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At least 1,621 records · Page 90

Evolution of Microstructure and Surface Characteristics of FeCrAl alloys when Subjected to Flow Boiling Testing

FeCrAl alloys are candidate materials for manufacturing accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) cladding intended for light water reactors to increase fuel reliability and safety during design-basis and beyond-design-basis accident scenarios. The evolution of the materials' surface characteristics, microstructure, and mechanical properties when exposed to the Critical Heat Flux (CHF) in flow boiling testing is crucial for safety analysis while providing insights into their thermal-hydraulic performance in nuclear reactors. After CHF, the surface chemistry of two FeCrAl alloys, APMT and C26M, was studied to understand their evolution at the early stage of high-temperature excursions in short time periods. The results indicated a thin layer composed of oxides and hydroxides of Al, Cr, and Fe with varying proportions at different depths in the layer, as indicated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and depth profiling. The cross-sections prepared by focused ion beam (FIB) revealed the growth of an oxide layer, in the range of 90-180 nm thick, on the alloys' surfaces. The evolution of the materials' surface chemistry also led to a noticeable post CHF excursion increase in their wettability, with a slight increase in roughness. Further, the investigation of the materials' mechanical properties indicated a modest increase in hardness by 10-15% as well as an increase in their yield strength, as evidenced by the microindentation and ring compression tests conducted before and after CHF testing. Scanning electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate microstructural features of the materials and their changes after CHF treatment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Report on partially complete post-irradiation-examination of the INL samples

Ferritic-martensitic steels (NF616 and T91), and austenitic stainless steel 800H and its Grain Boundary Engineering (GBE)-treated version 800H-TMP (ThermoMechanical Processing) were irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and their microstructures and mechanical properties were characterized. Ferritic-martensitic steels were irradiated up to 8.16 dpa in the irradiation temperatures ranging from 241 °C to 447.5 °C. Selected 800H and 800H-TMP samples were also irradiated up to 9.12 dpa at 359°C to 431°C. Vickers hardness measurement, fractography, and microstructural characterization were performed on the selected samples in the LAMDA lab. Radiation-induced hardening of NF616 and T91 was observed in the hardness measurements which show ~37% to ~65% increases, depending on irradiation dose and irradiation temperature. Within the irradiation conditions studied in this work, samples with a higher dose had a higher hardness. All the tested alloy 800H and 800H-TMP in this work showed irradiation-hardening by ~96±7% to ~152±10%. Alloy 800HTMP tended to have slightly smaller irradiation-hardening than alloy 800H. The fractography of NF616 samples D2 (2.96 dpa at 291.5°C), D4 (5.91 dpa at 359°C), and D6 (8.16 dpa at 431°C) indicated loss of ductility with negligible necking for the sample D2, yet obvious ductile failure for samples D4 and D6. Fractography of alloy 800H samples N4 (7.27 dpa at 359°C), N5 (3.9 dpa at 451.5°C), and N6 (9.01 dpa at 431°C), and alloy 800H-TMP samples P4 (7.36 dpa at 359°C), P5 (3.95 dpa at 451.5°C), and P6 (9.12 dpa at 431°C) indicated that all samples failed in a ductile mode, with obvious necking. Dimples were observed where large Ti-containing particles were observed for the samples. TEM characterization was performed on alloy 800H (N4, N5, N6) and 800H-TMP (P4, P5 and P6). Accumulation of M23C6 precipitates at grain boundaries was observed in all samples, and the presence of Ti(C,N) precipitates at grain boundaries and in the matrix was observed in alloy 800H-TMP. M23C6 precipitates were found to have the cube-on-cube orientation relationship with the matrix. In addition, nanoscale Si-rich clusters were observed in the matrix of all samples. Atom probe tomography was conducted on the same samples, and their results are being analyzed to be integrated with the TEM results for a confident description of the clustering behavior. Due to the low irradiation temperature (up to 451.5°C), dislocation loops formed in all samples, with the density and the average size of dislocation loops in the order of 1022 – 1023 m-3 and 11.7 – 15.9 nm, respectively. The loop densities in alloy 800H were higher than that in alloy 800H-TMP under the same irradiation conditions. Further systematic data analyses, together with some complementary experiments, will be pursued for these samples to foster peer-reviewed journal article publications.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Processing Techniques for ODS Stainless Steels

Oxide dispersion-strengthened (ODS) alloys have been studied extensively, in part as a response to the need to develop the high-temperature materials that are required for energy efficient systems. ODS stainless steels, in particular, are of technological interest because of their high ductility and high strength at elevated temperatures, which when combined with their resistance to corrosion, render them ideal for many applications that require extreme performance quality. Survey of the published literature reveals that efforts have been devoted to incorporate specific strengthening mechanisms in order to meet demanding performance criteria for ODS alloys. As a result, a number of novel processing approaches have been developed in an effort to design distinct microstructures that can enhance the performance of ODS alloys. In the current paper, various techniques used to manufacture ODS stainless steel alloys are compared and summarized on the basis of a literature search, and results are contrasted with selected experimental data obtained by the authors. In particular, cryomilling, water-atomization, and melt-spinning processes are described in detail as three novel approaches that can be effectively used to distribute nanometric oxides in 316L stainless steel matrix. The microstructural features, mechanical properties, and sintering behavior of the fabricated materials are described and discussed. The critical processing parameters for each processing technique are discussed with reference to the properties of the material. The versatility and potential challenges of the individual techniques are also described and contrasted.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microstructure Analysis and Rheological Behavior of Magnesium Alloys at Semi-solid Temperature Range

Microstructure and rheological properties of AZ91 and Elektron 21 magnesium alloys in semi-solid state were studied. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed significant differences in melting range in analyzed materials. Isothermal annealing for 5, 30 and 80 min, in semi-solid range, corresponding to 50 and 70% of solid fraction, showed slower microstructure coarsening kinetics in Elektron 21 due to the presence of Zr- and RE-enriched precipitations. Ostwald ripening and coalescence resulted in decrease in grains density with increasing annealing time and temperature. Hardness after annealing showed overall tendency to diminish with soaking time probably due to the growth of average grain size. Rheological analysis showed tendency to lower the value of dynamic viscosity coefficient as shear rate rise, which confirmed non-Newtonian flow behavior. The highest values of dynamic viscosity coefficient were obtained for alloy AZ91.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of Normalizing Temperature on Fracture Characteristic of Tensile and Impact Tested Creep Strength-Enhanced Ferritic P92 Steel

The high-temperature Cr-Mo creep strength-enhanced ferritic (CSEF) steels are mainly used in nuclear and thermal power plants. In the present investigation, a systematic study on fracture surface morphologies of tensile and impact tested specimens and mechanical properties of cast and forged (C&F) P92 steel was performed for various heat treatment conditions. The heat treatment was carried out in normalizing temperature range of 950-1150 °C and then tempered to a fixed tempering temperature of 760 °C. The effect of varying normalizing temperatures before and after tempering on microstructure evolution, tensile properties, Vicker’s hardness and Charpy toughness was studied. The normalizing temperature before and after tempering was having a noticeable effect on mechanical properties of as-received P92 steel. The fracture surface of impact and tensile tested samples was also studied for various normalizing temperatures with or without tempering. Fracture surface morphology was affected by the presence of secondary phase carbide particles. The fraction area of cleavage facets on the tensile fracture surface was found to be increased with an increase in the normalizing temperature. The fractured tensile specimens were characterized by transgranular ductile dimples, tear ridges and transgranular cleavage facets for various heat treatments. The fracture mode of impact tested samples was more complex. It showed both quasi-cleavage facets and ductile dimple tearing for various normalizing temperatures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Microstructures and deformation mechanisms of Cr26Mn20Fe20Co20Ni14 alloys

