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At least 1,387 records · Page 77

XPS studies of water and oxygen on iron-sputtered natural ilmenite

The adsorption of D2O and O2 on polycrystalline FeTiO3 (natural ilmenite) has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Oxygen was found to absorb reactively with Fe(0) on Ar(+)-sputtered surfaces at and above 150 K while D2O was found to adsorb molecularly or in ice layers below 170 K on both Ar(+) and O2(+) ion-bombarded ilmenite. The D2O desorbs at 170 K with either the formation of an OD complex or a strongly bound molecular layer of water.

Schulze, P. D.↗

RF-sputtered silicon and hafnium nitrides - Properties and adhesion to 440C stainless steel

Silicon nitride and hafnium nitride coatings were deposited by reactive RF sputtering on oxidized and unoxidized 440C stainless steel substrates. Sputtering was done in mixtures of argon and nitrogen gases from pressed powder silicon nitride and from hafnium metal targets. Depositions were at two background pressures, 8 and 20 mtorr, and at two different fractions (f) of nitrogen in argon, 0.25 and 0.60, for hafnium nitride and at f = 0.25 for silicon nitride. The coatings and the interface between the coating and substrates were investigated by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and Auger electron spectroscopy. A Knoop microhardness of 1650 + or 100 kg/sq mm was measured for hafnium nitride and 3900 + or 500 kg/sq mm for silicon nitride. The friction coefficients between a 440C rider and the coatings were measured under lubricated conditions. Scratch test results demonstrate that the adhesion of hafnium nitride to both oxidized and unoxidized 440C is superior to that of silicon nitride. Oxidized 440C is found to have increased adhesion, to both nitrides, over that of unoxidized 440C.

Grill, A.↗

Properties of coated and modified surfaces

The ability to create surface and near-surface properties distinct from the bulk properties of a material by means of coating or surface modification techniques is an important new field of development for engineering materials, encompassing ion implantation, plasma processing, reactive deposition methods, ion beam deposition and modification, molecular beam epitaxy, and fast quench thermal processing. Attention is given to specific areas of process control which illustrate (1) the use of process development to control material properties, (2) the importance of surface modification and coating to the tribology and ion-surface interactions of semiconductor film growth, and (3) recent findings in surface science which exemplify potential applications of ion-surface interactions that generate novel material qualities.

Mattox, D. M.↗

Free radicals in the stratosphere - A new observational technique

A new approach to in situ observations of trace reactive species in the stratosphere is described. A balloon-borne system, floating 40 kilometers above the earth's surface, successfully lowered and then retracted a cluster of instruments a distance of 12 kilometers on a filament of Kevlar. This instrument cluster is capable of detecting gas-phase free radicals at the part-per-trillion level. The suspended instrument array has excellent stability and has been used to measured atomic oxygen concentrations in the stratosphere.

Anderson, J. G.↗

Prepreg cure monitoring using diffuse reflectance-FTIR

An in situ diffuse reflectance-Fourier transform infrared technique was developed to determine infrared spectra of graphite fiber prepregs as they were being cured. A bismaleimide, an epoxy, and addition polyimide matrix resin prepregs were studied. An experimental polyimide adhesive was also examined. Samples were positioned on a small heater at the focal point of diffuse reflectance optics and programmed at 15 F/min while FTIR spectra were being scanned, averaged, and stored. An analysis of the resulting spectra provided basic insights into changes in matrix resin molecular structure which accompanied reactions such as imidization and crosslinking. An endo-exothermal isomerization involving reactive end-caps was confirmed for the addition polyimide prepregs. The results of this study contribute to a fundamental understanding of the processing of composites and adhesives. Such understanding will promote the development of more efficient cure cycles.

Young, P. R.↗

Decomposition of ethylene on small Pd particles

New results have been obtained which contribute to the understanding of hydrocarbon reactions on the surface of highly dispersed metal systems. Small particle of Pd were grown by electron beam evaporation on cleavage planes of high purity natural mica under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Samples were subsequently characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Average particle sizes ranged from about 1 to 10 nm diameter. The chemisoption and decomposition of C2H4 on the Pd particles was studied using Auger electron spectroscopy and flash thermal desorption. It is shown that (a) C2H4 decomposes on Pd particles at room temperature, (b) specific surface sites are causing decomposition, and (c) the proportion of such active sites is significantly greater for the smaller metal particles. This enhanced reactivity may be due to an increase in the density of step, corner, and edge sites with a decrease in particle size.

