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At least 145 records · Page 8

Mechanical and electrical properties of low temperature phase MnBi

Low temperature phase (LTP) manganese bismuth (MnBi) is a promising rare-earth-free permanent magnet material due to its high intrinsic coercivity and large positive temperature coefficient. While scientists are making progress on fabricating bulk MnBi magnets, engineers have begun considering MnBi magnets for motor applications. Physical properties other than magnetic ones could significantly affect motor design. Here, we report results of our investigation on the mechanical and electrical properties of bulk LTP MnBi and their temperature dependence. A MnBi ingot was prepared using an arc melting technique and subsequently underwent grinding, sieving, heat treatment, and cryomilling. The resultant powders with a particle size of ∼5 μm were magnetically aligned, cold pressed, and sintered at a predefined temperature. Micro-hardness testing was performed on a part of original ingot and we found that the hardness of MnBi was 109 ± 15 HV. The sintered magnets were subjected to compressive testing at different temperatures and it was observed that a sintered MnBi magnet fractured when the compressive stress exceeded 193 MPa at room temperature. Impedance spectra were obtained using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at various temperatures and we found that the electrical resistance of MnBi at room temperature was about 6.85 μΩ m.

Jiang, Xiujuan↗

Molecular dynamics studies of fundamental bulk properties of palladium hydrides for hydrogen storage

Solid-state hydrogen storage materials undergo complex phase transformations whose behavior are collectively determined by thermodynamic (e.g., Gibbs free energy), mechanical (e.g., lattice and elastic constants), and mass transport (e.g., diffusivity) properties. These properties depend on the reaction conditions and evolve continuously during (de)hydrogenation. Thus, they are difficult to measure in experiments. Because of this, past progress to improve solid-state hydrogen storage materials has been prolonged. Using PdH x as a representative example for interstitial metal hydride, we have recently applied molecular dynamics simulations to quantify hydrogen diffusion in the entire reaction space of temperature and composition. In this paper, we have further applied molecular dynamics simulations to obtain well-converged expressions for lattice constants, Gibbs free energies, and elastic constants of PdH x at various stages of the reaction. Finally, our studies confirm significant dependence of elastic constants on temperature and composition. Specifically, a new dynamic effect of hydrogen diffusion on elastic constants is discovered and discussed.

08 HYDROGEN↗

Soils' dirty little secret: Depth–based comparisons can be inadequate for quantifying changes in soil organic carbon and other mineral soil properties

Quantifying changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and other soil properties is essential for understanding how soils will respond to land management practices and global change. Although they are widely used, comparisons of SOC stocks at fixed depth (FD) intervals are subject to errors when changes in bulk density or soil organic matter occur. The equivalent soil mass (ESM) method has been recommended in lieu of FD for assessing changes in SOC stocks in mineral soils, but ESM remains underutilized for SOC stocks and has rarely been used for other soil properties. In this paper, we draw attention to the limitations of the FD method and demonstrate the advantages of the ESM approach. We provide illustrations to show that the FD approach is susceptible to errors not only for quantifying SOC stocks but also for soil mass-based properties such as SOC mass percent, C:N mass ratio, and δ 13 C. Here we describe the ESM approach and show how it mitigates the FD method limitations. Using bulk density change simulations applied to an empirical dataset from bioenergy cropping systems, we show that the ESM method provides consistently lower errors than FD when quantifying changes in SOC stocks and other soil properties. To simplify the use of ESM, we detail how the method can be integrated into sampling schemes, and we provide an example R computer script that can perform ESM calculations on large datasets. We encourage future studies, whether temporal or comparative, to utilize sampling methods that are amenable to the ESM approach. Overall, we agree with previous recommendations that ESM should be the standard method for evaluating SOC stock changes in mineral soils, but we further suggest that ESM may also be preferred for comparisons of other soil properties including mass percentages, elemental mass ratios, and stable isotope composition.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Mechanical properties of Zircaloy cladding tubes and contributions to M.E.T.A. mechanical property database

