Title

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation on the Low Temperature Properties of the NbCr₂ Laves Phase

Author Info

Dan J. Thoma, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Chu Fuming, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Katherine C. Chen, Los Alamos National LaboratoryFollow
Paul G. Kotula, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Terence E. Mitchell, Los Alamos National Laboratory
John M. Wills, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Alim Ormeci, Koc University, Turkey
Shao Ping Chen, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Robert C. Albers, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Recommended Citation

Published in LA-UR-99-2687, September 7, 1999, pages 1-21.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Katherine Chen was not yet affiliated with Cal Poly.

Abstract

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The goal of the project was to develop methodologies in which to define and improve the properties of NbCr₂ so that the high temperature structural applications of alloys based upon this would not be limited by the low-temperature brittle behavior of the intermetallic. We accomplished this task by (1) understanding the defect structure and deformation mechanisms in Laves phases, (2) electronic and geometric contributions to phase stability and alloying behavior, and (3) novel processing of dual phase (Laves/bcc) structures. As a result alloys with properties that in many cases surpass superalloys were developed. For example, we have tailored alloy design strategies and processing routes in a metal alloy to achieve ambient temperature ultimate strengths of 2.35 GPa as well as ultimate strengths of 1.5 GPa at 1000°C. This results in one of the strongest metal alloys that currently exist, while still having deformability at room temperature.

Disciplines

Materials Science and Engineering

Publisher statement

U.S. Department of Energy