Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “vanadium”

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.

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

At least 163 records · Page 9

An electrochemical rebalance cell for Redox systems

An electrochemical rebalance cell for maintaining electrochemical balance, at the system level, of the acidified aqueous iron chloride and chromium chloride reactant solutions in the redox energy storage system was constructed and evaluated. The electrochemical reaction for the cathode is Fe(+3) + e(-) yields Fe(+2), and that for the anode is 1/2H2 yields H(+) + e(-). The iron (carbon felt) electrode and the hydrogen (platinized carbon) electrode are separated by an anion exchange membrane. The performance of the rebalance cell is discussed as well as the assembly of a single rebalance cell and multicell stacks. Various cell configurations were tested and the results are presented and discussed. The rebalance cell was also used to demonstrate its ability, as a preparative tool, for making high purity solutions of soluble reduced metal ionic species. Preparations of titanium, copper, vanadium and chromium ions in acidified solutions were evaluated.

Acevedo, J. C.↗

Combustion system processes leading to corrosive deposits

Degradation of turbine engine hot gas path components by high temperature corrosion can usually be associated with deposits even though other factors may also play a significant role. The origins of the corrosive deposits are traceable to chemical reactions which take place during the combustion process. In the case of hot corrosion/sulfidation, sodium sulfate was established as the deposited corrosive agent even when none of this salt enters the engine directly. The sodium sulfate is formed during the combustion and deposition processes from compounds of sulfur contained in the fuel as low level impurities and sodium compounds, such as sodium chloride, ingested with intake air. In other turbine and power generation situations, corrosive and/or fouling deposits can result from such metals as potassium, iron, calcium, vanadium, magnesium, anad silicon. Previously announced in STAR as N81-23243

Stearns, C. A.↗

Preparation and evaluation of advanced catalysts for phosphoric acid fuel cells

The platinum electrocatalysts were characterized for their crystallite sizes and the degree of dispersion on the carbon supports. One application of these electrocatalysts was for anodic oxidation of hydrogen in hot phosphoric acid fuel cells, coupled with the influence of low concentrations of carbon monoxide in the fuel gas stream. In a similar way, these platinum on carbon electrocatalysts were evaluated for oxygen reduction in hot phosphoric acid. Binary noble metal alloys were prepared for anodic oxidation of hydrogen and noble metal-refractory metal mixtures were prepared for oxygen reduction. An exemplar alloy of platinum and palladium (50/50 atom %) was discovered for anodic oxidation of hydrogen in the presence of carbon monoxide, and patent disclosures were submitted. For the cathode, platinum-vanadium alloys were prepared showing improved performance over pure platinum. Preliminary experiments on electrocatalyst utilization in electrode structures showed low utilization of the noble metal when the electrocatalyst loading exceeded one weight percent on the carbon.

Stonehart, P.↗

An evaluation of candidate oxidation resistant materials

Ground based testing of materials considered for Kapton solar array blanket protection, graphite epoxy structural member protection, and high temperature radiators was performed in an RF plasma asher. Ashing rates for Kapton were correlated with rates measured on STS-8 to determine the exposure time equivalent to one year in low Earth orbit (LEO) at a constant density space station orbital flux. Protective coatings on Kapton from Tekmat, Andus Corporation, and LeRC were evaluated in the plasma asher and mass loss rates per unit area were measured for each sample. All samples evaluated provided some protection to the underlying surface but ion beam sputter deposited samples of SiO2 and SiO2 with 8% polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) showed no evidence of degradation after 47 hours of exposure. Mica paint was evaluated as a protective coating for graphite epoxy structural members. Mica appears to be resistant to attack by atomic oxygen but only offers some limited protection as a paint because the paint vehicles evaluated to date were not resistant to atomic oxygen. Four materials were selected for evaluation as candidate radiator materials: stainless steel, copper, niobium-1% zirconium, and titanium-6% aluminum-4% vanadium. These materials were surface textured by various means to improve their emittance. Emittances as high as 0.93 at 2.5 microns for stainless steel and 0.89 at 2.5 microns for Nb-1 Zr were obtained from surface texturing. There were no significant changes in emittance after asher exposure.

