Metallurgy Commons^™

Analysis Of Shear Strength Variance Of Ph 15-7 Mo Blind Rivet Stems For Aerospace Applications, Miles Macarthur, Kent C. Majewski

Materials Engineering

This project attempts to reduce manufacturing costs incurred to Cherry Aerospace by variance in material properties. To track and predict the shear strength of PH 15-7 Mo stainless steel rivet stems throughout the heat treatment process, samples were taken from several steps in the manufacturing process and experimental heat treatments were performed across a range of temperatures. The supplied rivet stems were heat treated for four hours at temperatures from 520°C to 560°C, in increments of 10°C. Double shear testing in accordance with ASTM 1312-13A revealed that there is no apparent correlation between the strength of the supplied wire and …

Effect Of Time Delay Between Etching And Adhesive Bonding (“Outlife” Time) On Lap-Shear Strength Of Aluminum Alloys Using Environmentally-Friendly P2 Etch, Josh Barkhimer, Matthew Erich, Gokul Nair

Materials Engineering

Raytheon Company currently uses a Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) paste etchant for preparing aluminum surfaces for adhesive bonding, and FPL is a source of hazardous hexavalent chromium. The goal of this study was to evaluate a less-toxic P2 paste etchant as a possible replacement. Coupons of 2024-T3, 6061-T6, and 7075-T6 grades of aluminum alloy were solvent-degreased, abrasively cleaned, and etched at room temperature using P2 paste following a strict protocol adopted from Raytheon. Coupons were then left exposed to air for assigned time intervals (or “outlife” times) of 0, 1, 4, 8, 16, and 63 or 72 hours. The aluminum …

Effects Of Composition And Solid Solution Strengthening On The Compression Strength Of Iron-Based Hardfacing Alloys, Tyler Wiggins, Samuel Garrison-Terry

Materials Engineering

Three iron-based hardfacing alloys were fabricated to have a tungsten strengthened matrix with varying compositions of 10-15, 20, and 30 wt% tungsten/chrome boride content. The fourth sample was fabricated to have a molybdenum solid solution strengthened matrix with 10-15 wt% W/Cr Boride content. This project focuses on the compressive strength of iron-based hardfacing alloys. Preliminary compression tests with Scoperta iron-based hardfacing alloys showed a need for sample dimension reduction due to compressive loads that could not be met by a 50 kN maximum capacity mechanical testing system. The preliminary tests showed compressive strengths exceeding 2340 MPa. Samples of the current …

Electrochemical Testing Of Aluminum-Lithium Alloys 2050, 2195, And The Current Aerospace Industry Standard 7075 To Measure The Galvanic Corrosion Behavior With Ti-6al-4v, Trent Duncan, Kevin Knight

Materials Engineering

This project aimed to characterize the electrochemical behavior of four different aluminum alloys, and determine how much galvanic corrosion would occur when each alloy was coupled to Ti-6Al-4V. The particular alloys tested were 2050-T3, 2050-T852, 2195-T852, and 7075-T7352. These alloys were tested to determine the effects of aging, and adding lithium, to the corrosion behavior of aluminum alloys. Potentiodynamic polarization curves were generated using the Parstat 2273 potentiostat in accordance with ASTM standard G5, and corrosion analysis software was used to produce Tafel fit lines, which determined the open circuit potential (E_corr) of each sample. Nine tests were …

Characterization Of Laser Deposited Ti-6al-4v To Nb Gradient Alloys, Clincy Cheung

Materials Engineering

An alloy was fabricated with Ti-6Al-4V and Nb powder using laser deposition (LD) to form a compositional gradient. The gradient was deposited, starting with Ti-6Al-4V powder, onto a forged Ti-6Al-4V substrate in an Argon environment. Niobium (Nb) composition increased by 4-at.% with each layer deposited until the composition reached 100-at.% Nb. This process yielded steep thermal gradients and affected the microstructure and mechanical properties across the compositional gradient. To observe the microstructural changes in the alloy, an etched gradient was viewed with optical microscopy at 1000x, where the grain structure was observed to be an acicular α phase at 100-at.% …

Investigating The Cause Of Unique Mechanical Behavior In Platinum Alloy Guidewire Tips, Evan Borgeson, Alfred Rosen

