SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Optical Ceramics”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1989

Materials properties numerical database system established and operational at CINDAS/Purdue University

A computerized comprehensive numerical database system on the mechanical, thermophysical, electronic, electrical, magnetic, optical, and other properties of various types of technologically important materials such as metals, alloys, composites, dielectrics, polymers, and ceramics has been established and operational at the Center for Information and Numerical Data Analysis and Synthesis (CINDAS) of Purdue University. This is an on-line, interactive, menu-driven, user-friendly database system. Users can easily search, retrieve, and manipulate the data from the database system without learning special query language, special commands, standardized names of materials, properties, variables, etc. It enables both the direct mode of search/retrieval of data for specified materials, properties, independent variables, etc., and the inverted mode of search/retrieval of candidate materials that meet a set of specified requirements (which is the computer-aided materials selection). It enables also tabular and graphical displays and on-line data manipulations such as units conversion, variables transformation, statistical analysis, etc., of the retrieved data. The development, content, accessibility, etc., of the database system are presented and discussed.

Ho, C. Y.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Thermal control materials on EOIM-3

Thermal control paints, anodized aluminum, and beta cloth samples were flown on STS-46 as part of the Evaluation of Oxygen Interaction with Materials Experiment (EOIM-3). The thermal control paints flown on EOIM-3 include ceramic and polyurethane-based paints. Passively exposed samples are compared to actively heated samples and controlled exposure samples. Optical property measurements of absorptivity, emissivity, and spectrofluorescence are presented for each paint. Several variations of anodized aluminum, including chromic acid anodize, sulfuric acid anodize, and boric/sulfuric acid anodize were flown on the actively heated trays and the passive exposure trays. The post-flight optical properties are within tolerances for these materials. Also flown were two samples of yellow anodized aluminum. The yellow anodized aluminum samples darkened noticeably. Samples of aluminized and unaluminized beta cloth, a fiberglass woven mat impregnated with TFE Teflon, were flown with passive exposure to the space environment. Data from this part of the experiment is correlated to observations from LDEF and erosion of the Teflon thin film samples also flown on EOIM-3 and LDEF.

Finckenor, Miria M.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Agglomeration of ceramic powders

A research program directed at a critical comparison of numerical models for power agglomeration with experimental observations is currently underway. Central to this program is the quantitative characterization of the distribution of mass within an agglomerate as a function of time. Current experiments are designed to restrict agglomeration to a surface, which is oriented perpendicular to the force of gravity. These experiments are discussed with reference to: their significance to ceramic processing; artifacts which may be avoided in microgravity experiments; and the comparison of information available in real space (from optical microscopy) to that in reciprocal space (from light scattering). The principle machine requirement appears to be a need to obtain information at small scattering angles.

Cawley, James D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Polymer derived Nicalon/Si-C-O composites - Processing and mechanical behavior

Ceramic matrix composites fabricated using Nicalon fiber and several polysilsesquioxane-derived Si-C-O matrices were characterized by optical and SEM and in four-point bending. In the matrix material linear shrinkages of up to 19 percent were observed for the vinylmethyl copolymer pyrolyzed to 1200 C, and up to 13 percent for the phenylmethyl material pyrolyzed to the same temperature, resulting in considerable matrix cracking. Under four-point loading, most composite samples fractured in a brittle manner as the result of strong fiber-matrix bonding. Flexural strengths, moduli, and ultimate strain varied with fiber sizing and processing parameters. Testing and analysis is being applied to promote more fibrous pullout during fracture.

Hurwitz, Frances I.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Failure Morphologies of Cyclically Oxidized ZrO2-Based Thermal Barrier Coatings

Plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings (TBC s) were thermal cycle tested in air at 1163 C until spallation of the top coat. Each thermal cycle consisted of a 45 minute exposure at the elevated temperature followed by a 15 minute cool to ambient temperature. The TBC s consisted of a ZrO2-based top coat containing various amounts of Y2O3, and/or Yb2O3, Gd2O3, and Nd2O3 applied by air plasma spraying and an MCrAlY bond coat applied by low pressure plasma spraying. The substrate was a single-crystal, Ni-based superalloy. The time to failure of the top coat varied from tens to hundreds of thermal cycles based on composition and spray parameters. The bond coat/top coat interface morphology and sample cross sections were examined by SEM and optical microscopy. The failure morphology following the cyclic oxidation testing will be discussed in relationship to the properties of the ceramic top coats.