Rutledge, Sharon↗

High temperature radiator materials for applications in the low Earth orbital environment

Radiators must be constructed of materials which have high emittance in order to efficiently radiate heat from high temperature space power systems. In addition, if these radiators are to be used for applications in the low Earth orbital environment, they must not be detrimentally affected by exposure to atomic oxygen. Four materials selected as candidate radiator materials (304 stainless steel, copper, titanium-6% aluminum-4% vanadium (Ti-6%Al-4%V), and niobium-1% zirconium (Nb-1%Zr)) were surface modified by acid etching, heat treating, abrading, sputter texturing, electrochemical etching, and combinations of the above in order to improve their emittance. Combination treatment techniques with heat treating as the second treatment provided about a factor of two improvement in emittance for 304 stainless steel, Ti-6%Al-4%V, and Nb-1%Zr. A factor of three improvement in emittance occurred for discharge chamber sputter textured copper. Exposure to atomic oxygen in an RF plasma asher did not significantly change the emittance of those samples that had been heat treated as part of their texturing process. An evaluation of oxygen penetration is needed to understand how oxidation affects the mechanical properties of these materials when heat treated.

Rutledge, Sharon K.↗

Behavior of insoluble particles during parabolic flight solidification processing of Fe-C-Si and Fe-C-V alloys

In a high-g rapid solidification environment, Fe-base alloy insoluble particles at the solidification interface may be pushed ahead of the interface or may be trapped in the solid, depending on the correlation of various interface energies, the solidification rates, and the Stokes force; particle agglomeration due to buoyancy-driven convection further complicates the problem. Attention is presently given to results obtained for directionally solidified Fe-C-Si and Fe-C-V alloys during parabolic low-g flight and ground experiments. In these systems, graphite and vanadium carbide can be considered to be the insoluble particles.

Stefanescu, D. M.↗

An ab initio study on (C5H5V)2C8H8

The bonding in the organometalic compound nu-(eta exp 5-(cyclooctatetraene) bis (eta exp 2 cyclopentadienyl) vanadium) involves a complex mixture of metal-metal and metal-ligand contributions. Although there is a direct V-V 3d interaction it is not as strong as a double bond with some triple bond character as has been suggested based upon experiment. The balance between metal-metal and metal-ligand bonding results in the appearance of a low-lying triplet state which retains the V-V 3d bonding. A small singlet-triplet separation is consistent with the change in magnetic properties with temperature.

Luthi, Hans P.↗

Power sources for search and rescue 406 MHz beacons

The results of a study directed at the selection of a commercially available, safe, low cost, light weight and long storage life battery for search and rescue (Sarsat) 406 MHz emergency beacons are presented. In the course of this work, five electrochemical systems (lithium-manganese dioxide, lithium-carbon monofluoride, lithium-silver vanadium oxide, alkaline cells, and cadmium-mercuric oxide) were selected for limited experimental studies to determine their suitability for this application. Two safe, commercially available batteries (lithium-manganese dioxide and lithium-carbon monofluoride) which meet the near term requirements and several alternatives for the long term were identified.

Attia, Alan I.↗

Advanced thermal barrier coating systems

Current state-of-the-art thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems consist of partially stabilized zirconia coatings plasma sprayed over a MCrAlY bond coat. Although these systems have excellent thermal shock properties, they have shown themselves to be deficient for a number of diesel and aircraft applications. Two ternary ceramic plasma coatings are discussed with respect to their possible use in TBC systems. Zirconia-ceria-yttria (ZCY) coatings were developed with low thermal conductivities, good thermal shock resistance and improved resistance to vanadium containing environments, when compared to the baseline yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings. In addition, dense zirconia-titania-yttria (ZTY) coatings were developed with particle erosion resistance exceeding conventional stabilized zirconia coatings. Both coatings were evaluated in conjunction with a NiCr-Al-Co-Y2O3 bond coat. Also, multilayer or hybrid coatings consisting of the bond coat with subsequent coatings of zirconia-ceria-yttria and zirconia-titania-yttria were evaluated. These coatings combine the enhanced performance characteristics of ZCY with the improved erosion resistance of ZTY coatings. Improvement in the erosion resistance of the TBC system should result in a more consistent delta T gradient during service. Economically, this may also translate into increased component life simply because the coating lasts longer.

