Measurement of photoemission and secondary emission from laboratory dust grains

The overall goal of this project is experimentally determine the emission properties of dust grains in order to provide theorists and modelers with an accurate data base to use in codes that predict the charging of grains in various plasma environments encountered in the magnetospheres of the planets. In general these modelers use values which have been measured on planar, bulk samples of the materials in question. The large enhancements expected due to the small size of grains can have a dramatic impact upon the predictions and the ultimate utility of these predictions. The first experimental measurement of energy resolved profiles of the secondary electron emission coefficient, 6, of sub-micron diameter particles has been accomplished. Bismuth particles in the size range of .022 to .165 micrometers were generated in a moderate pressure vacuum oven (average size is a function of oven temperature and pressure) and introduced into a high vacuum chamber where they interacted with a high energy electron beam (0.4 to 20 keV). Large enhancements in emission were observed with a peak value, delta(sub max) = 4. 5 measured for the ensemble of particles with a mean size of .022 micrometers. This is in contrast to the published value, delta(sub max) = 1.2, for bulk bismuth. The observed profiles are in general agreement with recent theoretical predictions made by Chow et al. at UCSD

Pressureless Sintering of Carbon Nanotube-Al₂O₃ Composites

Alumina ceramics reinforced with 1, 3, or 5 vol.% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were densified by pressureless sintering. Commercial CNTs were purified by acid treatment and then dispersed in water at pH 12. The dispersed CNTs were mixed with Al2O3 powder, which was also dispersed in water at pH 12. The mixture was freeze dried to prevent segregation by differential sedimentation during solvent evaporation. Cylindrical pellets were formed by uniaxial pressing and then densified by heating in flowing argon. The resulting pellets had relative densities as high as not, vert, similar99% after sintering at 1500 °C for 2 h. Higher temperatures or longer times resulted in lower densities and weight loss due to degradation of the CNTs by reaction with the Al2O3. A CNT/Al2O3 composite containing 1 vol.% CNT had a higher flexure strength (not, vert, similar540 MPa) than pure Al2O3 densified under similar conditions (not, vert, similar400 MPa). Improved fracture toughness of CNT-Al2O3 composites was attributed to CNT pullout. This study has shown, for the first time, that CNT/Al2O3 composites can be densified by pressureless sintering without damage to the CNTs

Microwave Sintering of a ZrB2-B4C Particulate Ceramic Composite

A two phase particulate ceramic composite containing ZrB2 and B4C was densified by microwave sintering a mixture of ZrB2 and 4 wt% B4C powders. The particulate composite reached \u3e98% relative density at processing temperatures as low as 1720 °C. In comparison to conventional sintering, microwave sintering promoted densification of the composite at lower temperatures without promoting rapid grain growth. Vickers\u27 hardness and fracture toughness of the microwave sintered specimens were as high as 17.5 GPa and 3.8 MPa m1/2, respectively