DURIP: Unique Combination of Melting and Rapid Solidification to Create Refractory Glassy Metal Alloys
Abstract
This proposalis for the acquisition of a unique rapid solidification system (RSS) that was custom designed for the PI by Arcast Inc, for the formation of new high-temperature metallic glasses. This unique single stage system has dual melting options # direct plasma arc and induction cold-crucible levitation melting # combined with a melt spinner for rapid solidification of refractory alloys. While this equipment will be available as part of a shared user facility, it will be primarily used to support the PI#s existing U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) grant titled #Design, Synthesis, and Validation of the Use of Metallic Glass Powders for Additive Manufacturing of Tungsten-Based Components for Extreme Environments# (grant number FA9550-22-1-0363) supported by Dr. Jennifer Wolk, Director for Division 332: Naval Materials S&T in the Office of Naval Research. For this project, computational thermodynamics is being used to predict W-based glasses that will undergo laser powder directed energy deposition (LPDED) for fabrication of dense parts. Once formed, the brittle glass part will undergo controlled crystallization to impart toughness and high-temperature stability. Acquisition of theRSS will provide a rapid and cost-effective way to experimentally validate more theoretically predicted glass compositions, and help to generate data needed for the predictive model of glass stability during LPDED.Thus far, several viable tungsten-based and tantalum-based compositions have been discovered using a combination of computational and experimental techniques. Powders of the alloys of interest have been formed using arc melting and subsequent atomization. This approach is suitable for making large amounts of powder of promising compositions and is ideal for commercial processing and manufacturing. However, the atomization tool requires a large amount of starting material (minimum of 150 g) to generate the desired product and is not ideal for laboratory research, development and evaluation of computationally identified compositions of interest. To save costs and time associated with the raw material and atomization, the RSS has been designed to use ~5-20 g of material, thereby enabling it to be used as a discovery tool for a greater number of compositions. The RSS was specifically designed to enable the melting and rapid quenching of high-temperature alloys (~3000#C) without significant contamination; requirements that cannot be achieved by other commercial systems.From a research-related education perspective, acquisition of the RSS will be used for hands on learning in metallurgy/materials science courses, thus helping to retain important know-how within the workforce of our country. Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC), an Hispanic Serving Institution and a sister institution to UNR, also located in Reno, NV, has a metals based training program. This team has long standing collaboration with TMCC and will develop a module for their students to prepare high melting alloys using the RSS. The faculty listed on this proposal are actively engaged in the design and processing of alloys, supplemented with computational approaches, for structural applications. In particular, bulk glassy alloys and advanced metallic crystalline alloys are being investigated in our department#s efforts to restore alloy physical-metallurgy-oriented research that is relevant to DoD applications. The equipment will beintegrated into the Materials Characterization Nevada (MCNV) facility directed by one of the co-PI#s on this proposal. MCNV is a shared equipment facility with dedicated staff, so that other internal and external users can have access to the equipment for both research, education, and outreach.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 15, 2024
- Source ID
- N000142412341
Entities
People
- Krista Carlson
Organizations
- Nevada System of Higher Education
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy