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At least 109 records · Page 6

Interstitial Collimating Holes for Gas-Levitation Microfurnace

Spaces between small rods direct gas flow. Wires for thin rods clamped in square array in precise square gooove. Spaces between wires are long, thin, parallel channels that direct flow of gas. Technique extended to such hard-to-machine refractory metals as tungsten and molybdenum.

Dunn, E. G.↗

Film and interstitial formation of metals in plasma-sprayed ceramics

A method is described to electrodeposit noble metals such as platinum and ordinary metals such as copper on and within plasma-sprayed ceramic materials and ceramic fiber materials. Low-density ceramic fiber bodies were vacuum impregnated with plating solution and attached to an electrode. Light micrographs illustrating the density and location of deposited materials are presented and discussed. Voids in the plasma-sprayed ceramic were filled with deposits that vary from spherical to lens-shaped circular and have particle size corresponding to the full range of void size. Multiple coatings of ceramic and metal can be sequenced.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

Film and interstitial formation of metals in plasma-sprayed ceramics

A method is described to electrodeposit noble metals such as platinum and ordinary metals such as copper on and within plasma-sprayed ceramic materials and ceramic fiber materials. Low-density ceramic fiber bodies were vacuum impregnated with plating solution and attached to an electrode. Light micrographs illustrating the density and location of deposited materials are presented and discussed. Voids in the plasma-sprayed ceramic were filled with deposits that vary from spherical to lens-shaped circular and have particle size corresponding to the full range of void size. Multiple coatings of ceramic and metal can be sequenced.

Hendricks, R. C.↗

The influence of interstitial Ga and interfacial Au2P3 on the electrical and metallurgical behavior of Au-contacted III-V semiconductors

The effect of introducing a very small amount of Ga into Au-contacted InP on the behavior of that contact system was investigated. It was found that Ga affected both the metallurgical and the electrical behavior of the system. It is shown that Ga atoms in the interstices of the Au lattice prevent the solid-state reactions that normally take place between Au and InP during contact sintering and cause an order of magnitude reduction in the specific contact resistivity. It is also shown that the presence of Ga affects the reactions of GaP and GaAs with Au contacts.

Weizer, Victor G.↗

The effects of interstitial content and annealing on the flow and fracture behavior on polycrystalline beta-NiAl

The strain behavior of three polycrystalline NiAl alloys has been investigated at temperatures between 300 and 1200 K. Yield stress plateaus, yield stress transients upon a ten-fold increase in strain rate, work hardening peaks, and dips in the strain rate sensitivity (SRS) have been observed between 700 and 800 K. These observations are indicative of dynamic strain aging (DSA) and are discussed in terms of conventional strain aging theories.

Weaver, M. L.↗

The effect of interstitial air on the in vitro thrombogenicity of ePTFE vascular grafts

Gas trapped in the interstices of the biomaterials used for vascular prostheses causes thrombosis, and the process of eliminating this gas is known as denucleation. An apparatus was developed for testing in the in vitro effects of denucleation on 4 mm I.D. expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) Vitagraft (Johnson and Johnson). The apparatus was designed to ensure that neither the blood nor the grafts came in contact with air. Blood from a single donor was incubated with control and denucleated grafts for 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes. The thrombus volume in the graft lumen was measured with a computer assisted videometric system. Little thrombus formed by 5 or 10 minutes, but there was less thrombus in the denucleated graft than in the control graft at all times. The differences were statistically significant at 15 and 20 minutes (p < 0.05). Denucleation nearly doubled the thrombus formation time. Thrombus was more adherent to denucleated grafts than to control grafts. These results are consistent with in vivo observations in the rat where denucleation decreased thrombus formation and increased patency duration.

