Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “COPPER 65”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2

Finalizing the 63 Cu and 65 Cu Resonance Evaluations for the ENDF/B-VIII Release

The resolved resonance region evaluation for the only two natural isotopes of copper ( 63 Cu and 65 Cu) was carried out at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in support of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP). The particular interest in the isotope of copper arose because it was linked with poor performance of the Zeus series of integral benchmarks from the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP). Good agreement between the calculated and experimentally measured values for the ICSBEP benchmarks is essential to the NCSP because the ICSBEP benchmarks are used for validation purposes of criticality safety calculations.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Evaluation of high strength, high conductivity CuNiBe alloys for fusion energy applications

The unirradiated tensile properties for several different heats and thermomechanical treatment conditions of precipitation strengthened Hycon 3HPTM CuNiBe (Cu-2%Ni-0.35%Be in wt.%) have been measured over the temperature range of 20-500 C for longitudinal and long transverse orientations. The room temperature electrical conductivity has also been measured for several heats, and the precipitate microstructure was characterized using transmission electron microscopy. The CuNiBe alloys exhibit very good combination of strength and conductivity at room temperature, with yield strengths of 630-725 MPa and electrical conductivities of 65-72% International Annealed Copper Standard (IACS). The strength remained relatively high at all test temperatures, with yield strengths of 420-520 MPa at 500 C. However, low levels of ductility (<5% uniform elongation) were observed at test temperatures above 200-250 C, due to flow localization near grain boundaries (exacerbated by having only 10-20 grains across the gage thickness of the miniaturized sheet tensile specimens). Scanning electron microscopy observation of the fracture surfaces found a transition from ductile transgranular to ductile intergranular fracture with increasing test temperature. Fission neutron irradiation to a dose of ~0.7 displacements per atom (dpa) at temperatures between 100 and 240 C produced a slight increase in strength and a significant decrease in ductility. The measured tensile elongation increased with increasing irradiation temperature, with a uniform elongation of ~3.3% observed at 240 C. The electrical conductivity decreased slightly following irradiation, due to the presence of defect clusters and Ni, Zn, Co transmutation products. Considering also previously published fracture toughness data, this indicates that CuNiBe alloys have irradiated tensile and electrical properties comparable or superior to CuCrZr and oxide dispersion strengthened copper at temperatures <250 C, and may be an attractive candidate for certain fusion energy structural applications. Conversely, CuNiBe may not be preferred at intermediate temperatures of 250-500 C due to the poor ductility and fracture toughness of CuNiBe alloys at temperatures >250 C. The potential deformation mechanisms responsible for the transition from transgranular to intergranular fracture are discussed. The possible implications for other precipitation hardened alloys such as nickel based superalloys are briefly discussed.

Zinkle, Steven J↗

Radiation Effect On Gas Electron Multiplier Detector Performance

Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detector is a gas device with high gain and high efficiency. These detectors use chemically perforated 65 {mu}m thick copper clad Kapton polyimide foils. Given its potential for detecting X-rays and other radiations, GEM detectors may be used in an environment with high radioactivity. The Kapton foils manufacturer, Du Pont Inc., claims that the foils are radioactive resistant. To verify whether the GEM detector performance is affected by the exposure to radiation, several GEM foils were irradiated to a {sup 60}Co source at the gamma-ray irradiation facility at Sterigenics, Tustin, CA. Four sets of GEM foils were exposed to the level of 10 kGy, 100 kGy, 1,000 kGy and 10,000 kGy. The output signal from the GEM detectors with irradiated GEM foils were measured and compared to the detector with no irradiation. We observed that the shapes of the peaks from 5.9 KeV {sup 55}Fe X-ray were distorted and that the detector gain increased compared to that of the un-irradiated detector. In particular, the detector with 10,000 kGy irradiation appeared to have the biggest peak distortion and increased gain. It was also found from that additional electrons from radiation-induced free radicals in the Kapton film contribute to output signal of the irradiated GEM detectors. Further studies are needed to explain the mechanism of these detector performance changes.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Stability of High-Jc Nb3Sn Wires in the Adiabatic Limit

