Synthesis and characterization of optically transparent ceramic crystalline/amorphous and amorphous/amorphous multilayers
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Chelsea D. Appleget↗
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Applying Fused Silica and Other Transparent Window Materials in Aerospace Applications
A variety of transparent ceramics, such as AlONs and spinels, that were developed for military applications hold promise as spacecraft windows. Window materials in spacecraft such as the Space Shuttle must meet many requirements such as maintaining cabin pressure, sustaining thermal shock, and tolerating damage from hyper-velocity impact while providing superior optical characteristics. The workhorse transparent material for space missions from Apollo to the International Space Station has been fused silica due in part to its low density, low coefficient of expansion and optical quality. Despite its successful use, fused silica exhibits lower fracture toughness and impact resistance as compared to newer materials. Can these newer transparent ceramics lighten spacecraft window systems and might they be useful for applications such as phone screens? This presentation will compare recent optical ceramics to fused silica and demonstrate how weight can be saved.
Standards↗
Fused Silica and Other Transparent Window Materials
Several transparent ceramics, such as spinel and AlONs are now being produced in sufficient large areas to be used in space craft window applications. The work horse transparent material for space missions from Apollo to the International Space Station has been fused silica due in part to its low coefficient of expansion and optical quality. Despite its successful use, fused silica exhibits anomalies in its crack growth behavior, depending on environmental preconditioning and surface damage. This presentation will compare recent optical ceramics to fused silica and discuss sources of variation in slow crack growth behavior.
Optical Ceramics↗
Optical Property Requirements for Glasses, Ceramics and Plastics in Spacecraft Window Systems
This is a preliminary draft of a standard published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) that is intended to provide uniform window optical design requirements in support of the development of human-rated spaceflight hardware. The material covered in this standard is based on data from extensive testing by the Advanced Sensing and Optical Measurement Branch at NASA Langley Research Center, and compiled into requirements format by the NASA JSC Structural Engineering Division. At the time of this initial document release, a broader technical community has not reviewed this standard. The technical content of this standard is primarily based on the Constellation Program Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle Window Optical Properties Requirements, CxP 72407, Baseline. Unlike other optical requirements documents available for human rated spacecraft, this document includes requirements that ensure functionality for windows that contain glass/ceramic and/or plastic window substrate materials. These requirements were derived by measuring the optical properties of fused silica and aluminosilicate glass window assemblies and ensuring that the performance of any window assembly that includes a plastic pane or panes will meet the performance level of the all-glass assemblies. The resulting requirements are based upon the performance and parameter metrology testing of a variety of materials, including glass, transparent ceramics, acrylics, and polycarbonates. In general, these requirements are minimum specifications for each optical parameter in order to achieve the function specified for each functional category, A through D. Because acrylic materials perform at a higher level than polycarbonates in the optics regime, and CxP/Orion is planning to use acrylic in the Orion spacecraft, these requirements are based heavily on metrology from that material. As a result, two of the current Category D requirements for plastics are cited in such a way that will result in the screening out of polycarbonates. It is acknowledged that many polycarbonates can perform the functions of Category D, such as piloting and imagery with lens with apertures up to 25mm, without performance issues. Therefore, this forward warns users that certain requirements, such as birefringence and wavefront, for Category D plastics need to be revised to allow those polycarbonates that perform adequately in Category D to be accepted, while at the same time, screen out those materials that do not perform up to par. At the time of document release, the requirements in question have been identified by a TBD beside the proposed requirement criteria (which is based upon acrylic performance). Vehicles that are designed with acrylic materials for windowpanes are encouraged to use the values presented in this document for all requirements, in order to ensure adequate optical performance.
Lynda R Estes↗
Optical Characterization of Window Materials for Aerospace Applications
An optical metrology laboratory has been developed to characterize the optical properties of optical window materials to be used for aerospace applications. Several optical measurement systems have been selected and developed to measure spectral transmittance, haze, clarity, birefringence, striae, wavefront quality, and wedge. In addition to silica based glasses, several optical lightweight polymer materials and transparent ceramics have been investigated in the laboratory. The measurement systems and selected empirical results for non-silica materials are described. These measurements will be used to form the basis of acceptance criteria for selection of window materials for future aerospace vehicle and habitat designs.
Tedjojuwono, Ken K.↗
Thin film ceramic thermocouples
A thin film ceramic thermocouple (10) having two ceramic thermocouple (12, 14) that are in contact with each other in at least on point to form a junction, and wherein each element was prepared in a different oxygen/nitrogen/argon plasma. Since each element is prepared under different plasma conditions, they have different electrical conductivity and different charge carrier concentration. The thin film thermocouple (10) can be transparent. A versatile ceramic sensor system having an RTD heat flux sensor can be combined with a thermocouple and a strain sensor to yield a multifunctional ceramic sensor array. The transparent ceramic temperature sensor that could ultimately be used for calibration of optical sensors.
Gregory, Otto↗
Strain-biased PLZT input devices /page composers/ for holographic memories and optical data processing.
The features of a new class of transparent ferroelectric ceramic materials, called PLZT, are described. PLZT are shown to have very strong electrooptic properties and memory, and are switched through transparent electrodes when mechanically strained. Because of these properties, they can be used to fabricate two-dimensional page composers for coherent optical systems. Techniques for fabricating such devices are outlined along with preliminary test results. Applications in displays are shown to be also feasible.
Roberts, H. N.↗
Processing FeB03 glass-ceramics in space
The possibility of preparing FeBO3 glass-ceramic in space is explored. A transparent glass-ceramic of FeBO3, due to its unique properties could be an excellent material for magneto-optic applications which currently utilize high price materials such as single crystals of Ga-YIG. The unique magneto-optic properties of FeBO3 were found to come from glass-ceramic but not from the glass form. It was anticipated and later confirmed that the FeBO3 glass-ceramics could not be prepared on earth. Phase separation and iron valence reduction, were identified as the two terrestrial manufacturing obstacles. Since the phase separation problem could be overcome by space processing, the preparation of FeBO3 glass-ceramic in space appears attractive.
Li, C. T.↗
Wave energy transmission apparatus for high-temperature environments
A wave energy transmission apparatus has a conduit made from a refractory oxide. A transparent, refractory ceramic window is coupled to the conduit. Wave energy passing through the window enters the conduit.
Buckley, John D.↗
Temperature Distributions in Semitransparent Coatings: A Special Two-Flux Solution
Radiative transfer is analyzed in a semitransparent coating on an opaque substrate and in a semitransparent layer for evaluating thermal protection behavior and ceramic component performance in high temperature applications. Some ceramics are partially transparent for radiative transfer, and at high temperatures internal emission and reflections affect their thermal performance. The behavior is examined for a ceramic component for which interior cooling is not provided. Two conditions are considered: (1) the layer is heated by penetration of radiation from hot surroundings while its external surface is simultaneously film cooled by convection, and (2) the surface is heated by convection while the semitransparent material cools from within by radiant emission leaving through the surface. By using the two-flux method, which has been found to yield good accuracy in previous studies, a special solution is obtained for these conditions. The analytical result includes isotropic scattering and requires only an integration to obtain the temperature distribution within the semitransparent material. Illustrative results are given to demonstrate the nature of the thermal behavior.
Siegel, Robert↗
Ultraminiature Broadband Light Source and Method of Manufacturing Same
An ultraminiature light source using a double-spiral shaped tungsten filament includes end contact portions which are separated to allow for radial and length-wise unwinding of the spiral. The double-spiral filament is spaced relatively far apart at the end portions thereof so that contact between portions of the filament upon expansion is avoided. The light ource is made by fabricating a double-spiral ultraminiature tungsten filament from tungsten foil and housing the filament in a ceramic package having a reflective bottom and a well wherein the filament is suspended. A vacuum furnace brazing process attaches the filament to contacts of the ceramic package. Finally, a cover with a transparent window is attached onto the top of the ceramic package by solder reflow in a second vacuum furnace process to form a complete hermetically sealed package.
Tuma, Margaret L.↗
Ultraminiature broadband light source with spiral shaped filament
An ultraminiature light source using a double-spiral shaped tungsten filament includes end contact portions which are separated to allow for radial and length-wise unwinding of the spiral. The double-spiral filament is spaced relatively far apart at the end portions thereof so that contact between portions of the filament upon expansion is avoided. The light source is made by fabricating a double-spiral ultraminiature tungsten filament from tungsten foil and housing the filament in a ceramic package having a reflective bottom and a well wherein the filament is suspended. A vacuum furnace brazing process attaches the filament to contacts of the ceramic package. Finally, a cover with a transparent window is attached onto the top of the ceramic package by solder reflow in a second vacuum furnace process to form a complete hermetically sealed package.
Tuma, Margaret L.↗
Preliminary Investigation of an Active PLZT Lens
The design, analysis and preliminary testing of a prototype Adjustable Focus Optical Correction Lens (AFOCL) is described. The AFOCL is an active optical component composed of solid state lead lanthanum-modified zirconate titanate (PLZT) ferroelectric ceramic with patterned indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent surface electrodes that modulate the refractive index of the PLZT to function as an electro-optic lens. The AFOCL was developed to perform optical re-alignment and wavefront correction to enhance the performance of Ultra-Lightweight Structures and Space Observatories (ULSSO). The AFOCL has potential application as an active optical component within a larger optical system. As such, information from a wavefront sensor would be processed to provide input to the AFOCL to drive the sensed wavefront to the desired shape and location. While offering variable and rapid focussing capability (controlled wavefront manipulation) similar to liquid crystal based spatial light modulators (SLM), the AFOCL offers some potential advantages because it is a solid-state, stationary, low-mass, rugged, and thin optical element that can produce wavefront quality comparable to the solid refractive lens it replaces. The AFOCL acts as a positive or negative lens by producing a parabolic phase-shift in the PLZT material through the application of a controlled voltage potential across the ITO electrodes. To demonstrate the technology, a 4 mm diameter lens was fabricated to produce 5-waves of optical power operating at 2.051 micrometer wavelength. Optical metrology was performed on the device to measure focal length, optical quality, and efficiency for a variety of test configurations. The data was analyzed and compared to theoretical data available from computer-based models of the AFOCL.
Lightsey, W. D.↗
The Interaction Between an Insoluble Particle and an Advancing Solid/Liquid Interface: Micro-Gravity Experiments and Theoretical Developments
The interaction of an insoluble particle with an advancing solid/liquid interface (SLI) has been a subject of investigation for the past four decades. While the original interest stemmed from geology applications (e.g., frost heaving in soil), researchers soon realized that the complex science associated with such an interaction is relevant to many other scientific fields encompassing metal matrix composites (MMCs), high temperature superconductors, inclusion management in steel, growth of monotectics, and preservation of biological cells. During solidification of a liquid containing an insoluble particle, three distinct interaction phenomena have been experimentally observed: instantaneous engulfment of the particle, continuous pushing, and particle pushing followed by engulfment. It was also observed that for given experimental conditions and particle size there is a critical solidification velocity, V(sub cr), above which a particle is engulfed. During solidification of MMCs pushing leads to particle agglomeration at the grain boundaries and this has detrimental effects on mechanical properties of the casting. Consequently, the process must be designed for instantaneous engulfment to occur. This implies the development of accurate theoretical models to predict V(sub cr), and perform benchmark experiments to test the validity of such models. Although considerable progress has been made in understanding the pushing/engulfment phenomenon (PEP), its quantification in terms of the material and processing parameters remains a focus of research. Since natural convection currents occurring during terrestrial solidification experiments complicate the study of PEP, execution of experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) has been approved and funded by NASA. Extensive terrestrial (1g) experiments and preliminary micro-gravity (mu g) experiments on two space shuttle missions have been conducted in preparation for future experiments on the ISS. The investigated systems included metal-ceramic particles (pure aluminum - zirconia particles) and transparent organic - non-reactive particles (succinonitrile - polystyrene and biphenyl - glass). This paper will discuss the experimental results obtained in both lg and pg conditions and the influence of the natural convection on V(sub cr). A summary of past mathematical models and our recent theoretical developments will also be presented to explain the experimentally observed particle/SLI interaction.
Catalina, Adrian V.↗
Approximate Solution Methods for Spectral Radiative Transfer in High Refractive Index Layers
Some ceramic materials for high temperature applications are partially transparent for radiative transfer. The refractive indices of these materials can be substantially greater than one which influences internal radiative emission and reflections. Heat transfer behavior of single and laminated layers has been obtained in the literature by numerical solutions of the radiative transfer equations coupled with heat conduction and heating at the boundaries by convection and radiation. Two-flux and diffusion methods are investigated here to obtain approximate solutions using a simpler formulation than required for exact numerical solutions. Isotropic scattering is included. The two-flux method for a single layer yields excellent results for gray and two band spectral calculations. The diffusion method yields a good approximation for spectral behavior in laminated multiple layers if the overall optical thickness is larger than about ten. A hybrid spectral model is developed using the two-flux method in the optically thin bands, and radiative diffusion in bands that are optically thick.
Siegel, R.↗
Glass and ceramics
A variety of glasses and ceramics can be produced from bulk lunar materials or from separated components. Glassy products include sintered regolith, quenched molten basalt, and transparent glass formed from fused plagioclase. No research has been carried out on lunar material or close simulants, so properties are not known in detail; however, common glass technologies such as molding and spinning seem feasible. Possible methods for producing glass and ceramic materials are discussed along with some potential uses of the resulting products.
Haskin, Larry A.↗
Microspheres in Plasma Display Panels
Filling small bubbles of molten glass with gases is just as difficult as it sounds, but the technical staff at NASA is not known to shy away from a difficult task. When Microsphere Systems, Inc. (MSI), of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and Imaging Systems Technology, Inc. (IST), of Toledo, Ohio, were trying to push the limits of plasma displays but were having difficulty with the designs, NASA s Glenn Garrett Morgan Commercialization Initiative (GMCI) assembled key personnel at Glenn Research Center and Ohio State University for a brainstorming session to come up with a solution for the companies. They needed a system that could produce hollow, glass micro-sized spheres (microspheres) that could be filled with a variety of gasses. But the extremely high temperature required to force the micro-sized glass bubbles to form at the tip of a metal nozzle resulted in severe discoloration of the microspheres. After countless experiments on various glass-metal combinations, they had turned to the GMCI for help. NASA experts in advanced metals, ceramics, and glass concluded that a new design approach was necessary. The team determined that what was needed was a phosphate glass composition that would remain transparent, and they went to work on a solution. Six weeks later, using the design tips from the NASA team, Tim Henderson, president of MSI, had designed a new system in which all surfaces in contact with the molten glass would be ceramic instead of metal. Meanwhile, IST was able to complete a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and supply a potential customer with samples of the microspheres for evaluation as filler materials for high-performance insulations.
Source record↗
Microstructure of ceramics fabricated by unidirectional solidification
The unidirectional solidification methods are zone melting, crystal pulling, Bridgemen, and slow cooling. In order to obtain excellent properties (such as transparency), pores, voids and cracks must be avoided, and elimination of such defects is described.
Kokubo, T.↗