To support a multi-laboratory Methodology, Evaluation, Testing, and Analysis (M.E.T.A.) cladding properties database, Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL’s) cladding mechanical test geometries were manufactured from several nuclear-relevant cladding alloys and subsequently tested. These geometries were developed as mechanical test specimens to evaluate the properties of tube materials that may be used for irradiation testing at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor. They may also be used as test articles to be harvested—via in-cell machining—from commercially irradiated fuel rods and later tested. This report explores the differences among axial, hoop, and SSJ tensile geometries with partially recrystallized Zircaloy-2 to test ORNL correlation-based methods on a plate material that approximates, to the greatest extent possible, the characteristics of nuclear industry tubing. Furthermore, several tests were conducted with ORNL’s Zircaloy-4 tube inventory to (1) develop material properties as a standard for future tests, (2) determine the effect of the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Fuels Campaign coating processes on tube mechanical properties, and (3) evaluate the effect of specimen machining methods on the mechanical properties of tube geometries.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Thermodynamic and transport combustion properties of hydrocarbons with air. Part 1: Properties in SI units

Thermodynamic and transport combustion properties were calculated for a wide range of conditions for the reaction of hydrocarbons with air. Three hydrogen-carbon atom ratios (H/C = 1.7, 2.0, 2.1) were selected to represent the range of aircraft fuels. For each of these H/C ratios, combustion properties were calculated for the following conditions: Equivalence ratio: 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25 Water - dry air mass ratio: 0, 0.03 Pressure, kPa: 1.01325, 10.1325, 101.325, 1013.25, 5066.25 (or in atm: 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 50) Temperature, K: every 10 degrees from 200 to 900 K; every 50 degrees from 900 to 3000 K Temperature, R: every 20 degrees from 360 to 1600 R; very 100 degrees from 1600 to 5400 R. The properties presented are composition, density, molecular weight, enthalphy, entropy, specific heat at constant pressure, volume derivatives, isentropic exponent, velocity of sound, viscosity, thermal conductivity, and Prandtl number. Property tables are based on composites that were calculated by assuming both: (1) chemical equilibrium (for both homogeneous and heterogeneous phases) and (2) constant compositions for all temperatures. Properties in SI units are presented in this report for the Kelvin temperature schedules.

Gordon, S.↗

A Flexible Parameterization for Shortwave and Longwave Optical Properties of Ice Crystals and Derived Bulk Optical Properties for Climate Models

We provide a parameterization of the extinction efficiency, single scattering albedo and asymmetry parameter of single ice crystals with any combination of particle volume, projected area, component aspect ratio and crystal distortion at any wavelength between 0.2 and 100 mm. The paramerization is an extension of the one previously published by van Diedenhoven et al. (2014, https://doi.org/10.1175/JAS-D-13-0205.1). In addition, the parameterized optical properties are integrated over size distributions yielding bulk extinction efficiencies, single scattering albedos and asymmetry parameters for large ranges of effective radii, particle component aspect ratios and crystal distortion values. The parameterization of single particle optical properties is evaluated with a reference database. The bulk optical properties are evaluated against the ice model selected for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 6 products, for which accurate optical properties are available. Mean absolute errors in parameterized extinction efficiency, asymmetry parameter and single scattering albedo are shown to be 0.0272, 0.00890 and 0.00468, respectively for shortwave wavelengths, while they are 0.0641, 0.0368 and 0.0200 in the longwave. Shortwave and longwave asymmetry parameter and single scattering albedos are shown to vary strongly with particle component aspect ratio and distortion, resulting in substantial variation in shortwave fluxes, but relatively small variations in longwave cloud emissivity. The parameterization and bulk optical properties are made publicly available.

Bastiaan Van Diedenhoven↗

Creep and Tensile Properties of Direct Metal Laser Sintered (DMLS) Inconel 738LC Coupons and Comparison to Cast Properties

Due to the nature of sCO2 power cycles, a number of turbine parts must have good mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. For recompression cycles, the turbine inlet temperature is between 600°C - 750°C, which puts nearly all high-temperature turbine parts into a creep regime. The high-strength parts in these applications are often composed of materials having high nickel or chrome contents, and are often termed superalloys. At these temperatures, the blades must survive mechanical loads due to centrifugal stress and blade loading. While centrifugal stress is primarily a function of tip velocity and its associated centrifugal acceleration, blade loading is a function of power density. Since sCO2 turbomachinery is approaching the power density of rocket engines, blade loading tends to be quite large. Another result of this high power density is that blade passages for 1-10 MW turbines tend to be quite small, making conventional fabrication methods challenging and costly; this leads engineers to pioneer new techniques to address these challenges. The authors of the current work are addressing this challenge by applying additive manufacturing techniques in the production of a 10 MW radial inflow impeller. While a comprehensive database exists for the mechanical properties of forged and cast superalloys, data is sparse for superalloys fashioned by direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) or other additive manufacturing methods. For the remainder of this work, the term printed will refer to components manufactured using one of these processes for brevity. The current work stems from the desire to manufacture a radial inflow turbine impeller using additive manufactured (AM) Inconel 738. While Siemens has adopted the use of DMLS printed Inconel 738 for use in select aviation engine parts, creep and tensile properties have not been published to the extent needed to validate a given design. The current work will show creep and tensile properties of AM Inconel 738 in the horizontal and vertical build directions and their respective comparison to cast Inconel 738 properties.

wilkes, Jason↗

Material properties of perovskites in the quasi-ternary system LaFeO{sub 3}–LaCoO{sub 3}–LaNiO{sub 3}

An overview is presented on the variation of electrical conductivity, oxygen permeation, and thermal expansion coefficient as a function of the composition of perovskites in the quasi-ternary system LaFeO{sub 3}–LaCoO{sub 3}–LaNiO{sub 3}. Powders of thirteen nominal perovskite compositions were synthesized under identical conditions by the Pechini method. The powder X-ray diffraction data of two series, namely La(Ni{sub 0.5}Fe{sub 0.5}){sub 1−x}Co{sub x}O{sub 3} and LaNi{sub 0.5-x}Fe{sub x}Co{sub 0.5}O{sub 3}, are presented after the powders had been sintered at 1100 °C for 6 h in air. The measurements revealed a rhombohedral structure for all compositions except LaNi{sub 0.5}Fe{sub 0.5}O{sub 3} for which 60% rhombohedral and 40% orthorhombic phase was found. The maximum DC electrical conductivity value of the perovskites at 800 °C was 1229 S cm{sup −1} for the composition LaCoO{sub 3} and the minimum was 91 S cm{sup −1} for the composition LaCo{sub 0.5}Fe{sub 0.5}O{sub 3}. The oxygen permeation of samples with promising conductivities at 800 °C was one order of magnitude lower than that of La{sub 0.6}Sr{sub 0.4}Co{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 0.2}O{sub 3} (LSCF). The highest value of 0.017 ml cm{sup −2} min{sup −1} at 950 °C was obtained with LaNi{sub 0.5}Co{sub 0.5}O{sub 3}. The coefficients of thermal expansion varied in the range of 13.2×10{sup −6} K{sup −1} and 21.9×10{sup −6} K{sup −1} for LaNi{sub 0.5}Fe{sub 0.5}O{sub 3} and LaCoO{sub 3}, respectively. {sup 57}Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was used as probe for the oxidation states, local environment and magnetic properties of iron ions as a function of chemical composition. The substitution had a great influence on the chemical properties of the materials. - Graphical abstract: Compositional dependence of isothermal electrical conductivity at 800 °C and thermal expansion coefficient in the series La(Fe{sub 0.5}Ni{sub 0.5}){sub (1−x)}Co{sub x}O{sub 3} and LaNi{sub 0.5−x}Fe{sub x}Co{sub 0.5}O{sub 3}.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Thermal Properties of Sodium Borosilicate Glasses as a Function of Sulfur Content

SO3 additions, up to 3.0 wt%, were systematically investigated for effects on the physical properties of sodium borosilicate glass melted in air, with a sulfur-free composition of 50SiO2-10Al2O3-12B2O3-21Na2O-7CaO (wt%). Solubility measurements, using electron microscopy chemical analysis, determined the maximum loading to be ~1.5 wt% SO3. It was found that sulfur (here as sulfate) in this glass increased the glass transition temperature, thermal diffusivity, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity, and decreased the mass density. Structural analysis, performed with Raman spectroscopy, indicated that the borosilicate network polymerized with sulfur additions, presumably due to Na2O being required to charge compensate the ionic SO42- additions, thus becoming unavailable to form non-bridging oxygen in the silicate network. It is postulated that this increased crosslinking of the borosilicate backbone lead to a structure with higher dimensionality and average bond energy. This increased the mean free paths and vibration frequency of the phonons, which resulted in the observed increase in thermal properties.

Thermal properties, Borosilicate glass, Sulfur sol↗

Catalyst design to direct high-octane gasoline fuel properties for improved engine efficiency

The paraffin-to-olefin (P/O) ratio in gasoline fuel is a critical metric affecting fuel properties and engine efficiency. In the conversion of dimethyl ether (DME) to high-octane hydrocarbons over BEA zeolite catalysts, the P/O ratio can be controlled through catalyst design. Here, we report bimetallic catalysts that balance the net hydrogenation and dehydrogenation activity during DME homologation. The Cu-Zn/BEA catalyst exhibited greater relative dehydrogenation activity attributed to higher ionic site density, resulting in a lower P/O ratio (6.6) versus the benchmark Cu/BEA (9.4). The Cu-Ni/BEA catalyst exhibited increased hydrogenation due to reduced Ni species, resulting in a higher P/O ratio (19). The product fuel properties were estimated with an efficiency merit function and compared against finished gasolines and a typical alkylate blendstock. Merit values for the hydrocarbon product from all three BEA catalysts exceeded those of the comparison fuels (0–5.3), with the product from Cu-Zn/BEA exhibiting the highest merit value (9.7).

Catalyst design↗

Production and Fuel properties of Iso-Olefins with Controlled Molecular Structure and Obtained from Butene Oligomerization

The ability to control the molecular structure (e.g., degree of branching) of iso-olefins produced from oligomerizing light olefins is a valuable tool for tuning the final compositions of hydrocarbon fuels and targeting specific fuel properties. In this study, we demonstrated that the degree of branching of iso-olefins obtained from butene(s) oligomerization can be controlled by tuning process conditions (i.e., temperature, weight hourly space velocity [WHSV], and nature of butene feedstock) and by choosing the proper catalyst (i.e., Amberlyst-36 vs. Y/ZSM-22). In this study, we produced three types of iso-olefin mixtures: 1) a methyl-heptenes rich (74 wt.%) mixture, 2) dimethyl-hexenes rich (80–96 wt.%) mixtures, and 3) highly branched (i.e., more than three methyl substitutions) iso-olefins rich (>50 wt.%) mixtures. While dimethyl-hexenes are preferentially formed at lower temperatures (60–100°C) and WHSV (i.e., 2 hr-1), methyl-heptenes are favorably produced at higher temperatures (>100°C) and WHSVs (i.e., 7 hr-1) over Amberlyst-36. The use of either 1-butene or 2-butene as feedstock resulted in liquid products with similar branching because facile intramolecular isomerization occurs prior to oligomerization. However, the use of isobutylene feedstock forms a significantly more branched olefin product. The formation of highly branched iso-olefins also is favored at higher temperature (140°C) over Amberlyst-36. Using Y/ZSM-22 instead of Amberlyst-36 allowed preferential formation of less-branched methyl-heptenes. For each type of iso-olefins mixture, we determined fuel properties including research octane number (RON), motor octane number (MON), and octane sensitivity (S), which is the difference between RON and MON. We found that not only RON and MON but also S values increased with the degree of branching of these complex mixtures of iso-olefins. The highest RON of 99.7 and S value of 9.3 were obtained for a mixture of highly branched iso-olefins.

