Grain refinement of dual phase steel maximizes deformation ability of martensite, leading to simultaneous enhancement of strength and ductility

Park, M.-H.*; 柴田 曉伸*; Harjo, S.; 辻 伸泰*

Acta Materialia, 292, p.121061_1 - 121061_13, 2025/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121061

Dual-phase (DP) steel, composed of soft ferrite and hard martensite, offers excellent strength-ductility balance and low cost. This study found that refining the DP microstructure enhanced both yield strength and strain hardening, improving strength and ductility. Digital image correlation (DIC) revealed strain localization in ferrite, but refinement reduced strain differences between ferrite and martensite, suppressing crack initiation. More ferrite/martensite interfaces promoted plasticity in martensite via enhanced deformation constraint. neutron diffraction showed martensite bore higher phase stress, which increased with refinement. By combining -DIC and neutron data, individual stress-strain curves for ferrite and martensite were constructed for the first time, explaining the strength-ductility synergy through interphase constraint. These findings offer guidance for designing heterostructured materials to overcome the strength-ductility trade-off.

Reduction and phase transformation of Ce-doped zirconolites

林崎 康平; 廣岡 瞬; 山田 忠久*; 砂押 剛雄*; 村上 龍敏; 齋藤 浩介

Ceramics (Internet), 8(1), p.24_1 - 24_12, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.3390/ceramics8010024

Zirconolite is a wasteform that can immobilize Pu. Herein, zirconolites comprising Ce as a Pu simulant and Al as a charge compensator of Ce/Pu were synthesized by sintering raw CaO, ZrO, TiO, CeO, and AlO powder mixtures at 1400C in static air. The reduction behavior and phase transformation of zirconolites during their heat treatment in an Ar-H gas flow were investigated. All zirconolite compositions first underwent reduction at 1050C by forming a small domain of perovskite phase. Ce-Al co-doped zirconolite showed a smaller fraction of phase transformation in perovskite than Ce-doped zirconolite, indicating the advantage of using a charge compensator to prevent perovskite formation.

Stress and plastic strain partitioning behaviors and those contributions to martensitic transformation of retained austenite in medium manganese and transformation-induced plasticity-aided bainitic ferrite steels

北條 智彦*; 小山 元道*; 熊井 麦弥*; Zhou, Y.*; 柴山 由樹; 城 鮎美*; 菖蒲 敬久; 齋藤 寛之*; 味戸 沙耶*; 秋山 英二*

ISIJ International, 65(2), p.284 - 296, 2025/02

https://doi.org/10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2024-268

Stress and plastic strain distributions and those partitioning behaviors of ferrite and retained austenite were investigated in the medium manganese (Mn) and the transformation-induced plasticity-aided bainitic ferrite (TBF) steels, and the martensitic transformation behaviors of retained austenite during Luders elongation and work hardening were analyzed using synchrotron X-ray diffraction at SPring-8. The stress and plastic strain of retained austenite and volume fraction of retained austenite were remarkably changed during Luders deformation in the medium Mn steel, implying that the medium Mn steel possessed inhomogeneous deformation at the parallel part of the tensile specimen. On the other hand, the distributions of the stress, plastic strain and volume fraction of retained austenite were homogeneous and the homogeneous deformation occurred at the parallel part of the tensile specimen at the plastic deformation regime with work hardening in the medium Mn and TBF steels. The martensitic transformation of retained austenite at uders deformation in the medium Mn steel was possessed owing to the application of high stress and preferential deformation at retained austenite, resulting in a significant increase in the plastic deformation and reduction of stress in the retained austenite. The martensitic transformation of retained austenite at the plastic deformation regime with work hardening was induced by the high dislocation density and newly applied plastic deformation in retained austenite in the medium Mn steel whereas the TBF steel possessed gradual transformation of retained austenite which is applied high tensile stress and moderate plastic deformation.

