atomic force microscopy (AFM) indentation are utilized to investigate the ultra-efficiency of polyimine binder. With simple manufacturing process and ultra-efficient binder performance, the designed polyimine binder will be definitely meaningful in achieving low-cost and high-capacity LIBs with prolonged cycle life.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Modular system for probabilistic fracture mechanics analysis of embrittled reactor pressure vessels in the Grizzly code

In light water reactor (LWR) nuclear power plants, the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) plays an essential safety role, and its integrity must be ensured during a variety of transient loading conditions. These can include off-normal conditions such as a pressurized thermal shock (PTS), as well as transients encountered during normal startup, shutdown, and testing of the reactor. Exposure to irradiation and elevated temperatures embrittles the RPV’s steel over time, making it increasingly susceptible to failure due to propagation of fractures that could initiate at the locations of flaws introduced during the manufacturing process. As long-term operation scenarios are being considered for LWRs in the United States, it is important to have a flexible simulation tool that can be used to perform probabilistic evaluations of RPV integrity under a wide variety of conditions and incorporate improved predictive models of RPV steel embrittlement. The Grizzly code is being developed to meet these needs. This paper describes Grizzly’s modular architecture, provides results of benchmarking studies of various components of Grizzly, and demonstrates the application of Grizzly on a model that includes plume effects that are difficult to represent in other codes being used in current practice.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