A nanoindentation investigation of local strain rate sensitivity in dual-phase Ti alloys

Using nanoindentation we have investigated the local strain rate sensitivity in dual-phase Ti alloys, Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-xMo (x=2 and 6), as strain rate sensitivity could be a potential factor causing cold dwell fatigue. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to select hard and soft grain orientations within each of the alloys. Nanoindentation based tests using the continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) method were performed with variable strain rates, on the order of 10−1 to 10−3s−1. Local strain rate sensitivity is determined using a power law linking equivalent flow stress and equivalent plastic strain rate. Analysis of residual impressions using both a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a focused ion beam (FIB) reveals local deformation around the indents and shows that nanoindentation tested structures containing both α and β phases within individual colonies. This indicates that the indentation results are derived from averaged α/β properties. The results show that a trend of local rate sensitivity in Ti6242 and Ti6246 is strikingly different; as similar rate sensitivities are found in Ti6246 regardless of grain orientation, whilst a grain orientation dependence is observed in Ti6242. These findings are important for understanding dwell fatigue deformation modes, and the methodology demonstrated can be used for screening new alloy designs and microstructures

Mechanical and microstructural investigations of tungsten and doped tungsten materials produced via powder injection molding

The physical properties of tungsten such as the high melting point of 3420°C, the high strength and thermal conductivity, the low thermal expansion and low erosion rate make this material attractive as a plasma facing material. However, the manufacturing of such tungsten parts by mechanical machining such as milling and turning is extremely costly and time intensive because this material is very hard and brittle. Powder Injection Molding (PIM) as special process allows the mass production of components, the joining of different materials without brazing and the creation of composite and prototype materials, and is an ideal tool for scientific investigations. This contribution describes the characterization and analyses of prototype materials produced via PIM. The investigation of the pure tungsten and oxide or carbide doped tungsten materials comprises the microstructure examination, element allocation, texture analyses, and mechanical testing via four-point bend (4-PB). Furthermore, the different materials were characterized by high heat flux (HHF) tests applying transient thermal loads at different base temperatures to address thermal shock and thermal fatigue performance. Additionally, HHF investigations provide information about the thermo-mechanical behavior to extreme steady state thermal loading and measurements of the thermal conductivity as well as oxidation tests were done. Post mortem analyses are performed quantifying and qualifying the occurring damage with respect to reference tungsten grades by metallographic and microscopical means

Thermal Evolution of the Proton Irradiated Structure in Tungsten–5 wt% Tantalum

We have monitored the thermal evolution of the proton irradiated structure of W–5 wt% Ta alloy by in-situ annealing in a transmission electron microscope at fusion reactor temperatures of 500–1300 °C. The interstitial-type a/2 dislocation loops emit self-interstitial atoms and glide to the free sample surface during the early stages of annealing. The resultant vacancy excess in the matrix originates vacancy-type a/2 dislocation loops that grow by loop and vacancy absorption in the temperature range of 600–900 °C. Voids form at 1000 °C, by either vacancy absorption or loop collapse, and grow progressively up to 1300 °C. Tantalum delays void formation by a vacancy-solute trapping mechanism

Bend testing of silicon microcantilevers from 21A degrees C to 770A degrees C

The measurement of mechanical properties at the microscale is of interest across a wide range of engineering applications. Much recent work has demonstrated that micropillar compression can be used to measure changes in flow properties at temperatures up to 600°C. In this work, we demonstrate that an alternative microscale bend testing geometry can be used to measure elastic, plastic, and fracture behavior up to 770°C in silicon. We measure a Young’s modulus value of 130 GPa at room temperature, which is seen to drop with increasing temperature to ≈125 GPa. Below 500°C, no failure is seen up to elastic strains of 3%. At 530°C, the microcantilever fractures in a brittle fashion. At temperatures of 600°C and above plastic deformation is seen before brittle fracture. The yield stresses at these temperatures are in good agreement with literature values measured using micropillar compression