Highlights: • The single-phase FCC alloy as the annealing temperature exceeding 1015 °C • The dual-phase structure as the annealing temperature lower than 1000 °C • The σ phases grow primarily at grain boundaries. • The single-phase alloy deforms via dislocations and twins. • In-situ tensile experiment reveals twinning at the crack tip. - Abstract: We investigated microstructures and tension properties of Cr{sub 26}Mn{sub 20}Fe{sub 20}Co{sub 20}Ni{sub 14} alloys that were produced by arc-melting and subsequent thermal-mechanical processing—hot-rolling → cold-rolling → annealing at different temperatures ranging from 500 °C to 1100 °C for 1 h → air cooling. Microstructure characterization shows the single-phase solid solution with face centered cubic structure as the annealing temperature exceeding 1015 °C while the dual-phase structure (Cr-rich σ phase and FCC solid solution) as the annealing temperature lower than 1000 °C. The σ phases grow primarily at grain boundaries and act as precipitation strengthening units to enhance strain hardening rate. The single-phase solid solution deforms plastically via dislocations and twins. Twin boundaries associated with deformation twinning impede dislocation motion, enhancing the strain hardening capacity. In-situ tensile experiment in transmission electron microscope further reveals that twinning occurs at the crack tip and facilitates the deflection of crack propagation towards twinning shear direction. This work implies that a strength-ductility combination can be realized by coupling precipitation strengthening and twinning-induced plasticity in multiple principle elements alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Martensitic transformation induced strength-ductility synergy in additively manufactured maraging 250 steel by thermal history engineering

Maraging steels are known for their exceptional strength but suffer from limited work hardening and ductility. Here, in this study, we report an intermittent printing strategy to tailor the microstructure and mechanical properties of maraging 250 steel via tuning the thermal history during wire-arc directed energy deposition. By introducing a dwell time between adjacent layers, the maraging 250 steel is cooled below the martensite start temperature, triggering thermally-driven martensitic transformation during the printing process. Thermal cycling during subsequent layer deposition results in the formation of reverted austenite which shows a refined microstructure and induces elemental segregation between martensite and reverted austenite. The Ni enrichment in the austenite promotes stabilization of the reverted austenite upon cooling to room temperature. The reverted austenite is metastable during deformation, leading to strain-induced martensitic transformation under loading. Specifically, a 3 min interlayer dwell time produces a maraging 250 steel with approximately 8% reverted austenite, resulting in improved work hardening via martensitic transformation induced plasticity during deformation. Meanwhile, the higher cooling rate and refined prior austenite grains lead to substantially refined martensitic grains (by approximately fivefold) together with an increased dislocation density. With 3 min interlayer dwell time, the yield strength of the printed maraging 250 steel increases from 836 MPa to 990 MPa, and the uniform elongation is doubled from 3.2% to 6.5%. This intermittent deposition strategy demonstrates the potential to tune the microstructure of maraging steels for achieving strength-ductility synergy by engineering the thermal history during additive manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing↗

Microstructural control of FeCrAl alloys using Mo and Nb additions

The effects of Mo and Nb additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of two FeCrAl alloys were studied in this paper. Fine and uniform recrystallized grain structures (~ 20–30 μm) were achieved in both alloys through suitable annealing after warm-rolling. The formation of Fe 2 Nb-type Laves phase precipitates in the Nb-containing FeCrAl alloy effectively stabilized the deformed and recrystallized microstructures. The Mo-containing FeCrAl alloy exhibited strong γ texture fiber after annealing at 650–900 °C, whereas the annealed Nb-containing FeCrAl alloy had much weaker texture. Finally, both strength and ductility decreased as the grain size increased in both alloys.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effect of the Boron Content on the Amorphization Process and Magnetic Properties of the Mechanically Alloyed Fe{sub 92−x}Nb{sub 8}B{sub x} Powders

The effect of the B content on the microstructural, structural, and magnetic properties of partially amorphous Fe{sub 92−x}Nb{sub 8}B{sub x} (x = 5, 10, 15, and 20) alloys has been investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, high and low-temperature extraction-type magnetometers. The XRD results reveal the formation of a nanocomposite structure where nanocrystalline bcc α-Fe and Fe{sub 2}B phases are embedded into an amorphous matrix. The FeB boride is observed for higher boron contents (x = 15 and 20), and the crystallite sizes are in the range of 7–24 nm. As the B content increases, the amorphous phase-relative proportion and coercivity increase, whereas the saturation magnetization decreases. An important magnetic hardening occurs by lowering the temperature from 400 to 5 K for x = 20% B. The variation of the Curie temperature can be attributed to the heterogeneity of the amorphous matrix.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Enhanced Hot Tensile Ductility of Mg-3Al-1Zn Alloy Thin-Walled Tubes Processed Via a Combined Severe Plastic Deformation