Materials Engineering

The platinum alloy used by Abbott Vascular in guidewire tips exhibits a yielding behavior characterized by an abrupt transition from elastic to plastic zones and high ductility. This yielding behavior was hypothesized to be a result of one of three structural phenomena: ordering, solute strain aging, or interstitial strain aging. To test for these strengthening mechanisms in the wire, X-ray diffraction analysis, heat treatments, and tensile testing were completed. The wire has a diameter of 0.0025 inches and was supplied in two forms, the final stress relieved state, and as-drawn from the production line. Heat treatments were performed at 130 …

Effects Of Initial Forging Temperature, Cooling Rates, And Carbon Content On Primary Alpha Formation In Ti-6al-4v, James Tillman, Hui Wei

Materials Engineering

Ti-6Al-4V is an alpha-beta titanium alloy system, which contains both alpha and beta phases at room temperature. Both alpha and beta phases provide Ti-6Al-4V a range of different properties for a range of applications. In order to improve the energy efficiency and better satisfy customers’ requirements of less than 52% primary alpha phase, Weber Metals sponsored this project to study the effects of carbon content, forging temperature, and cooling rates on primary alpha formation in Ti-6Al-4V alloys. There has been a lot of discussion as to whether or not carbon, a known alpha stabilizer, will affect the microstructure in small …

Influence Of Grain Size And Widmanstätten Colonies On Variability Of Tensile Properties Of Forged Ti-6al-4v, Blake T. Gaspar

Master's Theses

When testing forgings for specifications, it was found that some parts did not meet the requirements for mechanical properties. This triggered an investigation into two of the parts from the lot that did not meet specification. The ultimate reason for failure was due to lower than necessary yield strength and ultimate tensile strength values, as well as unwanted variability between regions of the part. Therefore, samples of the regions were tensile tested to determine the differences that existed in yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation. After tensile testing, quantitative metallography and fractography were conducted to identify aspects of the …

Electrochemical Characterization Of Precious Metal Braze Alloys Using Potentiodynamic Polarization, Maxwell Glen Martin, Mason Gregory Morgan, Matthew David Vance

Materials Engineering

This study aimed to characterize the electrochemical behavior of six precious metal braze alloys by performing potentiodynamic polarization tests (ParStat 2273) based on ASTM Specifications G5 and G59. To determine the extent to which the alloys will contribute to galvanic corrosion in a marine environment (3.5 wt% NaCl), corrosion analysis software was used to produce fitted Tafel lines to determine the open circuit potential, V_oc, for each alloy. The V_oc values for the alloys were found to be -66.58 mV for Gold ABA, 13.01 mV for Nicoro^®, -39.00 mV for Nioro^®, 23.4 mV …

A Process Development Study On Reducing The Anisotropy While Maintaining The Strength Of Extruded Aluminum Alloy 2195 Through Heat Treatment, Theodore James Arehart

Materials Engineering

The purpose of this study was two-fold: develop an aging curve for extruded 2195 aluminum and test the magnitude of the anisotropy in the extrusion throughout the aging process. Two aging curves were developed, one at 290^oF and the other at 320^oF, through hardness tests of aged samples. The hardness was found to change, from approximately 72 HRB to 90 HRB, within the first 6 hours and not change more than 2 HRB in the 42 hours following. It was determined that the 320^oF temperature was more promising due to faster aging time, and …

High Cycle Rotating Bending Fatigue Of 6061-T6 Friction Stir Welded Extrusions, John Chang, Travis Miller

Materials Engineering

Fatigue testing was done on friction stir welded joints of 6061-T6 aluminum extrusions. Tests were run using a rotating bending fatigue machine at stresses from 111.5 to 138.7 MPa. Failures occurred on the order of 10⁵ to 10⁷ cycles, and an S-N curve was generated based off of the failure results. After the samples failed, the location of the failure and the number of cycles to failure were noted. Fatigue samples were designed in SolidWorks with a tapered 2 inch reduced section. The 2 inch reduced section will include the entire weld region as seen from the microhardness …

Relationship Between Bagging Methods And Pre-Weld Holding Times On Porosity Formation In 2219 Aluminum Ac-Tig Welds, Mariah Grace Head, Tyson Daniel Mobley

