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At least 973 records · Page 54

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NASA NTRS2012

Laser Ablation Surface Preparation of Ti-6A1-4V for Adhesive Bonding

Adhesive bonding offers many advantages over mechanical fastening, but requires certification before it can be incorporated in primary structures for commercial aviation without disbond-arrestment features or redundant load paths. Surface preparation is widely recognized as the key step to producing robust and predictable bonds. Laser ablation imparts both topographical and chemical changes to a surface which can lead to increased bond durability. A laser based process provides an alternative to chemical-dip, manual abrasion and grit blast treatments which are expensive, hazardous, polluting, and less precise. This report documents preliminary testing of a surface preparation technique using laser ablation as a replacement for the chemical etch and abrasive processes currently applied to Ti-6Al-4V alloy adherends. Failure mode, surface roughness, and chemical makeup were analyzed using fluorescence enhanced visualization, microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. Single lap shear tests were conducted on bonded and aged specimens to observe bond strength retention and failure mode. Some promising results showed increasing strength and durability of lap shear specimens as laser ablation coverage area and beam intensity increased. Chemical analyses showed trends for surface chemical species which correlated with improved bond strength and durability. Combined, these results suggest that laser ablation is a viable process for inclusion with or/and replacement of one or more currently used titanium surface treatments. On-going work will focus on additional mechanical tests to further demonstrate improved bond durability.

Palmieri, Frank L.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Enhanced-Adhesion Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Titanium Substrates for Stray Light Control

Carbon nanotubes previously grown on silicon have extremely low reflectance, making them a good candidate for stray light suppression. Silicon, however, is not a good structural material for stray light components such as tubes, stops, and baffles. Titanium is a good structural material and can tolerate the 700 C nanotube growth process. The ability to grow carbon nanotubes on a titanium substrate that are ten times blacker than the current NASA state-of-the-art paints in the visible to near infrared spectra has been achieved. This innovation will allow significant improvement of stray light performance in scientific instruments or any other optical system. This innovation is a refinement of the utilization of multiwalled carbon nano tubes for stray light suppression in spaceflight instruments. The innovation is a process to make the surface darker and improve the adhesion to the substrate, improving robustness for spaceflight use. Bright objects such as clouds or ice scatter light off of instrument structures and components and make it difficult to see dim objects in Earth observations. A darker material to suppress this stray light has multiple benefits to these observations, including enabling scientific observations not currently possible, increasing observational efficiencies in high-contrast scenes, and simplifying instruments and lowering their cost by utilizing fewer stray light components and achieving equivalent performance. The prior art was to use commercially available black paint, which resulted in approximately 4% of the light being reflected (hemispherical reflectance or total integrated scatter, or TIS). Use of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on titanium components such as baffles, entrance aperture, tubes, and stops, can decrease this scattered light by a factor of ten per bounce over the 200-nm to 2,500-nm wavelength range. This can improve system stray light performance by orders of magnitude. The purpose of the innovation is to provide an enhanced stray light control capability by making a blacker surface treatment for typical stray light control components. Since baffles, stops, and tubes used in scientific observations often undergo loads such as vibration, it was critical to develop this surface treatment on structural materials. The innovation is to optimize the carbon nanotube growth for titanium, which is a strong, lightweight structural material suitable for spaceflight use. The titanium substrate carbon nanotubes are more robust than those grown on silicon and allow for easier utilization. They are darker than current surface treatments over larger angles and larger wavelength range. The primary advantage of titanium substrate is that it is a good structural material, and not as brittle as silicon.

Hagopian, John↗

NASA NTRS2013

Supersonic Retropulsion Surface Preparation of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites for Adhesive Bonding

Surface preparation is widely recognized as a key step to producing robust and predictable bonds in a precise and reproducible manner. Standard surface preparation techniques, including grit blasting, manual abrasion, and peel ply, can lack precision and reproducibility, which can lead to variation in surface properties and subsequent bonding performance. The use of a laser to ablate composite surface resin can provide an efficient, precise, and reproducible means of preparing composite surfaces for adhesive bonding. Advantages include elimination of physical waste (i.e., grit media and sacrificial peel ply layers that ultimately require disposal), reduction in process variability due to increased precision (e.g. increased reproducibility), and automation of surface preparation, all of which improve reliability and process control. This paper describes a Nd:YAG laser surface preparation technique for composite substrates and the mechanical performance and failure modes of bonded laminates thus prepared. Additionally, bonded specimens were aged in a hot, wet environment for approximately one year and subsequently mechanically tested. The results of a one year hygrothermal aging study will be presented.

Palmieri, Frank L.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Engineered Surfaces for Mitigation of Insect Residue Adhesion

Maintenance of laminar flow under operational flight conditions is being investigated under NASA s Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Program. Among the challenges with natural laminar flow is the accretion of residues from insect impacts incurred during takeoff or landing. Depending on air speed, temperature, and wing structure, the critical residue height for laminar flow disruption can be as low as 4 microns near the leading edge. In this study, engineered surfaces designed to minimize insect residue adhesion were examined. The coatings studied included chemical compositions containing functional groups typically associated with abhesive (non-stick) surfaces. To reduce surface contact by liquids and enhance abhesion, the engineered surfaces consisted of these coatings doped with particulate additives to generate random surface topography, as well as coatings applied to laser ablated surfaces having precision patterned topographies. Performance evaluation of these surfaces included contact angle goniometry of pristine coatings and profilometry of surfaces after insect impacts were incurred in laboratory scale tests, wind tunnel tests and flight tests. The results illustrate the complexity of designing antifouling surfaces for effective insect contamination mitigation under dynamic conditions and suggest that superhydrophobic surfaces may not be the most effective solution for preventing insect contamination on aircraft wing leading edges.

Siochi, Emilie J.↗

NASA NTRS2013

Physics of Failure Analysis of Xilinx Flip Chip CCGA Packages: Effects of Mission Environments on Properties of LP2 Underfill and ATI Lid Adhesive Materials

The Xilinx Virtex 4QV and 5QV (V4 and V5) are next-generation field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for space applications. However, there have been concerns within the space community regarding the non-hermeticity of V4/V5 packages; polymeric materials such as the underfill and lid adhesive will be directly exposed to the space environment. In this study, reliability concerns associated with the non-hermeticity of V4/V5 packages were investigated by studying properties and behavior of the underfill and the lid adhesvie materials used in V4/V5 packages.

Suh, Jong-ook↗

NASA NTRS2014

Systems, Apparatuses, and Methods for Using Durable Adhesively Bonded Joints for Sandwich Structures

Systems, methods, and apparatus for increasing durability of adhesively bonded joints in a sandwich structure. Such systems, methods, and apparatus includes an first face sheet and an second face sheet as well as an insert structure, the insert structure having a first insert face sheet, a second insert face sheet, and an insert core material. In addition, sandwich core material is arranged between the first face sheet and the second face sheet. A primary bondline may be coupled to the face sheet(s) and the splice. Further, systems, methods, and apparatus of the present disclosure advantageously reduce the load, provide a redundant path, reduce structural fatigue, and/or increase fatigue life.

Smeltzer, III, Stanley S.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Underwater Adhesives Retrofit Pipelines with Advanced Sensors

Houston-based Astro Technology Inc. used a partnership with Johnson Space Center to pioneer an advanced fiber-optic monitoring system for offshore oil pipelines. The company's underwater adhesives allow it to retrofit older deepwater systems in order to measure pressure, temperature, strain, and flow properties, giving energy companies crucial data in real time and significantly decreasing the risk of a catastrophe.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2015

