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Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl alloy (Fe-12Cr-5Al wt%) was neutron irradiated to 1.8 displacements per atom (dpa) at 215, 357, and 557 °C to investigate (Y,Al,O) nano-oxide stability and Cr-rich α′ precipitate formation using atom probe tomography. The nano-oxide sizes remain unchanged after irradiation, but the compositions are dependent on irradiation temperature due to competition between ballistic dissolution and precipitate reformation. Cr-rich clusters observed after 357 °C irradiation have lower Cr contents (61 at.%) than equilibrium α′, with a lower number density than wrought FeCrAl alloys. This suggests a suppression of α′ precipitation due to the high sink strength of ODS FeCrAl.

Additive manufacturing processes supplement traditional material processing routes with unique capabilities which can have profound impacts on component production. Physical prototyping is accelerated and the fabrication of complex components, difficult or impossible to produce conventionally, is realized. Metals research is often focused on identifying process windows to avoid defects which thereby yield desirable properties. In electron beam melting fusion processes, however, precise spatial control of the heat source allows for detailed microstructure manipulation. Design is therefore extended to the microstructure scale offering greater overall flexibility towards engineering high performance components. In this work the role of geometry and beam path sequencing in a powder bed electron beam melting process is investigated. It is observed that by carefully engineering the melting sequence the morphology and texture at the mesoscale can be controlled. Solidification in the build direction, which usually prefers [001] directions, is tilted by control of the heat flux vector which yields large columnar crystals with a strong [011] build direction preference. This newly developed conduction control strategy is demonstrated for producing alternating mesoscale structures in bulk samples. Furthermore, a new scanning strategy is demonstrated which may be suitable for promoting a randomized crystallographic texture during the additive manufacturing process.

Low-Cr oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl alloys were developed as accident tolerant fuel cladding because of their excellent oxidation resistance at very high temperature, high strength and improved radiation tolerance. Fe-12Cr-5Al wt.% gas atomized powder was ball milled with Y2O3+FeO, Y2O3+ZrO2 or Y2O3+TiO2, and the resulting powders were extruded at 950 °C. The resulting fine grain structure, particularly for the Ti and Zr containing alloys, led to very high strength but limited ductility. Comparison with variants of commercial PM2000 (Fe-20Cr-5Al) highlighted the significant impact of the powder consolidation step on the alloy grain size and, therefore, on the alloy mechanical properties at T

Additive manufacturing technologies have emerged as potentially disruptive processes whose possible impacts range across supply chain logistics, prototyping, and novel materials synthesis. Numerous works illustrate the ability to control microstructure in fusion based processes and a few recent authors have even produced single crystals. However, a number of questions remain open regarding the process window which enables printing of single crystals. Furthermore, it has been observed that these additively manufactured single crystals exhibit a preferred 〈 011 〉 secondary orientation parallel to the scanning direction. In this work we investigate the fabrication conditions that enable printing of single crystals via electron beam melting. A space filling design of experiments is utilized to efficiently explore the fabrication space. Single crystals are successfully obtained using both commercially available powders and custom melt alloys. Microstructures obtained via these exploratory experiments exhibited a continuum of columnar structures ranging from weakly textured polycrystals, near single crystal, and fully single crystalline material. Complex geometry experiments are performed to study the grain selection mechanism. We find that the grain selection mechanism is independent of the bulk scale geometry and must therefore be driven by local heat transfer and solidification dynamics. Furthermore, grain selection is shown to be driven by competing driving forces; one which prefers epitaxial growth and another which is driven by the imposed processing conditions.

For the next-generation of turbine-based combined heat & power (CHP) systems, materials development can enable lower costs and higher efficiency, particularly for alloy foils used in the recuperator. To quantify the potential benefits, lifetime models are being developed for current chromia-forming alloys such as 625, 120, 310 and 709 (also called 2025Nb) as well as new alumina-forming austenitic (AFA) steels, which are much more oxidation resistant in exhaust gas. A combination of long-term laboratory (up to 30 kh) and field exposure data (up to 100 kh) are being used to develop and validate the model for operation at 650°–800°C.

