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Subsurface characterization of high-strength high-interstitial austenitic steels after impact wear
(2018)
The microstructure of the subsurface after impact wear of three high-strength high interstitial austenitic steels has been analysed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in alloys with C and N as interstitial elements. In all cases, a nanocrystalline region followed by a transition zone and a cold-worked area are present. Additionally, microhardness and nano-scratching tests were conducted to study the wear-related properties of the impact subsurface and the base material. The results of the microstructural analysis reveal that the following mechanisms are involved during impact wear: abrasion (ploughing), microcrack formation associated with contact fatigue, entrapment and adhesion of SiO2 particles. The analysis of the wear-related properties indicates that the subsurface acts as a self-protective layer that prevents the deterioration of the substrate.
Due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and excellent fatigue resistance, glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP) are used as a construction material in a variety of applications including composite high-pressure gas storage vessels. Thus, an early damage detection of the composite material is of great importance. Material degradation can be determined via measuring the distributed strain profile of the GFRP structures. In this article, swept wavelength interferometry based distributed strain sensing (DSS) was applied for structural health monitoring of internal pressure loaded GFRP tube specimens. Measured strain profiles were compared to theoretical calculation considering Classical Lamination Theory. Reliable strain measurements with millimeter resolution were executed even at elongations of up to 3% in the radial direction caused by high internal pressure load. Material fatigue was localized by damaged-induced strain changes during operation, and detected already at 40% of burst pressure.
Barium silicate glass powders 4 h milled in CO2 and Ar and sintered in air are studied with microscopy, total carbon analysis, differential thermal Analysis (DTA), vacuum hot extraction mass spectroscopy (VHE-MS), Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). Intensive foaming of powder compacts is evident, and VHE studies prove that foaming is predominantly caused by carbonaceous species for both milling gases. DTA Shows that the decomposition of BaCO3 particles mix-milled with glass powders occurs at similar temperatures as foaming of compacts. However, no carbonate at the glass surface could be detected by FTIR spectroscopy, XPS, and TOF-SIMS after heating to the temperature of sintering. Instead, CO2 molecules unable to rotate identified by FTIR spectroscopy after milling, probably trapped by mechanical dissolution into the glass bulk. Such a mechanism or microencapsulation in cracks and particle aggregates can explain the contribution of Ar to foaming after intense milling in Ar atmosphere. The amount of CO2 molecules and Ar, however, cannot fully explain the extent of foaming. Carbonates mechanically dissolved beneath the surface or encapsulated in cracks and micropores of particle aggregates are therefore probably the major foaming source.
A double cantilever beam technique in air equipped with ultrasound modulation was used to measure the crack velocity v in borate and silicate glasses. In all glasses v and the stress intensity KI followed the empirical correlation v ~ KIn. Indicated by its smallest KI at v = 1 μm s − 1, KI* = 0.27 MPa m0.5, the silicoborate glass containing 70 mol% B2O3 was found most susceptible to stress-corrosion enhanced crack growth. Contrarily, the sodium calcium magnesium silicate glass appeared least susceptible with KI* = 0.57 MPa m0.5. No clear correlation is evident between KI*, reflecting the stress-corrosion susceptibility, and the hydrolytic resistance for all glasses under study, but values of n obtained from the present study and taken from previous literature for 35 glasses tend to decrease with increasing network modifier ion fraction. Energy dissipation during stress-corrosion enhanced crack propagation is assumed to cause this trend.
In the present study, microstructure and texture development during single and multiple pass friction stir processing (FSP) of a strain hardenable wrought AlMg alloy (AA5086) was investigated. Subtle differences were observed while comparing with heat treatable alloys in the nucleation mechanism of the recrystallized microstructure observed in the nugget zone. Strain induced boundary migration was the dominant mechanism of microstructure evolution in the alloy, which influenced the crystallographic texture development by weakening it. Micro-texture measurements reveal variations in the crystallographic texture along the thickness of the sample. Recrystallization texture components were observed in the nugget zone indicative of a pronounced static recrystallization in the alloy as compared to the heat treatable alloys. Bulk texture measurements within the nugget zone of the optimally processed sample reveal a relatively dominant C component of shear texture. Average grain size in the nugget zone remained the same and the bulk crystallographic texture components were retained during multiple-pass FSP. The lower strain energies involved and the enhanced recovery processes due to the high temperature materials processing of the alloy during FSP resulted in a stable microstructure and texture. In summary, FSP could be promoted as a competent and suitable secondary processing technique for the bulk production of ultra-fine-grained materials in strain hardenable aluminium alloys.
Influence of support configurations on the characteristics of selective laser-melted Inconel 718
(2018)
Samples fabricated using two different support configurations by following identical scan strategies during selective laser melting of superalloy Inconel 718 were characterized in this study. Characterization methods included optical microscopy, electron back-scattered diffraction and x-ray diffraction residual stress measurement. For the scan strategy considered, microstructure and residual stress development in the samples were influenced by the support structures. However, crystallographic texture intensity and the texture components formed within the core part of the samples were almost independent of the support. The formation of finer grains closer to the support as well as within the columnar grain boundaries resulted in randomization and texture intensity reduction by nearly half for the sample built on a lattice support. Heat transfer rates dictated by the support configurations in addition to the scan strategy influenced the microstructure and residual stress development in selective laser-melted Inconel 718 samples.
Laser based powder bed fusion additive manufacturing offers the flexibility to incorporate standard and userdefined scan strategies in a layer or in between the layers for the customized fabrication of metallic components. In the present study, four different scan strategies and their impact on the development of microstructure, texture, and residual stresses in laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of a nickel-based superalloy Inconel 718 was investigated. Light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy combined with electron backscatter diffraction, and neutron diffraction were used as the characterization tools. Strong textures with epitaxially grown columnar grains were observed along the build direction for the two individual scan strategies. Patterns depicting the respective scan strategies were visible in the build plane, which dictated the microstructure development in the other planes. An alternating strategy combining the individual strategies in the successive layers and a 67◦ rotational strategy weakened the texture by forming finer microstructural features. Von Mises equivalent stress plots revealed lower stress values and gradients, which translates as lower distortions for the alternating and rotational strategies. Overall results confirmed the scope for manipulating the microstructure, texture, and residual stresses during laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing by effectively controlling the scan strategies.
Understanding the origins of intrinsic stress in Si nanowires (NWs) is crucial for their successful utilization as transducer building blocks in next-generation, miniaturized sensors based on anoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). With their small size leading to ultrahigh-resonance frequencies and extreme surface-to-volume ratios, silicon NWs raise new opportunities regarding sensitivity, precision, and speed in both physical and biochemical sensing. With silicon optoelectromechanical properties strongly dependent on the level of NW intrinsic stress, various studies have been devoted to the measurement of such stresses generated, for example, as a result of harsh fabrication processes. However, due to enormous NW surface area, even the native oxide that is conventionally considered as a benign surface condition can cause significant stresses. To address this issue, a combination of nanomechanical characterization and atomistic simulation approaches is developed. Relying only on low-temperature processes, the fabrication approach yields monolithic NWs with optimum boundary conditions, where NWs and support architecture are etched within the same silicon crystal. Resulting NWs are characterized by transmission electron microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The interpretation of results is carried out through molecular dynamics simulations with ReaxFF potential facilitating the incorporation of humidity and temperature, thereby providing a close replica of the actual oxidation environment - in contrast to previous dry oxidation or self-limiting thermal oxidation studies. As a result, consensus on significant intrinsic tensile stresses on the order of 100 MPa to 1 GPa was achieved as a function of NW critical dimension and aspect ratio. The understanding developed herein regarding the role of native oxide played in the generation of NW intrinsic stresses is important for the design and development of silicon-based NEMS.
Processing and cytocompatibility of Cu-doped and undoped fluoride-containing bioactive glasses
(2024)
Sintered or additive-manufactured bioactive glass (BG) scaffolds are highly interesting for bone replacement applications. However, crystallization often limits the high-temperature processability of bioactive glasses (BGs). Thus, the BG composition must combine high bioactivity and processability. In this study, three BGs with nominal molar (%) compositions 54.6SiO2-1.7P2O3-22.1CaO-6.0Na2O-7.9K2O-7.7MgO (13–93), 44.8SiO2-2.5P2O3-36.5CaO-6.6Na2O-6.6K2O-3.0CaF2 (F3) and 44.8SiO2-2.5P2O3-35.5CaO-6.6Na2O-6.6K2O-3.0CaF2-1.0CuO (F3–Cu) were investigated. The dissolution and ion release kinetics were investigated on milled glass powder and crystallized particles (500–600 μm). All glasses showed the precipitation of hydroxyapatite (HAp) crystals after 7 days of immersion in simulated body fluid. No significant differences in ion release from glass and crystalline samples were detected. The influence of surface roughness on cytocompatibility and growth of preosteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1) was investigated on sintered and polished BG pellets. Results showed that sintered BG pellets were cytocompatible, and cells were seen to be well attached and spread on the surface after 5 days of incubation. The results showed an inverse relation of cell viability with the surface roughness of pellets, and cells were seen to attach and spread along the direction of scratches.
Additive manufacturing of metals – and in particular building with laser-based powder bed fusion – is highly flexible and allows high-resolution features and feedstock savings. Meanwhile, though space stations in low Earth orbit are established, a set of visits to the Moon have been performed, and humankind can send out rovers to explore Venus and Mars, none of these milestone missions is equipped with technology to manufacture functional metallic parts or tools in space. In order to advance space exploration to long-term missions beyond low Earth orbit, it will be crucial to develop and employ technology for in-space manufacturing (ISM) and in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU). To use the advantages of laser-based powder bed fusion in these endeavours, the challenge of powder handling in microgravity must be met. Here we present a device capable of building parts using metallic powders in microgravity. This was proven on several sounding rocket flights, on which occasions Zr-based metallic glass parts produced by additive manufacturing in space were built. The findings of this work demonstrate that building parts using powder feedstock, which is more compact to transport into space than wire, is possible in microgravity environments. This thus significantly advances ISRU and ISM and paves the way for future tests in prolonged microgravity settings.
Though Ni-base superalloys show a high oxidation and corrosion resistance, coatings could still improve these properties, especially if used at temperatures up to 1000 °C. Here, a coating was prepared by applying a boehmite-sol via dip-coating and a subsequent heat treatment at 600 °C for 30 minutes. To evaluate the coating, the oxidation behavior of bare and alumina coated Ni-base alloy Inconel 625 in air at 900 °C was studied for up to 2000 h. Electron microscopic studies of sample surfaces and cross-sections showed that (i) in the 3.5 µm – 6.3 mm thick scale formed on the bare alloy, Fe and Ni are located as fine precipitates at the grain boundaries of the chromia-rich scale, (ii) Ni and Ti are concentrated to a minor degree at the grain boundaries of the scale, too; and for the coated sample: (iii) the only 1.8 µm thick sol-gel alumina coating slows down the formation of chromia on the alloy surface and reduces the outward diffusion of the alloy constituents. The protective effect of the coating was evidenced by (i) diminished chromium diffusion at grain boundaries resulting in less pronounced string-like protrusions at the outer surface of the coated IN 625, (ii) formation of a Cr-enriched zone above the alloy surface which was thinner than the scale on the uncoated sample, (iii) no detectable Cr-depleted zone at the alloy surface, and (iv) a narrower zone of formation of Kirkendall pores.
Thin Sol-Gel Alumina Coating as Protection of a 9% Cr Steel Against Flue Gas Corrosion at 650 °C
(2018)
Samples of sol-gel alumina coated and uncoated P92 steel were exposed to flue gas at 650 °C for 300 h. As result of this treatment a 50 µm thick bi-layered oxide scale had formed on the surface of the uncoated sample. Below the scale a 40 µm thick inner oxidation zone was detected. In contrast, the porous, micron thick alumina coating enabled the formation of a chromium oxide scale with a thickness of some nanometers at the interface between steel substrate and coating. In this case high temperature corrosion of the steel was prevented so far.
