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At least 73 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Visible and Near-IR Reflectance Spectra of Smectite Acquired Under Dry Conditions for Interpretation of Martian Surface Mineralogy

Visible and near-IR (VNIR) spectra from the MEx OMEGA and the MRO CRISM hyper-spectral imaging instruments have spectral features associated with the H2O molecule and M OH functional groups (M = Mg, Fe, Al, and Si). Mineralogical assignments of martian spectral features are made on the basis of laboratory VNIR spectra, which were often acquired under ambient (humid) conditions. Smectites like nontronite, saponite, and montmorillionite have interlayer H2O that is exchangeable with their environment, and we have acquired smectite reflectance spectra under dry environmental conditions for interpretation of martian surface mineralogy. We also obtained chemical, Moessbauer (MB), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric (TG) data to understand variations in spectral properties. VNIR spectra were recorded in humid lab air at 25-35C, in a dynamic dry N2 atmosphere (50-150 ppmv H2O) after exposing the smectite samples (5 nontronites, 3 montmorillionites, and 1 saponite) to that atmosphere for up to approximately l000 hr each at 25-35C, approximately 105C, and approximately 215C, and after re-exposure to humid lab air. Heating at 105C and 215C for approximately 1000 hr is taken as a surrogate for geologic time scales at lower temperatures. Upon exposure to dry N2, the position and intensity of spectral features associated with M-OH were relatively insensitive to the dry environment, and the spectral features associated with H2O (e.g., approximately 1.90 micrometers) decreased in intensity and are sometimes not detectable by the end of the 215C heating step. The position and intensity of H2O spectral features recovered upon re-exposure to lab air. XRD data show interlayer collapse for the nontronites and Namontmorillionites, with the interlayer remaining collapsed for the latter after re-exposure to lab air. The interlayer did not collapse for the saponite and Ca-montmorillionite. TG data show that the concentration of H2O derived from structural OH was invariant to the dry N2 treatment for saponite and the montmorillionites, but the nontronites had additional structural OH after treatment. Upon exposure to dry N2, the VNIR spectra also acquired a red slope with decreasing albedo between approximately 0.4 and approximately 2.0 micrometers. The magnitude of the effects covaries with exposure time to dry N2 and heating temperature. Upon re-exposure to lab air, the slope and albedo do not completely recover to pre-exposure values. MB data show that these effects do not result from partial reduction of ferric to ferrous iron, and TG data show they do not result from loss of structural OH. Possible explanations include formation of small clusters of (superparamagnetic) ferric oxide and reduced smectite crystallinity. The difference in spectral properties between spectra acquired in humid lab air and under dry conditions are consequential for interpretation of CRISM and OMEGA spectra. For example, nontronite by itself and not nontronite plus ferrihydrite can account for the red spectral slope in martian spectra where nontronite is indicated by the Fe-OH spectral features.

Morris, Richard V.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Chemically rechargeable battery

Batteries (50) containing oxidized, discharged metal electrodes such as an iron-air battery are charged by removing and storing electrolyte in a reservoir (98), pumping fluid reductant such as formalin (aqueous formaldehyde) from a storage tank (106) into the battery in contact with the surfaces of the electrodes. After sufficient iron hydroxide has been reduced to iron, the spent reductant is drained, the electrodes rinsed with water from rinse tank (102) and then the electrolyte in the reservoir (106) is returned to the battery. The battery can be slowly electrically charged when in overnight storage but can be quickly charged in about 10 minutes by the chemical procedure of the invention.

Graf, James E.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Experimental reduction of lunar mare soil and volcanic glass

We have reduced high-titanium lunar mare soil and iron-rich lunar volcanic glass with hydrogen at temperatures of 900-1100 C. Ilmenite is the most reactive phase in the soil, exhibiting rapid and complete reduction at all temperatures. Ferrous iron in the glass is extensively reduced concurrent with partial crystallization. In both samples pyroxene and olivine undergo partial reduction along with chemical and mineralogical modifications. High-temperature reduction provides insight into the optical and chemical effects of lunar soil maturation, and places constraints on models of that process. Mare soil and volcanic glass are attractive feedstocks for lunar oxygen production, with achievable yields of 2-5 wt%.

