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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.

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At least 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1972

Use of LEED, Auger emission spectroscopy and field ion microscopy in microstructural studies

Surface research tools such as LEED, Auger emission spectroscopy analysis, and field ion microscopy are discussed. Examples of their use in studying adhesion, friction, wear, and lubrication presented. These tools have provided considerable insight into the basic nature of solid surface interactions. The transfer of metals from one surface to another at the atomic level has been observed and studied with each of these devices. The field ion microscope has been used to study polymer-metal interactions and Auger analysis to study the mechanism of polymer adhesion to metals. LEED and Auger analysis have identified surface segregation of alloying elements and indicated the influence of these elements in metallic adhesion. LEED and Auger analysis have assisted in adsorption studies in determining the structural arrangement and quantity of adsorbed species present in making an understanding of the influence of these species on adhesion possible. These devices are assisting in the furtherance of understanding of the fundamental mechanism involved in the adhesion, friction, wear, and lubrication processes.

Ferrante, J.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Use of LEED, Auger emission spectroscopy and field ion microscopy in microstructural studies.

The studies reported were conducted to gain a fundamental understanding of adhesion and dynamic friction on an atomic or microscopic level. Fundamental aspects of low energy electron diffraction (LEED), Auger emission spectroscopy (AES), and field ion microscopy (FIM) are discussed. Typical results of studies conducted are considered, giving attention to LEED-AES experiments, pin and disk experiments, and field ion microscope investigations.

Ferrante, J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Measurement of dihedral angles by scanning electron microscopy.

The extension of Hoover's (1971) technique to the case of dihedral-angle measurement is described. Dihedral angles are often determined by interferometry on thermally grooved grain boundaries to obtain information on relative interfacial energies. In the technique considered the measured angles approach the true angles as the tilt angle approaches 90 deg. It is pointed out that the scanning electron microscopy method provides a means of seeing the real root of a groove at a lateral magnification which is higher than that obtainable with interferometry.

Achutaramayya, G.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Responses of indigenous microorganisms to soil incubation as viewed by transmission electron microscopy of cell thin sections.

Indigenous soil microorganisms were cultivated in their soil habitat with 50% moisture capacity at 30 C for two weeks. Changes in microorganism cells were studied by electron microscopy during incubation, with particular attention to the dormant cell growth and to the ability of cystlike cells to germinate and reencyst. The responses of various cell species to incubation conditions are described and illustrated by photomicrographs.

Bae, h. C.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Study of fretting wear in titanium, Monel-400, and cobalt-25 percent molybdenum using scanning electron microscopy.

Damage scar volume measurements taken from like metal fretting pairs, combined with scanning electron microscopy observations, showed that three sequentially operating mechanisms result in the fretting of titanium, Monel-400, and cobalt-25% molybdenum. Initially, adhesion and plastic deformation on the surface played an important role. This was followed after a few hundred cycles by a fatigue mechanism, producing spall-like pits in the damage scar. Finally, an oxidation-related mechanism became most significant. Damage scar measurements made on several elemental metals after 600,000 fretting cycles suggested that the ratio of oxide hardness to metal hardness was a measure of the susceptibility of a metal to progressive damage by fretting.

Bill, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1973

High voltage electron microscopy of lunar samples

Lunar pyroxenes from Apollo 11, 12, 14, and 15 were investigated. The iron-rich and magnesium-rich pyroxene specimens were crushed to a grain size of ca. 50 microns and studied by a combination of X-ray and electron diffraction, electron microscopy, 57 Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography techniques. Highly ordered, uniform electron-dense bands, corresponding to exsolution lamellae, with average widths of ca. 230A to 1000A dependent on the source specimen were observed. These were?qr separated by wider, less-dense interband spacings with average widths of ca. 330A to 3100A. In heating experiments, splitting of the dense bands into finer structures, leading finally to obliteration of the exsolution lamellae was recorded. The extensive exsolution is evidence for significantly slower cooling rates, or possibly annealing, at temperatures in the subsolidus range, adding evidence that annealing of rock from the surface of the moon took place at ca. 600 C. Correlation of the band structure with magnetic ordering at low temperatures and iron clustering within the bands was studied.

Fernandez-Moran, H.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Scanning electron microscopy of the vestibular end organs

The vestibular end organs, after chemical fixation, were freeze dried, coated with gold and palladium, and studied in the scanning microscope. Scanning microscopy gives a good three dimensional view of the sensory areas and allows study of both gross anatomy and microstructures. Cross anatomical features of the structure of the ampullae are demonstrated. The form of the statoconia in different species of animals is shown. New aspects of the structure of the sensory hairs are revealed. The hair bundles in the central areas of the cristae and in the striola of the maculae differ structurally from the hair bundles at the periphery of the sensory regions. Furthermore, some hair bundles consisting of very short stereocilia were observed. The relationship between the cupula and the statoconial membrane to the epithelial surface is discussed.

Lindeman, H. H.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Scanning electron microscopy of lunar regolith from the Sea of Fertility

Scanning electron microscopy was used in studying the morphology and cathodoluminescence of lunar regolith particles. Surface and structure of two groups of particles are differentiated: (1) Crystalline with well defined facets and spalling surfaces, which are grains of minerals and rock fragments: and (2) amorphous, fused, and partially or entirely glazed particles. Local melting of particles and the round openings on their surfaces are attributed to secondary influence on the regolith of factors of lunar weathering and above all micrometeoric impacts.

