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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 55 records · Page 3

Effects of oxidants and reductants on the efficiency of excitation transfer in green photosynthetic bacteria

The efficiency of energy transfer in chlorosome antennas in the green sulfur bacteria Chlorobium vibrioforme and Chlorobium limicola was found to be highly sensitive to the redox potential of the suspension. Energy transfer efficiencies were measured by comparing the absorption spectrum of the bacteriochlorophyll c or d pigments in the chlorosome to the excitation spectrum for fluorescence arising from the chlorosome baseplate and membrane-bound antenna complexes. The efficiency of energy transfer approaches 100% at low redox potentials induced by addition of sodium dithionite or other strong reductants, and is lowered to 10-20% under aerobic conditions or after addition of a variety of membrane-permeable oxidizing agents. The redox effect on energy transfer is observed in whole cells, isolated membranes and purified chlorosomes, indicating that the modulation of energy transfer efficiency arises within the antenna complexes and is not directly mediated by the redox state of the reaction center. It is proposed that chlorosomes contain a component that acts as a highly quenching center in its oxidized state, but is an inefficient quencher when reduced by endogenous or exogenous reductants. This effect may be a control mechanism that prevents cellular damage resulting from reaction of oxygen with reduced low-potential electron acceptors found in the green sulfur bacteria. The redox modulation effect is not observed in the green gliding bacterium Chloroflexus aurantiacus, which contains chlorosomes but does not contain low-potential electron acceptors.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗

New Screening Test Developed for the Blanching Resistance of Copper Alloys

NASA's extensive efforts towards more efficient, safer, and more affordable space transportation include the development of new thrust-cell liner materials with improved capabilities and longer lives. For rocket engines fueled with liquid hydrogen, an important metric of liner performance is resistance to blanching, a phenomenon of localized wastage by cycles of oxidation-reduction due to local imbalance in the oxygen-fuel ratio. The current liner of the Space Shuttle Main Engine combustion chamber, a Cu-3Ag-0.5Zr alloy (NARloy-Z) is degraded in service by blanching. Heretofore, evaluating a liner material for blanching resistance involved elaborate and expensive hot-fire tests performed on rocket test stands. To simplify that evaluation, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center developed a screening test that uses simple, in situ oxidation-reduction cycling in a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The principle behind this test is that resistance to oxidation or to the reduction of oxide, or both, implies resistance to blanching. Using this test as a preliminary tool to screen alloys for blanching resistance can improve reliability and save time and money. In this test a small polished coupon is hung in a TGA furnace at the desired (service) temperature. Oxidizing and reducing gases are introduced cyclically, in programmed amounts. Cycle durations are chosen by calibration, such that all copper oxides formed by oxidation are fully reduced in the next reduction interval. The sample weight is continuously acquired by the TGA as usual.

Thomas-Ogbuji, Linus U.↗

Chemistry of Ionic Silver and Implications for Design of Potable Water Systems

Ionic silver (Ag+) at approximately 400 µg/L is proposed as an ingestible biocide for potable water systems in future human spacecraft. This paper investigates the underlying chemistry of the silver ion at potable concentrations and its interactions with other solutes and surfaces. This chemistry evaluation will elucidate ionic silver behavior in potable water systems and enable design optimization to minimize ionic silver depletion during long duration crewed and uncrewed segments of missions. Ionic silver can be lost from the water phase to the water-solid interface via adsorption as the cation and oxidation-reduction reactions with passivation defects. The adsorption and oxidation-reduction reactions of heritage piping materials used on spacecraft – stainless steel 316L, titanium, Inconel 718, and Teflon flex hoses – are considered. Conceptual models of adsorption isotherms and pH adsorption edges are applied to understand the role of pH and the surface-to-volume ratio of pipes and tanks on the partitioning of ionic silver between the aqueous and the solid phase during aging. The effect of repeated exposure-aging to an Ag+ containing solution of two passivated alloys (316L and Inconel 718) is evaluated to determine if an equilibrium concentration of ionic silver in the potable range is attainable for a given alloy and surface-to-volume ratio. Aging unpassivated and passivated 316L reduced the ionic silver depletion rate relative to first time exposures, but the same beneficial effect was not observed for Inconel 718.

Water↗

In-Situ Chemical Reduction and Oxidation of VOCs in Groundwater: Groundwater Treatability Studies

This paper presents NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's treatability studies for volatile organic compounds in groundwater. In-Situ groundwater treatment technologies include: 1) Chemical Reduction(Ferox); 2) Chemical Oxidation (Fenton Reagents, Permanganate, and Persulfate); and 3) Thermal (Dynamic Underground Stripping, Six-Phase Heating). This paper is presented in viewgraph form.

Keith, Amy↗

Sampling nitric oxide from combustion gases.

