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At least 19 records

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2025

Time-Dependent 600 °C Post-Weld Heat Treatment Response of Laser-Wire-Directed Energy Deposited Austenitic Stainless Steel Claddings on Carbon Steel

Austenitic stainless steel overlay claddings are often used to protect nuclear reactor pressure vessels from corrosion. Arc welding processes are traditionally employed, which require a high heat input to bond the dissimilar metals, creating a large heat-affected zone and high residual stress that demands a lengthy stress-relieving post-weld heat treatment, up to 48 hours. High energy beam (e.g., laser, electron beam) directed energy deposition-based overlay cladding processes show promise for fabricating claddings with superior performance compared to arc welded ones because of their localized heat input; however, their necessity and time of post-weld heat treatment are currently unclear. In this research, we investigate the time dependence of a 600 C stress-relieving post-weld heat treatment of austenitic stainless steel clad on low carbon steel by laser-wire-directed energy deposition, comparing the microstructure and mechanical properties of the as-fabricated condition to 2-, 10-, and 48-hour heat treatment times. Diffusion simulations and microscopy show a gradual carburization of the stainless steel cladding and decarburization of the heat-affected zone/base metal. Nanoindentation testing shows up to a 1.8–2.69 embrittlement in the cladding and a 0.33 to 0.69 softening in the heat-affected zone after the 48-hour post-weld heat treatment. Tensile testing of the cladding composites reveals that increasing post-weld heat treatment time raises clad cracking susceptibility due to intergranular carbide formation and shows that laser-wire-directed energy deposition claddings may not require post-weld heat treatment.

Coating↗

NASA NTRS1972

Irradiation effects on 17-7 PH stainless steel, A-201 carbon steel, and titanium-6-percent-aluminum-4-percent-vanadium alloy

Irradiation effects on three materials from the NASA Plum Brook Reactor Surveillance Program were determined. An increase of 105 K in the nil-ductility temperature for A-201 steel was observed at a fluence of approximately 3.1 x 10 to the 18th power neutrons/sq cm (neutron energy E sub n greater than 1.0 MeV). Only minor changes in the mechanical properties of 17-7 PH stainless steel were observed up to a fluence of 2 x 10 to the 21st power neutrons/sq cm (E sub n greater than 1.0 MeV). The titanium-6-percent-aluminum-4-percent-vanadium alloy maintained its notch toughness up to a fluence of 1 x 10 to the 21st power neutrons/sq cm (E sub n greater than 1.0 MeV).

Hasse, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Laser ignition of bulk 1018 carbon steel in pure oxygen

Experiments were undertaken to study the ignition characteristics of bulk 1018 carbon steel in a pure oxygen environment. Cylindrical 1018 carbon steel specimens 5 mm in diameter and 5 mm high were ignited by a focused CW CO2 laser beam in a cool, static, pure oxygen environment at oxygen pressures ranging from 0.103 to 6.895 MPa. A two-color pyrometer was designed and used to measure the ignition temperatures of the specimens. The temperature history of a spot approximately 0.5 mm in diameter located at the center of the specimen top surface was recorded with a maximum time resolution of 25 microsec, and with an accuracy of a few percent. Ignition temperature of bulk 1018 carbon steel was identified from the temperature history curve with the aid of the light intensity curve. Results show that 1018 carbon steel specimens ignite at temperatures between 1388 and 1450 K, which are below the melting range of the alloy (1662-1685 K). The ignition temperature of 1018 carbon steel is mildly dependent on oxygen pressure over the range of oxygen pressure investigated in this study.

Nguyen, K.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Outgassing measurements of bare and magnetite-coated low-carbon steel vacuum chambers

