5 Werkstofftechnik
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Common air-coupled transducers for non-destructive testing consist of a piezocomposite material and several matching layers. Better acoustical matching to air is achieved by transducers based on charged cellular polypropylene (PP). This material has about hundred times lower acoustic impedance than any piezocomposite, having about the same piezoelectric coefficient. The piezoelectric properties of cellular PP are caused by the polarization of air cells. Alternatively, a ferroelectret receiver can be understood as a capacitive microphone with internal polarization creating permanent internal voltage. The sensitivity of the receiver can be increased by applying additional bias voltage. We present an ultrasonic receiver based on cellular PP including a high-voltage module providing bias voltage up to 2 kV. The application of bias voltage increased the signal by 12 to 15 dB with only 1 dB increase of the noise.
This receiver was combined with a cellular PP transmitter in through transmission to inspect several test specimens consisting of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer face sheets and a porous closed-cell PVC core. These test specimens were inspected before and after load. Fatigue cracks in the porous PVC core and some fatigue damage in the face sheets were detected. These test specimens were originally developed to emulate a rotor blade segment of a wind power plant. Similar composite materials are used in lightweight aircrafts for the general aviation. The other inspected test specimen was a composite consisted of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer face sheets and a wooden core. The structure of the wooden core could be detected only with cellular PP transducers, while commercial air-coupled transducers lacked the necessary sensitivity. Measured on a 4-mm thick carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer plate, cellular PP transducers with additional bias voltage achieved a 32 dB higher signal-to-noise ratio than commercial air-coupled transducers.
Common air-coupled transducers for non-destructive testing consist of a piezocomposite material and several matching layers. Better acoustical matching to air is achieved by transducers based on charged cellular polypropylene (PP). This material has about hundred times lower acoustic impedance than any piezocomposite, having about the same piezoelectric coefficient. The piezoelectric properties of cellular PP are caused by the polarization of air cells. Alternatively, a ferroelectret receiver can be understood as a capacitive microphone with internal polarization creating permanent internal voltage. The sensitivity of the receiver can be increased by applying additional bias voltage. We present an ultrasonic receiver based on cellular PP including a high-voltage module providing bias voltage up to 2 kV. The application of bias voltage increased the signal by 12 to 15 dB with only 1 dB increase of the noise.
This receiver was combined with a cellular PP transmitter in through transmission to inspect several test specimens consisting of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer face sheets and a porous closed-cell PVC core. These test specimens were inspected before and after load. Fatigue cracks in the porous PVC core and some fatigue damage in the face sheets were detected. These test specimens were originally developed to emulate a rotor blade segment of a wind power plant. Similar composite materials are used in lightweight aircrafts for the general aviation. The other inspected test specimen was a composite consisted of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer face sheets and a wooden core. The structure of the wooden core could be detected only with cellular PP transducers, while commercial air-coupled transducers lacked the necessary sensitivity. Measured on a 4-mm thick carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer plate, cellular PP transducers with additional bias voltage achieved a 32 dB higher signal-to-noise ratio than commercial air-coupled transducers.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is well acknowledged to mitigate climate change. Therefore, pipe Steels suitable for CCS technology require resistance against the corrosive environment of a potential CCS-site, e.g. heat, pressure, salinity of the aquifer, CO2-partial pressure. Samples of different mild and high alloyed stainless injection-pipe Steels partially heat treated: 42CrMo4, X20Cr13, X46Cr13, X35CrMo4 as well as X5CrNiCuNb16-4 were kept at T=60 °C and ambient pressure as well as p=100 bar for 700 h - 8000 h in a CO2-saturated synthetic aquifer environment similar to possible geological on-shore CCS-sites in the northern German Basin. Main corrosion products analysed on pits are FeCO3 and FeOOH. The carbon content does not show significant influence on the pitting behaviour. Generally, higher chromium Content results in better corrosion resistance. Although X35CrMo17-1 and X5CrNiCuNb16-4 show low surface corrosion rates, their resistance against local corrosion in CCS environment is not significantly better compared to the much less costly Steels X20Cr13 and X46Cr13.
A femto-second pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) procedure for the generation of titanium oxide nanoparticles (NP) is reported with the purpose of understanding morphology and structure of the newly generated NPs. Ablation duration was varied for optimization of NP generation processes between 10 and 90 min. Surface morphology of NPs as well as their size and shape (distribution) were analysed by various complementary electron microscopy techniques, i.e. SEM, TSEM and TEM. The crystalline structure of titanium oxide particles was investigated by XRD and HR-TEM. Concentration of generated titanium oxide NPs in liquid was analysed by ICP-MS. A mix of crystalline (mainly anatase), partly crystalline and amorphous spherical titanium oxide NPs can be reported having a mean size between 10 and 20 nm, which is rather independent of the laser ablation (LA) duration. A second component consisting of irregularly shaped, but crystalline titanium oxide nanostructures is co-generated in the LA water, with more pronounced occurrence at longer LA times. The provenance of this component is assigned to those spherical particles generated in suspension and passing through the converging laser beam, being hence subject to secondary irradiation effects, e. g. fragmentation.
Glass powders are promising candidates for manufacturing a broad diversity of sintered materials like sintered glass-ceramics, glass matrix composites or glass bonded ceramics with properties and complex shape. Powder processing, however, can substantially affect sinterability, e.g. by promoting surface crystallization. On the other hand, densification can be hindered by gas bubble formation for slow crystallizing glass powders. Against this background, we studied sintering and foaming of silicate glass powders with different crystallization tendency for wet milling and dry milling in air, Ar, N2, and CO2 by means of heating microscopy, DTA, Vacuum Hot Extraction (VHE), SEM, IR spectroscopy, XPS, and ToF-SIMS. In any case, foaming activity increased significantly with progressive milling. For moderately milled glass powders, subsequent storage in air could also promote foaming. Contrarily, foaming could be substantially reduced by milling in water and 10 wt% HCl. Although all powder compacts were uniaxially pressed and sintered in air, foaming was significantly affected by different milling atmosphere and was found most pronounced for milling in CO2 atmosphere. Conformingly, VHE studies revealed that foaming is mainly driven by carbonaceous species, even for powders milled in other gases. Current results of this study thus indicate that foaming is caused by carbonaceous species trapped on the glass powder surface.
With the introduction of a mass transport mechanism the entire problem is subjected to a time frame that dictates the time-dependent action of soluted species on mechanical properties. A numerical framework within the phase-field approach is presented with an embrittlement-based coupling mechanism. The underlying functionals are expressed in terms of the displacement, mass concentration and crack phase-field. Within the phase-field approach the modelling of sharp crack discontinuities is replaced by a diffusive crack model facilitating crack initiation and complex crack topologies without the requirement of a predefined crack path. The isotropic hardening of the elasto-plastic deformation model and the local fracture criterion are affected by the species concentration. This allows for embrittlement and leads to an accelerated crack propagation. An extended mass transport equation for hydrogen embrittlement, accounting for mechanical stresses and deformations, is implemented. For stabilisation purposes a staggered scheme is applied to solve the system of partial differential equations by a multi-field finite-element method. A thermodynamically consistent coupling relation that accommodates the required mechanisms is presented.
Biomaterials for bone replacement and grafting should possess sufficient strength, be bioresorbable and demonstrate osteoconductivity/osteoinductivity. Nowadays, hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP) are the most widespread ceramics for bone grafting at the market, however, their resorption is reported, in some cases, to be not enough. This is why the search for more soluble ceramics compared to HA and TCP looks rather viable.
A possible way to increase ceramics solubility leads to partial substitution of Ca2+-ions in Ca3(PO4)2 by alkali castions, like Na+ or/and K+. Improvement of solubility stems from decreasing lattice energy of a substituted phase, as well as increase in hydration energy of the ions releasing from the phase to ambient solution. From this viewpoint, bioceramics based on compositions from Ca3(PO4)2 - CaKPO4 - CaNaPO4 ternary system seems to be prospective for bone replacement and grafting in sense of resorption properties. At the same time, one should bear in mind that solubility level (resorbability) is governed not only by reduction of lattice energy, but also by microstructure features. Grain sizes and porosity contribute much to dissolution rate making study of sintering of aforementioned ceramics highly important.
In powder-based Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes, an object is produced by successively depositing thin layers of a powder material and by inscribing the cross section of the object in each layer. The main methods to inscribe a layer are by binder jetting (also known as powder 3D printing) or by selective laser sintering/melting (SLS/SLM).
Powder-based AM processes have found wide application for several metallic, polymeric and also ceramic materials, due to their advantages in combining flexibility, easy upscaling and (often) good material properties of their products.
The deposition of homogeneous layers is key to the reproducibility of these processes and has a direct influence on the quality of the final parts. Accordingly, powder properties such as particle size distribution, shape, roughness and process related properties such as powder flowability and packing density need to be carefully evaluated.
Due to these requirements, these processes have been so far precluded to find commercial use for certain applications. In the following, two outstanding cases will be presented.
A first example is that powder-based AM processes are widely used for many metallic and polymeric materials, but they find no commercial application for most technical ceramics.
This seemingly contradicting observation is explained by the fact that in powder based AM, a dry flowable powder needs to be used. The processing of technical ceramics in fact typically requires very fine and poorly flowable powder, which makes them not suitable for the standard processes. There have been several approaches to adapt the raw materials to the process (e.g. by granulation), but in order to maintain the superior properties of technical ceramics it seems necessary to follow the opposite approach and adapt the process to the raw materials instead.
This was the motivation for developing the Layerwise Slurry Deposition (LSD), an innovative process for the deposition of powder layers with a high packing density. In the LSD process, a ceramic slurry is deposited to form thin powder layers, rather than using a dry powder. This allows achieving high packing density (55-60%) in the layers after drying. It is also important, that standard ceramic raw materials can be used. When coupled with a printing head or with a laser source, the LSD enables novel AM technologies which are similar to 3D printing or selective laser sintering, but taking advantage of having a highly dense powder bed.
The LSD -3D printing, in particular, offers the potential of producing large (> 100 mm) and high quality ceramic parts, with microstructure and properties similar to traditional processing. Moreover, due to the compact powder bed, no support structures are required for fixation of the part in the printing process.
Figure 1 shows the schematics of the working principle of the LSD-3D print and illustrates some examples of the resolution and features achievable.
