Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Composition B”

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 595 records · Page 33

Technical assessment for quality control of resins

Survey visits to companies involved in the manufacture and use of graphite-epoxy prepregs were conducted to assess the factors which may contribute to variability in the mechanical properties of graphite-epoxy composites. In particular, the purpose was to assess the contributions of the epoxy resins to variability. Companies represented three segments of the composites industry - aircraft manufacturers, prepreg manufacturers, and epoxy resin manufacturers. Several important sources of performance variability were identified from among the complete spectrum of potential sources which ranged from raw materials to composite test data interpretation.

Gosnell, R. B.↗

The isotopic composition of galactic cosmic ray lithium, beryllium and boron

The isotopic composition of galactic-cosmic-ray Li, Be, and B has been measured near 100 MeV/nucleon by using the University of Chicago IMP 7 and IMP 8 cosmic-ray telescopes during 1973-1975. The measured abundances allow detailed checks of models of interstellar propagation and solar modulation to be made and conclusions to be drawn concerning the spectral forms at the source and the minimum solar modulation level. For example, comparing these results with local interstellar spectra calculated by using a 'leaky box' model, it is found that if solar modulation is ignored, there is no unique leakage mean free path consistent with all the observations. However, by taking account of a sizable level of residual solar modulation, excellent agreement is obtained between the calculated and measured abundances. Thus, these isotopic abundances confirm the old hypothesis that cosmic-ray Li, Be, and B are produced as secondaries in interstellar space.

Garcia-Munoz, M.↗

Performance properties of graphite reinforced composites with advanced resin matrices

The contribution of the resin matrix to the performance of the composite is studied with particular emphasis on the flammability, and thermal and mechanical properties. Of the several thermoset and thermoplastic matrices examined, the lowest fire-resistant properties of the composite have been observed with epoxy matrices. Bismaleimide A composites exhibit high fire-resistant properties, low moisture absorption, and good mechanical properties at 23 C. Bismaleimide B and phenolic retain their mechanical properties at elevated temperatures but have lower mechanical properties than the epoxy composites at ambient temperatures. Phenolic-novolac, polyethersulfone, and polyphenylsulfone composites exhibit high oxygen index and low smoke evolution.

Kourtides, D. A.↗

Flow properties of a series of experimental thermoplastic polymides

The softening temperature to degradation temperature range of the polymers was about 440 to 650 K. All of the polymers retained small amounts of solvent as indicated by an increase in T(sub g) as the polymers were dried. The flow properties showed that all three polymers had very high apparent viscosities and would require high pressures and/or high temperatures and/or long times to obtain adequate flow in prepregging and molding. Although none was intended for such application, two of the polymers were combined with carbon fibers by solution prepregging. The prepregs were molded into laminates at temperatures and times, the selection of which was guided by the results from the flow measurements. These laminates had room temperature short beam shear strength similar to that of carbon fiber laminates with a thermosetting polyimide matrix. However, the strength had considerable scatter, and given the difficult processing, these polymides probably would not be suitable for continuous fiber composites.

Burks, H. D.↗

Saturn's rings - Particle composition and size distribution as constrained by observations at microwave wavelengths. II - Radio interferometric observations

Theoretical models are presented of the brightness of Saturn's rings at microwave wavelengths (0.34-21.0 cm) including both intrinsic ring emission and diffuse scattering by the rings of the planetary emission. In addition, several previously existing sets of interferometric observations of the Saturn system at 0.83, 3.71, 6.0, 11.1, and 21.0 cm wavelengths are analyzed. A comparison of models and experimental data make it possible to establish improved constraints on the properties of the rings. In particular, it is found that (1) the maximum optical depths in the rings is 1.5 + or - 0.3 referred to visible wavelengths; (2) a significant decrease in ring optical depths from 3.7 to 21.0 cm makes it possible to rule out the possibility that more than 30% of the cross section of the rings is composed of particles larger than about a meter; and (3) the ring particles cannot be primarily of silicate composition (independently of particle size), and the particles cannot be primarily smaller than about 0.1 cm, independently of composition.

Cuzzi, J. N.↗

Durability of commercial aircraft and helicopter composite structures

The development of advanced composite technology during the past decade is discussed. Both secondary and primary components fabricated with boron, graphite, and Kevlar composites are evaluated. Included are spoilers, rudders, and fairings on commercial transports, boron/epoxy reinforced wing structure on C-130 military transports, and doors, fairings, tail rotors, vertical fins, and horizontal stabilizers on commercial helicopters. The development of composite structures resulted in advances in design and manufacturing technology for secondary and primary composite structures for commercial transports. Design concepts and inspection and maintenance results for the components in service are reported. The flight, outdoor ground, and controlled laboratory environmental effects on composites were also determined. Effects of moisture absorption, ultraviolet radiation, aircraft fuels and fluids, and sustained tensile stress are included. Critical parameters affecting the long term durability of composite materials are identified.