Dorfman, M. R.↗

Hydrogen permeation, diffusion and solubility in IN-100 and Waspaloy

An attempt has been made to determine the permeation rate of hydrogen in IN-100 and Waspaloy by determining the evolution rate of hydrogen from a closed capsule of the test materials. Enclosed vanadium hydride was the source of hydrogen in the capsule. The presentation discusses the treatment of data and assesses the validity of the techniques in permeation measurement. In addition to permeation experiments, the solubility and diffusion of hydrogen in IN-100 and Waspaloy were also determined. For hydrogen diffusion in Waspaloy, Delta H was 38.5 kJ and D(0) was 0.0026 sq cm/sec. For IN-100, Delta H was 68.2 kJ and D(0) was 0.059 sq cm /sec. Both IN-100 and Waspaloy exhibited limited solubility of hydrogen at pressures up to 340 atmospheres hydrogen.

Khan, A. S.↗

Investigation of new semiinsulating behavior of III-V compounds

The investigation of defect interactions and properties related to semiinsulating behavior of III-V semiconductors resulted in about twenty original publications, six doctoral thesis, one masters thesis and numerous conference presentations. The studies of new compensation mechanisms involving transition metal impurities have defined direct effects associated with deep donor/acceptor levels acting as compensating centers. Electrical and optical properties of vanadium and titanium levels were determined in GaAs, InP and also in ternary compounds InGaAs. The experimental data provided basis for the verification of chemical trends and the VRBE method. They also defined compositional range for III-V mixed crystals whereby semiinsulating behavior can be achieved using transition elements deep levels and a suitable codoping with shallow donor/acceptor impurities.

Lagowski, Jacek↗

Radioactivities of Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) materials: Baggage and bonanzas

Radioactivities in materials onboard the returned Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) satellite were studied by a variety of techniques. Among the most powerful is low-background Ge-semiconductor detector gamma-ray spectrometry, illustrated here by results obtained at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's (LBL) Low Background Facilities. The observed radioactivities are of two origins: those radionuclides produced by nuclear reactions with the radiation field in orbit, and radionuclides present initially as 'contaminants' in materials used for construction of the spacecraft and experimental assemblies. In the first category are experiment-related monitor foils and tomato seeds, and such spacecraft materials as aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium. In the second category are aluminum, beryllium, titanium, vanadium, and some special glasses.

Smith, Alan R.↗

Gamma ray spectrometry of LDEF samples at SRL

A total of 31 samples from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), including materials of aluminum, vanadium, and steel trunnions were analyzed by ultra-low-level gamma spectrometry. The study quantified particle induced activations of Na-22, Sc-46, Cr-51, Mn-54, Co-56, Co-57, Co-58, and Co-60. The samples of trunnion sections exhibited increasing activity toward the outer end of the trunnion and decreasing activity toward its radial center. The trunnion sections did not include end pieces, which were reported to collect noticeable Be-7 on their leading surfaces. No significant Be-7 was detected in the samples analyzed.

