Paolo Deodati

Structural Changes of Liquid Pb-Bi Eutectic Alloy

Liquid Pb–Bi eutectic (LBE) alloy has been selected as coolant and neutron spallation source for the development of MYRRHA, an accelerator driven system (ADS). The alloy has been characterized in liquid state from melting (125 °C) to 750 °C by mechanical spectroscopy, i.e. internal friction (IF) and dynamic modulus measurements. The experiments have been carried out using hollow reeds of austenitic stainless steel filled with Pb-Bi alloy and sealed at the extremities. Dynamic modulus showed a remarkable drop in the range 350-520 °C. In the same temperature range radial distribution functions (RDFs), determined from X-ray diffraction patterns, evidenced variations of the mean distance between the 1st nearest neighbour atoms. The phenomenon has been explained as a structural re-arrangement of atoms in the liquid metal.

Comparison between roll diffusion bonding and hot isostatic pressing production processes of ti6al4v-sicf metal matrix composites

Titanium-metal-matrix composites (Ti-MMC) are materials with very large specific resistance and potential operative temperature up to 800° C. At present these composites are produced by Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP), a reliable but expensive manufacturing method. To cut production costs, Centro Sviluppo Materiali SpA (CSM) has developed and patented an experimental plant for co-rolling at high temperature sheets of titanium alloy and silicon carbide monofilaments fabrics. The experimental Roll Diffusion Bonding (RDB) pilot plant permits a reduction of process costs of about 40% with respect to the HIP process. This work reports the results of microstructural and mechanical examinations carried out on composites realized by RDB and HIP. The comparison shows that the fibre-matrix interface is stable in both the composites while the mechanical properties of RDB composite are better due to its smaller grain size and high dislocation density.

Micro-Chemistry and Mechanical Behaviour of Ti6Al4V-SiCf Composite Produced by HIP for Aeronautical Applications

The paper reports the results of an extensive characterization of the Ti6Al4V-SiCf composite produced by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) to assess its capability to withstand the in-service conditions of turbine blades operating at middle temperatures in aeronautical engines. The microstructure of composite, in as-fabricated condition and after long-term heat treatments (up to 1,000 hours) in the temperature range 673-873 K, has been investigated by means of different techniques. Particular attention was paid to the micro-chemical evolution of fibre-matrix interface which is scarcely affected also by the most severe heat treatments examined here. This leads to stable mechanical properties as evidenced by hardness, tensile and FIMEC instrumented indentation tests. Therefore, the composite can operate at the maximum temperature (873 K) foreseen for its aeronautical applications without remarkable modifications of its microstructure and degradation of mechanical properties. The mechanical characterization has been completed by internal friction and dynamic modulus measurements carried out both at constant and increasing temperature, from 80 to 1173 K.

Local Mechanical Characterization of Human Teeth by Instrumented Indentation

The mechanical characteristics of dentine have been investigated on local scale by micro-hardness and instrumented indentation tests. FIMEC, an indentation technique employing a cylindrical punch, permitted measurements of elastic modulus, yield stress, stress-relaxation and creep. The punch diameter (Φ = 0.5 mm) is much larger than the tubule size thus data are not so largely scattered as in micro- and nano-indentation tests but, at the same time, is small enough to guarantee a good resolution in mapping the mechanical properties in different tooth positions. The results are in agreement with literature data obtained by means of various experimental techniques. Furthermore, through tests of mechanical spectroscopy carried out on bar-shaped samples (13 mm x 4 mm x 0.8 mm) the dynamic modulus and the damping factor Q-1 have been measured.

Long-Term Heat Treatments on Ti6Al4V-SiCf Composite. Part II - Mechanical Characterization

Ti6Al4V-SiCf composite, manufactured by Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) at Centro Sviluppo Materiali, has been submitted to long-term heat treatments (up to 1000 hours) at 400 and 600°C. The mechanical properties of the material, in as-fabricated condition and after heat treatments, have been investigated by instrumented indentation (FIMEC), dynamic modulus, tensile and fatigue tests. For comparison some experiments have been carried out also on the monolithic Ti6Al4V alloy. Results show that heat treatments, also the most severe examined here, do not produce remarkable variations of mechanical characteristics. In agreement with the microstructure examinations presented in part I, this behaviour, quite promising for future aeronautical applications, can be primarily ascribed to the stability of fibre-matrix interface.

