The yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) system has been extensively studied because of its critical applications, like solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), oxygen sensors, and jet engines. However, there are still important questions that need to be answered and significant thermodynamic information that needs to be provided for this system. There is no predictive tool for the ionic conductivity of the cubic-YSZ (c-YSZ), as an electrolyte in SOFCs. In addition, no quantitative diagram is available regarding the oxygen ion mobility in c-YSZ, which is highly effective on its ionic conductivity. Moreover, there is no applicable phase stability diagram for the nano-YSZ, which is applied in oxygen sensors. Phase diagrams are critical tools to design new applications of materials. Furthermore, even after extensive studies on the thermodynamic database of the YSZ system, the zirconia-rich side of the system shows considerable uncertainties regarding the phase equilibria, which can make the application designs unreliable. During this dissertation, the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHase Diagrams) approach was applied to provide a predictive diagram for the ionic conductivity of the c-YSZ system. The oxygen ion mobility, activation energy, and pre-exponential factor were also predicted. In addition, the CALPHAD approach was utilized to predict the Gibbs energy of bulk YSZ at different temperatures. The surface energy of each polymorph was then added to the predicted Gibbs energy of bulk YSZ to obtain the total Gibbs energy of nano-YSZ. Therefore, a 3-D phase stability diagram for the nano-YSZ system was provided, by which the stability range of each polymorph versus temperature and particle size are presented. Re-assessment of the thermodynamic database of the YSZ system was done by applying the CALPHAD approach. All of the available thermochemical and phase equilibria data were evaluated carefully and the most reliable ones were selected for the Gibbs energy optimization process. The results calculated by the optimized thermodynamic database showed good agreement with the selected experimental data, particularly on the zirconia-rich side of the system.

Point defects are an inherent part of crystalline materials and they influence important physical and chemical properties, such as diffusion, hardness, catalytic activity and phase stability. Increased understanding of point defects enables us to tailor the defect-related properties to the application at hand. Modeling and simulation have a prominent role in acquiring this knowledge. In this thesis thermodynamic and kinetic properties of point defects in metals and ceramics are studied using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. Phenomenological models are used to translate the atomic level properties, obtained from the first-principles calculations, into functional materials properties. The next paragraph presents the particular problems under study. The formation and migration of vacancies and simple vacancy clusters in copper are investigated by calculating the energies associated with these processes. The structure, stability and electronic properties of the low-oxygen oxides of titanium, TiOx with 1/3 < x < 3/2, are studied and the importance of structural vacancies is demonstrated. We develop an integrated first-principles and Calphad approach to calculate phase diagrams in the titanium-carbon-nitrogen system, with particular focus on vacancy-induced ordering of the substoichiometric carbonitride phase, TiCxNy (x+y < 1). The possibility of forming higher oxides of plutonium than plutonium dioxide is explored by calculating the enthalpies for nonstoichiometric defect-containing compounds and the analysis shows that such oxidation is only produced by strong oxidants. For ceria (CeO2) doped with trivalent ions from the lanthanide series we probe the connection between the choice of a dopant and the improvement of ionic conductivity by studying the oxygen-vacancy formation and migration properties. The significance of minimizing the dopant-vacancy interactions is highlighted. We investigate the redox thermodynamics of CeO2-MO2 solid solutions with M being Ti, Zr, Hf, Th, Si, Ge, Sn or Pb and show that reduction is facilitated by small solutes. The results in this thesis are relevant for the performance of solid electrolytes, which are an integral part of solid oxide fuel cells, oxygen storage materials in automotive three-way catalysts, nuclear waste materials and cutting tool materials. / QC 20100622

