In-situ mekanisk provning vid ultra-höga temperaturer vid BEER

Forskningsprojekt, 2017 – 2020

There is a large societal need for structural materials capable of withstanding temperatures in the ultra-high temperature (UHT) range, here defined as temperatures above 1100 °C. Development of such materials poses significant scientific and technological challenges. To address these challenges, it is vital to understand the deformation mechanisms at the operating temperatures. In-situ neutron scattering is without a doubt the single most suitable method to realize such tests, and the unprecedented neutron flux and intended detector combination at the engineering diffractometer BEER, which is currently being developed in the first instrument suit for ESS, will provide a unique tool. However, there is currently no plans for an in-situ UHT sample environment for the deformation rigs at BEER. Therefore, the aim of the present project is to develop sample environment for in-situ mechanical testing at ultra-high temperatures at BEER. Testing should be possible at temperatures up to at least 1600 °C in vacuum, while providing simultaneous access to as many of the planned detectors as possible. This will be achieved by development of a dedicated UHT furnace, specifically designed for BEER. Uncoupled to the the load frame, the furnace should be capable of providing an UHT sample environment up to 1800 °C, and the possibility of transferability to an imaging beam line (ODIN) as well as SANS beam line (SKADI) will be explored, providing further benefits for ESS. In addition, we will explore possible upgrades of the in-situ high-temperature sample environment for BEER currently under development at NPI, to allow an increased temperature capability with higher heating and cooling rates, but limited to metallic materials.                                                  

The purpose of the project is to: (i) allow testing of UHT materials, which are crucial for enabling a number of sustainable technologies; (ii) position BEER as the world leading instrument for in-situ deformation studies in the UHT range; (iii) meet the foreseen needs from both academic and industrial research; (iv) build competence in Sweden in order to prepare for advanced early use of BEER; (v) disseminate the knowledge to as large part of Swedish academia and industry as possible; and (vi) open the door to completely new areas of research by combining UHT capability with the time-resolution and detector combination of BEER.