High-J{sub c} Nb{sub 3}Sn strands often exhibit instabilities in 4.2 K liquid helium at low fields {approx} 0.5 to 3 T which are associated with magnetization flux-jumps. However at 1.9 K in superfluid helium, a minimum in premature quench currents at intermediate fields of 5 to 7 T has been observed in voltage-current measurements. These measurements are typically used for critical current determinations, and the premature quenching is driven by current redistribution within the strand as the current is increased and is termed 'self-field' instability. In this paper, the magnetization and self-field stability of Nb{sub 3}Sn strands with J{sub c} {approx} 2000 A/mm{sup 2} at 12 T are described for a series of wires made using the Sn-tube approach with filament diameters ranging from 13 to 65 {mu}m. The copper stabilizer of these wires after reaction has residual resistivity ratio, RRR, of {approx}5, which in effect means that any dynamic stabilization from thermal conduction effects is negligible. In this regime of RRR, we find that the magnetization stability with transport current increases with decreasing filament diameter as predicted by simple adiabatic theory. We also observed that at 4.2 K the self-field stability improved with decreasing filament size, but became worse with decreasing temperature as seen in measurements at 2.0 K.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Finalizing the {sup 63}Cu and {sup 65}Cu Resonance Evaluations for the ENDF/B-VIII Release

The resolved resonance region evaluation for the only two natural isotopes of copper ({sup 63}Cu and {sup 65}Cu) was carried out at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in support of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP). The particular interest in the isotope of copper arose because it was linked with poor performance of the Zeus series of integral benchmarks from the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP). Good agreement between the calculated and experimentally measured values for the ICSBEP benchmarks is essential to the NCSP because the ICSBEP benchmarks are used for validation purposes of criticality safety calculations. The particular set of four Zeus experiments had a highly-enriched uranium core with a thick copper-reflector resulting in a large sensitivity of the criticality of these systems to the cross section of copper in the intermediate energy range. Sobes et al. presented the effect of the newly resolved resonance region evaluations for the two isotopes of copper on the Zeus integral benchmarks, as well as 23 other benchmarks from the ICSBEP during the 2016 ANS Annual Meeting. The results presented in Ref. were calculated with the ENDF/B-VII.1 cross section libraries used for all other materials. However, it is suggested that the resolved resonance region evaluations for the isotopes of copper should not be judged only on their performance in the integral benchmark calculations especially when the ENDF/B-VII.1 cross sections are used for all of the other isotopes. Three reasons are provided for this. First and foremost, a new evaluation is an assessment of the physics of the nucleus of the particular isotope, and the goal of an application agnostic nuclear data evaluation is to improve evaluation by fitting state-of-the art R-Matrix formalism to highly precise experimental cross section measurements. The improved performance in the integral benchmarks should only come as a consequence of the improvement in the physics of the evaluation. Secondly, there is some uncertainty in the nuclear data evaluation of the cross section of all isotopes, so there could be some error in evaluating another isotope used in calculating the integral benchmark experiment. Such an error may have been having a compensating effect, in combination with the previous evaluations for the isotopes of copper. Thirdly, with the two isotopes of copper proposed for inclusion in the upcoming release of the ENDF/B-VIII library, performance of the new resonance evaluation for copper should be evaluated based on the calculation of the integral benchmarks with all of the evaluations proposed for inclusion in the ENDF/B-VIII release. These benchmarking results using the ENDF/B-VIII evaluations as they converge closer to their final form will be presented at the conference. This summary stresses the importance of the physics of the evaluation and reviews some of the steps taken in finalizing a resolved resonance region evaluation. (authors)

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

Copper activation deuterium-tritium neutron yield measurements at the National Ignition Facility

A DT neutron yield diagnostic based on the reactions, {sup 63}Cu(n,2n){sup 62}Cu({beta}{sup +}) and {sup 65}Cu(n,2n) {sup 64} Cu({beta}{sup +}), has been fielded at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The induced copper activity is measured using a NaI {gamma}-{gamma} coincidence system. Uncertainties in the 14-MeV DT yield measurements are on the order of 7% to 8%. In addition to measuring yield, the ratio of activities induced in two, well-separated copper samples are used to measure the relative anisotropy of the fuel {rho}R to uncertainties as low as 5%.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Spectra and energy levels of Cu XXII, Cu XXIII, Cu XXIV, and Cu XXV

Transitions in highly ionized copper in the wavelength range 65-121 A have been identified in spectra recorded at the University of Rochester's 24-beam Omega laser facility. Wavelengths and energy levels are presented for oxygenlike Cu XXII, nitrogenlike Cu XXII, carbonlike Cu XXIV, and boronlike Cu XXV. The wavelengths of magnetic dipole transitions within the ground configurations are predicted from the energy levels.