In the current study, combined parallel tubular channel angular pressing (PTCAP) and tube backward extrusion (TBE), as a recently developed severe plastic deformation (SPD) method, were applied at 300 °C on a commercial Mg-3Al-1Zn alloy tubes to achieve an ultrafine grained structure. Then, the microstructure, hardness, tensile properties, and fractography evaluations were done at room temperature on the SPD-processed samples. Also, to study the hot tensile ductility of the SPD-processed samples, tensile testing was performed at an elevated temperature of 400 °C, and then, the fractured surface of the tensile samples was studied. It was observed that a bimodal microstructure, with large gains surrounded by many tiny ones, was created in the sample processed by PTCAP followed by TBE. This microstructure led to reach higher hardness and higher strength at room temperature and also led to reach very high elongation to failure (~ 181%) at 400 °C. Also, the value of elongation to failure for this sample was ~ 14.1% at room temperature. The fractographic SEM images showed the occurrence of predominately ductile fracture in the samples pulled at 400 °C. This was mostly due to the nucleation of microvoids and their subsequent growth and coalescence with each other.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A computational study of the effects of graphene additions on electrical properties of polycrystalline copper

The addition of graphene has recently shown promise as a route for the significant improvement of the bulk electrical properties of metallic materials. Here, we explore the effects these additions have on the net electrical conductivity of fabricated copper-graphene (Cu-Gr) nanocomposites as a function of grain structure and grain boundary properties. Synthetic 3D microstructures were generated to represent polycrystalline copper with different average grain diameters and twinned grain boundary fractions. Then, the Poisson equation of electrical transport was solved using a finite difference method in order to predict the net electrical conductivity of each microstructure. In this context, the potential effect of graphene on the conductivity of the composite was evaluated as a function of the number of affected grain boundaries. The results of these calculations indicate that 1.) as supported by literature, net electrical conductivity decreases with decreasing grain size, 2.) the presence of twinned grain boundaries results in smaller loss of conductivity than would otherwise be expected, and 3.) the presence of graphene on the grain boundaries can be expected to lead to improvements in net electrical conductivity. However, we also find that 4.) when the Cu grain structure becomes sufficiently refined, the addition of graphene could conceivably result in significant improvements in electrical conductivity over and above coarse-grained Cu. It is estimated from our calculations that, assuming microstructures with average grain sizes between 100 nm and 100 μm and graphene conductivity 1000 to 10,000 that of a typical Cu grain boundary, an improvement in electrical conductivity of approximately 17% over that of bulk Cu may be attainable. Therefore, by performing this study we suggest a possible route for the improvement of Cu electrical properties through the addition of graphene.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A single-composition CaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:RE (RE=Ce{sup 3+}/Tb{sup 3+}, Eu{sup 2+}, Mn{sup 2+}) phosphor nanofiber mat: Energy transfer, luminescence and tunable color properties

CaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:RE (RE = Ce{sup 3+}/Tb{sup 3+}, Eu{sup 2+}, Mn{sup 2+}) phosphor nanofiber mat has been prepared via the electrospinning process and further annealing treatment. The diameter of nanofiber precursors are generally in a range of 400–600 nm, which exhibits smooth and uniform surface morphology. After removing the polymer template by high temperature treatment, the fabricated mats have been transformed into a phosphor film and maintain uniform nanofiber network microstructures. Photoluminescence (PL) properties of CaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2} phosphor nanofiber mat have been activated by Ce{sup 3+}/Tb{sup 3+}, Eu{sup 2+} and Mn{sup 2+}. The emission color of CaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Ce{sup 3+}/Tb{sup 3+}, Eu{sup 2+}, Mn{sup 2+} phosphor mats can be adjusted by modifying the concentration of doped Tb{sup 3+}/Mn{sup 2+}/Eu{sup 2+} and the resultant energy transfer process. Owing to the energy transfer of Ce{sup 3+}-Tb{sup 3+}, the emitting color of the phosphor mat can be changed from blue to green. Meanwhile, we still found that the switching of emitting colors from blue to red and blue to yellow can be achieved via the energy transfer of Ce{sup 3+}-Mn{sup 2+} and Ce{sup 3+}-Eu{sup 2+}, respectively. We demonstrated a white light emission phosphor nanofiber mat by using CaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2} system, which exhibited promising applications for near-UV WLEDs. - Graphical abstract: CIE chromaticity coordinates of CaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}:Ce{sup 3+}/Tb{sup 3+}, Eu{sup 2+}, Mn{sup 2+} samples. The lighting optical images with a drive current of 100 mA: three LEDs with nanofiber mats of CaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}: 0.02Ce{sup 3+}, 0.03Tb{sup 3+}(b), CaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}: 0.02Ce{sup 3+}, 0.01Eu{sup 2+}(c) and CaSi{sub 2}O{sub 2}N{sub 2}: 0.02Ce{sup 3+}, 0.12Mn{sup 2+}(d). Display Omitted.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Proposed Material Properties, Allowable Stresses, and Design Curves of Diffusion Bonded Alloy 800H for the ASME Code Section III Division 5

