University of Texas at El Paso DigitalCommons@UTEP Open Access Theses & Dissertations 2012-01-01 Impact Testing of Zirconium Diboride Mark David Flores University of Texas at El Paso, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd Part of the Mechanical Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Flores, Mark David, "Impact Testing of Zirconium Diboride" (2012). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 2283. https://digitalcommons.utep.edu/open_etd/2283 This is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UTEP. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UTEP. For more information, please contact [email protected]. IMPACT TESTING OF ZIRCONIUM DIBORIDE MARK D. FLORES Department of Mechanical Engineering APPROVED: Jack F. Chessa Ph.D., Chair Chintalapalle V. Ramana, Ph.D. Cesar Carrasco, Ph.D. Benjamin C. Flores, Ph.D. Interim Dean of the Graduate School Copyright © by Mark D. Flores 2012 IMPACT TESTING OF ZIRCONIUM DIBORIDE by MARK D. FLORES THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at El Paso in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Mechanical Engineering THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO May 2012 Abstract Materials research is one of the driving forces that stimulate new ideas and concepts in a wide range of engineering applications. Material research allows engineers and scientists the ability to find new ways to use high performance materials to advance technology in the aerospace industry. In this study, Zirconium Diboride (ZrB2) will be the subject of impact testing at various speeds. The ZrB2 samples will by lying in a crucible and heated up to high temperatures above 1000C waiting for a steel ball bearing to collide into it at high speeds ranging from 115 m/s to 152 m/s. The steel ball bearing is inside of a pressure line and the driving force that propels it will be either Nitrogen or Helium, depending on the desire velocity. Through the experiment, the measurements of the projectile velocity, temperature of the specimen, and the damage length of the specimen are documented for a cold fire test. iv Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................... v List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures .................................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Objectives ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Project Overview ................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Parameters ............................................................................................................................ 2 Chapter 2: Literature Overview ............................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Ceramics .............................................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Impact Testing ..................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 3: Experimental Procedure and Design .................................................................................... 6 3.1 Materials and Design ........................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Measurement Methods ....................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Impact Testing ................................................................................................................... 18 3.4 Procedure ........................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 4: Results and Discussion ...................................................................................................... 21 4.1 Projectile Velocity ............................................................................................................. 21 4.2 Temperature of the Specimen ............................................................................................ 23 4.3 Damage Length .................................................................................................................. 24 Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations .................................................................................. 28 5.1 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 28 v References ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Appendix A: Damaged Samples .......................................................................................................... 30 Appendix B: Temperatures Profiles .................................................................................................... 32 Appendix C: Arduino Code ................................................................................................................. 33 Vita…… .............................................................................................................................................. 36 vi List of Tables Table 2.1: Sample Sintering Process ........................................................................................................... 9 Table 3.4: Test Matrix with ZrB2 Sample Number ................................................................................... 20 Table 4.3-1: Test Matrix of the Experiment .............................................................................................. 25 vii List of Figures Figure 1.1: Experimental Concept ............................................................................................................... 1 Figure 3.1-1: CAD Model of the Mounting Assembly ................................................................................ 6 Figure 3.1-2: Mounting Assembly ............................................................................................................... 7 Figure 3.1-3: CAD Model of the Nozzle and Barrel ................................................................................... 8 Figure 3.1-4: Steel Ball Bearing and ZrB2 .................................................................................................. 8 Figure 3.2-1: Hamamatsu Photodiode Arrays ........................................................................................... 10 Figure 3.2-2: Hammamatsu Photodiode Array Assembly ......................................................................... 11 Figure 3.2-3: Arduino Mega 2560 ............................................................................................................. 11 Figure 3.2-4: PCI-6132 Data Acquisition Device ..................................................................................... 12 Figure 3.2-6: Experiment Setup with Photodiode Array, Circuit Board, and Microchip .......................... 12 Figure 3.2-6: Experimental Setup with Photo-interrupters ........................................................................ 14 Figure 3.2-7: Picture of the Circuit Board ................................................................................................ 15 Figure 3.2-8: Labview-Analog Data of the Photo-interrupters ................................................................. 15 Figure 3.2-9: RDO Induction Heating Furnace and a Five Turn Heating Coil ......................................... 16 Figure 3.2-10: Type K Thermocouple Place Next to Sample ................................................................... 17 Figure 3.2-11: NI-USB-9263 10V Analog Output Module ....................................................................... 17 Figure 3.2-12: Omega Pyrometer .............................................................................................................. 18 Figure 3.3-1: Test Schematic ..................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 3.3-2: Test Setup ............................................................................................................................ 19 Figure 4.1-1: Velocity Measurements for Helium and Nitrogen ............................................................... 21 Figure 4.1-2: Experimental Setup of Change in Velocity ......................................................................... 22 Figure 4.1-3: Change in Velocity .............................................................................................................. 22 Figure 4.2-1: Temperature Measurement of ZrB2