The Bravais lattices and their lattice parameters are blindly determined using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) patterns of materials with cubic or tetragonal crystal structures. Since the geometric relationships in a single EBSD pattern are overdetermined, the relative errors of determining the lattice parameters as well as the axial ratios are confined to about 0.7 ± 0.4% and 0.07 ± 0.03%, respectively, for ideal simulated EBSD patterns. The accuracy of the crystal orientation determination reaches about 0.06 ± 0.03°. With careful manual band detection, the accuracy of determining lattice parameters from experimental patterns can be as good as from simulated patterns, although the results from simulated patterns are often better than expermental patterns, which are lower quality and contain uncertain systematic errors. The reasonably high accuracy is obtained primarily because the detection of the diffracting-plane traces and zone axes is relatively accurate. The results here demonstrate that the developed procedure based on the EBSD technique presents a reliable tool for crystallographic characterization of the Bravais lattices of unknown phases.
Roaldite – Fe4N – has been identified in the São Julião de Moreira iron meteorite using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and simultaneously acquired energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Mean-periodic-number images derived from raw EBSD patterns confirm this phase by an even higher spatial resolution compared to EDS.
Roaldite appears in the form of systematically and repetitively aligned plates. Despite the locally heavy plastic deformation, it is shown that the origin of the oriented precipitation of roaldite is linked to the orientation of the kamacite matrix. Roaldite can be considered to be precipitated from kamacite using an inverse Kurdjumov-Sachs (K-S) or Nishiyama-Wassermann (N-W) orientation relationship. A more accurate discrimination is impossible due to the accumulated shock deformation, which blurs the local reference orientation of kamacite. The habit plane of roaldite is found to be {112}R, which is most likely parallel to {120}K of kamacite. Some of the roaldite plates contain two orientation variants which repeatedly alternate. Their misorientation angle is about 12°.
We use pattern matching of experimental and dynamically simulated backscattered Kikuchi diffraction (BKD) patterns to increase the orientation precision of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements. In order to quantify the improvement in orientation precision, we analyze the experimental distribution of the kernel average misorientation (KAM) angles. We find that for the same raw data, i.e. the same EBSD data acquisition time budget, the pattern matching approach improves the KAM resolution by an order of magnitude compared to orientation data delivered from the conventional Hough-transform based data analysis. This quantitative improvement enables us to interpret small orientation changes in plastically deformed materials which are hidden in noisy orientation data delivered from the reference EBSD system.
As an application example, we analyze a ferritic-martensitic steel (P92) sample before and after low-cycle fatigue (LCF) loading (±0.3% strain) at 620 °C. Whereas the low precision of the EBSD orientation data from the manufacturer software does not allow a reliable discrimination of the gradually changing microstructure, we find very clear systematic differences of the local microstructure after the pattern matching orientation refinement of the initial, raw pattern data. For the investigated P92 sample, the KAM-angle histograms are well described by two log-normal distributions indicating the already tempered and the remaining and mostly untempered martensite.
Gold and platinum-group-metals (PGM) are cycled through Earth's environments by interwoven geological, physical, chemical and biological processes leading to the trans/neoformation of metallic particles in placers.
The placer deposit at Corrego Bom Successo (CBS, Brazil) is one of the few localities worldwide containing secondary gold- and PGM-particles. Placer gold consists of detrital particles from nearby hydrothermal deposits that were transformed in the surface environment. Processes that have affected these particles include shortdistance transport, chemical de-alloying of the primary Gold silver, and (bio)geochemical dissolution/reprecipitation of Gold leading to the formation of pure, secondary gold and the Dispersion of gold nanoparticles. The latter processes are likely mediated by non-living organic matter (OM) and bacterial biofilms residing on the particles. The biofilms are largely composed of metallophillic β- and γ-Proteobacteria. Abundant mobile gold and platinum nanoparticles were detected in surface waters, suggesting similar mobilities of these metals. Earlier hydrothermal processes have led to the formation of coarsely-crystalline, arborescent dendritic potarite (PdHg). On potarite surfaces, biogeochemical processes have then led to the formation of platinum- and palladium-rich micro-crystalline layers, which make up the botryoidal platinum palladium aggregates. Subsequently potarite was dissolved from the core of many aggregates leaving voids now often filled by secondary anatase (TiO2) containing biophilic elements. The presence of fungal structures associated with the anatase suggests that fungi may have contributed to ist formation. For the first time a primary magmatic PGM-particle comprising a mono-crystalline platinum palladium-alloy with platinum iridium osmium inclusions was described from this locality, finally defining a possible primary source for the PGM mineralisation. In conclusion, the formation of modern-day placer gold- and PGM-particles at CBS began 100s ofmillions of years ago bymagmatic and hydrothermal processes. These provided the metal sources for more recent biogeochemical cycling of PGEs and gold that led to the trans/neoformation of gold- and PGM-particles.
A historical tool for crystallographic analysis is provided by the Hilton net, which can be used for manually surveying the crystal lattice as it is manifested by the Kikuchi bands in a gnomonic projection. For a quantitative analysis using the Hilton net, the projection centre as the relative position of the signal source with respect to the detector plane needs to be known. Interplanar angles are accessible with a precision and accuracy which is estimated to be ≤0.3o. Angles between any directions, e.g. zone axes, are directly readable. Finally, for the rare case of an unknown projection-centre position, its determination is demonstrated by adapting an old approach developed for photogrammetric applications.
It requires the indexing of four zone axes [uvw]i in a backscattered Kikuchi diffraction pattern of a known phase collected under comparable geometric conditions.
The derivation of a crystal structure and its phase-specific parameters from a single wide-angle backscattered Kikuchi diffraction pattern requires reliable extraction of the Bragg angles. By means of the first derivative of the lattice profile, an attempt is made to determine fully automatically and reproducibly the band widths in simulated Kikuchi patterns. Even under such ideal conditions (projection centre, wavelength and lattice plane traces are perfectly known), this leads to a lattice parameter distribution whose mean shows a linear offset that correlates with the mean atomic number Z of the pattern-forming phase. The consideration of as many Kikuchi bands as possible reduces the errors that typically occur if only a single band is analysed. On the other hand, the width of the resulting distribution is such that higher image resolution of diffraction patterns, employing longer wavelengths to produce wider bands or the use of higher interference orders is less advantageous than commonly assumed.
A band width determination using the first derivative of the band profile systematically underestimates the true Bragg angle. Corrections are proposed to compensate for the resulting offset Δa/a of the mean lattice parameters derived from as many Kikuchi band widths as possible. For dynamically simulated Kikuchi patterns, Δa/a can reach up to 8% for phases with a high mean atomic number Z, whereas for much more common low-Z materials the offset decreases linearly. A predicted offset Δa/a = f(Z) is therefore proposed, which also includes the unit-cell volume and thus takes into account the packing density of the scatterers in the material. Since Z is not always available for unknown phases, its substitution by Zmax, i.e. the atomic number of the heaviest element in the compound, is still acceptable for an approximate correction. For simulated Kikuchi patterns the offset-corrected lattice parameter deviation is Δa/a < 1.5%. The lattice parameter ratios, and the angles α, β and γ between the basis vectors, are not affected at all.1.5%. The lattice parameter ratios, and the angles , and between the basis vectors, are not affected at all.
A pseudosymmetric description of the crystal lattice derived from a single wideangle Kikuchi pattern can have several causes. The small size (<15%) of the sector covered by an electron backscatter diffraction pattern, the limited precision of the projection centre position and the Kikuchi band definition are crucial. Inherent pseudosymmetries of the crystal lattice and/or structure also pose a challenge in the analysis of Kikuchi patterns. To eliminate experimental errors as much as possible, simulated Kikuchi patterns of 350 phases have been analysed using the software CALM [Nolze et al. (2021). J. Appl. Cryst. 54, 1012–1022] in order to estimate the frequency of and reasons for pseudosymmetric crystal lattice descriptions. Misinterpretations occur in particular when the atomic scattering factors of non-equivalent positions are too similar and reciprocal-lattice points are systematically missing. As an example, a pseudosymmetry prediction depending on the elements involved is discussed for binary AB compounds with B1 and B2 structure types. However, since this is impossible for more complicated phases, this approach cannot be directly applied to compounds of arbitrary composition and structure.
A new software is presented for the determination of crystal lattice parameters from the positions and widths of Kikuchi bands in a diffraction pattern. Starting with a single wide-angle Kikuchi pattern of arbitrary resolution and unknown phase, the traces of all visibly diffracting lattice planes are manually derived from four initial Kikuchi band traces via an intuitive graphical user interface. A single Kikuchi bandwidth is then used as reference to scale all reciprocal lattice point distances. Kikuchi band detection, via a filtered Funk transformation, and simultaneous display of the band intensity profile helps users to select band positions and widths. Bandwidths are calculated using the first derivative of the band profiles as excess-deficiency effects have minimal influence. From the reciprocal lattice, the metrics of possible Bravais lattice types are derived for all crystal systems. The measured lattice parameters achieve a precision of <1%, even for good quality Kikuchi diffraction patterns of 400 x 300 pixels. This band-edge detection approach has been validated on several hundred experimental diffraction patterns from phases of different symmetries and random orientations. It produces a systematic lattice parameter offset of up to ±4%, which appears to scale with the mean atomic number or the backscatter coefficient.
An extensive set of information about the diffracting volume is carried by EBSD patterns: the crystal lattice, the reciprocal lattice, the crystal structure, the crystal symmetry, the mean periodic number of the diffracting phase, the source point from where it has been projected (projection centre), the crystal orientation, the sample topography (local tilt), the (preparation) quality of defect density of the crystal, and possible pattern overlaps. Some of this information is used regularly in conventional EBSD analyses software while others are still waiting for a more widespread application. Despite the wealth of information available, the accuracy and precision of the data that are presently extracted from conventional EBSD patterns are often well below the actual physical limits. Using a selection of example applications, we will demonstrate the gain in angular resolution possible using relatively low-resolution patterns of approximately 20k pixels in combination with pattern matching (PM) approaches. In this way, fine details in a microstructure can be revealed which would otherwise be hidden in the orientation noise.
Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) is a technique to obtain microcrystallographic information from materials by collecting large-angle Kikuchi patterns in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). An important fundamental question concerns the scattering-angle dependent electron energy distribution, which is relevant for the formation of the Kikuchi diffraction patterns. Here we review the existing experimental data and explore the effective energy spectrum that is operative in the generation of backscatter Kikuchi patterns from silicon. We use a full pattern comparison of experimental data with dynamical electron diffraction simulations. Our energy-dependent cross-correlation based pattern matching approach establishes improved constraints on the effective Kikuchi pattern energy spectrum, which is relevant for high-resolution EBSD pattern simulations and their applications.
The locally varying tetragonality in martensite grains of a high-carbon steel (1.2 mass percent C) was resolved by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) with a spatial resolution in the order of 100 nm. Compared to spatially integrating X-ray diffraction, which yielded an average tetragonality fo c/a=1.05, the EBSD measurements in the scanning electron microscope allowed to image a local variation of the lattice papameter ration c/a in the range of 1.02 ≤ c/a ≤ 1.07. The local variation of tetragonality is confirmed by two different EBSD data analysis approaches based on the fitting of simulated to experimental EBSD patterns. The resulting EBSD-based tetragonality maps are pointing to a complex interaction of carbon concentration and local lattice distortions during the formation process of martensitic structures.
Comprehensive insights into the early stages of corrosion mechanisms provide fundamental knowledge to further understand and model long time material behaviour. The present work studies the early stages of combined oxidation and sulphidation of ferritic model alloys for time scales up to 250 h at 650 °C to observe the influence of chromium during the corrosion under SO2. Model alloys were used to focus on the reaction of the intended elements: Fe, Cr, S, and O. Pure iron simultaneously forms magnetite and iron sulphide in an early stage of corrosion, covered by a pure oxide layer after 100 h. Iron with 13 wt% Cr shows hematite and mixed Fe-Cr-oxides first, before sulphides nucleate in the inner corrosion zone. With increasing ageing time a magnetite layer is observed below the hematite layer. Quantitative phase fractions of all corrosion products observed were determined from cross section images. Characterization of the Fe13Cr corrosion scale by FIB revealed a highly porous structure in the inner corrosion zone where Cr-rich (Fe, Cr)-sulphides are present, and caused the scale to spall easily.
