Microstructure and Mechanical Characterization of Additively Manufactured Superalloys

The National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL's) record of success has been built on understanding the future of energy and the technologies required to make that future possible. We’ve long touted our success in developing the technologies that took on acid rain in the 1970s and mercury in the early 2000s.

Program Goals

The Professional Internship Program is designed to introduce undergraduate students and recent Bachelor's graduates to the challenges of conducting energy research, and enable graduate students and recent Master's graduates to further build off their studies and experience as they join the scientific community. Participants interact daily with assigned mentors who guide research and project activities during the internship, while they become integral members of project teams.

The program goals include providing the opportunity to participants to:

• Develop skills and knowledge in their field of study
• Engage with new areas of basic and applied research
• Transition classroom theory into hands-on experience
• Network with world-class scientists
• Exchange ideas and skills with the Laboratory community
• Use state-of-the-art equipment
• Contribute to answers for today's pressing scientific questions
• Collaborate with the broader scientific and technical communities

Project Details

Through the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), this posting seeks a recent Bachelor's graduate or student researcher to engage in projects with the Research Innovation Center (RIC) at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in the area of Advanced Energy Materials under the mentorship of Chantal Sudbrack. This project will be hosted at the NETL Albany, OR campus.

Additive manufacturing shows great promise in fabricating high-temperature load-bearing parts with complex geometries for advanced energy systems. As an emerging technique, wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) can build large near-net-shaped parts using fast deposition rates and is attracting attention due to potential cost and schedules savings. Haynes 282 is a Ni-based superalloy with wide application in turbine engines due to high strength, corrosion resistance, weldability and good creep performance up to 900C. To achieve an optimal processing for high-quality WAAM parts, requires a systematic understanding of the process parameters, including travel speed, wire feed, and shielding gas. The research aims to understand the effect of processing on microstructure and mechanical properties of WAAM Haynes 282.

The research aims to characterize the microstructure and strength of a set of Ni-base superalloys fabricated by WAAM additive manufacturing to understand the effect of varying processing parameters (wire feed, travel speed, shielding gas). The candidate will: (a) Meet with a mentor to establish a plan, identify tasks, and establish responsibilities; (b) Participate in team meeting discussions and present research results; (c) Use/learn establish research techniques, like optical microscopy, electron microscopy (TEM, SEM-EDS, EBSD), microhardness, surface profilometry. (d) Produce a final report. The results may be included in a conference presentation or journal article with the candidate listed as a co-author.

Stipend: Participants receive a biweekly stipend based on their educational level. Stipend payments are taxable as an educational benefit. Stipends for full-time participation are:

• $750.50-$805 per week for undergraduate students
• $1167.50-$1252.50 per week for recent Bachelor's graduates
• $1428-$1532 per week for graduate students and recent Master's graduates

Deliverables: To document the effectiveness of the program, participants are required to submit a pre-appointment and post-appointment survey, as well as a reflection on their appointment experience when they renew or end their appointment. The reflection should summarize their project(s), additional activities, and overall experience. Details are provided as the appointment end date approaches.
Participants may also have the opportunity to contribute to manuscripts, journal articles, book chapters, conference presentations, posters, patents, and other publications as a part of their appointment. Such achievements should also be reported to ORISE; additional details are provided after an offer has been accepted.

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory system, is owned and operated by the DOE. NETL supports the DOE mission to advance the energy security of the United States. This is an educational opportunity offered by NETL and administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Participants in the program are not considered employees of NETL, DOE, the program administrator, or any other office or agency.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate would have some, but not necessarily all, of the following skills:

• Experience with microstructural characterization of high temperature alloy using SEM, EDS and EBSD
• Experience in high temperature alloy research for structural applications
• Good communication skills

To be eligible for this opportunity, you must:

• Have one of the following academic statuses
  • An undergraduate student*1 in good standing at a regionally accredited college/university*2
  • A recent Bachelor's degree graduate*1 who has received their Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college/university*2 within the last 24 months at time of application
  • A graduate student in good standing at a regionally accredited college/university
  • A recent Master’s degree graduate who has received their Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university within the last 36 months at time of application
• Have an overall GPA of 2.5/4.0 or higher
• Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application
• Provide confirmation of coverage under a health insurance plan prior to the beginning of the internship

*1 Soon-to-be Associate's degree graduates are eligible to apply if enrolled as a student at time of application. 
*2 Students and recent Bachelor's degree graduates from accredited Community Colleges and Technical Schools are encouraged to apply.