Matching Items (34)
Corrosion and corrosion-fatigue behavior of 7075 aluminum alloys studied by in situ X-ray tomography
Description
7XXX Aluminum alloys have high strength to weight ratio and low cost. They are used in many critical structural applications including automotive and aerospace components. These applications frequently subject the alloys to static and cyclic loading in service. Additionally, the alloys are often subjected to aggressive corrosive environments such as saltwater spray. These chemical and mechanical exposures have been known to cause premature failure in critical applications. Hence, the microstructural behavior of the alloys under combined chemical attack and mechanical loading must be characterized further. Most studies to date have analyzed the microstructure of the 7XXX alloys using two dimensional (2D) techniques. While 2D studies yield valuable insights about the properties of the alloys, they do not provide sufficiently accurate results because the microstructure is three dimensional and hence its response to external stimuli is also three dimensional (3D). Relevant features of the alloys include the grains, subgrains, intermetallic inclusion particles, and intermetallic precipitate particles. The effects of microstructural features on corrosion pitting and corrosion fatigue of aluminum alloys has primarily been studied using 2D techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) surface analysis along with post-mortem SEM fracture surface analysis to estimate the corrosion pit size and fatigue crack initiation site. These studies often limited the corrosion-fatigue testing to samples in air or specialized solutions, because samples tested in NaCl solution typically have fracture surfaces covered in corrosion product. Recent technological advancements allow observation of the microstructure, corrosion and crack behavior of aluminum alloys in solution in three dimensions over time (4D). In situ synchrotron X-Ray microtomography was used to analyze the corrosion and cracking behavior of the alloy in four dimensions to elucidate crack initiation at corrosion pits for samples of multiple aging conditions and impurity concentrations. Additionally, chemical reactions between the 3.5 wt% NaCl solution and the crack surfaces were quantified by observing the evolution of hydrogen bubbles from the crack. The effects of the impurity particles and age-hardening particles on the corrosion and fatigue properties were examined in 4D.
ContributorsStannard, Tyler (Author) / Chawla, Nikhilesh (Thesis advisor) / Solanki, Kiran N (Committee member) / Goswami, Ramasis (Committee member) / Liu, Yongming (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The stability of nanocrystalline microstructural features allows structural materials to be synthesized and tested in ways that have heretofore been pursued only on a limited basis, especially under dynamic loading combined with temperature effects. Thus, a recently developed, stable nanocrystalline alloy is analyzed here for quasi-static (<100 s-1) and dynamic loading (103 to 104 s-1) under uniaxial compression and tension at multiple temperatures ranging from 298-1073 K. After mechanical tests, microstructures are analyzed and possible deformation mechanisms are proposed. Following this, strain and strain rate history effects on mechanical behavior are analyzed using a combination of quasi-static and dynamic strain rate Bauschinger testing. The stable nanocrystalline material is found to exhibit limited flow stress increase with increasing strain rate as compared to that of both pure, coarse grained and nanocrystalline Cu. Further, the material microstructural features, which includes Ta nano-dispersions, is seen to pin dislocation at quasi-static strain rates, but the deformation becomes dominated by twin nucleation at high strain rates. These twins are pinned from further growth past nucleation by the Ta nano-dispersions. Testing of thermal and load history effects on the mechanical behavior reveals that when thermal energy is increased beyond 200 °C, an upturn in flow stress is present at strain rates below 104 s-1. However, in this study, this simple assumption, established 50-years ago, is shown to break-down when the average grain size and microstructural length-scale is decreased and stabilized below 100nm. This divergent strain-rate behavior is attributed to a unique microstructure that alters slip-processes and their interactions with phonons; thus enabling materials response with a constant flow-stress even at extreme conditions. Hence, the present study provides a pathway for designing and synthesizing a new-level of tough and high-energy absorbing materials.
ContributorsTurnage, Scott Andrew (Author) / Solanki, Kiran N (Thesis advisor) / Rajagopalan, Jagannathan (Committee member) / Peralta, Pedro (Committee member) / Darling, Kristopher A (Committee member) / Mignolet, Marc (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Design of a thermally stable nano-crystalline alloy with superior tensile creep and fatigue behavior
Description
Materials have been the backbone of every major invention in the history of mankind, e.g. satellites and space shuttles would not exist without advancement in materials development. Integral to this, is the development of nanocrystalline (NC) materials that promise multitude of properties for advanced applications. However, they do not tend to preserve structural integrity under intense cyclic loading or long-term temperature exposures. Therefore, it is imperative to understand factors that alter the sub-features controlling both structural and functional properties under extreme conditions, particularly fatigue and creep. Thus, this dissertation systematically studies the tensile creep and fatigue behaviour of a chemically optimized and microstructurally stable bulk NC copper (Cu)-3at.% tantalum (Ta) alloy.
Strategic engineering of nanometer sized clusters of Ta into the alloy’s microstructure were found to suppress the microstructure instability and render remarkable improvement in the high temperature tensile creep resistance up to 0.64 times the melting temperature of Cu. Primary creep in this alloy was found to be governed by the relaxation of the microstructure under the applied stress. Further, during the secondary creep, short circuit diffusion of grain boundary atoms resulted in the negligible steady-state creep rate in the alloy. Under fatigue loading, the alloy showed higher resistance for crack nucleation owing to the inherent microstructural stability, and the interaction of the dislocations with the Ta nanoclusters. The underlying mechanism was found to be related to the diffused damage accumulation, i.e., during cyclic loading many grains participate in the plasticity process (nucleation of discrete grain boundary dislocations) resulting in homogenous accumulation rather than localized one as typically observed in coarse-grained materials. Overall, the engineered Ta nanoclusters were responsible for governing the underlying anomalous high temperature creep and fatigue deformation mechanisms in the alloy.
