Alternative processing methods for tungsten-base composite materials

Tungsten composite materials contain large amounts of tungsten distributed in a continuous matrix phase. Current commercial materials include the tungsten-nickel-iron with cobalt replacing some or all of the iron, and also tungsten-copper materials. Typically, these are fabricated by liquid-phase sintering of blended powders. Liquid-phase sintering offers the advantages of low processing costs, established technology, and generally attractive mechanical properties. However, liquid-phase sintering is restricted to a very limited number of matrix alloying elements and a limited range of tungsten and alloying compositions. In the past few years, there has been interest in a wider range of matrix materials that offer the potential for superior composite properties. These must be processed by solid-state processes and at sufficiently low temperatures to avoid undesired reactions between the tungsten and the matrix phase. These processes, in order of decreasing process temperature requirements, include hot-isostatic pressing (HIPing), hot extrusion, and dynamic compaction. The HIPing and hot extrusion processes have also been used to improve mechanical properties of conventional liquid-phase-sintered materials. Results of laboratory-scale investigations of solid-state consolidation of a variety of matrix materials, including titanium, hafnium, nickel aluminide, and steels are reviewed. The potential advantages and disadvantages of each of the possible alternative consolidation processes are identified. Postconsolidation processing to control microstructure and macrostructure is discussed, including novel methods of controlling microstructure alignment

Fracture Toughness and Strength in a New Class of Bainitic Chromium-Tungsten Steels

This project dealt with developing an understanding of the toughening and stengthening mechanisms for a new class of Fe-3Cr-W(V) steels developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in collaboration with Nooter Corporation and other industrial partners. The new steele had 50% higher tensile strength up to 650 degrees Celsius than currently used steels and the potential for not requiring any postweld heat treatment (PWHT) and for reducing equipment weight by 25%. This project was closely related to the Nooter project described in the report Development of a New Class of Fe-3Cr-W(V) Ferritic steels for Industrial Process Applications (ORNL/TM-2005/82). The project was carried out jointly by the University of Pittsburgh and ORNL. The University of Pittsburgh carried out fracture toughness measurements and microstructural analysis on base metal and welded plates prepared at ORNL. The project focused on three areas. The first dealt with detailed microstructural analysis of base compositions of 3Cr-3WV and 3Cr-3WBV(Ta) in both normalized (N) and normalized and tempered (NT) conditions. The second aspect of the prject dealt with determining tensile properties and fracture toughness values of K{subIC} at room temperature for both 3Cr-3Wv and 3Cr-3WV(Ta) compositions. The third focus of the project was to measure the fracture toughness values of the base metal and the heat-affectged zone (HAZ) of a plate of Fe-3Cr-W(Mo)V steel plate welded by the gas tungsten are (GTA) process. The HAZ toughness was measured in both the as-welded and the PWHT condition

Physical and Numerical Analysis of Extrusion Process for Production of Bimetallic Tubes

Bimetallic tubes are used for very specific applications where one of the two metals provides strength and the other provides specific properties such as aqueous corrosion and carburization, coking resistance, and special electrical and thermal properties. Bimetallic tubes have application in pulp and paper industry for heat-recovery boilers, in the chemical industry for ethylene production, and in the petrochemical industry for deep oil well explorations. Although bimetallic tubes have major applications in energy-intensive industry, they often are not used because of their cost and manufacturing sources in the United States. This project was intended to address both of these issues

Processing and properties of extruded tungsten-hafnium and tungsten-steel composites

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the processing behavior and properties of tungsten-hafnium (W-Hf) and W-steel composites produced by hot extrusion of canned powders. The W-Hf composite was consolidated by extrusion of blended powders with preheat temperatures over the temperature range of 1100 to 1400{degrees}C. All extrusions produced fully dense material which exhibits elongation of the tungsten phase within the hafnium matrix. The flow stress, as characterized by the extrusion constant, decreases with increasing temperature up to 1300{degrees}C and increases substantially at 1400{degrees}C as significant quantities of intermetallic phase are formed during preheating. The room-temperature (RT) hardness and compressive yield stress increase modestly with increased extrusion ratio and are not affected by extrusion temperature in the range 1100 to 1300{degrees}C. The microstructures are essentially fully recrystallized at the 1300{degrees}C preheat temperature and partially recrystallized at lower temperatures. Additionally, a mixture of tungsten and steel powder was consolidated to full density by hot extrusion at a 1000{degrees}C preheat temperature and a reduction ratio of 4.2. Increased reduction of the W-steel composite results in increased RT hardness

Differential and temperature dependent regulation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase by specific chromosome in wheat grains