Metal sulfide grain boundary precipitates of a ferrous model alloy with 13 wt.% chromium formed at 650°C under a gas atmosphere containing 0.5% SO2 and 99.5% Ar were investigated after ageing for 3 h, 6 h, and 12 h. The precipitates formed along grain boundaries were identified as Cr5S6 using energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy in transmission electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction analysis. Serial focused ion beam slicing was conducted followed by three-dimensional reconstruction to determine the number, size, and penetration depth of the precipitates evolved at the different time steps. There was a linear increase in the number of precipitates with time, while their average size increased only for the initial aging time but became constant after 6 h. Based on these results, a model for grain boundary sulfidation of ferritic alloys is discussed.
An investigation of the two-component phase diagram of the CaNaPO4- CaKPO4system performed using various analysis techniques is reported. The continuous solid solution series of α-CaMPO4 existing above 700 °C undergoes eutectoid decomposition during cooling to β-CaMPO4-based solid solutions enriched with Na and K, and to an intermediate nonstoichiometric compound with an ideal composition of CaK0.6Na0.4PO4. All three compounds exhibit significant volumetric effects associated with first-order phase transitions, with positive volume changes under cooling for the intermediate compound. Increased K content in ceramics based on CaKyNa1-yPO4 compositions enhances the strength properties of those ceramics, including their fracture toughness, which is associated with increased density. Increased K content also has a smaller effect of inducing phase transformations accompanied by strong volume changes.
Calcium alkali metal (potassium and sodium) double and triple phosphates have been synthesized in different ways. Was for the first time used reaction sintering to produce ceramics based on calcium alkali metal mixed phosphates and investigated the densification behavior of mixed phosphate-based multiphase materials during sintering by this method. Was presented the microstructure of polished surfaces of sintered samples differing in phase composition and determined the density of ceramics prepared using reaction mixtures differing in composition. The effect of reaction sintering on the porosity of the ceramics has been assessed. Using stereolithographic printing and reaction sintering, was produced macroporous mixed Calcium phosphate-based ceramic implants. Their compressive strength has been determined to be 0.78 ± 0.21 MPa for two-phase samples and 1.02 ± 0.13 MPa for three-phase samples.
Biopolymers are very efficient for significant applications ranging from tissue engineering, biological devices to water purification. There is a tremendous potential value of cellulose because of ist being the most abundant biopolymer on earth, swellability, and functional groups to be modified. A novel, highly efficient route for the fabrication of mechanically stable and natural hydrogels is described in which cellulose and glycine are dissolved in an alkaline solution of NaOH and neutralized in an acidic solution. The dissolving temperature and the glycine amount are essential parameters for the self-assembly of cellulose chains and for Tuning the morphology and the aggregate structures of the resulting hydrogels. Glycine plays the role of a physical crosslinker based on the Information obtained from FTIR and Raman spectra. Among the prepared set of hydrogels, CL5Gly30 hydrogels have the highest capacity to absorb water. The prepared CL5Gly30 gels can absorb up to seven times their dry weight due to its porous 3-D network structure. CL5Gly10 hydrogel exhibits 80% deformation under 21 N force executed. The method developed in this article can contribute to the application of heavy metal adsorption in aqueous solutions for water purification and waste management.
The fundamental processes of nucleation and crystallization are widely observed in systems relevant to material synthesis and biomineralization; yet most often, their mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we unravel the discrete stages of nucleation and crystallization of Fe3(PO4)2·8H2O (vivianite). We experimentally monitored the formation and transformation from ions to solid products by employing correlated, time-resolved in situ and ex situ approaches. We show that vivianite crystallization occurs in distinct stages via a transient amorphous precursor phase. The metastable amorphous ferrous phosphate (AFEP) intermediate could be isolated and stabilized. We resolved the differences in bonding environments, structure, and symmetric changes of the Fe site during the transformation of AFEP to crystalline vivianite through synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Fe K-edge. This intermediate AFEP phase has a lower water content and less distorted local symmetry, compared to the crystalline end product vivianite. Our combined results indicate that a nonclassical, hydration-induced nucleation and transformation driven by the incorporation and rearrangement of water molecules and ions (Fe2+ and PO4 3−) within the AFEP is the dominating mechanism of vivianite formation at moderately high to low vivianite supersaturations (saturation index ≤ 10.19). We offer fundamental insights into the aqueous, amorphous-to-crystalline transformations in the Fe2+−PO4 system and highlight the different attributes of the AFEP, compared to its crystalline counterpart.
The increasing pollution of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems with plastic debris leads to the accumulation of microscopic plastic particles of still unknown amount. To monitor the degree of contamination analytical methods are urgently needed, which help to quantify microplastics (MP). Currently, time-costly purified materials enriched on filters are investigated both by micro-infrared spectroscopy and/or micro-Raman. Although yielding precise results, these techniques are time consuming, and are restricted to the analysis of a small part of the sample in the order of few micrograms. To overcome these problems, here we tested a macroscopic dimensioned NIR process-spectroscopic method in combination with chemometrics. For calibration, artificial MP/soil mixtures containing defined ratios of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polystyrene with diameters < 125 µm were prepared and measured by a process FT-NIR spectrometer equipped with a fiber optic reflection probe. The resulting spectra were processed by chemometric models including support vector machine regression (SVR), and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Validation of models by MP mixtures, MP-free soils and real-world samples, e.g. and fermenter residue, suggest a reliable detection and a possible classification of MP at levels above 0.5 to 1.0 mass% depending on the polymer. The benefit of the combined NIRS chemometric approach lies in the rapid assessment whether soil contains MP, without any chemical pre-treatment. The method can be used with larger sample volumes and even allows for an online prediction and thus meets the demand of a high-throughput method.
In this work, the thermoelectric material calcium cobaltite Ca3Co4O9 (CCO), a promising p-type conducting thermoelectric oxide with anisotropic properties, was processed by the powder aerosol deposition method (PAD) to form a dense ceramic CCO film with a thickness in the µm range. The prepared films were characterized regarding their microstructure and thermoelectric properties between room temperature and 900 °C. After heat treatment at 900 °C, the CCO PAD film in-plane shows excellent properties in terms of electrical conductivity (280 S/cm at 900 °C) and Seebeck coefficient (220 µV/K at 900 °C). The calculated power factor in-plane (ab) reaches with 1125 µW/(m K2) 40 % of the single crystal value, surpassing the known-properties of CCO bulk ceramics. Examination of the microstructure shows a strong fiber texture of the film as well as a strong coarsening of the grains during the first heat treatment up to 900 °C.
A round-robin study has been carried out to estimate the impact of the human element in small-angle scattering data analysis. Four corrected datasets were provided to participants ready for analysis. All datasets were measured on samples containing spherical scatterers, with two datasets in dilute dispersions and two from powders. Most of the 46 participants correctly identified the number of populations in the dilute dispersions, with half of the population mean entries within 1.5% and half of the population width entries within 40%. Due to the added complexity of the structure factor, far fewer people submitted answers on the powder datasets. For those that did, half of the entries for the means and widths were within 44 and 86%, respectively. This round-robin experiment highlights several causes for the discrepancies, for which solutions are proposed.
Self-healing polymers have been developed to improve durability and reduce costs associated with maintenance during service. The addition of thermoplastics to thermosets to produce mendable polymers appears as a promising selfhealing technique. In this study, poly (ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA) was added to epoxy resin and the effects of EMAA addition on epoxy properties were evaluated. Specimens with two different contents of thermoplastic and particles sizes were manufactured. A two-level full factorial experimental design was used to evaluate the effect of particle size and particle content on properties of epoxy modified with addition of EMAA. Tensile tests and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were used and the evaluated responses were tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and glass transition temperature (Tg). X-ray computed tomography (XCT) was used to investigate particle size and concentration after manufacturing. It was found that the particle concentration has greater effects on stress–strain behavior of epoxy while Tg was not significantly affected by neither of the analyzed entrance variables.
Temperature-induced, stress-induced martensitic phase transitions and martensite reorientation process in Ni rich (50.9 at.%) NiTi pseudoelastic NiTi wires with ultra-fine grained (UFG) microstructure were studied by electrical resistance measurements. Measurements of the electrical resistance as a function of temperature at different constant mechanical loads accompanied by complementary experiments with variable loads at constant temperature were performed. Results show that the transformation mechanisms in UFG microstructures exhibit a higher level of complexity when compared with those characterizing the behavior of other microstructures (e.g., recrystallized or larger grains size). It was found that a threshold stress level below 150 MPa delimits the transition from a homogeneous (low stress) to localized but reversible Lüders type transformation (high stress) when the transformations are induced under constant applied stress and that reorientation processes require stresses of 100 MPa in the present UFG wires. Even though the strain evolutions do not always show two distinct yielding events during cooling or heating, electrical resistance measurements proved that a two-step transformation involving R-phase and B19' martensite was always present in the extended range of temperatures and stresses investigated here.
Modern dry pressing of ceramic powders using spray‐dried granulates cannot avoid the occurrence of defects related to persisting inter‐ and intra‐granulate interstitial voids. These constitute the parent defect size population limiting the application of polycrystalline ceramics in high‐stress conditions. The mitigation of such defects could widen the range of application in technical and biomedical engineering, reduce the safety range for design, and extend the lifetime of components. Herein, the Weibull size‐effect on strength in size‐partitioned Yttria‐stabilized zirconias (YSZ) feedstocks is used to explore the viability of changing the density distribution of granulate sizes as an effective strategy to obtain a denser particle packing that could reduce the size distribution of strength‐limiting pressing defects. In a direct assessment of critical defect size using multiscale strength testing with a dataset of ≈1300 values, the success of such an approach in increasing the strength reliability for small volume components is demonstrated, along with its ultimate failure in altering the defect size distribution in sintered YSZ ceramics across several length scales. Finally, it is shown that granule morphology (spherical or dimpled) fails to affect the defect density and size distribution in YSZ ceramics.
Using the method of directional solidification, single crystals of experimental nickel-based superalloys with negative, zero, and positive γ/γ' misfits are obtained. The γ' solvus, solidus, and liquidus temperatures of the alloys are determined, and the microstructures of the alloys after directional solidification, heat treatment, and creep tests are investigated. Creep tests are performed at temperatures of 800 and 1000°C. It is found that single crystals of the alloy with a negative γ/γ' misfit have the highest creep resistance and lifetime (the crystal lattice period of the γ' phase is smaller than that of the γ matrix).
Static immersion tests of potential injection pipe steels 42CrMo4, X20Cr13, X46Cr13, X35CrMo4, and X5CrNiCuNb16-4 at T = 60°C and ambient pressure, as well as p = 100 bar were performed for 700–8000 h in a CO2-saturated synthetic aquifer environment similar to CCS sites in the Northern German Basin (NGB). Corrosion rates at 100 bar are generally lower than at ambient pressure. The main corrosion products are FeCO3 and FeOOH with surface and local corrosion phenomena directly related to the alloy composition and microstructure. The appropriate heat treatment enhances corrosion resistance. The lifetime reduction of X46Cr13, X5CrNiCuNb16-4, and duplex stainless steel X2CrNiMoN22-5-3 in a CCS environment is demonstrated in the in situ corrosion fatigue CF experiments (axial push-pull and rotation bending load, 60°C , brine: Stuttgart Aquifer and NGB, flowing CO2: 30 L/h, +/- applied potential). Insulating the test setup is necessary to gain reliable data. S-N plots, micrographic-, phase-, fractographic-, and surface analysis prove that the life expectancy of X2CrNiMoN22-5-3 in the axial cyclic load to failure is clearly related to the surface finish, applied stress amplitude, and stress mode. The horizontal grain attack within corrosion pit cavities, multiple fatigue cracks, and preferable deterioration of austenitic phase mainly cause fatigue failure. The CF life range increases significantly when a protective potential is applied.
Carbidic Austempered Ductile Iron (CADI) microstructures containing eutectic carbides can be produced by the addition of carbide stabilizing elements, such as chromium. Carbides formed from the addition of Cr are eutectic of M3C type. The presence of such hard phases can enhance the abrasion wear resistance of ductile iron. A new CADI can be produced by the addition of Nb. Niobium carbide particles are formed in the beginning of solidification and remain stable once they are insoluble in solid iron matrix. The dry sand abrasive wear resistance of ductile irons alloyed with 1.0, 1.8, and 2.4 wt% Nb were tested in both “as-cast” and “heat treated” conditions using standard ASTM G65. Results were compared to abrasive wear data obtained on ductile iron alloyed with 1 wt% Cr, CADI (1 wt% Cr), and the basic composition of iron without carbide stabilizing elements. In the “ascast” condition, the addition of Nb did not lead to a reduction in wear, while CADI with Nb is a promising substitute for CADI with Cr addition, because both materials showed very similar values of abrasion resistance.