Dexter, H. B.↗

Reactions and diffusion between an Al film and a Ti substrate

The reaction between a 0.5 to 1.0 micron Al film and a thick Ti substrate to form TiAl3 occurs very rapidly on heating to 635 C and causes the Al to be confined to the surface region. After heating to 900 C, Ti3Al is formed with little release of Al into alpha-Ti. Further annealing at 900 C eventually causes the Ti3Al phase to decompose and a substantial amount of Al is released into alpha-Ti. The interdiffusion coefficient for Al in alpha-Ti at 900 C was found to increase by less than one order of magnitude as Al is varied from 0 to 20 at. pct. These data were obtained from the (101) X-ray diffraction intensity band using polycrystalline samples. Improvements in the analysis of X-ray diffraction data for the determination of composition profiles are discussed.

Rao, V. B.↗

Natural laminar flow data from full-scale flight and wind-tunnel experiments

Experimental results obtained at NASA Langley during studies of natural laminar flow (NLF) over commercially produced aircraft surfaces are reported. The general aviation aircraft examined were light aircraft, yet displayed NLF extents close to the maximum available and equivalent to high performance business aircraft flying envelopes. Sublimating chemicals and acoustic detection techniques were employed to measure the boundary layer transition. Theoretical predictions of boundary layer stability were found to match well with the experimental data, with consideration given to both swept wings and the amplitudes of allowable waves on the airfoil surfaces. The presence of the NLF on the airfoil surfaces confirmed the benefits available from use of composite materials for airfoil surfaces.

Holmes, B. J.↗

Heat transfer in thermal barrier coated rods with circumferential and radial temperature gradients

To study the heat transfer in ceramic coatings applied to the heated side of internally cooled hot section components of the gas turbine engine, a mathematical model is developed for the thermal response of plasma-sprayed ZrO2-Y2O3 ceramic materials with a Ni-Cr-AL-Y bond coat on a Rene 41 rod substrate subject to thermal cycling. This multilayered cylinder with temperature dependent thermal properties is heated in a cross-flow by a high velocity flame and then cooled by ambient air. Due to high temperature and high velocity of the flame, both gas radiation and forced convection are taken into consideration. Furthermore, the local turbulent heat transfer coefficient is employed which varies with angular position as well as the surface temperature. The transient two-dimensional (heat transfer along axial direction is neglected) temperature distribution of the composite cylinder is determined numerically.

Chung, B. T. F.↗

High resolution Cherenkov detectors for cosmic ray isotope experiment

Cerenkov detectors are used to measure the velocity of particles in configurations designed to study the isotopic composition of galactic cosmic rays. The geometrical properties of the detector are outlined. Monte-Carlo simulations of photon propagation in a diffusive detector were undertaken. The scattering properties of diffusively reflecting white paint and of surface treatments for the radiator material were measured. It is found that the absorption of light in the radiator is an important light loss mechanism. The simulations are used to find optimal mapping techniques and data reduction strategies. The application of these techniques are discussed with respect to the large area isotopic composition experiment (ALICE) Cerenkov detector.

Acharya, B. S.↗

An improved processible acetylene-terminated polyimide for composites

The newest member of a family of thermosetting acetylene-substituted polyimide oligomers is HR600P. This oligomer is the isoimide version of the oligomer known as HR600P and Thermid 600. Although both types of material yield the same heat resistant end products after cure, HR600P has much superior processing characteristics. This attributed to its lower melting temperature (160 + or - 10 C, 320 + or - 20 F) in contrast to 202 C (396 F) for Thermid MC-600, its longer gel time at its processing temperature (16 to 30 minutes bvs 3 minutes), and its excellent solubility in low boiling solvents such as tetrahydrofuran, glymes, or 4:1 methyl ethyl ketone/toluene mixtures. These advantages provide more acceptable coating and impregnation procedures, allow for more complete removal at lower temperatures, provide a longer pot life or working time, and allow composite structure fabrication in conventional autoclaves used for epoxy composite curing. The excellent processing characteristics of HR600P allow its use in large area laminated structures, structural composites, and molding compositions.

Landis, A. L.↗

The silicate component of Martian dust

Absorption features in telescopic reflectance spectra of Mars obtained during 1978, and absorption features in Mariner 7 and Mariner 9 spectra, are analyzed which are assigned to structural hydroxyl within a strongly hydrogen-bonded acidic material suggested to be a silicate. Deduced fundamentals indicate that the Si-O(b)-Si bond angle may be approximately linear, and that the estimated Si-O(b) bridge length may be about 1.61 A. Viking compositional data indicate that Mg(2+), rather than Ca(2+) may be the dominant cation in the Martian material. The results suggest that the silicate component of the dust may be an incipient hydrolysis product of olivine-rich ultramafic or mafic material, involving a process that resulted in minimum loss of mobile cations and that maintained the high O/Si ratio of the starting material.

Huguenin, R. L.↗

Thermal Response Of Composite Insulation

Engineering model gives useful predictions. Pair of reports presents theoretical and experimental analyses of thermal responses of multiple-component, lightweight, porous, ceramic insulators. Particular materials examined destined for use in Space Shuttle thermal protection system, test methods and heat-transfer theory useful to chemical, metallurgical, and ceramic engineers needing to calculate transient thermal responses of refractory composites.

