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Metallic glasses (MGs) are disordered solids that exhibit a range of outstanding mechanical, thermomechanical, and functional properties. Whilst being a promising class of structural materials, well-defined and exploitable structure-property relationships are still lacking. This offsets them strongly from the crystalline counterparts, for which length-scale based property determination has been key for decades.
In recent years, both atomistic simulations and experiments have nurtured the view of heterogeneities that manifest themselves either as a structural partitioning into well-relaxed percolated network components and more frustrated domains in atomistic simulations, or as spatially-resolved property fluctuations revealed with atomic force microscopy. These signatures depend sensitively on the processing history and likely reflect emerging medium-range order fluctuations at the scale of 1-10 nanometers.
Here we demonstrate and discuss the emergence of spatially resolved property fluctuations at length scales that are one to two orders of magnitude larger. Such long-range decorrelation length scales are hard to reconcile in a monolithic glass but may offer the perspective of experimentally easy-to-access length-scale based structure-property relationships. Whilst long-range property fluctuations can be seen in both the plastic and elastic response, we focus here on high-throughput elastic nanoindentation mapping across the surface of a Zr-based model glass. After a deconvolution of surface topography and curvature effects, the spatially-resolved elastic response reveals an elastic microstructure with a correlation length of ca. 150-170 nm. Analytical scanning-transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is used to link the elastic property fluctuations to the chemistry and structure of the MG. In concert, nano-elastic mapping and STEM suggests that structural variations in the glass are responsible for the unexpectedly large length scales. We discuss these findings in terms of the materials processing history and the perspective of exploiting nanoindentation-based spatial mapping to uncover structural length scales in atomically disordered solids.
AbstractTwo‐photon polymerization (2PP) additive manufacturing (AM) utilizes feedstocks of ceramic nanoparticles of a few nanometers in diameter, enabling the fabrication of highly accurate technical ceramic design with structural details as small as 500 nm. The performance of these materials is expected to differ from conventional AM ceramics, as nanoparticles and three‐dimensional printing at high resolution introduce new microstructural aspects. This study applies 2PP‐AM of yttria‐stabilized zirconia to investigate the mechanical response behavior under compressive load, probing the influence of smallest structural units induced by the line packing during the printing process, design of sintered microblocks, and sintering temperature and thereby microstructure. We find a dissipative mechanical response enhanced by sintering at lower temperatures than conventional. The pursued 2PP‐AM approach yields a microstructured material with an increased number of grain boundaries that proposedly play a major role in facilitating energy dissipation within the here printed ceramic material. This microplastic response is further triggered by the filigree structures induced by hollow line packing at the order of the critical defect size of ceramics. Together, these unique aspects made accessible by the 2PP‐AM approach contribute to a heterogeneous nano‐ and microstructure, and hint toward opportunities for tailoring the mechanical response in future ceramic applications.
Due to the advantages of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB), i.e., design freedom and the possibility to manufacture parts with filigree structures, and the considerable amount of knowledge available for 316L in its conventional variant, the mechanical behavior, and related microstructure-property relationships of PBF-LB/316L are increasingly subject of research. However, many aspects regarding the - application-relevant - mechanical behavior at high temperatures are not yet fully understood. Here, we present the results of an experimental study on the LCF behavior of PBF-LB/316L featuring a low defect population, which makes this study more microstructure-focused than most of the studies in the literature. The LCF tests were performed between room temperature (RT) and 600 °C. The mechanical response is characterized by strain-life curves, and hysteresis and cyclic deformation curves. The damage and deformation mechanisms are studied with X-ray computed tomography, and optical and electron microscopy. The PBF-LB/M/316L was heat treated at 450 °C for 4 h, and a hot‑rolled (HR) 316L variant with a fully recrystallized equiaxed microstructure was tested as a reference. Besides, selected investigations were performed after a subsequent heat treatment at 900 °C for 1 h. The PBF-LB/316L exhibits higher cyclic stresses than HR/316L for most of the fatigue life, especially at room temperature. At the smallest strain amplitudes, the fatigue lives of PBF-LB/M/316L are markedly shorter than in HR/316L. The main damage mechanisms are multiple cracking at slip bands (RT) and intergranular cracking (600 °C). Neither the melt pool boundaries nor the gas porosity have a significant influence on the LCF damage mechanism. The cyclic stress-strain deformation behavior of PBF-LB/M/316L features an initial hardening followed by a continuous softening. The additional heat treatment at 900 °C for 1 h led to decreased cyclic stresses, and a longer fatigue life.
Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) of AISI 316L stainless steel has gained popularity due to its exceptional capacity to produce complex geometries and hierarchical microstructures, which can increase the yield strength while maintaining good ductility. Nevertheless, owing to high thermal gradients encountered during the process, the as printed 316L stainless steel often exhibit microstructural heterogeneities and residual stresses, which can limit its performance in demanding environments. Hence, employing heat treatments which balance the reduction of residual stresses while retaining improved static strength may be beneficial in various scenarios and applications. This study investigates the impact of post-processing heat treatments on the microstructure of 316L stainless steel manufactured via PBF-LB/M, along with its correlation with micro-hardness properties. To this end, 6 different heat treatments, i.e., 450 °C for 4h, 700 °C for 1h, 700 °C for 3h, 800 °C for 1h, 800 °C for 3h, and 900 °C for 1h, were applied to different specimens and Vickers hardness measurements (HV1) were performed in all states. At 800 °C, although the cellular structure appears to be retained, there is an observable increase in cellular size. However, while treatments exceeding 900 °C indicate no significant grain growth compared to other conditions, the cellular structure is entirely dissolved, which leads to a reduced Vickers hardness. The effect of the heat treatments on other microstructural features such as grain size and morphology, melt pool boundaries (MPB), crystallographic texture, chemical segregation, dispersoids and phase stability are also discussed in the present work
The damage mechanisms of metallic components produced by process laser powder bed fusion differ significantly from those typically observed in conventionally manufactured variants of the same alloy. This is due to the unique microstructures of additively manufactured materials. Herein, the focus is on the study of the evolution of creep damage in stainless steel 316L specimens produced by laser powder bed fusion. X-ray computed tomography is used to unravel the influence of the process-specific microstructure from the influence of the initial void distribution on creep damage mechanisms. The void distribution of two specimens tested at 600 °C and 650 °C is analyzed before a creep test, after an interruption, and after fracture. The results indicate that the formation of damage is not connected to the initial void distribution. Instead, damage accumulation at grain boundaries resulting from intergranular cracking is observed.
Laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) of metallic alloys is a layer-wise additive manufacturing process that provides significant scope for more efficient designs of components, benefiting performance and weight, leading to efficiency improvements for various sectors of industry. However, to benefit from these design freedoms, knowledge of the high produced induced residual stress and mechanical property anisotropy associated with the unique microstructures is critical. X-ray and neutron diffraction are considered the benchmark for non-destructive characterization of surface and bulk internal residual stress. The latter, characterized by the high penetration power in most engineering alloys, allows for the use of a diffraction angle close to 90° enabling a near cubic sampling volume to be specified. However, the complex microstructures of columnar growth with inherent crystallographic texture typically produced during PBF-LB/M of metallics present significant challenges to the assumptions typically required for time efficient determination of residual stress. These challenges include the selection of an appropriate set of diffraction elastic constants and a representative lattice plane suitable for residual stress analysis. In this contribution, the selection of a suitable lattice plane family for residual stress analysis is explored. Furthermore, the determination of an appropriate set of diffraction and single-crystal elastic constants depending on the underlying microstructure is addressed.
In-situ loading experiments have been performed at the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source with the main scope to study the deformation behaviour of laser powder bed fused Inconel 718. Cylindrical tensile bars have been subjected to an increasing mechanical load. At pre-defined steps, neutron diffraction data has been collected. After reaching the yield limit, unloads have been performed to study the accumulation of intergranular strain among various lattice plane families.
Quantitative microstructural analysis of XCT 3D images is key for quality assurance of materials and components. In this paper we implement a Graph Convolutional Neural Network (GCNN) architecture to segment a complex Al-Si Metal Matrix composite XCT volume (3D image). We train the model on a synthetic dataset and we assess its performance on both synthetic and experimental, manually-labeled, datasets. Our simple GCNN shows a comparable performance, measured via the Dice score, to more standard machine learning methods, but uses a greatly reduced number of parameters (less than 1/10 of parameters), features low training time, and needs little hardware resources. Our GCNN thus achieves a cost-effective reliable segmentation.
Unlike conventional alloys, which typically consist of one main element, high-entropy alloys (HEAs) contain five or more principal elements, which broaden chemical complexity and with it a realm of synergistic mechanisms. The AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr HEA initiated a subclass of Al-containing refractory (r)HEAs that has recently drawn attention [2]. The alloy has a superalloy-resembling B2/bcc nanostructure, which inspired its name refractory high entropy superalloy (RSA). With high-temperature (HT) compressive strengths beyond conventional Ni-based superalloys, this nanostructure could be used for improved HT structural applications. However, in the application-relevant HT regime the Al-Zr-rich B2 phase decomposes to form a hexagonal Al-Zr-based intermetallic (Al4-xZr5; x: 0..1) [3,4]. This work explores the fascinating yet fatal micromechanisms associated to this phase transformation, in the context of creep, annealing and oxidation experiments performed between 800 and 1200 °C.
The material was produced by arc-melting and heat treatment in argon, which lead to grain boundaries decorated with up to 7%. Interrupted constant-load creep tests were performed under vacuum (at 10-4 Pa), at 900–1100 °C with external tensile stresses of 30–120 MPa. Oxidation experiments were separately conducted for 24 hours at 800 and 1000 °C in both dry (21% O2 + 79% N2) and humid (8% O2 + 74% N2 + 18% H2O) air. After the experiments, the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy to reveal degradation mechanisms. Crystallographic texture, orientation relationships and stabilization of an oxygen-containing iso structure (Al4-xZr5(Ox-y); y: 0..x) of the Al-Zr-rich intermetallic are found and discussed.
Die additive Fertigung (AM) metallischer Werkstoffe ist eine Technologie, die zunehmend Gegenstand von Forschungsaktivitäten und industrieller Anwendung ist. Dennoch steht sie noch vor Herausforderungen, um eine breite Nutzung in sicherheitsrelevanten Anwendungen zu erreichen. Die Hauptgründe für die Verzögerung des technologischen Durchbruchs zugunsten von AM-Metallen gegenüber konventionell hergestellten Varianten sind das Fehlen eines tieferen Verständnisses der Prozess-Struktur-Eigenschafts-Beziehungen und die begrenzte Verfügbarkeit von Daten zu den Materialeigenschaften. In diesem Kontext stellt diese Arbeit einen Beitrag sowohl zum Verständnis der Prozess-Struktur-Eigenschafts-Beziehungen als auch zur Verbesserung der Datenlage von 316L dar, einem häufig als Konstruktionswerkstoff in verschiedenen Hochtemperaturbauteilen verwendeten Werkstoff. Die Arbeit legt den Fokus auf die mittels Laser-Pulverbettschmelzen hergestellte Werkstoffvariante, PBF-LB/M/316L. Eine konventionell hergestellte Variante, HR/316L, wurde auch untersucht. Bei PBF-LB/M/316L wurde zusätzlich der Effekt ausgewählter Wärmebehandlungen ausgewertet. Die Untersuchung umfasste die Charakterisierung der mechanischen Eigenschaften und der Verformungs- und Schädigungsmechanismen bei erhöhten Prüftemperaturen bei LCF und Kriechen, wo die Daten und Wissenslage am spärlichsten ist. Außerdem hat die untersuchte PBF-LB/M/316L-Wersktoffvariante einen geringen Porositätsgrad. Somit hat diese Arbeit die Mikrostruktur stärker in den Fokus genommen als die meisten bisher in der Literatur verfügbaren Studien.
Die mechanische Prüfkampagne umfasste Zugversuche zwischen Raumtemperatur und 650 °C, LCF-Versuche zwischen Raumtemperatur und 600 °C sowie Kriechversuche bei 600 °C und 650 °C. In Ermangelung konkreter Richtlinien und Normen wurde die Charakterisierung zumeist anhand der bestehenden internationalen Prüfnormen und Probengeometrien durchgeführt. Aus jedem dieser Prüfverfahren wurden die entsprechenden Festigkeits- und Verformungskennwerte ermittelt. Darüber hinaus wurde mit Hilfe gezielter mikrostruktureller Untersuchungen ein Beitrag zum Verständnis des Zusammenhangs zwischen der Mikrostruktur und den mechanischen Eigenschaften in Bezug auf die Verformungs- und Schädigungsmechanismen geleistet.
Die Dehngrenze von PBF-LB/M/316L ist etwa doppelt so hoch wie die von HR/316L und dieser Trend setzt sich mit ansteigender Prüftemperatur fort. Die Bruchdehnung ist bei allen Prüftemperaturen geringer. PBF-LB/M/316L weist über den größten Teil der Ermüdungslebensdauer vor allem bei Raumtemperatur höhere zyklische Spannungen als HR/316L auf. Ausschließlich bei den kleinsten Dehnungs-schwingbreiten sind die Ermüdungslebensdauer ausgeprägt kürzer. Das Wechselverformungsverhalten von PBF-LB/M/316L ist durch eine Anfangsverfestigung gefolgt von einer kontinuierlichen Entfestigung charakterisiert, welche bis zum Auftreten der zum Versagen führenden Entfestigung stattfindet. Die Kriechbruchzeiten und die Dauer jeder Kriechphase sind bei allen Kombinationen von Prüfparametern bei PBF-LB/M/316 kürzer als bei HR/316L. Die Spannungsabhängigkeit von PBF-LB/M/316L ist im Vergleich zu HR/316L geringer und die Duktilität beim Kriechen kleiner. Die minimale Kriechrate wird bei allen geprüften Parameterkombinationen bei deutlich geringeren Kriechdehnungen erreicht. Eine Wärmebehandlung bei 450 °C / 4 h bewirkt keine wesentliche Änderungen der Mikrostruktur und Zugversuchseigenschaften. Eine zusätzliche Wärmebehandlung bei 900 °C / 1 h verursacht eine Abnahme der Dehngrenze des PBF-LB/M/316L. Diese blieb aber immer noch um den Faktor 1,5x höher als bei HR/316L. Die Verformungsmerkmale wurden kaum davon beeinflusst. Bezüglich des Kriechverhaltens hat die Wärmebehandlung bei 900 °C / 1 h längere sekundäre und tertiäre Kriechstadien bewirkt und die Kriechdehnung hat sich signifikant erhöht. Die Bruchbilder unterscheiden sich generell nicht nur aber vor allem mit ansteigender Prüftemperatur, bei der bei PBF-LB/M/316L oft interkristalline Rissbildung beobachtet wurde. Die Zellstruktur trägt als der Hauptfaktor zu den unterschiedlichen mechanischen Eigenschaften im Vergleich zur HR/316L-Variante bei. Darüber hinaus spielen mutmaßlich die Kornmorphologie, die Stapelfehlerenergie und der Stickstoffgehalt eine Rolle.