Micro-ploughing and micro-cutting mechanisms were observed on the worn surfaces of ductile irons. Abrasive wear resistance of these alloys was correlated with the volume fraction of carbides.
Rapid solidification leads to unique microstructural features, where a less studied topic is the formation of various crystalline defects, including high dislocation densities, as well as gradients and splitting of the crystalline orientation. As these defects critically affect the material’s mechanical properties and performance features, it is important to understand the defect formation mechanisms, and how they depend on the solidification conditions and alloying. To illuminate the formation mechanisms of the rapid solidification induced crystalline defects, we conduct a multiscale modelling analysis consisting of bond-order potential-based molecular dynamics (MD), phase field crystal-based amplitude expansion simulations, and sequentially coupled phase field–crystal plasticity simulations. The resulting dislocation densities are quantified and compared to past experiments. The atomistic approaches (MD, PFC) can be used to calibrate continuum level crystal plasticity models, and the framework adds mechanistic insights arising from the multiscale analysis.
This article is part of the theme issue ‘Transport phenomena in complex systems (part 2)’.
Frass (fine powdery refuse or fragile perforated wood produced by the activity of boring insects) of larvae of the European house borer (EHB) and of drywood termites was tested as a natural and novel feedstock for 3D-printing of wood-based materials. Small particles produced by the drywood termite Incisitermes marginipennis and the EHB Hylotrupes bajulus during feeding in construction timber, were used. Frass is a powdery material of particularly consistent quality that is essentially biologically processed wood mixed with debris of wood and faeces. The filigree-like particles flow easily permitting the build-up of woodbased structures in a layer wise fashion using the Binder Jetting printing process. The Quality of powders produced by different insect species was compared along with the processing steps and properties of the printed parts. Drywood termite frass with a Hausner Ratio HR = 1.1 with ρBulk = 0.67 g/cm3 and ρTap = 0.74 g/cm3 was perfectly suited to deposition of uniformly packed layers in 3D printing. We suggest that a variety of naturally available feedstocks could be used in environmentally responsible approaches to scientific material sciences/additive manufacturing.
High-performance fibre-reinforced polymer composites are important construction materials based not only on the specific properties of the reinforcing fibres and the flexible polymer Matrix but also on the compatible properties of the composite interphase. First, oxygen-free (a-CSi:H) and oxygen-binding (a-CSiO:H) plasma nanocoatings of different mechanical and tribological properties were deposited on planar silicon dioxide substrates that closely mimic E-glass. The nanoscratch test was used to characterize the nanocoating adhesion expressed in terms of critical normal load and work of adhesion. Next, the same nanocoatings were deposited on E-glass fibres, which were used as reinforcements in the polyester composite to affect its interphase properties. The shear properties of the polymer composite were characterized by macro- and micromechanical tests, namely a short beam shear test to determine the short-beam strength and a single fibre push-out test to determine the interfacial shear strength. The results of the polymer composites showed a strong correlation between the short-beam strength and the interfacial shear strength, proving that both tests are sensitive to changes in fibre-matrix adhesion due to different surface modifications of glass fibres (GF).
Finally, a strong correlation between the shear properties of the GF/polyester composite and the adhesion of the plasma nanocoating expressed through the work of adhesion was demonstrated.
Thus, increasing the work of adhesion of plasma nanocoatings from 0.8 to 1.5 mJ·m−2 increased the short-beam strength from 23.1 to 45.2 MPa. The results confirmed that the work of adhesion is a more suitable parameter in characterising the level of nanocoating adhesion in comparison with the critical normal load.
Tunable microwave devices will play an important role in future wireless systems, in which high-frequency bands, e.g. millimeter waves, will become promising, due to its huge spectrum availability. At such frequency bands, liquid crystals (LCs) exhibit low microwave loss, which is excellent compared with the other tuning elements. In this paper, LC-based microwave components are fabricated by using low temperature co-fired ceramic technology, allowing the integration of the LC into microwave structures. The first component, the Amplitude tuner, controls the signal’s amplitude by using the interference concept, which exhibits a tunable attenuation range from 11 dB to 30 dB at 30 GHz. The second component is a 3-pole tunable bandpass filter, which is realized by using a substrate integrated waveguide topology, enabling a device with comparatively high-quality factors (Q-factors). The measurement results show Q-factors in the range of 68 to 100 for a frequency tuning of 29.4–30.1 GHz, i.e. a tuning range of 700 MHz, accompanied by an insertion loss 2 dB to 4 dB.
The hydrogen tightness of high-pressure hydrogen storage is a Basic criterion for long-term storage. The H2 permeation coefficients of epoxy resin and a glass lacquer were determined to enable the geometric optimization of a glass capillary storage. It was found that the curing conditions have no significant influence on the H2 permeation coefficient of resin.
The H2 permeation coefficient of epoxy resin is only about three orders of Magnitude greater than that of borosilicate glass. This suggests that the initial pressure of 700 bar takes about 2.5 years to be halved in capillary array storage. Therefore, a high-pressure hydrogen storage tank based on glass capillaries is ideally suited for long-term storage in mobile applications.
Low cost, high-efficiency catalysts towards water splitting are urgently required to fulfil the increasing demand for energy. In this work, low-loading (<20 wt%) Ni-confined in layered metal oxide anode catalysts (birnessite and lepidocrocite titanate) have been synthesized by facile ion exchange methodology and subjected to systematic electrochemical studies. It was found that Ni-intercalated on K-rich birnessite (Ni-KMO) presents an onset overpotential (ηonset) as low as 100 mV and overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 (η10) of 206 mV in pH = 14 electrolyte. By combining electrochemical methods and X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies (XAS and XES), we demonstrate Ni sites are the active sites for OER catalysis and that the Mn3+ sites facilitate Ni intercalation during the ion-exchange process, but display no observable contribution towards OER activity. The effect of the pH and the nature of the supporting electrolyte on the electrochemical performance was also evaluated.
Brittle materials, such as oxide glasses, are usually very sensitive to flaws, giving rise to a macroscopic fracture strength that is much lower than that predicted by theory. The same applies to metallic glasses (MGs), with the important difference that these glasses can exhibit certain plastic strain prior to catas- trophic failure. Here we consider the strongest metallic alloy known, a ternary Co 55 Ta 10 B 35 MG. We show that this macroscopically brittle glass is flaw-insensitive at the micrometer scale. This discovery emerges when testing pre-cracked specimens with self-similar geometries, where the fracture stress does not de- crease with increasing pre-crack size. The fracture toughness of this ultra-strong glassy alloy is further shown to increase with increasing sample size. Both these findings deviate from our classical under- standing of fracture mechanics, and are attributed to a transition from toughness-controlled to strength- controlled fracture below a critical sample size.
Manufacturing and deformation behavior of alumina and zirconia helical springs at room temperature
(2023)
Ceramic helical springs with identical dimensions were produced by hard machining from alumina, alumina toughened zirconia (ATZ), and tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (TZP) stabilized with different oxides. According to the results of the spring constant determination under deformation rates of 3 mm/min, the deformation behavior of all ceramic springs obeys to Hook’s law. However, variation of the deformation rate, tests under constant load, and spring recovery behavior revealed differences in the deformation behavior of alumina, TZP, and ATZ springs. Alumina springs exhibited time-independent deformation in all tests. In contrast, anelastic deformation at room temperature was demonstrated in all springs containing TZP. This deformation is completely reversible over a period of several days. Anelastic behavior is particularly pronounced in Y-TZP springs, whereas Ce-TZP springs exhibit comparatively very low but still reliably detectable anelasticity. Oxygen vacancies in the TZP ceramic are considered the most likely explanation for the anelastic behavior of TZP springs at room temperature.
This article reports temperature-dependent elastic properties (Young’s modulus, shear modulus) of three alloys measured by the dynamic resonance method. The alloys Ti-6Al-4V, Inconel IN718, and AISI 316 L were each investigated in a variant produced by an additive manufacturing processing route and by a conventional manufacturing processing route. The datasets include information on processing routes and parameters, heat treatments, grain size, specimen dimensions, and weight, as well as Young’s and shear modulus along with their measurement uncertainty. The process routes and methods are described in detail. The datasets were generated in an accredited testing lab, audited as BAM reference data, and are hosted in the open data repository Zenodo. Possible data usages include the verification of the correctness of the test setup via Young’s modulus comparison in low-cycle fatigue (LCF) or thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) testing campaigns, the design auf VHCF specimens and the use as input data for simulation purposes.
(Bio)geochemical cycling of gold (Au) has been demonstrated in present-day (semi)-arid, (sub)-tropical and temperate environment. Hereby biofilms on Au-bearing mineral- and Au-particle surfaces drive Au dispersion and reconcentration, thereby (trans)forming the particles. However, it is unknown if biogeochemical cycling of Au occurs in polar environments, where air temperatures can reach −40 °C and soils remain frozen for much of the year. Therefore, placer Au-particles, soils and waters were collected at two placer mining districts in arctic Finland, i.e., the Ivalojoki and Lemmenjoki goldfields. Sites were chosen based on contrasting settings ((glacio)-fluvial vs. glacial-till deposits) and depths (surface to 5m below current surface). Gold particles were studied using a combination of tagged 16S rRNA gene next generation sequencing and electron microscopic/microanalytical techniques. Across all sites a range of Au-particle morphologies were observed, including morphotypes indicative of Au dissolution and aggregation. Elevated Au concentrations indicative of Au mobility were detected in placer particle bearing soils at both districts. Typically Au-particles were coated by polymorphic biofilm layers composed of living and dead cells embedded in extracellular polymeric substances. Intermixed were biominerals, clays and iron-sulfides/oxides and abundant secondary Au morphotypes, i.e., nano-particles, microcrystals, sheet-like Au, branched Au networks and overgrowths and secondary rims. Biofilms communities were composed of Acidobacteria (18.3%), Bacteroidetes (15.1%) and Proteobacteria (47.1%), with β-Proteobacteria (19.5%) being the most abundant proteobacterial group. Functionally, biofilms were composed of taxa contributing to biofilm establishment, exopolymer production and nutrient cycling, abundant taxa capable of Au mobilization, detoxification and biomineralization, among them Cupriavidus metallidurans, Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp., were detected. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that placer Au-particle transformation and Au dispersion occur in cold, arctic environments. This corroborates the existence of biogeochemical Au cycling in present-day cold environments.
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) and compositionally complex alloys (CCAs) represent new classes of materials containing five or more alloying elements (concentration of each element ranging from 5 to 35 at. %). In the present study, HEAs are defined as single-phase solid solutions; CCAs contain at least two phases. The alloy concept of HEAs/CCAs is fundamentally different from most conventional alloys and promises interesting properties for industrial applications (e.g., to overcome the strength-ductility trade-off). To date, little attention has been paid to the weldability of HEAs/CCAs encompassing effects on the welding metallurgy. It remains open whether welding of HEAs/CCAs may lead to the formation of brittle intermetallics and promote elemental segregation at crystalline defects. The effect on the weld joint properties (strength, corrosion resistance) must be investigated. The weld metal and heat-affected zone in conventional alloys are characterized by non-equilibrium microstructural evolutions that most probably occur in HEAs/CCAs. The corresponding weldability has not yet been studied in detail in the literature, and the existing information is not documented in a comprehensive way. Therefore, this study summarizes the most important results on the welding of HEAs/CCAs and their weld joint properties, classified by HEA/CCA type (focused on CoCrFeMnNi and AlxCoCrCuyFeNi system) and welding process.
High- and medium-entropy alloys (HEAs) are a quite new class of materials. They have a high potential for applications from low to high temperatures due to the excellent combination of their structural properties.
Concerning their application as components; processing properties, such as machinability, have hardly been investigated so far. Hence, machinability analyses with a focus on the influence of the milling process and its basic parameters (cutting speed, feed per cutting edge) on the resulting surface integrity of specimens from an equiatomic high- (CoCrFeMnNi) and a medium- (CoCrNi) entropy alloy have been carried out. A highly innovative milling process with ultrasonic assistance (USAM) was compared to conventional milling processes.
