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Results for “selective leaching”

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
NASA NTRS1984

The chemical durability of tektites - A laboratory study and correlation with long-term corrosion behavior

Leach tests carried out on tektite specimens (indochinites and australites) under high-dilution conditions show a common behavior characterized by low leach rates (0.00018 g/sq m per d, or 7.2 x 10 to the -12th m/d at 23 C) and an activation energy of (79,600 + or - 700 J/mol). The extent of selective leaching is very small, of the order of 10 to the -8th m. Extrapolation of test results over the lifetime of the tektites gives an excellent agreement with field observations on the extent of corrosion, and this is an important step in establishing the validity of laboratory tests as a basis for the development of models and predictions concerning long-term durabilities at least in the limiting case of high dilution or rapid flow. The results are also shown to be in agreement with various previous observations on the corrosion resistance of tektites. The chemical durability of tektites is observed to be consistent with their composition, highlighting requirements of high corrosion resistance in glasses; these requirements include a silica content in excess of 67 mol percent, an extremely low water content, and an alkali content which is low both absolutely and relative to the di- and poly-valent metal oxide levels. It is shown that artificial glasses which fulfil these criteria are no less corrosion-resistant than the corresponding natural glasses. These conclusions have bearing on the development, as well as on the evaluation, of glasses intended for very long service, such as radioactive waste vitrification media.

Barkatt, A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Formation of Fe/Mg Smectite Under Mildly Acidic Conditions on Early Mars

The detection of Fe/Mg smectites and carbonate in Noachian and early Hesperian terrain of Mars has been used to suggest that neutral to mildly alkaline conditions prevailed during the early history of Mars. However, if early Mars was neutral to moderately alkaline with a denser CO2 atmosphere than today, then large carbonates deposits should be more widely detected in Noachian terrain. The critical question is: Why have so few carbonate deposits been detected compared to Fe/Mg smectites? We suggest that Fe/Mg smectites on early Mars formed under mildly acidic conditions, which would inhibit the extensive formation of carbonate deposits. The goal of this work is to evaluate the formation of Fe/Mg smectites under mildly acidic conditions. The stability of smectites under mildly acidic conditions is attributed to elevated Fe/Mg activities that inhibit smectite dissolution. Beidelite and saponite have been shown to form from hydrothermal alteration of basaltic glass at pH 3.5-4.0 in seawater solutions. Nontronite is also known to be stable in mildly acidic systems associated with mafic and ultramafic rock. Nontronite was shown to form in acid sulfate soils in the Bangkok Plain, Thailand due to oxidation of Fe-sulfides that transformed saponite to nontronite. Smectite is known to transform to kaolinite in naturally acid soils due to selective leaching of Mg. However, if Mg removal is limited, then based on equilibrium relationships, the dissolution of smectite should be minimized. If Fe and Mg solution activities are sufficiently high, such as might be found in a low water/rock ratio system that is poorly drained, smectite could form and remain stable under mildly acidic conditions on Mars. The sources of mild acidity on early Mars includes elevated atmospheric CO2 levels, Fe-hydrolysis reactions, and the presence of volcanic SO2 aerosols. Equilibrium calculations dictate that water equilibrated with an early Mars CO2 atmosphere at 1 to 4 bar yields a pH of 3.6 to 3.9. Fe hydrolysis reactions on Mars is another source of protons that would have contributed to acidity. The presence of SO2 from volcanic processes could also have contributed to geochemical acidification. These sources of acidity competed with base-forming cations that resulted in mildly acidic solutions that were not favorable for carbonate formation but may have allowed for Fe/Mg smectite formation. Noachian to early Hesperian Mars could have been mildly acidic, allowing Fe/Mg smectite formation but preventing widespread carbonate deposition. This paradigm shift from an early Mars that was neutral-alkaline to mildly acidic may possibly explain why there is a disparity between the occurrence of carbonate and Fe/Mg smectites. Potential microbiological activity would not be eliminated under a mildly acidic Mars; however, there could be tighter constraints as to the type and species of microbiology that could exist.

Sutter, Brad↗
NASA NTRS1983

Study of LANDSAT-D thematic mapper performance as applied to hydrocarbon exploration

Improved delineation of known oil and gas fields in southern Ontario and a spectacularly high amount of structural information on the Owl Creek, Wyoming scene were obtained from analysis of TM data. The use of hue, saturation, and value image processing techniques on a Death Valley, California scene permitted direct comparison of TM processed imagery with existing 1:250,000 scale geological maps of the area and revealed small outcrops of Tertiary volcanic material overlying Paleozoic sections. Analysis of TM data over Lawton, Oklahoma suggests that the reducing chemical environment associated with hydrocarbon seepage change ferric iron to soluble ferrous iron, allowing it to be leached. Results of the band selection algorithm show a suprising consistency, with the 1,4,5 combination selected as optimal in most cases.

Everett, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1986

A metallurgical route to solar-grade silicon

The aim of the process is to produce silicon for crystallization into ingots that can be sliced to wafers for processing into photovoltaic cells. If the potential purity can be realized, the silicon will also be applicable for ribbon pulling techniques where the purification during crystallization is negligible. The process consists of several steps: selection and purification of raw materials, carbothermic reduction of silica, ladle treatment, casting, crushing, leaching, and melting. The leaching step is crucial for high purity, and the obtainable purity is determined by the solidification before leaching. The most difficult specifications to fulfill are the low contents of boron, phosphorus, and carbon. Boron and phosphorus can be excluded from the raw materials, but the carbothermic reduction will unavoidably saturate the silicon with carbon at high temperature. During cooling carbon will precipitate as silicon carbide crystals, which will be harmful in solar cells. The cost of this solar silicon will depend strongly on the scale of production. It is as yet premature to give exact figures, but with a scale of some thousand tons per year, the cost will only be a few times the cost of ordinary metallurgical silicon.

Schei, A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Long-term follow up of astronaut health indices

Ground-based research and reevaluation of flight data is currently in progress in order to develop suitable and operationally acceptable medical standards for extended-duration manned space missions. The large amount of data obtained thus far constitutes a unique data base representative of the astronaut population. In this paper, preliminary 10-year findings of prospective studies established in 1977 are described, and results obtained from retrospective studies conducted on data accumulated prior to the 1977 establishment of medical selection standards are summarized.

Nicogossian, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Extraterrestrial materials processing and construction

Three different chemical processing schemes were identified for separating lunar soils into the major oxides and elements. Feedstock production for space industry; an HF acid leach process; electrorefining processes for lunar free metal and metal derived from chemical processing of lunar soils; production and use of silanes and spectrally selective materials; glass, ceramics, and electrochemistry workshops; and an econometric model of bootstrapping space industry are discussed.

Criswell, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Anti-reflection coatings applied by acid leaching process

The Magicote C process developed by S.M. Thompsen was evaluated for use in applying an antireflective coating to the cover plates of solar panels. The process uses a fluosilicic acid solution supersaturated with silica at elevated temperature to selectively attack the surface of soda-lime glass cover plates and alter the physical and chemical composition of a thin layer of glass. The altered glass layer constitutes an antireflective coating. The process produces coatings of excellent optical quality which possess outstanding resistance to soiling and staining. The coatings produced are not resistant to mechanical abrasion and are attacked to some extent by glass cleansers. Control of the filming process was found to be difficult.

Pastirik, E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Trace element contents of selected antarctic meteorites, 1

Data are reported for volatile/mobile Ag, As, Au, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Cu, Ga, In, Rb, Sb, Se, Te, T1 and Zn in exterior and/or interior samples of four Antarctic meteorites: 77005 (unique achondrite); 77257 (unreilite); 77278 (L3); 77299 (H3). Exterior samples reflect contamination and/or leaching by weathering but trace element (ppm-ppt) contents in interior samples seem reasonable for representatives of these rare meteoritic types. The 77005 achondrite seems related to shergottites; other samples extend compositional ranges previously known for their types. With suitable precautions, Antarctic meteorite finds yield trace element data as reliable as those obtained from previously known falls.

Biswas, S.↗
NASA NTRS2008

16 Weeks of Training with the International Space Station Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (aRED) Is not Different than Training with Free Weights

The advanced Resistive Exercise Device (aRED) is a resistive exercise system designed to maintain muscle mass and strength in microgravity by simulating free weight (FW) exercise. aRED utilizes vacuum cylinders and inertial flywheels to replicate the constant mass and inertial components, respectively, of FW exercise in normal gravity. PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness of aRED and FW resistive exercise training in ambulatory subjects. METHODS: Untrained subjects were assigned to two groups, FW (6 males, 3 females) and aRED (8 males, 3 females), and performed squat (SQ), heel raise (HR), and deadlift (DL) exercises 3 d wk-1 for 16 wks. SQ, HR and DL strength (1RM) were measured using FW hardware pre-, mid- and post-training. Subjects participated in a periodized training protocol with the exercise prescription based on a percentage of 1RM. Thigh and lower leg muscle volume were assessed using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and leg (LLM) and total body lean mass (BLM) were measured using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) pre- and post-training. RESULTS: SQ 1RM increased in both FW (48.9+/-6.1%) and aRED (31.2+/-3.8%) groups, and there was a greater training response in FW compared with aRED (p=0.01). HR and DL 1RM increased in FW (HR: 12.3+/-2.4%, DL: 23.3+/-4.4%) and aRED (HR: 18.0+/-1.6%, DL: 23.2+'-2.8%), but there were no differences between groups. Thigh muscle volume was greater following training in both groups (FW: 9.8+/-0.9%, aRED: 7.1+/-1.2%) but lower leg muscle volume increased only in the FW group (3.0+/-1.1%). Lean tissue mass increased in both FW (LLM: 3.9+/-1.1%, BLM: 2.5+/-0.7%) and aRED (LLM: 4.8+/-0.7%, BLM: 2.6 0.7%). There were no between group differences in muscle volume or lean mass in response to training. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the increase in muscle strength, muscle volume, and lean tissue mass when training with aRED was not different than when using the same training protocol with FW. The smaller increase in SQ 1RM in the aRED group may be the result of undersizing the aRED flywheels which were intended to mimic the inertial component of the SQ movement when performing FW exercises. However, the biomechanical differences observed in body position during the performance of the aRED SQ, which may have affected training and testing, cannot be excluded as a factor that may have affected SQ 1RM results. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Improvements in muscle strength, muscle volume and lean mass similar to FW exercise training may be elicited using an alternative source of resistance during exercise training. The acceleration of a mass during resistive exercise may result in greater muscle tension when changing the direction of movement resulting in enhanced strength gains. Therefore, to maximize the benefits of resistive exercise, the inertial components of FW exercise should be considered during exercise selection and hardware design. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: This investigation was supported by NASA-JSC s Exercise Countermeasures Project.

Loehr, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Trace element contents of selected Antarctic meteorites. I - Weathering effects and ALH A77005, A77257, A77278 and A 77299

Data is examined for volatile/mobile Ag, As, Au, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Cu, Ga, In, Rb, Sb, Se, Te, Tl and Zn in exterior and/or interior samples of four Antarctic meteorites from the Allan Hills (ALH): A77005 (unique achondrite); A77257 (ureilite); A77278 (L3); A77299 (H3). Exterior samples reflect contamination and/or leaching by weathering but trace element (ppm-ppt) contents in interior samples seem reasonable for representatives of these rare meteoritic types. The A77005 achondrite is shown to be related to shergottites; other samples extend compositional ranges previously known for their groups or types. With suitable precautions, Antarctic meteorite finds yield trace element data as reliable as those obtained from previously known falls.

Biswas, S.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Properties of conductive thick-film inks

Ten different conductive inks used in the fabrication of thick-film circuits were evaluated for their physical and handling properties. Viscosity, solid contents, and spectrographic analysis of the unfired inks were determined. Inks were screened on ceramic substrates and fired for varying times at specified temperatures. Selected substrates were given additional firings to simulate the heat exposure received if thick-film resistors were to be added to the same substrate. Data are presented covering the (1) printing characteristics, (2) solderability using Sn-63 and also a 4 percent silver solder, (3) leach resistance, (4) solder adhesion, and (5) wire bonding properties. Results obtained using different firing schedules were compared. A comparison was made between the various inks showing general results obtained for each ink. The changes in firing time or the application of a simulated resistor firing had little effect on the properties of most inks.

Holtze, R. F.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Engineering Polymers as Structural Materials in Spacecraft Water Systems

The novel application of structural materials, surface treatments, and barrier coatings is desired to mitigate the rapid loss of ionic silver (Ag+) biocide observed with passive metal alloys, improve reliability, and reduce system mass. In this work, we provide an initial look at the potential replacement of these heritage alloys in spacecraft water systems with high-performance thermoplastic engineering polymers, including PEEK, PEI, and PVDF. Such materials have found increasing use as structural materials in a broad array of performance-critical applications, including in the aerospace, medical implant, and chemical processing fields. We selected a number of promising materials for investigation, compiled mechanical behavior data, and conducted theoretical performance analyses. We also identified and began to address numerous material suitability concerns as well as design requirements for pressurized components in human-rated spacecraft hardware. These include material flammability, offgassing, leaching, chemical resistance, radiation tolerance, prevention of fracture/yielding, and others. We find that there is significant potential for use of engineering polymers in spacecraft water systems, and suggest some directions for future research.

Lance Dean Delzeit↗
NASA NTRS1989

Fabrication of Pd-Cr wire

Fabrication of Pd-13 percent Cr alloy wires is described. Melting, casting, swaging and annealing processes are discussed. Drawing to reach two diameters (0.003 inch and 0.00176 inch) of wire is described. Representative micrographs of the Pd-Cr alloy at selected stages during wire fabrication are included. The resistance of the wire was somewhat lower, by about 15 to 20 percent, than comparable wire of other alloys used for strain gages.

Diamond, Sidney↗
NASA NTRS1983

Search for selective ion diffusion through membranes

The diffusion rates of several ions through some membranes developed as battery separators were measured. The ions investigated were Li(+), Rb(+), Cl(-), and So4. The members were crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol, crosslinked polyacrylic acid, a copolymer of the two, crosslinked calcium polyacrylate, cellulose, and several microporous polyphenylene oxide based films. No true specificity for diffusion of any of these ions was found for any of the membranes. But the calcium polyacrylate membrane was found to exhibit ion exchange with the diffusing ions giving rise to the leaching of the calcium ion and low reproducibility. These findings contrast earlier work where the calcium polyacrylate membrane did show specificity to the diffusion of the copper ion. In general, Fick's law appeared to be obeyed. Except for the microporous membranes, the coefficients for ion diffusion through the membranes were comparable with their values in water. For the microporous membranes, the values found for the coefficients were much less, due to the tortuosity of the micropores.

May, C. E.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Medical results from STS 1-4 - Analysis of body fluids

Venous blood was drawn from the eight crewmembers of Space Shuttle flights STS-1 through STS-4 three times before lift-off and twice after landing, and the characteristics of biochemical blood components were evaluated. Twenty-four-hour urine pools were collected 30 d before flight and on landing day or day 4 after landing, and electrolytes, selected hormones and other components were measured. The results indicated that, although fluid and electrolyte loss occur during space flight, conservation of these substances is begun almost immediately upon cessation of weightlessness. Enzyme and hormone measurements indicated that landing may have caused some stress on crewmembers.

Leach, C. S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

An investigation of chemically-induced improvement in saturation moisture characteristics of epoxies

MY-720/DDS epoxy samples were treated with three selected chemical compounds to render the active H-sites inactive for moisture absorption. Treating the epoxy castings with acetyl chloride and dichlorodimethyl silane leads only to surface changes indicating that these molecules are too large to penetrate the epoxy castings. Boron trifluoride, on the other hand, does penetrate the epoxy chain as is indicated by the formation of green domains in the interior of the castings. However, the process of saturating the specimens with moisture appears to leach out the chemical additives--thereby nullifying their possible ameliorative effects.

Singh, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Natural Environments Definition for Design

Planning for future National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions will encompass a variety of operational and engineering activities that involve a multitude of issues, constraints, and influences derived from the natural environment. This Technical Memorandum (TM) presents a definition of the natural environment, i.e., a description in engineering handbook format of models and data specifically selected to support the architecture development, engineering design, and technology development for NASA's Exploration Systems Development (ESD) initiatives.

Justh, H. L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

PLANNING FOR VEG-05 TOMATO CROP PRODUCTION ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

Growing fresh, nutritious, palatable produce for crew consumption during spaceflight may provide health-promoting, bioavailable nutrients and enhance the astronaut dietary experience as we move toward longer-duration missions. Tending plants may also serve as a countermeasure for crew psychological stresses associated with spaceflight. However, requirements to support consistent growth of a variety of nutritious crops under spaceflight environmental conditions remain unclear. This study explores the potential to grow crops for consumption on the International Space Station (ISS) using the Veggie vegetable-production system. Mizuna mustard was grown during VEG-04 studies in 2019, and human and plant data from those tests continue to be analyzed. Tomato plants will be grown for the VEG-05 experiment, and preflight definition studies are underway to ascertain the best hardware and operations for growing this fruiting crop. The variety of tomato selected for this study is ‘Red Robin’, a compact cherry tomato. Plants will be grown under two different red: blue lighting treatments using the Veggie units on ISS, and the impact of spectral quality on plant growth and yield, nutrient content, organoleptic acceptability, and microbial composition of the tomatoes will be assessed. Preliminary testing with this crop helped to identify responses to different analog types of growth hardware including both plant pillows and Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) units, and current testing is focusing on flight-like versions of this hardware. Challenges with fertilizer salts leaching out into the plant wicks and burning the stems of tomato were observed in earlier tests, so amended fertilizer and wick configurations have been developed. Crew procedures including plant thinning, watering, height adjustment with respect to lighting, and pollination are being validated. VEG-05 will be the first test of tomato fruit production on ISS. Lessons learned during preparation and implementation of the VEG-04 mizuna test for watering, and a separate ISS investigation with peppers (PH-04) in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) in terms of fertilizer, plant wicks, and pollination, will be adapted for this experiment. This research was co-funded by the Human Research Program and Space Biology (MTL#1075) in the ILSRA 2015 NRA call.

Veggie↗