Heat transfer coefficients model for SIMMER-III and SIMMER-IV

Brear, D. J.*; 近藤 悟; 曽我部 丞司; 飛田 吉春*; 神山 健司

JAEA-Research 2024-009, 134 Pages, 2024/10

JAEA-Research-2024-009.pdf:2.45MB

SIMMER-III/SIMMER-IVは液体金属高速炉の炉心崩壊事故(CDA)の解析に使用する計算コードである。CDAの事象進展は炉心物質間の熱伝達係数(HTC)により大きく影響される。溶融・固化、蒸発・凝縮といった質量移行現象も熱伝達により支配される。複雑な多相・多成分系においては、一つの流体成分と他の流体又は構造材表面との間での多数の異なるHTCを計算する必要がある。また、多相流の流動様式や構造材の配位に従って異なる伝熱モードを考慮する必要もある。結果として、各計算セルごとに数十のHTCが計算される。本報告書には、SIMMER-III/SIMMER-IVのHTCモデルの役割、選定したHTC相関式とその技術的背景、流動様式の取扱いとHTCの内挿方法、検証及び妥当性確認の成果概要を記載する。

France-Japan collaboration on severe accident studies in sodium-cooled fast reactors, 2; Methodologies and calculations of severe accident phases

曽我部 丞司; 石田 真也; 田上 浩孝; 岡野 靖; 神山 健司; 小野田 雄一; 松場 賢一; 山野 秀将; 久保 重信; 久保田 龍三郎*; et al.

Proceedings of International Conference on Nuclear Fuel Cycle (GLOBAL2024) (Internet), 4 Pages, 2024/10

日仏協力の枠組みにおいて、タンク型ナトリウム冷却高速を対象とした過酷事故の評価手法を定義し、解析評価を実施した。

マルチモーダル化したマグネシウム合金の変形中の構成相・組織の挙動

Harjo, S.; Gong, W.; 相澤 一也; 山崎 倫昭*; 川崎 卓郎

日本材料学会第58回X線材料強度に関するシンポジウム講演論文集, p.58 - 60, 2024/07

The experiment and analysis procedures for a sample exhibiting multimodal structures were outlined. The sample, a MgZnY alloy, initially comprised two phases: the HCP matrix (Mg) and the long-period stacking ordered phase (LPSO), constituting approximately 25% of the volume. Through hot extrusion at 623 K with an extrusion ratio (R) of 5.0, the alloy was rendered multimodal. Specifically, at an R value of 5.0, dynamic recrystallization occurred partially within the Mg phase, resulting in a bimodal microstructure. This microstructure consisted of a deformed Mg component and a recrystallized Mg component. An analysis employing Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) data facilitated multimodal characterization, enabling successful determination of stresses within the individual Mg components, as well as the LPSO phase stress.

Development of measurement method for gas-liquid two-phase flow inside a fuel bundle to obtain code validation data

小野 綾子; 岡本 薫*; 牧野 泰*; 細川 茂雄*; 吉田 啓之

Proceedings of Specialist Workshop on Advanced Instrumentation and Measurement Techniques for Nuclear Reactor Thermal-Hydraulics and Severe Accidents (SWINTH-2024) (USB Flash Drive), 13 Pages, 2024/06

原子力機構では、先進的な核熱連成解析コードの開発を進めている。連成解析コードでは、界面捕捉法に基づく詳細熱流動解析コード(JUPITER又はTPFIT)を採用し、燃料バンドル内の熱流動解析を行う。JUPITER/TPFITの妥当性確認のためには、燃料バンドル内の二相流に関する実験データや知見が必要である。本研究では、レーザードップラー流速計とフォトダイオードを組合せた気泡流計測手法を開発し、計測の妥当性については導電プローブを用いた計測により確認した。そして、模擬燃料集合体サブチャンネルなどの狭隘流路における気泡流計測に適用し、燃料バンドル内の気泡挙動および流速データを取得した。

Phase transformation and equation of state in Ti-45Al alloy under high pressure

Li, X.*; Zhu, R.*; Xin, J.*; Luo, M.*; Shang, S.-L.*; Liu, Z.-K.*; Yin, C.*; 舟越 賢一*; Dippenaar, R. J.*; 肥後 祐司*; et al.