Recent studies have shown that USAM has a high potential to significantly reduce the mechanical load on the tool and workpiece surface during milling. In this study, the basic machining and ultrasonic parameters were systematically varied. After machining, the surface integrity of the alloys was analyzed in terms of topography, defects, subsurface damage, and residual stresses. It was observed that USAM reduces the cutting forces and increases the surface integrity in terms of lower tensile residual stresses and defect density near the surfaces for the CoCrFeMnNi alloy. It was shown that the cutting forces and the metallurgical influence in the sub surface region are reduced by increasing the cutting speed and reducing the feed rate per cutting edge. With the CoCrNi alloy, the tool revealed severe wear. As a result, for this alloy no influence of the parameters on the machinability could be determined.
Glassy solids evolve towards lower-energy structural states by physical aging. This can be characterized by structural relaxation times, the assessment of which is essential for understanding the glass’ time-dependent property changes. Conducted over short times, a continuous increase of relaxation times with time is seen, suggesting a time-dependent dissipative transport mechanism. By focusing on micro-structural rearrangements at the atomic-scale, we demonstrate the emergence of sub-diffusive anomalous transport and therefore temporal fractional diffusion in a metallic glass, which we track via coherent x-ray scattering conducted over more than 300,000 s. At the longest probed decorrelation times, a transition from classical stretched exponential to a power-law behavior occurs, which in concert with atomistic simulations reveals collective and intermittent atomic motion. Our observations give a physical basis for classical stretched exponential relaxation behavior, uncover a new power-law governed collective transport regime for metallic glasses at long and practically relevant time-scales, and demonstrate a rich and highly non-monotonous aging response in a glassy solid, thereby challenging the common framework of homogeneous aging and atomic scale diffusion.
Metallic glasses (MGs) are known to be structurally heterogeneous at the nanometer (nm) scale. In addition, elastic property mapping has indicated the presence of at least an order-of-magnitude larger length scales, of which the origin continues to remain unknown. Here we demonstrate the existence of an elastic decorrelation length of the order of 100 nm in a Zr-based bulk MG using spatially resolved elastic property mapping via nanoindentation. Since compositional modulations sufficiently large to account for this elastic microstructure were not resolved by analytical scanning-transmission electron microscopy, chemical phase separation such as spinodal decomposition cannot explain their occurrence as previously suggested. Instead, we argue that the revealed long-range elastic modulations stem from structural variations affecting the local density. These emerge during solidification and are strongly influenced by the cooling constraints imposed on bulk MGs during the casting process.
Predicting nonlinear physical aging of glasses from equilibrium relaxation via the material time
(2022)
The noncrystalline glassy state of matter plays a role in virtually all fields of materials science and offers complementary properties to those of the crystalline counterpart. The caveat of the glassy state is that it is out of equilibrium and therefore exhibits physical aging, i.e., material properties change over time. For half a century, the physical aging of glasses has been known to be described well by the material-time concept, although the existence of a material time has never been directly validated. We do this here by successfully predicting the aging of the molecular glass 4-vinyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-one from its linear relaxation behavior. This establishes the defining property of the material time. Via the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, our results imply that physical aging can be predicted from thermal-equilibrium fluctuation data, which is confirmed by computer simulations of a binary liquid mixture.
Here, we trace in situ the slip-line formation and morphological signature of dislocation avalanches in a highentropy alloy with the aim of revealing their microstructural degree of localization. Correlating the intermittent microplastic events with their corresponding slip-line patterns allows defining two main event types, one of which is linked to the formation of new slip lines, whereas the other one involves reactivation of already existing slip lines. The formation of new slip lines reveals statistically larger and faster avalanches. The opposite tendency is seen for avalanches involving reactivation of already existing slip lines. The combination of both these types of events represents the highest degree of spatial avalanche delocalization that spans the entire sample, forming a group of events that determine the truncation length scale of the truncated power-law scaling. These observations link the statistics of dislocation avalanches to a microstructural observable.
We demonstrate the gradual shift from scale-free intermittent microplasticity to a scale-dependent behavior via the introduction of a variety of microstructural features within the Al-Cu binary alloy system. As long as the obstacles to dislocation motion remain shearable, the statistics of intermittent microplasticity has fat-tailed contributions. The introduction of incoherent precipitates leads to a complete transition from scale-free powerlaw scaling to an exponential and scale-dependent distribution. These results demonstrate how non-Gaussian interactions survive across different microstructures and further suggest that characteristic microstructural length scales and obstacle pinning-strengths are of secondary importance for the intermittency statistics, as long as dislocations can shear their local environment.
Plastic deformation in crystals is mediated by the motion of line defects known as dislocations.
For decades, dislocation activity has been treated as a homogeneous, smooth continuous process. However, it is now recognized that plasticity can be determined by longrange correlated and intermittent collective dislocation processes, known as avalanches. Here we demonstrate in body-centered cubic Nb how the long-range and scale-free dynamics at room temperature are progressively quenched out with decreasing temperature, eventually revealing intermittency with a characteristic length scale that approaches the Burgers Vector itself. Plasticity is shown to be bimodal across the studied temperature regime, with conventional thermally-activated smooth plastic flow (‘mild’) coexisting with sporadic Bursts (‘wild’) controlled by athermal screw dislocation activity, thereby violating the classical Notion of temperature-dependent screw dislocation motion at low temperatures. An abrupt increase of the athermal avalanche component is identified at the critical temperature of the material.
Our results indicate that plasticity at any scale can be understood in terms of the coexistence of these mild and wild modes of deformation, which could help design better alloys by suppressing one of the two modes in desired temperature Windows.
The aluminum alloy 2618A is applied for engine components such as radial compressor wheels which operate for long time at elevated temperatures. This results in coarsening of the hardening precipitates and degradation in mechanical properties during the long-term operation, which is not taken into account in the current lifetime prediction models due to the lack of quantitative microstructural and mechanical data. To address this issue, a quantitative investigation on the evolution of precipitates during long-term aging at 190 °C for up to 25,000 h was conducted. Detailed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was combined with Brinell hardness measurements and thorough differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments. The results showthat GPB zones and S-phase Al2CuMg grow up to < 1,000 h during which the GPB zones dissolve and S-phase precipitates form. For longer aging times, only S-phase precipitates coarsen, which can be well described using the Lifshitz–Slyozov Wagner theory of ripening. A thorough understanding of the underlying microstructural processes is a prerequisite to enable the integration of aging behavior into the established lifetime models for components manufactured from alloy 2618A.
A study was made on the effect of creep loading on the precipitate radii evolution of the aluminum alloy 2618A.
The overageing process of the alloy was investigated under load at a temperature of 190 °C with stresses between 79 and 181 MPa and compared to stress free isothermal ageing. The precipitates responsible for strength were characterized using dark-field transmission electron microscopy (DFTEM). This allows the experimental Determination of radii distributions of the rod-shaped Al2CuMg precipitates and the evaluation regarding their mean precipitate radius. It was found that the mean precipitate radius enables the comparison of the different microstructural conditions of crept and uncrept samples. The mean precipitate radii of the samples experiencing creep are significantly higher than those of undeformed samples. It was shown that the acquired radii distributions are viable to determine averaged particle radii for comparison of the aged samples. A ripening process including pipe diffusion along dislocations describes the data on coarsening very well for the creep samples.
The article covers data on the Brinell hardness of the forged precipitation-hardened aluminum alloy EN AW-2618A in the initial T61 condition (i. e. slightly underaged) and after isothermal aging for up to 25,0 0 0 h at aging temperatures between 160 °C and 350 °C. In addition, the hardness was determined on specimens after creep testing at 190 °C and various stresses. The hardness decreases with increasing ag- ing time due to the microstructural evolution of the harden- ing precipitates. The drop occurs faster the higher the aging temperature. Aging under creep load additionally accelerates the hardness decrease.
This work investigates the effect of the tribotesting parameters (temperature, atmosphere, and third body chemical composition) on the coefficient of friction (CoF) during pin-on-disc dry (PoD) sliding tribotests using artificial third bodies. The third body comprised nanometric Fe3O4-based binary to quaternary chemical compositions containing copper, graphite, and zirconia. These mixtures were manually or ball-milled prepared, and pin-on-disc tribotests were conducted at 23 °C and 400 °C under air or nitrogen atmospheres. Combining PoD and artificial third body to create synthetic tribofilms might be useful for testing new formulations of Cu-free friction materials. Microstructural characterisation of the tribofilms was used to study the stability of the Fe3O4, copper, and graphite nanoparticles under different testing conditions to understand their effects on the CoF. For the Fe3O4-C-ZrO2-X systems, the ball milling mixing promoted the formation of turbostratic graphite in the tribofilm, impairing the lubricating effect of the graphite under air atmosphere at 23 °C. The formation of monoclinic CuO in the tribofilms during tribotests at 400 °C under air and N2 atmospheres promoted a lubricating effect.
The formation of pores in CMSX-4 nickel based superalloys is detrimental to the service life of the material. A way to avoid the problem is to treat the superalloys under Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), which enables a large volume fraction of pores to be annihilated. This paper aims to understand the contribution of plastic activity related to the gliding of dislocations on the pore annihilation. Simulations based on a phase-field model of dislocation are performed and make it possible to consider the strong anisotropy of the CMSX-4 under HIP conditions in conjunction to the strong elastic heterogeneity introduced by the pore. For pores with a radius of few micrometers, it is shown that edge parts of dislocation lines that present an extra half atomic plane oriented towards the pore are stacked above and under it in the direction which is perpendicular to their slip-planes, causing an increase of the number of dislocation along the four octahedral directions of the FCC single crystal which intersect the pore center. Results are streamlined within the isotropic elastic theory of dislocations. Effects of elastic anisotropy and dislocation reactions are also investigated in order to specify what would be the dislocation configuration around a pore in CMSX-4 under HIP conditions. Notably, the elastic anisotropy is shown to significantly modify the arrangement of dislocations close to the pore equator. Simulations also allow for the characterization of pore/dislocation interactions when dislocations are involved in Low Angle Boundaries as experimentally observed.
Hydrocarbons fuel our economy. Furthermore, intermediate goods and consumer products are often hydrocarbon-based. Beside all the progress they made possible, hydrogen-containing substances can have severe detrimental effects on materials exposed to them. Hydrogen-assisted failure of iron alloys has been recognised more than a century ago. The present study aims to providing further insight into the degradation of the austenitic stainless steel AISI 304L (EN 1.4307) exposed to hydrogen. To this end, samples were electrochemically charged with the hydrogen isotope deuterium (2H, D) and analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). It was found that deuterium caused a phase transformation from the original γ austenite into ε- and α’-martensite. Despite their low solubility for hydrogen, viz. deuterium, the newly formed phases showed high deuterium concentration which was attributed to the increased density of traps. Information about the behaviour of deuterium in the material subjected to external mechanical load was gathered. A four-point-bending device was developed for this purpose. This allowed to analyse in-situ pre-charged samples in the ToF-SIMS during the application of external mechanical load. The results indicate a movement of deuterium towards the regions of highest stress.
The damaging impact of hydrogen on the austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 L was analysed.
To this aim, samples were charged electrochemically with the hydrogen isotope deuterium (2H, D) and examined with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The fusion of the obtained chemical and structural information revealed local enrichment of deuterium in austenite, transformation into martensite, crack formation and severe roughening of the specimen surface. The results indicated that martensite was not only formed during charging but also during Desorption and ToF-SIMS examinations. Furthermore, cross-sections of deuterium-charged samples revealed that in preferred deformation bands a g/ε/a 0 evolution is taking place.
By means of microscopic analyses and carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE), it was found that the use of NaAsO2 as recombination poison decreased the uptake of hydrogen significantly and resulted in severe precipitation on the specimen surfaces. This is in contrast to the popular presumption that NaAsO2 enhances the uptake of hydrogen (and
deuterium) during electrochemical charging by hampering its recombination from Atoms to molecules.
