SOLID-STATE OXYGEN-STORAGE INTERMETALLIC AND ALLOY DEVELOPMENT

THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF STORING BACKUP OXYGEN FOR EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY IS AS GAS, IN A PAIR OF HIGH-PRESSURE, SPHERICAL TANKS. THIS REPRESENTS A CONSIDERABLE SHRAPNEL HAZARD: 0.19 MJ OF COMPRESSION ENERGY (TWO TANKS) WITH RESPECT TO AN ADIABATIC EXPANSION TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE FROM 6000 PSIA. THIS QUANTITY OF EXPLOSION ENERGY CORRESPONDS TO 66 GRAMS OF TNT. A LOW-PRESSURE OXYGEN STORAGE SYSTEM CAN BE SUMMARIZED IN THE REVERSIBLE REACTION: SOLID METAL OXIDE = SOLID METAL + GASEOUS OXYGEN. THIS PROJECT WILL LEAD TO THE DESIRED TEMPERATURE-PRESSURE BEHAVIOR FOR SEVERAL SYSTEMS OF THE ABOVE TYPE. BRITTLENESS IS ONE OF SEVERAL CHARACTERISTICS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THIS INVESTIGATION OF INTERMETALLICS ANDALLOYS THAT WILL TAKE UP AND YIELD OXYGEN REVERSIBLY. THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF STORING BACKUP OXYGEN FOR EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY IS AS GAS, IN A PAIR OF HIGH-PRESSURE, SPHERICAL TANKS. THIS REPRESENTS A CONSIDERABLE SHRAPNEL HAZARD: 0.19 MJ OF COMPRESSION ENERGY (TWO TANKS) WITH RESPECT TO AN ADIABATIC EXPANSION TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE FROM 6000 PSIA. THIS QUANTITY OF EXPLOSION ENERGY CORRESPONDS TO 66 GRAMS OF TNT. A LOW-PRESSURE OXYGEN STORAGE SYSTEM CAN BE SUMMARIZED IN THE REVERSIBLE REACTION: SOLID METAL OXIDE = SOLID METAL + GASEOUS OXYGEN. THIS PROJECT WILL LEAD TO THE DESIRED TEMPERATURE-PRESSURE BEHAVIOR FOR SEVERAL SYSTEMS OF THE ABOVE TYPE. BRITTLENESS IS ONE OF SEVERAL CHARACTERISTICS TO BE CONSIDERED IN THIS INVESTIGATION OF INTERMETALLICS ANDALLOYS THAT WILL TAKE UP AND YIELD OXYGEN REVERSIBLY.