Abstract Increased interest in compact heat exchangers (CHXs) to serve as intermediate heat exchangers of very high temperature reactors resulted in significant research and development on their design, analysis, and construction. Printed circuit heat exchangers are a type of CHXs with high thermal efficiency and compactness achieved through diffusion bonding a stack of etched plates with millimeter scaled channels. The diffusion bonding process changes the microstructural and mechanical properties of the wrought metal plates. The current nonnuclear design code ASME section VIII, division 1 captures the material property change through a “joint efficiency factor.” However, the current nuclear design code ASME section III, division 5 does not address or support the diffusion bonded material properties. Hence, there is a need to develop allowable stresses, isochronous curves, and fatigue life curves for various diffusion bonded alloys. In this study, Alloy 800H material was selected to establish the diffusion bonded material properties under tension, creep, fatigue, and creep-fatigue loads at elevated temperatures in the range 550–760 °C. A set of tests on diffusion bonded Alloy 800H (DB 800H) were performed and the acquired data are used in developing allowable stresses Sy, Su, Sr, Sm, St, Smt, So, isochronous curves and fatigue life curves according to the ASME section III, division 5 requirements. This paper also presents detailed procedures used in developing the ASME code section III division 5 design provisions for diffusion bonded Alloy 800H.

Engineering↗

Additive Manufacturing of Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Multi Principle Element Alloys for Future Aerospace Applications

Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) materials have long been of interest for their high temperature applications, and additive manufacturing enables their manufacturing viability. The ODS multi-principle element alloy NiCoCr was prepared using powder metallurgy techniques, additively manufactured, and evaluated for its processingmicrostructure-property relationships. The high temperature foundations of nickel-base superalloys and ODS materials were combined with the manufacturing advantages of 3D printing and the chemical simplicity of NiCoCr to inspire this work, which was divided into powder and printed material assessments. The project was achieved through multiple iterative project loops to assess the processing parameters’ impact on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the feedstock powder and printed material. The powder investigations (Chapter 3) focused on understanding the oxide coating that formed on the metal powder following acoustic mixing. Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry was used to semi-quantitatively assess the amount of yttrium on the surface of the mixed powders, and indicated that a combination of higher mixing condition energy and moderate mixing time resulted in the most oxide coating on the NiCoCr powder. The results were supported by a qualitative assessment of scanning electron images of coated powder particles. Following mixing, the ODS NiCoCr was consolidated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion. The evaluations of the printed material (Chapter 4) frst considered screening experiments including Archimedes’ density, porosity, and grain size and number metrics from electron backscatter diffraction data. After the ideal additive manufacturing parameters were identifed, both the oxide homogeneity and yield strength were discussed for the idealized printed material. Overall, the project suggests that the combined use of qualitative or semi-quantitative powder surface analysis with Archimedes’ density analyses can be a valid high-throughput technique which can lead to process optimization of Laser Powder Bed Fusion additively manufactured ODS material.