The outgassing properties of bare and magnetite-coated AISI 1020 low-carbon steel vacuum chambers were evaluated to establish material selection criteria for extreme high vacuum applications, namely, to explore the possibility of using these materials to build next-generation spin-polarized photoelectron guns. Water outgassing measurements using the throughput method revealed that the magnetite-coated chamber exhibited five times lower outgassing at room temperature prior to baking, but this advantage disappears after 80 °C baking. Hydrogen outgassing measurements demonstrated significant differences after intensive heat treatment: the bare low-carbon steel vacuum chamber achieved a specific outgassing rate of 9.6 × 10 −16 Torr L s −1 cm −2 after 400 °C/50 h bake plus additional heat treatment at lower temperatures, 25 times lower than the magnetite-coated low-carbon steel chamber. Residual gas analysis showed >99% hydrogen composition after heat treatment for both materials, with carbon species below detection limits for bare low-carbon steel versus 0.8% for magnetite-coated surfaces. These measurements indicate that properly conditioned bare low-carbon steel can achieve the <10 −12 Torr pressures required for next-generation spin-polarized photogun applications. In conclusion, the paper includes various analysis techniques intended to explain observed behaviors: isotherm analysis of pump-down plots, Arrhenius analysis of hydrogen outgassing rate data, and residual gas composition tracking.

Adsorption isotherm↗

NASA NTRS1974

Friction and wear characteristics of carbon steels in vacuum

The nature of carbon steel friction and wear under vacuum conditions is described within the framework of general friction and wear theory. Friction is considered a dynamic process and wear is considered to be the result of a continuous sequence of transitions of the friction surface material from one state into another.

Verkin, B. I.↗

NASA NTRS2014

A Five-year Performance Study of Low VOC Coatings over Zinc Thermal Spray for the Protection of Carbon Steel at the Kennedy Space Center

The launch facilities at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) are located approximately 1000 feet from the Atlantic Ocean where they are exposed to salt deposits, high humidity, high UV degradation, and acidic exhaust from solid rocket boosters. These assets are constructed from carbon steel, which requires a suitable coating to provide long-term protection to reduce corrosion and its associated costs. While currently used coating systems provide excellent corrosion control performance, they are subject to occupational, safety, and environmental regulations at the Federal and State levels that limit their use. Many contain high volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants, and other hazardous materials. Hazardous waste from coating operations include vacuum filters, zinc dust, hazardous paint related material, and solid paint. There are also worker safety issues such as exposure to solvents and isocyanates. To address these issues, top-coated thermal spray zinc coating systems were investigated as a promising environmentally friendly corrosion protection for carbon steel in an acidic launch environment. Additional benefits of the combined coating system include a long service life, cathodic protection to the substrate, no volatile contaminants, and high service temperatures. This paper reports the results of a performance based study to evaluate low VOC topcoats (for thermal spray zinc coatings) on carbon steel for use in a space launch environment.

Zinc Thermal Spray↗

NASA NTRS1981

Passivation of carbon steel through mercury implantation

An experiment, in which carbon steel samples were implanted with mercury ions from a broad beam ion source and their corrosion characteristics in air were evaluated, is described. Mercury doses of a few mA min/square cm at energies of a few hundred electron volts are shown to effect significant improvements in the corrosion resistance of the treated surfaces. In a warm moist environment the onset of rusting was extended from 15 min. for an untreated sample to approximately 30 hrs. for one implanted at a dose of 33 mA min/square cm with 1000 eV mercury ions.

Wilbur, P. J.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Failure Strain and Related Triaxiality of Aluminum 6061-T6, A36 Carbon Steel, 304 Stainless Steel, and Nitronic 60 Metals, Part I: Experimental Investigation

The objective of this study is to develop failure-limit material models for Aluminum 6061-T6, A36 Carbon Steel, 304 Stainless Steel, and Nitronic 60 metals, based on parameters of plastic equivalent strain (failure strain) and stress triaxiality. The research is conducted in two parts. This paper presents Part One of the study. In Part One, custom-designed test specimens undergo controlled uniaxial tension and compression testing at ambient temperature. These tests are performed at quasi-static speeds using Universal Testing Machines (UTMs) in accordance with ASTM E8 and ASTM E9 standards. Experimental data, specifically engineering stress–strain and force–displacement curves, are recorded from the onset of loading until specimen fracture, or in the case of compression tests, until the capacity of the testing machine is reached. In Part Two, the emphasis shifts to the calibration of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) models of the custom-designed test specimens. Plastic equivalent strain and the corresponding stress triaxiality values at failure are extracted from each test specimen for the given metal. These values are then systematically plotted onto a single graph to construct the failure-limit curve, which delineates the boundary conditions for material failure. This approach will facilitate the development of a comprehensive material property definition that correlates plastic equivalent strain with stress triaxiality at failure for Aluminum 6061-T6, A36 Carbon Steel, 304 Stainless Steel, and Nitronic 60 metals.

