Tensile and fracture characteristics of oxide dispersion strengthened Fe─12Cr produced by hot isostatic pressing

This study is presented of: The Fifteenth International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials (ICFRM-15) was held October 16–22, 2011, at the Charleston Marriott Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina (American United States).The mechanical characteristics of a model oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy with nominal composition Fe─12 wt%Cr─0.4 wt%Y₂O₃ were investigated by means of microhardness measurements, tensile tests up to fracture in the temperature range of 298─973 K, and fracture surface analyses. A non-ODS Fe─12 wt%Cr alloy was also studied to assess the real capacity of the oxide dispersion for strengthening the alloy. The materials were produced by mechanical alloying followed by hot isostatic pressing consolidation and heat treatment at 1023 K. The strengthening effect of the oxide nanodispersion was effective at all temperatures studied, although the tensile strength converges towards the one obtained for the reference alloy at higher temperatures. Moreover, the ODS alloys failed prematurely at T < 673 K due to the presence of Y-rich inclusions, as seen in the fracture surface of these alloys.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project ENE 2010-17462), the Comunidad de Madrid through the program ESTRUMAT-CM (Grant S0505/MAT/0077).Publicad

Microstructure and mechanical behavior of ODS and non-ODS Fe-14Cr model alloys produced by spark plasma sintering

In this work the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique has been explored as an alternative consolidation route for producing ultra-fine grained Fe–14Cr model alloys containing a dispersion of oxide nanoparti-cles. Elemental powders of Fe and Cr, and nanosized Y₂O₃ powder have been mechanically alloyed in a planetary ball mill and rapidly sintered in a spark plasma furnace. Two alloys, with nominal compositions Fe–14%Cr and Fe–14% Cr–0.3%Y₂O₃ (wt.%), have been fabricated and their microstructure and mechanical properties investigated. The results have been compared with those obtained for other powder metal-lurgy processed alloys of the same composition but consolidated by hot isostatic pressing. The SPS tech-nique under the present conditions has produced Fe–14Cr materials that apparently exhibit different microstructures yielding inferior mechanical properties than the counterpart material consolidated by hot isostatic pressing. Although the presence of a dispersion of Y-rich particles is evident, the oxide dis-persion strengthened (ODS) Fe–14Cr alloy consolidated by SPS exhibits poor tensile properties. The extensive decoration of the powder particle surfaces with Cr-rich precipitates and the residual porosity appear to be responsible for the impaired properties of this ODS alloy consolidated by SPS.This investigation was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (Project No. ENE 2008-06403-C06-04), the Comunidad de Madrid through the program ESTRUMAT-CM(Grant No. S0505/MAT/0077), and the European Commission through the European Fusion Development Agreement (Contract No. 09-240), the IP3 FP6 ESTEEM project (Contract No. 026019) and the Fusion Energy Materials Science (FEMaS) FP7 coordination action.Publicad

Analytical characterisation of oxide dispersion strengthened steels for fusion reactors

Special issue articleReduced activation ferritic/martensitic and ferritic steels strengthened by a dispersion of oxide nanoparticles have been considered viable structural materials for fusion applications above 550°C. However, the microstructural stability and mechanical behaviour of these steels subjected to the aggressive operating conditions of these reactors are not well known. An accelerated development of these materials is crucial if they are going to be used in future power reactors. Then, it is indispensable to understand their atomic scale evolution under high temperature and irradiation conditions. The present paper reviews how the combination of transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography has been successfully applied for the characterisation of these steels at the near atomic scale, to reveal the nanoparticle structure, grain boundary chemistry and void distribution.The present research has been supported by the FP6 Euratom Research and Training Programme on Nuclear Energy, the Fusion Energy Materials Science (FEMaS) FP7 coordination action, the IP3 FP6 ESTEEM project under contract no. 026019 and the Consejería de Educación de la Comunidad de Madrid, through the program ESTRUMAT-CM S2009MAT-1585. EAM thanks the Royal Society for the financial support (RS Dorothy Hodgkin fellowship)

Microstructure and tensile properties of oxide dispersion strengthened Fe–14Cr– 0.3Y₂O₃ and Fe–14Cr–2W–0.3Ti–0.3Y₂O₃

Proocedings of: 15th International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials (ICFRM15). Charleston, South Carolina (United States of America), 16-22 october, 2011Two ODS ferritic steels with nominal compositions (wt.%): Fe–14Cr–0.3Y2O3 and Fe–14Cr–2W–0.3Ti–0.3Y2O3 have been produced by mechanical alloying and consolidation by hot isostatic pressing. The microstructure and tensile properties of these materials after being forged and heat treated at 1123 K have been investigated to clarify the interrelation between composition, microstructure and mechanical properties. The second phase precipitates in these alloys have been analyzed by high angle annular dark field imaging in scanning TEM mode and electron diffraction. Fe–14Cr–2W–0.3Ti–0.3Y2O3 exhibits a duplex microstructure consisting of large recrystallized grains, as large as 1.5 μm, and unrecovered regions containing submicron equiaxed grains. In addition, three types of secondary phase particles have been found: large M₂₃C₆ particles containing W and Cr, (Cr + Ti) rich spherical particles with diameters between 50 and 500 nm, and fine (Y + Ti) oxide particles with sizes below 30 nm. In contrast, Fe14CrY shows a uniform structure of equiaxed grains, with sizes in the range 0.5 3 μm, containing a fine disper sion of Y oxide particles (<30 nm) homogeneously distributed inside the grains, as well as large carbide and oxide particles. Tensile tests performed over the temperature range 273 973 K have revealed that the alloy containing W and Ti has lower yield and tensile strengths than Fe–14Cr–0.3Y2O3 at tempera tures up to 773 K, but the opposite appears to occur beyond this temperature.This investigation was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project No. ENE 2008 06403 C06 04 and Juan de la Cierva program), the Comunidad de Madrid through the program ESTRUMAT CM (Grant S0505/MAT/0077), and the European Commission through the European Fusion Development Agreement (Contract No. 09 240), the IP3 FP6 ESTEEM project (Contract No. 026019) and the Fusion Energy Materials Science (FEMaS) FP7 coordination action.Publicad

Microstructural characterization of Y₂O₃ ODS-Fe-Cr model alloys

Proceedings of the: Thirteenth International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials. Nice (France), 10-14/12/2007.Two Fe-12 wt% Cr alloys, one containing 0.4 wt% Y₂O₃ and the other Y₂O₃ free, have been produced by mechanical alloying followed by hot isostatic pressing. These oxide dispersion strengthened and reference alloys were characterized both in the as-HIPed state and after tempering by transmission electron microscopy and atom-probe tomography. The as-HIPed alloys exhibited the characteristic microstructure of lath martensite and contained a high density of dislocations. Small voids with sizes <10 nm were also observed. Both alloys also contained M₃C and M₂₃C₆ carbides (M = Cr, Fe) probably as a result of C ingress during milling. After tempering at 1023 K for 4 h the microstructures had partially recovered. In the recovered regions, martensite laths were replaced by equiaxed grains in which M₂₃C₆ carbides decorated the grain boundaries. In the ODS alloy nanoparticles containing Y were commonly observed within grains, although they were also present at grain boundaries and adjacent to large carbides.This research has been supported by FP6 Euratom Research and Training Programme on Nuclear Energy. The financial support from the Comunidad de Madrid, through the program ESTRUMAT CM,Grant S 0505/MAT/0077.Publicad

Adopting a High-Polyphenolic Diet Is Associated with an Improved Glucose Profile: Prospective Analysis within the PREDIMED-Plus Trial

Previous studies suggested that dietary polyphenols could reduce the incidence and complications of type-2 diabetes (T2D); although the evidence is still limited and inconsistent. This work analyzes whether changing to a diet with a higher polyphenolic content is associated with an improved glucose profile. At baseline, and at 1 year of follow-up visits, 5921 participants (mean age 65.0 ± 4.9, 48.2% women) who had overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome filled out a validated 143-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), from which polyphenol intakes were calculated. Energy-adjusted total polyphenols and subclasses were categorized in tertiles of changes. Linear mixed-effect models with random intercepts (the recruitment centers) were used to assess associations between changes in polyphenol subclasses intake and 1-year plasma glucose or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. Increments in total polyphenol intake and some classes were inversely associated with better glucose levels and HbA1c after one year of follow-up. These associations were modified when the analyses were run considering diabetes status separately. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the relationship between changes in the intake of all polyphenolic groups and T2D-related parameters in a senior population with T2D or at high-risk of developing T2

Gestión del conocimiento. Perspectiva multidisciplinaria. Volumen 9

El libro “Gestión del Conocimiento. Perspectiva Multidisciplinaria”, volumen 9, de la Colección Unión Global, es resultado de investigaciones. Los capítulos del libro, son resultados de investigaciones desarrolladas por sus autores. El libro es una publicación internacional, seriada, continua, arbitrada de acceso abierto a todas las áreas del conocimiento, que cuenta con el esfuerzo de investigadores de varios países del mundo, orientada a contribuir con procesos de gestión del conocimiento científico, tecnológico y humanístico que consoliden la transformación del conocimiento en diferentes escenarios, tanto organizacionales como universitarios, para el desarrollo de habilidades cognitivas del quehacer diario. La gestión del conocimiento es un camino para consolidar una plataforma en las empresas públicas o privadas, entidades educativas, organizaciones no gubernamentales, ya sea generando políticas para todas las jerarquías o un modelo de gestión para la administración, donde es fundamental articular el conocimiento, los trabajadores, directivos, el espacio de trabajo, hacia la creación de ambientes propicios para el desarrollo integral de las instituciones