The second outstanding case here described is the application of powder-based AM in environments with reduced or zero gravity. The vision is to be able to produce repair parts, tools and other objects during a space mission, such as on the International Space Station (ISS), without the need of delivering such parts from Earth or carrying them during the mission. AM technologies are also envisioned to play an important role even for future missions to bring mankind to colonize other planets, be it on Mars or on the Moon. In this situation, reduced gravity is also experienced (the gravitational acceleration is 0.16 g on the Moon and 0.38 g on Mars).
These environments cause the use of AM powder technologies to be very problematic: the powder layers need to be stabilized in order to avoid dispersion of the particles in the chamber. This is impossible for standard AM powder deposition systems, which rely on gravitation to spread the powder.
Also in this case, an innovative approach has been implemented to face this technological challenge. The application of a gas flow through a powder has a very strong effect on its flowability, by generating a force on each particle, which is following the gas flow field. This principle can be applied in a simple setup such as the one shown in Figure 2.
In this setup, the gas flow causes an average pressure on the powder bed in direction of the arrows, generating a stabilizing effect which acts in the same direction of the gravitational force. This effect can be used in addition to normal gravity on Earth to achieve a better stabilization of 3D printed parts in the powder bed. In this case, even a significant increase of packing density of the powder was measured, compared to the same experimental setup without gas flow. This is due to the fact that the force on each single particle follows the gas flow field, which is guiding the particles to settle between the pores of the powder bed, thus achieving an efficient packing.
The same principle can be applied in absence of gravitation, where the gas flow acts to stabilize the powder layers. It has been shown that ceramic powder could be deposited in layers and laser sintered in µ-gravity conditions during a DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) campaign of parabolic flights, as shown in Figure 2. A follow-up campaign is dedicated to the deposition of metallic (stainless steel) powder in inert atmosphere and to study the effects of laser melting in µ-gravity.
In conclusion, the description of these two example cases shows how the development of novel technological processes can address some of the limitations of standard powder-based AM, in order to enable the use of new materials, such as technical ceramics, or to tackle the challenges of AM in space.
Powder bed -based technologies are amongst the most successful Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques. "Selective laser sintering/melting" (SLS/SLM) and "binder jetting 3D printing" (3DP) especially are leading AM technologies for metals and polymers, thanks to their high productivity and scalability. In this context, the "layerwise slurry deposition" (LSD) has been developed as a layer deposition method which enables the use of SLS/SLM and 3DP technologies for advanced ceramic materials. LSD consists in the layer-by-layer deposition of a ceramic slurry by means of a doctor blade. Each layer is deposited and dried to achieve a highly packed powder layer, which can be used for SLM or for 3DP. This technique offers high flexibility in the ceramic feedstock used, especially concerning material and particle size, and is capable of producing parts with physical and mechanical properties comparable to traditionally shaped parts. In this presentation, the LSD technique will be introduced and several examples of application to porcelain, SiC and alumina products will be reported.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is identified as an excellent technology to reach the target of CO2 reduction. However, the safety issue and cost effectiveness hinder the future of CCS. For the reliability and safety issues of injection wells the corrosion resistance of the materials used needs to be determined.
In this study, representative low cost materials including carbon steel 1.8977 and low alloyed steel 1.7225 were embedded in cement to mimic the realistic casing-cement interface. Electrochemical studies were carried out using these metal-cement specimens in comparison with those made of metal only in CO2 saturated synthetic aquifer fluid, at 333 K, to reveal the effect of cement on the steel performance. The results showed the protective effect of cement on the performance of pipeline metals during polarisation process. However, the corrosion current density was high in all cases, with and without cement, indicating that the corrosion resistance of these materials is low. This conclusion was supported by the surface analysis of the polarized specimens, which revealed both homogenous and pitting corrosions.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is identified as an excellent technology to reach the target of CO2 reduction. However, the safety issue and cost effectiveness hinder the future of CCS. For the reliability and safety issues of injection wells the corrosion resistance of the materials used needs to be determined.
In this study, representative low cost materials including carbon steel 1.8977 and low alloyed steel 1.7225 were embedded in cement to mimic the realistic casing-cement interface. Electrochemical studies were carried out using these metal-cement specimens in comparison with those made of metal only in CO2 saturated synthetic aquifer fluid, at 333 K, to reveal the effect of cement on the steel performance. The results showed the protective effect of cement on the performance of pipeline metals during polarisation process. However, the corrosion current density was high in all cases, with and without cement, indicating that the corrosion resistance of these materials is low. This conclusion was supported by the surface analysis of the polarized specimens, which revealed both homogenous and pitting corrosions. Furthermore, to reveal the possible protective performance of FeCO3, the pipeline steels were pre-carbonated and then tested in the same condition as freshly polished specimens.
The influence of heat treatment and creep loading on the microstructure of an Al-Cu-Li alloy was investigated. Especially the formation of different precipitates (T1 and Theta') were characterized and the microstructural changes under different ageing conditions (with and without external strain) were investigated to determine the effect od stress on the ageing process.
The influence of heat treatment and creep loading on the microstructure of an Al-Cu-Li alloy was investigated. Especially the formation of different precipitates (T1 and Theta') were characterized and the microstructural changes under different ageing conditions (with and without external strain) were investigated to determine the effect od stress on the ageing process.
High-performance composites, including glass-fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) materials, are favored as a construction material for wind turbine rotor blades due to their high specific strength and stiffness properties. During the manufacturing process, however, imperfections are often introduced, then further propagated due to harsh environmental conditions and a variety of loads. This leads to failure significantly before their projected 20-year lifespan. As replacement of entire blades can be a costly potential outcome, localized repair of the damaged region to restore structural integrity and thus lengthen its lifespan has become an important issue in recent years. Rotor blades are often repaired using a common technique for composite laminates: adhesively bonded structural repair patches. These methods involve replacing the lost load path with a new material that is joined to the parent structure, and include scarf or plug repairs. However, there currently do not exist any standardized repair procedures for wind turbine rotor blades, as comparisons of blade properties repaired with the existing methods have not been studied in depth. Namely, there is a lack of understanding about the effects of various repair methods on the fatigue life of the shells of rotor blades. This study therefore aims to begin to fill this knowledge gap by testing the influence of different repair patches on the blades’ mechanical properties. Manufactured with the vacuum-assisted resin infusion process, the test specimens are produced as a curved structure with GFRP sandwiching a polyvinyl chloride foam core to best represent a portion of a rotor blade shell. Scarf repairs are then introduced with varying layup techniques, and material properties are examined with cyclical fatigue tests. Crack growth and development is monitored during fatigue testing by various non-destructive testing methods, including passive thermography with an infrared camera system, and a 3D deformation analysis system with ARAMIS. Large deformation fields and detection of in- and out-of-plane deformations is thus possible in-situ. The mechanical behavior and development of defects in the various repaired specimens is compared to each other as well as to reference test specimens with no repair patches. In-situ test data is combined with further non-destructive testing methods, including laminography, and active thermography, to develop a robust understanding of the effects of repair concepts.
Effects of various geometrical and physical factors, as well as the method of data reduction (analysis of
experimental forceedisplacement curves) on the values of local interfacial strength parameters (local IFSS, td, and critical energy release rate, Gic) determined by means of a single fiber pull-out test are discussed. Experimental results of our pull-out tests on several fiberepolymer matrix systems showed that td and Gic weakly depended on geometrical factors. However, the pull-out test appeared to be sensitive to the conditions of specimen formation and testing, such as changing the nature of the contacting surfaces (fiber sizing) and the fiber pull-out rate. Of several methods of td and Gic Determination from a forceedisplacement curve, the most reliable and reproducible one is the approach based on the values of the maximum force recorded in a pull-out test and the interfacial frictional force immediately after fiber debonding.
Materials subjected to high-temperature service conditions will change their microstructure with time. Associated with this aging process is a change of mechanical properties as well as a change of damage mechanisms. Within the scope of the FVV project Aging and Lifetime, Fraunhofer IWM in Freiburg and BAM in Berlin (both Germany) experimentally characterized the widespread high-temperature aluminum alloy EN AW-2618A in different overaging states. Based on the experimental findings, models for numerical lifetime assessment with the finite-element method were implemented.
Due to their excellent combination of ductility, strength and corrosive resistance, austenitic stainless steels (ASS) are widely used in many industrial applications. Thus, these steel grades can be found as structural components in the (petro-)chemical industry, in offshore applications and more recent for storage and transport of hydrogen fuel. Steels employed for these applications are exposed to aggressive environments and hydrogen containing media. The ingress and accumulation of hydrogen into the microstructure is commonly observed during service leading to a phenomenon called “hydrogen embrittlement”. A loss in ductility and strength, the formation of cracks and phase transformations are typical features of this hydrogen-induced degradation of mechanical properties.
Although, great efforts are made to understanding hydrogen embrittlement, there is an ongoing debate of the underlying mechanisms. This knowledge is crucial for the safe use and durability of components on the one side and the development of new materials on the other.
Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was proven to be a powerful tool for depicting the distribution of the hydrogen isotope deuterium in the microstructure of austenitic and duplex steels. The combination with imaging techniques such as electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), delivering structural and morphological information, creates a comprehensive picture of the hydrogen/deuterium-induced effects in the materials. All the gathered data is treated with principal component analysis (PCA) and data fusion to enhance the depth of information.
The mobility of hydrogen and deuterium in a steel microstructure is affected by external mechanical stress. To investigate the behaviour of deuterium in a strained microstructure, a new in situ experimental approach was developed. This gives the possibility of analysing samples in the SIMS instrument simultaneously to four-point-bending-tests.
Specimens made from ASS AISI 304L were electrochemically charged with deuterium instead of hydrogen. This necessity stems from the difficulty to separate between artificially charged hydrogen and hydrogen existing in the pristine material or adsorbed from the rest gas in the analysis chamber. Nonetheless, similar diffusion, permeation and solubility data allow to draw qualitative conclusions from the experiments, which are relevant for the application addressed.
The creep behavior of single-crystals of the nickel-base superalloy CMSX-4 was investigated at 1288°C, which is the temperature of the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment applied to this superalloy in the industry. It was found that at this super-solvus temperature, where no Gamma’-strengthening occurs, the superalloy is very soft and rapidly deforms under stresses between 4 and 16 MPa. The creep resistance was found to be very anisotropic, e.g. the creep rate of [001] crystals was about 11 times higher than that of a [111] crystal. The specimens of different orientations also showed a very different necking behavior. The reduction of the cross-section area psi of [001] crystals reached nearly 100%, while for a [111] crystal psi=62%. The EBSD analysis of deformed specimens showed that despite such a large local strain the [001] crystals didn’t not recrystallize, while a less deformed [111] crystal totally recrystallized within the necking zone. From the shape of deformed specimens and TEM investigations it was concluded that the main strain contribution resulted from <011> {111} octahedral slip.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) through the Selective Laser Melting (SLM) route offers ample scope for producing geometrically complex parts compared to the conventional subtractive manufacturing strategies. Nevertheless, the residual stresses which develop during the fabrication can limit application of the SLM components by reducing the load bearing capacity and by inducing unwanted distortion, depending on the boundary conditions specified during manufacturing. The present study aims at characterizing the residual stress states in the SLM parts using different diffraction methods. The material used is the nickel based superalloy Inconel 718. Microstructure as well as the surface and bulk residual stresses were characterized.
For the residual stress analysis, X-ray, synchrotron and neutron diffraction methods were used. The measurements were performed at BAM, at the EDDI beamline of -BESSY II synchrotronand the E3 line -BER II neutron reactor- of the Helmholtz-Zentrum für Materialien und Energie (HZB) Berlin. The results reveal significant differences in the residual stress states for the different characterization techniques employed, which indicates the dependence of the residual state on the penetration depth in the sample. For the surface residual stresses, longitudinal and transverse stress components from X-ray and synchrotron agree well and the obtained values were around the yield strength of the material. Furthermore, synchrotron mapping disclosed gradients along the width and length of the sample for the longitudinal and transverse stress components. On the other hand, lower residual stresses were found in the bulk of the material measured using neutron diffraction. The longitudinal component was tensile and decreased towards the boundary of the sample. In contrast, the normal component was nearly constant and compressive in nature. The transversal component was almost negligible. The results indicate that a stress re-distribution takes place during the deposition of the consecutive layers. Further investigations are planned to study the phenomenon in detail.
A femto-second pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) procedure for the generation of titanium oxide nanoparticles (NP) is reported with the purpose of understanding morphology and structure of the newly generated NPs. Ablation duration was varied for optimization of NP generation processes between 10 and 90 min. Surface morphology of NPs as well as their size and shape (distribution) were analysed by various complementary electron microscopy techniques, i.e. SEM, TSEM and TEM. The crystalline structure of titanium oxide particles was investigated by XRD(two instruments operated in different geometries) and HR-TEM. Concentration of generated titanium oxide NPs in liquid was analysed by ICP-MS. A mix of crystalline (mainly anatase), partly crystalline and amorphous spherical titanium oxide NPs can be reported having a mean size between 10 and 20 nm, which is rather independent of the laser ablation (LA) duration. A second component consisting of irregularly shaped, but crystalline titanium oxide nanostructures is co-generated in the LA water, with more pronounced occurrence at longer LA times. The provenance of this component is assigned to those spherical particles generated in suspension and passing through the converging laser beam, being hence subject to secondary irradiation effects, e. g. fragmentation.
Efficient energy provision using fuel cells requires effective hydrogen storage capacities. Glass is a material of low intrinsic hydrogen permeability and is therefore a promising material for hydrogen storage containers or diffusion barriers. Pioneer work on oxidic glasses seems to indicate a correlation between glass composition and hydrogen permeation, which was mainly derived from the behavior of silica glass. In this study, we focus on the relationship between topologic (free volume; network polymerization) and thermodynamic (configurational entropy) glass parameters. Experiments were performed well below the glass transition temperature, which excludes significant structural relaxation and chemical dissolution of hydrogen. The compositional dependence of seven glasses on the SiO2-NaAlO2 join pointed out that in fully polymerized glasses the H2 permeability cannot be solely derived from the total free volume of the glass structure. Hence, evidence is provided that the size distribution of free volume contributes to hydrogen diffusion and solubility. Additionally, results indicate that hydrogen permeability of the glasses is affected by the configurational heat capacity ΔCp at Tg.
Effective hydrogen storage capacities are prerequisite for an efficient energy provision using fuel cells. Since glass has low intrinsic hydrogen permeability, it is a promising material for hydrogen storage containers as well as hydrogen diffusion barriers. Previous studies on oxidic glasses suggest a correlation between the glass composition and hydrogen permeation that was derived mainly from silica glass. In the present study, we concentrate on the relationship between thermodynamic (i.e., configurational entropy) and topologic (i.e., free volume, network polymerization) parameters. Experimental data were gathered well below the glass transition temperature, excluding significant effects caused by structural relaxation and chemical dissolution of hydrogen. The results of seven analysed glasses on the SiO2-NaAlO2 joint showed that the hydrogen permeability in fully polymerized glasses cannot solely be derived from the total free volume of the glass structure. Hence, evidence is provided that the size distribution of free volume contributes to hydrogen solubility and diffusion. Additionally, the results indicate that the configurational heat capacity ΔCp at Tg affects the hydrogen permeability of the investigated glasses.
PE-HD as a polymeric fuel storage tank material: Photooxidation, fuel sorption and long-term storage
(2018)
High-density polyethylene (PE-HD) is a commodity thermoplastic polymer which is typically used for packing of dangerous goods. Its good resistance against photooxidation, fuels, chemicals and other environmental factors in addition to low production costs makes PE-HD attractive for fuel storage applications. Typical engine fuels stored in polymer tanks are petrol, diesel and biodiesel that receives increasing attention as proper alternative to fossil fuels. One of the major problems with biodiesel is its susceptibility to oxidize due to its chemical composition of unsaturated fatty acids which also can cause polymer degradation.
The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of different environmental factors, UV radiation and commonly stored fuels, on the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of two types of PE-HD polymers (stabilized and non-stabilized). The influence on the mechanical properties was tested by Charpy and tensile tests, chemical and physical properties were evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and by dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) tests. Samples were characterized after varying exposure time of UV radiation and after fully and partially immersion in biodiesel. In addition, similar experiments were conducted using diesel for comparison.
The first documentation of fuel biodeterioration dates back to the late 19th century. However, extensive studies concerning the microbial fuel contamination started in 1980’s. Polymeric fuel storage tanks containing diesel and biodiesel provide environmental conditions for microbial growth. Several studies demonstrated that bacteria, which were found in contaminated fuel systems, can use fuels as macronutrient; but such bacteria can also cause microbiologically influenced corrosion and fouling.
The aim of this study is to investigate the initial attachment behavior of bacteria, isolated from a diesel contamination, on neat and photooxidized high-density polyethylene (PE-HD). Two common PE-HD’s, less- and biodiesel-stabilized, were radiated to UV light representing a tank exposed to sunlight. The effect of photooxidiation on PE-HD’s surface were characterized chemically by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The attached bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis on the polymer surface were evaluated by fluorescence microscopy and colony-forming unit tests (CFU).
Glass-fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRP) are commonly used for the construction of pressure vessels and tanks for example in automotive and aerospace industries. Especially for pressure vessels used for the storage of natural gas or hydrogen with operation pressures up to 700 bar, an early material fatigue detection is of great interest. Measuring the distributed strain profile of GFRP structures helps to understand and detect material fatigue. In this article, we demonstrate the great potential of swept wavelength interferometry (SWI) based distributed strain sensing for the monitoring of pressure vessels made from GFRP. A resin transfer molding (RTM) process was used to manufacture GFRP-tube specimens. Commercial optical fibres with polyimid coating were glued to the surface externally in circumferential and axial direction. A cyclic load of up to 150 bar was applied to the samples using a servo-hydraulic test bench. Comparing the loaded and unloaded test conditions, we determined up to 2 % elongation in circumferential direction. We demonstrate reliable distributed strain measurements with sub-centimetre spatial resolution. By monitoring these high-resolution strain profiles, we were able to detect local material degradation that manifested itself as localized strain changes. Crucially, the material Degradation could be detected already after 75 % of dat the fatigue life before a crack appeared that led to leakage.
Lock-in- and flash thermography are standard methods in active thermography. They are widely used in industrial inspection tasks e.g. for the detection of delaminations, cracks or pores. The requirements for the light sources of these two methods are substantially different. While lock-in thermography requires sources that can be easily and above all fast modulated, the use of flash thermography requires sources that release a very high optical energy in the very short time.
By introducing high-power vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) arrays to the field of thermography a source is now available that covers these two areas. VCSEL arrays combine the fast temporal behavior of a diode laser with the high optical irradiance and the wide illumination range of flash lamps or LEDs and can thus potentially replace all conventional light sources of thermography.
However, the main advantage of this laser technology lies in the independent control of individual array areas. It is therefore possible to heat not only in terms of time, but also in terms of space. This new degree of freedom allows the development of new NDT methods. We demonstrate this approach using a test problem that can only be solved to a limited extent in active thermography, namely the detection of very thin, hidden defects in metallic materials that are aligned vertically to the surface. For this purpose, we generate destructively interfering thermal wave fields, which make it possible to detect defects within the range of the thermal wave field high sensitivity. This is done without pre-treatment of the surface and without using a reference area to depths beyond the usual thermographic rule of thumb.
In Germany spent nuclear fuel and high level radioactive waste is stored in interim storage containers with double lid systems. Those lids are equipped with metal seals (e.g. Helicoflex®) that ensure the safe enclosure of the inventory. The used metal seals consist of three components as can be seen in the cross-sectional view in Figure 1. The innermost part is a helical spring that is surrounded by an inner jacket made of stainless steel. The outer jacket that is made of a softer material which in case of assembly in the aforementioned storage containers is silver or aluminum (i.e. Al 99.5). During application the seal is compressed and due to the restoring force of the helical spring, the outer jacket is plastically deformed and adapts to the sealing surface. Hence, leakage paths are closed and the sealing function is generated. In Germany the above-mentioned containers are licensed for up to 40 years of interim storage, which in case extended storage becomes necessary before a final repository is available will have to be extended to even longer periods. Therefore, the evaluation of the long-term behavior of the seals is necessary, taking into account storage conditions, decay heat and possible mechanical loads as well.
At Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) long-term investigations are being conducted in which seals are assembled in test flanges and aged at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 150°C for accelerated aging. The aged seals are tested semi-annually (after the first 6 months in which the seals are tested more frequently) regarding the sealing performance, the remaining seal force, and the useable resilience upon decompression. Results of these investigations have been published over the past years (e.g. Grelle, Wolff, Probst, Jaunich, & Völzke, 2017; Völzke, Wolff, Probst, Nagelschmidt, & Schulz, 2014). It was found that the seal force and the useable resilience decrease with time and temperature, which is in agreement with the result of other studies (Sassoulas et al., 2006; Wataru et al., 2016) as well. Geometry change of the outer jacket has been identified as the main reason for this seal behavior. At the prevailing operating temperatures and stresses the aluminum is subjected to creep deformation leading to a thinning of the outer jacket. Since the seal groove depth remains unchanged the helical spring expands, which in turn leads to a decrease of the generated spring and seal force.
Although the main reason for the change of seal parameters over time and temperature is known, a detailed characterization of the seal behavior and a reliable prediction of the parameter development for aging times that exceed the experimental time frame have not been possible, yet.
For deeper understanding of the aging processes, an Investigation program, which is covered in this contribution, is conducted at Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) that focusses on the behavior of the aluminum jacket and its influence on the long-term sealing performance. The program investigates properties of material samples as well as the behavior of the seal as a component.
Original sheet material of the same aluminum that is used for manufacturing of the seals is investigated in compression creep tests. For this, a DMA (dynamic mechanical analysis) machine is employed (here used for static tests) that allows for a measurement of the specimens deformation under forces of up to 500 N. The advantage of this method is that the original material can be tested in the same shape as used for the seals which is 0.5 mm thick sheet material. For investigation of tensile creep standard specimens are used, that were machined from surrogate material of the same composition and annealing condition.
Furthermore, aluminum seals that are cut into smaller segments are assembled in flanges and placed in heating chambers at temperatures ranging from 23°C to 150°C. After different periods of time from 3 days to 300 days the segments are taken out of the flanges and are investigated, thus giving information on different states of aging. Measurements of the development of the seal contact width and the aluminum jacket thickness are done with an optical microscope. Further investigations on the segments will include metallography and hardness measurements.
From the detailed material and component behavior including the results of the long-term seal force and useable resilience investigations a better understanding of the overall seal behavior can be gained. The aim is to contribute to the development of material models and analytical approaches for the prediction of the sealing behavior in dependence of time and temperature.
In Germany spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high level radioactive waste (HLW) are stored in interim storage containers with double lid systems. Those lids are equipped with metal seals (e.g. Helicoflex®) that ensure the safe enclosure of the inventory. Being licensed for up to 40 years of interim storage the evaluation of the long-term behavior of the seals is necessary, taking into account storage conditions, decay heat and possible mechanical loads.
Most additive manufacturing processes which produce dense ceramics are nowadays limited in size because of inevitable post-processing steps like for example binder removal in stereolithography. The additive manufacturing of voluminous ceramic parts is realized by powder bed based processes which, however, generate parts with residual porosity. Via infiltration these parts can be processed to dense parts like for example SiC but this is not possible for all ceramics like for example Si3N4. There is a lack of methods for the additive manufacturing of dense voluminous parts for most ceramics.
We have developed a new additive manufacturing technology, the Laser Induced Slip casting (LIS), based on the layerwise deposition of slurries and their local drying by laser radiation. Laser Induced Slip casting generates ceramic green bodies which can be sintered to dense ceramic components like traditional formed ceramic powder compacts. We will introduce the LIS technology, green bodies and sintered parts will be shown and their microstructure and mechanical properties will be discussed.
Most additive manufacturing processes which produce dense ceramics are nowadays limited in size because of inevitable post-processing steps like for example binder removal in stereolithography. The additive manufacturing of voluminous ceramic parts is realized by powder bed based processes which, however, generate parts with residual porosity. Via infiltration these parts can be processed to dense parts like for example SiC but this is not possible for all ceramics like for example Si3N4. There is a lack of methods for the additive manufacturing of dense voluminous parts for most ceramics.
We have developed a new additive manufacturing technology, the Laser Induced Slip casting (LIS), based on the layerwise deposition of slurries and their local drying by laser radiation. Laser Induced Slip casting generates ceramic green bodies which can be sintered to dense ceramic components like traditional formed ceramic powder compacts. We will introduce the LIS technology, green bodies and sintered parts will be shown and their microstructure and mechanical properties will be discussed.
Having been introduced almost two decades ago, Additive Manufacturing (AM) of metals has become industrially viable for a large variety of applications, including aerospace, automotive and medicine. Powder bed techniques such as Selective Laser Melting (SLM) based on layer-by-layer deposition and laser melt enable numerous degrees of freedom for the geometrical design. Developing during the manufacturing process, residual stresses may limit the application of SLM parts by reducing the load bearing capacity as well as induce unwanted distortion depending on the boundary conditions specified in manufacturing.
The residual stress distribution in IN718 elongated prisms produced by SLM was studied non-destructively by means of neutron (bulk) and laboratory X-ray (surface) diffraction. The samples with different scanning strategies, i.e. hatching length, were measured in as-build condition (on a build plate) and after removal from the build plate.
The absolute values of all stress components decreased after removal from the build plate. Together with surface scan utilizing a coordinate-measuring machine (CMM), it is possible to link the stress release to the sample distortion. Obtained results indicated different residual stress states for each of the transversal, longitudinal and normal component depending on the thermal gradient in the respective direction.
Having been introduced almost two decades ago, Additive Manufacturing (AM) of metals has become industrially viable for a large variety of applications, including aerospace, automotive and medicine. Powder bed techniques such as Selective Laser Melting (SLM) based on layer-by-layer deposition and laser melt enable numerous degrees of freedom for the geometrical design. Developing during the manufacturing process, residual stresses may limit the application of SLM parts by reducing the load bearing capacity as well as induce unwanted distortion depending on the boundary conditions specified in manufacturing.
The residual stress distribution in IN718 elongated prisms produced by SLM was studied non-destructively by means of neutron (bulk) and laboratory X-ray (surface) diffraction. The samples with different scanning strategies, i.e. hatching length, were measured in as-build condition (on a build plate) and after removal from the build plate.
The absolute values of all stress components decreased after removal from the build plate. Together with surface scan utilizing a coordinate-measuring machine (CMM), it is possible to link the stress release to the sample distortion. Obtained results indicated different residual stress states for each of the transversal, longitudinal and normal component depending on the thermal gradient in the respective direction.
The presence of water in the surrounding atmosphere of a propagating crack has a major influence on the subcritical crack growth. While these external phenomena are well understood, there is still a lack of knowledge on the influence of structurally bound water on crack propagation. Thus, our recent study aims on the analysis of crack propagation in water bearing soda-lime silicate glasses with up to 8 wt.% water. The samples were synthesized in an internally heated pressure vessel at 0.5 GPa. Since this preparation route limits the sample sizes, standard test geometries allowing for the determination of stress intensity factors, such as double cantilever beam, are not feasible. Thus, radial cracks in the hydrous glasses were initiated by Vickers indentation and crack growth was simultaneously captured with a camera system. An automated image analysis algorithm was used for the analysis of the crack length of each single video frame. To minimize influences by atmospheric water, all experiments were conducted in a glovebox purged with dry N2. About 150 cracks per glass composition were analyzed to provide statistical significance of the Vickers-induced SCCG. The results show that structurally bound water has a major influence on SCCG by means of crack lengths, growth rates and time of crack initiation.
Statistical analysis of Vickers induced subcritical crack growth in soda-lime silicate glasses
(2018)
Studies on Vickers induced subcritical crack growth are controversially discussed since the stresses that drive the crack growth are distributed three dimensionally within the material and cannot be retraced by available methods. Hence, empirical approaches are used to calculate mechanical material parameters such as the stress intensity factor KI. However, the results of these approaches show large deviations from those measured by standardized techniques such as double cantilever beam (DCB) or double cleavage drilled compression (DCDC). Yet, small specimen sizes and low specimen quantities can prevent the execution of DCB and DCDC measurements. Here we present an approach that is based on a statistical analysis of Vickers induced radial cracks. For this purpose more than 150 single radial cracks were analyzed. The cracks were generated in a commercial soda-lime silicate glass. The experiments were performed in a glovebox purged with dry nitrogen gas to minimize the influence of atmospheric water on crack growth. The temporally resolved evolution of the radial cracks was monitored in-situ using an inverted microscope equipped with a camera system directly below the Vickers indenter. An automated image analysis software was used to determine the crack length over time. The data show that the crack propagation and thereby the crack velocities are not uniformly but statistically distributed. These findings allow, using the statistical mean value of the distributions in combination with DCB data, a precise formulation of KI for each measured crack length.
Premature failure of glass under load is caused by sub-critical crack growth (SCCG) originate from microscopic flaws at the surface. While SCCG is related to the humidity of the ambient atmosphere, leading to stress corrosion phenomena at the crack tip, the detailed mechanism and the effect of different network formers are still not fully understood. For more clarity, various soda silicate glasses with a second network former were investigated by double cantilever beam technique: Na2O*Al2O3*SiO2 (NAS), Na2O*B2O3*SiO2 (NBS), Na2O*PbO*SiO2 (NPbS).
Three effects on the crack growth velocity, v, versus stress intensity, KI, curves were found out. The slope in region I, which is limited by corrosion, increases in the order NAS < NBS ≲ NPbS. The velocity range of region II reflecting the transition between corrosion effected and inert crack growth (region III), varies within one order of magnitude between the glasses. The KI region of inert crack growth strongly scatters between 0.4 and 0.9 MPam1/2. For comparison, crack growth at different humidity in commercial soda lime silicate glass (NCS) was measured.
The durability of concrete structures and its performance over the lifetime is strongly influenced by many interacting phenomena such as e.g. mechanical degradation due to fatigue loading, loss of prestress, degradation due to chemical reactions or creep and shrinkage. Failure due to cyclic loading is generally not instantaneous, but characterized by a steady damage accumulation.
Many constitutive models for concrete are currently available, which are applicable for specific loading regimes, different time scales and different resolution scales. A key limitation is that the models often 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.
The objective of this paper is the presentation of numerical methods for the simulation of concrete under fatigue loading using a temporal multiscale method.
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. 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 time integration schemes.
Dissolved water decisively influences numerous thermally activated relaxation phenomena in glasses like stress relaxation, sub-critical crack growth, internal friction, viscosity, sintering, and crystallization. Thermoanalytical methods can essentially help for better understanding of these phenomena. The lecture introduces the Vacuum Hot Extraction method (VHE) and illustrates its possibilities for measuring water content, degassing and mobility. As another thermoanalytical method, the Dynamic Mechanical Themoanalysis (DMA), allowing to study the effect of dissolved water on the internal friction in glasses, is introduced.
Glass powders are promising candidates for manufacturing a broad diversity of sintered materials like sintered glass-ceramics, glass matrix composites or glass bonded ceramics with tailored mechanical, thermal, electrical and optical properties and complex shape. Its wide and precise adjustability makes this class of materials a key component for advanced technologies. Processing of glass or composite powders often allow even more flexibility in materials design. At the same time, however, processing can have substantial effects on the glass powder surface and sinterability. Thus, mechanical damage and surface contamination can strongly enhance surface crystallization, which may retard or even fully prevent densification. Whereas sintering and concurrent crystallization have been widely studied, partially as cooperative effort of the TC7 of the ICG, and although glass powder sintering is predominantly applied for glasses of low crystallization tendency, sintering is also limited by gas bubble formation or foaming. The latter phenomenon is much less understood and can occur even for slow crystallizing glass powders. The lecture illustrates possible consequences of glass powder processing on glass sintering, crystallization and foaming.
Der Vortrag gibt eine Einführung in die Methode der Vakuumheißextraktion und beschreibt die Anwendungsmöglichkeiten der an der BAMN betriebenen Anlage.
The Ni-Cr-Mo-W alloy is characterized by the excellent high-temperature corrosion resistance, good strength and ability to work in aggressive environments. To protect the surface of the substrate 13CrMo4-5 steel against aggressive environments the Inconel 686 as clad layer was used. The corrosion process was performed in oxidizing mixture of gases like O2, COx, SOx. The second part of corrosion Experiment concerned the corrosion test of the coating in reducing atmosphere of the specified gases with ashes, which contained e.g. Na, Cl, Ca, Si, C, Fe, Al.
Up to now, the mechanisms of surface nucleation and surface-induced texture formation are far from being understood. Corresponding phenomena are discussed hypothetically or even controversial, and related studies are restricted to very few glasses. In this talk the state of the art on mechanisms of surface nucleation are summarized. On one hand, mechanical damaged surfaces show high nucleation activity, at which the nucleation occurs at convex tips and edges preferentially. On the other hand, solid foreign particles are dominant nucleation sites at low damaged surfaces. They enable nucleation at temperatures even far above Tg. The nucleation activity of the particles is substantially controlled by their thermal and chemical durability. But no systematic studies on initially oriented crystal growth or nucleation from defined active nucleation sites have been pursued, so far. Therefore, the main objective of a just started project is to advance the basic understanding of the mechanisms of surface-induced microstructure formation in glass ceramics. We shall answer the question whether preferred orientation of surface crystals is the result of oriented nucleation or caused by other orientation selection mechanisms acting during early crystal growth. In both cases, crystal orientation may be caused by the orientation of the glass surface itself or the anisotropy and orientation of active surface nucleation defects. As a first attempt we focused on possible reorientation of separately growing surface crystals during early crystal growth. First results show clear evidence that separately growing crystals can reorient themselves as they are going to impinge each other.
Sintered bioactive glass scaffolds of defined shape and porosity, e.g. made via additive manufacturing, must provide sufficient bioactivity and sinterability. As higher bioactivity is often linked to high corrosion and crystallization tendency, a certain compromise between sintering ability and bioactivity is therefore required. Groh et al. developed a fluoride-containing bioactive glass (F3), which allows fiber drawing and shows a bioactivity well comparable to that of Bioglass®45S5.
To study whether and to what extent the sinterability of F3 glass powder is controlled by particle size, coarse and fine F3 glass powders (300-310µm and 0-32µm) were prepared by crushing, sieving and milling. Sintering, degassing and phase transformation during heating were studied with heating microscopy, vacuum hot extraction (VHE), DTA, XRD, and SEM.
For the coarse glass powder, sintering proceeds slowly and is limited by surface crystallization of primary Na2CaSi2O6 crystals. Although the crystallization onset of Na2CaSi2O6 is shifted to lower temperature, full densification is attained for the fine powder. This finding indicate that certain porosity might be tuned via particle size variation. Above 900°C, intensive foaming is evident for the fine powder. VHE studies revealed that carbon species are the main foaming source.
Thermoelectric materials can convert waste heat directly into electrical power by using the Seebeck effect. Calcium cobaltite Ca3Co4O9 is a promising p-type oxide thermoelectric material for applications between 600 °C and 900 °C in air. The properties and morphology of Ca3Co4O9 are strongly anisotropic because of its crystal structure of alternating layers of CoO2 and Ca2CoO3. By aligning the plate-like grains, the anisotropic properties can be assigned to the component. Pressure-assisted sintering (PAS), as known from large-scale production of low temperature co-fired ceramics, was used to sinter multilayers of Ca3Co4O9 green tape at 900 °C with different pressures and dwell times. In-situ shrinkage measurements, microstructural investigations and electric measurements were performed. Pressure-less sintered multilayers have a 2.5 times higher electrical conductivity at room temperature than dry pressed test bars with randomly oriented particles. The combination of tape casting and PAS induces a pronounced alignment of the anisotropic grains. Relative density increases from 57 % after free sintering for 24 h to 94 % after 2 h of PAS with 10 MPa axial load. By applying a uniaxial pressure of 10 MPa during sintering, the electrical conductivity (at 25°C) improves by a factor of 15 compared to test bars with randomly oriented particles. The high temperature thermoelectric properties show the same dependencies. The smaller the applied axial load, the lower the relative densities, and the lower the electrical conductivity. Longer dwell times may increase the density and the electrical conductivity significantly if the microstructure is less densified as in the case of a small axial load like 2 MPa. At higher applied pressures the dwell time has no significant influence on the thermoelectric properties. This study shows that PAS is a proper technique to produce dense Ca3Co4O9 panels with good thermoelectric properties similar to hot-pressed tablets, even in large-scale production.
3D structural investigations are described by X-ray laminography studies of sandwich shell segments, made of a PVC foam core, covered by non-crimp fabric glass fibre composite lay-ups processed by vacuum assisted resin infusion of epoxy. The specific scope of this study is to image transversal flaws within the foam core (joints) and of single ply overlaps. Test flaws were purposely implemented in order to simulate typical failure under cyclic load. In a dedicated test rig for shell structures, the flaw evolution/propagation is monitored by thermography and optical 3D inspection of deformation. Due to the unfavourable preconditions for classical computed tomography as of large aspect ratio, the samples were investigated by coplanar translational laminography. Its limited range of observation angles of ± 45°, results in anisotropic artefacts about the normal to the sample surface, but the typical flaws are well visualized in the as-prepared state, in a state of early damage, and in the repaired state.
3D structural investigations are described by X-ray laminography studies of sandwich shell segments, made of a PVC foam core, covered by non-crimp fabric glass fibre composite lay-ups processed by vacuum assisted resin infusion of epoxy. The specific scope of this study is to image transversal flaws within the foam core (joints) and of single ply overlaps. Test flaws were purposely implemented in order to simulate typical failure under cyclic load. In a dedicated test rig for shell structures, the flaw evolution/propagation is monitored by thermography and optical 3D inspection of deformation. Due to the unfavourable preconditions for classical computed tomography as of large aspect ratio, the samples were investigated by coplanar translational laminography. Its limited range of observation angles of ± 45°, results in anisotropic artefacts about the normal to the sample surface, but the typical flaws are well visualized in the as-prepared state, in a state of early damage, and in the repaired state.
We investigated the effect of water vapor in the initial stages of SO2 corrosion of an Fe-9Cr-0.5Mn model alloy at 650 °C. Two separate experiments were run, one with 99.5%-Ar + 0.5%-SO2 and one with 69.5%-Ar + 0.5%-SO2 with 30%-H2O atmosphere. During the experiment the scale growth was observed in-situ, using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD). Our results confirm an increased speed of oxygen transport into the material, with the addition of water, while the transport of sulfur appears to be less affected.
Cyclic fatigue behavior of glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin at ambient and elevated temperatures
(2018)
The fatigue behavior of ±45° glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin under cyclic mechanical and constant thermal loading is investigated in this study. Tests at three different temperature levels in the range 296 K to 343 K have been performed in order to create S-N curves for each temperature level. The specimen damage is measured in-situ using optical grayscale analysis. The characteristic damage state (CDS) is evaluated for each specimen. It is shown that the point of CDS is suitable as a failure criterion to compare the resulting S-N curves. With micromechanical formulations, the temperature-dependent matrix effort is calculated for each stress-temperature level. In terms of matrix effort, the longest fatigue life is reached at high temperatures, while, in terms of stress, the lowest fatigue life is reached at the highest temperatures.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) of metals has become industrially viable for a large variety of applications, including aerospace, automotive and medicine. Powder bed techniques such as Selective Laser Melting (SLM) based on layer-by-layer deposition and laser melt enable numerous degrees of freedom for the geometrical design. Developing during the manufacturing process, residual stresses may limit the application of SLM parts by reducing the load bearing capacity as well as induce unwanted distortion depending on the boundary conditions specified in manufacturing.
The residual stress distribution in the bulk of IN718 elongated prisms produced by SLM was studied non-destructively by means of neutron diffraction. The samples with different scanning strategies, i.e. hatching length, were measured in as-build condition (on a build plate) and after removal from the build plate.
The absolute values of all stress components decreased after removal from the build plate. Together with surface scan utilizing a coordinate-measuring machine (CMM), it is possible to link the stress release to the sample distortion. Obtained results indicated different residual stress states for each of the transversal, longitudinal and normal component depending on the thermal gradient in the respective direction.
Cyclic fatigue behavior of glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin at ambient and elevated temperatures
(2018)
The fatigue behavior of ±45° glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin under cyclic mechanical and constant thermal loading is investigated in this study. Tests at three different temperature levels in the range 296 K to 343 K have been performed in order to create S-N curves for each temperature level. The specimen damage is measured in-situ using optical grayscale analysis. The characteristic damage state (CDS) is evaluated for each specimen. It is shown that the point of CDS is suitable as a failure criterion to compare the resulting S-N curves. With micromechanical formulations, the temperature-dependent matrix effort is calculated for each stress-temperature level. In terms of matrix effort, the longest fatigue life is reached at high temperatures, while, in terms of stress, the lowest fatigue life is reached at the highest temperatures.
Tooth wear induced by abrasive particles is a key process affecting dental function and life expectancy in mammals. Abrasive particles may be plant endogenous opal phytoliths, exogene wind-blown quartz dust or rain borne mineral particles ingested by mammals. Nano-indentation hardness of abrasive particles and dental tissues is a significant yet not fully established parameter of this tribological system. We provide consistent nano-indentation hardness data for some of the major antagonists in the dental tribosystem (tooth enamel, tooth dentine and opaline phytoliths from silica controlled cultivation). All indentation data were gathered from native tissues under stable and controlled conditions and thus maximize comparability to natural systems. Here we show that native (hydrated) wild boar enamel exceeds any hardness measures known for dry herbivore tooth enamel by at least 3 GPa. The native tooth enamel is not necessarily softer then environmental quartz grit, although there is little overlap. The native hardness of the tooth enamel exceeds that of any silica phytolith hardness recently published. Further, we find that native reed phytoliths equal native suine dentine in hardness, but does not exceed native suine enamel. We also find that native suine enamel is significantly harder than dry enamel and dry phytoliths are harder than native phytoliths. Our data challenge the claim that the culprit of tooth wear may be the food we chew, but suggest instead that wear may relates more to exogenous than endogenous abrasives.
The EC’s recommendation for a definition of nanomaterial (2011/696/EU) should allow the identification of a particulate nanomaterial based on the number-based metric criterion according to which at least 50% of the constituent particles have the smallest dimension between 1 and 100 nm. However, it has been recently demonstrated that the implementation of this definition for regulatory purposes is conditioned by the large deviations between the results obtained by different sizing methods or due to practical reasons such as high costs and time-consuming (SEM, TEM).
Within the European project NanoDefine (www.nanodefine.eu) a two-tier approach has been developed, whereby firstly a screening method is applied for the rough classification as a nano-/non-nanomaterial, and for borderline cases a confirmatory method (imaging methods or field flow fractionation) must be considered.
One of the measurement methods well suited to particulate powder is the determination of volume-specific surface area (VSSA) by means of gas adsorption as well as skeletal density. The value of 60 m2/cm3 corresponding to spherical, monodisperse particles with a diameter of 100 nm constitutes the threshold for decisioning if the material is a nano- or non-nanomaterial. The correct identification of a nanomaterial by VSSA method is accepted by the EU recommendation.
However, the application of the VSSA method is associated also by some limitations. The threshold of 60 m2/cm3 is dependent on the particle shape, so that it changes considerably with the number of nano-dimensions of the particles. For particles containing micro-pores or having a microporous coating false positive results will be produced. Furthermore, broad particle size distributions make necessary to adjust the threshold. Based on examples of commercially available ceramic powders, the applicability of the VSSA approach will be tested (in relation with SEM and TEM measurements) in order to expand the actual knowledge and to improve this good available and agglomeration tolerant method.
The EU recommendation for a definition of nanomaterial (2011/696/EU) should allow the identification of a particulate nanomaterial based on the number-based metric criterion according to which at least 50% of the constituent particles have the smallest dimension between 1 and 100 nm. Within the European Project NanoDefine (www.nanodefine.eu) a two-tier approach has been developed, whereby firstly a screening method is applied for the rough classification as a nanomaterial or non-nanomaterial, and for borderline cases a confirmatory method (imaging methods or field flow fractionation) must be considered.
One of the measurement methods well suited to particulate powder is the determination of volume-specific surface area (VSSA) by means of gas adsorption as well as skeletal density. The value of 60 m2/cm3 corresponding to spherical, monodisperse particles with a diameter of 100 nm constitutes the threshold for decisioning if the material is a nanomaterial or non-nanomaterial. The correct identification of a nanomaterial by VSSA method (positive test) is accepted by the EU recommendation.
However, the application of the VSSA method is associated also by some limitations. The threshold of 60 m2/cm3 is dependent on the particle shape. For particles containing micro-pores or having a microporous coating, false positive results will be produced.
Furthermore, broad particle size distributions – as typically for ceramic materials – as well as multi-modal size distributions make necessary to adjust the threshold.
Based on examples of commercially available ceramic powders, the applicability of the VSSA approach will be tested (in relation with SEM and TEM measurements) in order to expand the actual knowledge and
improve the method.
The reduction of harmful emissions to the environment is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. To achieve this goal, it is inevitable to shift from using fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Within this transition, hydrogen can play a key role serving as fuel in transportation and as means for energy storage.
The storage and transport of hydrogen using austenitic stainless steels as the infrastructure, as well as the use of these grades in hydrogen containing aggressive environments, remains problematic. The degradation of the mechanical properties and the possibility of phase transformation by ingress and accumulation of hydrogen are the main drawbacks. Advanced studies of the behaviour of hydrogen in austenite is necessary to fully understand the occurring damage processes. This knowledge is crucial for the safe use of components in industry and transportation facilities of hydrogen.
A powerful tool for depicting the distribution of hydrogen in steels, with high accuracy and resolution, is time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). We here present a comprehensive research on the hydrogen degradation processes in AISI 304L based on electrochemical charging and subsequent ToF-SIMS experiments. To obtain furthermore information about the structural composition and cracking behaviour, electron-backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed afterwards. All the gathered data was treated employing data fusion, thus creating a thorough portrait of hydrogen diffusion and its damaging effects in AISI 304L.
Specimens were charged with deuterium instead of hydrogen. This necessity stems from the difficulty to separate between artificially charged hydrogen and traces existing in the material or adsorbed from the rest gas in the analysis chamber. Similar diffusion and permeation behaviour, as well as solubility, allow nonetheless to draw onclusions from the experiments.
The presence, fate and effects of microplastics (MP) in terrestrial systems are largely unknown. The few existing studies investigated either agricultural or industrial sites. Several techniques were used for analysis, primarly spectroscopic methods such as FTIR or Raman. Sample pretreatments like density separations are common to reduce matrix. A lack of harmonised and standardised sampling instructions for microplastic investigations in the terrestrial area was identified as particular critical, because different studies are barely comparable.
The aim of the project is to develop a proposal for a harmonized procedure for sampling, sample preparation and the detection of microplastics in terrestrial matrices for total content determination. By detecting specific degradation products the thermal extraction desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TED-GC-MS) allows a direct determination of mass content of MP in environmental samples.
Advanced wastewater treatment with powdered activated carbon (PAC) leads to a spread of PAC into different purification stages of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) due to recirculation and filter back-wash. Currently, no methods for quantification of PAC in activated sludge are available. In this study, PAC containing activated sludge from four WWTP were examined by two-step thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with heating up to 600°C in N2 and subsequently in synthetic air. Direct quantification of PAC according to temperature specific weight losses was possible for one WWTP. Quantification by combining specific mass losses was found to be an alternative direct method, with a detection limit of 1.2% PAC in dry sample mass.
Additionally, evolved gas analysis (EGA) by infrared-spectroscopy (FTIR) during TGA revealed interaction mechanisms between PAC and activated sludge. Aliphatic compounds from activated sludge were identified as major substances influenced by PAC. In derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), a typical double peak at approximately 300°C was found to be related to carbonylic species with increased evolution of acetic acid in aged activated sludge. TGA and EGA are promising tools to understand, control and optimise the application of PAC in advanced wastewater treatment.
The presence of large quantities of plastic waste and its fragmentation in various environmental compartments are an important subject of current research. In the environment, (photo ) oxidation processes and mechanical abrasion lead to the formation of microplastics. However, until now, there are no established quality assurance concepts for the analysis of microplastic (<5 mm) in environmental compartments, including sampling, processing and analysis.
The aim of the present work is the development of suitable examination methods and protocols (sampling, sample preparation and detection) to qualify and quantify microplastic in urbane water management systems. At first a fractional filtration system for sampling and the analytical tool, the so-called TED-GC-MS (thermal desorption gas chromatography mass spectrometry) were developed. The TED-GC-MS method is a two-step analytical procedure which consists of a thermal extraction where the sample is annealed and characteristic decomposition products of the polymers are collected on a solid phase. Afterwards these products are analysed using GC-MS. The developed fractional filtration for sampling and the TED-GC-MS for detection were used for quantitative analysis to screen the waste water influent and effluent of a Berlin waste water treatment plant for the most relevant polymers, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide (PA).
The results of the study revealed that the polymeres PE, PS and PP were detected in the effluent, and PE and PS were find in the raw waste water of the sewage treatment plant in Ruhleben, Berlin. Differences in polymer types and amounts were detected at different sampling dates and within different sieve fractions. Much higher amounts of polymers were observed in the raw waste water. The peak areas of the decomposition products, used for quantification of the polymers, were adjusted using so-called response factors since the TED-GC-MS method is more sensitive for PP and PS than for PE. It has been shown that PE is the most dominant polymer in the samples. Comparing the masses of polymers in the effluent and in the raw sewage, a removal of 99 % of the polymers in the water treatment plant can be assumed. These results are consistent with the literature where removal rates between 98-99 % were described.
The sliding behavior of an amorphous silica sample between two rigid surfaces is in the focus of the present paper. Molecular Dynamics using a classical Tersoff’s potential and a recently developed ReaxFF potential was applied for simulating sliding within a thin film corresponding to a tribofilm formed from silica nanoparticles. The simulations were performed at different temperatures corresponding to moderate and severe tribological stressing conditions. Simulations with both potentials revealed the need of considering different temperatures in order to obtain a sound interpretation of experimental findings. The results show the striking differences between the two potentials not only in terms of magnitude of the resistance stress (about one order of magnitude) but also in terms of friction mechanisms. The expected smooth sliding regime under high temperature conditions was predicted by both simulations, although with Tersoff’s potential smooth sliding was obtained only at the highest temperature. On the other hand, at room temperature Tersoff-style calculations demonstrate stick-slip behavior, which corresponds qualitatively with our experimental findings. Nevertheless, comparison with a macroscopic coefficient of friction is not possible because simulated resistance stresses do not depend on the applied normal pressure.