An observation of the fracture process in front of the crack tip inside a dentin sample by means of ex-situ X-ray computed tomography after uniaxial compression at different deformation values was carried out in this work. This ex-situ approach allowed the microstructure and fracturing process of human dentin to be observed during loading. No cracks are observed up to the middle part of the irreversible deformation in the samples at least visible at 0.4μm resolution. First cracks appeared before the mechanical stress reached the compression strength. The growth of the cracks is realized by connecting the main cracks with satellite cracks that lie ahead of the main crack tip and parallel its trajectory. When under the stress load the deformation in the sample exceeds the deformation at the compression strength of dentin, an appearance of micro-cracks in front of the main cracks is observed. The micro-cracks are inclined (~60°) to the trajectory of the main cracks. The further growth of the main cracks is not realized due to the junction with the micro-cracks; we assume that the micro-cracks dissipate the energy of the main crack and suppressed its growth. These micro-cracks serve as additional stress accommodations, therefore the samples do not break apart after the compression test, as it is usually observed under bending and tension tests.
Future lunar exploration will be based on in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) techniques. The most abundant raw material on the Moon is lunar regolith, which, however, is very scarce on Earth, making the study of simulants a necessity. The objective of this study is to characterize and investigate the sintering behavior of EAC-1A lunar regolith simulant. The characterization of the simulant included the determination of the phase assemblage, characteristic temperatures determination and water content analysis. The results are discussed in the context of sintering experiments of EAC-1A simulant, which showed that the material can be sintered to a relative density close to 90%, but only within a very narrow range of temperatures (20–30 °C). Sintering experiments were performed for sieved and unsieved, as well as for dried and non-dried specimens of EAC-1A. In addition, an analysis of the densification and mechanical properties of the sintered specimens was done. The sintering experiments at different temperatures showed that the finest fraction of sieved simulant can reach a higher maximum sintering temperature, and consequently a higher densification and biaxial strength. The non-dried powder exhibited higher densification and biaxial strength after sintering compared to the dried specimen. This difference was explained with a higher green density of the non-dried powder during pressing, rather than due to an actual influence on the sintering mechanism. Nevertheless, drying the powder prior to sintering is important to avoid the overestimation of the strength of specimens to be fabricated on the Moon.
Additive manufacturing (AM) processes enable the efficient production of advanced constructions. New developments in topology optimization are leading to weight-optimized designs of increasing complexity. Direct energy deposition processes (DED) such as wire and arc-based additive manufacturing are an important method of additive manufacturing. The wire filler metals enable a wide range of materials, while the arc process provides a high deposition rate compared to laser and powder-based processes. Combined with the use of high-strength steels, the thickness of walls or components can be significantly reduced in the context of lightweight construction, which results in significant savings in energy, costs, time and resources. Suitable high-strength steel filler metals are commercially available for DED-arc AM processes. However, guidelines and quantitative knowledge about welding stresses and cold cracking issues during component production and service are lacking. This limits the industrial application considerably. In a joint project of BAM and Chemnitz University of Technology, the main influences and complex interactions of material, production process, design and processing steps on the residual stress level are investigated. The aim is to develop processing recommendations and a cold cracking test for economical processing and stress-related design of high-strength steels with DED-arc. This study focuses on residual stress analysis by neutron diffraction (ND) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) on defined test specimens. The ND analysis were performed at the Paul Scherrer Institute- Villigen, Switzerland (PSI) and the XRD analysis at BAM. The study shows a quantitative and qualitative comparison of the residual stress magnitudes and distribution between the component bulk (ND) and surface (XRD) analyses. The ND analysis reveals that in DED-arc AM walls the residual stresses dominate in the direction of welding and are negligibly small in each case transverse to the direction of welding. The topology of the analyzed residual stresses shows almost identical residual stress maps compared to XRD. In addition, the residual stresses are significantly influenced by the solid phase transformation of the material due to low cooling times and less post heat treatment cycles of following AM layers in the area of the top layer.
Structural alloys are largely employed in key industrial sectors and their demand is predicted to rise rapidly for the next decades. Most of these materials require a large amount of energy for extraction and manufacturing, which causes the emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Therefore, strategies for improving the sustainability of structural metallic alloys are urgently needed.
Additive Manufacturing (AM), in particular Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M), aims to be a sustainable manufacturing process, as it allows the build-up of complex geometry in near net-shape from 3D models, while minimizing material waste and the energy required for the process and post-process treatments.
Nevertheless, the application of additively manufactured parts in structural safety-relevant applications is still hindered by the poor fatigue performance. The cause of this has been mainly attributed to the presence of manufacturing defects and surface roughness. Therefore, a huge effort has been made to optimize the process parameters and to introduce post-process treatments to minimize the defect content. However, material flaws cannot be fully eliminated, but these can be considered in a damage tolerance framework for the prediction of the fatigue performance of additively manufactured metallic materials, which is essential for part design and qualification.
This work aims at presenting different modelling strategies for the prediction of the fatigue limit of AM metals. Simple empirical models and more complex models based on fatigue short crack propagation are proposed. The investigated material is an AlSi10Mg alloy fabricated by PBF-LB/M and subjected to two different low-temperature heat-treatments (265°C for 1 h and 300°C for 2h). The results show that the models can provide good approximation of the fatigue limits and help in the interpretation of the scatter of fatigue data.
The industrial sintering process used to produce metallic matrix pads has been altered to diminish the amount of copper used. Unfortunately, replacing a large part of the copper with iron seems to have reached a limit. In the high-energy, emergency-type rail braking used in this study, the materials are put to the very limit of their usage capacity, allowing us to observe the evolution of the microstructure and mechanical properties of sintered, metallic matrix pads. After the braking test, their compressive behaviour was assessed using digital image correlation (DIC), and their microstructure with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The worn material has three flat layers with different microstructures and compressive behaviours. The boom layer seems unmodified. Macroscopic and microscopic cracks run through the intermediate layer (2–15 mm depth). The top layer has stiffened thanks to resolidification of copper. The temperature reaches 1000 °C during the braking test, which also explains the carbon diffusion into iron that result in the weakening of iron–graphite interfaces in the pad. Finally, submicronic particles are detected at many open interfaces of the worn and compressed pad. Associated with the predominant role of graphite particles, this explains the weak compressive behaviour of the pads.