Finally, this study presents a design approach that involves alloying of pure metals in order to impart stability in NC materials and significantly enhance their structural properties, especially those at higher temperatures. Moreover, this design approach can be easily translated to other multicomponent systems for developing advanced high-performance structural materials.
Strategic engineering of nanometer sized clusters of Ta into the alloy’s microstructure were found to suppress the microstructure instability and render remarkable improvement in the high temperature tensile creep resistance up to 0.64 times the melting temperature of Cu. Primary creep in this alloy was found to be governed by the relaxation of the microstructure under the applied stress. Further, during the secondary creep, short circuit diffusion of grain boundary atoms resulted in the negligible steady-state creep rate in the alloy. Under fatigue loading, the alloy showed higher resistance for crack nucleation owing to the inherent microstructural stability, and the interaction of the dislocations with the Ta nanoclusters. The underlying mechanism was found to be related to the diffused damage accumulation, i.e., during cyclic loading many grains participate in the plasticity process (nucleation of discrete grain boundary dislocations) resulting in homogenous accumulation rather than localized one as typically observed in coarse-grained materials. Overall, the engineered Ta nanoclusters were responsible for governing the underlying anomalous high temperature creep and fatigue deformation mechanisms in the alloy.
Finally, this study presents a design approach that involves alloying of pure metals in order to impart stability in NC materials and significantly enhance their structural properties, especially those at higher temperatures. Moreover, this design approach can be easily translated to other multicomponent systems for developing advanced high-performance structural materials.
ContributorsKale, Chaitanya (Author) / Solanki, Kiran N (Thesis advisor) / Darling, Kristopher (Committee member) / Ankit, Kumar (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Niobium is the primary material for fabricating superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities. However, presence of impurities and defects degrade the superconducting behavior of niobium twofold, first by nucleating non-superconducting phases and second by increasing the residual surface resistance of cavities. In particular, niobium absorbs hydrogen during cavity fabrication and promotes precipitation of non-superconducting niobium hydride phases. Additionally, magnetic flux trapping at defects leads to a normal conducting (non-superconducting) core which increases surface resistance and negatively affects niobium performance for superconducting applications. However, undelaying mechanisms related to hydride formation and dissolution along with defect interaction with magnetic fields is still unclear. Therefore, this dissertation aims to investigate the role of defects and impurities on functional properties of niobium for SRF cavities using first-principles methods.
Here, density functional theory calculations revealed that nitrogen addition suppressed hydrogen absorption interstitially and at grain boundaries, and it also decreased the energetic stability of niobium hydride precipitates present in niobium. Further, hydrogen segregation at the screw dislocation was observed to transform the dislocation core structure and increase the barrier for screw dislocation motion. Valence charge transfer calculations displayed a strong tendency of nitrogen to accumulate charge around itself, thereby decreasing the strength of covalent bonds between niobium and hydrogen leading to a very unstable state for interstitial hydrogen and hydrides. Thus, presence of nitrogen during processing plays a critical role in controlling hydride precipitation and subsequent SRF properties.
First-principles methods were further implemented to gain a theoretical perspective about the experimental observations that lattice defects are effective at trapping magnetic flux in high-purity superconducting niobium. Full-potential linear augmented plane-wave methods were used to analyze the effects of magnetic field on the superconducting state surrounding these defects. A considerable amount of trapped flux was obtained at the dislocation core and grain boundaries which can be attributed to significantly different electronic structure of defects as compared to bulk niobium. Electron redistribution at defects enhances non-paramagnetic effects that perturb superconductivity, resulting in local conditions suitable for flux trapping. Therefore, controlling accumulation or depletion of charge at the defects could mitigate these tendencies and aid in improving superconductive behavior of niobium.
Here, density functional theory calculations revealed that nitrogen addition suppressed hydrogen absorption interstitially and at grain boundaries, and it also decreased the energetic stability of niobium hydride precipitates present in niobium. Further, hydrogen segregation at the screw dislocation was observed to transform the dislocation core structure and increase the barrier for screw dislocation motion. Valence charge transfer calculations displayed a strong tendency of nitrogen to accumulate charge around itself, thereby decreasing the strength of covalent bonds between niobium and hydrogen leading to a very unstable state for interstitial hydrogen and hydrides. Thus, presence of nitrogen during processing plays a critical role in controlling hydride precipitation and subsequent SRF properties.
First-principles methods were further implemented to gain a theoretical perspective about the experimental observations that lattice defects are effective at trapping magnetic flux in high-purity superconducting niobium. Full-potential linear augmented plane-wave methods were used to analyze the effects of magnetic field on the superconducting state surrounding these defects. A considerable amount of trapped flux was obtained at the dislocation core and grain boundaries which can be attributed to significantly different electronic structure of defects as compared to bulk niobium. Electron redistribution at defects enhances non-paramagnetic effects that perturb superconductivity, resulting in local conditions suitable for flux trapping. Therefore, controlling accumulation or depletion of charge at the defects could mitigate these tendencies and aid in improving superconductive behavior of niobium.
ContributorsGarg, Pulkit (Author) / Solanki, Kiran N (Thesis advisor) / Jiao, Yang (Committee member) / Oswald, Jay (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019