Chemical milling solution reveals stress corrosion cracks in titanium alloy

Solution of hydrogen flouride, hydrogen peroxide, and water reveals hot salt stress corrosion cracks in various titanium alloys. After the surface is rinsed in water, dried, and swabbed with the solution, it can be observed by the naked eye or at low magnification

The susceptibility of six stainless steels to stress corrosion at ambient and elevated temperatures

Stress corrosion of six stainless steels at ambient and elevated temperature

Preparation, testing and analysis of zinc diffusion samples, NASA Skylab experiment M-558

Transport mechanisms of zinc atoms in molten zinc were investigated by radiotracer techniques in unit and in near-zero gravity environments. Each melt in the Skylab flight experiments was maintained in a thermal gradient of 420 C to 790 C. Similar tests were performed in a unit gravity environment for comparison. After melting in the gradient furnace followed by a thermal soak period (the latter was used for flight samples only), the samples were cooled and analyzed for Zn-65 distribution. All samples melted in a unit gravity environment were found to have uniform Zn-65 distribution - no concentration gradient was observed even when the sample was brought rapidly to melting and then quenched. Space-melted samples, however, showed textbook distributions, obviously the result of diffusion. It was evident that convection phenomena were the dominant factors influencing zinc transport in unit gravity experiments, while diffusion was the dominant factor in near-zero gravity experiments

Microstructural design of PCA austenitic stainless steel for improved resistance to helium embrittlement under HFIR irradiation

Several variants of Prime Candidate Alloy (PCA) with different preirradiation thermal-mechanical treatments were irradiated in HFIR and were evaluated for embrittlement resistance via disk-bend tensile testing. Comparison tests were made on two heats of 20%-cold-worked type 316 stainless steel. None of the alloys were brittle after irradiation at 300 to 400/sup 0/C to approx. 44 dpa and helium levels of 3000 to approx.3600 at. ppm. However, all were quite brittle after similar exposure at 600/sup 0/C. Embrittlement varied with alloy and pretreatment for irradiation to 44 dpa at 500/sup 0/C and to 22 dpa at 600/sup 0/C. Better relative embrittlement resistance among PCA variants was found in alloys which contained prior grain boundary MC carbide particles that remained stable under irradiation

Interface modification during oxidation of a glass-ceramic matrix/SiC fibre composite

Oxidation heat treatments between 375{degrees}C and 600{degrees}C for 100 hours in air, have been performed on the calcium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic matrix/SiC fibre reinforced composite CAS/Nicalon (manufactured by Coming, USA). Using a commercial nano-indentation system to perform fibre push-down tests, the fibre-matrix interfacial debond fracture surface energy (G{sub i}) and frictional shear stress ({tau}) have been determined. Modification of interface properties, compared to the as fabricated material, was observed at heat treatment temperatures as low as 375{degrees}C, where a significant drop in G{sub i} and an increase in {tau} were recorded. With 450{degrees}C, 525{degrees}C and 600{degrees}C heat treatments, an increase in G{sub i} but a dramatic increase in {tau} were recorded. Under four-point flexure testing, the as fabricated and the 375{degrees}C heat treated materials displayed tough, composite behaviour with extensive fibre pull out, but at {le}450{degrees}C, brittle failure with minimal fibre pull out, was observed. This transition from tough mechanical response to one of brittleness is due to the large increase in {tau} reducing fibre pull out to a minimum and therefore reducing the total required work of fracture. The large increases in {tau} and G{sub i} have been attributed to the oxidative removal of the lubricating, carbon interface and the compressive residual stresses across the interface