Inconel 718 (IN718) is a traditional age-hardenable nickel-based alloy that has been increasingly processed by additive manufacturing (AM) in recent years. In the as-solidified condition, IN718 exhibits chemical segregation and the undesired Laves phase, requiring a solution annealing (SA) prior to aging. The material produced by AM does not respond to the established thermal routines in the same way as conventionally produced IN718, and there is still no consensus on which routine yields optimal results. This work aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the heat treatment (HT) response by continuously monitoring the microstructural evolution during SA via time-resolved synchrotron x-ray diffraction, complemented by ex-situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The samples were produced by laser powder bed fusion to a geometry of 10x20x90 mm³, from which Ø1x5 mm³ cylindric specimens were extracted. Two different scanning strategies – incremental 67° rotations, Rot, and alternating 0°/67° tracks, Alt – were used, leading to two different as-built conditions. 1-hour SAs were carried out in the beamline ID22 of the ESRF at 50 KeV. Two SA temperatures, SA1 = 1020 °C, and SA2 = 1080 °C were tested for each scanning strategy. Data were processed using the software PDIndexer. In the as-built state, all samples showed typical subgrain columnar cell structures with predominant Nb/Mo segregation and Laves phase at the cell walls, as seen by SEM. The Alt scan induced higher intensity on the Laves peaks than the Rot scan, suggesting a greater content of Laves. Chemical homogenization in the SA was largely achieved during the heating ramp (Fig. 1). SA2 eliminated the Laves peaks just before reaching 1080 °C, and mitigated differences between Rot and Alt samples. On the other hand, SA1 induced the precipitation of the generally detrimental δ phase, also observed by SEM. Furthermore, the Rot scan showed higher δ peak intensities than the Alt scan, indicating a higher content of δ in the latter. No signs of recrystallization were observed in any of the investigated SAs.
Fatigue tests were performed on the forged aluminum alloy EN AW-2618A in the T61 state. Different stress ratios (R = -1, R = 0.1) were selected to study the influence of mean stress on fatigue life. Two overaged states (10 h/230 ◦C, 1000 h/230 ◦C) were also tested to investigate the influence of overaging on fatigue life. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to characterize the precipitates (S-phase), which are mainly responsible for the strength of the alloy. A fractographic analysis was also performed to determine the failure mode. Overaging reduces the fatigue life compared to the T61 state. The longer the aging time, the lower the fatigue resistance. The reason is the decrease in (yield) strength, which correlates with the radius of the S-phase: the precipitate radius increases by a factor of approximately two for the overaged states compared to the initial state. The analysis of the fracture surfaces showed crack initiation occurs predominantly on the outer surface and is
associated with the primary phases.
The damage mechanisms of metallic components produced by process laser powder bed fusion differ significantly from those typically observed in conventionally manufactured variants of the same alloy. This is due to the unique microstructures of additively manufactured materials. Herein, the focus is on the study of the evolution of creep damage in stainless steel 316L specimens produced by laser powder bed fusion. X-ray computed tomography is used to unravel the influence of the process-specific microstructure from the influence of the initial void distribution on creep damage mechanisms. The void distribution of two specimens tested at 600 °C and 650 °C is analyzed before a creep test, after an interruption, and after fracture. The results indicate that the formation of damage is not connected to the initial void distribution. Instead, damage accumulation at grain boundaries resulting from intergranular cracking is observed.
Dissimilar metal TIG weld joints of multiple principal element alloys (MPEA) to austenitic steel 304
(2023)
Multi-element alloys (MPEA - Multiple Principal Element Alloys) represent a new class of materials consisting of at least three alloying elements, each with 5 to 35 atomic %. This material class includes high-entropy alloys (HEA, with n ≥ 4 elements). The underlying alloying concept differs fundamentally from conventional materials such as the Fe-based steel. For this purpose, the alloying elements are specifically selected, and the microstructures are adjusted in a single-phase and, in some cases, multi-phase manner. The aim is to identify highly innovative MPEA with individually adjustable properties for industrial applications. In the last 20 years, however, the focus has been on pure material synthesis. With the increase in available material quantities, the focus is on processing issues such as joining and welding processes. In that connection, the weldability of MPEAs has received very little attention so far. Experience with dissimilar metal welds (DMWs) is completely lacking but is essential for the application of these materials if joint to conventional materials. This study presents selected experimental results on the weldability of MPEA-DMWs and the resulting microstructures. For this purpose, the equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi (HEA) was investigated in cold-rolled (CR) and heat-treated (HT) condition and joined by tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding to an austenitic stainless steel 304. The DMWs showed defect-free conditions (no lack of fusion, cracks and so on), whereas the cold-rolling increases the microhardness. The global mechanical properties were obtained by instrumented tensile tests of cross-weld samples and showed sufficient yield and tensile strength comparable to that of the individual base materials (BM). The local strain conditions were determined by digital image correlation and showed the highest local strains to occur in the intermixed weld metal. Indeed, the preferred fracture location of the cross-weld tensile samples was in the weld metal. Finally, the experiments proofed the weldability of the MPEAs to conventional 304. This enables targeted further considerations for example as structural materials.
Many microstructural features exhibit non-trivial geometries, which can only be derived to a limited extent from two-dimensional images. E.g., graphite arrangements in lamellar gray cast iron have complex geometries, and the same is true for additively manufactured materials and three-dimensional conductive path structures. Some can be visualized using tomographic methods, but some cannot be due to weak contrast and/or lack of resolution when analyzing macroscopic objects. Classic metallography can help but must be expanded to the third dimension. The method of reconstructing three-dimensional structures from serial metallographic sections surely is not new. However, the effort required to manually assemble many individual sections into image stacks is very high and stands in the way of frequent application. For this reason, an automated, robot-supported 3D metallography system is being developed at BAM, which carries out the steps of repeated preparation and image acquisition on polished specimen.
Preparation includes grinding, polishing and optionally etching of the polished surface. Image acquisition comprises autofocused light microscopic imaging at several magnification levels. The image stacks obtained are then pre-processed, segmented, and converted into 3D models, which in the result appear like microtomographic models, but with high resolution at large volume. Contrasting by classical chemical etching reveals structures that cannot be resolved using tomographic methods. The integration of further imaging and measuring methods into this system is underway. Some examples will be discussed in the presentation.
Multiple principal element alloys (MPEA) encompass the well-known high entropy alloys (HEAs). MPEA/HEA represent a new class of materials consisting of at least three alloying elements, each containing 5 to 35 at.-%. This alloying concept thus differs fundamentally from conventional materials such as steel or nickel alloys. For this purpose, the alloying elements are specifically selected, and the microstructures are adjusted in a single-phase and, in some cases, multi-phase manner. In particular, conflicting goals, such as the trade-off between strength and ductility in conventional steels, are overcome. In the last 20 years, however, the focus has been on material synthesis. With the increase in available material quantities, the focus is now on pro-cessing issues such as joining and welding processes. The weldability of MPEA has received very little atten-tion so far. Experience with dissimilar metal welds (DMWs) is completely lacking but is essential for the appli-cation of these materials in combination with conventional materials. The present study presents, comprehen-sive experimental results on the weldability of MPEA-DMWs. For that purpose, a Co20Cr20Fe20Mn20Ni20 HEA in cold-rolled and heat-treated condition was joined by means of tungsten inert gas welding (TIG) with the austenitic Cr-Ni steel AISI 304. The DMWs resulted in interesting mechanical properties. They were obtained by instrumented tensile tests as well as the local deformation in the weld area by using digital image correlation (DIC) technique. A significant softening in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the MPEAs as well as a slightly reduced tensile strength with a significant decrease of the elongation at fracture were found. The experiments provided proof in principle of the weldability of the MPEAs for DMWs with conventional materials that ensure a corresponding capability for mechanical loading. This allows further considerations on the application of these innovative materials.