Allen, Carlton C.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Dissolution and reduction of magnetite by bacteria

Magnetite (Fe3O4) is an iron oxide of mixed oxidation state [Fe(II), Fe(III)] that contributes largely to geomagnetism and plays a significant role in diagenesis in marine and freshwater sediments. Magnetic data are the primary evidence for ocean floor spreading and accurate interpretation of the sedimentary magnetic record depends on an understanding of the conditions under which magnetite is stable. Though chemical reduction of magnetite by dissolved sulfide is well known, biological reduction has not been considered likely based upon thermodynamic considerations. This study shows that marine and freshwater strains of the bacterium Shewanella putrefaciens are capable of the rapid dissolution and reduction of magnetite, converting millimolar amounts to soluble Fe(II)in a few days at room temperature. Conditions under which magnetite reduction is optimal (pH 5-6, 22-37 degrees C) are consistent with an enzymatic process and not with simple chemical reduction. Magnetite reduction requires viable cells and cell contact, and it appears to be coupled to electron transport and growth. In a minimal medium with formate or lactate as the electron donor, more than 10 times the amount of magnetite was reduced over no carbon controls. These data suggest that magnetite reduction is coupled to carbon metabolism in S. putrefaciens. Bacterial reduction rates of magnetite are of the same order of magnitude as those estimated for reduction by sulfide. If such remobilization of magnetite occurs in nature, it could have a major impact on sediment magnetism and diagenesis.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1973

Magnetic studies on Apollo 15 and 16 lunar samples

The magnetic properties of lunar samples are almost exclusively due to rather pure metallic iron. The mare basalt contains about 0.06 wt.% Fe, the soils 0.5-0.6 wt.%, and the breccias 0.3-1.0 wt.%. Most of the additional iron in the soils and breccias is believed to be the result of reduction processes operating on the lunar surface. Whereas the total metallic iron content of the soils from all landing sites is rather constant, the Fe(0)/Fe(++) ratio and the average iron grain size increase with the age of the landing site, reflecting increasing maturity. The crystalline rocks studied from Apollo 16 have highly variable, but generally, very high metallic Fe content (up to 1.7 wt.% Fe). It is suggested that these rocks are either breccias or igneous samples which have been severely thermally metamorphosed in a highly reducing environment.

Pearce, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Ion nitriding; Proceedings of the International Conference, Cleveland, OH, Sept. 15-17, 1986

The present conference discusses plasma-assisted surface coating/modification processes, the applications to date of ion nitriding, the effects of nitrogen on metal surfaces, ion nitriding mechanisms in Cr, Al and Cr + Al-containing 1040 steel, ion nitriding of Al and its alloys, life enhancement for forging dies, novel anode plasma nitriding developments, and a comparative study of the pulsed and dc ion-nitriding behavior in specimens with blind holes. Also discussed are the influence of heating method on ion nitriding, surface hardening of marage steels by ion nitriding without core hardness reduction, plasma nitriding of nodular cast iron sput gears, NbN composites for superconductors, the carburization of tungsten in a glow discharge methane plasma, economic considerations concerning plasma nitriding, and the corrosion properties obtained by ion nitriding.

Spalvins, T.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Experimental reduction of simulated lunar glass by carbon and hydrogen and implications for lunar base oxygen production

The most abundant element in lunar rocks and soils is oxygen which makes up approximately 45 percent by weight of the typical lunar samples returned during the Apollo missions. This oxygen is not present as a gas but is tightly bound to other elements in mineral or glass. When people return to the Moon to explore and live, the extraction of this oxygen at a lunar outpost may be a major goal during the early years of operation. Among the most studied processes for oxygen extraction is the reduction of ilmenite by hydrogen gas to form metallic iron, titanium oxide, and oxygen. A related process is proposed which overcomes some of the disadvantages of ilmenite reduction. It is proposed that oxygen can be extracted by direct reduction of native lunar pyroclactic glass using either carbon, carbon monoxide, or hydrogen. In order to evaluate the feasibility of this proposed process a series of experiments on synthetic lunar glass are presented. The results and a discussion of the experiments are presented.

