Mechanical properties of several iron-nickel meteorites
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- LLNL
Iron-nickel meteorites exhibit a unique lamellar microstructure, consisting of small regions with steep-iron-nickel composition gradients. The microstructure arises as a result of slow cooling in a planetary core or other large mass. The microstructure is further influenced by variable concentrations of other elements such as phosphorous which may have influenced cooling and phase separation. Mechanical properties of these composite structures have been investigated using Vickers and spherical indentation, x-ray fluorescence, and EBSD. Direct observation of mechanical properties in these highly structured materials provides a valuable supplement to bulk measurements, which frequently exhibit large variation in dynamic properties, even within a single sample. Previous studies of the mechanical properties of a typical iron-nickel meteorite, a Diablo Canyon specimen, indicated that the strength of the composite was higher by almost an order of magnitude than values obtained from laboratory-prepared specimens. This was ascribed to the extreme work-hardening evident in the EBSD measurements. Additional specimens from the Canyon Diablo fall (type IAB, coarse octahedrite) and several fine octahedrite meteorites, from the Muonionalusta meteorite (IVA) and Gibeon fall (IVA), have been examined to establish a range of error on the previously measured yield, to determine the extent to which deformation upon reentry contributes to yield, and to establish the degree to which the strength varies as a function of microstructure.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 1045426
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-11-00089; LA-UR-11-89; TRN: US201215%%36
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International Symposium on Plasticity ; January 3, 2011 ; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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