The global demand for concrete is growing, and with it, its carbon footprint. Current literature proposes biochar, a product of pyrolysis, as a possible car-bon sink to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete. This work investigates the microstructure of Portland cement pastes with 0%, 5%, and 25% of the cement replaced with wood biochar, since this should influence its macro-scopic mechanical properties. MIP, gas sorption, NMR, and µ-CT were used to analyze the pore space of the three materials. The combination of these methods, each with different resolution, enables a multi-scale investigation of biochar impact on the microstructure of cement pastes. NMR confirmed that biochar can absorb moisture and, thus, reduces the effective water-to-cement ratio. MIP and gas sorption results show 0% and 5% volume re-placement have similar gel pore structure. The results from µ-CT investiga-tions suggest that biochar may reduce the formation of larger pores. The in-clusion of non-reactive porous particles such as biochar increase the porosity of the material and should act as a weakness in terms of mechanical proper-ties. Overall, this study highlights the need to carefully tailor replacement rates to control the impact of biochar on the microstructure concrete mixtures and sees a strong need for further studies on mechanical properties.
The microstructure of an apatite-wollastonite (code name AP40) glass-ceramic is analyzed in this study by combining 2D microscopy, phase analysis, X-ray absorption and synchrotron X-ray refraction computed tomography (XCT and SXRCT, respectively). It is shown that this combination provides a useful toolbox to characterize the global microstructure in a wide scale range, from sub-micrometer to millimeter. The material displays a complex microstructure comprising a glassy matrix with embedded fluorapatite and wollastonite small crystals. In this matrix, large (up to 200 μm) spike-shaped structures are distributed. Such microstructural features are oriented around a central sphere, thereby forming a structure resembling a sea urchin. A unique feature of SXRCT, in contrast to XCT, is that internal interfaces are visualized; this allows one to show the 3D distribution of these urchins with exceptionally good contrast. Furthermore, it is revealed that the spike-shaped structures are not single crystals, but rather composed of sub-micrometric crystals, which are identified as fluorapatite and diopside phases by SEM-EDX analysis.
The damage mechanisms of metallic components produced by process laser powder bed fusion differ significantly from those typically observed in conventionally manufactured variants of the same alloy. This is due to the unique microstructures of additively manufactured materials. Herein, the focus is on the study of the evolution of creep damage in stainless steel 316L specimens produced by laser powder bed fusion. X-ray computed tomography is used to unravel the influence of the process-specific microstructure from the influence of the initial void distribution on creep damage mechanisms. The void distribution of two specimens tested at 600 °C and 650 °C is analyzed before a creep test, after an interruption, and after fracture. The results indicate that the formation of damage is not connected to the initial void distribution. Instead, damage accumulation at grain boundaries resulting from intergranular cracking is observed.
This study investigated the effect of incorporating three types of nanosilica (NS), two powders, and one colloidal suspension on the hydration, strength, and microstructure of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement pastes prepared with and without a superplasticizer (SP). X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and compressive strength tests were performed after 2, 5, and 28 days of hydration. The results showed that both NS powders delayed cement hydration at an early age, which was attributed to particle agglomeration (confirmed by dynamic light scattering). Whereas well-dispersed colloidal NS did not significantly affect the hydration of CSA at the investigated ages. SP incorporation improved the dispersion of CSA cement particles, resulting in a 10% increase in the degree of hydration of ye’elimite at 28 days for the system without NS. Conversely, when the SP was incorporated in NS-containing mixtures, it hindered cement hydration of the systems with powdered NS, but did not significantly affect the cement hydration of the system containing colloidal NS. The SEM images suggested that the SP changed the ettringite morphology, thereby negatively affecting the mechanical strength of the CSA pastes.
This work investigates the microstructure formed in friction stir welds of FCC alloys, focused on two multiprincipal alloys: a CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) and a CoCrNi medium-entropy alloy (MEA). A commercial stainless steel AISI 304 is used for comparison. The largest nugget was formed in the MEA, while the smallest was formed in the HEA. Grain refinement occurs in the stirred zone in all welds. Discontinuous dynamic recrystallisation is the predominant restoration mechanism during friction stir welding of the three investigated alloys. A sharp decrement in the Σ3 boundary fraction occurs in the stirred zone of the AISI 304 and HEA welds, while comparable values with the base metal are found for the MEA weld. The peak in the maximum index of crystallographic texture is observed on the advancing side of the stirred zone of the AISI 304 weld. A strong <001> θ-fibre texture is formed in the advancing side of the nugget in the AISI 304 from a well-established {123} <634> S-type texture in the base metal. Multiple crystallographic texture components without specific fibres are identified in most regions of the welds, indicating the complex shear path history during friction stir welding.
Laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) of metallic alloys is a layer wise additive manufacturing process which provides significant scope for more efficient designs of components, benefiting performance and weight, leading to efficiency improvements for various sectors of industry. However, to benefit from these design freedoms, knowledge of the high produced induced residual stress and mechanical property anisotropy associated with the unique microstructures is critical. X-ray and neutron diffraction are considered the benchmark for non-destructive characterization of surface and bulk internal residual stress. The latter, characterized by the high penetration power in most engineering alloys, allows for the use of diffraction angle close to 90° enabling a near cubic sampling volume to be specified. However, the complex microstructures of columnar growth with inherent crystallographic texture typically produced during PBF-LB/M of metallics present significant challenges to the assumptions typically required for time efficient determination of residual stress. These challenges include the selection of an appropriate set of diffraction elastic constants and a representative strain-free reference for the material of interest. In this presentation advancements in the field of diffraction-based residual stress analysis of L-PBF Inconel 718 will be presented. The choice of an appropriate set of diffraction-elastic constants depending on the underlying microstructure will be described.
The new alloying concept of multi-element systems with defined entropy (HEA—high-entropy alloy; MEA—medium-entropy alloy) is gaining increasing importance in materials research. Significantly improved properties or combinations of properties are shown by some HEA/MEA systems. Thus, primarily the production and resulting microstructures of HEA, as well as its properties, have been investigated so far. Furthermore, processing is a main issue in transferring HEA systems from the laboratory to real components. Since welding is the most important joining process for metals, it is crucial to investigate the influence of welding to guarantee component integrity. Welding leads to residual stresses, which significantly affect the component integrity. Hence, the focus of this study is the residual stress formation and distribution in a CoCrFeMnNi HEA and ternary CoCrNi MEA using two different welding processes: tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding and solid-state friction stir welding (FSW). As a pathway for the application of HEA in this investigation, for the first time, residual stress analyses in realistic near-component specimens were performed. The residual stresses were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) on the surfaces of top and root weld side. The results were correlated with the local welding microstructures. The results show that both FSW and TIG generate significant tensile residual stresses on the weld surfaces in, and transverse to, the welding direction. In the case of FSW of the CoCrFeMnNi HEA, the longitudinal residual stresses are in the range of the yield strength of approx. 260 MPa in the weld zone.