s Burst behavior of austenitic and ferritic Fe-based alloy tubes has been examined under a simulated large break loss of coolant accident. Specifically, type 304 stainless steel (304SS) and oxidation resistant FeCrAl tubes were studied alongside Zircaloy-2 and Zircaloy-4 that are considered reference fuel cladding materials. Following the burst test, characterization of the cladding materials was carried out to gain insights regarding the integral burst behavior. Given the widespread availability of a comprehensive set of thermo-mechanical data at elevated temperatures for 304SS, a modeling framework was implemented to simulate the various processes that affect burst behavior in this Fe-based alloy. The most important conclusion is that cladding ballooning due to creep is negligible for Fe-based alloys. Thus, unlike Zr-based alloys, cladding cross-sectional area remains largely unchanged up to the point of burst. Therefore, for a given rod internal pressure, the temperature onset of burst in Fe-based alloys appears to be simply a function of the alloy's ultimate tensile strength, particularly at high rod internal pressures.

The microstructures of modified CF8C-Plus (Fe-19Cr-12Ni-0.4W-3.8Mn-0.2Mo-0.6Nb-0.5Si-0.9C) with W and Cu (CF8CPWCu) and CF8CPWCu enhanced with 21Cr + 15Ni or 22Cr + 17.5Ni were characterized in the as-cast condition and after creep testing. When imaged at lower magnifications, the as-cast microstructure was similar among all three alloys as they all contained a Nb-rich interdendritic phase and Mn-based inclusions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed the presence of nanoscale Cu-rich nanoprecipitates distributed uniformly throughout the matrix of CF8CPWCu, whereas in CF8CPWCu22/17, Cu precipitates were found primarily at the grain boundaries. The presence of these nanoscale Cu-rich particles, in addition to W-rich Cr23C6, nanoscale Nb carbides, and Z-phase (Nb2Cr2N2), improved the creep strength of the CF8CPWCu steel. Modification of CF8CPWCu with Cr and Ni contents slightly decreased the creep strength but significantly improved the oxidation behavior at 1073 K (800 °C). In particular, the addition of 22Cr and 17.5Ni strongly enhanced the oxidation resistance of the stainless steel resulting in a 100 degrees or greater temperature improvement, and this composition provided the best balance between improving both mechanical properties and oxidation resistance.

316L stainless steel fabricated by laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) has attracted significant attention due to a unique combination of strength and ductility at room temperature. Understanding of high temperature tensile properties of LPBF fabricated 316L is, however, limited. In the present investigation, tensile testing was conducted at 20–700oC on LPBF 316L in as printed condition and after annealing for 5 h at 500–800oC. Room temperature data confirmed the excellent ductility of the LPBF-processed 316L steel due to the cellular structure with high dislocation density. However, a significant decrease in ductility was observed at temperatures above 200oC. These results are consistent with a change of deformation mechanisms observed in wrought 316L, with twinning playing a key role at room temperature. Microstructure characterization and tensile testing revealed that the cellular structure is stable up to 500oC, but a decrease of yield strength was observed at temperatures above 600oC likely due to a decrease in dislocation density via annealing.

The effects of surface roughness on the high-temperature corrosion of nickel-based superalloy X produced through electron-beam melting (EBM) additive manufacturing were studied. Surface area of samples in the rough, as-fabricated condition was measured using a 2D cross-section image analysis technique and a 3D image analysis technique. To verify the accuracy of surface area measurements, oxidation testing of samples in the as-fabricated and polished conditions was performed; polished sample oxidation curves were then compared to the as-fabricated sample oxidation curves before and after being adjusted using obtained surface area measurements. It was found that the 2D technique accurately measured surface area and accounted for the overlapping features present on EBM sample surfaces, whereas the 3D technique did not. Further, it was also observed that oxidation kinetics were moderately faster on the alloy X samples in the as-fabricated condition than for the polished condition.

We have previously reported (Boatner et al., J. Alloys Compd. 691 (2017) 666–671) on the discovery, formation, processing, and application of a new decorative ternary steel. alloy and on its use in a wide range of practical applications including: custom and commercial knives, art objects, jewelry, electronics, and furniture. This decorative property results when polished single crystals of the 70 wt%Fe-15 wt%Ni-15 wt% Cr austenitic alloy are cryo-quenched into the martensitic phase resulting in the formation of a three-dimensional raised pattern of mixed austenitic/martensitic laths. These laths propagate across large dimensions of the material due to the absence of grain boundaries in the single crystal. The macroscopic optically reflective 3-D decorative pattern reproduces the structural symmetry inherent in the single-crystal orientation. This pattern results solely from the metallurgical phase properties of the ternary alloy and is completely distinct from the properties of Damascus steels or more modern so-called pattern-welded steels. Here we use X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, hardness measurements/scratch testing, tribological measurements, and alloy resistivity and magnetization methods to obtain a more fundamental and comprehensive study of the effects of the austenitic/martensitic phase transition on the structural and physical properties of the 70 wt%Fe-15 wt%Ni-15 wt% Cr alloy. These results reveal new insight into irreversible phenomena that are associated with the inhibited phase transition on heating of the two-phase, mixed austenitic/martensitic structure that is formed subsequent to cryo-quenching the alloy crystal to 77 K.

The microstructure and oxidation behavior of Laser Beam Melted, Electron Beam Melted and wrought Hastelloy X were studied at 950 °C in dry air, 50 h cycles, up to 1000 h. The variability of processing parameters and powder compositions strongly impacted the oxidation and spallation behavior. The alloys with high Mn and Si were associated with higher oxidation rates, finer Cr2O3 grain microstructure and increased spallation was observed for the alloys with large elongated grain microstructures (aspect ratio of 10 ± 3).

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl alloys are promising candidate materials for advanced nuclear reactor applications requiring high-temperature strength, corrosion resistance, and irradiation tolerance. As these alloys have increased in compositional complexity through attempts to use highly reactive elements such as Zr to refine particle sizes and optimize nanoprecipitate dispersion characteristics, much debate has ensued as to the effects of these alloying element additions on alloy properties. In an attempt to reconcile differences in nanoprecipitate distributions reported in the literature over the past decade, a detailed investigation of a recently developed ODS FeCrAl alloy with nominal composition Fe–10Cr-6.1Al-0.3Zr+0.3Y2O3 is presented using a combination of atom probe tomography (APT), scanning/transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM), and computational thermodynamics modeling. It is illustrated that based on the amount of Zr available in the lattice, Zr competes with Al and Cr to form carbides and nitrides as opposed to oxygen-rich precipitates. This alloy system has a high number density (>1023 m−3) of ∼2–4 nm diameter (Y,Al,O)-rich nanoprecipitates, but it is shown that due to the compositional spread and unknown partitioning of Al between the matrix and precipitates, significant challenges still exist for quantifying the exact compositions of these precipitates using APT. However, the noted compositional spread is supported by identified complex oxides yttrium aluminum monoclinic (YAM) and yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) using S/TEM. As a result of these findings, researchers developing ODS FeCrAl with reactive element additions must pay careful attention to C and N impurities when optimizing reactive element additions.

This investigation reports an unusual effect of hold time (up to 10seconds) on retardation in the growth of creep-fatigue small cracks at 550 degrees C in Grade 91 steel. The observed phenomenon was interpreted by elucidating multiple processes that are active in the plastic zone at the crack tip. To this effect, microstructural and mechanical responses of the crack tip plastic zone were compared with the mechanical and microstructural responses during low cycle fatigue/creep-fatigue. It is proposed that the stress relaxation that occurs during the hold time can reduce the stress intensity in the plastic zone of crack tip thus, contributing to retardation in the small crack growth rate. Aside from stress relaxation, stress intensity in the crack tip can be further reduced by the phenomenon of cyclic softening that occurs because of plasticity-induced microstructural coarsening. Separately, the contribution of oxidation-induced crack tip shielding is also considered to explain the observed effects of hold time on crack growth rates. Taken together, a combination of stress relaxation, enhanced rate of cyclic softening, and higher degree of oxidation with the introduction of a hold time is demonstrated to be responsible for reduction in the crack growth under creep-fatigue conditions.

