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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Near-Field Passive Wireless Sensor for High-Temperature Metal Corrosion Monitoring

This work focuses on the fabrication and evaluation of a passive wireless sensor for the monitoring of the temperature and corrosion of a metal material at high temperatures. An inductor–capacitor (LC) resonator sensor was fabricated through the screen printing of Ag-based inks on dense polycrystalline Al 2 O 3 substrates. The LC design was modeled using the ANSYS HFSS modeling package, with the LC passive wireless sensors operating at frequencies from 70 to 100 MHz. The wireless response of the LC was interrogated and received by a radio frequency signal generator and spectrum analyzer at temperatures from 50 to 800 °C in real time. The corrosion kinetics of the Cu 110 was characterized through thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis and microscopy images, and the oxide thickness growth was then correlated to the wireless sensor signal under isothermal conditions at 800 °C. The results showed that the wireless signal was consistent with the corrosion kinetics and temperature, indicating that these two characteristics can be further deconvoluted in the future. In addition, the sensor also showed a magnitude- and frequency-dependent response to crack/spallation events in the oxide corrosion layer, permitting the in situ wireless identification of these catastrophic events on the metal surface at high temperatures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Automated qualification data tool for high temperature metallic materials

This report describes a framework for storing, processing, and displaying qualification data for high temperature mechanical properties. The framework automates the process of generating design data from mechanical test results, for example for a data qualification report for the ASME Boiler \& Pressure Vessel Code. The framework has three parts: a data storage model with common formats for several types of typical mechanical property tests, a backend based on the \pycreep Python library for correlating and extrapolating the data to generate design material properties and allowable stresses, and a demonstration user interface for displaying, sorting, and filtering the data and exploring different options for modeling the design mechanical properties. The report discusses the options available for data processing, with illustrations from real test data on Alloy 617, Alloy 709, Alloy 740H, and Laser-Powder Bed Fusion 316H. The framework is complete for ASME type data analysis and will be used to store test data generated by the Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies sponsored qualification programs. Future work could extend the tool to other types of material properties and/or expand the demo user interface to make it accessible across the AMMT program.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

NDMAS

Overview of Current ART-GCR Data: Fuel Fabrication, Irradiation Monitoring (Fuel & Graphite – near real-time for HDG-1), Post-Irradiation Examination (Fuel & Graphite), Graphite Characterization (Baseline and Irradiated), High Temperature Metals Mechanical Tests, Design, Methods, and Validation Data, Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s High Temperature Test Reactor (HTTR), Argonne National Laboratory’s Natural convection Shutdown heat removal Test Facility (NSTF), Oregon State University’s High Temperature Test Facility (HTTF), Generation IV International VHTR Materials Handbook, Additional related data, and Advanced Test Reactor operations (near real-time).

11 - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2025

srlife : A software tool for estimating the life of high temperature concentrating solar receivers. Part II – Ceramic receivers

As Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technologies aim for higher operating temperatures to enhance efficiency and meet industrial process heat demands, high-temperature metallic materials, including nickel-based superalloys, face challenges in maintaining structural integrity. Advanced ceramics offer a promising alternative due to their superior high-temperature strength. However, accurately assessing the performance of ceramic components requires a fundamentally different approach from that used for metallic components. This Part II of a two-part paper describes the integration of ceramic statistical failure models within srlife – an open-source tool for predicting the life of high-temperature CSP receivers. These models account for the inherent variability in ceramic strength, as well as the effects of subcritical crack growth (SCG) under high temperature cyclic loads. Here, the paper includes an example problem that demonstrate the process of evaluating ceramic receivers using srlife. Part I details the life estimation process for metallic receivers (i.e. creep-fatigue life) along with input and output data structure, thermohydraulic analysis, and structural analysis. The complete tool is available as open-source software at https://github.com/srlife-project/srlife and can be installed via the PyPi package manager (https://pypi.org). By supporting both ceramic and metallic receiver analyses, srlife facilitates fair comparisons between competing metallic and ceramic designs, enabling accurate evaluations of plant efficiency and the economic benefits of ceramic solar receivers and other components.

