Structure and morphology of printed nickel40Co20Fe10Cr10Al18L2 EHEA: A backscattered SEM image of the polished and gallium ion etched sample surface (A), a HAADF STEM image of the specimen showing two phases with distinctive contrasts (B), a magnified bright-field TEM image of a two-phase region (C), SAED models taken from zone 1 (D) and zone 2 (E) highlighted in panel C showing the presence of the FCC and FCC + BCC phases, respectively, as well as a high-resolution HAADF STEM image of the FCC/BCC phase interface with the (111) and (110) orientations, respectively (F). Credit: Scientific reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67422-x
What makes structures and materials designed for extreme environments reliable? Research led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and published in Scientific reports details developments in understanding materials additively manufactured under high pressure through the use of high-resolution images and computer simulations.
Yogesh Vohra, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Physics and associate dean for research and innovation in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the principal investigator of the Center for Complex Additively Manufactured Systems under Extreme Conditions.
To produce better materials for human use in extreme environments, CAMCSE studies the performance of 3D printed materials under extreme pressures, temperatures, and high-speed impacts or shock compressions.
Using focused ion beam technology to extract a compressed sample a few nanometers thick, electron microscopy observations confirmed the irreversibility of the phase transformation. The arrangement of the nanolayers remained unchanged even after exposure to extreme pressures.
Vohra says the published research focuses on the fundamental structural reasons behind the high strength and ductility of 3D printed alloys.
“In particular, how the crystal structure changes under high pressures could impact the mechanical properties of 3D printed alloys,” Vohra said.
“The electron microscopy study presented in this paper is important because it establishes for the first time that the nanostructured layered structure is maintained after exposure to pressure and that there is no change in the chemical composition of the individual layers.”
This research will help develop the design of additively manufactured materials for extremely high temperatures in aerospace and power plant applications, hypervelocity impact-resistant structures, and high-radiation environments in nuclear reactors.
Vohra says he is excited about this development of CAMCSE because it represents a step forward in understanding high-pressure-induced crystal structure changes and underscores the importance of collaboration.
“This paper represents the collective expertise of four different academic institutions applied to 3D printed superalloys under extreme conditions,” Vohra said.
“Working on a common problem across science and engineering disciplines is a notable achievement of CAMCSE and at the same time provides training opportunities for UAB graduate students.”
More information:
Andrew D. Pope et al., High-pressure phase transition in a 3D-printed high-entropy nanolamellar alloy by imaging and simulation, Scientific reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67422-x
Provided by the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Quote: Researchers test stability of 3D-printed superalloy under extreme conditions (2024, August 27) retrieved August 27, 2024 from
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