A major challenge in the design of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl alloys is the optimization of the fine-scale particle size distribution that provides both beneficial mechanical properties and irradiation resistance. To address this obstacle, the nucleation, growth, and coarsening of the fine-scale (Y,Al,O) nanoprecipitates within an ODS FeCrAl powder was studied using atom probe tomography (APT) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Mechanically alloyed Fe 10Cr-6.1Al-0.3Zr + Y2O3 wt.% (CrAZY) powders were heated in-situ from 20 to 1000 °C to capture the nucleation and growth of the nanoprecipitates using SANS. Furthermore, CrAZY powders were annealed at 1000 °C, 1050 °C, and 1100 °C for ageing times from 15 min to 500 h followed by either APT or magnetic SANS to study the structure, composition, and coarsening kinetics of the nanoprecipitates at high temperature. In-situ SANS results indicate nanoprecipitate nucleation and growth at low temperatures (200–600 °C). APT results revealed compositions corresponding to the cubic Y3Al5O12 garnet (YAG) stoichiometry with a possible transition towards the perovskite YAlO3 (YAP) phase for larger precipitates after sufficient thermal ageing. However, magnetic SANS results suggest a defective structure for the nanoprecipitates indicated by deviations of the calculated A-ratio from stoichiometric (Y,Al,O) phases. Particle coarsening kinetics follow n = 6 power law kinetics with respect to particle size, but the mechanism cannot be explained through the dislocation pipe diffusion mechanism. The potential effect of precipitate coarsening during pre- and post-consolidation heat treatments on the irradiation resistance of ODS FeCrAl alloys is discussed with respect to sink strength maximization.

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) ferritic steels typically contain a fine dispersion of nanoscopic Y(Al, Ti) oxides, leading to an improvement in mechanical and physical properties. A rapid prototyping technique, selective laser melting (SLM), was successfully applied to consolidate as-mechanically alloyed ODS-PM2000 (Fe–19Cr–5.5Al–0.5Ti–0.5Y2O3; all wt.%) powder to fabricate solid and thin-walled builds of different thickness. This work is intended to act as a first study to investigate the tensile response of such configurations at room temperature, using miniaturized test specimens along and perpendicular to the growth direction. The 0.2% offset yield strength of as-grown wall builds was inferior to conventional PM2000 alloy (recrystallized), but could be significantly increased by conducting post-build heat treatments. Young’s modulus and yield strength showed anisotropy and were enhanced when testing perpendicular to the build growth direction. Electron backscatter diffraction revealed a strong [0 0 1] fibre texture along the growth direction, which explains the anisotropic behaviour. Additionally, studies on the morphology of the individual fracture surfaces, the grain structure of the cross-section near this region and the size distribution of ODS particles in such builds were conducted. A fine dispersion of precipitates was retained in all SLM builds, and findings suggest that a certain amount of Y is probably still in atomic solution in the as-grown condition and forms new small nanoscopic dispersoids during annealing, which lead to enhanced strengthening.

Increasing the efficiency of natural gas reciprocating engines will require materials with better mechanical and corrosion resistance at high temperatures. One solution to increase the lifetime of exhaust valves is to apply an aluminide coating to prevent corrosion assisted fatigue cracking, but the impact of the coating on the valve material mechanical properties needs to be assessed. In addition to cyclic oxidation testing in dry and humid air at 800°C, creep and high cycle fatigue (HCF) testing were conducted at 816°C on bare and slurry or pack-coated 31V alloy. The coated and bare creep specimens exhibited very similar creep rupture lives, as long as the specimens were annealed according to the 31V standard heat treatment before testing. The HCF behavior of the pack-coated alloy was close to the behavior of the bare alloy, but fatigue lifetimes of slurry-coated 31V specimens had higher variability. Aluminide coatings have the potential to improve the valve performance at high temperature, but the coating deposition process needs to be tailored for the substrate standard heat treatment.

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl alloys with 12–15% Cr are being evaluated for improved compatibility with Pb-Li for a fusion energy application and with high temperature steam for a more accident-tolerant light water reactor fuel cladding application. A 12% Cr content alloy showed low mass losses in static Pb-Li at 700°C, where a LiAlO2 surface oxide formed and inhibited dissolution into the liquid metal. All the evaluated compositions formed a protective scale in steam at 1200°C, which is not possible with ODS FeCr alloys. However, most of the compositions were not protective at 1400°C, which is a general and somewhat surprising problem with ODS FeCrAl alloys that is still being studied. More work is needed to optimize the alloy composition, microstructure and oxide dispersion, but initial promising tensile and creep results have been obtained with mixed oxide additions, i.e. Y2O3 with ZrO2, HfO2 or TiO2.