Harwell, Ron↗

DOE OSTI2026

Ultra-High Vacuum Outgassing Characterization of Thermally Processed Low-Carbon Steel for Advanced Particle Accelerator and Gravitational Wave Detector Applications

This dissertation investigated AISI 1020 low-carbon steel as an alternative vacuum chamber material to conventional stainless steel for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and extreme-high vacuum (XHV) applications. After a 400 °C/48 h bake, AISI 1020 tube chambers achieved a hydrogen outgassing rate of 2.4 × 10¿¹6 Torr·L·s¿¹·cm¿², approximately 2,300 times lower than the prebaked 316L stainless-steel comparator, among the lowest hydrogen outgassing rates ever reported for an uncoated metallic vacuum chamber. Bare and magnetite-coated AISI 1020 chambers were then compared using throughput and rate-of-rise methods. The magnetite coating yielded 5× lower water outgassing at room temperature, but this advantage disappeared after 80 °C baking. After full thermal conditioning (400 °C/48 h prebake followed by 150 °C/96 h and 200 °C/110 h), bare steel achieved 25× lower hydrogen outgassing than the magnetite-coated chamber (9.6 × 10¿¹6 Torr·L·s¿¹·cm¿²) and >99% H2 purity with carbon species below RGA detection. Monte Carlo molecular flow simulations of a CEBAF photogun beamline (96 scenarios) showed that replacing 304L stainless steel with AISI 1020 reduces equilibrium H2 pressure by a factor of 833; a single 304L electrode contributes 98.8% of the gas load despite occupying only 9.1% of the internal surface area. A 500-m Einstein Telescope beampipe screening showed that corrugated bellows contribute 18% of the gas load from only 0.7% of the surface area. A five-model adsorption isotherm framework applied to 22 pumpdown datasets (164 fits with AR(1)-GLS correction) established that the experimental protocol, not the material, controls isotherm identifiability: Dubinin–Radushkevich wins isothermal pipe pumpdowns; Langmuir wins thermally dominated chamber bakes. Cross-dataset joint fitting of the AISI 1020 pipe pumpdowns yielded an H2 diffusion activation energy Ed = 7.24 ± 1.28 kcal·mol¿¹, consistent with trap dominated diffusion in commercial low-carbon steels. Two companion innovations were developed: a Variable Conductance Device (VCD, patent pending IDF-00723) for XHV outgassing measurement, and VacuumDesignerPro (VDP), a MATLAB-based design tool validated against LIGO benchmarks.

Al-Allaq, Aiman H [Old Dominion University]↗

NASA NTRS1986

A method for predicting service life of zinc rich primers on carbon steel

The service life of zinc rich primers on carbon steel can be estimated by immersing a primer coated glass slide into an aqueous copper sulfate solution and measuring the amount of zinc that reacts with the copper in 15 minutes. This zinc availability test was used to evaluate eleven primers currently available for which marine beach exposure data was available from previous programs. Results were evaluated and a correlation between zinc availability and ASTM rust grade was shown.

Hoppesch, C. W.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Test Of Protective Coatings On Carbon Steel

Report describes results of tests in which carbon-steel panels coated with one-or two-component solvent-based inorganic zinc primers and top-coated with inorganic topcoat or any of various organic topcoats, placed on outdoor racks at beach at Kennedy Space Center for 5 years. From time to time, slurry of Al(2)O(3) in 10-percent HCI solution applied to some of panels to simulate corrosive effect of effluent from solid-fuel rocket booster engines. Panels coated with inorganic topcoat performed much better than organic-topcoated panels.

Macdowell, Louis↗

NASA NTRS1995

Tests Of Materials For Repair Coating Of Carbon Steel

Report describes tests of paints (primers and topcoats) for use in recoating rusted carbon steel for protection against further corrosion. Paints selected for evaluation all designated by manufacturers as suitable for application over tightly adhering rust.