In this work, the focus was set on the corrosion process of condensate as drops on the surface of carbon steels (X52, X70), martensitic steel UNS S41500, and superaustenite UNS 08031 in CO2 atmosphere with impurities at 278 K (to simulate the transportation condition in a buried pipeline). Exposure tests were performed at both normal pressure and high pressure where CO2 is supercritical or in dense phase. The drop, 1 ‑ 10 µL in volume, was prepared by dropping CO2 saturated ultra-pure water onto the surface of steel coupons in a one-liter-autoclave. The CO2 gas stream, simulating the oxyfuel flue gas with varying concentration of impurities (SO2 and O2), was then pumped into the autoclave to observe the condensation and corrosion impacts of impurities. Comparable exposure tests were carried out with the same gas mixture and the same volume of water as vapor to observe the drop formation and the corrosion process that follows. The wettability and stability of drops on the surface of steel coupons in CO2 supercritical/dense phase environment was evaluated additionally by contact angle measurement.
In this work, the focus was set on the corrosion process of condensate as drops on the surface of carbon steels (X52, X70), martensitic steel UNS S41500, and superaustenite UNS N08031 in CO2 atmosphere with impurities at 278 K (to simulate the transportation condition in a buried pipeline). Exposure tests were performed at both normal pressure and high pressure where CO2 is supercritical or in dense phase. The drop, 1 ‑ 10 μL in volume, was prepared by dropping CO2 saturated ultra-pure water onto the surface of steel coupons in a one-liter-autoclave. The CO2 gas stream, simulating the oxyfuel flue gas with varying concentration of impurities (SO2 and O2 ), was then pumped into the autoclave to observe the condensation and corrosion impacts of impurities. Comparable exposure tests were carried out with the same gas mixture and the same volume of water as vapor to observe the drop formation and the corrosion process that follows. The wettability and stability of drops on the surface of steel coupons in CO2 supercritical/dense phase environment was evaluated additionally by contact angle measurement.
Lowering the sintering temperature of calcium manganate CaMnO3 for thermoelectric applications
(2018)
Thermoelectric materials can convert waste heat directly into electrical power by utilizing the Seebeck effect. Calcium cobaltite (p-type) and calcium manganate (n-type) are two of the most promising oxide thermoelectric materials. The development of cost-effective multilayer thermoelectric generators requires the co-firing of these materials and therefore the adjustment of sintering temperatures. Calcium manganate is conventionally sintered between 1200 °C and 1350 °C. Calcium cobaltite exhibits an undesired phase transition at 926 °C but can be sintered to high relative density of 95 % at 900 °C under axial pressure of 7.5 MPa. Hence, co-firing at 900 °C would be favourable. Therefore, strategies for lowering the sintering temperature of calcium manganate have been investigated. Basically, two approaches are common: i) addition of low melting additives like Bi2O3-ZnO-B2O3-SiO2 (BBSZ) glass or Bi2O3, and ii) addition of additives that form low-melting eutectics with the base material, for example CuO. In this study, several low melting additives including BBSZ glass and Bi2O3, as well as CuO were tested regarding their effect on calcium manganate densification. Bi2O3 did not improve the densification, whereas BBSZ glass led to 10 % higher relative density at 1200 °C. An addition of 4 wt% CuO decreases the temperature of maximum sinter rate from above 1200 °C to 1040 °C. By reducing the particle size of the raw materials from 2 μm to 0.7 μm the maximum sinter rate could be further shifted 20 K towards lower temperatures and the sinter begin decreased from 920 °C to 740 °C. It is shown that eutectic phase formation is more effective in lowering sintering temperature and accelerating densification than low-melting additives.
This work examined the droplet corrosion of CO2 pipeline steels caused by impurities in CO2 supercritical/dense phase at 278 K, simulating the underground transport condition. The wetting properties of carbon steels (X52 and X70) as well as martensitic steel UNS S41500, and superaustenite UNS N08031 were studied by contact angle measurement, revealing reactive wetting behavior of carbon steels. Exposure tests with CO2 saturated water droplet on steel surface showed that the impurities (220 ppmv SO2 and 6700 ppmv O2) diffused into the droplet and then reacted with metal coupons in supercritical/dense phase condition, forming the corrosion product instantly during pumping process. Due to the active wetting behavior, the carbon steels suffered from heavily attack, while negligible corrosion product was observed in cases of martensitic steel UNS S41500 and superaustenite UNS 08031 coupons. Condensation experiments that were carried out on fresh polished coupons in CO2 with 1200 ppmv H2O showed that the formation and aggregation of droplet is dependent on the presence of impurities. Without SO2 and O2, the same concentration of H2O did not cause observable corrosion process after a week of exposure. With 220 ppmv SO2 and 6700 ppmv O2 even low water concentration (5-30 ppmv) still resulted in heterogeneous nucleation and subsequent growth of droplets, leading to corrosive process on carbon steel surface albeit to a lesser extent.
In this work, the focus was set on the corrosion process of condensate as drops on the surface of carbon steels (X52, X70), martensitic steel UNS S41500, and superaustenite UNS 08031 in CO2 atmosphere with impurities at 278 K (to simulate the transportation condition in a buried pipeline). Exposure tests were performed at both normal pressure and high pressure where CO2 is supercritical or in dense phase. The drop, 1 ‑ 10 µL in volume, was prepared by dropping CO2 saturated ultra-pure water onto the surface of steel coupons in a one-liter-autoclave. The CO2 gas stream, simulating the oxyfuel flue gas with varying concentration of impurities (SO2 and O2), was then pumped into the autoclave to observe the condensation and corrosion impacts of impurities. Comparable exposure tests were carried out with the same gas mixture and the same volume of water as vapor to observe the drop formation and the corrosion process that follows. The wettability and stability of drops on the surface of steel coupons in CO2 supercritical/dense phase environment was evaluated additionally by contact angle measurement.
Today, more than 12% of the primary energy is lost in the form of waste heat. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) can convert waste heat directly into electrical power by utilizing the Seebeck effect. The performance of such a generator is defined by a dimensionless figure of merit ZT of the thermoelectric pairs and the resistance R of the metallic contacts between these pairs. The figure of merit of thermoelectric oxides is considerably smaller compared to semiconductors. Still, thermoelectric oxides like calcium cobaltite (Ca3Co4O9) are attractive for applications at elevated temperatures in air. In contrast to the established π-type architecture of common TEGs, tape casting and multilayer technology may be applied for cost-effective manufacturing of oxide TEGs. Promising demonstrations of multilayer TEGs have been published in the last years. Still, the development of reliable and scalable manufacturing processes and proper material combinations is necessary. The aim of our project is to evaluate the feasibility of low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) technology for a practical manufacturing of oxide multilayer TEGs of Ca3Co4O9 (p-type) and calcium manganate (CaMnO3, n-type). Ca3Co4O9 exhibits an undesired phase decomposition at 926 °C. Because of that, the application of sintering strategies and interconnect concepts well known from LTCC technology is a promising approach. We present results of pressure-assisted sintering of Ca3Co4O9 multilayer at 900 °C and axial pressures of up to 7.5 MPa. Ca3Co4O9 was produced by solid state reaction of CaCO3 and cobalt(II,III)oxide at 900 °C. Green tapes were prepared by a doctor-blade process, manually stacked and laminated by uniaxial thermocompression. Sintering was conducted in a LTCC sintering press between SiC setter plates. The thickness shrinkage was recorded by an in-situ technique. After sintering under 7.5 MPa, the microstructure of the single phase material shows a high density of 95 % and an advantageous alignment of the platelet grains. This results in good electrical conductivity and a comparatively high ZT of 0.018 at room temperature. However, the lowering of CaMnO3 sintering temperature from above 1200 °C to below 920 °C remains a challenge. To select a proper metal paste for interconnections of an oxide TEG, several pastes have been investigated regarding contact resistance of internal and external (soldered) connections in a preliminary study. Commercial pastes containing Ag, Au, Au/Pt, Ag/Pd, and Ag/Pd/Bi were manually applied and post-fired on sintered test bars of Ca3Co4O9 and CaMnO3 at 900 °C for 2 h. All tested pastes formed mechanically stable metallization after firing. For resistance measurement, 4-wire method and a custom-made probe head were used. The contacts on Ca3Co4O9 exhibit significantly (2-sample t-test, α = 5%) higher resistance compared to contacts on CaMnO3. Pure silver paste exhibits the lowest resistance for internal contacts on both materials, lower than 5 mΩ on CaMnO3. Ag/Pd/Bi paste resulted in conspicuously high variance of resistance. EDX analyses clarified an enrichment of Bi in the thermoelectric material near the interface and thereby the formation of an oxide layer with probably high electrical resistance. The thickness of that layer varies with the thickness of metallization. In conclusion, the use of Bi containing pastes is not advisable. Pure Ag paste shows the best results regarding resistance and solderability.
Wood treated with nano metal fluorides is found to resist fungal decay. Sol−gel synthesis was used to synthesize MgF2 and CaF2 nanoparticles. Electron microscopy images confirmed the localization of MgF2 and CaF2 nanoparticles in wood. Efficacy of nano metal fluoride-treated wood was tested against brown-rot fungi Coniophora puteana and Rhodonia placenta. Untreated wood specimens had higher
mass losses (∼30%) compared to treated specimens, which had average mass loss of 2% against C. puteana and 14% against R. placenta, respectively. Nano metal fluorides provide a viable alternative to current wood preservatives.
Helical springs with a rectangular cross-section have been machined from sintered and grinded hollow cylinders with high geometrical precision and good reproducibility. Such springs made from tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (TZP) ceramic show excellent edge quality because of high fracture toughness and bending strength of the starting material. Hence, springs with desired geometric dimension and tailored spring constant can be manufactured for highly demanding applications at high temperatures and in harsh environments.
