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Results for “SULFURIC ACID”

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At least 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Anti-reflection coatings on large area glass sheets

Antireflective coatings which may be suitable for use on the covers of photovoltaic solar modules can be easily produced by a dipping process. The coatings are applied to glass by drawing sheets of glass vertically out of dilute aqueous sodium silicate solutions at a constant speed, allowing the adherent liquid film to dry, then exposing the dried film to concentrated sulfuric acid, followed by a water rinse and dry. The process produces coatings of good optical performance (96.7 percent peak transmission at 0.540 mu M wavelength) combined with excellent stain and soil resistance, and good resistance to abrasion. The process is reproduceable and easily controlled.

Pastirik, E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Design, fabrication, and bench testing of a solar chemical receiver

Solar thermal energy can be effectively collected, transported, stored, and utilized by means of a chemical storage and transport system employing the reversible SO2 oxidation reaction. A solar chemical receiver for SO3 thermal decomposition to SO2 and oxygen was analyzed. Bench tests of a ten foot section of a receiver module were conducted with dissociated sulfuric acid (SO3 and H2O) in an electrical furnace. Measured percent conversion of SO3 was 85% of the equilibrium value. Methods were developed to fabricate and assemble a complete receiver module. These methods included applying an aluminide coating to certain exposed surfaces, assembling concentric tubes with a wire spacer, applying a platinum catalyst to the tubing wall, and coiling the entire assembly into the desired configuration.

Summers, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Lidar measurements of the post-fuego stratospheric aerosol

Fifteen lidar observations of the stratospheric aerosol were made between February and November 1975. All observations revealed the greatly increased particulate backscattering that followed the eruption of the volcano Fuego in October 1974. Vertical structure consisted initially of multiple layers, which later merged to form a single, broader peak. Essentially all of the increased scattering was confined to altitudes below 20 km. Hence, aerosol layer centroids in 1975 were typically several km below their altitude prior to the eruption. Radiative and thermal consequences of the measured post-Fuego layer were computed using several recently published models. The models predict a temperature increase of several K at the altitude of the layer, caused by the infrared absorption bands of the sulfuric acid particles. The surface temperature decrease predicted by the models is considerably smaller than 1 K, partly because of the small optical thickness of the volcanic layer, and partly because of its short residence time relative to the earth-ocean thermal response time.

Russell, P. B.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Implications of stratospheric aerosol measurements for models of aerosol formation and evolution

Calculations of the distribution of stratospheric sulfur gases and of stratospheric aerosols are compared with measurements obtained in Alaska during July 1979. Generally, the measurements are reasonably consistent with the model results. COS is the major sulfur-bearing gas in the stratosphere while CS2 plays a lesser role in the formation of sulfate aerosols. Ammonia, which earlier measurements suggested was a major aerosol constituent, is found to be a contaminant, so models without ammonia chemistry may be justified. The model and the measurements suggest that stratospheric sulfuric acid aerosols nucleate just above the tropopause, but they are older and have grown to larger sizes at higher altitudes.

Toon, O. B.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The structure of the clouds of Venus - Results of the Pioneer Venus nephelometer experiment

The nephelometer measurements by the four Pioneer Venus probes reveal an upper haze area in the vertical cloud structure with several less clearly delineated layers in the main cloud bank. Concentrated sulfuric acid is the main component of the majority of the particulate matter in the clouds; the near UV radiation is absorbed by the clouds. The particles ejected from the planet surface are in the 10 to 100 micron range.

Ragent, B.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The formation and growth of sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere

The critical compositions, critical radii, and nucleation rates of sulfuric acid droplets formed through homogeneous heteromolecular nucleation process in the stratosphere under a variety of ambient conditions are calculated. Results are plotted as a function of H2SO4 concentration and H2O concentration so that characteristics of sulfate aerosols can be quickly estimated whenever environmental conditions are known. The effect of the uncertainty in the saturated vapor pressure of H2SO4 on the estimated properties of sulfate aerosols is elucidated. Plottings are presented that illustrate the relative importance of new particle formation by homogeneous nucleation vs growth by heteromolecular condensation on pre-existing nuclei in the stratosphere. The effects of ambient conditions, such as the concentrations of H2SO4 and H2O, the average stratospheric particle radius, and the number concentration of pre-existing nuclei on the relative importance of these two competing processes are discussed.

Yue, G. K.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The microwave absorption of SO2 in the Venus atmosphere

Sulfur dioxide has a strong and complex rotational spectrum in the microwave and far infrared regions. The microwave absorption due to SO2 in a CO2 mixture is calculated for conditions applicable to the Venus atmosphere. It is shown that at the concentrations detected by Pioneer-Venus in situ measurements, SO2 may be expected to contribute significantly to the microwave opacity of the Venus atmosphere. In particular, SO2 might provide the major source of opacity in the atmospheric region immediately below the main sulfuric acid cloud deck. The spectrum is largely nonresonant at the pressures where SO2 is expected to occur, however.

Janssen, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Analysis and interpretation of lidar observations of the stratospheric aerosol

Data obtained with a 48 in. telescope lidar system are compared with results obtained using a one-dimensional stratospheric aerosol model to analyze various microphysical processes influencing the formation of this aerosol. Special attention is given to the following problems: (1) how lidar data can help determine the composition of the aerosol particles and (2) how the layer corresponds to temperature profile variations. The lidar record during the period 1974 to 1979 shows a considerable decrease of the peak value of the backscatter ratio. Seasonal variations in the aerosol layer and a gradual decrease in stratospheric loading are observed. The aerosol model simulates a background stratospheric aerosol layer, and it predicts stratospheric aerosol concentrations and compositions. Numerical experiments are carried out by using the model and by comparing the theoretical results with the experimentally obtained lidar record. Comparisons show that the backscatter profile is consistent with the composition when the particles are sulfuric acid and water; it is not consistent with an ammonium sulfate composition. It is shown that the backscatter ratio is not sensitive to the composition or stratospheric loading of condensation nuclei such as meteoritic debris.

Hamill, P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Synthesis of polyformals

Formals of CH2OH(CHOH) sub n CH2OH polyols (n = 2 to 4) are prepared in less than 15 minutes by heating to about 125 C, a mixture of e.g. sorbitol and paraformaldehyde in slight excess (5 to 10%), in the presence of e.g. sulfuric acid in catalytic quantities. Elution with methanol and filtration yield the pure solid cyclic triformal. The process can be carried in stages, using almost stoichiometric quantities of paraformaldehyde, but without any change in overall heating time.

Poshkus, A. C.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Lidar determination of the composition of atmosphere aerosols

Theoretical and experimental studies of the feasibility of using DIfferential SCatter (DISC) lidar to measure the composition of atmospheric aerosols are described. This technique involves multiwavelength measurements of the backscatter cross section of aerosols in the middle infrared, where a number of materials display strong restrahlen features that significantly modulate the backscatter spectrum. The theoretical work indicates that a number of materials of interest, including sulfuric acid, ammonium sulfate, and silicates, can be discriminated among with a CO2 lidar. An initial evaluation of this procedure was performed in which cirrus clouds and lower altitude tropospheric aerosols were developed. The observed ratio spectrum of the two types of aerosol displays structure that is in crude accord with theoretical expectations.

Wright, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Pioneer Venus large probe neutral mass spectrometer

The deuterium hydrogen abundance ratio in the Venus atmosphere was measured while the inlets to the Pioneer Venus large probe mass spectrometer were coated with sulfuric acid from Venus' clouds. The ratio is (1.6 + or - 0.2) x 10 to the minus two power. It was found that the 100 fold enrichment of deuterium means that Venus outgassed at least 0.3% of a terrestrial ocean and possibly more.

Hoffman, J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Thermochemical generation of hydrogen

The direct fluid contact heat exchange with H2SO4 at about 330 C prior to high temperature decomposition at about 830 C in the oxygen release step of several thermochemical cycles for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen provides higher heat transfer rates, savings in energy and permits use of cast vessels rather than expensive forged alloy indirect heat exchangers. Among several candidate perfluorocarbon liquids tested, only perfluoropropylene oxide polymers having a degree of polymerization from about 10 to 60 were chemically stable, had low miscibility and vapor pressure when tested with sulfuric acid at temperatures from 300 C to 400 C.

Lawson, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The GA sulfur-iodine water-splitting process - A status report

The development of a sulfur-iodine thermal water splitting cycle is described. The process features a 50% thermal efficiency, plus all liquid and gas handling. Basic chemical investigations comprised the development of multitemperature and multistage sulfuric acid boost reactors, defining the phase behavior of the HI/I2/H2O/H3PO4 mixtures, and development of a decomposition process for hydrogen iodide in the liquid phase. Initial process engineering studies have led to a 47% efficiency, improvements of 2% projected, followed by coupling high-temperature solar concentrators to the splitting processes to reduce power requirements. Conceptual flowsheets developed from bench models are provided; materials investigations have concentrated on candidates which can withstand corrosive mixtures at temperatures up to 400 deg K, with Hastelloy C-276 exhibiting the best properties for containment and heat exchange to I2.

Besenbruch, G. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

New interstellar molecular transitions in the 2 millimeter range

A Sgr B2 kinetic temperature of about 47 K is derived based on observations of K components of the 9K-8K transition of CH3CCH. Interstellar line emission is detected in the 2 mm wavelength region from SO, (S-34)O, SO2, CH3OH, CH3CCH, CH3CH2CN, HC3N, and nine unidentified transitions. The methylacetylene K component data combined with the derived data reduction technique, demonstrates the utility of the molecule as a temperature probe of molecular clouds when two or more rotational transitions are observed. Evidence for the existence of interstellar HNO is presented, and an attempt is made to detect sulfuric acid, formic anhydride, and the 0-18 isotopic for CO2 in interstellar clouds and in the Venusian atmosphere during inferior conjunction.

Hollis, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Temperature dependence of the formation of sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere

Classical nucleation theory is used in calculations of the temperature dependence of the characteristics and nucleation rates of sulfate aerosols in the binary H2SO4-H2O vapor mixture, in order to assess the influence of temperature on the formation of sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere, and to explore the possibility of new particle formation through homogeneous nucleation processes at regions where temperature is as low as -75 C, rather than the often-assumed -50 or -55 C. Calculation results indicate that the number of particles formed at a lower temperature is larger by several orders of magnitude than at higher temperatures, when water and sulfuric acid vapor concentrations are kept constant, and that large quantities of ultrafine particles which cannot be detected by conventional methods may exist at low-temperature stratospheric regions.

Yue, G. K.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Venus was wet - A measurement of the ratio of deuterium to hydrogen

The deuterium-hydrogen abundance ratio in the Venus atmosphere was measured while the inlets to the Pioneer Venus large probe mass spectrometer were coated with sulfuric acid from Venus' clouds. The ratio is 0.016 + or - 0.002. The hundredfold enrichment of deuterium means that at least 0.3 percent of a terrestrial ocean was outgassed on Venus, but is consistent with a much greater production.

Donahue, T. M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Fine particles in the Soufriere eruption plume

The size distributions of fine particles measured at tropospheric altitudes in the periphery of the eruption plume formed during the April 17, 1979 eruption of Soufriere Volcano and in the low-level effluents on May 15, 1979 were found to be bimodal, having peak concentrations at geometric mean diameters of 1.1 and 0.23 micrometers. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis of the samples revealed an abundance of aluminum and silicon and traces of sodium, magnesium, chlorine, potassium, calcium, and iron in the large-particle mode. The submicrometer-sized particles were covered with liquid containing sulfur, assumed to be in the form of liquid sulfuric acid.

Woods, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Small particles in plumes of Mount St. Helens

Particles in the size range 0.1-25 microns were sampled by aircraft carrying a quartz crystal microcascade in the Mount St. Helens plume on three dates in August and September 1980. Two of the sampling dates represented 'typical' emissions of the volcano between plinian eruptions. One sampling flight was made 1-4 hours before the small plinian eruption of August 7, 1980 when the plume had become discontinuous and visibly darker. The plume sampled on August 7, before the eruption, contained mainly approximately 2-micron diameter silicic glass particles, fragments of the Mount St. Helens magma. The typical plumes sampled on September 22 and August 6 had much smaller concentrations of particles, trimodal size distributions with peaks at 10, 0.4, and 0.1 microns. The particles were largely nonsilicate and apparently represented Cu-Zn oxide (10 micron peak), Al sulfate, chloride, and oxide, and sulfuric acid (smallest size peak).

Rose, W. I.↗