Ekberg, J. O.↗

Effect of Thermal Processes on Copper‐Tin Alloys for Zinc Gettering

A contamination mitigation plan was initiated to address the discovery of radioactive zinc-65 in a glovebox. A near term solution was developed, installation of heated filters in the glovebox piping. This solution is effective at retaining the zinc in the currently contaminated area, but the gamma emitting contaminant is still present in a system designed for tritium beta. A project was initiated to develop a solution to contain the 65 Zn in the furnace module. Copper and bronze (a Cu/Sn alloy) were found to be candidate materials to combine with zinc-65 vapor, using thermodynamic calculations. A series of binary Cu/Sn alloys were developed (after determining that commercial alloys were unacceptable), that were found to be effective traps of zinc vapor. The task described in this report was undertaken to determine if the bronze substrates would retain their zinc gettering capability after being exposed to simulated extraction conditions with oxidizing and reducing gases. Pure copper and three bronze alloys were prepared, exposed to varying oxidation conditions from 250 to 450°C, then exposed to varying reduction conditions in He-H 2 from 250-450°C, and finally exposed to zinc vapor at 350°C for four hours. The samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, mass change, and visual observation. It was observed that the as fabricated samples and the reduced samples all retained their zinc gettering capacity while samples in the "as-oxidized" condition exhibited losses in zinc gettering capacity. Over the range of conditions tested, i.e., composition, oxidation temperature, and reduction temperature, no particular sample composition appeared better. Samples reduced at 350°C exhibited the greatest zinc capacity, although there were some testing anomalies associated with these samples. This work clearly demonstrated that the zinc gettering was not adversely affected by exposure to simulated process conditions and a full scale lithium and zinc trap should be fabricated for testing in the Tritium Extraction Facility.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Thermal Screening Of Residues From Acidification And Copper-Catalyzed Peroxide Oxidation Of Tank 48H Simulant

This study evaluated the residues generated from copper-catalyzed peroxide oxidation (CCPO) of Tank 48H simulant. The first step of the CCPO calls for pH adjustment of the simulant, and early testing used either 15wt% or 50wt % nitric acid to reach a slurry pH of between 12 and 5. Residues obtained by ambient temperature pH adjustment with 50wt % nitric acid followed by oxidation with 50 wt % hydrogen peroxide at 35, 50, and 65°C (from a recently conducted Copper Catalyzed Peroxide Oxidation or CCPO) were also analyzed. Slurry samples at pH 7 or lower especially made from adding nitric acid at the process equivalent of one gallon per minute had the largest enthalpy of decomposition. The thermogravimetric characteristics of some samples from the CCPO test generated at pH 9 or lower exhibited rapid weight loss. Taken together, residues generated at pH 9 or lower may be classified as energetic upon decomposition in confined spaces or under adiabatic conditions. Therefore, additional testing is recommended with larger (up to 50mL) samples in an adiabatic calorimeter. To minimize risk of formation of energetic byproducts, an intermediate slurry pH of 9 or greater is recommended following the acidification step in the CCPO and prior to start of peroxide addition. In practice, process temperature needs to reach 150°C or greater to decompose residues obtained a pH 9 or lower which is unlikely. Oxidation temperature had no significant effect on the thermal characteristics of the final residues generated.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Persistent-current switch for pancake coils of rare earth-barium-copper-oxide high-temperature superconductor: Design and test results of a double-pancake coil operated in liquid nitrogen (77–65 K) and in solid nitrogen (60–57 K)