NASA Discipline Number 04-10↗

Method for determining stable isotope ratios of dissolved organic carbon in interstitial and other natural marine waters

A procedure is described for the analysis of the stable carbon isotopic composition of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in natural waters from marine and higher-salinity environments. Rapid (less than 5 min) and complete oxidation of DOC is achieved using a modification of previous photochemical oxidation techniques. The CO2 evolved from DOC oxidation can be collected in less than 10 min for isotopic analysis. The procedure is at present suitable for oxidation and collection of 1-5 micromoles of carbon and has an associated blank of 0.1-0.2 micromole of carbon. Complete photochemical oxidation of DOC standards was demonstrated by quantitative recovery of CO2 as measured manometrically. Isotopic analyses of standards by photochemical and high-temperature sealed-tube combustion methods agreed to within 0.3%. Photochemical oxidation of DOC in a representative sediment pore-water sample was also quantitative, as shown by the excellent agreement between the photochemical and sealed-tube methods. The delta 13C values obtained for pore-water DOC using the two methods of oxidation were identical, suggesting that the modified photochemical method is adequate for the isotopically non-fractionated oxidation of pore-water DOC. The procedure was evaluated through an analysis of DOC in pond and pore waters from a hypersaline microbial mat environment. Concentrations of DOC in the water column over the mat displayed a diel pattern, but the isotopic composition of this DOC remained relatively constant (average delta 13C = -12.4%). Pore-water DOC exhibited a distinct concentration maximum in the mat surface layer, and delta 13C of pore-water DOC was nearly 8% lighter at 1.5-2.0-cm depth than in the mat surface layer (0-0.5-cm depth). These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method in elucidating differences in DOC concentration and delta 13C over biogeochemically relevant spatial and temporal scales. Carbon isotopic analysis of DOC in natural waters, especially pore waters, should be a useful probe of biogeochemical processes in recent environments.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗

Carbon, oxygen and their interaction with intrinsic point defects in solar silicon ribbon material: A speculative approach

Some background information on intrinsic point defects is provided and on carbon and oxygen in silicon in so far as it may be relevant for the efficiency of solar cells fabricated from EFG ribbon material. The co-precipitation of carbon and oxygen and especially of carbon and silicon self interstitials are discussed. A simple model for the electrical activity of carbon-self-interstitial agglomerates is presented. The self-interstitial content of these agglomerates is assumed to determine their electrical activity and that both compressive stresses (high self-interstitial content) and tensile stresses (low self-interstitial content) give rise to electrical activity of the agglomerates. The self-interstitial content of these carbon-related agglomerates may be reduced by an appropriate high temperature treatment and enhanced by a supersaturation of self-interstitials generated during formation of the p-n junction of solar cells. Oxygen present in supersaturation in carbon-rich silicon may be induced to form SiO, precipitates by self-interstitials generated during phosphorus diffusion. It is proposed that the SiO2-Si interface of the precipates gives rise to a continuum of donor stables and that these interface states are responsible for at least part of the light inhancement effects observed in oxygen containing EFG silicon after phosphorus diffusion.

Goesele, U.↗

Electronic characterization of defects in narrow gap semiconductors

We use a Green's function technique to calculate the position of deep defects in narrow gap semiconductors. We consider substitutional (including antisite), vacancy, and interstitial (self and foreign) deep defects. We also use perturbation theory to look at the effect of nonparabolic bands on shallow defect energies and find nonparabolicity can increase the binding by 10 percent or so. We consider mercury cadmium telluride (MCT), mercury zinc telluride (MZT), and mercury zinc selenide (MZS). For substitutional and interstitial defects we look at the situation with and without relaxation. For substitutional impurities in MCT, MZT, and MZS, we consider x (the concentration of Cd or Zn) in the range 0.1 less than x less than 0.3 and also consider appropriate x so E(sub g) = 0.1 eV for each of the three compounds. We consider several cation site s-like deep levels and anion site p-like levels. For E(sub g) = 0.1 eV, we also consider the effects of relaxation. Similar comments apply to the interstitial deep levels whereas no relaxation is considered for the ideal vacancy model. Relaxation effects can be greater for the interstitial than the substitutional cases. Specific results are given in figures and tables and comparison to experiment is made in a limited number of cases. We find, for example, that I, Se, S, Rn, and N are possible cation site, s-like deep levels in MCT and Zn and Mg are for anion site, p-like levels (both levels for substitutional cases). The corresponding cation and anion site levels for interstitial deep defects are (Au, Ag, Hg, Cd, Cu, Zn) and (N, Ar, O, F). For the substitutional cases we have some examples of relaxation moving the levels into the band gap, whereas for the interstitial case we have examples where relaxation moves it out of the band gap. Future work involves calculating the effects of charge state interaction and seeing the effect of relaxation on vacancy levels.