Radiation resistance of nano-structured tungsten-rhenium sheet

Tungsten is one the most important material for both plasma facing and structural applications in current designs for advanced divertors. Recent work has shown that composites can be manufactured from nanostructured tungsten foils which show significantly higher toughness than monolithic tungsten, but there is no data on the radiation resistance of such materials. In this study W-5 wt% Re foil in both an as rolled and annealed condition was implanted with 2MeV W+ ions to two damage levels, 0.07 and 0.4 dpa. The change in hardness was measured using nanoindentation. An increase in hardness was seen in both materials at both damage levels, with more hardening seen for the 0.4 dpa implanted samples. However the increase in hardness due to ion implantation was 2.6 times higher in the annealed material as compared to the as rolled material. This is due to the smaller grain size and higher dislocation density providing more sinks for the irradiation produced defects in the as rolled material as compared to the annealed material. Thus showing that unannealed tungsten foils are superior for use in applications in which they will see significant levels of radiation damage. © 2013 Materials Research Society

Mechanical properties of ion-implanted tungsten-5wt% tantalum

Ion implantation has been used to simulate neutron damage in W-5wt%Ta alloy manufactured by arc melting. Implantations were carried out at damage levels of 0.07, 1.2, 13 and 33 displacements per atom (dpa). The mechanical properties of the ion-implanted layer were investigated by nanoindentation. The hardness increases rapidly from 7.3 GPa in the unimplanted condition to 8.8 GPa at 0.07 dpa. Above this damage level, the increase in hardness is lower, and the hardness change saturates by 13 dpa. In the initial portion of the load-displacement curves, the indentations in unimplanted material show a large 'initial pop-in' corresponding to the onset of plasticity. This is not seen in the implanted samples at any doses. The change in plasticity has also been studied using the nanoindenter in scanning mode to produce a topographical scan around indentations. In the unimplanted condition there is an extensive pile-up around the indentation. At damage levels of 0.07 and 1.2 dpa the extent and height of pile-up are much less. The reasons for this are under further investigation. © 2011 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Measuring Local Mechanical Properties Using FIB Machined Microcantilevers

Micro-scale Focused Ion Beam (FIB) machined cantilevers were manufactured in single crystal copper, polycrystalline copper and a copper-bismuth alloy. These were imaged and tested in bending using a nanoindenter. Cantilevers machined inside a single grain of polycrystalline copper were tested to determine their (anisotropic) Young's modulus: results were in good agreement with values calculated from literature values for single crystal elastic constants. The size dependence of yield behavior in the Cu microcantilevers was also investigated. As the thickness of the specimen was reduced from 23μm to 1.7μm the yield stress increased from 300MPa to 900MPa. Microcantilevers in Cu-0.02wt%Bi were manufactured containing a single grain boundary of known character, with a FIB-machined sharp notch on the grain boundary. The cantilevers were loaded to fracture allowing the fracture toughness of grain boundaries of different misorientations to be determined. © 2009 Materials Research Society

Micro-mechanical measurement of fracture behaviour of individual grain boundaries in Ni alloy 600 exposed to a pressurized water reactor environment

A micro-mechanical technique is used to determine values of the critical stress intensity factor for fracture for grain boundaries of various orientations in Ni alloy 600 exposed to Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) primary water at 325 °C with a hydrogen partial pressure of 30 kPa. Pentagonal cross-section cantilevers 5 μm wide by 25 μm long were milled using a focused ion beam (FIB) at individual grain boundaries in unoxidised Alloy 600 samples and in samples that had been exposed to simulated PWR environment for 4500 h and for 1500 h. The cantilevers were notched at the grain boundaries using FIB and tested using a nanoindenter to deflect them in bending. The critical stress intensity factor for the fractured cantilevers in samples that had been exposed for 4500 h was measured to be between 0.73 and 1.82 MPa(m)1/2. No intergranular fracture occurred in the samples that had been exposed for 1500 h and in the unoxidised samples. No direct correlation was observed between the grain boundary misorientation angle and the critical stress intensity factor