We present design and test results of a superconducting persistent current switch (PCS) for pancake coils of rare-earth-barium-copper-oxide, REBCO, high-temperature superconductor (HTS). Here, a REBCO double-pancake (DP) coil, 152-mm ID, 168-mm OD, 12-mm high, was wound with a no-insulation technique. We converted a ∼10-cm long section in the outermost layer of each pancake to a PCS. The DP coil was operated in liquid nitrogen (77–65 K) and in solid nitrogen (60–57 K). Over the operating temperature ranges of this experiment, the normal-state PCS enabled the DP coil to be energized; thereupon, the PCS resumed the superconducting state and the DP coil field decayed with a time constant of 100 h, which would have been nearly infinite, i.e., persistent-mode operation, were the joint across the coil terminals superconducting.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Neutron activation diagnostics at the National Ignition Facility (invited)

Neutron yields are measured at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) by an extensive suite of neutron activation diagnostics. Neutrons interact with materials whose reaction cross sections threshold just below the fusion neutron production energy, providing an accurate measure of primary unscattered neutrons without contribution from lower-energy scattered neutrons. Indium samples are mounted on diagnostic instrument manipulators in the NIF target chamber, 25-50 cm from the source, to measure 2.45 MeV deuterium-deuterium fusion neutrons through the {sup 115}In(n,n'){sup 115m} In reaction. Outside the chamber, zirconium and copper are used to measure 14 MeV deuterium-tritium fusion neutrons via {sup 90}Zr(n,2n), {sup 63}Cu(n,2n), and {sup 65}Cu(n,2n) reactions. An array of 16 zirconium samples are located on port covers around the chamber to measure relative yield anisotropies, providing a global map of fuel areal density variation. Neutron yields are routinely measured with activation to an accuracy of 7% and are in excellent agreement both with each other and with neutron time-of-flight and magnetic recoil spectrometer measurements. Relative areal density anisotropies can be measured to a precision of less than 3%. These measurements reveal apparent bulk fuel velocities as high as 200 km/s in addition to large areal density variations between the pole and equator of the compressed fuel.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Nuclear response of additive manufactured GRCop-84 copper for use in Lower hybrid launchers in a fusion environment

Recent advances in selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printing technology allow additive manufacture of lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) RF launchers from a new material, Glenn Research Copper 84 (GRCop-84), a Cr 2 Nb (8 at. % Cr, 4 at. % Nb) precipitation hardened alloy, in configurations unachievable with conventional machining. Tensile strength and thermal conductivity are compared to other competing high conductivity copper alloys for fusion use. Swelling and conductivity at 100 DPA when exposed to the Hanford Fast Flux Test Facility neutron spectrum is predicted in the 1–2 % and 65-70% IACS range, respectively, by comparison to copper alloys with similar precipitate and grain size. Finally, self-similar ion irradiation of a GRCop-84 target at 430 °C to 20 DPA resulted in no noticeable void formation in FIB cross sections or TEM lamella.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Dose optimization in cardiac x-ray imaging

Purpose: The aim of this research was to optimize x-ray image quality to dose ratios in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. This study examined independently the effects of peak x-ray tube voltage (kVp), copper (Cu), and gadolinium (Gd) x-ray beam filtration on the image quality to radiation dose balance for adult patient sizes.Methods: Image sequences of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) phantoms representing two adult patient sizes were captured using a modern flat panel detector based x-ray imaging system. Tin and copper test details were used to simulate iodine-based contrast medium and stents/guide wires respectively, which are used in clinical procedures. Noise measurement for a flat field image and test detail contrast were used to calculate the contrast to noise ratio (CNR). Entrance surface dose (ESD) and effective dose measurements were obtained to calculate the figure of merit (FOM), CNR{sup 2}/dose. This FOM determined the dose efficiency of x-ray spectra investigated. Images were captured with 0.0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.4, and 0.9 mm Cu filtration and with a range of gadolinium oxysulphide (Gd{sub 2}O{sub 2}S) filtration.Results: Optimum x-ray spectra were the same for the tin and copper test details. Lower peak tube voltages were generally favored. For the 20 cm phantom, using 2 Lanex Fast Back Gd{sub 2}O{sub 2}S screens as x-ray filtration at 65 kVp provided the highest FOM considering ESD and effective dose. Considering ESD, this FOM was only marginally larger than that from using 0.4 mm Cu at 65 kVp. For the 30 cm phantom, using 0.25 mm copper filtration at 80 kVp was most optimal; considering effective dose the FOM was highest with no filtration at 65 kVp.Conclusions: These settings, adjusted for x-ray tube loading limits and clinically acceptable image quality, should provide a useful option for optimizing patient dose to image quality in cardiac x-ray imaging. The same optimal x-ray beam spectra were found for both the tin and copper details, suggesting that iodine contrast based imaging and visualization of interventional devices could potentially be optimized for dose using similar x-ray beam spectra.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Updates to the n+ 63,65 Cu Evaluations in the Resolved Resonance Region [Slides]