Damping of FeMo alloys obtained from SPS sintering of nanostructured powders

Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) of nanostructured FeMo powder produces samples with satisfactory density, however the final grain size critically depends on the sintering temperature. Two groups (sets A and B) of samples have been examined by means of internal friction (IF) and dynamic modulus measurements carried out in successive test runs on the same samples to assess their structural stability. Set A and B had been sintered at 1113 and 1128 K and had an average grain size of 100 nm and 1 µm, respectively. TEM and XRD have been performed on the samples in as-prepared condition and after IF measurements cycles. The samples with smaller grains are more stable and substantially are not affected by grain coarsening which, on the contrary, occurs in those with grains of larger size. The heating up to 923 K during the tests diminishes dislocation density in both the groups. An anomalous trend of resonance frequency during the first test run in samples of set A has been ascribed to the formation of small cracks relaxing internal stresses.

Microstructural Investigation on Tungsten for Applications in Future Nuclear Fusion Reactors

Tungsten is a promising armour material for plasma facing components of nuclear fusion reactors. Two materials with different density and purity have been examined by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), instrumented indentation tests (FIMEC) and mechanical spectroscopy. For both the materials yield stress and elastic modulus strictly depend on the residual porosity. Moreover, the material with higher porosity (≈ 9%) is not stable and remarkable modulus variations are observed during heating. The IF spectrum exhibits a relaxation Q-1 peak superimposed to an exponentially increasing background. The peak is a single Debye peak with activation energy H = 74.86 kJ mol-1 and pre-exponential factor τ0 = 1.76 x 10-9 s that has been ascribed to dislocation interaction with intrinsic point defects (autointerstitial and substitutional).

Anelastic Phenomena at the Fibre-Matrix Interface of the Ti6Al4V-SiCf Composite

The composite, consisting of Ti6Al4V matrix reinforced by unidirectional SiC fibres (SCS-6), has been investigated by mechanical spectroscopy at temperatures up to 1,173 K. For comparison, the same experiments have been performed on the corresponding monolithic alloy. The internal friction (IF) spectrum of the composite exhibits a new relaxation peak superimposed to an exponentially increasing background. This peak, which is not present in the monolithic alloy, has an activation energy H = 186 kJ mol-1 and a relaxation time 0 = 2.3 x 10-15 s. The phenomenon has been attributed to a reorientation of interstitial-substitutional pairs in the  phase of Ti6Al4V matrix around the fibres. This explanation is supported by the results of micro-chemical characterization carried out by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) combined with Ar ion sputtering.

Microstructural Characterization of Ti6Al4V-SiCf Composite Produced by New Roll-Bonding Process

Roll Diffusion Bonding (RDB) is a new process, developed at C.S.M., for producing Ti composites reinforced by long fibres. The prototypal “diffusion bonding” plant permits to co-roll at high temperature in superplastic rolling field (under temperature and strain rate control) foils of titanium alloy and fabrics made of SiC monofilaments. This study evidenced that the Ti6Al4V-SiCf composite produced by roll-bonding exhibits superior mechanical properties with respect the same material prepared by Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) owing to the smaller grain size and the higher dislocation density.

Anelastic Phenomena and Cr2N Precipitation in a High Nitrogen Austenitic Steel

Internal friction (IF) and dynamic modulus measurements on a high nitrogen (0.8 wt%) austenitic steel in the temperature range from room temperature to 800 °C have been carried out by using a vibrating reed technique with electrostatic excitation and frequency modulation detection of flexural vibrations in the frequency range of kHz. The IF spectrum of the as-prepared material shows a broad peak superimposed to an exponentially increasing background. The discontinuous precipitation of Cr2N phase changes the characteristics of the peak. The results have been discussed by considering interstitial-substitutional (i-s) interactions.