5 Werkstofftechnik
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The heat-resistant cast iron EN-GJSA-XNiSiCr35-5-2 (Ni-Resist D-5S) was investigated for its fatigue crack growth behavior at room and high temperatures. Force-controlled tests were carried out at constant temperatures (20 °C, 500 °C, 700 °C) without and with hold time and different load ratios. The crack growth behavior was also characterized under TMF loading (Tmin = 400 °C, Tmax = 700 °C) by applying IP and OP conditions and different load ratios. Three different techniques were combined to monitor crack growth: potential drop, thermography, and compliance method. The effect of the different loading conditions on the fatigue crack growth behavior will be presented and discussed.
This is the stable version of the full-notch creep test ontology (OntoFNCT) that ontologically represents the full-notch creep test. OntoFNCT has been developed in accordance with the corresponding test standard ISO 16770:2019-09 Plastics - Determination of environmental stress cracking (ESC) of polyethylene - Full-notch creep test (FNCT).
The OntoFNCT provides conceptualizations that are supposed to be valid for the description of full-notch creep tests and associated data in accordance with the corresponding test standard. By using OntoFNCT for storing full-notch creep test data, all data will be well structured and based on a common vocabulary agreed on by an expert group (generation of FAIR data) which is meant to lead to enhanced data interoperability. This comprises several data categories such as primary data, secondary data and metadata. Data will be human and machine readable. The usage of OntoFNCT facilitates data retrieval and downstream usage. Due to a close connection to the mid-level PMD core ontology (PMDco), the interoperability of full-notch creep test data is enhanced and querying in combination with other aspects and data within the broad field of materials science and engineering (MSE) is facilitated.
The class structure of OntoFNCT forms a comprehensible and semantic layer for unified storage of data generated in a full-notch creep test including the possibility to record data from analysis and re-evaluation. Furthermore, extensive metadata allows to assess data quality and reliability. Following the open world assumption, object properties are deliberately low restrictive and sparse.
Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) conducted on an equiatomic MoNbTaW bcc medium-entropy alloy that was annealed at 2273 K reveals unexpectedly small 1st and 2nd shell element-specific lattice distortions. An experimental size-mismatch parameter, δexp, is determined to be ca. 50% lower than the corresponding calculated value. Around W, short-range order (SRO) preferring 4d elements in the 1st and 2nd shells persists. A Nb-W ordering is found, which is reminiscent of ordering emerging at lower temperatures in the B2(Mo,W;Ta,Nb)- and B32(Nb,W)-phases. With high-temperature ordering preferences in fcc also foreshadowing low-temperature phase, these findings suggest a general feature of high-temperature SRO.
Additive manufacturing (AM) offers significantly greater freedom of design compared to conventional manufacturing processes since the final parts are built layer by layer. This enables metal AM, also known as metal 3D printing, to be utilized for improving efficiency and functionality, for the production of parts with very complex geometries, and rapid prototyping. However, despite many technological advancements made in recent years, several challenges hinder the mass adoption of metal AM. One of these challenges is mechanical anisotropy which describes the dependency of material properties on the material orientation. Therefore, in this work, stainless steel 316L parts produced by laser-based powder bed fusion are used to isolate and understand the root cause of anisotropy in AM parts. Furthermore, an efficient and accurate multiscale numerical framework is presented for predicting the deformation behavior of actual AM parts on the macroscale undergoing large plastic deformations. Finally, a novel constitutive model for the plastic spin is formulated to capture the influence of the microstructure evolution on the material behavior on the macroscale.
A density-based phase field model is developed where the free energy functional is explicitly linked with molecular dynamics and is referred to as the Molecular Phase Field Method (MoPF). MoPF simulations involve expressing interatomic potentials in terms of density to form a density based free energy functional. Inputs to this functional are taken from atomistics such that the phase field density profile matches the corresponding density profile from atomistic simulations. We analyze our results by comparing the MoPF calculated excess interfacial energies with excess interfacial energies calculated using molecular dynamics associated with several nickel grain boundaries. Additionally, a comparison is made between our results and the interfacial energies of a \Sigma7 boundary across a variety of FCC systems simulated using density functional theory. The MoPF method is able to successfully predict grain boundary free energy trends between grain boundary and material types offering an atomistically informed mesoscale formulation for studying grain boundary physics.
Mean-field modeling and phase-field simulation of grain growth under directional driving forces
(2024)
Directional grain growth is a common phenomenon in the synthetic and natural evolution of various polycrystals. It occurs in the presence of an external driving force, such as a temperature gradient, along which grains show a preferred, yet competitive, growth. Novel additive manufacturing processes, with intense, localized energy deposition, are prominent examples of when directional grain growth can occur, beneath the melting pool. In this work, we derive a phenomenological mean-field model and perform 3D phase-field simulations to investigate the directional grain growth and its underlying physical mechanisms. The effect of the intensity of driving force is simulated and systematically analyzed at the evolving growth front as well as various cross-sections perpendicular to the direction of the driving force. We found that although the directional growth significantly deviates from normal grain growth, it is still governed by a power law relation <R> α tⁿ with an exponent n ~ 0.6–0.7. The exponent n exhibits a nontrivial dependence on the magnitude of the directional driving force, such that the lowest growth exponent is observed for intermediate driving forces. We elaborate that this can originate from the fact that the forces at grain boundary junctions evolve out of balance under the influence of the directional driving force. With increasing the driving forces, the growth exponent asymptotically approaches a value of n ≈ 0.63, imposed by the largest possible grain aspect ratio for given grain boundary energies. The current combined mean-field and phase-field framework pave the way for future exploration in broader contexts such as the evolution of complex additively manufactured microstructures.
The dataset provided in this repository comprises data obtained from a series of full-notch creep tests (FNCT) performed on selected high-density polyethylene (PE-HD) materials (for further details, see section 1 Materials in this document) in accordance with the corresponding standard ISO 16770.
The FNCT is one of the mechanical testing procedures used to characterize polymer materials with respect to their environmental stress cracking (ESC) behavior. It is widely applied for PE-HD materials, that are predominantly used for pipe and container applications. It is based on the determination of the time to failure for a test specimen under constant mechanical load in a well-defined and temperature controlled liquid environment. The test device used here also allows for continuous monitoring of applied force, specimen elongation and temperature.
A giant Zn segregation transition is revealed using CALPHAD-integrated density-based modeling of segregation into Fe grain boundaries (GBs). The results show that above a threshold of only a few atomic percent Zn in the alloy, a substantial amount of up to 60 at.% Zn can segregate to the GB. We found that the amount of segregation abruptly increases with decreasing temperature, while the Zn content in the alloy required for triggering the segregation transition decreases. Direct evidence of the Zn segregation transition is obtained using high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy. Base on the model, we trace the origin of the segregation transition back to the low cohesive energy of Zn and a miscibility gap in Fe-Zn GB, arising from the magnetic ordering effect, which is confirmed by ab-initio calculations. We also show that the massive Zn segregation resulting from the segregation transition greatly assists with liquid wetting and reduces the work of separation along the GB. The current predictions suggest that control over Zn segregation, by both alloy design and optimizing the galvanization and welding processes, may offer preventive strategies against liquid metal embrittlement.
Results of an extended TMF test program on grade P92 steel in the temperature range of 620 ◦C–300 ◦C, comprising in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP) tests, partly performed with symmetric dwells at Tmax/Tmin, are presented. In contrast to previous studies, the low-strain regime is also illuminated, which approaches flexible operation in a power plant with start/stop cycles. At all strain amplitudes, the material performance is characterized by continuous cyclic softening, which is retarded in tests at lower strains but reaches similar magnitudes in the course of testing. In the investigated temperature range, the phase angle does not affect fatigue life in continuous experiments, whereas the IP condition is more detrimental in tests with dwells. Fractographic analyses indicate creep-dominated and fatigue-dominated damage for IP and OP, respectively. Analyses of the (micro)hardness distribution in the tested specimens suggest an enhanced microstructural softening in tests with dwell times for the low- but not for the high-strain regime. To rationalize the obtained fatigue data, the fracturemechanics-based DTMF concept, which was developed for TMF life assessment of ductile alloys, was applied. It is found that the DTMF parameter correlates well with the measured fatigue lives, suggesting that subcritical growth of cracks (with sizes from a few microns to a few millimeters) governs failure in the investigated range of strain amplitudes.
Inconel 718 (IN718) is a traditional age-hardenable nickel-based alloy that has been increasingly processed by additive manufacturing (AM) in recent years. In the as-solidified condition, IN718 exhibits chemical segregation and the undesired Laves phase, requiring a solution annealing (SA) prior to aging. The material produced by AM does not respond to the established thermal routines in the same way as conventionally produced IN718, and there is still no consensus on which routine yields optimal results. This work aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the heat treatment (HT) response by continuously monitoring the microstructural evolution during SA via time-resolved synchrotron x-ray diffraction, complemented by ex-situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The samples were produced by laser powder bed fusion to a geometry of 10x20x90 mm³, from which Ø1x5 mm³ cylindric specimens were extracted. Two different scanning strategies – incremental 67° rotations, Rot, and alternating 0°/67° tracks, Alt – were used, leading to two different as-built conditions. 1-hour SAs were carried out in the beamline ID22 of the ESRF at 50 KeV. Two SA temperatures, SA1 = 1020 °C, and SA2 = 1080 °C were tested for each scanning strategy. Data were processed using the software PDIndexer. In the as-built state, all samples showed typical subgrain columnar cell structures with predominant Nb/Mo segregation and Laves phase at the cell walls, as seen by SEM. The Alt scan induced higher intensity on the Laves peaks than the Rot scan, suggesting a greater content of Laves. Chemical homogenization in the SA was largely achieved during the heating ramp (Fig. 1). SA2 eliminated the Laves peaks just before reaching 1080 °C, and mitigated differences between Rot and Alt samples. On the other hand, SA1 induced the precipitation of the generally detrimental δ phase, also observed by SEM. Furthermore, the Rot scan showed higher δ peak intensities than the Alt scan, indicating a higher content of δ in the latter. No signs of recrystallization were observed in any of the investigated SAs.
Experimentally informed multiscale creep modelling of additive manufactured Ni-based superalloys
(2023)
Excellent creep resistance at elevated temperatures, i.e. T / T_m> 0.5, due to γ-γ’ microstructure is one of the main properties of nickel-based superalloys. Due to its great importance for industrial applications, a remarkable amount of research has been devoted to understanding the underlying deformation mechanism in a wide spectrum of temperature and loading conditions. Additive manufactured (AM) nickel-based superalloys while being governed by similar γ-γ’ microstructure, exhibit AM-process specific microstructural characteristics, such as columnar grains, strong crystallographic texture (typically <001> fiber texture parallel to build direction) and compositional inhomogeneity, which in turn leads to anisotropic creep response in both stationary and tertiary phases.
Despite the deep insights achieved recently on the correlation between process parameters and the resulting microstructure, the anisotropic creep behavior and corresponding deformation mechanism of these materials are insufficiently understood so far. One reason for this is the lack of capable material models that can link the microstructure to the mechanical behavior. To overcome this challenge, a multiscale microstructure-based approach has been applied by coupling crystal plasticity (CP) and polycrystal model which enables the inclusion of different deformation mechanisms and microstructural characteristics such as crystallographic texture and grain morphology. The method has been applied to experimental data for AM-manufactured INCONEL-738LC (IN738). The effect of different slip systems, texture, and morphology on creep anisotropy at 850°C has been investigated. Results suggest a strong correlation between superlattice extrinsic stacking fault (SESF) and microtwinning and observed creep anisotropy.
Recent advances in Deep Learning (DL) have significantly impacted the field of materials modelling. DL tools have been recently considered as promising tools to address the complex relationships among processing, microstructure and property of materials. The thermal stability of polycrystalline materials is a highly interesting and complex problem that could be addressed using DL techniques. The Multi-Phase-Field (MPF) method has emerged as a powerful tool for addressing grain growth phenomena from multiple perspectives. Unlike sharp-interface based methods, the MPF approach bypasses the need for detailed information on individual grains. In this work, we use DL to address issues related to MPF simulations of grain growth including numerical efficiency, computing speed, and resource consumption. This presents specific challenges for high-performance computing (HPC) due to the large datasets and complex computations required by both MPF and DL methods. We study various 3D microstructure settings with the goal of accelerating the simulation process while exploring different physical effects. In particular, the impact of grain boundary and triple junction energies on grain growth are to be investigated. The results will be presented in terms of the evolving size and shape distribution of the grains.
Density-based phase-field (DPF) methods have emerged as a technique for simulating grain boundary thermodynamics and kinetics. Compared to the classical phase-field, DPF gives a more physical description of the grain boundary structure and chemistry, bridging CALPHAD databases and atomistic simulations, with broad applications to grain boundary and segregation engineering. Notwithstanding their notable progress, further advancements are still warranted in DPF methods. Chief among these are the requirements to resolve its performance constraints associated with solving fourth-order partial differential equations (PDEs) and to enable the DPF methods for simulating moving grain boundaries. Presented in this work is a means by which the aforementioned problems are addressed by expressing the density field of a DPF simulation in terms of a traditional order parameter field. A generic DPF free energy functional is derived and used to carry out a series of equilibrium and dynamic simulations of grain boundaries in order to generate trends such as grain boundary width vs. gradient energy coefficient, grain boundary velocity vs. applied driving force, and spherical grain radius vs. time. These trends are compared with analytical solutions and the behavior of physical grain boundaries in order to ascertain the validity of the coupled DPF model. All tested quantities were found to agree with established theories of grain boundary behavior. In addition, the resulting simulations allow for DPF simulations to be carried out by existing phase-field solvers.