Macdowell, Louis G., III↗

NASA NTRS1975

Fractography of the high temperature hydrogen attack of a medium carbon steel

Microscopic fracture processes were studied which are associated with hydrogen attack of a medium carbon steel in a well-controlled, high-temperature, high-purity hydrogen environment. Exposure to a hydrogen pressure and temperature of 3.5 MN/m2 and 575 C was found to degrade room temperature tensile properties with increasing exposure time. After 408 hr, yield and ultimate strengths were reduced by more than 40 percent and elongation was reduced to less than 2 percent. Initial fissure formation was found to be associated with manganese rich particles, most probably manganese oxide, aligned in the microstructure during the rolling operation. Fissure growth was found to be associated with a reduction in carbide content of the microstructure and was inhibited by the depletion of carbon. The interior surfaces of sectioned fissures or bubbles exhibit both primary and secondary cracking by intergranular separation. The grain surfaces were rough and rounded, suggesting a diffusion-associated separation process. Specimens that failed at room temperature after exposure to hydrogen were found to exhibit mixed mode fracture having varying amounts of intergranular separation, dimple formation, and cleavage, depending on exposure time.

Melson, H. G.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Nondestructive evaluation of residual stress in low-carbon steel

The effects of the preferred orientation on the temperature dependence of ultrasonic velocity in low carbon steels are investigated. The sensitivity of the acousto-elastic constant to changes in microstructure is assessed as well as the possibility of determining some mechanical properties of a material by measuring the acousto-elastic constant.

Salama, K.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Nondestructive evaluation of residual stress in low-carbon steel, introduction

The degree of insensitivity of the temperature dependence method to variations in preferred orientations in A508 low carbon steel specimens was determined. A pulsed phase locked loop was used to measure ultrasonic velocity in these specimens in the temperature range of 50 C below and above room temperature. Results are given in tables and indicate that the temperature dependence of ultrasonic longitudinal velocity in four specimens cut at different angles remains unchanged as a function of orientation within + or -2%. The variation of temperature dependence of ultrasonic shear velocity in the A508 steel as a function of applied stresses was also measured. Results show that values at zero stress are equal regardless of whether the polarization direction is parallel or perpendicular to the direction in which the stress is applied.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1995

Tests Of Protective Coats For Carbon Steel

Report describes laboratory and field tests of candidate paints (primers, tie coats, and topcoats) for use in protecting carbon-steel structures against corrosion in seaside environment at Kennedy Space Center. Coating materials selected because of utility in preventing corrosion, also on basis of legal requirements, imposed in several urban areas, for reduction of volatile organic contents.

Macdowell, Louis G., III↗

NASA NTRS1980

Gas phase hydrogen permeation in alpha titanium and carbon steels

Commercially pure titanium and heats of Armco ingot iron and steels containing from 0.008-1.23 w/oC were annealed or normalized and machined into hollow cylinders. Coefficients of diffusion for alpha-Ti and alpha-Fe were determined by the lag-time technique. Steady state permeation experiments yield first power pressure dependence for alpha-Ti and Sievert's law square root dependence for Armco iron and carbon steels. As in the case of diffusion, permeation data confirm that alpha-titanium is subject to at least partial phase boundary reaction control while the steels are purely diffusion controlled. The permeation rate in steels also decreases as the carbon content increases. As a consequence of Sievert's law, the computed hydrogen solubility decreases as the carbon content increases. This decreases in explained in terms of hydrogen trapping at carbide interfaces. Oxidizing and nitriding the surfaces of alpha-titanium membranes result in a decrease in the permeation rate for such treatment on the gas inlet surfaces but resulted in a slight increase in the rate for such treatment on the gas outlet surfaces. This is explained in terms of a discontinuous TiH2 layer.

Johnson, D. L.↗

NASA NTRS1974

The effect of ultrasonics on the strength properties of carbon steel processed by cold plastic deformation

A study was made of the influence of ultrasounds on the mechanical properties of OLT 35 carbon steel tubes cold-drawn on a plug ultrasonically activated by longitudinal waves. Experimental results indicate that: 1. The reduction in the values of the flow limit and tensile strength is proportional to the increase in acoustic energy introduced into the material subjected to deformation. 2. The diminution in influence of ultrasounds on tensile strength and flow rate that is due to an increased degree of deformation is explained by a reduction in specific density of the acoustic energy at the focus of deformation. 3. The relations calculated on the basis of the variation in the flow limit and tensile strength as a function of acoustic energy intensity was verified experimentally.

Atanasiu, N.↗