Innovative Electrostatic Adhesion Technologies

Developing specialized Electro-Static grippers (commercially used in Semiconductor Manufacturing and in package handling) will allow gentle and secure Capture, Soft Docking, and Handling of a wide variety of materials and shapes (such as upper-stages, satellites, arrays, and possibly asteroids) without requiring physical features or cavities for a pincher or probe or using harpoons or nets. Combined with new rigid boom mechanisms or small agile chaser vehicles, flexible, high speed Electro-Static Grippers can enable compliant capture of spinning objects starting from a safe stand-off distance. Electroadhesion (EA) can enable lightweight, ultra-low-power, compliant attachment in space by using an electrostatic force to adhere similar and dissimilar surfaces. A typical EA enabled device is composed of compliant space-rated materials, such as copper-clad polyimide encapsulated by polymers. Attachment is induced by strong electrostatic forces between any substrate material, such as an exterior satellite panel and a compliant EA gripper pad surface. When alternate positive and negative charges are induced in adjacent planar electrodes in an EA surface, the electric fields set up opposite charges on the substrate and cause an electrostatic adhesion between the electrodes and the induced charges on the substrate. Since the electrodes and the polymer are compliant and can conform to uneven or rough surfaces, the electrodes can remain intimately close to the entire surface, enabling high clamping pressures. Clamping pressures of more than 3 N/cm2 in shear can be achieved on a variety of substrates with ultra-low holding power consumption (measured values are less than 20 microW/Newton weight held). A single EA surface geometry can be used to clamp both dielectric and conductive substrates, with slightly different physical mechanisms. Furthermore EA clamping requires no normal force be placed on the substrate, as conventional docking requires. Internally funded research and development has demonstrated that EA can function effectively in space, even in the presence of strong ultraviolet radiation, atomic oxygen, and free electrons. We created a test setup in an existing vacuum chamber to simulate low-Earth-orbit conditions. An EA mechanism was fabricated and installed in the chamber, instrumented, operated in a vacuum, and subjected to ultraviolet photons and free electrons generated by an in-chamber multipactor electron emitter. Extensions to EA that can add value include proximity and contact sensing and transverse motion or rotation, both of which could enhance docking or assembly applications. Possible next steps include development of targeted applications for ground investigation or on-orbit subsystem performance demonstrations using low cost access to space such as CubeSats.

Bryan, Tom↗

NASA NTRS2015

Flight Testing Surfaces Engineered for Mitigating Insect Adhesion on a Falcon HU-25C

Insect residue contamination on aircraft wings can decrease fuel efficiency in aircraft designed for natural laminar flow. Insect residues can cause a premature transition to turbulent flow, increasing fuel burn and making the aircraft less environmentally friendly. Surfaces, designed to minimize insect residue adhesion, were evaluated through flight testing on a Falcon HU-25C aircraft flown along the coast of Virginia and North Carolina. The surfaces were affixed to the wing leading edge and the aircraft remained at altitudes lower than 1000 feet throughout the flight to assure high insect density. The number of strikes on the engineered surfaces was compared to, and found to be lower than, untreated aluminum control surfaces flown concurrently. Optical profilometry was used to determine insect residue height and areal coverage. Differences in results between flight and laboratory tests suggest the importance of testing in realistic use environments to evaluate the effectiveness of engineered surface designs.

Shanahan, Michelle↗

NASA NTRS2015

The Effect of Surface Chemical Functionality Upon Ice Adhesion

In nature, anti-freeze proteins present in fish utilize specific organic functionalities to disrupt ice crystal formation and propagation. Based on these structures, surfaces with controlled chemical functionality and chain length were evaluated both experimentally and computationally to assess the effect of both parameters in mitigating ice formation. Linear aliphatic dimethylethoxysilanes terminated with methyl or hydroxyl groups were prepared, characterized, and used to coat aluminum. The effect upon icing using a microdroplet freezing apparatus and the Adverse Environment Rotor Test Stand found hydroxyl-terminated materials exhibited a greater propensity for ice formation and adhesion. Molecular dynamics simulations of a silica substrate bearing functionalized species of similar composition were brought into contact with a pre-equilibrated ice crystal. Several parameters including chain mobility were monitored to ascertain the size of a quasi-liquid layer. The studies suggested that chain mobility affected the interface between ice and the surface more than terminal group chemical composition.