Liquid-metal embrittlement (LME) of galvanized (Zn-coated) advanced high-strength steels is a long-known problem in materials science. Here we reveal the initial microstructural processes underneath the Zn-coating that lead to LME-microcrack initiation in the steel substrate. We track the microstructural evolution during the first tens of milliseconds and find pronounced signatures of Fe-Zn intermetallic precipitation in both ferrite grain boundaries and at internal ferrite-oxide phase boundaries. In concert with novel CALPHAD-integrated density-based thermodynamic modelling, we demonstrate that Zn-rich intermetallic phase-nucleation can occur at markedly low processing temperatures due to a segregation transition. We show that a small Znenrichment caused by Zn bulk-diffusion during the initial temperature rise in a joining process is sufficient to induce the segregation transition and subsequent nucleation of Fe-Zn intermetallic grain-boundary phases, which the experiments link to crack initiation sites. These findings direct focus onto LME-controlling microstructural and thermodynamic phenomena at temperatures below the ductility trough and the austenite formation temperature.
Grain boundary (GB) chemical and structural variations can significantly influence materials performance. The former is generally ascribed to the structural gradient between the grain and GB. While GB segregation may be accompanied by chemical and structural variations, clear insights about the GB’s thermodynamic phase behaviour upon coupling between its chemistry and structure is lacking. Using the CALPHAD integrated density-based phase field model, we study the co-evolution of GB’s structure and segregation in Fe-Mn alloys. We found that the GB segregation transition is amplified if its structure can respond to chemical variation. Additionally, the coupling between GB structural and segregation evolution was found to enable co-existence of the spinodally formed low- and high-Mn phases within the GB. In the light of atomistic simulations, we expand on investigating the correlation between the parameters that characterise the GB density map with GB properties.
Several recent studies have revealed that the phase decomposition in medium- and high-entropy alloys is triggered by solute segregation at grain boundaries. The chemically complex nature of these alloys already clues that such segregation in materials should be something more than the interaction between solutes and grain boundary, but also affected by the solute-solute interactions during the segregation. In fact, experiments indicate the significance of such solute-solute interaction. Yet, the mechanisms of co-segregation in multi-component alloys are rather challenging to explore and rarely studied quantitatively. Recently, a CALPHAD-integrated density-based phase-field model has been proposed for studying grain boundary phenomena. Several applications of this model have shown its expansive capacity for investigating grain boundary segregation and phase behavior. In this talk, the applications of this model to studying co-segregation phenomena and grain boundary phase diagrams in multi-component alloys are presented ––the term ‘co-segregation’ here refers to co-evolution and any mutual interplay among the solutes and grain boundary during the segregation. In particular, the iron-based ternary and quaternary alloys are discussed. I show how a grain boundary may have its own miscibility gap and how this immiscibility can influence the co-segregation behavior. As an alternative to grain boundary phase diagrams, rather suited for binary and ternary alloys, a new concept of co-segregation maps for screening and segregation design in multi-component alloys is presented. Applying the co-segregation maps, the nonlinear Mn and Cr co-segregation in Fe-Co-Mn-Cr is discussed.
The essence of dynamic failure is closely linked to the formation of adiabatic shear bands (ASB), which result from the localization of shear strain under high deformation speeds accompanied by a rapid temperature increase. Understanding this phenomenon is crucial in view of safety issues when impacts of fast rotating machine components (i.e. aircraft turbine blades) may occur. Our contribution addresses both the experimental evidence and characterization of ASBs due to high-speed impact tests at the Split HOPKINSON pressure bar (SHPB) setup and the finite element analysis to determine the parameters of the underlying constitutive model, which is closely related to JOHNSON-COOK (JC) material model.
Experimental investigations were performed on notched shear specimens made of the fine -grained structural steel S690QL and the displacements in the regions affected by shear localization were measured with subset-based local Digital Image Correlation (DIC). The displacement fields, obtained in the SHPB tests, were considered as an objective to validate and to identify the constitutive parameters with. The JC model could reasonably reproduce the displacement distribution. In order to overcome the issues with mesh dependency we provide a nonlocal extension based on the implicit gradient model approach.
The embrittlement of metallic alloys by liquid metals leads to catastrophic material failure and severely impacts their structural integrity. The weakening of grain boundaries by the ingress of liquid metal and preceding segregation in the solid are thought to promote early fracture. However, the potential of balancing between the segregation of cohesion-enhancing interstitial solutes and embrittling elements inducing grain boundary decohesion is not understood. Here, we unveil the mechanisms of how boron segregation mitigates the detrimental effects of the prime embrittler, zinc, in a Σ5 [0 0 1] tilt grain boundary in α −Fe (4 at.% Al). Zinc forms nanoscale segregation patterns inducing structurally and compositionally complex grain boundary states. Ab-initio simulations reveal that boron hinders zinc segregation and compensates for the zinc induced loss in grain boundary cohesion. Our work sheds new light on how interstitial solutes intimately modify grain boundaries, thereby opening pathways to use them as dopants for preventing disastrous material failure.
Die Steigerung der Leistung und des thermodynamischen Wirkungsgrades von Verbrennungsmotoren führt zu erhöhten Anforderungen an die Festigkeit abgasführender Komponenten wie z. Bsp. Abgasturbolader. Als Folge erhöhter thermomechanischer Wechselbeanspruchungen (TMF) im Betrieb kommt es an den mechanisch und/oder thermisch höchst beanspruchten Stellen der Bauteile zur Bildung von Rissen, wodurch die Lebensdauer der Komponenten begrenzt wird. Derzeit werden bei Turboladern heißgehende Bauteile mit detektierten Rissen zumeist prophylaktisch ersetzt, da die weitere Ausbreitung der Risse während des Betriebs nicht vorhergesagt werden kann. Um diese aufwändige und un- ökonomische Praxis zu vermeiden, wurde im vorliegenden Forschungsvorhaben eine rechnerische Bewertungsmethode auf Basis der experimentellen und numerischen Bruchmechanik erarbeitet, mit deren Hilfe bereits in der Auslegungsphase oder während des Betriebs die (restliche) Lebensdauer der abgasführenden Komponenten vorhergesagt werden kann. Damit wird erstmalig die quantitative Vorhersage der Rissentwicklung bei TMF-Beanspruchungsbedingungen unter Berücksichtigung großer zyklischer viskoplastischer Verformungen ermöglicht.
Zentrales Ergebnis des Vorhabens ist eine automatisierte Berechnungsprozedur auf der Basis spezieller Finite-Elemente-Techniken (FEM), womit sowohl der Pfad als auch die Größe eines Risses als Funktion der Anzahl der Lastwechsel in Bauteilen unter TMF-Bedingungen berechnet werden kann. Als geeigneter Beanspruchungsparameter zur Bewertung des Rissfortschritts unter TMF wurde die zyklische Rissöffnungsverschiebung ΔCTOD verwendet. Das Werkstoffverhalten des betrachteten austenitischen Gusseisens Ni-Resist D-5S wurde mit einem validierten viskoplastischen, temperaturabhängigen Materialmodell modelliert, das zur Berücksichtigung große Verzerrungen und Rotationen am Riss erweitert wurde. Für die genaue Berechnung des ΔCTOD bei TMF wurden effiziente FEM-Techniken erarbeitet. Zur Simulation der Rissausbreitung wurde ein automatischer FEM-Algorithmus mit inkrementeller adaptiver Neuvernetzung entwickelt, bei dem die Verformungen und inelastischen Zustandsvariablen jeweils vom alten auf das neue Netz übertragen werden. Dieser Algorithmus wurde im Software-Paket ProCrackPlast implementiert, das in Verbindung mit dem kommerziellen FEM-Code Abaqus zur Lösung dreidimensionaler Rissprobleme zur Verfügung steht. Ziel der umfangreichen experimentellen Arbeiten war es, an isothermen LCF und anisothermen TMF-Versuchen mit gekerbten Flachzugproben (SENT) das Risswachstum im Temperaturbereich von 20 °C bis 700 °C zu ermitteln. Mit Hilfe begleitender 2D FEM Simulationen wurden anhand dieser Datenbasis die Rissfortschrittskurven des Werkstoffs unter Anwendung des ΔCTOD-Konzepts bestimmt und in geeigneter, parametrisierter Form den Nutzern zur Verfügung gestellt. Die Versuche an SENT-Proben wurden mit der entwickelten Software ProCrackPlast als 3D Modell simuliert. Der Vergleich der 2D und 3D Simulationen ergab einen systematischen Unterschied im CTOD und CTOD, der mit Hilfe eines Übertragungsfaktors korrigiert wurde. Der Vergleich der 3D Berechnungen mit den Experimenten zeigte eine zufriedenstellende Übereinstimmung der er- reichten Risslänge mit der Zahl der Lastzyklen im gesamten Temperaturbereich, wobei die numerische Prognose meist auf der konservativen / sicheren Seite lag. Die Übertragbarkeit der Ergebnisse der 2D Parameteridentifikation auf 3D Risskonfigurationen mit Mixed-Mode Beanspruchung ist mit zusätzlichen Versagenshypothesen verbunden, die aufgrund fehlender Versuchsdaten im Vorhaben nicht endgültig geklärt werden konnten. Zur Validierung des Gesamtkonzeptes wurden LCF-Proben mit einem bauteil- typischen Oberflächenriss experimentell und numerisch untersucht. In der Simulation konnte die komplexe Form und Größe der Rissentwicklung zufriedenstellend (richtig) vorhergesagt werden. Die Leis- tungsfähigkeit der erarbeiteten rechnerische Bewertungsmethode wurde an weiteren TMF-Beispielen vorgestellt und diskutiert. Die Software ProCrackPlast und die viskoplastische Materialroutine wurden dem Anwenderkreis des Vorhabens zusammen mit einem Nutzer-Handbuch und Verifikationsbeispielen zur Verfügung gestellt.
Das Ziel des Forschungsvorhabens ist erreicht worden.
This contribution contains the raw data used to compare experimental results with thermodynamic calculations using the CALPHAD method, which is related to the research article “The AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr refractory high entropy superalloy: experimental findings and comparison with calculations using the CALPHAD method” [1] , and therefore this article can be used as a basis for interpreting the data contained therein. The AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr refractory superalloy was characterized in the cast and annealed condition (1400 °C for 24 h) in order to measure grain size and to identify and measure the size and area fraction of the phases present. The raw data of this article include X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, microstructural characterization by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), and elemental analysis by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). XRD includes the determination of phases and the lattice parameters (A2, B2, and hexagonal structure). Microstructural analysis by scanning and transmission electron microscopy includes (1) identification of composition, size, and volume fraction of the present phases and (2) determination of grain size. Based on these experimental data, it is possible to identify similarities and discrepancies with the data calculated using the CALPHAD method for the alloy under study in Ref. [1] , which provides the basis for better and more efficient development of reliable databases.
Crack propagation under low cycle fatigue and thermomechanical fatigue is characterized by high plastic and creep strains that extend over large regions around the crack, so that concepts of linear-elastic fracture mechanics cannot be applied. In these cases, the cyclic crack tip opening displacement 𝛥CTOD is a promising loading parameter to quantify crack growth. In this work, suitable definitions and Finite Element techniques are investigated and compared for an accurate calculation of 𝛥CTOD under cyclic mechanical and/or thermal loading. A viscoplastic temperature dependent material model of Chaboche-type is used along with large strain settings, specified for the austenitic cast iron Ni-resist. Extensive two-dimensional analyses of Single Edge Notch Tension specimens revealed that collapsed special crack tip elements are superior compared with commonly used regular quadrilateral 8-node elements. At the same level of accuracy of 𝛥CTOD, they require an about ten times coarser mesh and show less sensitivity
w.r.t. element size for both stationary and propagating cracks. In order to simulate fatigue crack growth, an efficient, fully automated FE-technique is developed for an incremental crack propagation by successive remeshing, whereby the deformations and internal state variables are mapped from the old mesh onto the new one. Recommendations are made regarding important numerical control parameters like optimal size of crack tip elements, length of crack growth increment in relation to plastic zone size and 𝛥CTOD value.
This contribution contains the raw data used to compare experimental results with thermodynamic calculations using the CALPHAD method, which is related to the research article “The AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr refractory high entropy superalloy: experimental findings and comparison with calculations using the CALPHAD method” [1] , and therefore this article can be used as a basis for interpreting the data contained therein. The AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr refractory superalloy was characterized in the cast and annealed condition (1400 °C for 24 h) in order to measure grain size and to identify and measure the size and area fraction of the phases present. The raw data of this article include X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, microstructural characterization by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), and elemental analysis by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). XRD includes the determination of phases and the lattice parameters (A2, B2, and hexagonal structure). Microstructural analysis by scanning and transmission electron microscopy includes (1) identification of composition, size, and volume fraction of the present phases and (2) determination of grain size. Based on these experimental data, it is possible to identify similarities and discrepancies with the data calculated using the CALPHAD method for the alloy under study in Ref. [1] , which provides the basis for better and more efficient development of reliable databases.
