Synthesis of various highly halogenated monomers and polymers
Halogenated polyurethane and polycarbonate are synthesized and found to be LOX compatible but dependent upon the type nitrogen bonding.
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Halogenated polyurethane and polycarbonate are synthesized and found to be LOX compatible but dependent upon the type nitrogen bonding.
Thermogravimetric measurements on high temperature polycarbonate pyrolytic products
Preparation and testing of adhesive polyurethanes, polycarbonates, and other highy halogenated polymers for liquid oxygen compatibility
Hugoniot equation of state measurements were made on Coconino sandstone, Vacaville basalt, Kaibab limestone, Mono Crater, pumice and Zelux (a polycarbonate resin) for pressures to 2 Mb. A single data point was obtained for fused quartz at 1.6 Mb. In addition to the hugoniot studies, the uniaxial compressive stress behavior of Vacaville basalt and Zelux was investigated at strain rates from about 10(exp -5)/sec to 10(exp 3)/second. The data presented include the stress - strain relations as a function of strain rate for these two materials.
Transparent polycarbonate resin, shell helmet and latch design for high altitude and space flight
Spark discharge enhancement of heavy ion track etching in Lexan polycarbonate
On Apollo missions, the individual astronauts' high Z particle exposure is measured by means of Lexan polycarbonate plastic. These layers form one component of the passive dosimetry packets worn in the constant wear garment. They serve as threshold type, high Z, charged particle track detectors, recording only the very highly ionizing particles. The detectors yield information on the particles' charge, energy, and direction of travel. This data, in turn, is used to obtain the track fluence, the stopping particle density as an integral Z distribution, and the particles' integral LET spectrum. Some of the data gathered on Apollo missions 8-13 is presented.
The GE experiment consisted of two types of detectors: plastics and glasses located in panel 2 and the lower half of panel 3. In panel 2, the entire exposed detector area of 14.7 by 22.6 cm was composed of 31 sheets of 0.025-cm polycarbonate plastic 9070-112. In panel 3, 39 sheets of 0.02-cm cellulose triacetate with no plasticizer made up the major volume fraction. The lower part of panel 3 contained five types of glass detectors. Particles that entered the array after it was folded were recognized, if they crossed from one sheet to another, by means of a 2-mm relative shift of alternate sheets.
A study was made of the meteoroid impact resistance of bumper-protected mainwalls of both solid aluminum and polycarbonate-aluminum laminates. Semi-empirical models of the debris cloud and stress waves were formulated. Results indicated that a laminated mainwall affords greater impact resistance than a solid aluminum mainwall of the same weight.
The high energy multicharged cosmic-ray-particle exposure of the Microbial Ecology Evaluation Device package on board the Apollo 16 spacecraft was monitored using cellulose nitrate, Lexan polycarbonate, nuclear emulsion, and silver chloride crystal nuclear-track detectors. The results of the analysis of these detectors include the measured particle fluences, the linear energy transfer spectra, and the integral atomic number spectrum of stopping particle density. The linear energy transfer spectrum is used to compute the fractional cell loss in human kidney (T1) cells caused by heavy particles. Because the Microbial Ecology Evaluation Device was better shielded, the high-energy multicharged particle exposure was less than that measured on the crew passive dosimeters.
Aqueous sodium hydroxide is widely used to develop charged particle tracks in polycarbonate film, particularly Lexan. The chemical nature of the etching process for this system has been determined. A method employing ultra-violet absorbance was developed for monitoring the concentration of the etch products in solution. Using this method it was possible to study the formation of the etching solution saturated in etch products. It was found that the system super-saturates to a significant extent before precipitation occurs. It was also learned that the system approaches its equilibrium state rather slowly. It is felt that both these phenomena may be due to the presence of surfactant in the solution. In light of these findings, suggestions are given regarding the preparation and maintenance of the saturated etch solution. Two additional research projects, involving automated techniques for particle track analysis and particle identification using AgCl crystals, are briefly summarized.
A polymer has been developed that has excellent potential for use as windows in spacecraft as well as conventional aircraft. This polymer, phenolphthalein polycarbonate, has outstanding thermal properties, e.g., in place of melting or burning, it produces an insulating charred foam that closes off transmission of radiant heat through the window. This fact, coupled with an oxygen index of 0.43 and a 177 C tensile strength of 58 mega Newtons/sq m, makes this polymer a prime candidate for further development. Pilot plant preparation in a 20 gallon Pfaudler kettle was accomplished and large test specimens were prepared for evaluations.
Cosmic ray nuclei from the April 17, 1972 solar flare were recorded in polycarbonate plastic and phosphate glass track detectors exposed on the Apollo 16 flight. The energy spectra of iron group nuclei and of carbon and heavier nuclei were measured down to about 0.02 MeV/nucleon, revealing that the enrichment of iron relative to carbon and heavier nuclei increases markedly in this very low energy region.
Five commercially available clothing materials, selected for their high cutting resistance, high strength, light weight and pliability, were tested by exposing them to exploding lamps located less than 60 cm (2 ft) away. Face shield material tested initially was commercial high-strength polycarbonate plastic.
Relative abundances of elements from neon through zinc in the energy range from 25 to 180 MeV per amu have been determined from particle tracks in polycarbonate detectors exposed on the Apollo 16 mission. The ratios of elemental abundances of Ne + Si and 17 less than Z less than 25 to Fe + Co + Ni are found to be 5.8 plus or minus 1.9 and 2.1 plus or minus 0.7, respectively, in agreement with the results from cellulose triacetate detectors by O'Sullivan et al. (1973). These results imply that the heavy particles observed are predominantly galactic in origin. The availability to investigators of unetched plastic detectors exposed to solar-flare particles on the Apollo 16 mission is noted.
Total and restricted energy loss rates were calculated for magnetic monopoles of charge g = 137 e in Lexan polycarbonate. Range-energy curves are also presented. The restricted energy loss model is used to estimate the appearance of a monopole track in plastic detectors. These results should be useful for the design and analysis of monopole experiments.
The thermochemistry of bismaleimide resins and phenolphthalein polycarbonate was studied. Both materials are fire-resistant polymers and may be suitable for aircraft interiors. The chemical composition of the polymers has been determined by nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy and by elemental analysis. Thermal properties of these polymers have been characterized by thermogravimetric analyses. Qualitative evaluation of the volatile products formed in pyrolysis under oxidative and non-oxidative conditions has been made using infrared spectrometry. The residues after pyrolysis were analyzed by elemental analysis. The thermal stability of composite panel and thermoplastic materials for aircraft interiors was studied by thermogravimetric analyses.
We suggest a novel technique for resolving neighboring isotopes of iron-group nuclei with abundance ratios as great as 20:1 over the energy range from about 360 to about 550 MeV/nucleon. The determination of mass is based on the proportionality between mass and range and the negligible magnitude of range straggling. A balloon-borne experiment based on this technique is described which uses active electronic counters to measure particle speed, trajectory, and charge, and a passive polycarbonate plastic stack to measure range.