High temperature ceramic receivers↗
NASA NTRS1994

X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy in High Temperature Oxidation of Metals and Alloys

An experimental technique is described that allows for the joint study of the kinetics and of the oxide structure during the high temperature oxidation of metal surfaces. Oxygen is supplied at the metal through an electrochemical oxygen pump and the oxygen pressure, at the metal surface, is measured during oxidation by a YSZ (yttria stabilized zirconia) oxygen sensor. XAS (x-ray absorption spectroscopy) is performed in fluorescence mode at the cation K edge and after each oxidation step. An appropriate analysis of the XAS spectra could provide information on both the oxidation kinetics and oxide structure. Experimental data on the high temperature oxidation of nickel, cobalt, and Fe(64%)Ni(36%) alloy, at low oxygen pressure, are reported and analyzed according to the proposed data reduction. These results indicate the presented technique to be particularly suitable for studying the hot corrosion of oxide film too thick for common surface spectroscopy (AUGER, ESCA) and too thin for conventional thermogravimetric technique.

Daniele Gozzi↗
DOE OSTI2024

Investigation of Contact Properties and Device Performance for Bifacial Double-Side Textured Silicon Solar Cells With Polysilicon Based Passivating Contacts

We investigate the impact of the surface morphology on the contact properties of phosphorus doped poly-Si layers. If the poly-Si layer on a textured surface remains intact after high-temperature metallization using a fire-through (FT) silver (Ag) paste, the J0,metal is not expected to increase significantly while the specific contact resistivity can improve with a textured surface. The contact properties of the FT Ag contacts to n+ poly-Si deposited on both textured and planar surfaces are investigated by measuring and evaluating ρc and J0,metal. The reasons for differences in contact resistance and recombination are further investigated with SEM imaging. Solar cells with n-type polysilicon based passivating contacts on the rear side are fabricated and characterized. The scientific approach used, and the insights presented in this work, help to understand the mechanisms and behavior of screen-printed and fired-through contacts to polysilicon layers deposited onto textured silicon surfaces.

Padhamnath, Pradeep (ORCID:0000000202510624)↗
DOE OSTI2025

An impermeable copper surface monolayer with high-temperature oxidation resistance

Despite numerous efforts involving surface coating, doping, and alloying, maintaining surface stability of metal at high temperatures without compromising intrinsic properties has remained challenging. Here, we present a pragmatic method to address the accelerated oxidation of Cu, Ni, and Fe at temperatures exceeding 200 °C. Inspired by the concept that oxygen (O) itself can effectively obstruct the pathway of O infiltration, this study proposes the immobilization of O on the metal surface. Through extensive calculations considering various elements (C, Al, Si, Ge, Ga, In, and Sn) to anchor O on Cu surfaces, Si emerges as the optimal element. The theoretical findings are validated through systematic sputtering deposition experiments. The introduction of anchoring elements to reinforce Cu–O bonds enables the formation of an atomically thin barrier on the Cu surface, rendering it impermeable to O even at high temperatures (400 °C) while preserving its intrinsic conductivity. This oxidation resistance, facilitated by the impermeable atomic monolayer, opens promising opportunities for researchers and industries to overcome limitations associated with the use of oxidizable metal films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fabrication of ceramic to metal graded structure for high temperature CSP receiver application using solid state additive manufacturing

The overarching goal of this project is to come up with an innovative joining solution for integration of SiC ceramic to structural materials such as stainless steels (SS)/Ni-base alloys, where intimate metallurgical bonding between SiC ceramic and the structural metallic alloy is demonstrated at the interface. Implementation of a simple, yet robust joining method would help in increasing the application space of SiC in a high-temperature CSP (concentrated solar power) plant, especially in the receiver section. This research goal has been achieved by creating a functionally graded material (FGM) interface between SiC and the selected structural material with the help of powder metallurgy (PM) approach and demonstrate intimate metallurgical bonding between monolithic RB-SiC and 316L stainless steel alloy blanks.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Near-field passive sensor for the monitoring of high-temperature oxidative corrosion of metals

