This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.

In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.

Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.

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Description
Aluminum alloys are ubiquitously used in almost all structural applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. Their superior mechanical performance can be attributed to complex dispersions of nanoscale intermetallic particles that precipitate out from the alloy’s solid solution and offer resistance to deformation. Although they have been extensively investigated in

Aluminum alloys are ubiquitously used in almost all structural applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. Their superior mechanical performance can be attributed to complex dispersions of nanoscale intermetallic particles that precipitate out from the alloy’s solid solution and offer resistance to deformation. Although they have been extensively investigated in the last century, the traditional approaches employed in the past haven’t rendered an authoritative microstructural understanding in such materials. The effect of the precipitates’ inherent complex morphology and their three-dimensional (3D) spatial distribution on evolution and deformation behavior have often been precluded. In this study, for the first time, synchrotron-based hard X-ray nano-tomography has been implemented in Al-Cu alloys to measure growth kinetics of different nanoscale phases in 3D and reveal mechanistic insights behind some of the observed novel phase transformation reactions occurring at high temperatures. The experimental results were reconciled with coarsening models from the LSW theory to an unprecedented extent, thereby establishing a new paradigm for thermodynamic analysis of precipitate assemblies. By using a unique correlative approach, a non-destructive means of estimating precipitation-strengthening in such alloys has been introduced. Limitations of using existing mechanical strengthening models in such alloys have been discussed and a means to quantify individual contributions from different strengthening mechanisms has been established.

The current rapid pace of technological progress necessitates the demand for more resilient and high-performance alloys. To achieve this, a thorough understanding of the relationships between material properties and its structure is indispensable. To establish this correlation and achieve desired properties from structural alloys, microstructural response to mechanical stimuli needs to be understood in three-dimensions (3D). To that effect, in situ tests were conducted at the synchrotron (Advanced Photon Source) using Transmission X-Ray Microscopy as well as in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to study real-time damage evolution in such alloys. Findings of precipitate size-dependent transition in deformation behavior from these tests have inspired a novel resilient aluminum alloy design.
ContributorsKaira, Chandrashekara Shashank (Author) / Chawla, Nikhilesh (Thesis advisor) / Solanki, Kiran (Committee member) / Jiao, Yang (Committee member) / De Andrade, Vincent (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
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Description
High-temperature mechanical behaviors of metal alloys and underlying microstructural variations responsible for such behaviors are essential areas of interest for many industries, particularly for applications such as jet engines. Anisotropic grain structures, change of preferred grain orientation, and other transformations of grains occur both during metal powder bed fusion additive

High-temperature mechanical behaviors of metal alloys and underlying microstructural variations responsible for such behaviors are essential areas of interest for many industries, particularly for applications such as jet engines. Anisotropic grain structures, change of preferred grain orientation, and other transformations of grains occur both during metal powder bed fusion additive manufacturing processes, due to variation of thermal gradient and cooling rates, and afterward during different thermomechanical loads, which parts experience in their specific applications, could also impact its mechanical properties both at room and high temperatures. In this study, an in-depth analysis of how different microstructural features, such as crystallographic texture, grain size, grain boundary misorientation angles, and inherent defects, as byproducts of electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF) AM process, impact its anisotropic mechanical behaviors and softening behaviors due to interacting mechanisms. Mechanical testing is conducted for EB-PBF Ti6Al4V parts made at different build orientations up to 600°C temperature. Microstructural analysis using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) is conducted on samples before and after mechanical testing to understand the interacting impact that temperature and mechanical load have on the activation of certain mechanisms. The vertical samples showed larger grain sizes, with an average of 6.6 µm, a lower average misorientation angle, and subsequently lower strength values than the other two horizontal samples. Among the three strong preferred grain orientations of the α phases, <1 1 2 ̅ 1> and <1 1 2 ̅ 0> were dominant in horizontally built samples, whereas the <0 0 0 1> was dominant in vertically built samples. Thus, strong microstructural variation, as observed among different EB-PBF Ti6Al4V samples, mainly resulted in anisotropic behaviors. Furthermore, alpha grain showed a significant increase in average grain size for all samples with the increasing test temperature, especially from 400°C to 600°C, indicating grain growth and coarsening as potential softening mechanisms along with temperature-induced possible dislocation motion. The severity of internal and external defects on fatigue strength has been evaluated non-destructively using quantitative methods, i.e., Murakami’s square root of area parameter model and Basquin’s model, and the external surface defects were rendered to be more critical as potential crack initiation sites.
ContributorsMian, Md Jamal (Author) / Ladani, Leila (Thesis advisor) / Razmi, Jafar (Committee member) / Shuaib, Abdelrahman (Committee member) / Mobasher, Barzin (Committee member) / Nian, Qiong (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022