Durrer, W. G.↗

Extinction coefficient of H2CC(3B2) at 137 nm

In spite of the conduction of numerous studies regarding the vinylidene free radical, its role and importance as a reactive intermediate is not well characterized. Laufer (1980, 1983) has reported the absorption spectrum of metastable H2CC(3B2), the lowest excited state, in the vacuum ultraviolet and has measured several aspects of its quenching properties. The present study provides a measurement of the extinction coefficient of H2CC(3B2). Knowledge of the vinylidene concentration is required to convert readily available absorption data into an extinction coefficient or cross section. In the current work, the H2CC(3B2) concentration was determined in an investigation of the photodissociation of vinyl chloride.

Fahr, A.↗

Regulation of hematopoiesis in rats exposed to antiorthostatic, hypokinetic/hypodynamia. I - Model description

The effect of a 7-day suspension in a jacket and harness with 20-deg head-down tilt on body weight, food and water consumption, and hematological parameters is investigated experimentally in male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150-175 g. The results are presented in graphs and compared with those for unsuspended controls and with published data on rats and humans exposed to microgravity in space flight. Suspended rats are found to have reduced red-blood-cell mass, erythropoiesis, plasma volume (leading to temporarily increased hematocrit), body weight, and food and water consumption; rightward-shifted oxyhemoglobin-dissociation curves; and unchanged platelet count, leucocyte count or PHA reactivity, and red-blood-cell shape distribution. Since many of these effects are also seen in space flight, the present experimental model is considered a promising technique for simulating the hematopoietic effects of microgravity at 1 g.

Dunn, C. D. R.↗

Waterhole auroral arc modification experiments Electrodynamic response

The Waterhole series of experiments, which tested current theories of the electrodynamic structure of auroral arcs, is discussed. In these experiments, the current-carrying capability of the ionospheric plasma was modified by the explosive release of a large number of reactive molecules in the ionospheric F region, with the net effect of reducing the local plasma density over spatial scales comparable to the auroral forms. The response of the aurora to this perturbation was monitored directly by plasma diagnostic instruments on the rocket carrying the explosive release and indirectly from the ground by various photometric and imaging devices. Model predictions of the perturbation induced by the two releases are summarized, and the rocket-borne and ground-based instrumentation is described. Results from both flights are summarized, and a theoretical model is presented which relates the differences in observed response to the topological relationship between the releases and the auroral form.

Whalen, B. A.↗

Room-Temperature Deposition of NbN Superconducting Films

Films with high superconducting transition temperatures deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering. Since deposition process does not involve significantly high substrate temperatures, employed to deposit counter electrode in superconductor/insulator/superconductor junction without causing any thermal or mechanical degradation of underlying delicate tunneling barrier. Substrates for room-temperature deposition of NbN polymeric or coated with photoresist, making films accessible to conventional lithographic patterning techniques. Further refinements in deposition technique yield films with smaller transition widths, Tc of which might approach predicted value of 18 K.

Thakoor, S.↗

The Role of Entrained Surface Oxides in RS-PM Aluminum Alloys on Resultant Structures and Properties

The RS-PM aluminum alloys which show less than anticipated toughness properties were studied. After eliminating negative variables such as sodium and potassium in lithium containing alloys, hydrogen in all Al alloys, and trapped impurities from the atomization processing the data pointed to fine oxides, as the primary cause of poor toughness properties. The oxide content of aluminum powders increases with: decreasing powder size, deviations from spherical powder shapes, exposure to moist atmospheres either during atomization or in subsequent powder handling, and alloy compositions which contain significant amounts of lithium, magnesium, cerium, and other reactive elements.

Grant, N. J.↗

Strength Modeling Report

Strength modeling is a complex and multi-dimensional issue. There are numerous parameters to the problem of characterizing human strength, most notably: (1) position and orientation of body joints; (2) isometric versus dynamic strength; (3) effector force versus joint torque; (4) instantaneous versus steady force; (5) active force versus reactive force; (6) presence or absence of gravity; (7) body somatotype and composition; (8) body (segment) masses; (9) muscle group envolvement; (10) muscle size; (11) fatigue; and (12) practice (training) or familiarity. In surveying the available literature on strength measurement and modeling an attempt was made to examine as many of these parameters as possible. The conclusions reached at this point toward the feasibility of implementing computationally reasonable human strength models. The assessment of accuracy of any model against a specific individual, however, will probably not be possible on any realistic scale. Taken statistically, strength modeling may be an effective tool for general questions of task feasibility and strength requirements.

Badler, N. I.↗

Explosive Welding in the 1990's

Explosive bonding is a unique joining process with the serious potential to produce composite materials capable of fulfilling many of the high performance materials capable of fulfilling many of the high performance materials needs of the 1990's. The process has the technological versatility to provide a true high quality metallurgical compatible and incompatible systems. Metals routinely explosively bonded include a wide variety of combinations of reactive and refractory metals, low and high density metals and their alloys, corrosion resistant and high strength alloys, and common steels. The major advantage of the process is its ability to custom design and engineer composites with physical and/or mechanical properties that meet a specific or unusual performance requirement. Explosive bonding offers the designer unique opportunities in materials selection with unique combinations of properties and high integrity bonds that cannot be achieved by any other metal joining process. The process and some applications are discussed.