This study reports on the development and testing of a passive wireless device designed to track temperature and corrosion behavior in SS304H stainless steel under elevated temperatures. The ANSYS HFSS software was utilized to model and optimize the design of an inductor-capacitor (LC) resonator passive wireless sensors fabricated using platinum designs printed onto an aluminum oxide support operating at frequencies between (50–190 MHz). The optimal LC wireless sensor designs were then fabricated using screen-printing and sintering methods. Here, the sensors were tested by placing the sensor onto polished SS304H flat substrates and heated to 900–1050 °C in air. Wireless acquisition of sensor data during heating, cooling, and isothermal stages was achieved through a Pt loop antenna connected to an RF signal generator and a network analyzer.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

srlife : a software tool for estimating the life of high temperature concentrating solar receivers. Part I – metallic receivers

Here, this paper introduces srlife, a tool for estimating the structural service life of concentrating solar power (CSP) receivers operating at high temperatures. Supporting both metallic and ceramic receiver designs, srlife is available as open-source software at https://github.com/applied-material-modeling/srlife and can be installed via the PyPi package manager (https://pypi.org). Given basic receiver geometry and incident heat flux, the tool performs thermohydraulic and structural analysis and estimates the life of a receiver. Designed for easy integration into a software stack, including solar field and levelized cost analysis, the tool can be utilized for optimizing receiver designs to meet service life and economic targets. This paper is Part I in a two-part series. Part I discusses the analysis process used to estimate the life of metallic receivers, along with a description of the required input data. Additionally, several heuristics applied within srlife can reduce analysis time significantly while maintaining accurate life estimations for metallic receivers when compared to full analyses. Several examples demonstrating the utility of srlife in receiver design are also discussed. Part II focuses on the life estimation of ceramic receivers, using time-dependent reliability analysis and various ceramic failure models implemented in srlife.

Creep-fatigue analysis↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design and Analysis of a Mutual Inductance Level Sensor for Liquid Metals

Here, this article describes the design and analysis of an electromagnetic level sensor for use in high-temperature liquid metal systems. The mutual inductance level sensor (MILS) described in this work was fabricated using two single-conductor mineral insulated cables wrapped in a bifilar fashion around a stainless steel tube core and was housed in an isolating thimble that preserved the pressure boundary of the test vessel. Two sensor variations were fabricated that differ only in active length, 1016 and 1778 mm. Experimental data were collected using the 1016-mm sensor (MILS-MKII-040) that demonstrated a sensitivity of 9.2 μ V/mm in a room temperature testing stand that used solid aluminum as a surrogate for liquid metal. Experimental data were collected using the 1778-mm sensor (MILS-MKII-070) that demonstrated a sensitivity of 6.9 μ V/mm in the high-temperature (300 ° C) liquid sodium environment at the mechanisms engineering test loop (METL) of Argonne National Laboratory. The sensor performance was found to be repeatable over the course of several months, with roughly ±1% deviation from nominal output. Finite element models were developed in COMSOL Multiphysics that fully describe each test setup, and the models were validated using experimental data. The validated COMSOL models were used to perform an array of analyses that examined the performance of the sensor in differing environments. Maximizing the coil diameter inside the isolating thimble was found to maximize the signal and sensitivity of the sensor. An optimal operating frequency was found near 1000 Hz using both experimental data and COMSOL. The influence of a metallic thimble surrounding the sensor and a metallic sensor core was quantified and found to be negligible at the optimal operating frequency. The sensitivity of the sensor was quantified when monitoring the level of additional liquid metals. These include lead, lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE), sodium-potassium alloy (NaK), and lithium (in addition to sodium). The sensitivities were quantified using liquid metal properties at 350 ° C and 650 ° C. The geometry of the test stand model, all material properties used in the model, and the results are presented in a manner that allows the reader can replicate the model and perform additional analyses.