Smith, Joseph G., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Effect of Molecular Flexibility upon Ice Adhesion Shear Strength

Ice formation on aircraft surfaces effects aircraft performance by increasing weight and drag leading to loss of lift. Current active alleviation strategies involve pneumatic boots, heated surfaces, and usage of glycol based de-icing fluids. Mitigation or reduction of in-flight icing by means of a passive approach may enable retention of aircraft capabilities, i.e., no reduction in lift, while reducing the aircraft weight and mechanical complexity. Under a NASA Aeronautics Research Institute Seedling activity, the effect of end group functionality and chain length upon ice adhesion shear strength (IASS) was evaluated with the results indicating that chemical functionality and chain length (i.e. molecular flexibility) affected IASS. Based on experimental and modeling results, diamine monomers incorporating molecular flexibility as either a side chain or in between diamine functionalities were prepared, incorporated into epoxy resins that were subsequently used to fabricate coatings on aluminum substrates, and tested in a simulated icing environment. The IASS was found to be lower when molecular flexibility was incorporated in the polymer chain as opposed to a side chain.

Smith, Joseph G.↗

NASA NTRS2016

Methods for Using Durable Adhesively Bonded Joints for Sandwich Structures

Smeltzer, Stanley S., III↗

NASA NTRS2017

Surface Monitoring of CFRP Structures for Adhesive Bonding

Adhesive bonding of composite materials requires reliable monitoring and detection of surface contaminants to assure robust and durable bonded structures. Surface treatment and effective monitoring prior to bonding is essential in order to obtain a surface free from contaminants that may degrade structural performance. Two techniques which monitor the effectiveness of the laser surface treatment of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials are being investigated: laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and optically stimulated electron emission (OSEE). The applicability of LIBS to detect silicone contaminants on CFRP composites is studied using ~35 ns Nd:YAG laser pulses at 355 nm with a pulse energy of 45 mJ. The LIBS regime in which pulse energies are < 100 mJ is referred to as mLIBS. CFRP surfaces were contaminated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a major component of silicone based mold release agents. The presence of PDMS is found by inspecting the Si I emission line at 288.2 nm. Untreated CFRP samples and CFRP contaminated with PDMS were tested. The PDMS areal density ranged from 0.36 Â+/- 0.04 to 0.51 Â+/- 0.16 mg/cm2. The results demonstrate the successful detection of PDMS on CFRP using mLIBS. In addition, OSEE was used to measure CFRP surface cleanliness pre- and post-treatment by laser ablation on specimens contaminated with PDMS coatings from 8 nm to 1311 nm in thickness. The results showed a significant increase in the OSEE photocurrent after laser surface treatment.

Ledesma, Rodolfo↗

NASA NTRS2017

The Effects of Fiber Orientation and Adhesives on Tensile Properties of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composite with Embedded Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys

Nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) sections were embedded within carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite (CFRPPMC) laminates and their tensile properties were evaluated with simultaneous monitoring of modal acoustic emissions. The test specimens were fabricated in three different layup configurations and two different thin film adhesives were applied to bond the SMA with the PMC. A trio of acoustic sensors were attached to the specimens during tensile testing to monitor the modal acoustic emission (AE) as the materials experienced mechanical failure. The values of ultimate tensile strengths, strains, and moduli were obtained. Cumulative AE energy of events and specimen failure location were determined. In conjunction, optical and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used to examine the break areas of the specimens. The analysis of AE data revealed failure locations within the specimens which were validated from the microscopic images. The placement of 90 deg plies in the outer ply gave the strongest acoustic signals during break as well as the cleanest break of the samples tested. Overlapping 0 deg ply layers surrounding the SMA was found to be the best scenario to prevent failure of the specimen itself.