The evolving 3D printer technology is now at the point where some turbine components could be additive manufactured (AM) for both development and production purposes. However, this will require a significant evaluation program to qualify the process and components to meet current design and quality standards. The goal of the project was to begin characterization of the microstructure and mechanical properties of Nickel Alloy X (Ni-22Cr-18Fe-9Mo) test bars fabricated by powder bed fusion (PBF) AM processes that use either an electron beam (EB) or laser beam (LB) power source. The AM materials produced with the EB and LB processes displayed significant differences in microstructure and resultant mechanical properties. Accordingly, during the design analysis of AM turbine components, the specific mechanical behavior of the material produced with the selected AM process should be considered. Comparison of the mechanical properties of both the EB and LB materials to those of conventionally processed Nickel Alloy X materials indicates the subject AM materials are viable alternatives for manufacture of some turbine components.

Thermal cycling of a platinum modified, nickel aluminide (Ni,Pt)Al coated single crystal superalloy, between 1000 and 1150 °C with 10 min holds at each temperature, and subject to a compressive uniaxial stress is reported. There are two major effects of the superimposed compressive stress not observed in the absence of the stress. One is that the rumpling pattern exhibits an asymmetry with an increase of the bond coat surface roughness perpendicular to the applied loading axis. The other is the formation of cracks in the thermally grown oxide aligned parallel to the stress axis.

The evolution of the surface roughness of an initially flat platinum-modified nickel aluminide (NiPtAl) coating on a single crystal superalloy with cyclic oxidation has been measured by optical profilometry and correlated with the aluminide microstructure. The roughness evolution is dominated by the relative motion of individual grains on thermal cycling, with the larger sized grains moving up and the smaller grains moving down with respect to the average surface. Detailed crystallographic analysis indicates that the grains in the coating are randomly distributed and have no crystallographic relationship with the underlying single crystal superalloy. Furthermore, there is a correlation between the number of sides a grain has and the propensity for its center to move relative to the average surface plane: grains with six or more sides bow up, whereas the surfaces of those grains with fewer than six sides bow down. It is proposed that rumpling initiates due to the vertical displacement of the smaller grains having fewer than six sides. Once initiated, rumpling proceeds driven by the strain energy in the thermally grown oxide.

Cast stainless steel CF8C-Plus (19wt%Cr/12%Ni) has excellent creep properties, but limited oxidation resistance above 700°C in environments containing H2O. One strategy to improve the alloy oxidation performance is to increase the Cr and Ni concentration. Two new alloys, with, respectively, 21wt%Cr–15wt%Ni and 22wt%Cr–17.5wt%Ni were therefore developed and their long-term oxidation behaviors in humid air were compared with the oxidation behavior of five other cast alloys. At 650°C and 700°C, all the alloys formed internal Cr-rich nodules, and outer nodules or layers rich in Fe and Ni, but they grew a protective Cr-rich inner layer over time. At 750°C, the lower alloyed steels such as CF8C-Plus showed large metal losses, but the two new alloys still exhibited a protective oxidation behavior. The 21Cr–15Ni alloy was severely oxidized in locations at 800°C, but that was not the case for the 22Cr–17.5Ni alloy. Therefore, the two new modified alloys represent a potential operating temperature gain of, respectively, 50°C and 100°C in aggressive environments compared with the CF8C-Plus alloy.

Technology implimentation plan for FeCrAl development under the FCRD Advanced Fuel program. The document describes the activities required to get FeCrAl clad ready for LTR testing