Laura G Wilson↗

Microstructure-Based Estimation of Strength and Ductility Distributions for \(\alpha +\beta \) Titanium Alloys

Titanium alloys are processed to develop a wide range of microstructure configurations and therefore material properties. While these properties are typically measured experimentally, a framework for property prediction could greatly enhance alloy design and manufacturing. In this work, a microstructure-sensitive framework is presented for the prediction of strength and ductility as well as estimates of the bounds in variability for these properties. The framework explicitly considers distributions of microstructure via new approaches for instantiation of structure in synthetic samples. The parametric evaluation strategy, including the finite element simulation package FEpX, is used to create and test virtual polycrystalline samples to evaluate the variability bounds of mechanical properties in Ti-6Al-4V. Critical parameters for the property evaluation framework are provided by measurements of single crystal properties and advanced characterization of microstructure and slip system strengths in 2D and 3D. Property distributions for yield strength and ductility are presented, along with the validation and verification steps undertaken. Comparisons between strain localization and slip activity in virtual samples and in experimental grain-scale strain measurements are also discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Accelerating phase-field-based microstructure evolution predictions via surrogate models trained by machine learning methods

Abstract The phase-field method is a powerful and versatile computational approach for modeling the evolution of microstructures and associated properties for a wide variety of physical, chemical, and biological systems. However, existing high-fidelity phase-field models are inherently computationally expensive, requiring high-performance computing resources and sophisticated numerical integration schemes to achieve a useful degree of accuracy. In this paper, we present a computationally inexpensive, accurate, data-driven surrogate model that directly learns the microstructural evolution of targeted systems by combining phase-field and history-dependent machine-learning techniques. We integrate a statistically representative, low-dimensional description of the microstructure, obtained directly from phase-field simulations, with either a time-series multivariate adaptive regression splines autoregressive algorithm or a long short-term memory neural network. The neural-network-trained surrogate model shows the best performance and accurately predicts the nonlinear microstructure evolution of a two-phase mixture during spinodal decomposition in seconds, without the need for “on-the-fly” solutions of the phase-field equations of motion. We also show that the predictions from our machine-learned surrogate model can be fed directly as an input into a classical high-fidelity phase-field model in order to accelerate the high-fidelity phase-field simulations by leaping in time. Such machine-learned phase-field framework opens a promising path forward to use accelerated phase-field simulations for discovering, understanding, and predicting processing–microstructure–performance relationships.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement among National Energy Technology Laboratory, Advanced Manufacturing LLC, and Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology [Abstract]

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Advanced Manufacturing LLC (AMLLC) and Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) will collaborate to develop and manufacture cost-effective, oxide dispersion-strengthened, NiCrFeCo-rich high entropy alloys that are superior to Nickel-based superalloys (e.g. IN740) for repair or replacement service in extreme environments. The new alloys can result in higher efficiency and reduced cost of advanced power systems such as advanced ultra-supercritical (AUSC) boilers and gas turbines. High throughput, multiscale computational modeling will be performed to accelerate alloy discovery by interrogating the intrinsic properties of the alloys including thermodynamic, kinetic, and mechanical properties. Validation and evaluation will be performed, including additive manufacturing, microstructure characterization, and mechanical properties tests.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Micromechanical Characterization and Texture Analysis of Direct Cast Titanium Alloys Strips

This research was conducted to determine a post-processing technique to optimize mechanical and material properties of a number of Titanium based alloys and aluminides processed via Melt Overflow Solidification Technique (MORST). This technique was developed by NASA for the development of thin sheet titanium and titanium aluminides used in high temperature applications. The materials investigated in this study included conventional titanium alloy strips and foils, Ti-1100, Ti-24Al-11Nb (Alpha-2), and Ti-48Al-2Ta (Gamma). The methodology used included micro-characterization, heat-treatment, mechanical processing and mechanical testing. Characterization techniques included optical, electron microscopy, and x-ray texture analysis. The processing included heat-treatment and mechanical deformation through cold rolling. The initial as-cast materials were evaluated for their microstructure and mechanical properties. Different heat-treatment and rolling steps were chosen to process these materials. The properties were evaluated further and a processing relationship was established in order to obtain an optimum processing condition. The results showed that the as-cast material exhibited a Widmanstatten (fine grain) microstructure that developed into a microstructure with larger grains through processing steps. The texture intensity showed little change for all processing performed in this investigation.

Source record↗