To set up recommendations on how to define “reasonable minimum composition thresholds” for CO2 streams to access CO2 pipeline networks, we investigated potential impacts of CO2 streams with different and temporally variable compositions and mass flow rates along the CCS chain. All investigations were based on a generic “CCS cluster scenario” in which CO2 streams captured from a spatial cluster of eleven emitters (seven fossil-fired power plants, two cement plants, one refinery and one steel mill) are collected in a regional pipeline network. The resulting CO2 stream (19.78 Mio t impure CO2 per year) is transported in a trunk line (onshore and offshore) and injected into five generic replicate storage structures (Buntsandstein saline aquifers) offshore. Experimental investigations and modeling of selected impacts revealed beneficial as well as adverse impacts of different impurities and their combinations. Overall, no fundamental technical obstacles for transporting, injecting and storing CO2 streams of the considered variable compositions and mass flow rates were observed. We recommend to define minimum composition thresholds for each specific CCS project through limiting
i) the overall CO2 content,
ii) maximum contents of relevant impurities or elements,
iii) acceptable variability of concentrations of critical impurities, and defining impurity combinations to be avoided.
The present work addresses powder bed binder jetting additive manufacturing by selective magnesium phosphate cement activation. Despite the potential of this technology to aid the digitalization of the construction industry, the effect of processing parameters on the mechanical performance of printed materials has not yet been studied to generate a guideline for the further development of the technology. Statistical methodologies were used to screen the effect of four printing process parameters (printing speed, layer thickness, raster angle, and build direction on flexural and compressive strength). As the exploited technology works with constant fluid pressure, the physical interpretation of the effect of each factor can be considered taking into account the interactions between the binder materials in the powder bed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that printing speed and layer thickness significantly affect mechanical performances. Furthermore, the layout of samples for the printing process is preferable to be parallel the printhead movement. An anisotropic behavior was observed, and the samples subjected to compressive forces parallel to the layer plane possessed lower strength values. This effect can be interpreted as a result of a weak area of low density in between layers, leading to a pronounced delamination under compression. Even though the strength of the printed material is not suitable for a structural concrete, it can be marginally improved by design of experiment and optimized for non-structural applications, such as for porous artificial stone. Design of experiment coupled with ANOVA methods can be used in the future to support the development of novel material mixtures, thus expanding the fields of application of this novel additive manufacturing technology.
Assessing the structural integrity of carbon-fibre sandwich panels in fire: Bench-scale approach
(2019)
The fire resistance of lightweight sandwich panels (SW) with carbon fibre/epoxy skins and a poly(methacryl imide) (PMI) foam core is investigated in compression under direct application of a severe flame (heat flux=200 kW m−2). A bench-scale test procedure was used, with the sample held vertically. The epoxy decomposition temperature was quickly exceeded, with rapid flash-over and progressive core softening and decomposition.
There is a change in failure mode depending on whether the load is greater or less than 50% of the unexposed failure load, or in other words if one or two skins carry the load. At high loads, failure involved both skins with a single clear linear separation across each face. There is an inflection in the failure time relationship in the ∼50% load region, corresponding to the time taken for heat to be transmitted to the rear face, along with a change in the rear skin failure mode from separation to the formation of a plastic hinge. The integrity of the carbon front face, even with the resin burnt out, and the low thermal diffusivity of the core, both play key roles in prolonging rear face integrity, something to be borne in mind for future panel design. Intumescent coatings prolong the period before failure occurs. The ratio of times to failure with and without protection is proposed as a measure of their effectiveness. Apart from insulation properties, their adhesion and stability under severe fire impact play a key role.
Controlled oriented crystallization of glass surfaces is desired for high precision applications, since the uppermost crystal layer significantly influences the properties of the material. In contrast to previous studies, the data presented here deal with separated crystals growing at defect-free surfaces in four atmospheres with different degrees of humidity (ambient/dry air, argon and vacuum). A glass with the composition 2 BaO–TiO2–2.75 SiO2 was heat-treated at 825 °C until fresnoite (Ba2TiSi2O8) grew to a significant size. The crystal growth rate is found to increase with increasing humidity. The morphology of the crystals changes from highly distorted dendrites in the driest atmosphere (vacuum) to circular/spear-head-shaped crystals in the wettest atmosphere (ambient air), which we attribute to a decrease in viscosity of the glass surface due to water uptake. The least distorted crystals appear in the form of depressions of up to 6 µm. This has an influence on the observed crystal orientation, as measured by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The pulled-in crystals change the orientation during growth relative to the flat glass surface due to an enrichment in SiO2 at the crystal fronts. This confirms that the orientation of crystals is not fixed following nucleation.
Mixed ionic electronic conducting ceramics Nd6-yWO12-d (d is the Oxygen deficiency) provide excellent stability in harsh environments containing strongly reactive gases such as CO2, CO, H2, H2O or H2S. Due to this chemical stability, they are promising and cost-efficient candidate materials for gas separation, catalytic membrane reactors and protonic ceramic fuel cell technologies. As in La6-yWO12-d, the ionic/electronic transport mechanism in Nd6-yWO12-d is expected to be largely controlled by the crystal structure, the conclusive determination of which is still lacking. This work presents a crystallographic study of Nd5.8WO12-d and molybdenum-substituted Nd5.7W0.75Mo0.25O12-d prepared by the citrate complexation route. High-resolution synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction data were used in combined Rietveld refinements to unravel the crystal structure of Nd5.8WO12-d and Nd5.7W0.75Mo0.25O12-d. Both investigated samples crystallize in a defect fluorite crystal structure with space group Fm3m and doubled unit-cell parameter due to cation ordering. Mo replacesWat bothWyckoff sites 4a and 48h and is evenly distributed, in contrast with La6-yWO12-d. X-ray absorption spectroscopy as a function of partial pressure pO2 in the near-edge regions excludes oxidation state changes of Nd (Nd3+) and W(W6+) in reducing conditions: the enhanced hydrogen permeation, i.e. ambipolar conduction, observed in Mo-substituted Nd6-yWO12-d is therefore explained by the higher Mo reducibility and the creation of additional – disordered – oxygen vacancies.
Accelerator magnets that can reach magnetic fields well beyond the Nb-Ti performance limits are presently being built and developed, using Nb3Sn superconductors. This technology requires reaction heat treatment (RHT) of the magnet coils, during which Nb3Sn is formed from its ductile precursor materials (a “wind and react” approach). The Nb3Sn microstructure and microchemistry are strongly influenced by the conductor fabrication route, and by the Phase changes during RHT. By combining in situ differential scanning calorimetry, high Energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction, and micro-tomography experiments, we have acquired a unique data set that describes in great detail the phase and microstructure changes that take place during the processing of restacked rod process (RRP), powder-in-tube (PIT), and internal tin (IT) Nb3Sn wires. At temperatures below 450 ° the phase evolutions in the three wire types are similar, with respectively solid state interdiffusion of Cu and Sn, Cu6Sn5 formation, and Cu6Sn5 peritectic transformation. Distinct differences in phase evolutions in the wires are found when temperatures exceed 450 °C. The volume changes of the conductor during RHT are a difficulty in the production of Nb3Sn accelerator magnets. We compare the wire diameter changes measured in situ by dilatometry with the phase and void volume evolution of the three types of Nb3Sn wire. Unlike the Nb3Sn wire length changes, the wire diameter evolution is characteristic for each Nb3Sn wire type. The strongest volume increase, of about 5%, is observed in the RRP wire, where the main diameter increase occurs above 600 °C upon Nb3Sn formation.
The knowledge of the temperature-induced changes of the superconductor volume and of the thermomechanical behavior of the different coil and tooling materials is required for predicting the coil geometry and the stress distribution in the coil after the Nb3Sn reaction heat treatment. In this paper, we have measured the Young’s and shear moduli of the HL-LHC 11 T Nb3Sn dipole magnet coil and reaction tool constituents during in situ heat cycles with the dynamic resonance method. The thermal expansion behaviors of the coil components and of a free standing Nb3Sn wire were compared based on dilation experiments.
The digitalization of materials science and engineering (MSE) is currently leading to remarkable advancements in materials research, design, and optimization, fueled by computer‐driven simulations, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. While these developments promise to accelerate materials innovation, challenges in quality assurance, data interoperability, and data management have to be addressed. In response, the adoption of semantic web technologies has emerged as a powerful solution in MSE. Ontologies provide structured and machine‐actionable knowledge representations that enable data integration, harmonization, and improved research collaboration. This study focuses on the tensile test ontology (TTO), which semantically represents the mechanical tensile test method and is developed within the project Plattform MaterialDigital (PMD) in connection with the PMD Core Ontology. Based on ISO 6892‐1, the test standard‐compliant TTO offers a structured vocabulary for tensile test data, ensuring data interoperability, transparency, and reproducibility. By categorizing measurement data and metadata, it facilitates comprehensive data analysis, interpretation, and systematic search in databases. The path from developing an ontology in accordance with an associated test standard, converting selected tensile test data into the interoperable resource description framework format, up to connecting the ontology and data is presented. Such a semantic connection using a data mapping procedure leads to an enhanced ability of querying. The TTO provides a valuable resource for materials researchers and engineers, promoting data and metadata standardization and sharing. Its usage ensures the generation of finable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable data while maintaining both human and machine actionability.
Characteristics of environmental stress cracking of PE-HD induced by biodiesel and diesel fuels
(2024)
In the context of the increasing effect of carbon dioxide emissions on the global climate biodiesel produced from renewable sources has emerged as a promising contender replacing fossil fuels, especially in long-range transport vehicles, using existing engines and infrastructure.
High-density polyethylene is one of the prevailing materials for pipe and container applications for storage and transport of such fuels, both, from fossil and renewable resources. The contact with the respective fuels raises questions concerning material compatibility as biodiesel exhibits significant differences compared to conventional diesel fuel affecting its sorption and plasticization behavior in polyethylene. In this study, its behavior with respect to environmental stress cracking, considered one of the most frequent damage mechanisms leading to failure of polymer parts and packaging, was evaluated using the well-established Full Notch Creep Test. This
approach allows for a detailed fracture surface analysis using imaging techniques, such as optical and laser scanning microscopy, as well as infrared spectroscopy. Comparing the environmental stress cracking behavior in standard surfactant solutions with that in biodiesel and diesel, respective crack propagation rates, showing different levels of acceleration, were determined and details of the underlying mechanisms could be revealed.
Furthermore, the specific infrared absorption of the biodiesel’s ester functionality allows its semi-quantitative determination on the fracture surface of the tested specimens after failure. Thus, a preferred uptake of sorptive fluids in the fracture zone due to local morphological changes of the polyethylene could be directly evidenced by infrared spectroscopy.
Different imaging techniques were employed to monitor Full Notch Creep Test (FNCT) experiments addressing environmental stress cracking in more detail. The FNCT is a well-established test method to assess slow crack growth and environmental stress cracking of polymer materials, especially polyethylene. The standard test procedure, as specified in ISO 16770, provides a simple comparative measure of the resistance to crack growth of a certain material based on the overall time to failure when loaded with a well-defined mechanical stress and immersed in a liquid medium promoting crack propagation.
Destructive techniques which require a direct view on the free fracture surface, such as light microscopy and laser scanning microscopy, are compared to non-destructive techniques, i.e. scanning acoustic microscopy and xray micro computed tomography. All methods allow the determination of an effective crack length. Based on a series of FNCT specimens progressively damaged for varied Durations under standard test conditions, the estimation of crack propagation rates is also enabled. Despite systematic deviations related to the respective Imaging techniques, this nevertheless provides a valuable tool for the detailed evaluation of the FNCT and its further development.
A phenomenological criterion for an optical assessment of PE-HD fracture surfaces obtained from FNCT
(2021)
The full-notch creep test (FNCT) is a common test method to evaluate the environmental stress cracking (ESC) behavior of high-density polyethylene (PE-HD), e.g. for container materials. The test procedure as specified in ISO 16770 provides a comparative measure of the resistance against ESC using the time to failure of PE-HD specimens under constant mechanical load in a well-defined liquid test environment. Since the craze-crack damage mechanism underlying the ESC phenomenon is associated with brittle failure, the occurrence of a predominantly brittle fracture surface is a prerequisite to consider an FNCT measurement as representative for ESC, i.e. a time to failure dominated by craze-crack propagation.
The craze-crack propagation continuously reduces the effective residual cross-sectional area of the specimen during the test, which results in a corresponding increase of the effective mechanical stress. Thus, a transition to ductile shear deformation is inevitable at later stages of the test, leading usually to a pronounced central ligament.
