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The Effects of Impurity Content on Plastic Deformation and Microstructure Evolution in Niobium at Temperatures from 1473 K to 1773 K

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Abstract

A mechanism is established by which interstitial impurity content increases the high-temperature strength of niobium. A Type 2 niobium sheet material (ASTM B393-18) was mechanically tested in tension from 1473 K to 1773 K (1200 °C to 1500 °C) at constant true strain rates of 10−3 and 10−4 s−1. This material is compared to a Type 1 niobium with lower interstitial impurity levels. The microstructures of both materials are characterized using backscatter electron imaging (BSE) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The deformation of both materials at these temperatures is dominated by five-power creep and the associated development of subgrains that control strength. Compared to the Type 1 material, the higher interstitial impurity content of the Type 2 niobium produces: 1. higher strength at elevated temperatures, 2. delayed recrystallization, 3. slower grain growth, 4. more inhomogeneous microstructures, and 5. slower recovery that produces smaller subgrains. These result from the fine dispersoids expected from interstitial impurities in the Type 2 niobium, with carbon identified as the most important interstitial element. The finer subgrain size of the Type 2 niobium produces, through five-power creep, a higher strength than the Type 1 niobium at these high temperatures.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the National Science Foundation for sponsoring this work under Grants DMR-1507417 and DMR-2003312 and equipment under Grant DMR-9974476. The authors also thank the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT), an Office of Science User Facility operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science by Los Alamos National Laboratory (Contract 89233218CNA000001) and Sandia National Laboratories (Contract DE-NA-0003525), where some data were collected.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Exponent, Mechanical Engineering, 10850 Richmond Avenue, Suite 175, Houston, TX, 77042, USA

    Emily A. D. Brady

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 204 East Dean Keeton St., Stop C2200, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Eric M. Taleff

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  1. Emily A. D. Brady
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  2. Eric M. Taleff
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Correspondence to Emily A. D. Brady.

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Brady, E.A.D., Taleff, E.M. The Effects of Impurity Content on Plastic Deformation and Microstructure Evolution in Niobium at Temperatures from 1473 K to 1773 K. Metall Mater Trans A 53, 3057–3072 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-022-06726-x

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