Aero-engine turbine disks are safety-relevant components which are operated under high thermal and mechanical stress conditions. The actual part qualification and certification procedures make use of spin-tests conducted on production-similar disks. While these tests provide, on the one hand, a reliable definition of the critical conditions for real components, on the other hand they represent a relevant cost item for engine manufacturers. The aim of this work is to present two alternative burst speed assessment methods under development based on the Failure Assessment Diagram (FAD) and a global stability criterion, respectively. In the scope of the fracture mechanics assessment, the failure modes hoop-burst and rim-peeling are investigated with semicircular surface cracks modelled at the critical regions on the turbine disk. The comparison of the predicted critical rotational speed shows good agreement between the assessment methods.
A main source of current challenges in materials science and engineering is the ever-increasing complexity in materials chemistry and processing resulting in complex microstructures, making the assessment of process-microstructure-property-performance relations difficult, even unmanageable. Here the computational materials science is facing the same situation. In this talk, I share a viewpoint that the complexities in chemistry, processing and microstructures can be circumscribed by integrating existing knowledges of bulk thermodynamics and kinetics to the unknown thermodynamics and kinetics of microstructure elements. To this end, I discuss several successful examples on grain boundary segregation engineering how this scientific advance can be conducted. A roadmap is proposed, beginning to form on generalizing the concept of phase diagrams.
Along with the desire for developing novel multi-principal element alloys, also known as high-entropy alloys, the concern about their safe application is also increasingly growing. This relates to the alloys’ phase stability, in particular, the control required over unexpected phase decompositions resulting from solute segregation at grain boundaries. Yet, the mechanisms of co-segregation and grain boundary phase decomposition in multi-component alloys are rather challenging to explore. In fact, quantitative investigation of grain boundary behaviors is mostly conducted for binary and a few ternary alloys. In this work, we apply the recently introduced CALPHAD-integrated density-based formalism [RSC Advances 10 (2020) 26728-26741] for considering co-segregation phenomena in alloys with an arbitrary number of components —the term ‘co-segregation’ here refers to co-evolution and any mutual interplay among the solute atoms during their interaction with a grain boundary. Quaternary Fe-Co-Mn-Cr alloy system is studied. We present two major advances beyond previous results: First, a co-segregation-induced multi-component grain boundary spinodal decomposition is quantitatively simulated for the first time. We found that in addition to its low cohesive energy and asymmetrical mixing enthalpy due to magnetic ordering, Mn plays a leading role in triggering interfacial phase decomposition by having a relatively large, concentration-dependent atomic mobility. Second, as an alternative to grain boundary phase diagrams proposed for binary and ternary alloys, we introduce the concept of co-segregation maps for grain boundary segregation screening and design in multi-component alloys. Applying the co-segregation maps, the nonlinear Mn and Cr co-segregation are discussed. Depicted on the alloying composition and phase space, the co-segregation maps enable the required insights to guide a safer, more controlled design of high-entropy alloys.
Grain boundaries (GBs)’s role in determining the functional and mechanical properties of polycrystalline materials is inscribed in both their structure and chemistry. Upon solute segregation, the structure and composition of a GB can change concurrently. We study the co-evolution of GB’s structure and segregation by enhancing the density-based phase-field model to account for the in-plane structural variations in the GB. Significant mutual coupling is revealed between the GB’s chemical and structural states during Mn segregation in Fe-Mn alloys. We found that the structural degrees of freedom in a GB (the ability of the GB structure to respond to the chemical variation) amplifies Mn segregation transition, even when the GB structure stays unchanged. When the GB structure is not uniform, that is the usual case, the coupling between GB structure and segregation evolution also enables the spinodally formed low- and high-Mn phases (upon segregation transition) to co-exist within the GB region. These findings explain the stabilizing mechanism of pronounced interfacial segregation fluctuations, experimentally evidenced in Fe-Mn GBs, and give new insights on the structural sensitivity of GBs’ segregation phenomena and the mutual chemo-structural interplay.
Mit der Digitalisierung von Materialien und Prozessen ist ein Paradigmenwechsel in der Materialentwicklung, -gestaltung und -optimierung verbunden, welcher gleichermaßen vielseitige Möglichkeiten eröffnet und eine große Herausforderung darstellt. Insbesondere sind bei den Digitalisierungsbestrebungen die Qualitätssicherung von Prozessen und Ausgabedaten sowie die Interoperabilität zwischen Anwendungen nach FAIR-Prinzipien (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability) sicherzustellen. Dies umfasst die Speicherung, Verarbeitung und Abfrage von Daten in möglichst standardisierter Form, wobei entsprechend auch Normungs- und Standardisierungsgremien beteiligt werden müssen. Um der Herausforderung gerecht zu werden, Materialdaten für alle Beteiligten konsistent zu kontextualisieren, müssen alle notwendigen Informationen zum Zustand des Materials inklusive produktions- und anwendungsbedingter Veränderungen über eine einheitliche, maschinenlesbare Beschreibung verfügbar gemacht werden. Hierfür sollen Ontologien genutzt werden, da sie maschinenverständliche und -interpretierbare Wissensrepräsentationen durch semantische Konzeptualisierungen ermöglichen, die für das Datenmanagement und die Digitalisierung im Bereich der Materialwissenschaften benötigt werden.
Dieses hochaktuelle Thema der Integration und Wiederverwendung von Wissen und Daten aus Herstellung, Bearbeitung und Charakterisierung von Materialien wird in den Projekten Innovationsplattform MaterialDigital (PMD, materialdigital.de) und Materials-open-Lab (Mat-o-Lab, matolab.org) adressiert. Diese beiden unter der Beteiligung der Bundeanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) durchgeführten Projekte wurden auf der 39. Vortrags- und Diskussionstagung „Werkstoffprüfung“ (2021) grundlegend vorgestellt. In dieser Präsentation sollen die Weiterentwicklungen hinsichtlich der Speicherung von Zugversuchsdaten gemäß einer normenkonformen ontologischen Repräsentation vorgestellt werden. Das umfasst den Weg von der Entwicklung einer Ontologie nach Norm, der Konvertierung von Daten aus Standardtests in das interoperable RDF-Format bis hin zur Verknüpfung von Ontologie und Daten. Letztendlich können die entsprechenden Daten in einem Triple Store abgelegt und abgefragt werden.
Die übliche Standardisierung von mechanischen Prüfverfahren im Bereich der Materialwissenschaft und Werkstofftechnik dient als solide Grundlage für die Ontologieentwicklung. Daher wurde der Zugversuch von Metallen bei Raumtemperatur nach DIN EN ISO Norm 6892-1:2019-11 als einer der ersten Anwendungsfälle in den genannten Projekten ausgewählt. Die Betrachtung und Beschreibung des Zugversuchs beinhaltet sowohl dessen ontologische Darstellung als auch eine exemplarische Datengenerierung. Die semantische Verbindung von Ontologie und Daten führt zu Interoperabilität und einer verbesserten Abfragefähigkeit.
Engineering grain boundaries demands a quantitative description of both their segregation and specific phase behavior. Recently I have proposed a density-based model for grain boundary thermodynamics that enables CALPHAD integrated derivation of grain boundary phase diagrams, broadly applied now in studying various alloys. Combining this model with experimental investigations, in this talk, new aspects of interfacial segregation and phase transformation revealed in polycrystalline alloys are discussed. The effect of elastic interaction on grain boundary phase behavior is incorporated. We consider Al alloys and novel high-entropy alloys and discuss a general strategy for grain boundary engineering.
Following the new paradigm of materials development, design and optimization, the digitalization of materials and processes is the main goal which imposes a huge challenge. In this respect, the quality assurance of processes and output data as well as the interoperability between applications following FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, reusability) principles are to be ensured. This includes storage, processing and querying of data in a preferably standardized form, also addressing the incorporation of standardization bodies. To meet the challenge to contextualize material data in a way that is consistent with all stakeholders, all necessary information on the condition of the material including production and application-related changes have to be made available via a uniform, machine-readable description. For this purpose, ontologies are to be used since they allow for machine-understandable knowledge representations and semantic conceptualizations that are needed for data management and the digitalization in the field of materials science.
With respect to this currently ever-growing topic of integration and reuse of data and knowledge from synthesis, production and characterization of materials, this presentation shows the efforts taken within the project Platform MaterialDigital (PMD, materialdigital.de) to store tensile test data in accordance with a standard-compliant ontological representation. The includes the path from developing an ontology in accordance with the respective standard, converting ordinary and arbitrarily selected data gained from standard tests into the interoperable RDF format, up to connecting the ontology and data, respectively. Finally, such data can be queried from a triple store.
In the field of material science and engineering (MSE), most mechanical test methods are standardized which serves as a valid basis for ontology development. Therefore, the well-known tensile test of metals at room temperature (DIN EN ISO standard 6892-1:2019-11) was selected to be considered as one of the first use cases in PMD. This consideration within the PMD features both, the ontological representation of such a tensile test in accordance with the standard as well as exemplary data generation. The semantic connection of the ontology and data leads to interoperability and an enhanced ability of querying.
Entwicklung der Mikrostruktur der mechanischen Eigenschaften und der Eigenspannungen in L-PBF 316L
(2022)
Die additive Fertigung (AM) metallischer Werkstoffe mittels Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) ermöglicht einzigartige hierarchische Mikrostrukturen, die zu Verbesserungen bestimmter mechanischer Eigenschaften gegenüber konventionell hergestellten Varianten derselben Legierung führen können. Allerdings ist das L-PBF-Verfahren häufig durch das Vorhandensein hoher Eigenspannungen gekennzeichnet, die es zu verstehen und zu mindern gilt. Daher ist das Verständnis der Mikrostrukturen, der Eigenspannungen und der daraus resultierenden mechanischen Eigenschaften entscheidend für eine breite Akzeptanz bei sicherheitskritischen Anwendungen. Die BAM hat ein multidisziplinäres Forschungsprogramm gestartet, um diese Aspekte bei LPBF 316L zu untersuchen. Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt einige der wichtigsten Ergebnisse vor: der Einfluss von Prozessparametern auf die Mikrostruktur, der Einfluss von Mikrostruktur und Textur auf die Festigkeit, Kriechverhalten und Schädigung und die Stabilität von Eigenspannungen und Mikrostruktur unter Wärmebehandlungsbedingungen.
Monte-Carlo-Analysis of Minimum Burst Requirements for Composite Cylinders for Hydrogen Service
(2021)
For achieving Net Zero-aims hydrogen is an indispensable component, probably the main component. For the usage of hydrogen, a wide acceptance is necessary, which requires trust in hydrogen based on absence of major incidents resulting from a high safety level. Burst tests stand for a type of testing that is used in every test standard and regulation as one of the key issues for ensuring safety in use. The central role of burst and proof test is grown to historical reasons for steam engines and steel vessels but - with respect for composite pressure vessels (CPVs) - not due an extraordinary depth of outcomes. Its importance results from the relatively simple test process with relatively low costs and gets its importance by running of the different test variations in parallel. In relevant test und production standards (as e. g. ECE R134) the burst test is used in at least 4 different meanings. There is the burst test on a) new CPVs and some others b) for determining the residual strength subsequent to various simulations of ageing effects. Both are performed during the approval process on a pre-series. Then there is c) the batch testing during the CPVs production and finally d) the 100% proof testing, which means to stop the burst test at a certain pressure level. These different aspects of burst tests are analysed and compared with respect to its importance for the resulting safety of the populations of CPVs in service based on experienced test results and Monte-Carlo simulations. As main criterial for this the expected failure rate in a probabilistic meaning is used. This finally ends up with recommendations for relevant RC&S especially with respect to GTR 13.
Turbine blades often contain cylindric holes used to generate an air film that protects the blade alloy from the hot gases. These cooling holes of diameter around one mm are drilled by laser through the thickness of the blades. Unfortunately, the resulting stress concentration and the drilling-induced damage are known to favor crack initiation from the holes. It is thus necessary to assess the impact of these cooling holes on the structural integrity of the blades. Since cracks initiate very readily, the fatigue life of the components is mainly controlled by the propagation of the cracks in the stress gradient induced by the holes.
For this purpose, displacement controlled high-temperature LCF (Low-Cycle-Fatigue) tests were performed with center hole specimens of a coarse-grained Nickel base Superalloy. The tests were stopped after a defined load drop. In addition, crack propagation tests with Double Edge Notch specimens were performed. Moreover, specimens with different hole surface finishes were investigated, which showed a detrimental effect of the hole surface roughness. In parallel, an evaluation of the LCF tests based on a fracture mechanics-based model (Madia et al., Eng. Fract. Mech., 2018) has been applied. Thereby, the specimen life is controlled by the crack propagation time until failure. Crack growth is controlled by a modified NASGRO equation accounting for large-scale yielding and a progressive build-up of crack closure. The initial crack size has been derived from the measurements of defects around the borehole. A reasonable agreement between predicted and measured lifetimes is observed if one keeps in mind the large uncertainty regarding the effective shape of the cracks.
The scatter of fatigue crack growth data can become significant for coarse grained materials. By using a probabilistic description of crack propagation as the foundation of a lifetime prediction model, lifetime scatter of laboratory specimens can be reproduced. However, the lifetime of real components is subjected to additional scattering factors such as surface condition or uncertainty regarding direction and shape of emerging cracks. These factors need to be addressed in order to exploit the advantages of probabilistic description, i.e. the reduction of unnecessary conservatisms.