Winn, Willard G.↗

Nonequilibrium synthesis of NbAl3 and Nb-Al-V alloys by laser cladding. II - Oxidation behavior

Isothermal oxidation behaviors of NbAl3 alloy synthesized by laser cladding were investigated at temperatures between 800 and 1400 C, and the effect of vanadium microalloying on the oxidation of the laser-clad alloy was examined. The oxidation kinetics of the two alloys were monitored using thermal gravimetric weight gain data, and the bulk and surface chemistries were analyzed using XRD and XPS, respectively. It was found that NbAl3 did not form an exclusive layer of protective Al2O3. The oxidation products at 800 C were found to be a mixture of Nb2O5 and Al2O3. At 1200 C, a mixture of NbAlO4, Nb2O5, and Al2O3 formed; and at 1400 C, a mixture of NbAlO4, Al2O3, NbO2, NbO(2.432), and Nb2O5 formed. The addition of V led to a dramatic increase of the oxidation rate, which may be related to the formation of (Nb, V)2O5 and VO2, which grows in preference to protective Al2O3.

Haasch, R. T.↗

The Corrosion Protection of Metals by Ion Vapor Deposited Aluminum

A study of the corrosion protection of substrate metals by ion vapor deposited aluminum (IVD Al) coats has been carried out. Corrosion protection by both anodized and unanodized IVD Al coats has been investigated. Base metals included in the study were 2219-T87 Al, 7075-T6 Al, Titanium-6 Al-4 Vanadium (Ti-6Al-4V), 4130 steel, D6AC steel, and 4340 steel. Results reveal that the anodized IVD Al coats provide excellent corrosion protection, but good protection is also achieved by IVD Al coats that have not been anodized.

Danford, M. D.↗

Application of hard coatings to substrates at low temperatures

BIRL, the industrial research laboratory of Northwestern University, has conducted unique and innovative research, under sponsorship from the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), in the application of hard, wear resistant coatings to bearing steels using the high-rate reactive sputtering (HRRS) process that was pioneered by Dr. William Sproul, the principal investigator on this program. Prior to this program, Dr. Sproul had demonstrated that it is possible to apply hard coatings such as titanium nitride (TiN) to alloy steels at low temperatures via the HRRS process without changing the metallurgical properties of the steel. The NASA MSFC program at BIRL had the specific objectives to: apply TiN to 440C stainless steel without changing the metallurgical properties of the steel; prepare rolling contact fatigue (RCF) test samples coated with binary hard coatings of TiN, zirconium nitride (ZrN), hafnium nitride (HfN), chromium nitride (CrN), and molybdenum nitride (MoN), and metal coatings of copper (Cu) and gold (Au); and develop new alloyed hard coatings of titanium aluminum nitride (Ti(0.5)Al(0.5)N), titanium zirconium nitride (Ti(0.5)Zr(0.5)N), and titanium aluminum vanadium nitride.

Sproul, William D.↗

Materials for efficient high-flux magnetic bearing actuators

Magnetic bearings have demonstrated the capability for achieving positioning accuracies at the nanometer level in precision motion control stages. This makes possible the positioning of a wafer in six degrees of freedom with the precision necessary for photolithography. To control the position of an object at the nanometer level, a model of the magnetic bearing actuator force-current-airgap relationship must be accurately obtained. Additionally, to reduce thermal effects the design of the actuator should be optimized to achieve maximum power efficiency and flux density. Optimization of the actuator is accomplished by proper pole face sizing and utilizing a magnetic core material which can be magnetized to the highest flux density with low magnetic loss properties. This paper describes the construction of a magnetic bearing calibration fixture designed for experimental measurement of the actuator force characteristics. The results of a material study that review the force properties of nickel-steel, silicon-steel, and cobalt-vanadium-iron, as they apply to magnetic bearing applications are also presented.

Williams, M. E.↗

Porous Silica Sol-Gel Glasses Containing Reactive V2O5 Groups

Porous silica sol-gel glasses into which reactive vanadium oxide functional groups incorporated exhibit number of unique characteristics. Because they bind molecules of some species both reversibly and selectively, useful as chemical sensors or indicators or as scrubbers to remove toxic or hazardous contaminants. Materials also oxidize methane gas photochemically: suggests they're useful as catalysts for conversion of methane to alcohol and for oxidation of hydrocarbons in general. By incorporating various amounts of other metals into silica sol-gel glasses, possible to synthesize new materials with broad range of new characteristics.

Stiegman, Albert E.↗