Vanadium alloys with improved resistance to helium embrittlement

A series of experimental vanadium alloys have been designed with small MC-type carbides in their microstructures to trap helium produced during neutron irradiation, thereby reducing helium embrittlement. The tensile properties and fabricability of the alloys were strongly influenced by the amounts of MC-forming-elements, especially carbon. Alloys with 0.05 and 0.10 wt % carbon exhibited slightly lower yield strengths at 420 to 600{degree}C than vanadium alloys such as V-5Cr-5Ti, Vanstar-7, V-3Ti-1Si, and V-15Cr-5Ti. However, this characteristic may actually be an asset from the standpoint of resistance to irradiation hardening. After implantation with 300 appm {sup 3}He, both the V-Ti-C and V-Ti-Zr-C alloys exhibited less ductility losses at 600{degree}C than the other vanadium alloys tested under comparable conditions. Examination of the experimental alloy microstructures by AEM showed that the small MC-type carbides did, in fact, trap helium and that they were responsible for the increased resistance to helium embrittlement of these alloys. 16 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs

Effect of neutron irradiation on vanadium alloys

Neutron-irradiated vanadium alloys were evaluated for their susceptibility to irradiation hardening, helium embrittlement, swelling, and residual radioactivity, and the results were compared with those for the austenitic and ferritic stainless steels. The VANSTAR-7 and V-15Cr-5Ti alloys showed the greatest hardening between 400 and 600/sup 0/C while V-3Ti-1Si and V-20Ti had lower values that were comparable to those of ferritic steels. The V-15Cr-5Ti and VANSTAR-7 alloys were susceptible to helium embrittlement caused by the combination of weakened grain boundaries and irradiation-hardened grain matrices. Specimen fractures were entirely intergranular in the most severe instances of embrittlement. The V-3Ti-1Si and V-20Ti alloys were more resistant to helium embrittlement. Except for VANSTAR-7 irradiated to 40 dpa at 520/sup 0/C, all of the vanadium alloys exhibited low swelling that was similar to the ferritic steels. Swelling was greater in specimens that were preimplanted with helium using the tritium trick. The vanadium alloys clearly exhibit lower residual radioactivity after irradiation than the ferrous alloys

Effect of neutron irradiation on the tensile properties and microstructure of several vanadium alloys

Specimens of V-15Cr-5Ti, VANSTAR-7, and V-3Ti-1Si were encapsulated in TZM tubes containing /sup 7/Li to prevent interstitial pickup and irradiated in FFTF (MOTA experiment) to a damage level of 40 dpa. The irradiation temperatures were 420, 520, and 600/sup 0/C. For a better simulation of fusion reactor conditions, helium was preimplanted in some specimens using a modified version of the ''tritium trick.'' The V-15Cr-5Ti alloy was most susceptible to irradiation hardening and helium embrittlement, followed by VANSTAR-7 and V-3Ti-1Si. VANSTAR-7 exhibited a relatively high maximum void swelling of approx.6% at 520/sup 0/C while V-15Cr-5Ti and V-3Ti-1Si had values of less than 0.3% at all three temperatures. The V-3Ti-1Si clearly outperformed the other two vanadium alloys in resisting the effects of neutron irradiation

Modified tritium trick technique for doping vanadium alloys with helium

A modified tritium trick technique was used to implant three different levels of /sup 3/He in V-15Cr-5Ti (wt %) and Vanstar-7 specimens before irradiation in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). The modifications include: (1) wrapping of the specimens with tantalum foil to minimize oxygen contamination, and (2) a 400/sup 0/C decay-time treatment to prevent vanadium tritide formation and to produce a /sup 3/He bubble distribution similar to that produced during elevated temperature irradiation. Preliminary results show that both modifications were successful. However, the tritium removal step at 700/sup 0/C was probably too excessive, especially at higher helium levels, because large /sup 3/He bubbles formed in the grain boundaries and several embrittled the V-15Cr-5Ti alloy. Reduction of the tritium removal step to 400/sup 0/C should alleviate this problem. Vanstar-7 specimens consistently absorbed about half as much tritium, and subsequently contained half as much /sup 3/He as V-15Cr-5Ti. Implanting /sup 3/He in vanadium alloys via the tritium trick offers a convenient technique to study the mechanism of helium embrittlement without irradiation and should provide a rapid screening method to help develop embrittlement-resistant vanadium alloys