shape memory alloy↗

NASA NTRS2018

Laser Ablation Surface Treatment of Structural Aerospace Composites and Metal Alloys for Adhesive Bonding

NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has been involved over the past decade in the development of laser ablation as a method to surface treat aerospace structural fiber reinforced composites (CFRPs) and metal alloys. [1- 18] Laser surface treatment has been shown to be a rapid, high precision, and reproducible method for surface treatment of these materials, and is amenable to automation. The laser ablation process removes surface contamination such as silicones, creates surface roughness, and chemically activates a surface for bonding. The degree of ablation is controllable by adjusting laser parameters. In the case of CFRPs, ablation can be performed without damage to any underlying carbon fibers. In the case of metal alloys, ablation is possible without surface embrittlement, heat damage or creation of undesirable grain structures or morphologies. The optimum laser treatment conditions are substrate dependent and generally are influenced by laser wavelength and pulse duration (typically fixed for a laser system), and laser power. In the case of metal alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V, the laser ablation process eliminates the need for several steps of the conventional processes, including hydrofluoric (HF) acid and caustic treatment. These steps are often conducted in dip tanks and require costly facilities and environmentally unfriendly liquids. In addition, the laser can create nano-porosity on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface allowing for sol-gel penetration and thereby creating a gradient interface with improved temperature and mechanical performance. NASA LaRC has also been involved with the development of in-line characterization methods compatible with the laser treatment process to rapidly determine the presence of key contaminates such as silicones that, even at very low concentrations, are a threat to adhesive bonding. A spectroscopic technique called micro-laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (u-LIBS) has been developed to rapidly detect silicones at concentrations below those known to cause bonding problems. This technique requires no sample preparation, vacuum or inert atmosphere, has no practical size limitations, and provides nearly instantaneous feedback to the operator. This presentation will give an overview and update of these developments with specific examples highlighted.

Connell, John W.↗

NASA NTRS2018

The Adhesion Strength of Impact Ice Measured Using a Modified Lap Joint Test

Numerous methodologies have been utilized to measure the adhesion strength of impact ice, and the data reported in the literature varies significantly from test to test. In order to initiate an investigation to determine the cause of this disparity, a new test methodology has been developed and utilized in the Icing Research Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Data was obtained while varying the temperature, test section velocity, and cloud droplet mean volumetric diameter. The first data set acquired using this new test method is presented. New trends demonstrate the effect of annealing ice samples, with temperature being a key variable. Observations during the test and analysis of the results suggest the presence of large residual stresses in the samples.

Work, Andrew H., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS2018

The Effects of Fiber Orientation and Adhesives on Tensile Properties of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composite with Embedded Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloys

Tensile tests of Nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloys (SMA) embedded within carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix composite (CFRP/PMC) laminates were evaluated with simultaneous monitoring of modal acoustic emissions (MAE). Three different layup configurations utilizing two different thin film adhesives were applied to bond the materials. Ultimate tensile strengths, strains, and moduli were obtained along with cumulative AE energy of events and specimen failure location. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine the break areas of the specimens post-test. Microscopy was used to validate failure locations revealed from MAE analysis. A unique finding within this research showed that 90° plies in the outer ply gave the strongest acoustic signals as well as the cleanest fracture of the specimens tested. Overlapping 0° ply layers surrounding the SMA was found to be the best scenario to prevent failure of the specimen itself.

Derek Quade↗

NASA NTRS2019

Comparison of Design Tools for Stress Analysis of Adhesively Bonded Joints

Analytical or semi-analytical models for stress analysis have long been a part of initial adhesive bond design and sizing. Even with the rise of general finite element software and methods, these design models have still remained a preferred method for fast and simple joint analysis. While these methods can yield fairly representative results, the models are constructed on the foundation of geometrical and material simplifications or assumptions that allow closed form or semi-closed form solutions. This study outlines the major differences in basic assumptions for three common design software packages under use at NASA, and shows the ramifications these assumptions in a few exemplar bonded joints.

Composites↗