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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 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

TMAP modeling of D release from baked multi-layer Be–D co-deposits

Single-layer Beryllium–Deuterium (Be–D) co-deposits were analyzed using Thermal Desorption mass Spectrometry (TDS) as outlined in the companion paper. This work details the TMAP modeling and the analysis of selected samples that received double-layer (DL) coatings to study co-deposit thickness and prior bake effects. Here, TDS data were simulated with detrap energies 0.8, 0.9, and 1.0 eV. In DLs formed at 393 K, modeling revealed that under-layers baked at 623 K for either 2 or 20 h had little pumping effect on over-layers, suggesting empty trap removal during bake. Extrapolated to ITER, data and analysis suggest less impact on the ongoing ITER bake efficiency than previously predicted.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Feasibility of raised inner strike point equilibria scenario in ITER for detritiation from beryllium co-deposits

Abstract In ITER, tritium retention primarily occurs through co-deposition with beryllium. To avoid exceeding the strict tritium inventory limit, efficient tritium recovery techniques are essential. Baking is the ITER baseline for tritium recovery, but its effectiveness in removing tritium from thick beryllium layers is limited. A raised strike point scenario is considered an alternative method for removing tritium from the ITER inner vertical divertor target by heating components via plasma flux. This paper presents SOLPS-ITER code simulations conducted under various conditions, assessing the divertor performance and tritium outgassing of the raised strike point scenario. As the strike point is raised, recycled neutrals are not efficiently baffled by the dome and scrape-off layer, significantly changing the neutral trajectory and ionization source distribution. This improves detachment accessibility but worsens core-edge compatibility compared to the baseline scenario. However, in the partially detached condition, the impact of raising the strike point, perpendicular transport, and q 95 on target heat flux is not significant, as it primarily scales with the input power. Target heat flux is translated to target surface temperature using a simplified heat transfer model that considers the 3D target monoblock geometry and active cooling condition, excluding Be layer thermal properties. For partially detached divertor conditions, the bulk tungsten monoblock surface temperature remains below the baking temperature, which is insufficient for efficient tritium outgassing under the actively cooled ITER divertor condition. However, considering the potential thermal contact resistance between the beryllium and tungsten layers, which may significantly impact temperature distribution, the temperature of the beryllium layer can be raised to a level sufficient for efficient tritium outgassing. Therefore, the raised strike point scenario can be considered as an alternative in-vessel tritium removal technique.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Scalability of high-performance PDE solvers

Performance tests and analyses are critical to effective high-performance computing software development and are central components in the design and implementation of computational algorithms for achieving faster simulations on existing and future computing architectures for large-scale application problems. In this article, we explore performance and space-time trade-offs for important compute-intensive kernels of large-scale numerical solvers for partial differential equations (PDEs) that govern a wide range of physical applications. We consider a sequence of PDE-motivated bake-off problems designed to establish best practices for efficient high-order simulations across a variety of codes and platforms. We measure peak performance (degrees of freedom per second) on a fixed number of nodes and identify effective code optimization strategies for each architecture. In addition to peak performance, we identify the minimum time to solution at 80% parallel efficiency. The performance analysis is based on spectral and p-type finite elements but is equally applicable to a broad spectrum of numerical PDE discretizations, including finite difference, finite volume, and h-type finite elements.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) – Illinois Rare Earth Novel Extraction and Supply (IRENES) - Report on Technology Down Select No. 1 - Acid Baking vs. Heap Leaching

An essential step for recovering rare earth and critical minerals from coal mine waste is one that achieves adequate dissolution of the target elements into a pregnant leachate solution. The simplest technical approach was thought to be heap-leaching that could proceed using mild acid dosing or naturally generated acid from biological activity. For this reason, the University of Kentucky at Lexington (UKY) undertook two efforts to evaluate feasibility, including a laboratory column leaching evaluation and a pilot heap-leaching demonstration. Later, the UK evaluated a pyrometallurgical approach using roasting combined with acid baking and tank leaching at elevated temperatures to improve extraction efficiencies. This report surveys the previously reported leaching yields and calculates the gross value of rare earth oxides as a basket in the pregnant leachate solution.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗
DOE OSTI2021