COMSOL↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-Temperature Ferrofluids Based on Molten Salts

Molten metal chloride salts are promising candidates for advanced heat transfer fluids in generation IV nuclear reactors and beyond. However, research on the magnetic properties of suspended metallic nanoparticles at elevated temperatures is scarce, and there have been no attempts to develop a high-temperature, molten salt based ferrofluid. Such a ferrofluid would enable in situ manipulation of both the physical and thermal properties of the fluid via an external magnetic field. This study examines molten salt based ferrofluids comprised of metallic cobalt nanoparticles dispersed in molten metal chloride salts. High-temperature magnetometry and magneto-thermogalvometric measurements were conducted to evaluate the magnetic characteristics of the ferrofluid. Further analysis was conducted through a combination of microscopy, spectroscopy, solubility tests, and diffraction measurements. Furthermore, the metallic cobalt nanoparticles exhibited a notable degree of chemical stability and sustained magnetism from 25 to 800 °C when suspended in NaCl–MgCl 2 and KCl–ZnCl 2 mixtures.

Cobalt↗
DOE OSTI2025

Effects of a refractory metal protective barrier on uranium carbonitride ceramic–metallic composites exposed to a high temperature hydrogen environment

Uranium nitride has been under consideration at NASA and the Department of Energy for nuclear thermal propulsion applications intended for deep space exploration vehicles. It is critical to the success of the technology development that the behavior of the fuel system is properly characterized in operational environments. This body of work fabricated ceramic metal composites consisting of uranium ceramic fuel in a molybdenum and molybdenum–tungsten metal matrix, both with and without an exterior molybdenum barrier. Specimens were introduced to a high temperature hydrogen environment and characterized through x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy to identify characteristic changes. A portion of the specimens was fabricated with a 1.27 mm thick molybdenum barrier in order to isolate the material from the hydrogen environment. Instability of the uranium nitride occurred as low as 2073 K, leading to aggressive instability approaching 2658 K. Carbon reactions with the metal matrix were observed as well as alloying between the uranium and metal matrix constituents. The liquid uranium resulting from the instability of the uranium nitride was observed to attack the grain boundaries of the refractory metal, resulting in the formation of a liquid uranium molybdenum eutectic melt. Specimens encased in a barrier experienced similar results. The authors conclude this is a significant challenge to applications of this cermet at these temperatures. Alternate configurations with resilient hermetic seals or lower temperature applications such as power reactors may have more success.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

To Substitute Rather Than Intercalate: Chimie douce Approach to Induce Ferromagnetism in Metastable Pt 0.8 M 0.2 Se 2 ( M = Cr, Co, Ni)

Two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials with exotic magnetic properties have garnered significant interest due to their potential applications in spintronics and data storage technologies. However, the limited availability of intrinsic 2D magnetic materials has driven efforts to induce and manipulate magnetism in otherwise nonmagnetic 2D systems through approaches such as chemical intercalation, defect engineering, and substitutional doping. Herein, we present a facile, chimie douce method for incorporating 3d transition metals (Cr, Co, and Ni) into the nonmagnetic PtSe 2 sublattice. This synthetic approach enables control over layer thickness of Pt 1–x M x Se 2 (M = Cr, Co, Ni) nanosheets by varying the M identity and annealing conditions. Comprehensive scattering and spectroscopic characterizations confirm the successful and homogeneous substitution of M atoms at the Pt site, rather than intercalation, and reveal a strong correlation between nanosheet thickness and the identity of the substituting metal. High-temperature annealing of the nanosheets promotes an irreversible transformation toward the bulk phase, allowing for detailed characterization of structural and magnetic properties. A case study of Pt 0.8 Cr 0.2 Se 2 reveals that nanosheet thickness plays a critical role in modulating local magnetic interactions. While Cr atoms in the as-synthesized few-layers-thick nanosheets exhibit predominantly short-range antiferromagnetic interactions, the emergence of short-range ferromagnetic exchange is revealed in the bulk material. Detailed ac susceptibility and remanent magnetization measurements further demonstrate that bulk Pt 0.8 Cr 0.2 Se 2 adopts a frustrated magnetic ground state with clear signatures of ferromagnetic cluster-glass behavior. The systematic investigation presented herein establishes a clear and robust protocol for the synthesis and in-depth characterization of 2D transition-metal-substituted PtSe2 materials with varying layer thickness and paves a path toward their realization in spintronic and magnetic device applications.