Mckay, David S.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Plasma Processing of Lunar Regolith Simulant for Diverse Applications

Versatile manufacturing technologies for extracting resources from the moon are needed to support future space missions. Of particular interest is the production of gases and metals from lunar resources for life support, propulsion, and in-space fabrication. Deposits made from lunar regolith could yield highly emissive coatings and near-net shaped parts for replacement or repair of critical components. Equally important is development of high fidelity lunar simulants for ground based validation of potential lunar surface operations. Described herein is an innovative plasma processing technique for insitu production of gases, metals, coatings, and deposits from lunar regolith, and synthesis of high fidelity lunar simulant from NASA issued lunar simulant JSC-1. Initial plasma reduction trials of JSC-1 lunar simulant have indicated production of metallic iron and magnesium. Evolution of carbon monoxide has been detected subsequent to reduction of the simulant using the plasma process. Plasma processing of the simulant has also resulted in glassy phases resembling the volcanic glass and agglutinates found in lunar regolith. Complete and partial glassy phase deposits have been obtained by varying the plasma process variables. Experimental techniques, product characterization, and process gas analysis will be discussed.

Schofield, Elizabeth C.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Exsolution of Iron-Titanium Oxides in Magnetite in Miller Range (MIL) 03346 Nakhlite: Evidence for Post Crystallization Reduction in the Nakhlite Cumulate Pile

MIL 03346 is one of the most mesostasis-rich nakhlites [1] and thought to have equilibrated at oxygen fugacities near the fayalite-magnetite-quartz oxygen (FMQ) buffer ([2,3]). Studies of FeTi oxides in nakhlites have led to additional constraints on their equilibration temperatures and fO2s [4,5,6,7]. Comparison of these results to fO2s calculated for shergottites indicates that nakhlites are among the most oxidized samples from the martian meteorite suite [2]. The mesostasis of MIL 03346 contains skeletal titanomagnetite. Several scientists noticed several years ago (e.g. [8]) that this titanomagnetite contains very fine oxidation-driven exsolution lamellae (Figure 1). However, the lamellae are so small that they cannot be characterized by electron microprobe analysis (EMPA). Here we select several areas for focused ion beam (FIB) extraction, prepare transmission electron microscopy (TEM) foils, and identify and analyze the lamellae using TEM at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). The resulting analyses are combined with previous work on nakhlites to interpret the thermal and oxidation history of this meteorite group.

Righter, Kevin↗
NASA NTRS2023

Investigating the Role of Incident Ion Flux in Solar Wind Space Weathering of Carbon-Rich Asteroidal Regolith Via H+ and He+ Irradiation of the Murchison Meteorite

We present results from a set of low and high flux 1 keV/amu H + and He + irradiation experiments performed on slabs of the Murchison CM2 carbonaceous chondrite. The low flux conditions for H + and He + irradiation were ~1-1.5 orders of magnitude lower than the high flux conditions, and each experiment was irradiated to a total fluence between ~3 × 10 16 to ~6 × 10 16 ions/cm 2 . Irradiation-induced changes in the surface chemistry and optical properties of the Murchison samples were evaluated using in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (VNIR). We characterized the microstructure and composition of ion damaged rims in focused ion beam (FIB) cross-sections extracted from olivine and matrix material in each irradiated Murchison slab using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XPS results suggest that both low flux and high flux H + and He + irradiation cause minor sputtering of surface carbon as well as a reduction in the valence state of iron, from Fe 3+ to Fe 2+ . Slope bluing is observed in VNIR spectra of the irradiated samples which may reflect carbonization and dehydrogenation of organic species and contrasts with reddening trends associated with npFe 0 formation. Although we do not observe a strong flux-dependence on the crystallinity of ion-damaged olivine, TEM analyses reveal a variety of microstructures in all olivine FIB-sections, suggesting that crystallographic orientation affects amorphization efficiency. Analyses of matrix FIB-sections indicate that phyllosilicate alteration is mainly driven by He+ irradiation, where the higher incident flux leads to greater amorphization and the formation of more distinct ion-damaged layers, similar to smooth layers in returned Ryugu particles. TEM results also provide some evidence that higher ion flux leads to greater vesiculation, with He + irradiation being more efficient at vesiculation than H + irradiation, and that higher ion flux may promote the segregation of Mg and Si into laterally extensive lenses and layers in olivine samples. We discuss the implications of these findings for constraining the role that ion flux plays in the development of space weathering characteristics in silicate phases present in carbonaceous asteroidal regoliths. These results will be important for understanding the complexity of this process and how it operates on carbon-rich airless bodies like asteroids Bennu and Ryugu.