Hydride Bed Helium-3 Recovery and Partial Regeneration

Savannah River Tritium Enterprise has used LaNi 4.25 Al 0.75 (LANA75) hydride beds to store hydrogen isotopes for over two decades. A benefit of using LANA75 is that the 3He generated from tritium decay is retained in the hydride material, allowing the hydride beds to deliver high-purity product gas. A disadvantage is that the 3He accumulates in the LANA75 material over time, which forms a heel that cannot be removed under normal operating conditions. The heel traps hydrogen in the bed, slowly reducing the operational capacity of the bed as the heel grows. Eventually, the 3 He begins to release from the material, preventing the delivery of high-purity product. The hydride beds are replaced when (1) operational capacity is reduced such that it is impactive to routine operations, and/or (2) product purity is not maintained due to 3 He release.Several beds were operated beyond their design life. One of these beds was selected to undergo heating beyond its normal operating temperature to evaluate the possibility of removing a portion of the hydrogen and helium heel to improve bed function until a replacement could take place. This bake-out removed a portion of the hydrogen and helium heel, and preliminary data indicate that bake-outs may partially regenerate the beds. The bed’s performance will continue to be monitored, and additional bake-outs will likely be performed. Performing bake-outs results in increasing the recovery of 3 He, more efficient end-of-life activities (such as isotopic exchange), and extension of the useful service life of the bed.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2025

Development of advanced vacuum technologies for extending plasma pulse duration on EAST

Advanced vacuum technologies, including pumping, fueling and wall conditioning, have been successfully developed or upgraded to efficiently control the fuel and impurity particles to extend the plasma pulse duration in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST). To improve the particle exhaust rate cryopumps with a 60% increase in pumping speed and ∼2 times increase in saturation capacity have been developed, and molecular pumps with a ∼30% increase in pumping speed have been upgraded. In order to monitor the molecular pump status while avoiding bearing faults and overload accidents, a fault detection system has been built which can offer an early warning to avoid more losses within the fusion device. A series of fueling technologies have been developed including gas injection system, supersonic molecular beam injector, pellet injector (PI), massive gas injector and shattered pellet injector, installed at the midplane and divertor positions at different ports to improve fueling uniformity and efficiency. Meanwhile, routine wall conditioning such as electric and hot N 2 baking, ion cyclotron wall conditioning and glow discharge cleaning have been successfully developed to remove the impurity particles from the inner component and materials. The low Z material wall coating and real-time powder injection during plasma discharge are also designed and applied to further improve particle control capability. Finally, by using these advanced vacuum related technologies, good vacuum (<2 × 10 −6 Pa) and wall conditions are realized, and the fuel and impurity particles can be effectively and stably controlled, which promotes the achievement of the record plasma of ∼1056 s pulse duration with the line-averaged electron density of 1.8 × 10 19 m −3 on EAST. They provide a very important reference for vacuum system design and operation for future fusion devices.

EAST↗
DOE OSTI2023

Preparation of Macroscopic Low-Density Gold Foams with Good Machinability

Uniform, macroscopic monoliths (ranging from a few millimeters to a centimeter) of low-density gold foams with ~95% porosity and ~10-μm-diameter pores were prepared by the casting of gold-coated polystyrene core-shell particles followed by the thermal removal of the polymer core. The Au foams were composed of unique hollow gold spheres and showed superior mechanical integrity and resilience compared to the foams we previously reported. Highly efficient seeding and electroless gold-plating methods in this study caused a significant morphological transition in the gold coatings from coarse particles to fine particles, and finally, to a continuous layer. A modified, scalable casting approach to form large uniform monoliths (up to ~1-cm diameter) and a gentle baking condition to minimize undesirable densification of the final foams enabled us to develop a simple, efficient synthetic route to nanostructured macroscopic low-density gold foams. To demonstrate the improved mechanical stability and machinability, a representative monolithic Au foam (~0.9 g/cm 3 ) was carefully cut into the hollow cylinder of gold foams by a series of machining and processing steps. Finally, we tried to understand the unique mechanical behaviors and properties of this gold foam by nanoindentation measurement.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Decoupling of Nitrogen and Oxygen Impurities in Nitrogen Doped SRF Cavities