Prior to any practical use, application limits of springs under mechanical and thermal load have to be analyzed. Therefore, different displacement experiments were carried out on the helical TZP springs.
- Dynamic displacement tests at various temperatures from -15°C to +60°C using a piezo actor to load/unload springs with frequencies between 1 and 40 Hz: Springs remained undamaged and the spring constants were not altered, even after more than one million cycles of compression loading.
- Long-time displacement measurements under static tensile loading at room temperature with a high-precision interferometer test facility: Significant spring elongation under constant strain was surprisingly proved over a period of many hours already at room temperature.
- Creeping experiments for 48 h under static compression load at different temperatures up to 1000 °C: After cooling down and load removing no permanent length reduction of springs was observed for test temperatures up to 700 °C. However, reshaping of TZP springs by plastic deformation is possible at higher temperatures and opens up additional possibilities for spring design and manufacturing.
Dry pressing of ceramic materials requires homogeneously soft granules with good flowability to allow rapid die filling and to avoid packing defects. Spray-drying granulation appears to be the best method for obtaining granules with high flowability in industrial scale. But, strength reducing internal microstructural defects caused by spray-dried granules with hollow and hard shells are often observed using nano and/or multi-component starting powders.
Using the example of a ZTA composite, the potential of slurry optimization, ultrasound atomization and infrared drying for better granule properties and compaction behavior were investigated. Starting granules produced in a conventional spray dryer (Niro, Denmark) with a two fluid nozzle showed typical defects like large central pores and dimples.
The early step of slurry preparation already possesses an essential optimization possibility in the form of stability adjustments. Granule compaction was clearly improved upon a specific reduction in slurry stability. The second optimization opportunity to improve the granule quality was the atomization step. Implementation of an ultrasound atomizing unit into the conventional spray dryer positively affected granule size distribution and therefor flowability and as well granule yield. But, a combination of both process optimizations delivered the best sinter bodies with highest density and strength due to further reduction in maximum size and fraction of pores.
As last step of a spray drying process, the drying is the focus of further investigations. A current setup implying a spray dryer prototype utilizes stacked infrared heater in a countercurrent setup delivering a further increase in granule yield and enduring spraying process stability.
Influence of deposition hatch length on residual stress in selective laser melted Inconel 718
(2018)
The present study aims to evaluate the bulk residual stresses in SLM parts by using neutron diffraction measurements performed at E3 line -BER II neutron reactor- of Helmholtz-Zentrum für Materialien und Energie (HZB) Berlin. Together with microstructure characterization and distortion measurements, it is possible to describe the stress state throughout the whole sample. The sample was measured in as-build condition (on a build plate) and after releasing from the build plate. The used material is the nickel based superalloy 718. This alloy is widely used in aerospace and chemical industries due to its superior corrosion and heat resistant properties.
Obtained results indicated different residual stress states for each of the transversal, longitudinal and normal component. The normal and transversal component exhibits a rather compressive behavior while the longitudinal was tensile in the center part of the sample and became compressive towards the tip. As expected, the absolute values of all stress components decreased after releasing the sample from the building plate. A surface scan utilizing a coordinate-measuring machine (CMM) allowed us to present top surface distortion before and after releasing. The top surface showed a distortion around ±80µm after releasing. Microstructure evolution in the scanning-building cross-section is largely dominated by columnar grains. In addition, many small random orientated grains are prominent in the regions of a laser overlap during SLM.
In summary, for the sample of superalloy 718 manufactured by SLM, a small distortion occurred when removing the sample from the build plate whereby the residual stress state decreases. Moreover, the observed columnar grains in the building direction could give a reason for the lowest stress values in that normal direction. However, the most important parameter controlling the residual stresses is the temperature gradient. Hence, future investigations are planned for a different scan strategy to distribute the laser impact in a more homogenous manner.
Dielectric strength testing of ceramics is simple and yet challenging. The execution of a breakthrough voltage measurement of a given sample is fast and straightforward. ASTM D149 describes the standardized procedure. But, there are versatile effects of test conditions and sample properties that affect the result of such a measurement. As one example, ASTM D149 allows different sizes of test electrodes and does not unambiguously prescribe the condition of the electrodes. Thus, different electrode configurations are used in the field. We conducted several test series on alumina samples to comprehensively quantify the effect of test conditions and sample properties on dielectric strength results. In our study, testing of alumina substrates using different electrode configurations resulted in differences of mean values of up to 20%. Further test series on alumina focused on the effect of voltage ramp rate. The results are complemented by calculations of failure probability at different voltage levels and corresponding withstand voltage tests. We conclude that a communication and comparison of single dielectric strength values is insufficient and may be misleading. A meaningful comparison of dielectric strength studies from different sources requires a thorough consideration of test conditions.
As the well-known damage mechanisms slow crack growth (SCG) and environmental stress cracking (ESC) are the major causes for possible failure of polyolefin-based materials, especially for PE-HD, they are highly relevant and need to be considered thoroughly. Furthermore, due to slight but perceptible differences in damaging effect, a differentiation between SCG and ESC is expedient. SCG appears in “inert” or “neutral” media without a decisive influence of the surrounding medium whereas ESC occurs in “active” media, which influence the failure behavior and time to failure crucially.
To characterize the inherent resistance of the material against those damage mechanisms, the well-established Full-Notch Creep Test (FNCT) is used. In this study, the FNCT – usually applied according to ISO 16770 [3] using a few universal model liquid media and mainly for pipe materials – is extended by investigations with appropriate parameters of selected relevant PE-HD container materials also in real media, such as the topical fuels diesel and biodiesel. The investigations were performed using a novel FNCT-device with 12 individual sub-stations, each equipped with individual electronic stress and temperature control and continuous online monitoring of the specimen elongation.
Especially, mechanical stress and temperature were varied systematically during FNCT and time to failure values, time-dependent elongation data as well as detailed fracture surface analysis by laser scanning microscopy (LSM) were combined for the first time (Fig. 1). Particularly, the fracture surface analysis provides a sound basis to characterize failure behavior, mainly regarding the balance between brittle crack propagation and ductile deformation. Therefore, fracture surface analysis is an essential tool for a decent assessment of SCG and ESC by FNCT measurements.
In order to observe the effect of the aggregate phases between 2 mm and 16 mm without overlap with rheological effects induced by the cement hy-dration and without interactions with a threshold fine sand particle size that affects both, paste and aggregates, rheological experiments were conducted on a limestone filler based paste mixed with aggregates up to 16 mm. Vari-ous aggregate fractions were blended and mixed with the replacement paste in different volumetric ratios.
The dry aggregates’ flow coefficients were determined and compared to yield stress and plastic viscosity values at different aggregate volume fractions. The results indicated that the flow coefficient is not a suitable parameter to predict the performance of the aggregates in the paste. It was shown that the yield stress of pastes is largely determined by the blend of different aggregate fractions, while the plastic viscosity to large extend depends upon the coars-est aggregate fraction.
Based on the results, ideal aggregate composition ranges for minimised yield stress are presented. For the plastic viscosity no such grading curves to achieve minimum values could be found, but high viscosity curves are identified.
Performing mechanical tests at high temperatures is a nontrivial issue: Compared to room temperature testing, additional phenomena like time-dependent Deformation processes and oxidation effects raise the complexity of the material’s response, while more sophisticated test setups and additional control parameters increase the number of potential sources of error. To a large extent, these complications can be overcome by carefully following all recommendations given in the respective high temperature testing standards, but more comprehensive background information helps to identify points of specific importance in particular test campaigns. In this chapter, an overview is given on general high temperature testing issues like the appropriate choice of experimental equipment and key aspects of temperature measurement. In subsequent sections, the major static and dynamic high temperature test methods are reviewed and their Special features, as compared to testing at room temperature, are highlighted based on example data sets. Influences of specimen size and environmental effects are shortly outlined in a concluding section. In the whole chapter, a focus is set on testing of “classical” metallic high temperature materials, but many considerations are equally valid for testing of intermetallics, composites, and high temperature ceramics.
The possibility to produce dense monolithic ceramic parts with additive manufacturing is at the moment restricted to small parts with low wall thickness. Up to now, the additive manufacturing of voluminous ceramic parts is realized by powder bed based processes which, however, generate parts with residual porosity. Via infiltration these parts can be processed to dense parts like for example SiC but this is not possible for all ceramics like for example Si3N4. There is a lack of methods for the additive manufacturing of dense voluminous parts for most ceramics.
We have developed a new additive manufacturing technology, the Laser Induced Slip casting (LIS), based on the layerwise deposition of slurries and their local drying by laser radiation. Laser Induced Slip casting generates ceramic green bodies which can be sintered to dense ceramic components like traditional formed ceramic powder compacts. We will introduce the LIS technology, green bodies and sintered parts will be shown and their microstructure and mechanical properties will be discussed.
Powder based Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes are widely used for metallic and polymeric materials, but rarely commercially used for ceramic materials, especially for technical ceramics. This seemingly contradicting observation is explained by the fact that in powder based AM, a dry flowable powder needs to be used. Technical ceramics powders are in fact typically very fine and poorly flowable, which makes them not suitable for AM. The layerwise slurry deposition (LSD) is an innovative process for the deposition of powder layers with a high packing density for powder based AM. In the LSD process, a ceramic slurry is deposited to form thin powder layers, rather than using a dry powder This allows the use of fine powders and achieves high packing density (55-60%) in the layers after drying. When coupled with a printing head or with a laser source, the LSD enables novel AM technologies which are similar to *Denotes Presenter 42nd International Conference & Exposition on Advanced Ceramics & Composites 127 Abstracts the 3D printing or selective laser sintering, but taking advantage of having a highly dense powder bed. The LSD -3D printing, in particular, offers the potential of producing large (> 100 mm) and high quality ceramic parts, with microstructure and properties similar to traditional processing. This presentation will give an overview of the milestones in the development of this technology, with focus on the latest results applied both to silicate and to technical ceramics.
An improved diffusion model is proposed for pore annihilation during HIP of single-crystal nickel-base superalloys. The model assumes the pore dissolution by emission of vacancies and their sink to the low angle boundaries. Calculation, considering distribution of the pore sizes, predicts the kinetics of pore annihilation similar to the experimental one.