Experimental study of several sampling tube and probe material compositions and designs aimed at preventing nitric oxide reduction when sampling nitric oxide from combustion gases. A 250,000 Btu/h furnace fired with technical grade methane was used for testing the sampling probes over a wide range of air-fuel mixtures. The results obtained include the finding that the use of stainless steel in probes creates inaccuracies in near-stoichiometric and fuel-rich sampling in hydrocarbon flames. For very fuel-rich flames, water cooling is needed even in quartz probes to prevent significant reduction of nitric oxide.-

England, C.↗

Adaptation of Organisms by Resonance of RNA Transcription with the Cellular Redox Cycle

Sequence variation in organisms differs across the genome and the majority of mutations are caused by oxidation, yet its origin is not fully understood. It has also been shown that the reduction-oxidation reaction cycle is the fundamental biochemical cycle that coordinates the timing of all biochemical processes in that cell, including energy production, DNA replication, and RNA transcription. It is shown that the temporal resonance of transcriptome biosynthesis with the oscillating binary state of the reduction-oxidation reaction cycle serves as a basis for non-random sequence variation at specific genome-wide coordinates that change faster than by accumulation of chance mutations. This work demonstrates evidence for a universal, persistent and iterative feedback mechanism between the environment and heredity, whereby acquired variation between cell divisions can outweigh inherited variation.

Stolc, Viktor↗

Biogeochemical Cycles of Carbon and Sulfur on Early Earth (and on Mars?)

The physical and chemical interactions between the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere can be examined for elements such as carbon (C) and sulfur (S) that have played central roles for both life and the environment. The compounds of C are highly important, not only as organic matter, but also as atmospheric greenhouse gases, pH buffers in seawater, oxidation-reduction buffers virtually everywhere, and key magmatic constituents affecting plutonism and volcanism. S assumes important roles as an oxidation-reduction partner with C and Fe in biological systems, as a key constituent in magmas and volcanic gases, and as a major influence upon pH in certain environments. These multiple roles of C and S interact across a network of elemental reservoirs interconnected by physical, chemical and biological processes. These networks are termed biogeochemical C and S cycles.

DesMarais, D. J.↗

Biogeochemical Cycles of Carbon and Sulfur

The elements carbon (C) and sulfur (S) interact with each other across a network of elemental reservoirs that are interconnected by an array of physical, chemical and biological processes. These networks are termed the biogeochemical C and S cycles. The compounds of C are highly important, not only as organic matter, but also as atmospheric greenhouse gases, pH buffers in seawater, oxidation-reduction buffers virtually everywhere, and key magmatic constituents affecting plutonism and volcanism. The element S assumes important roles as an oxidation-reduction partner with C and Fe in biological systems, as a key constituent in magmas and volcanic gases, and as a major influence upon pH in certain environments. This presentation describes the modern biogeochemical C and S cycles. Measurements are described whereby stable isotopes can help to infer the nature and quantitative significance of biological and geological processes involved in the C and S cycles. This lecture also summarizes the geological and climatologic aspects of the ancient C and S cycles, as well as the planetary and extraterrestrial processes that influenced their evolution over millions to billions of years.

DesMarais, David J.↗

Studies of reaction geometry in oxidation and reduction of the alkaline silver electrode

Two methods of surface area estimations of sintered silver electrodes have given roughness factors of 58 and 81. One method is based on constant current oxidation, the other is based on potentiostatic oxidation. Examination of both wire and sintered silver electrodes via scanning electron microscopy at various stages of oxidation have shown that important structural features are mounds of oxide. In potentiostatic oxidations these appear to form on sites instantaneously nucleated while in constant current oxidations progressive nucleation is indicated.

Butler, E. A.↗

Thermogravimetric study of the reduction of oxides of nickel and chromium

The effectiveness of hydrogen, carbon and hydrogen-carbon in reducing NiO, Cr2O3, mixed NiO-Cr2O3 and oxidized Ni-20Cr was evaluated by thermogravimetry. NiO was effectively reduced by all three atmospheres, Cr2O3 only by hydrogen-carbon, NiO-Cr2O3 by hydrogen and hydrogen-carbon and oxidized Ni-20Cr by hydrogen, hydrogen-carbon and partially by carbon alone. The results indicate that nickel and carbon promote the reduction of Cr2O3.

Herbell, T. P.↗

Fluidized reduction of oxides on fine metal powders without sintering

In the process of reducing extremely fine metal particles (av. particle size or = 1000 angstroms) covered with an oxide layer, the metal particles are fluidized by a gas flow contg. H, heated, and reduced. The method uniformly and easily reduces surface oxide layers of the extremely fine metal particles without causing sintering. The metal particles are useful for magnetic recording materials, conductive paste, powder metallurgy materials, chem. reagents, and catalysts.

Hayashi, T.↗