Lalwaney, N. S.↗

Acetylene terminated matrix resins

The synthesis of resins with terminal acetylene groups has provided a promising technology to yield high performance structural materials. Because these resins cure through an addition reaction, no volatile by-products are produced during the processing. The cured products have high thermal stability and good properties retention after exposure to humidity. Resins with a wide variety of different chemical structures between the terminal acetylene groups are synthesized and their mechanical properties studied. The ability of the acetylene cured polymers to give good mechanical properties is demonstrated by the resins with quinoxaline structures. Processibility of these resins can be manipulated by varying the chain length between the acetylene groups or by blending in different amounts of reactive deluents. Processing conditions similar to the state-of-the-art epoxy can be attained by using backbone structures like ether-sulfone or bis-phenol-A. The wide range of mechanical properties and processing conditions attainable by this class of resins should allow them to be used in a wide variety of applications.

Goldfarb, I. J.↗

Chemical control of rate and onset temperature of nadimide polymerization

The chemistry of norbornenyl capped imide compounds (nadimides) is briefly reviewed with emphasis on the contribution of Diels-Alder reversion in controlling the rate and onset of the thermal polymerization reaction. Control of onset temperature of the cure exotherm by adjusting the concentration of maleimide is demonstrated using selected model compounds. The effects of nitrophenyl compounds as free radical retarders on nadimide reactivity are discussed. A simple copolymerization model is proposed for the overall nadimide cure reaction. An approximate numerical analysis is carried out to demonstrate the ability of the model to simulate the trends observed for both maleimide and nitrophenyl additions.

Lauver, R. W.↗

V-378A: A modified bismaleimide for advanced composites

Addition polyimides cure with no evolution of gaseous by-products at relatively low temperatures and may be cured at low pressures to yield composites with excellent hot-wet strength retention. These properaties have made them excellent candidates as matrix resins for advanced composites. However, commercially available bismaleimides are solids and difficult to handle in preimpregnated form. V-378A is an addition polyimide composed of a mixture of bismaleimides and other reactive ingredients formulated to provide good prepreg properties and handling, facile cure and excellent composite mechanical properties. Several curing mechanisms are utilized to provide the characteristics exhibited by V-378A. Part of the mechanism is free radial and takes place at ambient temperature and above. Other mechanisms are principally Diels-Alder in nature. V-378A prepregs are tacky at ambient temperature, but do not have long tacky outlife similar to some epoxies. V-378A yields composites which exhibit hot-wet strength retention which is superior to that provided by epoxy resin systems.

Street, S. W.↗

The role of amplitude-to-phase conversion in the generation of oscillator flicker phase noise

The role of amplitude-to-phase conversion as a factor in feedback oscillator flicker phase noise is examined. A limiting stage consisting of parallel-connected opposite polarity diodes operating in a circuit environment contining reactance is shown to exhibit amplitude-to-phase conversion. This mechanism coupled with resistive upconversion provides an indirect route for very low frequency flicker noise to be transferred into the phase of an oscillator signal. It is concluded that this effect is more significant in the lower frequency regimes where the onlinear reactances associated with active devices are overwhelmed by linear reactive elements.

Hearn, C. P.↗

Deformational sequence of a portion of the Michipicoten greenstone belt, Chabanel Township, Ontario

Detailed mapping at a scale of one inch = 400 feet is being carried out within a fume kill, having excellent exposure, located in the southwestern portion of the Michipicoten Greenstone Belt near Wawa, Ontario. The rocks are metasediments and metavolcanics of lower greenschist facies. U-Pb geochronology indicates that they are at least 2698 + or - 11 Ma old. The lithologic packages strike northeast to northwest, but the dominant strike is approximately east-west. Sedimentary structures and graded bedding are well preserved, aiding in the structural interpretation of this multiply deformed area. At least six phases of deformation within a relatively small area of the Michipicoten Greenstone Belt have been tentatively identified. These include the following structural features in approximate order of occurrence: (0) soft-sediment structures; (1) regionally overturned rocks, flattened pebbles, bedding parallel cleavage, and early, approximately bedding parallel faults; (2) northwest to north striking cleavage; (3) northeast striking cleavage and associated folds, and at least some late movement on approximately bedding parallel faults; (4) north-northwest and northeast trending faults; and (5) diabase dikes and associated fracture cleavages. Minor displacement of the diabase dikes occurs on faults that appear to be reactivated older structures.

Shrady, C. H.↗