High temperature LCF (Low-Cycle-Fatigue) tests were performed with center hole specimens of a coarse-grained Nickel base Superalloy. In addition, crack propagation tests with Double Edge Notch specimens were performed. A procedure to detect the shape of the starting crack that combines the potential drop method and induction thermography was developed. The geometry and the number of notches were varied. Moreover, specimen with different hole surface finishes were investigated, which showed a detrimental effect of the roughness of the hole surface.
The results have been compared to predictions of a probabilistic tool for the estimation of lcf lifetime that has been calibrated beforehand on laboratory specimens with and without notches. In parallel, a fracture mechanics-based lifetime model was developed, which includes the initial crack size as a critical parameter. Thereby, the influence of the large grain size (>1mm), and the shape of the starting crack at the notch were considered.
Acknowledgements
The investigations are conducted as part of the joint research program COOREFLEX-Turbo in the frame of AG Turbo. The work is supported by Siemens AG and the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (BMWi) as per resolution of the German Federal Parliament under grant number 03ET7071E.
The large surface-to-volume ratio of nanoparticles is understood to be the source of many interesting phenomena. The melting temperature of nanoparticles is shown to dramatically reduce compared to bulk material. Yet, at temperatures below this reduced melting point, a liquid-like atomic arrangement on the surface of nanoparticles is still anticipated to influence its properties. To understand such surface effects, here, we study the coalescence of Au nanoparticles of various sizes using molecular dynamics simulations. Analysis of the potential energy and Lindemann index distribution across the nanoparticles reveals that high-energy, high-mobility surface atoms can enable the coalescence of nanoparticles at temperatures much lower than their corresponding melting point. The smaller the nanoparticles, the larger the difference between their melting and coalescence temperatures. For small enough particles and/or elevated enough temperatures, we found that the coalescence leads to a melting transition of the two nominally solid nanoparticles, here discussed in relation to the heat released due to the surface reduction upon the coalescence and the size dependence of latent heat. Such discontinuous melting transitions can lead to abrupt changes in the properties of nanoparticles, important for their applications at intermediate temperatures.
Detailed microstructural characterization of the AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr refractory high entropy superalloy in the as-cast state is reported for first time and compared with the state annealed at 1400 oC for 24 h. The former shows a dendritic structure, with a mixture of A2/B2 phases < 20 nm in both the dendritic and interdendritic regions. A mostly amorphous phase, rich in Al and Zr, is found within the interdendritic region. The annealed state reproduced the combination of A2/B2/Al-Zr-rich phases reported previously. Calculations from two relevant ThermoCalc databases were compared with the experimental results. Equilibrium calculations were compared with results for the annealed alloy, whereas solidification paths calculated using Scheil-Gulliver model were used for comparison with the as-cast alloy. A previously hypothesized spinodal decomposition during cooling as the mechanism responsible for the patterned A2/B2 microstructure is confirmed via the CALPHAD calculations, pointing to its use as an efficient design tool for such alloys. Finally, the comparison between the experimental and computational findings allowed better understanding the solidification path and equilibrium stability of this alloy, giving a base to make better decisions on the field of new refractory superalloy design.
The finite element software ProCrackPlast is developed for the automated simulation of fatigue crack growth in arbitrarily loaded three-dimensional components with large scale plastic deformations, in particular under cyclic thermomechanical (TMF) loading.
ProCrackPlast is developed by extending the software Procrack, created at TU Freiberg for linear-elastic crack growth simulations. The pre-processing, FEM analysis, and the post-processing in ProCrackPlast are done by the commercial software ABAQUS. ProCrackPlast resorts to a crack growth procedure which adaptively updates the crack in finite increments based on the fracture-mechanical parameter, cyclic crack tip opening displacement ΔCTOD . Features of this software along with two application examples of fatigue crack growth in a typical cast steel, Ni-Resist, are presented in this paper to show its capability and performance.
Grain boundaries (GBs) are planar lattice defects that govern the properties of many types of polycrystalline materials. Hence, their structures have been investigated in great detail. However, much less is known about their chemical features, owing to the experimental difficulties to probe these features at the atomic length scale inside bulk material specimens. Atom probe tomography (APT) is a tool capable of accomplishing this task, with an ability to quantify chemical characteristics at near-atomic scale. Using APT data sets, we present here a machine-learning-based approach for the automated quantification of chemical features of GBs. We trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) using twenty thousand synthesized images of grain interiors, GBs, or triple junctions. Such a trained CNN automatically detects the locations of GBs from APT data. Those GBs are then subjected to compositional mapping and analysis, including revealing their in-plane chemical decoration patterns. We applied this approach to experimentally obtained APT data sets pertaining to three case studies, namely, Ni-P, Pt-Au, and Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys. In the first case, we extracted GB specific segregation features as a function of misorientation and coincidence site lattice character. Secondly, we revealed interfacial excesses and in-plane chemical features that could not have been found by standard compositional analyses. Lastly, we tracked the temporal evolution of chemical decoration from early-stage solute GB segregation in the dilute limit to interfacial phase separation, characterized by the evolution of complex composition patterns. This machine-learning-based approach provides quantitative, unbiased, and automated access to GB chemical analyses, serving as an enabling tool for new discoveries related to interface thermodynamics, kinetics, and the associated chemistry-structure-property relations.
Single-crystal components made of nickel base superalloys contain pores after casting and homogenization heat treatment. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP), which is carried above the γ' -solvus temperature of the alloy, is industrially applied to reduce porosity. A modeling of HIP based on continuously distributed dislocations is developed in a 2D setting. Glide and climb of straight-edge dislocations, as well as vacancy diffusion, are the deformation mechanisms taken into account.
Thereby, dislocation glide is controlled by dragging a cloud of large atoms, and climb is controlled by vacancy diffusion. Relying on previous investigations of the creep behavior at HIP temperatures, it is assumed that new dislocations are nucleated at low-angle boundaries (LAB) and move through subgrains until they either reach the opposite LABs or react with other dislocations and annihilate.
Vacancies are created at the pore surface and diffuse through the alloy until they are either consumed by climbing dislocations or disappear at the LABs. The field equations are solved by finite elements. It is shown that pore shrinking is mostly controlled by vacancy diffusion as the shear stresses at the LABs are too low to
nucleate a sufficient amount of dislocations.
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.
Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process for materials which inherently tends to yield various degrees of metastable hierarchical microstructures, defects and high residual stresses in the as-built condition depending on the process parameters. The understanding of the evolution of these typical features during heat treatment and subsequent thermal and mechanical ageing is crucial for the wider acceptance for safety critical structures. A multi-disciplinary research project at BAM studying the development of the microstructure, defects, residual stresses typical of LPBF 316L and their evolution during thermal and mechanical ageing has led to insights into the stability of these inherent features. This presentation aims to give a broad overview of the project with a few specific cases of investigation. Firstly, the formation of residual stresses, the nature of the initial microstructure, the tensile properties and a modelling approach to understand the anisotropy will be presented. This will be followed by examples of studies of their evolution during heat treatment, long term thermal exposure, and room temperature and high temperature mechanical testing compared to a baseline of conventional wrought variant of the same alloy.
Porosity in single-crystal nickel-base superalloys is removed by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) at temperatures above gamma’-solvus where the material is very soft and ductile. For example, single-crystal nickel-base superalloy CMSX-4 is HIPed at temperature 1288 °C, which is slightly higher than the gamma’-solvus temperature of this alloy equal to about 1280 °C. It is assumed that pore shrinking during HIP is mostly due to dislocation creep. Such a modelling of HIP of CMSX-4 was started in our group on the base of results of creep tests of [001] single-crystals at 1288 °C [1]. However, it was found later [2] that the alloy CMSX-4 shows very strong creep anisotropy at 1288 °C. Therefore, for calibration of the creep law, creep tests of different orientations under different stress levels are required at the HIP temperature. This was the main task of present work. Single-crystals of CMSX-4 of axial orientations [001], [011], [123] and [111] were cast by VIAM Moscow and tested by BAM Berlin under creep conditions at 1288 °C and stress levels between 4 MPa and 16 MPa. At all stress levels, the creep rate increases by an order of magnitude when changing the orientation from [001] to [111] with [011] and [123] orientations in between. Such a character of creep anisotropy corresponds to the orientation dependence of the Schmid factor for octahedral glide.
The crystal viscoplasticity model developed in [1] was improved to better represent the time induced softening observed during creep. The creep tests for different stresses and orientations as well as pore closure were simulated. The results of pore closure simulation are compared with measurements of porosity decrease during Hiping.
The Gibbs free energy of a grain boundary is a complex thermodynamic function of temperature, pressure, and composition. These complexities add to the intrinsic crystallographic and chemical constraints imposed by the adjacent bulk phase. Recently we have proposed a density-based model for assessing grain boundary thermodynamics that enables a CALPHAD-informed description of the grain boundary. As such, the Gibbs free energy of the grain boundary is directly linked with available CALPHAD thermodynamic data. In this talk, new aspects of interfacial segregation and phase transformation are revealed by benchmarking the current model for various experimental cases, including several steels, high-entropy alloys and aluminum alloys. The effects of elastic interactions on the grain boundary segregation and the application of the model to a nanocrystalline Pt-Au alloy, with numerous grain boundaries of various characters, will be discussed.
The large number of TEM investigations and the regular microstructure
of single-crystal nickel-base superalloys has boosted the development of a number of physically motivated constitutive laws. In contrast to the more phenomenological models discussed in the next chapter, these models use dislocation densities as internal variables. Obvious advantages are that the computed densities can be compared to TEM observations and the Deformation mechanisms can be easier translated into mathematical equations.
The elastic constants are the most basic mechanical properties of a material and are needed for any structural analysis of a component. For example, they have a major influence on the eigenfrequencies of vibrating parts. Single crystals of Ni-base superalloys are strongly anisotropic, which means that the observed properties are orientation dependent. Tensor algebra is then required to mathematically formulate the elastic properties and their relations to the crystal orientation. Hence, this chapter first summarizes some basic definitions and calculation rules for Rotation matrices, including the definition of the Euler angles, which are most commonly used to define the relative orientations of the crystal and the component. Parts of this chapter closely follow the lines of the excellent exposition of the topic by Olschewski.
The elastic energy of mixing for multi-component solid solutions is derived by generalizing Eshelby's sphere-in-hole model. By surveying the dependence of the elastic energy on the chemical composition and lattice misfit, we derive a lattice strain coefficient λ*. Studying several high-entropy alloys and superalloys, we propose that most solid solution multi-component alloys are stable when λ*<0.16, generalizing the Hume-Rothery atomic-size rule for binary alloys. We also reveal that the polydispersity index δ, frequently used for describing strain in multi-component alloys, directly represents the elastic energy e with e=qδ², q being an elastic constant. Furthermore, the effects of (i) the number and (ii) the atomic-size distribution of constituting elements on the phase stability of high-entropy alloys were quantified. The present derivations and discussions open for richer considerations of elastic effects in high-entropy alloys, offering immediate support for quantitative assessments of their thermodynamic properties and studying related strengthening mechanisms.
A γ-analogue of the superalloy CMSX-4 that does not contain the strengthening γ′ -phase and only consists of the γ-solid solution of nickel has been designed, solidified as single-crystals of different orientations, and tested under creep conditions in the temperature range between 1150 and 1288 °C. The tests have revealed a very high creep anisotropy of this alloy, as was previously found for CMSX-4 at supersolvus temperature of 1288 °C. This creep anisotropy could be explained by the dominance of 〈011〉{111} octahedral slip. Furthermore, the analysis of the creep data has yielded a high value of the creep activation energy, Qc≈442 kJ/mol, which correlates with the high activation energy of Re diffusion in Ni. This supports the hypothesis that dislocation motion in the γ-matrix of Re-containing superalloys is controlled by the diffusion of the Re atoms segregating at the dislocation core. The Norton stress exponent n is close to 5, which is a typical value for pure metals and their alloys. The absence of γ′ -reprecipitation after high-temperature creep tests facilitates microstructural investigations. It has been shown by EBSD that creep deformation results in an increasing misorientation of the existing low angle boundaries. In addition, according to TEM, new low angle boundaries appear due to reactions of the a/2 〈011〉 mobile dislocations and knitting of new networks.
The phase-like behavior of grain boundaries (GBs), recently evidenced in several materials, is opening up new possibilities in the design of alloy microstructures. In this context, GB phase diagrams are contributing to a predictive description of GB segregation and (interfacial) phase changes. The influence of chemo-mechanical solute-GB interactions on the GB phase diagram remains elusive so far. This is particularly important for multi-component alloys where the elastic interactions among solute atoms, of various sizes and bonding energies, can prevail, governing a complex co-segregation phenomenon. Recently, we developed a density-based model for GB thermodynamics that intrinsically accounts for GB elasticity in pure elements. In this work, we incorporate the homogeneous and heterogeneous elastic energies associated with the solutes into the density-based framework. We derive the multi-component homogeneous elastic energy by generalizing the continuum misfitting sphere model and extend it for GBs. The density-based free energy functional directly uses bulk CALPHAD thermodynamic data. The model is applied to binary and ternary Al alloys. We reveal that the elastic energy can profoundly affect the GB solubility and segregation behavior, leading to Cu segregation in otherwise Cu-depleted Al GBs. Consequently, GB segregation transition, i.e., a jump in the GB segregation as a function of alloy composition, is revealed in Al-Cu and Al-Cu-Mg alloy systems with implications for subsequent GB precipitation in these alloys. CALPHAD-informed elasticity-incorporated GB phase diagrams enable addressing a broader range of GB phenomena in engineering multi-component alloys.