Therefore, an optical evaluation of FNCT fracture surfaces concerning their brittleness is essential. An enhanced imaging analysis of FNCT fracture surfaces enables a detailed assessment of craze-crack Propagation during ESC. In this study, laser scanning microscopy (LSM) was employed to evaluate whether FNCT fracture surfaces are representative with respect to craze-crack propagation and ESC. Based on LSM height data, a phenomenological criterion is proposed to assess the validity of distinct FNCT measurements. This criterion is
supposed to facilitate a quick evaluation of FNCT results in practical routine testing. Its applicability is verified on a sample basis for seven different commercial PE-HD container materials.
Relation of craze to crack length during slow crack growth phenomena in high‐density polyethylene
(2024)
The craze‐crack mechanism occurring in high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) causing slow crack growth and environmental stress cracking is investigated in detail with respect to the relation of crack length and the related craze zone. This is essential for the understanding of the resulting features of the formed fracture surface and their interpretation in the context of the transition from crack propagation to ductile shear deformation. It turns out that an already formed craze zone does not inevitably result in formation of a propagating crack, but could also undergo ductile failure. For the examination, the full notch creep test (FNCT) was employed with a subsequent advanced fracture surface analysis that was performed using various imaging techniques: light microscopy, laser scanning microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray micro computed tomography scan. FNCT specimens were progressively damaged for increasing durations under standard test conditions applying Arkopal, the standard surfactant solution, and biodiesel as test media were used to analyze the stepwise growth of cracks and crazes. From considerations based on well‐established fracture mechanics approaches, a theoretical correlation between the length of the actual crack and the length of the preceding craze zone was established that could be evidenced and affirmed by FNCT fracture surface analysis. Moreover, the yield strength of a HDPE material exposed to a certain medium as detected by a classic tensile test was found to be the crucial value of true stress to induce the transition from crack propagation due to the craze‐crack mechanism to shear deformation during FNCT measurements.
Highlights
- Progress of crack formation in high‐density polyethylene is analyzed by different imaging techniques
- Determined growth rates depend on distinction between craze zone and crack
- The ratio of the present crack to the anteceding craze zone is validated theoretically
- The transition from crack propagation to ductile shear deformation is identified
- An already formed craze zone may still fail by ductile mechanisms
In failure analysis, micro-fractographic analysis of fracture surfaces is usually performed based on practical knowledge which is gained from available studies, own comparative tests, from the literature, as well as online databases. Based on comparisons with already existing images, fracture mechanisms are determined qualitatively. These images are mostly two-dimensional and obtained by light optical and scanning electron imaging techniques. So far, quantitative assessments have been limited to macrocopically determined percentages of fracture types or to the manual measurement of fatigue striations, for example. Recently, more and more approaches relying on computer algorithms have been taken, with algorithms capable of finding and classifying differently structured fracture characteristics. For the Industrial Collective Research (Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung, IGF) project “iFrakto” presented in this paper, electron-optical images are obtained, from which topographic information is calculated. This topographic information is analyzed together with the conventional 2D images. Analytical algorithms and deep learning are used to analyze and evaluate fracture characteristics and are linked to information from a fractography database. The most important aim is to provide software aiding in the application of fractography for failure analysis. This paper will present some first results of the project.
Fractography plays a critical role in failure analysis of engineering components and has a considerable importance for safety investigations. Usually, the interpretation of fracture surfaces is done by experts with the help of literature and experimental data, that requires a lot of experience. The use of deep learning (DL) with neural networks in failure analysis becomes more and more relevant with the rapidly developing possibilities. Especially, the modern network architectures can assist fractographers in determining various fracture features on SEM images of the fracture surfaces. The basis for the best possible evaluation is the understanding of the influence of the input data used for training deep neural networks (DNN). Therefore, this study discusses the influence of the selection of the input data used for the prediction quality of these networks in order to take this into account for future data acquisition. Specimens of various metallic materials were subjected to fatigue cracking experiment under laboratory conditions. The fractured surfaces were then imaged using various modes or detectors (such as SE, BSE and topography) in SEM, and those captured images were used to create a training data set. The relevance of the individual data for the quality of the prediction is determined by a specific combination of the different detector data. For the training, the well-established architecture of a UNet-ResNet34 with a fixed set of hyperparameters is used. It has been found in this present study that the combination of all input data significantly increases the prediction accuracy, whereby even the combination of SE and BSE data provides considerable advantages over the exclusive use of SE images.
Inconel 718 is a precipitation strengthened, nickel-based super alloy of interest for the Additive Manufacturing (AM) of low volume, complex parts to reduce production time and cost compared to conventional subtractive processes. The AM process involves repeated rapid melting, solidification and reheating, which exposes the material to non-equilibrium conditions that affect elemental segregation and the subsequent formation of solidification phases, either beneficial or detrimental. These variations are difficult to characterize due to the small length scale within the micron sized melt pool. To understand how the non-equilibrium conditions affect the initial solidification phases and their critical temperatures, a multi-length scale, multi modal approach has been taken to evaluate various methods for identifying the initial phases formed in the as-built Inconel 718 produced by laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing (AM). Using a range of characterization tools from the bulk differential thermal analysis (DTA) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) to spatially resolved images using a variety of electron microscopy tools, a better understanding is obtained of how these minor phases can be properly identified regarding the amount and size, morphology and distribution. Using the most promising characterization techniques for investigation of the as-built specimens, those techniques were used to evaluate the specimens after various heat treatments. During the sequence of heat treatments, the initial as-built dendritic structures recrystallized into well-defined grains whose size was dependent on the temperature. Although the resulting strength was similar in all heat treated specimens, the elongation increased as the grain size was refined due to differences in the precipitated phase distribution and morphology.
Friction stir welding (FSW) of high-melting temperature alloys, such as steel and Inconel, requires tooling that can survive under the applied loads at the elevated temperatures. Tungsten-Rhenium (W-Re) alloys are a suitable candidate for this application; however, the costs typically associated with achieving the required densities and grain structure for the tooling are high due to the lengthy traditional processing required. Further costs are incurred in machining the starting bar stock to the final FSW tooling configuration. An alternate processing method is used in this study to shorten the fabrication time using direct current sintering which rapidly consolidates the starting powders at lower temperatures than used in traditional powder metallurgy. Although this process enables retention of the fine grain size, the sintering time is too short to form the desired single, solid phase. Therefore, the specimens were subjected to a post-consolidation heat treatment to fully solutionize the W matrix. Once the desired density and solid solution phase was verified in coupons, the final processing parameters were used to consolidate a net shape tool for FSW.
The round robin test investigated the reliability users can expect for AlSi10Mg additive manufactured specimens by laser powder bed fusion through examining powder quality, process parameter, microstructure defects, strength and fatigue. Besides for one outlier, expected static material properties could be found. Optical microstructure inspection was beneficial to determine true porosity and porosity types to explain the occurring scatter in properties. Fractographic analyses reveal that the fatigue crack propagation starts at the rough as-built surface for all specimens. Statistical analysis of the scatter in fatigue using statistical derived safety factors concludes that at a stress of 36.87 MPa the fatigue limit of 107 cycles could be reached for all specimen with a survival probability of 99.999 %.
Polyether and -ester urethanes (PU) were exposed to artificial weathering at 40 °C and artificial UV radiation in a weathering chamber. In 3 parallel exposures, humidity was varied between dry, humid, and wet conditions. Material alteration was investigated by various analytical techniques like size exclusion chromatography
(SEC), liquid chromatography-infrared spectroscopy (LC-FTIR), thermal-desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS), fluorescence mapping and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Our results show that depending on the weathering conditions, different degradation effects can be observed. By means of SEC an initial strong decrease of the molar masses and a broadening of the mass distributions was found. After a material dependent time span this was followed by a plateau where molar mass changes were less significant. A minor moisture-dependent degradation effect was only found for polyester PU. Fluorescence measurements on two materials revealed an increase in the luminescence intensity upon weathering process reaching a saturation level after about 500 h. The changes in the optical properties observed after different exposure conditions and times were very similar. The TD-GC-MS data showed the fate of the stabilizers and antioxidant in the course of weathering. LC-FTIR measurements revealed a change in peak intensities and the ratio of urethane and carbonyl bands.
Although layer-based additive manufacturing methods such as laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) offer an immense geometrical freedom in design, they are typically subject to a build-up of internal stress (i.e. thermal stress) during manufacturing. As a consequence, significant residual stress (RS) is retained in the final part as a footprint of these internal stresses. Furthermore, localized melting and solidification inherently induce columnar-type grain growth accompanied by crystallographic texture. Although diffraction-based methods are commonly used to determine the RS distribution in PBF-LB parts, such features pose metrological challenges in their application. In theory, preferred grain orientation invalidates the hypothesis of isotropic material behavior underlying the common methods to determine RS. In this work, more refined methods are employed to determine RS in PBF-LB/M/IN718 prisms, based on crystallographic texture data. In fact, the employment of direction-dependent elastic constants (i.e. stress factors) for the calculation of RS results in insignificant differences from conventional approaches based on the hypothesis of isotropic mechanical properties. It can be concluded that this result is directly linked to the fact that the {311} lattice planes typically used for RS analysis in nickel-based alloys have high multiplicity and less strong texture intensities compared with other lattice planes. It is also found that the length of the laser scan vectors determines the surface RS distribution in prisms prior to their removal from the baseplate. On removal from the baseplate the surface RS considerably relaxes and/or redistributes; a combination of the geometry and the scanning strategy dictates the sub-surface RS distribution.
The manufacturability of metallic alloys using laser-based additive manufacturing methods such as laser powder bed fusion has substantially improved within the last decade. However, local melting and solidification cause hierarchically structured and crystallographically textured microstructures possessing large residual stress. Such microstructures are not only the origin of mechanical anisotropy but also pose metrological challenges for the diffraction-based residual stress determination. Here we demonstrate the influence of the build orientation and the texture on the microstructure and consequently the mechanical anisotropy of as-built Inconel 718. For this purpose, we manufactured specimens with [001]/[011]-, [001]- and [011]/[111]-type textures along their loading direction. In addition to changes in the Young’s moduli, the differences in the crystallographic textures result in variations of the yield and ultimate tensile strengths. With this in mind, we studied the anisotropy on the micromechanical scale by subjecting the specimens to tensile loads along the different texture directions during in situ neutron diffraction experiments. In this context, the response of multiple lattice planes up to a tensile strain of 10% displayed differences in the load partitioning and the residual strain accumulation for the specimen with [011]/[111]-type texture. However, the relative behavior of the specimens possessing an [001]/[011]- and [001]-type texture remained qualitatively similar. The consequences on the metrology of residual stress determination methods are discussed.
Additive manufacturing techniques, such as laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB), are well known for their exceptional freedom in part design. However, these techniques are also characterized by the development of large thermal gradients during production and thus residual stress (RS) formation in produced parts. In this context, neutron diffraction enables the non-destructive characterization of the bulk RS distribution. By control of the thermal gradients in the powder-bed plane by scan strategy variation we study the impact of in-process scan strategy variations on the microstructure and the three-dimensional distribution of RS. Microstructural analysis by means of electron backscatter diffraction reveals sharp microstructure transitions at the interfaces ranging from 100-200 µm. The components of the RS tensor are determined by means of neutron diffraction and the principal stress directions and magnitudes are determined by eigenvalue decomposition. We find that the distribution of RS in the powder-bed plane corresponds to the underlying scan strategy. When the alternating scan vectors align with the x- and y sample coordinate axes, the principal stress directions co-align. In the present geometry, nearly transverse isotropic stress states develop when the scan vectors are either aligned 45° between x and y or continuously rotated by 67° between each layer.
High energy X-ray synchrotron diffraction is used to investigate the elastic anisotropy of the nickel-based superalloy IN718 produced by laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB). This material is characterized by a columnar grain morphology with some crystallographic texture. The material is subjected to elastic loading to determine the diffraction elastic constants (DECs). Furthermore, the single-crystal elastic constants (SCEC) are refined from these experiments using different micromechanical models. The results show that each micromechanical model predicts a specific set of SCEC that well describes the elastic anisotropy of PBF-LB/IN718.