Stewart, David A.↗

Preliminary results of imaging spectroscopy of the Humorum Basin region of the moon

Imaging spectroscopy of the lunar surface was carried out using a CCD spectrograph employed as an imaging spectrometer at the University of Hawaii 2.24-m telescope at Mauna Kea Observatory. A portion of the Humorum multiringed impact basin was observed, yielding an imaging spectroscopic dataset consisting of approximately 400,000 spectra covering the wavelength region 0.7-0.98 microns at a spectral resolution of 200 (lambda/Delta-lambda). Results of this analysis included (1) identifying craters and other explosures of highland material within the bounds of Mare Humorum, (2) identifying craters in the highlands adjacents to Mare Humorum that excavate buried mare basalt, and (3) identifying two spectral units in the highlands that likely represent compositional units. The region is shown to be extremely diverse spectrally and demonstrates the ability of imaging spectroscopy to enable a qualitative improvement in the ability to identify and map compositional units.

Lucey, P. G.↗

Impact properties of three-dimensional braided graphite/epoxy composites

An experimental study of the response and damage of three-dimensional braided graphite/epoxy composite due to sub-perforation velocity impact was carried out in this research. Simply supported square plates were impacted with an instrumented impact pendulum and also a projectile fired by a gas gun. Hemispherical nose impactors of two different diameters, 12.7 mm and 25.4 mm, were used in the pendulum tests. In addition, static flexure tests were performed. Impact damage was assessed using X-radiography, and compression after impact tests. Damages involved in impacted braided panel are matrix cracking in resin pockets, separation of fiber tows, and fiber two breakage, mostly in fiber bundle crimp areas. A quasi-isotropic laminate was impact tested with pendulum for comparison of impact tolerance between the two composite systems.

Gong, J. C.↗

Magnetic susceptibility of Inconel alloys 718, 625, and 600 at cryogenic temperatures

After a hydrogen fuel bleed valve problem on the Discovery Space Shuttle was traced to the strong magnetization of Inconel 718 in the armature of the linear variable differential transformer near liquid hydrogen temperatures, the ac magnetic susceptibility of three samples of Inconel 718 of slightly different compositions, one sample of Inconel 625, and on sample of Inconel 600 were measured as a function of temperature. Inconel 718 alloys are found to exhibit a spin glass state below 16 K. Inconel 600 exhibits three different magnetic phases, the lowest-temperature state (below 6 K) being somewhat similar to that of Inconel 718. The magnetic states of the Inconel alloys and their magnetic susceptibilities appear to be strongly dependent on the exact composition of the alloy.

Goldberg, Ira B.↗

Compositional vs. thermal buoyancy and the evolution of subducted lithosphere

We formulate 2-D Cartesian finite element models that explore the fate of compositionally defined lithosphere as it encounters a viscosity increase at the boundary between the upper and lower mantle. Subducted lithosphere is represented as a cold, stiff, layered composite of denser eclogite underlain by more buoyant harzburgite. Slabs impinging on a lower mantle 30 and 100 times more viscous than the upper mantle thicken and fold strongly as they penetrate the lower mantle. Approximately a factor of two thickening occurs via pure shear just above the discontinuity, with additional enhancement due to folding by over a factor of two. No separation of the individual slab components occurs at the discontinuity, and direct comparison with models in which compositional buoyancy is explicitly ignored indicates that slab evolution is largely controlled by the thermal buoyancy. These results are at odds with hypotheses about slab evolution in which the compositional buoyancy contributions lead to component separation and the formation of slab megaliths or a compositionally layered upper mantle.

Gaherty, James B.↗

Spectroscopic Evidence Against Nitric Acid Trihydrate in Polar Stratospheric Clouds

Heterogeneous reactions on polar stratospheric clouds (PSC's) play a key role in the photochemical mechanism thought to be responsible for ozone depletion in the Antarctic and Arctic. Reactions of PSC particles activate chlorine to forms that are capable of photochemical ozone destruction, and sequester nitrogen oxides (NOx) that would otherwise deactivate the chlorine. Although the heterogeneous chemistry is now well established, the composition of the clouds themselves is uncertain. It is commonly thought that they are composed of nitric acid trihydrate, although observations have left this question unresolved. Here we reanalyse infrared spectra of type 1 PSCs obtained in Antarctica in September 1987, using recently measured optical constants of the various compounds that might be present in PSCs. We find these PSCs were not composed of nitric acid trihydrate but instead had a more complex compositon, perhaps that of a ternary solution. Because cloud formation is sensitive to their composition, this finding will alter our understanding of the locations and conditions in which PSCs form. In addition, the extent of ozone loss depends on the ability of the PSCs to remove NOx permanently through sedimentation, The sedimentation rates depend on PSC particle size which in turn is controlled by the composition and formation mechanism.

Toon, Owen B.↗