ODS FeCrAl alloys are being developed with optimum composition and properties for accident tolerant fuel cladding. Two oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Fe-15Cr-5Al+Y2O3 alloys were fabricated by ball milling and extrusion of gas atomized metallic powder mixed with Y2O3 powder. To assess the impact of Mo on the alloy mechanical properties, one alloy contained 1%Mo. The hardness and tensile properties of the two alloys were close and higher than the values reported for fine grain PM2000 alloy. This is likely due to the combination of a very fine grain structure and the presence of nano oxide precipitates. The nano oxide dispersion was however not sufficient to prevent grain boundary sliding at 800 C and the creep properties of the alloys were similar or only slightly superior to fine grain PM2000 alloy. Both alloys formed a protective alumina scale at 1200 C in air and steam and the mass gain curves were similar to curves generated with 12Cr-5Al+Y2O3 (+Hf or Zr) ODS alloys fabricated for a different project. To estimate the maximum temperature limit of use for the two alloys in steam, ramp tests at a rate of 5 C/min were carried out in steam. Like other ODS alloys, the two alloysmore » showed a significant increase of the mas gains at T~ 1380 C compared with ~1480 C for wrought alloys of similar composition. The beneficial effect of Yttrium for wrought FeCrAl does not seem effective for most ODS FeCrAl alloys. Characterization of the hardness of annealed specimens revealed that the microstructure of the two alloys was not stable above 1000 C. Concurrent radiation results suggested that Cr levels

International audience; Cyclic oxidation testing was conducted on alloy MA956 and two different batches of alloy PM2000 at 1,100 and 1,200 °C in different atmospheres rich in O2, H2O and CO2. Compared to 1 h cycles in dry O2, exposure in air + 10 vol.% H2O resulted in an increase of the oxidation rate and a decrease of the time to breakaway for all alloys at 1,200 °C, and a faster consumption of Al in the MA956 alloy. One hour cyclic testing in 49.25 % CO2 + 50 % H2O + 0.75 % O2 had a smaller effect on the oxidation rate but led to increased formation of voids in alloy MA956, which had an impact on the alloy creep resistance. At 1,100 °C, exposure in 50 % CO2 + 50 % H2O resulted in significant oxide spallation compared with oxidation in air, but this was not the case when 0.75 % O2 was added to the CO2/H2O mixture as a buffer. The control of impurity levels drastically improved the oxidation resistance of PM2000.

International audience; Increasing efficiency is a continuing goal for all forms of power generation from conventional fossil fuels to new renewable sources. However, increasing the process temperature to increase efficiency leads to faster degradation rates and more components with corrosion-limited lifetimes. At the highest temperatures, oxidation-resistant alumina-forming alloys and coatings are needed for maximum lifetimes. However, lifetime models accurate over the extended application durations are not currently available for a wide range of candidates and conditions. Increased mechanistic understanding and relevant long-term data sets will assist in model development and validation. Current progress is outlined for applying a reservoir-type model to Fe-base alloys and coatings. However, more work is needed to understand environmental effects, such as the presence of H2O, and to extend the current model to NiCrAl and NiCr alloys. As the critical performance factors are better understood, it will be easier to evaluate new materials in laboratory screening experiments.

Creep tests were performed on thin wall specimens made of MC2 single crystal superalloy at 1150 °C and under controlled atmosphere. The results highlight the deleterious oxidation effect on creep properties. The assumption that oxidation leads to a non-load-bearing affected zone is insufficient to explain the difference in creep rate that was noticed between tests performed under synthetic air and under hydrogenated argon, and cannot explain the decrease of the strain rate during the tests that were carried out with a change of atmosphere from synthetic air to hydrogenated argon. On the other hand, these experimental results are consistent with vacancy injection due to partial cationic oxidation, which accelerates the creep rate by promoting creep mechanisms controlled by diffusion. The anionic protective alumina scale formed under hydrogenated argon prevents this vacancy flux. The integration of this dynamic and long range oxidation effect in creep strain models is discussed.

Superalloys like 718 and its derivatives primarily rely on the formation of an external Cr-rich oxide layer or scale for environmental protection at high temperatures. Operating conditions where environmental resistance is more of a concern generally involve higher temperatures or more corrosive environments, especially where S is present, usually due to fuel impurities. With clean fuels, the presence of water vapor and oxygen, such as a combustion environment in a natural gas-fired turbine, chromia forms a volatile oxy-hydroxide leading to accelerated Cr loss. In laboratory experiments, mass losses are measured due to this volatilization. For sulfidizing or hot corrosion environments, the role of alloy and coating composition on corrosion resistance will be reviewed. An increasing area of interest is the interaction between environmental degradation and the stress-induced deformation of the superalloy including the influence of oxidation-resistant coatings on mechanical properties. Strategies to study this interaction will be discussed.