crystallinity↗
DOE OSTI2026

Demonstration of an All-Refractory Corrosion-Resistant Molten Salt Pumping and Storage Infrastructure Up to 950 degrees C

Concentrating solar power (CSP) with thermal energy storage (TES) has an estimated cost similar to solar photovoltaics (PV) with lithium-ion batteries (LIB), but CSP + TES has the potential for significantly reduced cost by operating above 700 degrees C. However, this requires a TES medium and containment infrastructure which are chemically compatible and do not degrade above 700 degrees C. MgCl2-KCl-NaCl (MKN) salt is a promising medium, but when MKN salt has small amounts of water and oxygen dissolved in it, it excessively corrodes conventional commercial alloys. Here, we consider refractory materials including graphite, carbon-carbon composite (C/C), and molybdenum because they maintain high mechanical strength at elevated temperatures and are expected to resist corrosion by MKN salt. While selection of refractory materials is often constrained by the need to remain chemically stable in air, this work uses an enclosure filled with inert gas to allow the use of materials like graphite and molybdenum. Notably, graphite components can seal against liquids unlike many brittle refractory materials. We demonstrate a centrifugal pump and mechanical seals made of refractory materials in a laboratory-scale circulation loop, which successfully operated continuously for more than 49 h at temperatures ranging from 750 degrees C to 950 degrees C with no mechanical failures or chemical degradation of the refractory materials. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest temperature molten salt circulation loop that has been successfully developed, and this refractory infrastructure allows for operation at even much higher temperatures (<1600 degrees C) if a storage medium with a lower vapor pressure is used. The principles of this architecture are relevant to other applications with high temperature flowing metals and salts including Generation IV nuclear fission reactors for power production and molten salt electrolysis reactors for metallurgical processing.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

A Reflection on the Evolution of Sodium/Metal Chloride (ZEBRA) Batteries and Lithium-Ion Cathode Materials (1975–2025): A Tribute to Johan Coetzer

This narrative summarizes, in retrospect, the enormous and quietly-conducted contribution of Dr Johan Coetzer, a South African scientist and entrepreneur, to the discovery, development and implementation of the high temperature sodium—metal chloride “ZEBRA” battery (Na/β-Al 2 O 3 , NaAlCl 4 /MCl 2 (M = Ni, Fe)). Here, this research activity was initiated in the mid 1970’s at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa and subsequently developed primarily in partnership with the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE, Harwell, UK), Beta R&D (Derby, UK) and Daimler Benz (Germany), before being transferred to industry worldwide for electric vehicle and energy storage applications, albeit at a relatively low production rate. Coetzer’s wide-ranging, innovative and, at times, unconventional scientific approach also laid the foundation for the discovery and implementation of manganese-based spinel and layered metal oxide cathode materials for the Li-ion battery industry.

ZEBRA Battery↗
NASA NTRS2026

List of Commercial and Advanced Developmental Niobium-Based Alloys of the Space Age

This report compiles a list of commercial and developmental niobium-based alloys developed during the Space Age (late 1950s through mid-1970s) for extreme-temperature applications, including rocket engine thrust chambers, hypersonic re-entry thermal protection systems, and space fission reactor loops. Niobium (Nb) was widely pursued because it provided the lowest density (~8.6 g/cc) among the primary refractory metals, a high melting temperature (~2470°C), exceptional low-temperature ductility, good formability, and compatibility with liquid alkali metals. An evaluation of physical metallurgy mechanisms, focusing on solid-solution strengthening via heavy refractory solutes (W, Mo, Ta), dual-purpose reactive solutes (Hf, Zr, Ti), and dispersion strengthening using carbides, nitrides, and oxides is presented. Additionally, the report compares Western and Soviet Union metallurgical approaches, explaining how supply chain factors and manufacturing infrastructure influenced element selection, interstitial chemistry, and alloy identification/naming conventions. Cataloging these historical alloy chemical compositions serves as a foundational reference for modern alloy additive manufacturing, thermodynamic CALPHAD modeling, and machine-learning discovery pipelines for next-generation extreme-environment niobium-based alloys.

Physical Metallurgy↗