meteorites↗
NASA NTRS1976

Iron-doped lithium niobate as a read-write holographic storage medium

The response of iron-doped lithium niobate under conditions corresponding to hologram storage and retrieval is described, and the material characteristics are discussed. The optical sensitivity can be improved by heavy chemical reduction of lightly doped crystals such that most of the iron is in the divalent state, the remaining part being trivalent. The best reduction process found to be reproducible so far is the anneal of the doped crystal in the presence of a salt such as lithium carbonate. It is shown by analysis and simulation that a page-oriented read-write holographic memory with 1000 bits per page would have a cycle time of about 60 msec and a signal-to-noise ratio of 27 dB. This cycle time, although still too long for a practical memory, represents an improvement of two orders of magnitude over that of previous laboratory prototypes using a thermoplastic storage medium

Alphonse, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Mechanisms of ilmenite reduction and their impact on the design of effective reactor systems

One of the first activities at a lunar base could be oxygen recovery from ilmenite (FeTiO3). Oxygen produced from lunar soils could be used to fuel transportation vehicles operating in near-earth space. The first step in developing a suitable reactor system for lunar operation is to determine the mechanisms and rates of oxygen removal from ilmenite. In-situ gravimetric measurements and microscopic examinations were used to determine the hydrogen reduction mechanisms of synthetic ilmenite discs between 823 to 1353 K. A shrinking core reaction model, modified to account for the growth of an iron film on the surface of discs, was capable of predicting experimentally observed conversion-time relationships. The observed reduction mechanism, kinetic rates, and associated activation energy established a base line from which comparisons could be made to improve oxygen yield and removal rates. One proposed technique to improve the rate and extent of oxygen removal was to preoxidize ilmenite. Preoxidation is commonly used during the reduction of ilmenite ores in the iron industry and has been employed for many years to lower operating temperatures and increase reduction rates. This technology could prove beneficial for oxygen production facilities on the Moon as less massive reactor vessels and/or less energy could be associated with a process including preoxidation. X ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy were utilized to follow the progression of ilmenite oxidation at 1123 and 1140 K and the reduction of pseudobrookite (Fe2TiO5) at 873 and 973 K. Structures formed during the progress of oxidation were related to the system's phase diagrams. Results indicated that after initially producing ilmenite-hematite solutions and rutile (TiO2), pseudobrookite was the end product of oxidation at all temperatures examined (1049 to 1273 K). Initial results from the reduction of pseudobrookite indicate a series of phases are produced including ferropseudobrookite (FeTi2O5), ulvospinel (Fe2TiO4), and ilmenite. Rates of pseudobrookite reduction were typically 50 to 200 times that of ilmenite.

Briggs, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Read-write holographic memory with iron-doped lithium niobate

The response of iron doped lithium niobate under conditions corresponding to hologram storage and retrieval is described, and the material's characteristics are discussed. The optical sensitivity can be improved by heavy chemical reduction of lightly doped crystals such that most of the iron is in the divalent state, the remaining part being trivalent. The best reduction process found to be reproducible so far is the anneal of the doped crystal in the presence of a salt such as lithium carbonate. It is shown by analysis and simulation that a page-oriented read-write holographic memory with 1,000 bits per page would have a cycle time of about 60 ms and a signal-to-noise ratio of 27 db. This cycle time, although still too long for a practical system, represents an improvement of two orders of magnitude over that of previous laboratory prototypes using different storage media.