Dagle, Vanessa↗

Investigation of structural and magnetic properties of rapidly-solidified iron-silicon alloys at ambient and elevated temperatures

In this work, we investigated the ambient temperature structural properties (~300 K) and the ambient and high temperature (up to 900 K) direct current (DC) magnetic properties of melt-spun Fe-x wt.% Si (x = 3, 5, & 8) alloys. The wheel surface speeds selected for the study were 30 m/s and 40 m/s. The thickness, width, lattice parameter, saturation magnetization (MS), and intrinsic coercivity (HCI) of the melt spun ribbons are presented and compared with data in the literature. The ribbons produced at the lower wheel surface speed (30 m/s) were continuous having relatively uniform edges compared to the ribbons produced at the higher wheel surface speed. The thickness and the width of the melt-spun ribbons ranged between ~15-60 μm and 500-800 μm, respectively. The x-ray diffraction spectra of the melt-spun ribbons indicated the presence of disordered α-phase, irrespective of the composition, and the wheel-surface speed. The lattice parameter decreased gradually as a function of increasing silicon content from ~0.2862 nm (Fe-3 wt.% Si) to ~0.2847 nm (Fe-8 wt.% Si). Wheel surface speed was not shown to have a significant effect on the magnetization, but primarily impacted the ribbon structure. A decreasing trend in the saturation magnetization was observed as a function of increased silicon content. The intrinsic coercivity of the melt-spun alloys ranged between ~50 to 200 A/m. Elevated temperature evaluation of the magnetization in the case of Fe-3 & 5 wt.% Si alloy ribbons was distinctly different from the Fe-8 wt.% Si alloy ribbons. The curves of the as-prepared Fe-3 wt.% Si and Fe-5 wt.% Si alloy ribbons were irreversible while that of Fe-8 wt.% Si was reversible. The MS for any of the combinations of wheel surface speed and composition decreased monotonically with the increase in temperature (from 300 – 900 K). The percentage decrease in MS from 300 K to 900 K for the Fe-3 wt.% Si and Fe-5 wt.% Si alloys was ~19-22 %, while the percentage decrease in the same temperature range for Fe-8 wt.% Si alloy was ~26-30 %. It appears that Fe-3 wt.% Si and Fe-5 wt.% Si alloys ribbons are primarily comprised of the α phase (disordered phase) with any minor constituents being beyond the detection limits of the studies performed, while the Fe-8 wt.% Si alloy ribbons are comprised of disordered and regions of short-range ordering.

Elevated Temperature↗

Intrinsic magnetic properties of L1{sub 0} FeNi obtained from meteorite NWA 6259

FeNi having the tetragonal L1{sub 0} crystal structure is a promising new rare-earth-free permanent magnet material. Laboratory synthesis is challenging, however, tetragonal L1{sub 0} FeNi—the mineral “tetrataenite”—has been characterized using specimens found in nickel-iron meteorites. Most notably, the meteorite NWA 6259 recovered from Northwest Africa is 95 vol. % tetrataenite with a composition of 43 at. % Ni. Hysteresis loops were measured as a function of sample orientation on a specimen cut from NWA 6259 in order to rigorously deduce the intrinsic hard magnetic properties of its L1{sub 0} phase. Electron backscatter diffraction showed that NWA 6259 is strongly textured, containing L1{sub 0} grains oriented along any one of the three equivalent cubic directions of the parent fcc structure. The magnetic structure was modeled as a superposition of the three orthonormal uniaxial variants. By simultaneously fitting first-quadrant magnetization data for 13 different orientations of the sample with respect to the applied field direction, the intrinsic magnetic properties were estimated to be saturation magnetization 4πM{sub s} = 14.7 kG and anisotropy field H{sub a} = 14.4 kOe. The anisotropy constant K = 0.84 MJ/m{sup 3} is somewhat smaller than the value K = 1.3 MJ/m{sup 3} obtained by earlier researchers from nominally equiatomic FeNi prepared by neutron irradiation accompanied by annealing in a magnetic field, suggesting that higher Ni content (fewer Fe antisite defects) may improve the anisotropy. The fit also indicated that NWA 6259 contains one dominant variant (62% by volume), the remainder of the sample being a second variant, and the third variant being absent altogether.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