CALPHAD; Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry, 84, p.102641_1 - 102641_6, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.calphad.2023.102641

The phase transformations and pressure-volume dependencies of the Ti-45Al alloy with respect to pressure have been investigated by means of in-situ observation using multi anvil-type high-pressure devices and synchrotron radiation. Under hydrostatic compression from 0 to 10.1 GPa, about 2.3 vol. % of transforms continuously to 2. Lattice parameters as well as volume fractions of these two phases have been determined as a function of pressure. Bulk moduli estimated using Birch-Murnaghan's equation of state are 148 GPa for the phase, 138 GPa for the 2 phase, and 149 GPa for their two-phase mixture of Ti-45Al alloy. First-principles have also applied to investigate bulk moduli of two single phases, and the deviation between calculations and measurements is discussed and attributed to mainly phase transformation. The presently study provides useful insights into thermodynamics of 2 and phases under high pressure.

Effects of spacer on entrainment and deposition behavior of droplets in simplified subchannel of light water cooled fast reactor RBWR

吉田 啓之; 堀口 直樹; 古市 肇*; 上遠野 健一*

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2023/05

About the boiling transition (BT) that determines the maximum thermal output of the BWR, it is considered that the spacers have significant effects on the occurrence of the BT. The occurrence conditions of the BT can be changed by devising the spacer shapes because it will affect to entrainment and deposition behaviors of droplets. In the light water cooled fast reactor: RBWR, thermal-hydraulics conditions are more challenging than in the current BWR. Then, the effect of the spacer on the BT should be sufficiently utilized in the RBWR. In the thermal-hydraulics design for the current BWR, large-scale tests were carried out and used to evaluate BT conditions. The RBWR is still in the design stage, and there is room to be changed to many parameters. Then, it is not reasonable to determine the shape of the spacer only by large-scale tests but also by local effect on droplet entrainment and deposition. On the other hand, by applying a two-phase CFD method with remarkable development in recent years, we can develop a model that can predict the effect of the spacers mechanistically. This research used the detailed two-phase flow simulation code TPFIT developed by JAEA to simulate annular dispersed flow in RBWR subchannels. In the occurrence of the BT, it is considered that the two-phase flow pattern is the annular dispersed flow, and we want to evaluate the effects of the spacer on annular dispersed flow in the RBWR subchannels. We performed numerical simulations of annular dispersed flow in the simplified subchannel of the RBWR. As a simulation parameter, we choose the existence of the spacer. The spacer in the simulation has a simplified shape and the same blockage ratio as the RBWR. In addition, we performed data analysis of numerical data and identified the occurrence and disappearance points of each droplet. We evaluate entrainment and deposition rate distribution in and around the spacer based on these data.

High-density nanoprecipitates and phase reversion via maraging enable ultrastrong yet strain-hardenable medium-entropy alloy

Kwon, H.*; Sathiyamoorthi, P.*; Gangaraju, M. K.*; Zargaran, A.*; Wang, J.*; Heo, Y.-U.*; Harjo, S.; Gong, W.; Lee, B.-J.*; Kim, H. S.*

Acta Materialia, 248, p.118810_1 - 118810_12, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2023.118810

Maraging steels, known for ultrahigh strength and good fracture toughness, derive their superior properties from lath martensite structure with high-density nanoprecipitates. In this work, we designed a novel Fe-based medium-entropy alloy with a chemical composition of FeCoNiMo in atomic% by utilizing the characteristics of the maraging steels. By a single-step aging of only 10 min at 650 C, the alloy showed microstructures consisting of a very high number density of (Fe, Co, Ni)Mo-type nanoprecipitates in lath martensite structure and reverted FCC phase, which led to ultrahigh yield strength higher than 2 GPa. This work demonstrates a novel direction to produce strong and ductile materials by expanding the horizons of material design with the aid of high-entropy concept and overcoming the limits of conventional materials.