For more than half a century, spinodal decomposition has been a key phenomenon in considering the formation of secondary phases in alloys. The most prominent aspect of the spinodal phenomenon is the lack of an energy barrier on its transformation pathway, offering an alternative to the nucleation and growth mechanism. The classical description of spinodal decomposition often neglects the influence of defects, such as grain boundaries, on the transformation because the innate ability for like-atoms to cluster is assumed to lead the process. Nevertheless, in nanocrystalline alloys, with a high population of grain boundaries with diverse characters, the structurally heterogeneous landscape can greatly influence the chemical decomposition behavior. Combining atom-probe tomography, precession electron diffraction and density-based phase-field simulations, we address how grain boundaries contribute to the temporal evolution of chemical decomposition within the miscibility gap of a Pt-Au nanocrystalline system. We found that grain boundaries can actually have their own miscibility gaps profoundly altering the spinodal decomposition in nanocrystalline alloys. A complex realm of multiple interfacial states, ranging from competitive grain boundary segregation to barrier-free low-dimensional interfacial decomposition, occurs with a dependency upon the grain boundary character.
Initially, as-cast and homogenized single crystals of nickel-base superalloy CMSX-4 are subjected to hot isostatic pressing at 1288 °C. Two series of experiments are conducted: under the same pressure of 103 MPa but with different durations, between 0.5 and 6 h, and under different pressures, between 15 and 150 MPa, but for the same time of 0.5 h. The porosity annihilation is investigated metallographically and by high-resolution synchrotron X-ray tomography. The obtained experimental results are compared with the predictions of the vacancy model proposed recently in the group. Herein, the model is further refined by coupling with X-ray tomography. The model describes the evolution of the pore arrays enclosed in the 3D synchrotron tomograms during hot isostatic pressing and properly predicts the time and stress dependences of the pore annihilation kinetics. The validated model and the obtained experimental results are used for selecting the optimal technological parameters such as applied pressure and processing time
The cyclic crack tip opening displacement ΔCTOD is a promising loading Parameter to quantify the crack propagation under thermomechanical fatigue (TMF). In this work, suitable techniques are investigated and compared for an accurate calculation of ΔCTOD under TMF loading using a viscoplastic temperature dependent material model.
It turned out that collapsed special crack tip elements give the best results. An efficient FEM-technique is developed to simulate the incremental crack growth by successive remeshing, whereby the deformations and internal state variables are mapped from the old mesh onto the new one. The developed techniques are demonstrated and discussed for two-dimensional examples like TMF-specimens. Recommendations are made regarding important numerical control parameters like optimal size of crack tip elements, length of crack growth increment in relation to plastic zone size and ΔCTOD value.
The cyclic crack tip opening displacement ΔCTOD is a promising loading Parameter to quantify the crack propagation under thermomechanical fatigue (TMF). In this work, suitable techniques are investigated and compared for an accurate calculation of ΔCTOD under TMF loading using a viscoplastic temperature dependent material model.
It turned out that collapsed special crack tip elements give the best results. An efficient FEM-technique is developed to simulate the incremental crack growth by successive remeshing, whereby the deformations and internal state variables are mapped from the old mesh onto the new one. The developed techniques are demonstrated and discussed for two-dimensional examples like TMF-specimens. Recommendations are made regarding important numerical control parameters like optimal size of crack tip elements, length of crack growth increment in relation to plastic zone size and ΔCTOD value.
The cyclic crack tip opening displacement ΔCTOD is a promising loading Parameter to quantify the crack propagation under thermomechanical fatigue (TMF). In this work, suitable techniques are investigated and compared for an accurate calculation of ΔCTOD under TMF loading using a viscoplastic temperature dependent material model.
It turned out that collapsed special crack tip elements give the best results. An efficient FEM-technique is developed to simulate the incremental crack growth by successive remeshing, whereby the deformations and internal state variables are mapped from the old mesh onto the new one. The developed techniques are demonstrated and discussed for two-dimensional examples like TMF-specimens. Recommendations are made regarding important numerical control parameters like optimal size of crack tip elements, length of crack growth increment in relation to plastic zone size and ΔCTOD value.
Results of an extended TMF test program on grade P92 steel in the temperature range of 620 °C - 300 °C, comprising in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP) tests, partly performed with symmetric dwells at Tmax/Tmin, are presented. In contrast to previous studies, the low-strain regime is also illuminated, which approaches flexible operation in a power plant with start/stop cycles. At all strain amplitudes, the material performance is characterized by continuous cyclic softening, which is retarded in tests at lower strains but reaches similar magnitudes in the course of testing. In the investigated temperature range, the phase angle does not affect fatigue life in continuous experiments, whereas the IP condition is more detrimental in tests with dwells. Fractographic analyses indicate creep-dominated and fatigue-dominated damage for IP and OP, respectively. Analyses of the (micro)hardness distribution in the tested specimens suggest an enhanced microstructural softening in tests with dwell times for the low- but not for the high-strain regime. To rationalize the obtained fatigue data, the fracture-mechanics-based D_TMF concept, which was developed for TMF life assessment of ductile alloys, was applied. It is found that the D_TMF parameter correlates well with the measured fatigue lives, suggesting that subcritical growth of cracks (with sizes from a few microns to a few millimeters) governs failure in the investigated range of strain amplitudes.
Interfacial Spinodals
(2021)
Despite their finite spatial extent, interfaces can have profound impacts on microstructure properties. This is because of their distinct phase-like properties distinguishing them from the adjacent homogeneous bulk structure. When noticed by solute atoms, interfaces can experience their own chemical phase changes. In this talk, we investigate the constrained states of chemically decomposed phases at interfaces. A density-based theory of interfaces is proposed to describe the confined chemical decomposition at general grain boundaries. Here the grain boundary is viewed as a lesser dense, defected structure with reference to the corresponding bulk structure. Using this picture, the thermodynamic origins of interfacial spinodal phenomena are revealed. We also show that transient interfacial spinodals can be activated over a large alloy composition range, enabling kinetic engineering of interfacial chemistry.
Systematic microstructure design requires reliable thermodynamic descriptions and phase diagrams of each and all microstructure elements. While such descriptions are well established for most bulk phases, thermodynamic assessment of crystal defects is greatly challenged by their individualistic aspects. In this talk, we present a density-based thermodynamic concept to describe defects based on available bulk thermodynamic data. Here dealing with grain boundaries (GBs), we apply this concept to compute GB (phase) diagram. Applications to segregation engineering of GBs in bulk and nanocrystalline alloys will be presented. We further develop this model to include the effect of elastic interactions due to atom size mismatch and obtain the corresponding GB (phase) diagram for the ternary Al-Cu-Li system.
The onset of plasticity in a single crystal C60 fullerite was investigated by nanoindentation on the (111) crystallographic plane. The transition from elastic to plastic deformation in a contact was observed as pop-in events on loading curves. The respective resolved shear stresses were computed for the octahedral slip systems ⟨011¯¯¯⟩{111}, supposing that their activation resulted in the onset of plasticity. A finite element analysis was applied, which reproduced the elastic loading until the first pop-in, using a realistic geometry of the Berkovich indenter blunt tip. The obtained estimate of the C60 theoretical shear strength was about 1/11 of the shear modulus on {111} planes.
A phase field model of brittle fracture has been developed to simulate the Hertzian crack induced by penetration of a rigid sphere to an isotropic linear-elastic half-space. The fracture formation is regarded as a diffusive field variable, which is zero for the intact material and unity if there is a crack. Crack growth is assumed to be driven by a strain invariant. The numerical implementation is performed with the finite element method and an implicit time integration scheme. The mechanical equilibrium and the phase field equations are solved in a staggered manner, sequentially updating the displacement field and the phase field variable. Numerical examples demonstrate the capability of the model to reproduce the nucleation and growth of the Hertzian cone crack.
The effectiveness of the mechanism of precipitation strengthening in metallic alloys depends on the shapes of the precipitates. Two different material systems are considered: tetragonal γ′′ precipitates in Ni-based alloys and tetragonal θ′ precipitates in Al-Cu-alloys. The shape formation and evolution of the tetragonally misfitting precipitates was investigated by means of experiments and phase-field simulations. We employed the method of invariant moments for the consistent shape quantification of precipitates obtained from the simulation as well as those obtained from the experiment. Two well-defined shape-quantities are proposed: (i) a generalized measure for the particles aspect ratio and (ii) the normalized λ2, as a measure for shape deviations from an ideal ellipse of the given aspect ratio. Considering the size dependence of the aspect ratio of γ′′ precipitates, we find good agreement between the simulation results and the experiment. Further, the precipitates’ in-plane shape is defined as the central 2D cut through the 3D particle in a plane normal to the tetragonal c-axes of the precipitate. The experimentally observed in-plane shapes of γ′′-precipitates can be quantitatively reproduced by the phase-field model.
Simulation of the θ′ Precipitation Process with Interfacial Anisotropy Effects in Al-Cu Alloys
(2021)
The effects of anisotropic interfacial properties and heterogeneous elasticity on the growth and ripening of plate-like θ′-phase (Al2Cu) in Al-1.69 at.% Cu alloy are studied. Multi-phase-field simulations are conducted and discussed in comparison with aging experiments. The precipitate/matrix interface is considered to be anisotropic in terms of its energy and mobility. We find that the additional incorporation of an anisotropic interfacial mobility in conjunction with the elastic anisotropy result in substantially larger aspect ratios of the precipitates closer to the experimental observations. The anisotropy of the interfacial energy shows comparably small effect on the precipitate’s aspect ratio but changes the interface’s shape at the rim. The effect of the chemo-mechanical coupling, i.e., the composition dependence of the elastic constants, is studied as well. We show that the inverse ripening phenomenon, recently evidenced for δ’ precipitates in Al-Li alloys (Park et al. Sci. Rep. 2019, 9, 3981), does not establish for the θ′ precipitates. This is because of the anisotropic stress fields built around the θ′ precipitates, stemming from the precipitate’s shape and the interaction among different variants of the θ′ precipitate, that disturb the chemo-mechanical effects. These results show that the chemo-mechanical effects on the precipitation ripening strongly depend on the degree of sphericity and elastic isotropy of the precipitate and matrix phases.
Phase diagrams are the roadmaps for designing bulk phases. Similar to bulk, grain boundaries can possess various phases, but their phase diagrams remain largely unknown. Using a recently introduced density-based model, here we devise a strategy for computing multi-component grain boundary phase diagrams based on available bulk (CALPHAD) thermodynamic data. Fe-Mn-Cr, Fe-Mn-Ni, Fe-Mn-Co, Fe-Cr-Ni and Fe-Cr-Co alloy systems, as important ternary bases for several trending steels and high-entropy alloys, are studied. We found that despite its solute segregation enrichment, a grain boundary can have lower solubility limit than its corresponding bulk, promoting an interfacial chemical decomposition upon solute segregation. This is revealed here for the Fe-Mn-base alloy systems. The origins of this counter-intuitive feature are traced back to two effects, i.e., the magnetic ordering effect and the low cohesive energy of Mn solute element. Different aspects of interfacial phase stability and GB co-segregation in ternary alloys are investigated as well. We show that the concentration gradient energy contributions reduce segregation level but increase grain boundary solubility limit, stabilizing the GB against a chemical decomposition. Density-based grain boundary phase diagrams offer guidelines for systematic investigation of interfacial phase changes with applications to microstructure defects engineering.
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.
The elastic properties of the single-crystal nickel-base superalloy CMSX-4 used as a blade material in gas turbines were investigated by the sonic resonance method in the temperature interval between room temperature and 1300 °C. Elastic constants at such high temperatures are needed to model the mechanical behavior of blade material during manufacturing (hot isostatic pressing) as well as during technical accidents which may happen in service (overheating). High reliability of the results was achieved using specimens of different crystallographic orientations, exciting various vibration modes as well as precise measurement of the material density and thermal Expansion required for modeling the resonance frequencies by finite element method. Combining the results measured in this work and literature data the elastic constants of the gamma and gamma' phases were predicted.
This prediction was supported by measurement of the temperature dependence of the gamma'fraction.
All data obtained in this work are given in numerical or analytical forms and can be easily used for different scientific and engineering calculations.
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.
Segregation to grain boundaries affects their cohesion, corrosion, and embrittlement and plays a critical role in heterogeneous nucleation. In order to quantitatively study segregation and low-dimensional phase separation at grain boundaries, here, we apply a density-based phase-field model. The current model describes the grain-boundary thermodynamic properties based on available bulk thermodynamic data, while the grain-boundary-density profile is obtained using atomistic simulations. To benchmark the performance of the model, Mn grain-boundary segregation in the Fe–Mn system is studied. 3D simulation results are compared against atom probe tomography measurements conducted for three alloy compositions. We show that a continuous increase in the alloy composition results in a discontinuous jump in the segregation isotherm. The jump corresponds to a spinodal Phase separation at grain boundary. For alloy compositions above the jump, we reveal an interfacial transient spinodal phase separation.
The transient spinodal phenomenon opens opportunities for knowledge-based microstructure design through the chemical manipulation of grain boundaries. The proposed density-based model provides a powerful tool to study thermodynamics and kinetics of segregation and phase changes at grain boundaries.