Materials Engineering

The purpose of this study was to determine relationships between bagging methods and pre-weld holding times on the formation of porosity when AC-TIG welding 2219 aluminum. Considering the strict guidelines and specifications required within the aerospace industry, maintaining quality welds is of paramount importance to control part integrity for aerospace applications. This project focused on two parameters involved in the preparation of aluminum parts for welding: bagging method and pre-weld holding time. Welding geometry was simplified to bead-on plate instead of the standard joint welds. Radiographic analysis of the samples showed that all levels of both parameters produced “passing welds.” …

An Intercritical Heat Treatment Study Of High Strength, Microalloyed Ferrous Open Die Forgings, Kelly Elizabeth Stewart

Materials Engineering

High strength, low alloy steel is most commonly utilized in plate or sheet form-with a thickness under 4 in, one unconventional application however, is open die forging where cross-sectional area can be as large as 9.5 in by 11.5 in. When forging to larger section size than one would thermo-mechanically roll sheet steel, a new set of complications, such as variation in microstructure and mechanical properties, arise. This study investigates the heat treatment and processing options needed to negate the inherent microstructural irregularity and Charpy V-Notch (CVN) toughness variation. Intercritical heat treatment—normalizing and then quench and tempering above the A …

The Effect Of Silicon On The Electrochemical Corrosion Resistance Of Carbon Steel, Loan Faget, Michael S. Rouse

Materials Engineering

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the silicon (Si) content of carbon steels affects their electrochemical corrosion resistance. Tests were conducted using concentrated HCl and carbonated water on three carbon steels with different levels of silicon: 0.02, 0,19, and 0.94 weight percent. Like H2S, the prime concern of Chevron, HCl and CO2 are corrosive components in oil refinery. Electrochemical properties were measured using a potentiodynamic test outlined in Standard ASTM G59-97: Test Method for Conducting Potentiodynamic Polarization Resistance Measurements. Previous studies have determined that adding silicon to steel increases the corrosion resistance; however, results show that corrosion …

The Effects Of Austempering And Cryogenic Processing On The Mechanical Properties Of Forged E4340 Steel For Automotive Engine Connecting Rods, Aaron Taylor Ludlow

Materials Engineering

The components in top-fuel dragster and stock car engines undergo significantly more force than their production passenger vehicle counterparts do. Therefore, they must be manufactured and processed to withstand those forces so that they do not catastrophically fail while in service. In this project, the effects of austempering and adding a cryogenic processing step to the control quench and double temper heat treatment on the tensile and hardness properties of E4340 high-strength steel were examined. Tensile test samples were machined from raw connecting rod forgings and underwent either a quench-double temper heat treatment, an austempering heat treatment, or the quench-double …

Revealing Prior Austenite Grain Boundaries Of 4340 Steel, Ryan Brierly Barrows

Materials Engineering

Grain growth during austenitization has a negative effect on fatigue strength. Several methods have been investigated in order to determine an accurate method of measuring the austenite grain size of 4340 steel. The McQuaid-Ehn method, an industry standard for evaluating austenite grain size, has been recognized to produce inaccurate results due to the coarsening of grains during extended austenitizing. A method utilized for hypoeutectoid steels, outlined by the ASTM-E112 standard, is investigated to potentially obtain more accurate results by reducing the duration of austenitizing. Studies regarding effective etching procedures for revealing austenite grains without austenitizing are also addressed. Samples are …

Mechanical Properties And Microstructures Of Incoloy 909 Rolled Rings Subjected To A Modified Forging Cycle, Colin Lee Elliott Glaves

Materials Engineering

The microstructure of rolled rings of Incoloy 909 nickel-iron-cobalt superalloy subjected to a standard customer solution and aging treatment exhibited unacceptably large grains. Samples cut from a failed ring were mounted and polished for analysis. The samples were etched with a modified Kalling’s waterless reagent and metallographic analysis was done to identify characteristic large grain structures distributed among the desired smaller grain structures. The large grains were identified and noted for comparison to later samples. Two test rings were forged out of Incoloy 909 using revised forging procedures involving reduced soak temperatures before each forging step. Metallographic samples were cut …

The Effects Of Heat Treatment On The Grain Growth, Phase Evolution, And Hardness Of Newly Developed Steel-Based Hardfacing Alloys For Industrial Applications, Renee Kuzniar

Materials Engineering

Steel-based hardfacing alloys are welded onto the outside diameter of tool joints in three beads with a slight overlap between welds for underground drilling to prolong the tool joints’ life. Current hardfacing alloys have a shortened life due to cracks occurring in neighboring weld beads. To decrease cracking, the effects of composition and heat treatment on the microstructure was investigated on five alloys. Five small arc-melt circular ingots roughly 1.4 x 0.3 inches were produced. Each sample had varying amounts of C, B, Cr, Mn, Mo, Nb, Si, Ti, V, and W. The carbon levels in the alloys were .91wt%, …

Grain Size Control In Post-Forged C263 Seamless Rolled Rings, Christopher Smith

Materials Engineering

Seamless rolled rings of C263 superalloy were forged by Carlton Forge Works in Paramount, CA and sectioned for mechanical testing. The as-forged ring sections were then machined into tensile samples. To simulate cold working done after Carlton’s forging process, the C263 tensile samples were strained using an Instron tensile tester to 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9% plastic strain. These tensile samples were then solution treated at 2100°F for 30 minutes and water quenched before being aged at 1470°F for 8 hours and air cooled, following Carlton Forge Works’ heat treatment process. The gauge length sections were metallographically prepared and …

Residual Stress Measurement Of 7050 Aluminum Alloy Open Die Forgings Using The Hole-Drilling Method, Alexandra Viksne

Materials Engineering

Open die forged 7050 aluminum alloy has residual stresses that can be measured by the hole-drilling method following standard ASTM E837-01. Weber Metals (Paramount, CA) assumes that the stress is uniform throughout the thickness of an open die forged plate. Four different stress relieved 7050 aluminum samples were tested to confirm if the measurements by the hole-drilling method at the surface of a plate is indicative of the stress throughout. The different stress relief methods included: two water quenched samples at temperature ranges of 60°-90°F and 120°-130°F and two samples plastically deformed by forging at room temperature 1% and 3%. …

Evaluation Of High Phosphorus Electroless Nickel Platings To Protect Carbon Steel Heat Exchangers In Seawater Service, Nathan Brink

Materials Engineering

The purpose of this project was to determine the suitability of using a high phosphorus electroless nickel (HPEN) coating to prevent corrosion in carbon steel heat exchangers in seawater service. 1 in. x 4 in. samples were cut from ¼ in. SA-516-70 pressure vessel plate, pickled to remove mill scale, dressed with 300 grit sand paper and sent out for plating with 2 mils of HPEN. Due to a clerical error during plating, samples were plated to a significantly lesser extent than requested. Samples were plated with approximately 0.6 mils of HPEN versus the 2 mils requested, however this was …

Effect Of Carbon On Primary Alpha Percentage In Ti-6al-4v As Temperature Approaches The Beta Transus, Kyle Savage

Materials Engineering

Some Ti-6Al-4V forgings require a specific amount of α phase known as primary α in the finished product. The percentage of primary α is dependent on how close to the beta transus temperature forging is conducted. The beta transus temperature is affected by certain alloying elements. Carbon is one of the elements known to increase the beta transus temperature. Since each Ti-6Al-4V ingot contains varying amounts of carbon, testing on a variety of chemistries needs to be conducted. Cubes approximately 0.5 inches from low, medium, and high carbon chemistries were heat treated at temperatures below the beta transus in 18 …

Evaluation Of Forging Strain For Maximum Grain Size In Open-Die Forged 6061 Aluminum, Eric Strehl

Materials Engineering

In an effort to maximize grain growth of open-die forged 6061 aluminum alloy parts, samples from three of Weber Metals’s suppliers (Hidal Co-Almex USA Inc., TST Inc., and Vista Metals Corp.; to be called Supplier H, Supplier T, Supplier V respectively) were cut into cylinders with diameters of 0.75˝ and heights of 2˝, and put through a simulated forging process and heat treatment. It is possible that additional alloying elements may be promoting or inhibiting grain growth in the final part. Maximizing grain growth for aluminum alloy parts results in improved resistance to intergranular corrosion. Samples from each vendor had …

Analysis Of Bimetallic Adhesion And Interfacial Toughness Of Kinetic Metallization Coatings, Alec D. Guraydin