This presentation discusses the motivation and background of the n+ 63,65 Cu Evaluations in the Resolved Resonance Region which is to study the interaction of neutrons with copper as it is important in nuclear applications since critical assembly configurations include metallic copper as reflector. In support to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP), measurements and related evaluations of 63,65 Cu isotopes were selected to improve the agreement with the benchmarks and to assess the importance of the angular distribution data for reactor calculations. Previous and current evaluation work is supported by an experimental campaign initiated before 2010, the 63,65 Cu R-matrix analysis generated resonance parameters up to 300 keV. However, due to outstanding issues in the benchmark performance, ENDF/B-VIII.0 library released a truncated set of resonance parameters up to 100 keV. The goal of this work is to generate an updated set of resonance parameters in the 100-300 keV range to improve the benchmark performance of 63,65 Cu isotopes. In conclusion, R-matrix analysis to update 63,65 Cu evaluations was performed to simultaneously improve benchmark performance and extend the RRR to 300 keV. The benchmark calculations suggest the increased capture cross sections are beneficial, however, further investigation of the measured capture data is needed to understand the large normalization scaling factor needed to improve the reactivity. Also, the copper-reflected benchmarks indicate the need to further investigate angular distributions and extension of RRR to 300 keV is aided well by level statistics considerations. Work to refine the fit of individual resonances is ongoing.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Updates to Improve the Evaluated Nuclear Data of Copper Isotopes in the Resolved and Unresolved Resonance Regions

The evaluated nuclear data of the 63,65 Cu isotopes have been updated in the resolved and unresolved resonance energy regions with the goal of improving the fidelity between calculated and measured critical benchmarks. Particular focus was devoted to the 63 Cu(n, γ) cross sections because of their large sensitivity to the reactivity in the benchmark calculations. By focusing on these cross sections, the set of parameters in both resolved and unresolved resonance regions were fitted to available experimental data. The newly updated evaluations were compared to the currently available ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluations in reactivity calculations for copper-sensitive integral benchmarks. An initial study of the sensitivity of the benchmarks to the angular distributions was performed, finding it necessary to describe the angular distributions more accurately above 100 keV. This investigation uncovered the need for more accurate data for the 63 Cu(n, γ) cross section above 100 keV. An increase in the capture cross section was found to improve agreement for the considered benchmarks.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

Validation of Continuous-Energy ENDF/B-VIII.0 16 O, 56 Fe, and 63,65 Cu Cross Sections for Nuclear Criticality Safety Applications

Recently completed cross-section evaluations sponsored in part by the Nuclear Criticality Safety Program were incorporated into the 2018 release of the ENDF/B-VIII.0 cross-section library. Evaluated isotopes of interest to the nuclear data and criticality safety community include 16 O, 56 Fe, and 63,65 Cu. For performance validation, benchmark models defined in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project Handbook were selected based on energy-integrated k eff sensitivities to total cross sections of interest and compared with experimental values. Of the 102 benchmark configurations that were utilized, 63 are sensitive to 16 O, 32 sensitive to 63,65 Cu, and 25 sensitive to 56 Fe. Selected benchmarks were modeled in SCALE 6.2.3 Criticality Safety Analysis Sequence (CSAS) continuous-energy Monte Carlo k eff calculations with ENDF/B-VII.1, with a hybrid ENDF/B-VII.1 with ENDF/B-VIII.0 data substituted for individual isotopes of interest, and with ENDF/B-VIII.0. ENDF/B-VIII.0 showed improved agreement with experimental k eff for 56 Fe, 63 Cu, elemental copper, and full library substitution while producing lessened agreement for 16 O and 65 Cu. Furthermore, with full library and isotope-specific ENDF/B-VIII.0 performance, a best-case ENDF library was formed by excluding underperforming isotopes’ ENDF/B-VIII.0 data, reverting 16 O and 65 Cu cross sections to ENDF/B-VII.1. This resulted in the average relative deviation between calculated and experimental data improving from 1.45σ for the ENDF/B-VIII.0 library to 1.32σ for the best-case library, relative to benchmark uncertainty.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

SU-E-T-44: Angular Dependence of Surface Dose Enhancement Measured On Several Inhomogeneities Using Radiochromic EBT3 Films

Purpose: The quantification of the relative surface dose enhancement in dependence on the angle of incidence and the atomic number Z of the surface material. Methods: Experiments were performed with slabs made of aluminum, titanium, copper, silver, dental gold and lead. The metal slabs with equal sizes of 1.0×8.0×8.8mm{sup 3} were embedded in an Octavius 4D phantom (PTW Freiburg, Germany). Radiochromic EBT3 films were used to measure the surface dose for angles of incidence ranging from 0° to 90°. The setup with the metals slabs at the isocenter was irradiated with acceleration voltages of 6MV and 10MV. Water reference measurements were taken under equal conditions. Results: The surface dose enhancement is highest for angles of incidence below 30° and drops significantly for higher. The surface dose enhancement produced by lead and dental gold at 6MV showed a peak of 65%. At 90°, the surface dose enhancement dropped to 15% for both materials. The surface dose enhancements for silver, copper, titanium and aluminum were 45%, 32%, 22% and 12% at 0°, respectively. At an angle of incidence of 80°, the values dropped to 22%, 18%, 12% und 6%. The values for 10MV were very similar. Lead and dental gold showed peaks of 65% und 60%. Their values dropped to 18% at an angle of 90°. The surface dose enhancements for silver, copper, titanium and aluminum were 45%, 30%, 20% and 8% at 0°. At 80° the values dropped to 30%, 20%, 12% and 5%. A dependence of the magnitude of the surface dose enhancement on the atomic number of the surface material can be seen, which is in consistence with literature. Conclusion: The results show that the surface dose enhancements near implant materials with high Z-values should be taken into consideration in radio therapy, even when the angle of incidence is flat.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Materials compatibility and aging for flux and cleaner combinations

A materials study of high reliability electronics cleaning is presented here. In Phase 1, mixed type substrates underwent a condensed contaminants application to view a worst- case scenario for unremoved flux with cleaning agent residue for parts in a silicone oil filled environment. In Phase 2, fluxes applied to copper coupons and to printed wiring boards underwent gentle cleaning then accelerated aging in air at 65% humidity and 30 O C. Both sets were aged for 4 weeks. Contaminants were no-clean (ORL0), water soluble (ORH1 liquid and ORH0 paste), and rosin (RMA; ROL0) fluxes. Defluxing agents were water, solvents, and engineered aqueous defluxers. In the first phase, coupons had flux applied and heated, then were placed in vials of oil with a small amount of cleaning agent and additional coupons. In the second phase, pairs of copper coupons and PWB were hand soldered by application of each flux, using tin-lead solder in a strip across the coupon or a set of test components on the PWB. One of each pair was cleaned in each cleaning agent, the first with a typical clean, and the second with a brief clean. Ionic contamination residue was measured before accelerated aging. After aging, substrates were removed and a visual record of coupon damage made, from which a subjective rank was applied for comparison between the various flux and defluxer combinations; more corrosion equated to higher rank. The ORH1 water soluble flux resulted in the highest ranking in both phases, the RMA flux the least. For the first phase, in which flux and defluxer remained on coupons, the aqueous defluxers led to worse corrosion. The vapor phase cleaning agents resulted in the highest ranking in the second phase, in which there was no physical cleaning. Further study of cleaning and rinsing parameters will be required.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