Nesbit, James A.↗

NASA NTRS2009

NASA Tech Briefs, November 2009

Topics covered include: Cryogenic Chamber for Servo-Hydraulic Materials Testing; Apparatus Measures Thermal Conductance Through a Thin Sample from Cryogenic to Room Temperature; Rover Attitude and Pointing System Simulation Testbed; Desktop Application Program to Simulate Cargo-Air-Drop Tests; Multimodal Friction Ignition Tester; Small-Bolt Torque-Tension Tester; Integrated Spacesuit Audio System Enhances Speech Quality and Reduces Noise; Hardware Implementation of a Bilateral Subtraction Filter; Simple Optoelectronic Feedback in Microwave Oscillators; Small X-Band Oscillator Antennas; Free-Space Optical Interconnect Employing VCSEL Diodes; Discrete Fourier Transform Analysis in a Complex Vector Space; Miniature Scroll Pumps Fabricated by LIGA; Self-Assembling, Flexible, Pre-Ceramic Composite Preforms; Flight-speed Integral Image Analysis Toolkit; Work Coordination Engine; Multi-Mission Automated Task Invocation Subsystem; Autonomously Calibrating a Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer; Determining Spacecraft Reaction Wheel Friction Parameters; Composite Silica Aerogels Opacified with Titania; Multiplexed Colorimetric Solid-Phase Extraction; Detecting Airborne Mercury by Use of Polymer/Carbon Films; Lattice-Matched Semiconductor Layers on Single Crystalline Sapphire Substrate; Pressure-Energized Seal Rings to Better Withstand Flows; Rollerjaw Rock Crusher; Microwave Sterilization and Depyrogenation System; Quantifying Therapeutic and Diagnostic Efficacy in 2D Microvascular Images; NiF2/NaF:CaF2/Ca Solid-State High-Temperature Battery Cells; Critical Coupling Between Optical Fibers and WGM Resonators; Microwave Temperature Profiler Mounted in a Standard Airborne Research Canister; Alternative Determination of Density of the Titan Atmosphere; Solar Rejection Filter for Large Telescopes; Automated CFD for Generation of Airfoil Performance Tables; Progressive Classification Using Support Vector Machines; Active Learning with Irrelevant Examples; A Data Matrix Method for Improving the Quantification of Element Percentages of SEM/EDX Analysis; Deployable Shroud for the International X-Ray Observatory; Improved Model of a Mercury Ring Damper; Optoelectronic pH Meter: Further Details; X-38 Advanced Sublimator; and Solar Simulator Represents the Mars Surface Solar Environment.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2011

NASA Tech Briefs, May 2011

Topics covered include: 1) Method to Estimate the Dissolved Air Content in Hydraulic Fluid; 2) Method for Measuring Collimator-Pointing Sensitivity to Temperature Changes; 3) High-Temperature Thermometer Using Cr-Doped GdAlO3 Broadband Luminescence; 4)Metrology Arrangement for Measuring the Positions of Mirrors of a Submillimeter Telescope; 5) On-Wafer S-Parameter Measurements in the 325-508-GHz Band; 6) Reconfigurable Microwave Phase Delay Element for Frequency Reference and Phase-Shifter Applications; 7) High-Speed Isolation Board for Flight Hardware Testing; 8) High-Throughput, Adaptive FFT Architecture for FPGA-Based Spaceborne Data Processors; 9) 3D Orbit Visualization for Earth-Observing Missions; 10) MaROS: Web Visualization of Mars Orbiting and Landed Assets; 11) RAPID: Collaborative Commanding and Monitoring of Lunar Assets; 12) Image Segmentation, Registration, Compression, and Matching; 13) Image Calibration; 14) Rapid ISS Power Availability Simulator; 15) A Method of Strengthening Composite/Metal Joints; 16) Pre-Finishing of SiC for Optical Applications; 17) Optimization of Indium Bump Morphology for Improved Flip Chip Devices; 18) Measuring Moisture Levels in Graphite Epoxy Composite Sandwich Structures; 19) Marshall Convergent Spray Formulation Improvement for High Temperatures; 20) Real-Time Deposition Monitor for Ultrathin Conductive Films; 21) Optimized Li-Ion Electrolytes Containing Triphenyl Phosphate as a Flame-Retardant Additive; 22) Radiation-Resistant Hybrid Lotus Effect for Achieving Photoelectrocatalytic Self-Cleaning Anticontamination Coatings; 23) Improved, Low-Stress Economical Submerged Pipeline; 24) Optical Fiber Array Assemblies for Space Flight on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; 25) Local Leak Detection and Health Monitoring of Pressurized Tanks; 26) Dielectric Covered Planar Antennas at Submillimeter Wavelengths for Terahertz Imaging; 27) Automated Cryocooler Monitor and Control System; 28) Broadband Achromatic Phase Shifter for a Nulling Interferometer; 29) Super Dwarf Wheat for Growth in Confined Spaces; 30) Fine Guidance Sensing for Coronagraphic Observatories; 31) Single-Antenna Temperature- and Humidity-Sounding Microwave Receiver; 32) Multi-Wavelength, Multi-Beam, and Polarization-Sensitive Laser Transmitter for Surface Mapping; 33) Optical Communications Link to Airborne Transceiver; 34) Ascent Heating Thermal Analysis on Spacecraft Adaptor Fairings; 35) Entanglement in Self-Supervised Dynamics; 36) Prioritized LT Codes; 37) Fast Image Texture Classification Using Decision Trees; 38) Constraint Embedding Technique for Multibody System Dynamics; 39) Improved Systematic Pointing Error Model for the DSN Antennas; 40) Observability and Estimation of Distributed Space Systems via Local Information-Exchange Networks; 41) More-Accurate Model of Flows in Rocket Injectors; 42) In-Orbit Instrument-Pointing Calibration Using the Moon as a Target; 43) Reliability of Ceramic Column Grid Array Interconnect Packages Under Extreme Temperatures; 44) Six Degrees-of-Freedom Ascent Control for Small-Body Touch and Go; and 45) Optical-Path-Difference Linear Mechanism for the Panchromatic Fourier Transform Spectrometer.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1972