Patterson, James D.↗

Blind Leak Detection for Closed Systems

The current inspection technique for locating interstitial leaking in the Space Shuttle Main Engine nozzles is the application of a liquid leak check solution in the openings where the interstitials space between the tubing and the structural jacket vent out the aft end of the nozzle, while its cooling tubes are pressurized to 25 psig with Helium. When a leak is found, it is classified, and if the leak is severe enough the suspect tube is cut open so that a boroscope can be inserted to find the leak point. Since the boroscope can only cover a finite tube length and since it is impossible to identify which tube (to the right or left of the identified interstitial) is leaking, many extra and undesired repairs have been made to fix just one leak. In certain instances when the interstitials are interlinked by poor braze bonding, many interstitials will show indications of leaking from a single source. What is desired is a technique that can identify the leak source so that a single repair can be performed. Dr, Samuel Russell and James Walker, both with NASA/MSFC have developed a thermographic inspection system that addresses a single repair approach. They have teamed with Boeing/Rocketdyne to repackage the inspection processes to be suitable to address full scale Shuttle development and flight hardware and implement the process at NASA centers. The methods and results presented address the thermographic identification of interstitial leaks in the Space Shuttle Main Engine nozzles. A highly sensitive digital infrared camera (capable of detecting a delta temperature difference of 0.025 C) is used to record the cooling effects associated with a leak source, such as a crack or pinhole, hidden within the nozzle wall by observing the inner hot wall surface as the nozzle is pressurized, These images are enhanced by digitally subtracting a thermal reference image taken before pressurization. The method provides a non-intrusive way of locating the tube that is leaking and the exact leak source position to within a very small axial distance. Many of the factors that influence the inspectability of the nozzle are addressed; including pressure rate, peak pressure, gas type, ambient temperature and surface preparation. Other applications for this thermographic inspection system are the Reinforced-Carbon-Carbon (RCC) leading edge of the Space Shuttle orbiter and braze joint integrity.

Oelgoetz, Peter↗

Low-energy pathways lead to self-healing defects in CsPbBr 3

Self-regulation of free charge carriers in perovskites via Schottky defect formation has been posited as the origin of the well-known defect-tolerance of metal halide perovskite materials. Understanding the mechanisms of self-regulation promises to lead to the fabrication of better performing solar cell materials with higher efficiencies. We investigate many such mechanisms here for CsPbBr 3 , a popular representative of a more commercially viable all-inorganic metal halide perovskite. We investigate different atomic-level mechanisms and pathways of the diffusion and recombination of neutral and charged interstitials and vacancies (Schottky pairs) in CsPbBr 3 . We use nudged elastic band calculations and ab initio-derived pseudopotentials within quantum ESPRESSO to determine energies of formation and migration and hence the activation energies for these defects. While halide vacancies are known to exhibit low formation energies, the migration of interstitials is less studied. Our calculations uncover interstitial defect pathways capable of producing an activation energy at, or below, the single experimental value of 0.53 eV observed for the slow, temperature-dependent recovery of light-induced conductivity in bulk CsPbBr 3 . Our work reveals the existence of a low-energy diffusion pathway involving a concerted “domino effect” of interstitials, with the net result that interstitials can diffuse more readily over longer distances than expected. This observation suggests that defect self-healing can be promoted if the “domino effect” strategy can be engaged.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