Mit Hilfe des HIP-Verfahrens („Hot Isostatic Pressing“) werden Poren in der einkristallinen Nickel-Basis Superlegierung CMSX-4 kontinuierlich geschrumpft und dadurch die nach der Erstarrung und der Wärmebehandlung vorhandene Porosität stark reduziert. In diesem Beitrag werden experimentelle und numerische Untersuchungen zu den Mechanismen der Porenschrumpfung zusammengefasst. Es zeigt sich, dass das Verformungsverhalten während Kriechversuchen bei der HIP-Temperatur durch Versetzungsgleitung auf oktaedrischen Ebenen dominiert wird.
Dagegen zeigen Messungen der Porositätsabnahme und Simulationen des Porenschließens, dass die Kinetik der Porenschrumpfung durch das Phänomen der Leerstellendiffusion zwischen Poren und Kleinwinkelkorngrenzen („Low Angle Boundary“, LAB) bestimmt wird. Im Gegensatz führt die klassische Kristallviskoplastizität zu einer systematischen Überschätzung dieser Kinetik. Der scheinbare Widerspruch lässt sich auflösen, wenn man bedenkt, dass auf der Skala der Poren Versetzungsquellen nicht gleichmäßig verteilt sind, wie in der konventionellen Kristallplastizität implizit angenommen wird. Stattdessen wird in einem weiterführenden Modell davon ausgegangen, das Kleinwinkelkorngrenzen (LABs) als Versetzungsquellen fungieren, während die Scherspannungen sehr stark in der Nähe der Poren lokalisiert sind, was die Emission von Versetzungen deutlich reduziert.
Mit Hilfe des HIP-Verfahrens („Hot Isostatic Pressing“) werden Poren in der einkristallinen Nickel-Basis Superlegierung CMSX-4 kontinuierlich geschrumpft und dadurch die nach der Erstarrung und der Wärmebehandlung vorhandene Porosität stark reduziert. In diesem Beitrag werden experimentelle und numerische Untersuchungen zu den Mechanismen der Porenschrumpfung zusammengefasst. Es zeigt sich, dass das Verformungsverhalten während Kriechversuchen bei der HIP-Temperatur durch Versetzungsgleitung auf oktaedrischen Ebenen dominiert wird.
Dagegen zeigen Messungen der Porositätsabnahme und Simulationen des Porenschließens, dass die Kinetik der Porenschrumpfung durch das Phänomen der Leerstellendiffusion zwischen Poren und Kleinwinkelkorngrenzen („Low Angle Boundary“, LAB) bestimmt wird. Im Gegensatz führt die klassische Kristallviskoplastizität zu einer systematischen Überschätzung dieser Kinetik. Der scheinbare Widerspruch lässt sich auflösen, wenn man bedenkt, dass auf der Skala der Poren Versetzungsquellen nicht gleichmäßig verteilt sind, wie in der konventionellen Kristallplastizität implizit angenommen wird. Stattdessen wird in einem weiterführenden Modell davon ausgegangen, das Kleinwinkelkorngrenzen (LABs) als Versetzungsquellen fungieren, während die Scherspannungen sehr stark in der Nähe der Poren lokalisiert sind, was die Emission von Versetzungen deutlich reduziert.
Systematic microstructure design requires reliable thermodynamic descriptions of each and all microstructure elements. While such descriptions are well established for most bulk phases, thermodynamic assessment of microstructure defects is challenging because of their individualistic nature. In this paper, a model is devised for assessing grain boundary thermodynamics based on available bulk thermodynamic data. We propose a continuous relative atomic density field and its spatial gradients to describe the grain boundary region with reference to the homogeneous bulk and derive the grain boundary Gibbs free energy functional. The grain boundary segregation isotherm and phase diagram are computed for a regular binary solid solution, and qualitatively benchmarked for the Pt–Au system. The relationships between the grain boundary's atomic density, excess free volume, and misorientation angle are discussed. Combining the current density-based model with available bulk thermodynamic databases enables constructing databases, phase diagrams, and segregation isotherms for grain boundaries, opening possibilities for studying and designing heterogeneous microstructures.
The underlying cause of mechanical anisotropy in additively manufactured (AM) parts is not yet fully understood and has been attributed to several different factors like microstructural defects, residual stresses, melt pool boundaries, crystallographic and morphological textures. To better understand the main contributing factor to the mechanical anisotropy of AM stainless steel 316L, bulk specimens were fabricated via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). Tensile specimens were machined from these AM bulk materials for three different inclinations: 0◦, 45◦, and 90◦ relative to the build plate. Dynamic Young’s modulus measurements and tensile tests were used to determine the mechanical anisotropy. Some tensile specimens were also subjected to residual stress measurement via neutron diffraction, porosity determination with X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT), and texture analysis with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). These investigations revealed that the specimens exhibited near full density and the detected defects were spherical. Furthermore, the residual stresses in the loading direction were between −74 ± 24 MPa and 137 ± 20 MPa, and the EBSD measurements showed a preferential ⟨110⟩ orientation parallel to the build direction. A crystal plasticity model was used to analyze the elastic anisotropy and the anisotropic yield behavior of the AM specimens, and it was able to capture and predict the experimental behavior accurately. Overall, it was shown that the mechanical anisotropy of the tested specimens was mainly influenced by the crystallographic texture.
The full-notch creep test (FNCT) is a common method to evaluate the environmental stress cracking (ESC) behavior of high-density polyethylene (PE-HD) 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 specimens mechanically loaded in a well-defined liquid environment. Since the craze-crack damage mechanism underlying the ESC process is associated with brittle failure, the occurrence of globally brittle fracture surfaces is a prerequisite to consider an FNCT measurement as representative for ESC . Therefore, an optical evaluation of FNCT fracture surfaces concerning their brittleness is essential. Due to the experimental setup, an inevitable increase of the true mechanical stress and the associated appearance of small ductile parts on fracture surfaces is induced in any case. Hence, an FNCT experiment is considered as 'valid', if the corresponding fracture surface is predominantly brittle . Based on laser scanning microscopy (LSM) height data of FNCT fracture surfaces , a universal and easy-to-use phenomenological criterion was developed to assess the validity of distinct FNCT experiments. This criterion is supposed to facilitate a quick evaluation of FNCT results in practical routine testing.
Grain boundary energy effect on grain boundary segregation in an equiatomic high-entropy alloy
(2020)
Grain boundary (GB) Segregation has a substantial effect on the microstructure evolution and properties of polycrystalline alloys. The mechanism of nanoscale segregation at the various GBs in multicomponent alloys is of great challenge to reveal and remains elusive so far. To address this issue, we studied the GB segregation in a representative equiatomic FeMnNiCoCr high-entropy alloy (HEA) aged at 450 °C. By combining transmission Kikuchi diffraction, atom probe tomography analysis and a density-based thermodynamics modeling, we uncover the nanoscale segregation behavior at a series of well-characterized GBs of different characters. No segregation occurs at coherent twin boundaries; only slight nanoscale segregation of Ni takes place at the low-angle GBs and vicinal \Sigma 29b coincidence site lattice GBs. Ni and Mn show cosegregation of high levels at the general high-angle GBs with a strong depletion in Fe, Cr, and Co. Our density-based thermodynamic model reveals that the highly negative energy of mixing Ni and Mn is the main driving force for nanoscale cosegregation to the GBs. This is further assisted by the opposite segregation of Ni and Cr atoms with a positive enthalpy of mixing. It is also found that GBs of higher interfacial energy, possessing lower atomic densities (higher disorder and free volume), show higher segregation levels. By clarifying the origins of GB segregations in the FeMnNiCoCr HEA, the current work provides fundamental ideas on nanoscale segregation at crystal defects in multicomponent alloys.
Determination of Distribution Function used in MCS on Safety Analysis of Hydrogen Pressure Vessel
(2019)
The test data of static burst strength and load cycle strength of composite pressure vessels are often described by GAUSSian normal or WEIBULL distribution function to perform safety analyses. The goodness of assumed distribution function plays a significant role in the inferential statistics to predict the population properties by using limited test data. Often, GAUSSian and WEIBULL probability nets are empirical methods used to validate the distribution function; Anderson-Darling and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests are the mostly favorable approaches for Goodness of Fit. However, the different approaches used to determine the parameters of distribution function lead mostly to different conclusions for safety assessments. In this study, six different methods are investigated to show the variations on the rates for accepting the composite pressure vessels according to GTR No. 13 life test procedure. The six methods are: a) Norm-Log based method, b) Least squares regression, c) Weighted least squares regression, d) A linear approach based on good linear unbiased estimators, e) Maximum likelihood estimation and f) The method of moments estimation. In addition, various approaches of ranking function are considered. In the study, Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to generate basic populations based on the distribution functions which are determined using different methods. Then the samples are extracted randomly from a population and evaluated to obtain acceptance rate. Here, the “populations” and “samples” are corresponding to the burst strength or load cycle strength of the pressure vessels made from composite material and a plastic liner (type 4) for the storage of hydrogen. To the end, the results are discussed, and the best reliable methods are proposed.
Druckbehälter werden vor ihrer Inbetriebnahme obligatorisch einer hydraulischen Prüfung bis zum sog. Prüfdruck belastet. Damit sollen fehlerhaft gefertigte Individuen erkannt und ausgesondert werden. Mit dieser Prüfung werden aber auch diejenigen Einzelbehälter ausgesondert, die ohne einem nachvollziehbaren Fertigungsfehler, nur auf Basis der statistischen Streuung ggf. eine Festigkeit unterhalb des Prüfdrucks aufweisen.
Da der Prüfdruck im Fall der Wasserstoffspeicher mindestens 20% über dem maximal zulässigem Betriebsdruck liegt, wäre damit ein Versagen im Betrieb ausgenommen, gäbe es die verschiedenen Alterungs- bzw. Ermüdungseffekt nicht.
Um den Einfluss der erstmaligen Prüfung auf eine angenommene ausfallfreie Zeit bewerten zu können, wird hier die Alterung und die erstmalige Prüfung in Kombination analysiert. Hierzu wird auf Basis der Restfestigkeitsdaten aus einer umfangreichen Prüfkampagne ein Ansatz für die Beschreibung der Alterung ermittelt und auf andere Lastzustände übertragen.
So kann für das Baumuster, das der o.g. Prüfkampagne zugrunde lag, mithilfe einer Monte-Carlo-Simulation gezeigt werden, dass mindestens 10.000 LW vor einem ersten Alterungsversagen mit 1 aus 1 Mio. In Abhängigkeit der Anzahl der Individuen, die bei der erstmaligen Prüfung versagen, und der Streuung der gesamten Population, kann diese Mindestfestigkeit auf realistisch 50.000 Lastwechsel steigen.
Damit ist gezeigt, dass aufgrund der erstmaligen Prüfung eine Mindestfestigkeit erzeugt wird, die stark vom Alterungsverhalten abhängt. Im Ergebnis heißt dies, dass in den Vorschriften aktuell die Bedeutung des Mindestberstdrucks in der Baumusterprüfung überschätzt und die möglichst betriebsbegleitende Erfassung der Alterung unterschätzt sind.
The current competitive situation on electricity markets forces conventional power plants into cyclic operation regimes with frequent load shifts and starts/shutdowns. In the present work, the cyclic mechanical behavior of ferritic-martensitic 9-12 % Cr steels under isothermal and thermomechanical loading was investigated for the example of grade P92 material. A continuous softening was observed under all loading conditions. The introduction of hold periods to the applied cycles reduced material lifetime, with most prominent effects at technologically relevant small strain levels. The microstructural characterization reveals a coarsening of the original “martensitic” lath-type microstructure to a structure with polygonal subgrains and reduced dislocation density. The microstructural data forms the input for a physically-based modelling approach.
Cyclic mechanical performance and microstructure evolution of P92 under LCF and TMF conditions
(2019)
9-12% Cr ferritic-martensitic stainless steels are widely used as high temperature construction materials in fossil fueled power plants due to their excellent creep and oxidation resistance, but changes in electricity markets during the last two decades have considerably changed the typical working conditions of these facilities. The growing contribution of renewable energy sources in power generation forces most of these plants into flexible operation with frequent load shifts or shutdowns. These cyclic operation profiles constitute a major lifetime issue, raising the question which fundamental processes govern the reaction of ferritic-martensitic steels to cyclic load and temperature variations.
The present contribution reports on current findings obtained in a multidisciplinary project funded by German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) which combines cyclic mechanical and cyclic oxidation testing of different 9-12% Cr grades with detailed microstructural analyses and related micromechanical modeling.
In this contribution, an overview will be given on the results obtained in the mechanical testing programme of the project. Mechanical analyses were carried out on P91 and (mainly) P92 steel grades, particularly looking at softening phenomena and lifetimes obtained in isothermal cyclic loading (low cycle fatigue, LCF), non-isothermal cyclic loading (thermo-mechanical fatigue, TMF), and service-like combinations of fatigue and creep/relaxation periods. For this purpose, cylindrical specimens were extracted from thick-walled steam pipes, orthogonal to the pipe axis, and subjected to strain controlled cyclic loading (± 0.2 to ±0.5 % mechanical strain). Temperature intervals of TMF tests were chosen as either 300-620°C or 500-620°C, resembling so-called warm or hot start conditions of a power plant.
The test results will be presented and discussed with a focus on the impact of hold periods during testing (combined creep/relaxation-fatigue conditions) on mechanical softening, lifetime and formation of cracks. The findings will be complemented by results on the modification of the hierarchical ferritic-martensitic microstructure under different loading scenarios.