The sintering behavior and the thermoelectric performance of Ca3Co4O9 multilayer laminates were studied, and a multilayer thermoelectric generator was fabricated. Compacts and multilayer samples with anisotropic microstructure and residual porosity were obtained after conventional sintering at 920 °C, whereas dense and isotropic multilayer samples were prepared by firing at 1200 °C and reoxidation at 900 °C. A hot-pressed sample has a dense and anisotropic microstructure. Samples sintered at 920 °C exhibit low electrical conductivity due to the low density, whereas the Seebeck coefficient is not sensitive to preparation conditions. However, thermal conductivity of multilayers is very low, and, hence acceptable ZT values are obtained. A ransversal multilayer thermoelectric generator (TMLTEG) was fabricated by stacking layers of Ca3Co4O9 green tapes, AgPd conductor printing, and co-firing at 920 °C. The TMLTEG has a power output of 3 mW at ΔT =200 K in the temperature interval of 25 °C to 300 °C.
The effect of two types of scanning strategies on the grain structure and build-up of Residual Stress (RS) has been investigated in an as-built IN718 alloy produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). The RS state has been investigated by X-ray diffraction techniques. The microstructural characterization was performed principally by Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), where the application of a post-measurement refinement technique enables small misorientations (< 2°) to be resolved. Kernel average misorientation (KAM) distributions indicate that preferably oriented columnar grains contain higher levels of misorientation, when compared to elongated grains with lower texture. The KAM distributions combined with X-ray diffraction stress maps infer that the increased misorientation is induced via plastic deformation driven by the thermal stresses, acting to self-relieve stress. The possibility of obtaining lower RS states in the build direction as a consequence of the influence of the microstructure should be considered when envisaging scanning strategies aimed at the mitigation of RS.
Giant magneto-resistive (GMR) sensor based metal magnetic memory (MMM) technique is proposed for mapping of deformation-induced self-magnetic leakage fields (SMLFs) in carbon steel. The specimens were subjected to different amounts of tensile deformation and the deformation-induced SMLFs were measured using a GMR sensor after unloading the specimens. 3D-nonlinear finite element modeling was performed to predict stress–strain state in a steel specimen under tensile load. The experimentally obtained SMLF images were correlated with the finite element model predicted stress–strain states. Studies reveal that the MMM technique can detect the plastic deformation with signal-to-noise ratio better than 20 dB. The technique enables the mapping of plastic deformation in carbon steels for the evaluation of the severity of deformation. The study also reveals that deformation-induced SMLF is influenced by the presence of initial surface residual stress, introduced by shot peening. The intensity of SMLF signal is found to increase with increase in tensile load and decrease with shot peening.
The typical experimental conditions inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM), such as ultra-high vacuum, high-energy electron irradiation, and surface effects of ultrathin TEM specimens, can be the origin of unexpected microstructural changes compared with that of bulk material during in situ thermal-annealing experiments. In this paper, we report on the microstructural changes of a Fe–15%Si alloy during in situ TEM annealing, where, in its bulk form, it exhibits an ordering transformation from D03 to B2 at 650 °C. Using a heating-pot type double tilt holder with a proportional–integral–differential control system, we observed the precipitation of α-Fe both at the sample surface and inside the sample. Surface precipitates formed via surface diffusion are markedly large, several tens of nm, whereas precipitates inside the specimen, which are surrounded by Fe-poor regions, reach a maximum size of 20 nm. This unexpected microstructural evolution could be attributed to vacancies on Si sites, which are induced due to high-energy electron irradiation before heating, as well as enhanced thermal diffusion of Fe atoms.
In the current study, the 3D nature of the melt pool boundaries (MPBs) in a 316 L austenitic steel additively manufactured by laser-based powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is investigated. The change of the cell growth direction and its relationship to the MPBs is investigated by transmission electron microscopy. A hitherto unreported modulated substructure with a periodicity of 21 nm is further discovered within the cell cores of the cellular substructure, which results from a partial transformation of the austenite, which is induced by a Ga+ focused ion beam. While the cell cores show the modulated substructure, cell boundaries do not. The diffraction pattern of the modulated substructure is exploited to show a thickness ≥200 nm for the MPB. At MPBs, the cell walls are suppressed, leading to continuously connecting cell cores across the MPB. This continuous MPB is described either as overlapping regions of cells of different growing directions when a new melt pool solidifies or as a narrow planar growth preceding the new melt pool.
Abstract While classically used to visualise the magnetic microstructure of functional materials (e.g., for magnetic applications), in this study, the Bitter technique was applied for the first time to visualise macroscopic deformation gradients in a polycrystalline low-carbon steel. Spherical indentation was chosen to produce a multiaxial elastic–plastic deformation state. After removing the residual imprint, the Bitter technique was applied, and macroscopic contrast differences were captured in optical microscopy. To verify this novel characterisation technique, characteristic “hemispherical” deformation zones evolving during indentation were identified using an analytical model from the field of contact mechanics. In addition, near-surface residual stresses were determined experimentally using synchrotron radiation diffraction. It is established that the magnetic domain distribution contrast provides deformation-related information: regions of different domain wall densities correspond to different “hemispherical” deformation zones (i.e., to hydrostatic core, plastic zone and elastic zone, respectively). Moreover, the transitions between these three zones correlate with characteristic features of the residual stress profiles (sign changes in the radial and local extrema in the hoop stress). These results indicate the potential of magnetic domain distribution imaging: visualising macroscopic deformation gradients in fine-grained ferromagnetic material with a significantly improved spatial resolution as compared to integral, mean value-based measurement methods.
Creep-fatigue of P92 in service-like tests with combined stress- and strain-controlled dwell times
(2023)
Complex service-like relaxation- and creep-fatigue tests with strain- and stress-controlled dwells and fatigue cycle durations of approx. 2200 s were performed exemplarily on a grade P92 steel at 620 ◦C in this study. The results indicate deviations in the prevailing creep mechanisms of long-term relaxation and creep dwells, affecting subsequent dwells, load shifts, and the macroscopic softening behavior quite differently. In addition, fracture surfaces and longitudinal metallographic sections reveal intergranular crack growth for complex loading with stress-controlled dwells, whereas complex strain-controlled tests enhance oxidation and transgranular crack propagation. These findings substantiate the limited transferability of relaxation-fatigue to creep-fatigue conditions.
This article refers to the research article entitled “Creep-Fatigue of P92 in Service-Like Tests with Combined Stress- and Strain-Controlled Dwell Times” [1]. It presents experimental mechanical data from complex service-like creep-fatigue experiments performed isothermally at 620 °C and a low strain amplitude of 0.2 % on tempered martensite-ferritic grade P92 steel. The data sets in text file format provide cyclic deformation (min. and max. stresses) and the total (hysteresis) data of all recorded fatigue cycles for three different creep-fatigue experiments: 1) a standard relaxation fatigue (RF) test with symmetrical dwell times of three minutes introduced at minimum and maximum strain, 2) a fully strain-controlled service-like relaxation (SLR) test combining these three-minute peak strain dwells with a 30-minute dwell in between at zero strain, and 3) a partly stress-controlled service-like creep (SLC) test combining the three-minute peak strain dwells with 30-minute dwells at constant stress. Such service-like (SL) tests with additional long-term stress- and strain-controlled dwell times are non-standard, rare, and expensive, making these data very valuable. They may be used to approximate cyclic softening in the technically relevant range, for the design of complex SL experiments, or for detailed analyses of stress-strain hystereses (e.g., for stress or strain partitioning methods, for the determination of hysteresis energies (work), inelastic strain components, etc.). In addition, the latter analyses may supply important input for advanced parametric lifetime modeling of components under creep-fatigue loading or model calibration parameters.
This study investigates the room‐ and high‐temperature (650 °C) tensile and low‐cycle‐fatigue behavior of Inconel 718 produced by laser powder bed fusion (PBF‐LB/M) with a four‐step heat treatment and compares the results to the conventional wrought material. The microstructure after heat treatment is characterized on different length scales. Compared to the wrought variant, the elastic and yield properties are comparable at both test temperatures while tensile strength, ductility, and strain hardening capacity are lower. The fatigue life of the PBF‐LB/M variant at room temperature is slightly lower than that of the wrought material, while at 650 °C, it is vice versa. The cyclic stress response for both material variants is characterized by cyclic softening, which is more pronounced at the higher test temperature. High strain amplitudes (≥0.7%) at room temperature and especially a high testing temperature result in the formation of multiple secondary cracks at the transitions of regions comprising predominantly elongated grain morphology and columns of stacked grains with ripple patterns in the PBF‐LB/M material. This observation and pronounced crack branching and deflection indicate that the cracks are controlled by sharp micromechanical gradients and local crystallite clusters.
It is widely accepted that the magnetic state of a ferromagnetic material may be irreversibly altered by mechanical loading due to magnetoelastic effects. A novel standardized nondestructive testing (NDT) technique uses weak magnetic stray fields, which are assumed to arise from inhomogeneous deformation, for structural health monitoring (i.e., for detection and assessment of damage). However, the mechanical and microstructural complexity of damage has hitherto only been insufficiently considered. The aim of this study is to discuss the phenomenon of inhomogeneous “self-magnetization” of a polycrystalline ferromagnetic material under inhomogeneous deformation experimentally and with stronger material-mechanical focus. To this end, notched specimens were elastically and plastically deformed. Surface magnetic states were measured by a three-axis giant magnetoresistant (GMR) sensor and were compared with strain field (digital image correlation) and optical topography measurements. It is demonstrated that the stray fields do not solely form due to magnetoelastic effects. Instead, inhomogeneous plastic deformation causes topography, which is one of the main origins for the magnetic stray field formation. Additionally, if not considered, topography may falsify the magnetic signals due to variable lift-off values. The correlation of magnetic vector components with mechanical tensors, particularly for multiaxial stress/strain states and inhomogeneous elastic-plastic deformations remains an issue.
This study reports on the stress relaxation potential of stress-relieving heat treatments for laser powder bed fused 316L. The residual stress is monitored non-destructively using neutron diffraction before and after the heat treatment. Moreover, the evolution of the microstructure is analysed using scanning electron microscopy. The results show, that a strong relaxation of the residual stress is obtained when applying a heat treatment temperature at 900°C. However, the loss of the cellular substructure needs to be considered when applying this heat treatment strategy.
A widespread recovery of waste heat requires a cost‐effective production of thermoelectric generators. Thermoelectric oxides are predestined for use at high temperatures. For manufacturing reasons, a multilayer generator design will be easily scalable and cost‐effective. To evaluate the potential of ceramic multilayer technology for that purpose, a multilayer of the promising thermoelectric oxides calcium cobaltite (Ca3Co4O9), calcium manganate (CMO, CaMnO3), and glass–ceramic insulation layers is fabricated. Cracks and reaction layers at the interfaces are observed in the microstructure. The compositions of these reaction layers are identified by energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. Mechanical and thermal properties of all layers are compiled from literature or determined by purposeful sample preparation and testing. Based on this data set, the internal stresses in the multilayer after co‐firing are calculated numerically. It is shown that tensile stresses in the range of 50 MPa occur in the CMO layers. The reaction layers have only a minor influence on the level of these residual stresses. Herein, it is proven that the material system is basically suitable for multilayer generator production, but that the co‐firing process and the layer structure must be adapted to improve densification and reduce the tensile stresses in the CMO.
This study examines the relationship between the magnetic mesostructure with the microstructure of low carbon steel tungsten inert gas welds. Optical microscopy revealed variation in the microstructure of the parent material, in the heat affected and fusion zones, correlating with distinctive changes in the local magnetic stray fields measured with high spatial resolution giant magneto resistance sensors. In the vicinity of the heat affected zone high residual stresses were found using neutron diffraction.
Notably, the gradients of von Mises stress and triaxial magnetic stray field modulus follow the same tendency transverse to the weld. In contrast, micro-X-ray fluorescence characterization indicated that local changes in element composition had no independent effect on magnetic stray fields.
Interpreting high-temperature corrosion induced by mixed-gas atmospheres is challenging due to the different contributions of oxidizing gases. Here, a comprehensive study on the combined oxidation/sulfidation using label molecules is presented. Fe-Cr model alloys with 2 wt% and 9 wt% Cr were isothermally exposed using a volumetric mixture of 0.5%S16O2/27%H218O and 0.5%S16O2/7%H218O at 650 ◦C for 5 h and then characterized by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Additionally, the reactions were followed in-situ utilizing energy dispersive X-ray diffraction. The study showed that both S16O2 and H218O contribute to the oxidation of the alloys but to different extents depending on the Cr-content.