The performance of superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities is critical to enabling the next generation of efficient high-energy particle accelerators. Recent developments have focused on altering the surface impurity profile through \textit{in-situ} baking, furnace baking, and doping to introduce and diffuse beneficial impurities such as nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon. However, the precise role and properties of each impurity are not well understood. In this work, we attempt to disentangle the role of nitrogen and oxygen impurities through time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry of niobium samples baked at temperatures varying from 75-800 $^\circ$C with and without nitrogen injection. From these results, we developed treatments recipe that decouple the effects of oxygen and nitrogen in doping treatments. Understanding how these impurities and their underlying mechanisms drive further optimization in the tailoring of impurity profiles for high-performance SRF cavities.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multiple Beam Triode Driven RF Sources for Accelerator Applications Phase I Final Report

Calabazas Creek Research, Inc, (CCR), in collaboration with Microwave Power Products, Inc. (MPP), formerly Communications & Power Industries, LLC (CPI,) and JP Accelerator Works, Inc. (JPAW), embarked on a program to develop multiple beam triodes to produce RF power from 350 – 800 MHz with an average power exceeding 200 kW. The effort was motivated by the performance of a triode-based RF source which produces 25 kW of UHF power at 90% efficiency. The CCR effort focused on implementing this technology into a multiple beam device to increase the output power while retaining the low cost, compact size, and high efficiency. The program performed extensive simulations indicating that the goals could be achieved, and a prototype multiple beam triode was built, baked, and tested. Unfortunately, a grid to cathode short terminated the testing before the tube could generate RF power. Nevertheless, the effort demonstrated that a multiple beam triode could be designed, built, baked, and energized to high voltage. The multiple beam triode used oxide cathodes, which are only capable of pulsed operation. The multiple beam triode will be rebuilt using dispenser cathodes, which will allow high duty or continuous operation. The grids were also modified to be more robust to avoid previous issues. The MB triode will provide the beam power for RF generation. The RF is generated by surrounding the triode with input and output cavities to convert beam power to RF power. RF cavities to generate 200 kW CW at 350-450 MHz using the MB triode with dispenser cathodes was assembled during the program. The next Phase of this effort is to assemble the multiple beam triode using the subassemblies built in the Phase I program and test with the RF cavities. The Phase I program also initiated design of a higher frequency, higher power multiple beam triode. That design is forecast to produce approximately 500 kW CW from 350 - 500 MHz.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Decoupling of Nitrogen and Oxygen Impurities in Nitrogen Doped SRF Cavities

The performance of superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities is critical for enabling the next generation of efficient high-energy particle accelerators. Recent developments have focused on altering the surface impurity profile through \textit{in-situ} baking, furnace baking, and doping to introduce and diffuse beneficial impurities such as nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon. However, the precise role and properties of each impurity are not well understood. In this work, we attempt to disentangle the role of nitrogen and oxygen impurities through time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry using niobium cavity cutouts baked at temperatures varying from 120-800$^\circ$C with and without nitrogen injection. Understanding the underlying mechanisms behind these impurities will drive further optimization in the tailoring of nitrogen and oxygen profiles for high-performance SRF cavities.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-order algorithmic developments and optimizations for large-scale GPU-accelerated simulations (Milestone CEED-MS36)

The goal of this milestone was to improve the high-order software ecosystem for CEED-enabled ECP applications by making progress on efficient matrix-free kernels targeting forthcoming ECP architectures. These kernels included matrix-free preconditioning and the development of new set of CEED solver bake-off problems. As part of this milestone, we also released the next version of the CEED software stack, CEED-4.0, reported on results from several application collaborations, and documented the efforts of porting to AMD GPUs for Frontier and other modern architectures, such as Fugaku. The specific tasks addressed in this milestone were: (1) Port and run CEED benchmarks/miniapps on Frontier EA systems; (2) Demonstrate performant libCEED integration in MFEM, Nek and applications; (3) Matrix-free preconditioning of high-order operators; (4) Benchmark problems for fast high-order solvers on GPU platforms; and (5) Public release of CEED-4.0. The artifacts delivered include the next version of the CEED software stack, CEED-4.0, the next libCEED release, libCEED-0.8, and a number of developments integrated within applications to improve their GPU and CPU performance and capabilities. See the CEED website, https://ceed.exascaleproject.org and the CEED GitHub organization, https://github.com/ceed for more details.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Bismuth-oxo Clusters for Next Generation Extreme Ultraviolet Light Photolithography

Photolithography is the primary technique used for the patterning of semiconducting materials for chip manufacturing; however, as requisite pattern dimensions and feature sizes continue to decrease, state-of-the-art lithographic methods now require the use of 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light. The shift toward these higher energy wavelengths of light has resulted in a need for new single component materials, with high EUV absorption cross sections and high etch resistance. Herein, we report the exploration of Bi 9 O 7 (hfac) 13 as the first bismuth oxo cluster based EUV photoresist. It was determined this material has an exceptional EUV linear absorption coefficient (24 μm –1 ), nearly an order of magnitude larger than commercially available chemically amplified resists (CARs) (∼5 μm –1 ). Additionally, the resist was determined to be highly sensitive to EUV exposure and displayed a dose-to-gel of 10 mJ/cm 2 , undergoing ligand decomposition during exposure and cross-linking during the postexposure bake, which was supported by FTIR and residual gas analysis. In conclusion, this class of bismuth-oxo cluster resists can lead to the development of more efficient, effective and safe EUV resist materials required for next-generation photolithography.

MacKenzie, Harvey K. [Univ. of Victoria, BC (Canad↗
DOE OSTI2023

AN ACID BAKING APPROACH TO ENHANCE RARE EARTH ELEMENT RECOVERY FROM BITUMINOUS COAL SOURCES

Rare earth elements (REE) are a group of 17 elements typically classified as light and heavy rare earth elements, which play a crucial role in developing the latest technologies for energy, defense, and medical sectors. Even though REEs have been found in more than 200 minerals, only bastnaesite, monazite and xenotime are commercially exploited for REE extraction. However, the recent exponential increase in REE demand has spurred countries such as the United States into research for the extraction of REEs from secondary sources such as coal, acid mine drainage, and coal ash. Several coal sources (e.g., Fire Clay seam coal) across the United States have been identified to contain elevated concentrations of rare earth elements (>600 ppm), and various researchers have investigated the feasibility of both physical and hydrometallurgical extraction techniques for rare earth concentration and subsequent extraction. However, both physical and direct leaching were concluded to be inefficient for RE beneficiation and extraction due to low recoveries. Alternatively, thermal treatment provides promising means for RE recovery from bituminous coal sources. The positive impact of thermal treatment/calcination was established to be due to the decarbonization and dehydroxylation of the clays, which released entrapped rare earth elements within the dominant minerals and converted them into an acid-soluble form. Nonetheless, the improvement in recovery was limited to the light REEs (LREEs) with an insignificant increase in the heavy REEs (HREE). It was demonstrated that the light and heavy REEs in the material were associated with difficult-to-leach minerals such as monazite, xenotime, and zircon, which were not decomposed by simple calcination due to their high thermal stability. Hence, roasting in the presence of chemicals was necessary to ensure the decomposition of those REE-containing minerals. As such, this study was focused on the acid baking treatment of bituminous coals with an aim to enhance REE recovery, especially HREEs. Based on the presence of REE minerals like monazite and xenotime, three pre-leach treatment methods, i.e., 1) roasting, 2) direct acid baking, and 3) acid baking after roasting were investigated. Roasting tests at 600 ⁰C revealed that the recovery of light REEs (LREEs) was enhanced while the recovery of HREEs remained relatively unaffected. LREE and HREE recovery values of 38.3% and 21.3%, respectively, were achieved using a 50 g/L sulfuric acid solution at 5% solid concentration and a solution temperature of 75 ⁰C for 2 hours. Comparatively, direct acid baking at 250 °C provided substantial increased LREE and HREE recovery values to approximately 49.4% and 53.0%, respectively, using an equivalent acid dosage. Recoveries were maximized to 77.0% and 79.6% for LREE and HREE, respectively, by roasting followed by acid baking. Similar results were obtained from the treatment of a second bituminous coal source. Due to strong correlations between REE and Al recovery values, tests were performed on kaolinite and illite, which were prominent clay minerals within the source coals. These experiments revealed that the REE recovery improvements were likely a result of dehydroxylation of clays and subsequent release and decomposition of REE-bearing minerals such as monazite, xenotime and zircon. Subsequently, a parametric study was conducted to identify the impact of acid baking parameters on rare earth element recovery. The factors investigated using a three-level statistical experimental program were acid baking time, acid solution concentration, baking temperature, and acid solution-to-solids ratio which were found to significantly impact REE and contaminant element (Al, Fe, and Ca) recovery. An increase in baking temperature up to around 250 ⁰C improved the light and heavy REE recovery values by more than 50 absolute percentage points relative to performances achieved when direct leaching. As aforementioned, acid baking was needed to both decompose the clay minerals and liberate the REE minerals, which allowed access for the acid to solubilize the REEs. Acid concentration of the solution used for acid baking was studied as a means of minimizing the amount of acid needed to achieve a target REE recovery. However, thermo-gravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analysis (TGA-DSC) of sulfuric acid under oxidizing atmosphere revealed that the addition of water decreased the evaporation temperature, which explains the lower REE recovery values obtained when using acid concentrations less than 100%. Using pure sulfuric acid at an acid-to-solid ratio of 0.8:1 resulted in recovery values of around 70% for both LREEs and HREEs. The decomposition reaction time was relatively quick with 65% of the TREEs recovered within the first 10 minutes. Following the identification of optimum operating conditions through the parametric study, a systematic leaching study was carried out to examine the impact of leaching parameters, such as solid-to-liquid (S/L) ratio, temperature, and time, on REE recovery using acid baking conditions of 1:1 acid to solids ratio at 250 °C for 30 minutes. The solid-to-liquid ratio was varied from 1-20% by weight at 25 °C, 50 °C, and 75 °C solution temperatures. The results indicated that reaction time and solution temperature considerably impacted the recovery of heavy and light REEs. Interestingly, LREE recovery reduced from 68% at 5% S/L to 58% at 20%S/L, whereas HREE recovery of 78% remained unaffected. The decrease in the LREE recovery was determined to be due to La and Ce precipitation, likely through isomorphic substitution with calcium in gypsum. The kinetic data indicated that 67% LREE and 77% HREE recovery could be obtained within the first 15 minutes of the reaction, suggesting fast reaction kinetics. Furthermore, raising the solution temperature from 25 °C to 75 °C increased the LREE and HREE recovery from 60% and 32% to 67% and 79%, respectively. The kinetic modeling results demonstrated that the rate-limiting step in the LREE dissolution was diffusion and chemical reaction, whereas the HREE extraction was controlled by only chemical reaction. The leaching study concluded that using 20% S/L at 75 °C for 15 minutes maximized LREE and HREE recovery. The lab-scale precipitation study showed that Fe and Al in solution could be removed at pH 4.5 followed by REE precipitation at pH 6.0 using 6 mol/L NaOH. Finally, the bench-scale data was used to develop a process flowsheet for REE recovery from low-grade bituminous coal sources using acid baking. Finally, based on the proposed flowsheet, a concentrated RE-cake obtained through selective precipitation at pH 6.5 was re-leached using HCl at pH 1.5. The resultant leachate was used to identify the impact of various operating parameters on REE recovery and purity with an aim to maximize REE precipitation efficiency while minimizing the oxalic acid dosage. The operating parameters for this investigation were oxalic acid dosage, iron (III) contamination, solution pH and temperature. The resultant model suggested that oxalic acid dosage and reaction pH are the most significant factors for the REE precipitation efficiency, followed by the interaction of oxalic dosage and Fe concentration. Test results indicated that increasing the oxalic acid concentration from 0g/L to 80g/L improved the REE precipitation efficiency from approximately 4.2% to 95.0%. Furthermore, raising the solution pH from 0.5 to 2.5 considerably enhanced the precipitation efficiency from 0.0% to 98.9%. A solution temperature elevation decreased REE recovery, which indicated an exothermic reaction between REEs and oxalate anions. Finally, a high level of Fe contamination adversely impacted REE precipitation efficiency. The speciation analysis revealed that the dominant iron species in the solution system were Fe-(C₂O₄)₃³⁻, Fe-(C₂O₄)²⁻, and Fe-(C₂O₄)⁺, which consumed the majority of the oxalate anions

rare earth elements, acid baking, high-temperature↗
DOE OSTI2025

Optimizing Material Selection and Operational Conditions for XHV Systems: Lessons from AISI 1020 and 316L Comparative Studies

In this study, AISI 1020 low-carbon steel is investigated as a cost-effective alternative to SS316 stainless steel for reaching extreme high vacuum (XHV) conditions. After being baked at 400°C, a vacuum chamber made of the low-carbon steel material exhibited an outgassing rate approximately 2000 times smaller than a similar chamber made of stainless steel. Its activation energy for hydrogen diffusion (27 kJ/mol) is less than half that of stainless steel (60.3 kJ/mol), indicating more efficient hydrogen removal during bakeout. MolFlow+ simulations supported the experimental data and demonstrated the importance of system geometry optimization and minimizing stainless steel content for achieving optimal vacuum performance. AISI 1020's magnetic properties, typically considered disadvantageous for accelerator applications, could benefit spin-polarized electron sources by shielding photocathodes from stray fields while simultaneously providing improved vacuum through reduced outgassing. To optimize AISI 1020's performance in XHV systems, practical considerations include pre-baking protocols and careful system design to minimize stainless steel components.

Al-Allaq, Aiman H.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Simulations of short-term exposure to NO 2 and PM 2.5 to inform capture efficiency standards

The California building code requires all new or renovated residential dwelling units to have kitchen exhaust ventilation to manage air pollutants and moisture generated during cooking. Current performance requirements are specified as a minimum airflow and maximum sound level. This report presents an analysis to support consideration of adding a capture efficiency requirement to the code. The analysis uses a physics-based simulation model to calculate air pollutant concentrations in homes that result from cooking and the inflow of outdoor air, mediated by loss and removal process including deposition, dwelling unit ventilation, and the use of a range hood with varying levels of capture efficiency. Calculated pollutant concentrations are compared to relevant, health-based guidelines. The analysis considers the highest 1-hour concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), which is a product of natural gas combustion and the highest 24-hour concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) which is emitted in substantial quantities from frying, broiling and grilling among other cooking activities. For NO 2 , the analysis considers cooking of a dinner for 3-4 persons consisting of pasta, meat sauce, a par-boiled vegetable, and baked garlic bread. For PM 2.5 , the analysis considers a day in which breakfast emitted particles at the 80th percentile and lunch and dinner entailed particle emissions at the 50th percentile of cooking emission events reported in the literature. Model simulations were performed to determine the level of range hood capture efficiency that will allow these cooking scenarios to occur in the vast majority (>99%) of new homes being built in California while maintaining pollutant concentrations below the health-based guidelines, if the range hood is used throughout cooking. All homes were assumed to have dwelling unit ventilation at the rate required in the building code. Simulation model input parameters were specified using a Monte Carlo approach to represent a range of housing characteristics, outdoor conditions, and indoor pollutant dynamics. Simulation results suggest that requiring a minimum capture efficiency of at least 70% is needed to avoid unacceptably high NO 2 (1-h average concentration of 100 ppb or higher) and at least 60% to avoid unacceptably high PM 2.5 (24-h average of 25 μg/m³ or higher). These results were driven by multi-family homes, which have a smaller volume of air to dilute any pollutants not captured and removed at the cooking area, resulting in higher concentrations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Preparation of Mechanically Robust, Macroscopic Low-Density Gold Foams by Highly Efficient Electroless Gold Plating

Mechanically robust, macroscopic-sized low-density gold foams with unique morphology of hollow gold shells were prepared by the synthesis of gold-coated polystyrene coreshell particles followed by thermal removal of the polymer core. Here, we reported a simple, highly efficient electroless gold plating procedure to form ultrathin, conformal gold coatings on the surface of polystyrene particles. A modified, scalable casting approach to form uniform, large monoliths (up to 1 cm diameter) and a baking condition to minimize undesirable densification of final foams were also developed. To demonstrate the mechanical stability and integrity of the Au foams, a representative monolithic sample (~0.9 g/ cm3 ) was successfully cut and shaped into a gold foam “washer” by a series of precision machining and processing. A depth-sensing indentation test (nanoindentation) as well as characterizations on other useful properties such as surface areas and electrical conductivity of the Au foams were carried out to understand the mechanical behavior and potential applicability.

Electroless Gold Plating↗
DOE OSTI2022

Exploration of methods to remove implanted 210 Pb and 210 Po contamination from silicon surfaces

Radioactive contaminants on the surfaces of detector components can be a problematic source of background events for physics experiments searching for rare processes. Exposure to radon is a specific concern because it can result in the relatively long-lived 210 Pb (and progeny) being implanted to significant subsurface depths such that removal is challenging. Here, in this article, we present results from a broad exploration of cleaning treatments to remove implanted 210 Pb and 210 Po contamination from silicon, which is a material frequently used in rare-events searches. We demonstrate for the first time that heat treatments (“baking”) can effectively mitigate such surface contamination, with a 1200 °C bake resulting in a 97$^{+2}_{-3}$% reduction. We also report results using wet-chemistry and plasma-based methods, which show that etching can be highly effective provided the etch depth is sufficiently aggressive. Our survey of cleaning methods suggests consideration of multiple approaches during the different phases of detector construction to enable greater flexibility for efficient removal of 210 Pb and 210 Po surface contamination.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Investigation of the silicon coated film characteristics on tungsten surface in EAST fusion device

Siliconization using 10 % SiD 4 + 90 % He assisted by ion cyclotron range of frequency discharge (ICRF) or glow discharge (GD) was performed in EAST with full tungsten (W) diverters. It was found that the coated Si film on W sample at a higher baking temperature (160 °C) was smoother than that at a lower baking temperature (60 °C). This was mainly because physically adsorbed gaseous impurities were released at a higher baker temperature. This process improved the adhesion between the film and the surface of W. An increase in the ICRF working power from 20 kW to 40 kW further increased the Si content and the film thickness by 1.5 times. The cleaning efficiency of ICRF on the surface of the W sample before siliconization was higher at 40 kW than that at 20 kW, which facilitated the removal of oxides and other compounds from the surface of W. The ratio of silicon/oxygen (Si/O) and the thickness improved considerably due to greater ionization and deposition of SiD 4 . Additionally, siliconization via GD was more uniform and 1.5 nm thicker than that via ICRF, which was because of the greater working gas pressure, coating duration, and homogeneity in GD. These results might be used as a reference for evaluating the effect of siliconization on plasma performance and its application in fusion devices.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