Alphonse, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Early Petrologic Processes on the Ureilite Parent Body

We present a petrographic and petrologic analysis of 21 olivine-pigeonite ureilites, along with new experimental results on melt compositions predicted to be in equilibrium with ureilite compositions. We conclude that these ureilites are the residues of a partial melting/smelting event. Textural evidence preserved in olivine and pigeonite record the extent of primary smelting. In pigeonite cores, we observe fine trains of iron metal inclusions that formed by the reduction of olivine to pigeonite and metal during primary smelting. Olivine cores lack metal inclusions but the outer grain boundaries are variably reduced by a late-stage reduction event. The modal proportion of pigeonite and percentage of olivine affected by late stage reduction are inversely related and provide an estimation of the degree of primary smelting during ureilite petrogenesis. In our sample suite, this correlation holds for 16 of the 21 samples examined. Olivine-pigeonite-liquid phase equilibrium constraints are used to obtain temperature estimates for the ureilite samples examined. Inferred smelting temperatures range from approximately 1150 C to just over 1300 C and span the range of estimates published for ureilites containing two or more pyroxenes. Temperature is also positively correlated with modal percent pigeonite. Smelting temperature is inversely correlated with smelting depth--the hottest olivine-pigeonite ureilites coming from the shallowest depth in the ureilite parent body. The highest temperature samples also have oxygen isotopic signatures that fall toward the refractory inclusion-rich end of the carbonaceous chondrite-anhydrous mineral (CCAM) slope 1 mixing line. These temperature-depth variations in the ureilite parent body could have been created by a heterogeneous distribution of heat producing elements, which would indicate that isotopic heterogeneities existed in the material from which the ureilite parent body was assembled.

Singletary, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Sources and sinks for ammonia and nitrite on the early Earth and the reaction of nitrite with ammonia

An analysis of sources and sinks for ammonia and nitrite on the early Earth was conducted. Rates of formation and destruction, and steady state concentrations of both species were determined by steady state kinetics. The importance of the reaction of nitrite with ammonia on the feasibility of ammonia formation from nitrite was evaluated. The analysis considered conditions such as temperature, ferrous iron concentration, and pH. For sinks we considered the reduction of nitrite to ammonia, reaction between nitrite and ammonia, photochemical destruction of both species, and destruction at hydrothermal vents. Under most environmental conditions, the primary sink for nitrite is reduction to ammonia. The reaction between ammonia and nitrite is not an important sink for either nitrite or ammonia. Destruction at hydrothermal vents is important at acidic pH's and at low ferrous iron concentrations. Photochemical destruction, even in a worst case scenario, is unimportant under many conditions except possibly under acidic, low iron concentration, or low temperature conditions. The primary sink for ammonia is photochemical destruction in the atmosphere. Under acidic conditions, more of the ammonia is tied up as ammonium (reducing its vapor pressure and keeping it in solution) and hydrothermal destruction becomes more important.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS1985

Microanalysis of dissolved iron and phosphate in pore waters of hypersaline sediment

Diurnal fluctuations of reduced iron concentrations, expected to occur in reduced sediments in the photic zone, were studied. Iron concentration was compared to O2-H2S, a microcanalysis of sulfate reduction was performed, as well as an examination of diurnal concentration of dissolved phosphate and changes in interstitial CO2. The iron profiles suggest a strong correlation between iron remobilization and processes occurring in the light. Phosphate profiles suggest the removal of phosphate is strongly correlated with precipitation of oxidized iron in the upper 2 mm to 5 mm of the sediments. Pore water CO2 concentrations and carbon isotope ratios are presented. These data are from the analyses of minisediment cores collected from the 42 per mil salt pond and incubated in the laboratory under light and dark conditions.

Haddad, R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The role of certain infauna and vascular plants in the mediation of redox reactions in marine sediments

The mechanisms by which certain animals and plants affect redox processes in sediments was examined by studying three environments: (1) subtidal sediments dominated by the deposit-feeding polychaete Heteromastus filiformis; (2) a saltmarsh inhabited by the tall form of Spartina alterniflora; and (3) tropical carbonate sediments inhabited by three species of seagrasses. S-35-sulfide production rates were compared to pool sizes of dissolved sulfide and dissolved iron. In all of the sediments studied, rates of sulfide reduction were enhanced by macroorganisms while the rate of turnover of dissolved sulfide increased. The polychaete enhanced microbial activity and redox cycling primarily by subducting particles of organic matter and oxidized iron during sediment reworking. The Spartina species enhanced anaerobic activity by transporting primarily dissolved organic matter and oxidants. Although the final result of both animal and plant activities was the enhancement of sub-surface cycling of sulfur and iron, decreased dissolved sulfide and increased dissolved iron concentrations, the mechanisms which produced these results differed dramatically.

Hines, Mark E.↗