A stock of disomic chromosome substitution (DCS) lines having specific chromosome of wheat variety C591 substituted in the background of rest of Chinese spring chromosomes, were used to analyze grain yield components as a function of enzyme activity of ADP–glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a starch biosynthesis enzyme in wheat grains. Associations between yield characteristics, grain growth rate (GGR) and AGPase enzyme activity of DCS lines suggested a major involvement of chromosome 3A, 4B, 7D and 2D in a temperature dependent manner. Assessment of AGPase assay at different developmental stages such as 14, 21, 28 days post anthesis (DPA) embodied that gene(s) for this enzyme are present on specific chromosomes and operate at different stages of grain development. The DCS line with 7D chromosome has a major contribution in determining the grain starch content. In this line, AGPase enzyme activity was highest at 21 DPA and was the most crucial determinant in its high GGR. Line 4B performed well at only early stage (14 DPA) suggesting that line 4B AGPase requires a lower temperature range for activation as compared to 7D line. Line 3A had substantially reduced (40%) test weights revealing the presence of few down-regulatory elements on chromosome 3A to reduce the activity of AGPase. The DCS line 2D showed higher test weights and grain number than all other lines ascribed to a consistent AGPase activity along with an efficient mechanism for translocation of photosynthates from source to sink. The chromosome 2D shows positive relation with yield attributes therefore, it can be employed to improve wheat productivity via analytical breeding programme

On the nature of the dhcp to fcc transition under pressure in Pr and Pr-Th alloys

The results of electrical resistance (R), thermoelectric power (TEP) and X-ray diffraction measurements on praseodymium (Pr) and its alloys with thorium under pressure are reported. The maximum inR vsP curve exhibited by Pr persists only in the dhcp phase of PrTh alloy. X-ray measurements confirmed that in the alloys also the maximum inR vsP curve is due to the dhcp → fcc transition. Thus the behaviour of Pr and Pr-Th alloys is different from that of La and its alloys with Ce and Th where the maximum in theR vsP curve is electronic in origin and is exhibited by the dhcp, fcc and dist fcc phases

Pressure effects on single wall carbon nanotube bundles

We report high pressure Raman studies on single wall carbon nanotube bundles under hydrostatic conditions using two different pressure transmitting media, alcohol mixture and pure water. The radial and tangential modes show a blue shift when SWNT bundle is immersed in the liquids at ambient pressures. The pressure dependence of the radial modes is the same in both liquids. However, the pressure derivatives dω/dP of the tangential modes are slightly higher for the water medium. Raman results are compared with studies under non-hydrostatic conditions and with recent high-pressure X-ray studies. It is seen that the mode frequencies of the recovered sample after pressure cycling from 26 GPa are downshifted by ~7-10 cm−1 as compared to the starting sample

Pressure-induced phase transformation and structural resilience of single-wall carbon nanotube bundles

We report here an in situ X-ray diffraction investigation of the structural changes in carbon single-wall nanotube bundles under quasihydrostatic pressures up to 13 GPa. In contrast with a recent study [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 1887 (2000)] our results show that the triangular lattice of the carbon nanotube bundles continues to persist up to ~10 GPa. The lattice is seen to relax just before the phase transformation that is observed at ~10 GPa. Further, our results display the reversibility of the two-dimensional lattice symmetry even after compression up to 13 GPa well beyond the 5 GPa value observed recently. These experimental results explicitly validate the predicted remarkable mechanical resilience of the nanotubes

High pressure phase transitions in organic solids. I: α → β transition in resorcinol

An experimental program has been started to study polymorphic phase transitions under pressure in organic solids using the Be gasketing technique developed by us. This allows us to obtain x-ray diffraction patterns of low symmetry organic solids with high resolution, employing CuK α radiation. The first organic solid studied is α-resorcinol. At 0.5 GPa, it transforms to its high temperature and denser modification, β-resorcinol. The transformation mechanism is discussed with the help of molecular packing calculations

An innovative approach to measure skill about artificial insemination in buffaloes

Data pertaining to 3 trainings on artificial insemination (AI) were analyzed and 44 farmers constituted as the study sample. The respondents selected for the study were those who had earlier exposure to AI as they were doing it in the field but needed further refinement of skills. To study skill development in AI, the process was broken into different steps, viz. estrus check, washing of buffaloes, thawing, loading, passage of AI gun and important precautions. Each step was assigned scores of 10, 10, 10, 40, 10 and 20, respectively, by seeking the response from 30 scientists working in the Institute and LUVAS (Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar). Scores were assigned to each step and summated to arrive at final score of a respondent based on their skill of each step. Thus, individual pre- and post-training scores attained by the respondents during these training programs were calculated. Mean pre-training score of respondents was 51.36 while their post-training score was 67.73 out of 100. Thus, scores of respondents were worked for the AI process- before and after the training program. The difference between the pre- and post-training scores of the respondents was 6.56 (z=6.56), which was significant. Thus, significant gain in skill of the respondents who had undergone this training was observed