The new alloying concept of multi-element systems with defined entropy (HEA - High Entropy Alloy or MEA - Medium Entropy Alloy) is gaining increasing importance in materials research. Significantly improved properties or combinations of properties are shown by some HEA/MEA-systems, which have the potential to substitute conventional alloys such steels and are therefore promising for a wide range of applications, e.g., overcome of the trade-off between high strength and ductility. Thus, primarily the production and resulting microstructures of HEA as well as properties have been investigated so far. Furthermore, processing is a main issue to transfer HEA systems from the laboratory to real components, e.g., for highly stressed components. Since welding is the most important joining process for metals, it is crucial to investigate the influence of welding processing on these material properties to guarantee component integrity. Welding leads to residual stresses, which significantly affect the component integrity. Only a very few studies on the effect of welding on residual stresses in HEA and MEA weld joints are available so far. Hence, the focus of this study is the residual stress formation and distribution in a CoCrFeMnNi HEA and ternary CoCrNi MEA using two different welding processes: Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding and soldi-state Friction Stir Welding (FSW). As a pathway for application of HEA in this investigation for the first time residual stress analyses in realistic near-component specimens were performed. The residual stresses were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) on the surfaces of top and root weld side. The results were correlated with the local welding microstructures. The results show that both FSW and TIG generate significant tensile residual stresses on the weld surfaces in and transverse to the welding direction. In the case of FSW of the CoCrFeMnNi HEA, the longitudinal residual stresses are in the range of the yield strength of approx. 300 MPa in the weld zone.
This work investigates the effect of the tribotesting parameters (temperature, atmosphere, and third body chemical composition) on the coefficient of friction (CoF) during pin-on-disc dry (PoD) sliding tribotests using artificial third bodies. The third body comprised nanometric Fe3O4-based binary to quaternary chemical compositions containing copper, graphite, and zirconia. These mixtures were manually or ball-milled prepared, and pin-on-disc tribotests were conducted at 23 °C and 400 °C under air or nitrogen atmospheres. Combining PoD and artificial third body to create synthetic tribofilms might be useful for testing new formulations of Cu-free friction materials. Microstructural characterisation of the tribofilms was used to study the stability of the Fe3O4, copper, and graphite nanoparticles under different testing conditions to understand their effects on the CoF. For the Fe3O4-C-ZrO2-X systems, the ball milling mixing promoted the formation of turbostratic graphite in the tribofilm, impairing the lubricating effect of the graphite under air atmosphere at 23 °C. The formation of monoclinic CuO in the tribofilms during tribotests at 400 °C under air and N2 atmospheres promoted a lubricating effect.
Motivated by the loss of tensile strength in 9%Ni steel arc-welded joints performed using commercially available Ni-based austenitic filler metals, the viability of retaining tensile strength using an experimentally produced matching ferritic filler metal was confirmed. Compared to the austenitic Ni-based filler metal (685 MPa), higher tensile strength in gas metal arc (GMA) welded joints was achieved using a ferritic filler metal (749 MPa) due to its microstructure being similar to the base metal (645 MPa). The microstructure of hard martensite resulted in an impact energy of 71 J (-196 °C), which was two times higher than the specified minimum value of _>34 J. The
tensile and impact strength of the welded joint is affected not only by its microstructure, but also by the degree of its mechanical mismatch depending on the type of filler metal. Welds with a harder microstructure and less mechanical mismatch are important for achieving an adequate combination of tensile strength and notched impact strength. This is achievable with the cost-effective ferritic filler metal. A more desirable combination of mechanical properties is guaranteed by applying low preheating temperature (200 °C), which is a more practicable and economical solution compared to the high post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) temperature (580 °C) suggested by other research.
During their life span, concrete structures interact with many kinds of external mechanical loads. Most of these loads are considered in advance and result in reversible deformations. Nevertheless, some of the loads cause irreversible, sometimes unnoticed changes below the macroscopic scale depending on the type and dimension of the impact. As the functionality of concrete structures is often relevant to safety and society, their condition must be known and, therefore, assessed on a regular basis. Out of the spectrum of non-destructive monitoring methods, Coda Wave Interferometry using embedded ultrasonic sensors is one particularly sensitive technique to evaluate changes to heterogeneous media. However, there are various influences on Coda waves in concrete, and the interpretation of their superimposed effect is ambiguous. In this study, we quantify the relations of uniaxial compression and uniaxial tension on Coda waves propagating in normal concrete. We found that both the signal correlation of ultrasonic signals as well as their velocity variation directly reflect the stress change in concrete structures in a laboratory environment. For the linear elastic range up to 30% of the strength, we calculated a velocity variation of −0.97‰/MPa for compression and 0.33%/MPa for tension using linear regression. In addition, these parameters revealed even weak irreversible changes after removal of the load. Furthermore, we show the time-dependent effects of shrinkage and creep on Coda waves by providing the development of the signal parameters over time during half a year together with creep recovery. Our observations showed that time-dependent material changes must be taken into account for any comparison of ultrasonic signals that are far apart in time. The study’s results demonstrate how Coda Wave Interferometry is capable of monitoring stress changes and detecting even small-size microstructural changes. By indicating the stated relations and their separation from further impacts, e.g., temperature and moisture, we anticipate our study to contribute to the qualification of Coda Wave Interferometry for its application as an early-warning system for concrete structures.
This article presents a cost-effective and reliable method for welding 30 mm thick sheets of shipbuilding steel EH36. The method proposes to perform butt welding in a two-run technique using hybrid laser arc welding (HLAW) and submerged arc welding (SAW). The HLAW is performed as a partial penetration weld with a penetration depth of approximately 25 mm. The SAWis carried out as a second run on the opposite side. With a SAWpenetration depth of 8 mm, the weld cross-section is closed with the reliable intersection of both passes. The advantages of the proposed welding method are: no need for forming of the HLAW root; the SAW pass can effectively eliminate pores in the HLAWroot; the high stability of the welding process regarding the preparation quality of the weld edges. Plasma cut edges can be welded without lack of fusion defects. The weld quality achieved is confirmed by destructive tests.
Laser powder-based directed energy deposition (DED-L) is a technology that offers the possibility for 3D material deposition over hundreds of layers and has thus the potential for application in additive manufacturing (AM). However, to achieve broad industrial application as AM technology, more data and knowledge about the fabricated materials regarding the achieved properties and their relationship to the manufacturing process and the resulting microstructure is still needed. In this work, we present data regarding the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of Ti-6Al-4V. The material was fabricated using an optimized DED-L process. It features a low defect population and excellent tensile properties. To assess its LCF behavior two conventionally manufactured variants of the same alloy featuring different microstructures were additionally tested. The strain-controlled LCF tests were carried out in fully reversed mode with 0.3 % to 1.0 % axial strain amplitude from room temperature up to 400°C. The LCF behavior and failure mechanisms are described. For characterization, optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and micro-computed tomography (µCT) were used. The low defect population allows for a better understanding of the intrinsic material’s properties and enables a fairer comparison against the conventional variants. The fatigue lifetimes of the DED-L material are nearly independent of the test temperature. At elevated test temperatures, they are similar or higher than the lifetimes of the conventional counterparts. At room temperature, they are only surpassed by the lifetimes of one of them. The principal failure mechanism involves multiple crack initiation sites.
Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is a chemical reaction within concrete which can lead over time to cracking and spalling. Due to the complexity of the problem, it still causes damage to concrete constructions worldwide.
The publication aims to illustrate the interdisciplinary research of the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) within the last 20 years, considering all aspects of ASR topics from the macro to the micro level. First, methods for characterization and assessment of ASR risks and reaction products used at BAM are explained and classified in the international context. Subsequently the added value of the research approach by combining different, preferably nondestructive, methods across all scales is explained using specific examples from a variety of research projects. Aspects covered range from the development of new test-setups to assess aggregate reactivity, to analysis of microstructure and reaction products using microscopical, spectroscopical and X-ray methods, to the development of a testing methodology for existing concrete pavements including in-depth analysis of the visual damage indicator and the de-icing salt input using innovative testing techniques. Finally, research regarding a novel avoidance strategy that makes use of internal hydrophobization of the concrete mix is presented.
Detailed microstructural characterization of the AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr refractory high entropy superalloy in the as-cast state is reported for first time and compared with the state annealed at 1400 oC for 24 h. The former shows a dendritic structure, with a mixture of A2/B2 phases < 20 nm in both the dendritic and interdendritic regions. A mostly amorphous phase, rich in Al and Zr, is found within the interdendritic region. The annealed state reproduced the combination of A2/B2/Al-Zr-rich phases reported previously. Calculations from two relevant ThermoCalc databases were compared with the experimental results. Equilibrium calculations were compared with results for the annealed alloy, whereas solidification paths calculated using Scheil-Gulliver model were used for comparison with the as-cast alloy. A previously hypothesized spinodal decomposition during cooling as the mechanism responsible for the patterned A2/B2 microstructure is confirmed via the CALPHAD calculations, pointing to its use as an efficient design tool for such alloys. Finally, the comparison between the experimental and computational findings allowed better understanding the solidification path and equilibrium stability of this alloy, giving a base to make better decisions on the field of new refractory superalloy design.
High‐temperature corrosion was studied under multiple chemical loads on ferritic‐austenitic model alloys (Fe–13Cr, Fe–18Cr–12Ni, and Fe‐25Cr–20Ni) with KCl deposit under 0.5% SO2/99.5% Ar gas atmosphere at 560°C. Postexposure characterization was done by X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. In a pure SO2/Ar environment a protective Cr2O3 scale was formed by all samples. The introduction of KCl deposits causes the scale to be nonprotective and multilayered, consisting of CrS, FeS, Cr2O3, Fe3O4, and Fe2O3. The impact of the microstructure and alloying elements is discussed.
The field of materials science is defined as “the study of the properties of solid materials and how those properties are determined by a material’s composition and structure.”. Many –if not most– of the materials that are produced nowadays owe their properties to structures engineered down to the nanoscopic level. This need has been partly realized thanks to the understanding of materials’ building blocks via characterization techniques that reach this level of resolution. Transmission electron microscopy, since its first implementation in the early 1930s (in Berlin), has been implemented to achieve imaging –and spectral– analysis at lateral resolutions down to the atomic level.
In this contribution, a series of practical examples will be presented, where applied materials are characterized by a range of transmission electron microscopy techniques to understand structural and functional properties of a wide range of materials. Among these materials examples will be presented on structural conventionally and additively manufactured metallic alloys, high entropy alloys, dissimilar aluminum-to-steel welds, magnetic nanoparticles, ceramic coatings, high temperature oxidation products. Addressed will be either the effect of processing route or that of the exposure to experimental conditions similar to those found in the respective intended applications.
Characterization of Ti-6Al-4V fabricated by multilayer laser powder-based directed energy deposition
(2022)
Laser powder-based directed energy deposition (DED-L) is increasingly being used in additive manufacturing (AM). As AM technology, DED-L must consider specific challenges. It must achieve uniform volume growth over hundreds of layers and avoid heat buildup of the deposited material. Herein, Ti–6Al–4V is fabricated using an approach that addresses these challenges and is relevant in terms of transferability to DED–L applications in AM. The assessment of the obtained properties and the discussion of their relationship to the process conditions and resulting microstructure are presented. The quality of the manufacturing process is proven in terms of the reproducibility of properties between individual blanks and with respect to the building height. The characterization demonstrates that excellent mechanical properties are achieved at room temperature and at 400 °C.
The application of magnesium (Mg) inevitably involves dissimilar welding with steel. A novel solid state spot welding method, refill friction stir spot welding (refill FSSW), was utilized to weld AZ31 Mg alloy to galvanized DP600 steel. Although Mg/Fe is an immiscible alloy system, defect-free welds with high strength were successfully obtained in a wide parameter window. The results of microstructure, interfacial reactions, and mechanical properties are reported to reveal the underlying joining mechanism. Due to the melting of Zn coating and subsequent Mg-Zn reactions, Mg-Zn eutectic and intermetallic compounds were detected within welds. Heterogeneous interfacial reactions occur along Mg/steel interface, and the relationship between interfacial structure and fracture behavior was investigated. The joining mechanism is associated with Zn coating and Fe-Al layer: 1) the presence of Zn coating is beneficial for achieving high-quality welding between Mg and steel, it protects the interface from oxidation and contributes to brazing of the weld; 2) the Al present in Mg alloy reacts with Fe, resulting in the growth of Fe-Al layer, which contributes to the diffusion bonding in the interface. The overall results clearly show that Refill FSSW is a competitive welding method for joining Mg and galvanized steel.
Iron aluminides depict a sustainable and light-weight material class which could be employed in many applications requiring high strength at intermediate to high temperatures. According to first results, the alloy Fe-26Al-4Mo-0.5Ti-1B surpasses conventional materials in wet corrosion resistance and creep resistance up to 650 °C. For these reasons, the AiF research project “WAFEAL – Materials applications for iron aluminides” was initiated to transfer these findings into a standardised materials dataset and to derive best practices for processing. In the first place, a set of different microstructures adjusted by varying casting methods, wall thicknesses and heat treatments was investigated and correlated with hardness on macro and micro scale. Correlations were drawn between solidification rates and resulting grain sizes and hardness. The effect of vacancy hardening was only verified for wall thickness as low as 2.5 mm. Moreover, a common decrease of macrohardness after a heat treatment at 1000 °C for 100 h was observed irrespective of casting process or wall thickness. This effect was linked with an unexpected decrease of the complex boride phase fraction which acts as a hardening phase.
The development of refractory CCAs has been explored for potential use in high temperature applications. An example of this is the AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr alloy, which resembles the well-known γ/γ’ microstructure in Ni-Base superalloys with cuboidal particles embedded in a continuous matrix. The aim of this work is to evaluate the alloy’s mechanical behavior under tension in the temperature range 800-1000°C, by applying creep tests under vacuum (excluding oxidation effects). Some little temperature influence on minimum creep rate @ 1000 and 1100 °C was found and at a first glance, and Norton plots shows that deformation is probably both diffusion and dislocation controlled. However, further work is needed to stablish deformation and degradation micro mechanisms in the studied creep regime.
A set of some unexpected and interesting microstructures has put the so-called complex concentrated alloys (CCAs) in the eye of the scientific community. The AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr refractory (r)CCA, aimed at substituting Ni-base superalloys in gas turbine applications, belongs to this alloy family. After a two-stage heat treatment, this rCCA morphologically resembles the typical a two-phase microstructure of the latter. The objective of this work consists in determining the effect of the two stages of the heat treatment on the microstructure of the AlMo0.5NbTa0.5TiZr alloy to eventually improve it in terms of homogeneity and porosity.
The progress in activities on Microbeam Analysis under VAMAS/TWA 37 is reviewed. Particularly the liaison with the new projects within the ISO technical committee TC 202 is presented and discussed with respect to the possibility of identifying and launching related VAMAS projects. Need of more promotion for the engagement of more participants from industry and academia at national, European and international level is highlighted. Also, the competition with the other technical working areas (on 'nano' or materials-related) is critically discussed. Further, a short overview of the VAMAS areas of activities is given where Germany is involved.
Due to its matrix/γ′ structure, the compositionally complex alloy (CCA) Al10Co25Cr8Fe15Ni36Ti6 has excellent properties that fulfill the requirements for a high-temperature material. This base alloy is alloyed with small amounts of high melting elements to a further improvement of its properties, which results in different shapes, fractions and sizes of the two phases γ′ and Heusler after various homogenization and annealing steps. By correlating this microstructure with time independent and dependent mechanical properties, conclusions can be drawn about the effects of the individual phases. The needle-shaped Heusler-phase leads to bad mechanical behavior if its phase fraction is too high. A fraction below 3 vol% is not critical in tensile tests, but it reduces the creep resistance compared to a purely two-phase matrix/γ′-alloy. Sharp-edged cubic γ′-particles and a coarse Heusler-phase without sharp edges in case of the base alloy with 0.5 at.% hafnium lead to the best tensile and creep properties in the high temperature range. At 750 °C, the Hf-containing alloy clearly outperforms two commercially used alloys in the targeted area of application when it comes to creep resistance.
In Additive Manufacturing everybody is talking about Free Form, Unconventional Design, Re-thinking Components, “Think out of the box”.
However, there are a few outstanding question: a) What are the material properties ? They certainly differ from literature values for conventional materials; b) How about the microstructure? It is different from conventional materials. Does it stay so with ageing? How does it form? c) Do we properly take residual stress into account? We often blame them for our ignorance about failure scenarios. d) Do we apply tailored heat treatments? Very often, we follow conventional schedules…
This talk describes the summary of the efforts carried out within the BAM Project AGIL.
At BAM, we aimed to thoroughly investigate the microstructure and how it evolves as a function of load and temperature (service), to determine the material properties after different process and service conditions, to properly determine residual stress and the way it impacts mechanical properties and component performance, to properly quantify the impact of (unavoidable?) defects, and to determine heat treatments tailored to the process-specific material (stress relieve, microstructure homogenization etc.).
The Project AGIL was and is intimately coupled with the project ProMoAM, dealing with online monitoring of AM processes.
The supply and processing of materials for highly stressed components are usually cost-intensive. Efforts to achieve cost and resource efficiency lead to more complex structures and contours. Additive manufacturing steps for component repair and production offer significant economic advantages. Machining needs to be coordinated with additive manufacturing steps in a complementary way to produce functional surfaces suitable for the demands. Regarding inhomogeneity and anisotropy of the microstructure and properties as well as production-related stresses, a great deal of knowledge is still required for efficient use by small- and medium-size enterprises, especially for the interactions of subsequent machining of these difficult-to-machine materials. Therefore, investigations on these influences and interactions were carried out using a highly innovative cost-intensive NiCrMo alloy (IN725). These alloys are applied for claddings as well as for additive component manufacturing and repair welding using gas metal arc welding processes. For the welded specimens, the adequate solidification morphology, microstructure and property profile were investigated. The machinability in terms of finishing milling of the welded surfaces and comparative analyses for ultrasonic-assisted milling processes was examined focussing on surface integrity. It was shown that appropriate cutting parameters and superimposed oscillating of the milling tool in the direction of the tool rotation significantly reduce the mechanical loads for tool and workpiece surface. This contributes to ensure a high surface integrity, especially when cutting has to be carried out without cooling lubricants.
Damage tolerance counts as one of the most widespread approach to fatigue assessment and surely as one of the most promising in understanding the process-structure-property-performance relationships in additively manufactured metallic materials. Manufacturing defects, surface roughness, microstructural features, short and long crack fatigue propagation, residual stresses and applied loads can be taken into consideration in a fracture mechanics-based fatigue assessment. Many aspects are crucial to the reliable component life prediction. Among those a prominent role is played by an accurate measurement and modelling of the short crack fatigue behavior, and reliable statistical characterization of defects and residual stresses.
This work aims at addressing the issues related to both experimental testing, fatigue and fatigue crack propagation, and fracture mechanics-based modelling of fatigue lives. Examples will be provided on an additively manufactured AISI 316 L.
With an increasing demand in more efficient fuel consumption to reduce CO2 emissions, weight reductions in high-temperature materials at affordable costs gain increasing attention. One potential candidate is the intermetallic material class of iron aluminides, combining the advantages in mass savings, high temperature performance and recyclability of resources. The alloy Fe-26Al-4Mo-0.5Ti-1B was selected to study the microstructural features evolving from two casting processes, five wall thicknesses and three final conditions. Conclusions are drawn upon the correlations of processing variables, grain sizes and hardness.
Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) fruits are capable of resisting high mechanical forces when released from trees as tall as 50 m, as well as during animal dispersal by sharp-teethed rodents. Thick mesocarp plays a crucial part in seed protection. We investigated the role of microstructure and how sclereids, fibers, and voids affect nutshell performance using compression, tensile and fracture toughness tests. Fractured specimens were analyzed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microtomography (microCT). Mesocarp showed high deformability (strain at max. stress of ~30%) under compression loading, a critical tensile strength of ~24.9 MPa, a Weibull modulus of ~3, and an elastic modulus of ~2 GPa in the tensile test. The fracture toughness, estimated through the work of fracture of SENB tests, reached ~2 kJ/m2. The thick and strong walls of mesocarp cells, with a weaker boundary between them (compound middle lamella), promote a tortuous intercellular crack path. Several toughening mechanisms, such as crack deflection, breaking of fiber bundles, fiber pullout and bridging as well as crack branching, occur depending on how fiber bundles and voids are oriented.
Motivated by the tensile strength loss of 9%Ni steel arc welded joints made using Ni-based austenitic filler metals, the feasibility of maintaining the tensile strength using matching ferritic filler metal has been demonstrated. In comparison with shielded metal arc welded joint made using Ni-based austenitic electrode ENiCrMo-6, higher tensile strength comparable to that of the base metal was obtained using matching ferritic electrode. Besides, sufficient impact toughness energies with much lower mismatch were obtained for weld metal and heat-affected zone.
Welded joint with a lower mechanical mismatching is of considerable importance for achieving acceptable combination of tensile strength and impact toughness. A better combination of These mechanical properties is ensured by applying a post weld heat treatment.