Surface energy plays a major role in many phenomena that are important in technological and industrial processes, for example in wetting, grain growth and sintering. In this thesis, such surface-energy driven processes are studied by means of the phase-field method. The phase-field method is often used to model mesoscale microstructural evolution in materials. It is a diffuse interface method, i.e., it considers the surface or phase boundary between two bulk phases to have a non-zero width with a gradual variation in physical properties such as energy density, composition and crystalline structure. Neck formation and coarsening are two important diffusion-controlled features in solid-state sintering and are studied using our multiphase phase-field method. Inclusion of Navier-Stokes equation with surface-tension forces and convective phase-field equations into the model, enables simulation of reactive wetting and liquid-phase sintering. Analysis of a spreading liquid on a surface is investigated and is shown to follow the dynamics of a known hydrodynamic theory. Analysis of important capillary phenomena with wetting and motion of two particles connected by a liquid bridge are studied in view of important parameters such as contact angles and volume ratios between the liquid and solid particles. The interaction between solute atoms and migrating grain boundaries affects the rate of recrystallization and grain growth. The phenomena is studied using a phase-field method with a concentration dependent double-well potential over the phase boundary. We will show that with a simple phase-field model it is possible to model the dynamics of grain-boundary segregation to a stationary boundary as well as solute drag on a moving boundary. Another important issue in phase-field modeling has been to develop an effective coupling of the phase-field and CALPHAD methods. Such coulping makes use of CALPHAD's thermodynamic information with Gibbs energy function in the phase-field method. With the appropriate thermodynamic and kinetic information from CALPHAD databases, the phase-field method can predict mictrostructural evolution in multicomponent multiphase alloys. A phase-field model coupled with a TQ-interface available from Thermo-Calc is developed to study spinodal decomposition in FeCr, FeCrNi and TiC-ZrC alloys. / QC 20100622

For many decades zirconium alloys have been commonly used in the nuclear power industry as fuel cladding material. Besides their good corrosion resistance and acceptable mechanical properties the main reason for using these alloys is the low neutron absorption. Zirconium alloys are exposed to a very severe environment during the nuclear fission process and there is a demand for better design of this material. To meet this requirement a thermodynamic database is useful to support material designers. In this thesis some aspects of the development of a thermodynamic database for zirconium alloys are presented. A thermodynamic database represents an important facility in applying thermodynamic equilibrium calculations for a given material providing: 1) relevant information about the thermodynamic properties of the alloys e.g. amount and composition of phases, oxygen activity, heat capacity etc, and 2) significant information for the manufacturing process e.g. heat treatment temperature. The basic information in the database is first the unary data, i.e. pure elements; those are taken from the compilation of the Scientific Group Thermodata Europe (SGTE) and then the binary and ternary systems. All phases present in those binary and ternary systems are described by means of the Gibbs energy as a function of composition and temperature. Many of those binary systems have been taken from published or unpublished works and others have been assessed in the present work. The elements included in the databse are: C, Fe, Cr, Nb, Ni, Mo, O, Si, Sn, and Zr + H, and the assessment performed under this thesis are: Cr-Sn, Mo-Zr, Sn-Zr, Fe-Nb-Zr and Nb-O-Zr. All the calculations have been made using Thermo-Calc software and the representation of the Gibbs energy obtained by applying Calphad technique with some use of ab initio calculations. / QC 20100902