An overview of the BAM funed Focus Area Materials Project "AGIL" will be presented. AGIL focussed on the stdiy of the ageing characteristics of additively manufactured austenitic stainless steel with a "powder to mechanical failure" Approach. Recent Highlights are presented and a perspective for future studies.
Determination of Distribution Function used in MCS on Safety Analysis of Hydrogen Pressure Vessel
(2019)
The test data of static burst strength and load cycle strength of composite pressure vessels are often described by GAUSSian normal or WEIBULL distribution function to perform safety analyses. The goodness of assumed distribution function plays a significant role in the inferential statistics to predict the population properties by using limited test data. Often, GAUSSian and WEIBULL probability nets are empirical methods used to validate the distribution function; Anderson-Darling and KolmogorovSmirnov tests are the mostly favorable approaches for Goodness of Fit. However, the different approaches used to determine the parameters of distribution function lead mostly to different conclusions for safety assessments. In this study, six different methods are investigated to show the variations on the rates for accepting the composite pressure vessels according to GTR No. 13 life test procedure. The six methods are: a) NormLog based method, b) Least squares regression, c) Weighted least squares regression, d) A linear approach based on good linear unbiased estimators, e) Maximum likelihood estimation and f) The method of moments estimation. In addition, various approaches of ranking function are considered. In the study, Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to generate basic populations based on the distribution functions which are determined using different methods. Then the samples are extracted randomly from a population and evaluated to obtain acceptance rate. Here, the “populations” and “samples” are corresponding to the burst strength or load cycle strength of the pressure vessels made from composite material and a plastic liner (type 4) for the storage of hydrogen. To the end, the results are discussed, and the best reliable methods are proposed.
Virtual-lab-based determination of a macroscopic yield function for additively manufactured parts
(2019)
This work aims for an yield function description of additively manufactured (AM) parts of S316L steel at the continuum-mechanical macro-scale by means of so-called virtual experiments using a crystal plasticity (CP) model at meso-scale. Additively manufactured parts require the consideration of the specific process-related microstructure, which prevents this material to be macroscopically treated as isotropic, because of crystallographic as well as topological textures.
EBSD/CT-Scans from in-house additively manufactured specimen extract the unique microstructural topology which is converted to a representative volume element (RVE) with grain structure and crystal orientations.
Crystal plasticity model parameters on this RVE are calibrated and validated by means of mechanical testing under different texture angles. From virtual experiments on this RVE, yield loci under various loading conditions are simulated. The scale bridging from meso- to macro-scale is realised by the identification of the simulated yield loci as a modified anisotropic Barlat-type yield model representation.
The current trend towards cyclic, “flexible” operation of fossil-fueled power plants constitutes a major issue regarding lifetime and operational safety of the respective installations and their components, as was outlined in our complementary contribution (Part 1). The present contribution reports on the investigation of the microstructure evolution in cyclically loaded ferritic-martensitic steels and its representation in a physically-based micromechanical model.
For this purpose, specimens of P92 steel grade from the mechanical test programme outlined in our companion contribution (Part 1) were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), including backscattered diffraction (EBSD) mapping, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A novel method was implemented to improve angular resolution of EBSD scans. Additionally, a correlative microscopy approach was developed and used to correlate EBSD and TEM measurements on the same locations of thick regions of electron transparent specimens. By applying these techniques, a detailed quantitative microstructure description of the as-received material condition, namely in terms of subgrain morphology and dislocation density/distributions, was established. Comparisons of as-received and cyclically loaded conditions from tests interrupted at different stages of lifetime indicate a rapid redistribution of in-grain dislocations with a strong interaction between mobile dislocations and low angle grain boundaries (LABs).
The proposed micromechanical model is formulated in a viscoplastic self-consistent (VPSC) scheme, which is a mean-field approach that allows us to include the crystal details at the level of slip systems while avoiding the considerable computational costs of full-field approaches (such as the classical crystal plasticity finite element analysis). Being physically-based, the model uses dislocation densities and includes the interaction between dislocations, e.g. annihilation of mobile dislocations, and evolution of microstructure, e.g. the grain coarsening. Particularly, the constitutive laws for dislocation evolution and interaction between dislocations and low angle boundaries are calibrated based on two-dimensional discrete dislocation dynamic (2D DDD) simulations, which are performed at a micro-/meso-scale. The results of the beforementioned EBSD experiments are considered as a direct input, involving e.g. the amount of geometrically necessary dislocations, average misorientations and grain characteristics.
Single crystal superalloys usually contain pores of sizes 5-10 micro-m after casting and heat treatment. These pores can be reduced under compression by combined creep and diffusion in a subsequent treatment called Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP). The paper presents a methodology to simulate pore shrinkage under HIP conditions in two dimensions (2D).
At the scale of the pores, which is also the scale of the sub-grains (<50 micro-m) the dislocation sources cannot be assumed to be homogeneously distributed. Thus, the applicability of classical crystal plasticity is questionable. In this case, the transport of dislocations under an applied stress from the location where they are nucleated must be explicitly modelled. This is done by solving the transport equations for the dislocation densities and the elasticity equations in 2D. The dislocations are assumed to be nucleated at Low Angle Boundaries. They glide or climb through the sub-grains with a stress dependent velocity.
The transport equations are solved by the Flux-Corrected Transport method, which belongs to the predictor-corrector class of algorithms. In the first step, an artificial diffusion is introduced, which suppresses spurious oscillations of the solution. In a second step, the solution is corrected in such a way that no additional extremes appear and that the extremes do not grow. The algorithm is validated by simulating the transport of simple distributions with a constant velocity field.
With the dislocation velocities and the computed dislocation densities, the inelastic shear rate at the slip system level is computed by integrating the Orowan equation. In the 2D-setting, three slip systems are considered. The contributions of these slip systems are summed up to obtain the total inelastic strain rate. Dislocation glide and climb and the coupling of climb with vacancies diffusion are considered.
The resolution of the equilibrium equations from the inelastic strains turned out to be prone to numerical instabilities. As an alternative, the stresses are directly computed from the distribution of geometrically necessary dislocations following the method presented in. The resulting boundary value problem is solved by the Least-Square Finite Element method.
Examples of simulations are presented for a representative region under creep tension and for a pore shrinking under external pressure.
A continuum damage model for concrete is developed with a focus on fatigue under compressive stresses. This includes the possibility to model stress redistributions and capture size effects. In contrast to cycle based approaches, where damage is accumulated based on the number of full stress cycles, a strain based approach is developed that can capture cyclic degradation under variable loading cycles including different amplitudes and loading frequencies. The model is designed to represent failure under static loading as a particular case of fatigue failure after a single loading cycle. As a consequence, most of the material parameters can be deduced from statictests. Only a limit set of additional constitutive parameters is required to accurately describe the evolution under fatigue loading. Another advantage of the proposed model is the possibility to directly incorporate other multi-physics effects such as creep and shrinkage or thermal loading on the constitutive level. A multiscale approach in time is presented to enable structural computations of fatigue failure with a reduced computational effort. The damage rate within the short time scale corresponding to a single cycle is computed based on a Fourier based approach. This evolution equation is then solved on the long time scale using different implicit and explicit time integration schemes. Their performance and some limitations for specific loading regimes is discussed.
A continuum damage model for concrete is developed with a focus on fatigue under compressive stresses. This includes the possibility to model stress redistributions and capture size effects. In contrast to cycle based approaches, where damage is accumulated based on the number of full stress cycles, a strain based approach is developed that can capture cyclic degradation under variable loading cycles including different amplitudes and loading frequencies. The model is designed to represent failure under static loading as a particular case of fatigue failure after a single loading cycle. As a consequence, most of the material parameters can be deduced from statictests. Only a limit set of additional constitutive parameters is required to accurately describe the evolution under fatigue loading. Another advantage of the proposed model is the possibility to directly incorporate other multi-physics effects such as creep and shrinkage or thermal loading on the constitutive level. A multiscale approach in time is presented to enable structural computations of fatigue failure with a reduced computational effort. The damage rate within the short time scale corresponding to a single cycle is computed based on a Fourier based approach. This evolution equation is then solved on the long time scale using different implicit and explicit time integration schemes. Their performance and some limitations for specific loading regimes is discussed.
Computational methods for lifetime prediction of metallic components under high-temperature fatigue
(2019)
The issue of service life prediction of hot metallic components subjected to cyclic loadings is addressed. Two classes of lifetime models are considered, namely, the incremental lifetime rules and the parametric models governed by the fracture mechanics concept. Examples of application to an austenitic cast iron are presented. In addition, computational techniques to accelerate the time integration of the incremental models throughout the fatigue loading history are discussed. They efficiently solve problems where a stabilized response of a component is not observed, for example due to the plastic strain which is no longer completely reversed and accumulates throughout the fatigue history. The performance of such an accelerated Integration technique is demonstrated for a finite element simulation of a viscoplastic solid under repeating loading–unloading cycles.
Virtual-lab-based determination of a macroscopic yield function for additively manufactured parts
(2019)
This work aims for a yield function description of additively manufactured parts of S316L steel at the continuum-mechanical macro-scale by means of so-called virtual experiments using a crystal plasticity (CP) model at meso-scale. Additively manufactured parts require the consideration of the specific process-related microstructure, which prevents this material to be macroscopically treated as isotropic, because of crystallographic as well as topological textures. From virtual experiments, yield loci under various loading conditions are simulated. The scale bridging from meso- to macro-scale is realised by the identification of the simulated yield loci as a modified anisotropic Barlat-type yield model representation.
Druckbehälter werden vor ihrer Inbetriebnahme obligatorisch einer hydraulischen Prüfung bis zum sog. Prüfdruck belastet. Damit sollen fehlerhaft gefertigte Individuen erkannt und ausgesondert werden. Mit dieser Prüfung werden aber auch diejenigen Einzelbehälter ausgesondert, die ohne einem nachvollziehbaren Fertigungsfehler, nur auf Basis der statistischen Streuung ggf. eine Festigkeit unterhalb des Prüfdrucks aufweisen.
Da der Prüfdruck im Fall der Wasserstoffspeicher mindestens 20% über dem maximal zulässigem Betriebsdruck liegt, wäre damit ein Versagen im Betrieb ausgenommen, gäbe es die verschiedenen Alterungs- bzw. Ermüdungseffekt nicht.
Um den Einfluss der erstmaligen Prüfung auf eine angenommene ausfallfreie Zeit bewerten zu können, wird hier die Alterung und die erstmalige Prüfung in Kombination analysiert. Hierzu wird auf Basis der Restfestigkeitsdaten aus einer umfangreichen Prüfkampagne ein Ansatz für die Beschreibung der Alterung ermittelt und auf andere Lastzustände übertragen.
So kann für das Baumuster, das der o.g. Prüfkampagne zugrunde lag, mithilfe einer Monte-Carlo-Simulation gezeigt werden, dass mindestens 10.000 LW vor einem ersten Alterungsversagen mit 1 aus 1 Mio. In Abhängigkeit der Anzahl der Individuen, die bei der erstmaligen Prüfung versagen, und der Streuung der gesamten Population, kann diese Mindestfestigkeit auf realistisch 50.000 Lastwechsel steigen.
Damit ist gezeigt, dass aufgrund der erstmaligen Prüfung eine Mindestfestigkeit erzeugt wird, die stark vom Alterungsverhalten abhängt. Im Ergebnis heißt dies, dass in den Vorschriften aktuell die Bedeutung des Mindestberstdrucks in der Baumusterprüfung überschätzt und die möglichst betriebsbegleitende Erfassung der Alterung unterschätzt sind.
Lifetime aspects including fatigue failure of concrete structures were traditionally only of minor importance. Because of the growing interest in maxing out the capacities of concrete, its fatigue failure under compression has become an issue. A variety of interacting phenomena such as e.g. loss of prestress, degradation due to chemical reactions or creep and shrinkage influence the fatigue resistance. Failure due to cyclic loads is generally not instantaneous, but characterized by a steady damage accumulation. Therefore, a reliable numerical model to predict the performance of concrete over its lifetime is required, which accurately captures order effects and full three-dimensional stress states.
Many constitutive models for concrete are currently available, which are applicable for specific loading regimes, different time scales and different resolution scales.
However, a key limitation of those models is that they generally do not address issues related to fatigue on a structural level. Very few models can be found in the literature that reproduce deterioration of concrete under repeated loading-unloading cycles. This is due to the computational effort necessary to explicitly resolve every cycle which exceeds the currently available computational resources. The limitation can only be overcome by the application of multiscale methods in time.
The objective of the paper is the development of numerical methods for the simulation of concrete under fatigue loading using temporal multiscale methods.
First, a continuum damage model for concrete is developed with a focus on fatigue under compressive stresses [1]. This includes the possibility to model stress redistributions and capture size effects. In contrast to cycle based approaches, where damage is accumulated based on the number of full stress cycles, a strain based approach is developed that can capture cyclic degradation under variable loading cycles including different amplitudes and loading frequencies. The model is designed to represent failure under static loading as a particular case of fatigue failure after a single loading cycle. As a consequence, most of the material parameters can be deduced from static tests. Only a limit set of additional constitutive parameters is required to accurately describe the evolution under fatigue loading. Another advantage of the proposed model is the possibility to directly incorporate other multi-physics effects such as creep and shrinkage or thermal loading on the constitutive level.