Antoshin, M. K.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Scanning-electron-microscopy observations and mechanical characteristics of ion-beam-sputtered surgical implant alloys

An electron bombardment ion thruster was used as an ion source to sputter the surfaces of orthopedic prosthetic metals. Scanning electron microscopy photomicrographs were made of each ion beam textured surface. The effect of ion texturing an implant surface on its bond to bone cement was investigated. A Co-Cr-W alloy and surgical stainless steel were used as representative hard tissue implant materials to determine effects of ion texturing on bulk mechanical properties. Work was done to determine the effect of substrate temperature on the development of an ion textured surface microstructure. Results indicate that the ultimate strength of the bulk materials is unchanged by ion texturing and that the microstructure will develop more rapidly if the substrate is heated prior to ion texturing.

Weigand, A. J.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Release of microorganisms from soil with respect to transmission electron microscopy viewing and plate counts

A study was conducted to obtain information concerning the fate of soil microorganisms during the procedures normally used in separating them from the soil in connection with various types of investigations. A silty clay loam (pH 6.0, moisture content 25%, organic content 3.5%) was used in the study. The results of the study indicate that many of the microbial cells naturally residing in soil remain attached to or, for some other reason, are not separated from the soil debris despite the use of various combinations of blending, sonication, and chemical dispersing agents. The method B used by Balkwill et al. (1975) provides a reasonable electron microscopy evaluation of the soil microflora.

Balkwill, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Characterization of defect growth structure in ion plated films by scanning electron microscopy

Copper and gold films (0.2 to 2 microns) were ion plated onto polished 304-stainless-steel surfaces. These coatings were examined by scanning electron microscopy for coating growth defects. Three types of defects were distinguished: nodular growth, abnormal or runaway growth, and spits. The cause and origin for each type of defect was traced. Nodular growth is primarily due to inherent substrate microdefects, abnormal or runaway growth is due to external surface inclusions, and spits are due to nonuniform evaporation. All these defects have adverse effects on the coatings. They induce stresses and produce porosity in the coatings and thus weaken their mechanical properties. Friction and wear characteristics are affected by coating defects, since the large nodules are pulled out and additional wear debris is generated.

Spalvins, T.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Scanning microscopy in microcircuit failure analysis

A three-phase microcircuit failure analysis procedure is presented. In the first phase, the device is nondestructively tested and the data obtained is correlated with the circumstances surrounding the failure event. The device is then subjected to a limited nondestructive analysis dominated by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Knowing that microcircuits usually fail from manufacturing defects or misuse, the analyst looks for one of the probable mechanisms. The SEM has two special operating modes that provide unique data for nondestructive analysis: voltage contrast and conductive current. These are used with other SEM modes and surface analysis techniques to analyze complicated microcircuits. The last phase includes the destructive procedures. The end product of these analyses is a corrective action that will yield a highly reliable system.

Nicolas, D. P.↗
NASA NTRS1979

High resolution transmission electron microscopy of two stony meteorites - Murchison and Kenna

Matrix material from the Murchison C2(M) carbonaceous chondrite and less than micrometer-size pyroxene inclusions in an olivine from the Kenna ureilite have been characterized using high resolution transmission electron microscopy. A diversity of textures and mineral associations, including serpentine-type and brucite-type mixed-layering, occur in the Murchison matrix. Such mixed layer structures are new types of layer silicate. Their presence in the matrix may prove to be genetically significant. The Kenna inclusions, formed at the olivine grain margins, are of two types: (1) a disordered orthopyroxene-clinopyroxene which may have inverted from protopyroxene and (2) a pigeonite with narrow anti-phase domains (80 A to 250 A) and boundaries parallel to (100).

Mackinnon, I. D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Holographic Microscopy System

Holographic system originally developed for testing theories of two systems used for measurements of aerosols, particles in transparent medium or microscopic biological specimens. Holograms are recorded in 3 - to 5milli-second exposures on high-resolution holographic film. In-line holographic microscopy system includes construction or recording system and reconstruction or playback system.

Witherow, W. K.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Acoustic microscopy of silicon carbide materials

It is shown that scanning laser acoustic microscopy (SLAM) is able to detect such fracture-controlling flaws in dense silicon carbide materials as surface voids, whose diameter-by-depth size is a minimum of 75 by 17 microns in reaction-bonded SiC and 68 by 25 microns in alpha-SiC. Surface conditions such as pitting, which have been found to limit the discernibility of drilled holes, become important when pit and drilled hole sizes become comparable.

Khandelwal, P. K.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Evaluation of solar cell welds by scanning acoustic microscopy

Scanning laser acoustic microscopy was used to nondestructively evaluate solar cell interconnect bonds made by resistance welding. Both copper-silver and silver-silver welds were analyzed. The bonds were produced either by a conventional parallel-gap welding technique using rectangular electrodes or new annular gap design with a circular electrode cross section. With the scanning laser acoustic microscope, it was possible to produce a real time television image which reveales the weld configuration as it relates to electrode geometry. The effect of electrode misalinement with the surface of the cell was also determined. A preliminary metallographic analysis was performed on selected welds to establish the relationship between actual size and shape of the weld area and the information available from acoustic micrographs.

Klima, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Mudrocks examined by backscattered electron microscopy

A method of studying mudrocks is developed using backscattered electrons (BSE) in scanning electron microscopy. Commercially available detectors are utilized to mix the BSE and secondary electron signals in order to obtain the optimum image for a particular material. Thin sections or polished rock chip surfaces are examined with BSE which provides both the atomic number contrast and topographic contrast. This technique provides very detailed information about the form and composition of individual grains in the mudrock thin sections and can be used in studies of the source, mode of deposition, diagenesis, and tectonic deformational history of mudrocks.

Pye, K.↗