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Completed TRL 4
Project Objective
Design via ICME (Integrated Computational Materials Engineering) and a computation-print-test iterative process of high-solidus temperature and strength nearly crack-free and porosity-free 3D printed refractory Alloys, here Tungsten-based.
Project Description
Via collaborations with NASA partners such as University of North Texas (PI Professor Rajjiv Mishra's group), we began and are advancing the computational (CALPHAD-thermodynamics) and experimental design and prove out of hitherto challenging-to-print refractory alloys that via chemistry controls of oxygen as well as 3D printing chamber control of oxygen, and the creation of in-situ formation of metal carbides, can be 3D printed in a (nearly) crack-free and porosity-free fashion. Secondly, we wished to advance the CALPHAD thermodynamics approach to materials design at MSFC.
Project Results and Conclusions
We have designed and printed and tested refractory W-Tungsten based alloys of W-Cr-C-O that achieve a ~1700K solidus temperature and a second series exemplified by W-Nb-C-O that achieve a ~3000K solidus temperature. In both cases nearly crack-free and porosity-free 3D prints of samples have been achieved.
UNT-NASA have jointly filed a patent for the technology.
A PhD candidate (Dr. Prithvi Awasthi) has graduated with a PhD thesis on this topic.
A peer-reviewed journal article has been recently published: “Near crack free additive manufacturing of a novel W-Nb-C alloy” by Mishra et al. in Materials Research Letters 2024.
Importantly, we have identified key areas that contribute to the overcoming of the synthesis and 3D printing failure (challenges) in refractory alloys and are poised to push the bounds even higher via the lessons learned.
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