Second, a multiscale approach in time is presented to enable structural computations of fatigue failure with a reduced computational effort. The damage rate within the short time scale corresponding to a single cycle is computed based on a Fourier based approach [2]. This evolution equation is then solved on the long time scale using different implicit and explicit time integration schemes. Their performance and some limitations for specific loading regimes is discussed.
Finally, the developed methods will be validated and compared to experimental data.
[1] Vitaliy Kindrachuk, Marc Thiele, Jörg F. Unger. Constitutive modeling of creep-fatigue interaction for normal strength concrete under compression, International Journal of Fatigue, 78:81-94, 2015
[2] Vitaliy Kindrachuk, Jörg F. Unger. A Fourier transformation-based temporal integration scheme for viscoplastic solids subjected to fatigue deterioration, International Journal of Fatigue, 100:215-228, 2017
Lifetime aspects including fatigue failure of concrete structures were traditionally only of minor importance. Because of the growing interest in maxing out the capacities of concrete, its fatigue failure under compression has become an issue. A variety of interacting phenomena such as e.g. loss of prestress, degradation due to chemical reactions or creep and shrinkage influence the fatigue resistance. Failure due to cyclic loads is generally not instantaneous, but characterized by a steady damage accumulation. Therefore, a reliable numerical model to predict the performance of concrete over its lifetime is required, which accurately captures order effects and full three-dimensional stress states.
Many constitutive models for concrete are currently available, which are applicable for specific loading regimes, different time scales and different resolution scales.
However, a key limitation of those models is that they generally do not address issues related to fatigue on a structural level. Very few models can be found in the literature that reproduce deterioration of concrete under repeated loading-unloading cycles. This is due to the computational effort necessary to explicitly resolve every cycle which exceeds the currently available computational resources. The limitation can only be overcome by the application of multiscale methods in time.
The objective of the paper is the development of numerical methods for the simulation of concrete under fatigue loading using temporal multiscale methods.
First, a continuum damage model for concrete is developed with a focus on fatigue under compressive stresses. This includes the possibility to model stress redistributions and capture size effects. In contrast to cycle based approaches, where damage is accumulated based on the number of full stress cycles, a strain based approach is developed that can capture cyclic degradation under variable loading cycles including different amplitudes and loading frequencies. The model is designed to represent failure under static loading as a particular case of fatigue failure after a single loading cycle. As a consequence, most of the material parameters can be deduced from static tests. Only a limit set of additional constitutive parameters is required to accurately describe the evolution under fatigue loading. Another advantage of the proposed model is the possibility to directly incorporate other multi-physics effects such as creep and shrinkage or thermal loading on the constitutive level.
Second, a multiscale approach in time is presented to enable structural computations of fatigue failure with a reduced computational effort. The damage rate within the short time scale corresponding to a single cycle is computed based on a Fourier based approach. This evolution equation is then solved on the long time scale using different implicit and explicit time integration schemes. Their performance and some limitations for specific loading regimes is discussed.
Finally, the developed methods will be validated and compared to experimental data.
Due to their excellent creep resistance and good oxidation resistance, 9–12% Cr ferritic–martensitic stainless steels are widely used as high temperature construction materials in power plants. However, the mutual combination of different loadings (e.g., creep and fatigue), due to a “flexible” operation of power plants, may seriously reduce the lifetimes of the respective components. In the present study, low cycle fatigue (LCF) and relaxation fatigue (RF) tests performed on grade P92 helped to understand the behavior of ferritic–martensitic steels under a combined loading. The softening and lifetime behavior strongly depend on the temperature and total strain range. Especially at small strain amplitudes, the lifetime is seriously reduced when adding a hold time which indicates the importance of considering technically relevant small strains.
Modelling of environmentally assisted material degradation in the crack phase-field framework
(2019)
The simulation of crack propagation was conducted with a diffusive crack model in a variational framework. Moreover, the physically sound introduction of mass transport and coupling mechanisms due to environmentally assisted effects could be realised in this framework. The objective consists of the application of the phase-field Approach towards the simulation of environmentally assisted material degradation with the advantage of a non-required predefined crack path and a mesh-independent non-local formulation that facilitates the damage evolution with respect to material softening. The sharp crack is regularised by the introduction of a phase-field order parameter leading to a diffusive crack formulation.
Besides the equations originating from the linear momentum balance an additional evolution equation for the crack phase-field is introduced. Furthermore, mass transport is simulated by a Diffusion equation. The description delivered by the variational phase-field framework is able to simulate crack propagation according to published numerical test cases.
Additionally, the calculation of stress intensity factors is possible as well as crack resistance curves that describe stable crack propagation.
The current competitive situation on electricity markets forces power plants into cyclic operation regimes with frequent load shifts and starts/shutdowns. In the present work, the cyclic mechanical behavior of ferritic-martensitic 9-12 % Cr steels under isothermal and thermomechanical loading was investigated for the example of grade P92 material. A continuous softening was observed under all loading conditions. The introduction of hold periods to the applied cycles reduced material lifetime, with most prominent effects at technologically relevant small strain levels. The microstructural characterization reveals a coarsening of the original “martensitic” lath-type microstructure to a structure with polygonal subgrains and reduced dislocation density. The microstructural data forms the input for a physically-based modelling approach.
9-12% Cr ferritic-martensitic stainless steels are widely used as high temperature construction materials in power plants due to their excellent creep and oxidation resistance. The growing share of renewable energy sources in power generation forces many of these plants into more flexible operation with frequent load shifts or shutdowns. These cyclic operation profiles constitute a major lifetime issue.
The present contribution reports on current findings obtained in a multidisciplinary project which combines cyclic mechanical and cyclic oxidation testing with detailed microstructural analyses. Mechanical analyses are carried out on P92 and P91 steel grades to give an overview of softening phenomena and lifetimes obtained in isothermal cyclic loading (low cycle fatigue, LCF), non-isothermal cyclic loading (thermo-mechanical fatigue, TMF), and service-like combinations of creep and fatigue periods (creep-fatigue interaction).
Oxidation testing focuses on the grades P92 and VM12 with the intention of clarifying the impact of frequent passes through intermediate temperature levels on the kinetics of steam-side oxidation and the characteristics of the evolving oxide scales. An attempt is made to evaluate their composition, strength, integrity and adhesion after up to 250 temperature cycles. Flat coupons as well as curved tube sections are tested to assess the mutual influence of geometry on oxide scale integrity.
Complementary microstructural investigations by scanning and transmission electron microscopy plus EBSD are used for phase identification and substrate/oxide interface characterisation. The evolutions of grain size and dislocation density under different test conditions are quantified.
9-12% Cr ferritic-martensitic stainless steels are widely used as high temperature construction materials in power plants due to their excellent creep and oxidation resistance. The growing share of renewable energy sources in power generation forces many of these plants into more flexible operation with frequent load shifts or shutdowns. These cyclic operation profiles constitute a major lifetime issue. The present contribution reports on current findings obtained in a multidisciplinary project which combines cyclic mechanical and cyclic oxidation testing of different 9-12% Cr grades with detailed microstructural analyses.
Mechanical analyses are carried out on P92 and P91 steel grades to give an overview of softening phenomena and lifetimes obtained in isothermal cyclic loading (low cycle fatigue, LCF), non-isothermal cyclic loading (thermo-mechanical fatigue, TMF), and service-like combinations of creep and fatigue periods.
Complementary microstructural investigations by scanning and transmission electron microscopy plus EBSD are used for phase identification, substrate/oxide interface characterization and quantification of the microstructure evolution under cyclic conditions.
The employment of renewable energy resources, which are naturally intermittent, for electricity generation has altered the working conditions of conventional power plants from continuous (baseload) to cyclic or flexible operation. For a long time, 9-12% Cr ferritic-martensitic stainless steels have been widely used in power plants due to their favorable characteristics such as high creep strength at high temperatures and oxidation and corrosion resistance. The components of power plants are subjected to long term cyclic loadings including fatigue and creep-fatigue at high temperatures. As ferritic-martensitic steels are known to exhibit cyclic softening when subjected to such loading scenarios, it is crucial to study the material response in such conditions. Since it is impossible to test the material behavior exactly as the operation conditions of power plants, due to technical difficulties and cost issues, it is necessary to develop physically-based material models that can predict the material behavior in more realistic situations.
In recent years, many material models have been proposed to describe the behavior of 9-12% Cr ferritic-martensitic stainless steels, which follow phenomenological or physically-based approaches. Phenomenological models provide a stress-strain relation based on empirical observations although they usually lack physical background. To alleviate this drawback and to allow for more flexibility and wider ranges of strain-rate and temperature, physically-based models are suggested. In this approach, microstructural evolution, dislocation movement and/or kinetics of plastic deformation processes are included. The physically-based models allow for a better extrapolation from the experiment results to other operation conditions and their material constants can be interpreted physically. Compared to the former approach, the material behavior can be described more accurately and flexibly and the number of material constants is less in general. In the presented work, the existing micromechanical models developed for P92 steel are compared and extended to allow for new dislocation-based strengthening/cyclic mechanisms. Their performance is assessed in the light of mechanical test data from creep-fatigue and thermo-mechanical fatigue experiments and detailed characterizations of the microstructure evolution in the fatigued material.
Es konnte anhand einer numerischen Voruntersuchung gezeigt werden, dass anhand der kombinierten Auswertung der im Versuch verwendeten Sensorik eine Einteilung der unter Ermüdung in Bohrlochproben auftretenden Rissformen in verschiedene Hauptkategorien (Eckriss, Oberflächenriss, Durchgangsriss) möglich ist.
Es wird eine neu entwickelte Methode zur Thermographiebasierten Rissmessung vorgestellt. Darüber hinaus wird eine numerische Vorarbeit präsentiert, die zeigt, dass anhand der gemeisamen Auswertung der Versuchsdaten aus unterschiedlicher Sensorik die Möglichkeit besteht, die unter Ermüdungsbelastung in Bohrlochproben auftretenden Risse in Geometriekategorien zu unterteilen.
The methods of computational damage mechanics are well-established for the description of degradation of materials under monotone loading. An extension to structural damage induced by cyclic loading is however significantly limited. This is due to enormous computational costs required to resolve each load cycle by conventional temporal incremental integration schemes while a typical fatigue loading history comprises between thousands and millions of cycles. Despite the permanent increase of computational resources and algorithmic performance, a successful approach is rather based on the development of novel multiscale in time integration schemes.
A Fourier transformation-based temporal integration (FTTI) is represented, which takes advantage of temporal scale separation incorporated into the cycle jump method. The response fields are approximated by a Fourier series whose coefficients undergo the evolution on a long-time scale. This is correlated with the evolution of the history variables, including damage, by means of the adaptive cycle jump method of various orders. The necessary extrapolation rates are obtained from the underlying solution of a short-time scale problem, which results from the oscillatory boundary condition and fulfills the global equilibrium of the Fourier coefficients. In this way, a remarkable speedup is achieved because the number of cycles to be fully integrated dramatically decreases.
The key idea behind the FTTI method is that the global in space equilibrium problem is linear since it is decoupled from the evolution equations. The latter are solved in the quadrature points under response fields prescribed throughout the whole load cycle. Consequently, integration of a single load cycle is much more efficient than the conventional single scale integration where the global equilibrium iteration and the local iteration of the evolution equations are coupled. This results in an additional speedup of the FTTI method.
The performance of the FTTI technique is demonstrated for two different constitutive behaviors: a viscoplastic model with a damage variable governed by the local equivalent viscoplastic strain; a quasi-brittle response where the damage variable is driven by a non-local equivalent strain. The latter is implicitly introduced as proposed by Peerlings. Both, the explicit and implicit extrapolation schemes are validated. The FTTI solutions agree very well with the reference cycle-by -cycle solutions, while significantly reducing the computational costs. The adaptive determination of the jump length can properly recognize the particular responses throughout the fatigue loading history (stationary fatigue, acceleration of fatigue damage when approaching failure) as well as stress redistribution phenomena.
A constitutive model for the mechanical behaviour of single crystal Ni-base superalloys under high temperature conditions has been developed in the framework of a Cooretec project in cooperation with Siemens AG, MTU Aero Engines AG and University Bayreuth. In addition to the conventional material properties e.g. elastic constants, the model requires the parameters of the initial microstructure as an input. Thus, the γ’-precipitate size and the channel width of the γ-matrix were obtained from SEM micrographs. The model uses the slip system theory and describes the movement, multiplication and annihilation of dislocations in the channels. Furthermore, the cutting of precipitates is another mechanism contributing to the plastic flow. The evolution of the morphology due to rafting and its effects on the deformation have been implemented according to. The kinematic hardening is introduced as a stress tensor to realistically represent the strain hardening of arbitrary oriented single crystals.
The mechanical behaviour of single crystal specimens has been experimentally investigated in tension tests at different strain rates and in creep tests under various loads. The constitutive model has been calibrated based on the experimental data for temperatures of 950°C and 850°C and the [001] and [111] crystallographic orientations.
Finally, a micromechanical model was created to simulate the creep response of additive manufactured polycrystalline structures. An EBSD image is taken to obtain the grain geometry and their respective orientation. The grain boundaries are discretised using cohesive elements, whereas the single crystal model was applied to each grain in the representative volume. The polycrystal model is generated using Dream3D, NetGen and other software previously developed at the BAM.