Strengthening Mechanisms, Creep and Fatigue Processes in Dispersion Hardened Niobium Alloy

Abstract

The creep properties of Nb-1% Zr alloy was investigated at intermediate temperatures. A model is proposed based on the operation of two parallel mechanisms. The first mechanism is based on dislocation glide- controlled creep and controls creep rate at higher stresses where the influence of the threshold stress due to the particles is negligible. At lower stresses (below 135 MPa), the threshold stress of the particles come into play and becomes the rate-controlling mechanism. The resultant effect of the operation of these two parallel mechanisms produced quite satisfactory correlation between theoretical predictions and experimental data. We have also studied the cyclic deformation of commercially pure niobium and Nb-1Zr at ambient temperature. We have conducted tests at slow strain rates, where these materials exhibit high temperature dislocation glide kinetics, and at fast strain rates, where the behavior is characteristic of the low temperature regime. We are presently exploring additional aspects of the fatigue response using a Bauschinger analysis and by testing at very low plastic strain amplitudes to see if a fatigue limit is observed. The focus of this research program is on the development and characterization of refractory metals for advanced aerospace craft and structural applications at elevated temperatures. These applications include space nuclear power reactors and hypersonic vehicles such as the National Aerospace Plane.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA237784

Entities

People

  • Amiya K. Mukherjee
  • J.C. Gibeling

Organizations

  • University of California, Davis

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alloys
  • Carbon Carbon Composites
  • Creep
  • Crystal Structure
  • Dispersions
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Engineering
  • Experimental Data
  • High Temperature
  • Low Temperature
  • Materials
  • Materials Engineering
  • Materials Science
  • Materials Testing
  • Niobium Alloys
  • Refractory Metals
  • Transmission Electron Microscopy

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Mechanical Engineering/Mechanics of Materials.
  • Powder metallurgy of Titanium alloys.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Hypersonics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster