Non-Contact Tabletop Mechanical Testing of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics

A method of inducing non-contact creep deformation was demonstrated in ultra high temperature diborides via electro-magnetic forces. The Phase II effort will focus on refining the Electro-Magnetic Mechanical Apparatus to exhibit better control of test variables and have a higher degree of automation. This novel approach to characterizing Ultra High Temperature Materials will require a standard methodolody and theoretical basis from which creep behavior can be fully described. Ultimately, this approach could be extended to characterize fatigue, fracture, and elasticity at ultra high temperature. BENEFIT: The development of a low cost, rapid method for characterizing the creep behavior of Ultra High Temperature Materials will improve fundmental and applied research for hypersonic materials. Current test methods are expensive and impractical due to the temperature regime of interest. The non-contact Electro-Magnetic Mechanical Apparatus proposed will allow faster and cheaper testing. This will provide key design information for next generation hypersonic vehicles and speed the development of new materials. The developed apparatus and test methodology will be of commercial interest for missiles, rocket, and turbine manufacturers.