Reliability of hybrid microcircuit discrete components

Data accumulated during 4 years of research and evaluation of ceramic chip capacitors, ceramic carrier mounted active devices, beam-lead transistors, and chip resistors are presented. Life and temperature coefficient test data, and optical and scanning electron microscope photographs of device failures are presented and the failure modes are described. Particular interest is given to discrete component qualification, power burn-in, and procedures for testing and screening discrete components. Burn-in requirements and test data will be given in support of 100 percent burn-in policy on all NASA flight programs.

Allen, R. V.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Developments in fibrous refractory composite insulation

The development of a new insulation material for heat-shielding advanced reusable entry vehicles is reported. The material, called fibrous refractory composite insulation, is a composite of two ceramic fibers with no additional additives to bond the fibers together; it also includes silicon carbide, an emmittance agent, to improve its optical properties at high temperature. One fiber is a drawn 11-micron-diameter aluminoborosilicate fiber, the other fiber is the silica fiber (microquartz) used in producing silica RSI (reusable surface insulation for the Space Shuttle), which is a blown fiber of 1-3 micron diameter and variable length. A composition containing 20%, with a thermal shock resistance of 1.8 that of all silica insulation, has been successfully produced in a pilot plant.

Leiser, D. B.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Glass formability of high T(sub c) Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductors

A number of compositions of ceramic oxide high T(sub c) superconductors were evaluated for their glass formation ability by means of rapid thermal analysis during quenching, optical and electron microscopy of the quenched samples, and with subsequent DSC measurements. Correlations between experimental measurements and the methodical composition changes identified the formulations of superconductors that can easily form glass. The superconducting material was first formed as a glass, then with subsequent devitrification it was formed into bulk crystalline superconductor by a series of processing methods.

Kaukler, William F.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Study of the glass formation of high temperature superconductors

A number of compositions of ceramic oxide high T(sub c) superconductors were elevated for their glass formation ability by means of rapid thermal analysis during quenching, optical, and electron microscopy of the quenched samples, and with subsequent DSC measurements. Correlations between experimental measurements and the methodical composition changes identified the formulations of superconductors that can easily form glass. The superconducting material was first formed as a glass; then, with subsequent devitrification, it was formed into a bulk crystalline superconductor by a series of processing methods.

Ethridge, Edwin C.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Optical Fiber Protection

F&S Inc. developed and commercialized fiber optic and microelectromechanical systems- (MEMS) based instrumentation for harsh environments encountered in the aerospace industry. The NASA SBIR programs have provided F&S the funds and the technology to develop ruggedized coatings and coating techniques that are applied during the optical fiber draw process. The F&S optical fiber fabrication facility and developed coating methods enable F&S to manufacture specialty optical fiber with custom designed refractive index profiles and protective or active coatings. F&S has demonstrated sputtered coatings using metals and ceramics and combinations of each, and has also developed techniques to apply thin coatings of specialized polyimides formulated at NASA Langley Research Center. With these capabilities, F&S has produced cost-effective, reliable instrumentation and sensors capable of withstanding temperatures up to 800? C and continues building commercial sales with corporate partners and private funding. More recently, F&S has adapted the same sensing platforms to provide the rapid detection and identification of chemical and biological agents

Source record↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Additive Manufacturing and Working Fluid Characterization of Ceramic Heat Pipes

In this work, additively manufactured aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic heat pipes are developed to improve spacecraft heat rejection capabilities beyond the current state-of-the-art metal systems. Printed AlN parts are characterized via SEM, EDS, X-ray diffraction, optical profilometry, thermal conductivity, and emissivity testing. AlN 3D-printed parts are also tested for compatibility with aluminum bromide, aluminum chloride, and iodine, among other proposed working fluids at 500-600 K in vacuum.