Master's Theses

Due to their ability to confer enhanced surface properties without compromising the properties of the substrate, coatings have become ubiquitous in heavy industrial applications for corrosion, wear, and thermal protection, among others. Kinetic Metallization (KM), a solid-state impact consolidation and coating process, is well-suited for depositing industrial coatings due to its versatility, low substrate heat input, and low cost. The ability of KM coatings to adhere to the substrate is determined by the quality of the interface. The purpose of this study is to develop a model to predict the interfacial quality of KM coatings using known coating and substrate …

An Experimentally Generated Constitutive Model For Peak Stress (Σ_Peak) In Compression Samples, Kevin Mathew Lopez Galang

Master's Theses

The hot working behavior of AISI 1018 steel was studied by hot-compression deformation tests on the Gleeble 1500 thermo-mechanical simulator at true strain values of -0.143 and -0.405, true strain rate values of 0.01 and 0.1, and working temperatures of 900^°C and 1000°C. The tests show that a lower working temperature and lower true strain value results in a greater maximum compressive force. The apparent activation energy Q_app was calculated by using the Zener-Hollomon parameter combined with the low stress law. Q_{app ­}was calculated to be 311 kJ mol^-1 K^-1.

Bacterial Growth On Metal And Non-Metal Surfaces In A Static Bioreactor, Rolan Yuk Loong Liong

Master's Theses

Research was conducted to observe bacterial growth on the surface of metals in a static bioreactor. Metal and non-metal samples were subjected to bacterial exposure (1 day and 9 days). The metal samples were surface treated prior to bacterial exposure. The microstructures of the surface treated samples were analyzed by optical microscopy. After exposure, the microstructures of the samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The analysis suggested that microbial attachment on the surface was related to the underlying microstructure of steel. The preferential attachment of microbes could potentially be influenced by cathodic and anodic regions created by the …

Investigation Of Astm E 238 Bearing Pin Properties For Various Aerospace Alloys, Trevor J. Lee

Master's Theses

Aircraft are often designed with numbers determined by testing in a lab, rather than by repeatedly building prototypes. These lab tests conform to testing specifications so that the numbers can be compared between manufacturers, suppliers, and lab technicians. One such specification is ASTM specification E238 – 84(08), and it is used to determine important properties of a bearing pin joint like hinges, bolt holes, and rivet joints. The properties determined from this fastener-through-plate method are bearing strength, bearing yield strength, and bearing stiffness.

Adhering to the methods outlined in ASTM E238, a study was performed, looking at the effects that …

Graphene Refinement By High Temperature Anneals, Benjamin A. Calvopina, Justin Bult, Jeff Blackburn

STAR Program Research Presentations

Graphene’s intrinsic properties of being a good conductor as well as having efficient optical transmission make it a potentially useful material in photovoltaic cells as a transparent conducting electrode. One problem preventing graphene from being fully utilized stems from contaminates created and deposited during the transfer process of multiple graphene layers. After synthesis, TRT (Thermal Release Tape) is applied to the graphene supported on the copper growth substrate. TRT utilizes a unique formulation of adhesive that is temperature sensitive so that it will release when heated. Upon removing the growth substrate in a chemical bath, the TRT is used to …

Selective Laser Sintering; A Design Of Experiments, Philip David Hopkins, Victor Castillo Phd

STAR Program Research Presentations

Additive Manufacturing (AM), also commonly known as 3D Printing or Rapid Prototyping, is a method of manufacturing that provides for the ability to make intricate internal features and easily customizable parts. The concept is to break a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file into a series of thin layers that are sent to the machine and laid down one layer at a time. Just like any other form of processing, material properties can alter by undergoing this process. Manipulating various parameters of the AM process can allow for different properties to be achieved. For this reason, an in depth study will …

Effects Of Annealing/Solution Treating And Aging On Longitudinal And Transverse Properties Of Ti-6al-4v Forgings, Blake Reller

Materials Engineering

Forty-eight subsize round-bar tensile samples (ASTM E8) were machined from 3-in-thick forgings of Ti-6Al-4V. Half of these samples were cut so the axis aligned with the longitudinal (LG) direction of the forging, the other half were cut to align with the transverse (LT) direction. Four samples from each direction were subjected to one of six heat treatments so that a total of eight samples received each treatment. Annealed samples were held at 1350°F for two hours, then air cooled. Solution treated and aged (STA) samples were solution treated at one of five temperatures between 1785°F and 1435°F for one hour …