Award Data

DIAMOND FILMS ARE CONTEMPLATED FOR USE IN OPTICAL SYSTEMS DUE TO THEIR INERT NATURE AND HENCE THEIR ABILITY TO PROTECT THE VITAL OPTICAL SYSTEMS FROM THE HARSH ENVIRONMENTS. POLYCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND FILMS PRODUCE SCATTERING CENTERS DUE TO THE DIFFERENT IMPURITIES, GRAIN SIZES AND ORIENTATIONS THAT ARE PRODUCED BY THE DIFFERENT DEPOSITION TECHNIQUES. A NOVEL POLISHING METHOD IS PROPOSEDFOR PROVIDING ...

OPTICS USED IN SENSORS OR MISSILE SYSTEMS ARE MADE FROM SAPPHIRE, OR SILICON CARBIDE BECAUSE OF THEIR EXCELLENT OPTICAL OR INSULATING PROPERTIES, THEIR INERT, AND THEIR ABILITY TO RESIST HARSH ENVIRONMENTS. POLISHING SAPPHIRE BY MECHANICAL OR MECHANOCHEMICAL METHODS INDUCES RESIDUAL DAMAGE AND LIMITS THE OVERALL SURFACE ROUGHNESS (USUALLY AROUND 1 MICROINCH). THIS ROUGHNESS PRODUCES SCATTERING CEN ...

Kinetic energy projectiles and shaped charge liners as well as explosively formed projectile warheads would be more effective if tungsten having significant room temperature ductility were available. Nano-sized particles are known to provide these levels of desired ductility. In this Phase I effort, we propose three different approaches to producing tungsten nano-particles. Each technology is uniq ...

NANOCRYSTALLINE MATERIALS PROVIDE SUPERIOR MECHANICAL PROPERTIES COUPLED WITH IMPROVED WEAR AND CORROSION RESISTANCE. RESEARCHERS ARE DEMONSTRATING THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP A NUMBER OF NANOCRYSTALLINE MATERIALS USING PULSED REACTIVE ELECTRODES (PRE-EITHERIN THE FORM OF A ROD OR WIRE OR, IN SOME CASES, BRAIDED WIRES) SUBMERGED IN A REACTIVE OR NONREACTIVE DIELECTRIC FLUID. CONTROL OVER THE PROCESSING ...

Nanoparticulates of may materials have been fabricated and characterized for over 10 years. Synthesis of ceramics, metals, intermetallics, and ceramic-metal composites can be found readily in the literature. Yet, most development effors to date have emphasized the formation of particulates and their characterization. Very few of the researchers have addressed the formidable problems of handling ki ...

Arc heater segments fabricated from oxygen free high conductivity copper (OFHC) need an effective means of dissipating high heat flux loads from the inner bore while maintaining electrically non-conducting surfaces. Smooth, ultrahard coatings that have good thermal conductivity and little or no electrical conductivity can protect these surfaces by preventing arc erosion. In this Phase I effort, Ma ...

Wear resistant electrically conducting diamond coatings are desired in extending the lifetime of components in electric rocket thrusters for space applications. These may include hollow cathodes, various electrode surfaces, and extraction grids, to name only a few. Although several methods exist for the deposition of diamond coatings, many of these processes are limited in their ability to produce ...

CURRENT PROCESSES FOR MANUFACTURING SAPPHIRE INTRODUCE A NUMBER OF DEFECTS SUCH AS DIE MARKS AND GROWTH ARTIFACTS IN THE AS-GROWN SAPPHIRE BLANK. THUS, THESE MATERIALS NEED TO BE POLISHED PRIOR TO USE IN OPTICS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A HIGH-QUALITY, HIGH-SPEED, COST-EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE FOR POLISHING SAPPHIRE BASED OPTICS. THE TWO METHODS CURRENTLY USED FOR POLISHING SAPPHI ...

THE HIGH PRESSURE/HIGH TEMPERATURE (HP/HT) METHOD IS, AT PRESENT, THE ONLY VIABLE PROCEDURE FOR PRODUCING DIAMOND GRIT FOR USE IN VARIOUS APPLICATIONS INVOLVING GRINDING/ABRASIVE WHEELS. DIAMOND POWDERS PRODUCED BY THIS METHOD ARE MODERATELY EXPENSIVE AND ARE NOT ECONOMICAL (50-70 CENTS/CARAT) FOR USE IN APPLICATIONS INVOLVING THERMAL MANAGEMENT DEVICES, WEAR RESISTANT SURFACES, AND CUTTING/DRILL ...

The increasing need for materials to possess both environmental compatibility to include safe disposal prerequisites and self-lubricating capabilities that are non-toxic as well as adaptable to green manufacturing processes has led to the resurgence for the development of alternative alloys to exiting toxic materials, specifically lead. As one of the major materials that has been identified for e ...