O objetivo do presente projeto é a combinação de abordagens experimentais e teóricas para o desenvolvimento de bancos de dados termodinâmicos, visando o modelamento de aços e ligas de alto desempenho. Entre esses materiais estão as superligas fundidas por centrifugação para aplicações em fornos de reforma e pirólise, bem como aços-ferramenta reforçados por fases intermetálicas. Os métodos teóricos mencionados correspondem à combinação de cálculos de estrutura eletrônica e modelamento termodinâmico em temperaturas finitas, através do protocolo Calphad. Esta metodologia vem sendo aplicada com sucesso por vários grupos de pesquisa brasileiros e internacionais. Utilizando-nos de dados experimentais para o sistema Fe-Cr-Mo-C, obtidos recentemente em nosso laboratório, e cálculos de primeiros princípios para o sistema Ni-Nb-Si, aliados a outros resultados experimentais da literatura, aperfeiçoamos os bancos de dados termodinâmicos existentes para estes dois sistemas, minimizando as inconsistências quanto às evidências experimentais em relação aos campos de estabilidade e equilíbrio entre fases. No sistema Fe-Cr-Mo-C, utilizamo-nos de dados experimentais para uma reotimização da descrição termodinâmica. Adotamos novas descrições para os binários Cr-Fe, C-Cr e C-Fe, com novos modelos para as fases cementita no sistema C-Fe e sigma no sistema Cr-Fe. Com essas alterações, fomos levados a reavaliar todas as descrições dos ternários, reotimizando-os quando necessário (C-Cr-Fe) ou apenas revalidando os modelamentos pré-existentes (C-Cr-Mo). Por fim, reotimizamos o quaternário como um todo, chegando a resultados satisfatórios quando comparados a resultados experimentais. As propriedades termodinâmicas do sistema Nb-Ni-Si são pouquíssimo conhecidas. Por este motivo, não há dados suficientes na literatura para realizar um assessment completo deste sistema. Por isto, decidimos realizar cálculos de primeiros princípios de estrutura eletrônica, para a determinação de energias de formação dos compostos ternários presentes neste sistema. Os sistemas binários Nb-Ni, Nb-Si e Ni-Si, por outro lado, são bem conhecidos, cada um deles contando com diversas descrições termodinâmicas publicadas ao longo dos últimos anos. Por esta razão, adotamos as mais recentes descrições termodinâmicas dos binários como ponto de partida para o modelamento do sistema ternário. O resultado do modelamento, quando comparado aos poucos dados experimentais disponíveis, é bastante satisfatório. / The aim of this project is the combination of advanced experimental and theoretical approaches for the development of thermodynamic databases dedicated to modelling steels and high performance alloys. Examples of materials are centrifugally-cast superalloys designed for use in reforming and pyrolisis furnaces, as well as intermetallic-reinforced tool steels. The theoretical methods are the combination of electronic structure calculations and thermodynamic modeling at finite temperatures using the CALPHAD method. This methodology has been used by different scientific groups, both in Brazil and around the world. Using experimental data in the Fe-Cr-Mo-C sytem, recently determined in our laboratory, and first principles calculations in the Nb-Ni-Si system, together with other experimental results from the literature, we improved the existing thermodynamic databases for these two systems, minimizing discrepancies regarding the experimental evidence about phase stability fields and phase equilibria. In the Fe-Cr-Mo-C system, we employed experimental data for a reoptimization of the thermodynamic description. We adopted new descriptions for the binary Cr-Fe, C-Cr, and C-Fe systems, with new models for cementite in the C-Fe system, and sigma in the Cr-Fe system. Because of these alterations, a reevaluation of the ternary descriptions was necessary, reassessing them when required (C-Cr-Fe) or just revalidating existing models (C-Cr-Mo). After that, we re-optimized the quaternary system, arriving at satisfactory results, in comparison with experimental data. The thermodynamic properties of the Ni-Nb-Si system is almost completely unknown. For that reason, there are not enough data in the literature to perform a complete assessment of the system. With that in mind, we decided to perform first-principles electronic structure calculations, in order to determine the formation energies of the ternary compounds. The binary systems, on the other hand, are very well-known, each one of them with several published thermodynamic assessments during the last few years. For this reason, we adopted the most recent thermodynamic descriptions of the binaries as a starting point for the modelling of the ternary system. The result of the modelling is very satisfactory, in comparison with the few experimental information available.

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<p>The purpose of this research has been to reassess the Ag-Mg system using the CALPHAD technique. Compared with previous assessments, we carry out the optimization by fitting calculations to the original data instead of second-hand information. Moreover, we use a two sub-lattice model and a four sub-lattice model based on compound energy formalism to simulate both first-order and second-order transformations between the FCC phase and the L1₂ phase. Undoubtedly, the CALPHAD technique has achieved a degree of maturity, but its deficiencies are regularly ignored.</p> <p>In this thesis, we develop an interval method based on Kantorovich’s idea to overcome the shortcomings of the CALPHAD technique. Both advantages and disadvantages of the interval method are discussed. We also present an example of the interval approach on thermodynamic optimization of the Ag-Mg melt. The results suggest that this method would be helpful as a pre-optimization tool.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)