Thermal management↗

NASA NTRS2026

Artemis Suit Material Optical Property Testing of Dust Exposed Fabrics

This paper highlights one aspect of NASA’s ongoing technology-infusion effort to design, fabricate, and test a next-generation outer shell fabric for a lunar Extravehicular Activity (EVA) space suit, a critical component of sustained lunar exploration. Managing thermal loads on the Moon is essential for astronaut safety and suit performance. The suit’s exterior fabric directly influences heat gain and loss through its optical properties: low solar absorptivity minimizes sunlight absorption, while high infrared emissivity aids radiative cooling. Lunar regolith complicates this balance. Its fine, abrasive particles possess unique optical behavior that can lower reflectivity and raise emissivity when embedded in or adhered to fabric surfaces, degrading thermal control and increasing the risk of overheating or cooling inefficiency. To quantify these effects, the Artemis Suit Materials (ASM) team measured solar absorptance and infrared emissivity of clean and dust-soiled Ortho Fabric, establishing beginning-of-life (BOL) and end-of-life (EOL) benchmarks. EOL conditions were simulated with a rotary tumbler abrasion process using lunar dust simulant and ceramic media to reproduce cumulative wear expected during surface operations. Tests also included unmodified fabrics and a fabric/film laminate system containing titanium dioxide to evaluate potential improvements in dust resistance and optical performance. Results from these evaluations provide critical insight into how lunar dust alters fabric thermal behavior and inform the design of bespoke suit materials that maintain required optical properties throughout mission life, supporting safe and effective long-duration EVA on the lunar surface.

space↗

NASA NTRS2026

Artemis Suit Material Optical Property Testing of Dust Exposed Fabrics

Textile↗

NASA NTRS1974

Holographic nondestructive tests performed on composite samples of ceramic-epoxy-fiberglass sandwich structure

When a hologram storing more than one wave is illuminated with coherent light, the reconstructed wave fronts interfere with each other or with any other phase-related wave front derived from the illuminating source. This multiple wave front comparison is called holographic interferometry, and its application is called holographic nondestructive testing (HNDT). The theoretical aspects of HNDT techniques and the sensitivity of the holographic system to the geometrical placement of the optical components are briefly discussed. A unique HNDT system which is mobile and possesses variable sensitivity to stress amplitude is discribed, the experimental evidence of the application of this system to the testing of the hidden debonds in a ceramic-epoxy-fiberglass structure used for sample testing of the radome of the Pershing missile system is presented.

Kurtz, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Potentially improved glasses from space environment

The benefits of processing glasses in a low-gravity space environment are examined. Containerless processing, the absence of gravity driven convection, and lack of sedimentation are seen as potential advantages. Potential applications include the formation of glass-ceramics with a high content of active elements for ferromagnetic devices, the production of ultrapure chalcogenide glasses for laser windows and IR fiber optics, and improved glass products for use in optical systems and laser fusion targets.

Nichols, R.↗

NASA NTRS2026

Investigating Dual Electrospinning as a Means of Enhancing Passive Thermal Control Coatings for Cryogenic Propellant Storage in Extraterrestrial Environments

Passive thermal control is necessary as space exploration becomes increasingly widespread. Materials with superior optical properties (high solar reflectance and infrared emittance) are critical for passive thermal control because they can reject most of the incident solar radiation and promote thermal emission from cryogenic propellant storage tanks, enabling the extraterrestrial storage of cryogens. We have demonstrated in previous studies that electrospun nanofibers exhibit exceptional optical properties, offering significant benefits for passive radiative cooling in space. Particularly, electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene PVDF-HFP nanofibers demonstrate exceptionally high solar reflectance (>99%) and strong thermal emittance (measured at ~300 K). However, they exhibit nanostructural changes in the presence of atomic oxygen, which is prevalent in Low Earth Orbit. This study focuses on creating a unique blend of polymeric (PVDF-HFP) and ceramic-based (silica) nanofibers by leveraging the chemical stability and atomic oxygen resistance of silica, using the dual electrospinning manufacturing method. This approach aims to preserve the structural properties of the polymeric counterpart without compromising its optical performance, thereby providing an innovative method for manufacturing environmentally resilient passive thermal control nanofibers with desirable optical and thermal control functionalities for extraterrestrial storage of cryogenic propellants.

Chieloka Ibekwe↗