Crystallographic oxide phase identification of char deposits obtained from space shuttle Columbia window debris
Crystallographic oxide phase identification of char deposits obtained from space shuttle Columbia window debris
复制标题
从哥伦比亚号航天飞机窗户碎片中获得的炭沉积物的晶体氧化物相鉴定
DOI：
10.1016/j.actaastro.2010.04.019
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发表时间：
2010
影响因子：
3.5
通讯作者：
S. McDanels
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
J. Olivas;M. Wright;R. Christoffersen;D. Cone;S. McDanels
对回收的哥伦比亚号航天飞机窗玻璃碎片上的炭沉积进行了分析，以进一步了解轨道飞行器再入和解体过程中发生的事件。透射电镜分析表明，铝和钛的氧化物与硅氧化物混合，以保存车辆部分暴露的热条件的历史。在沉积过程开始时Ti的存在，以及冷却时热力学相的析出，表明温度远高于Ti的熔点。分层观察表明，额外的放热反应，预期的Ti-6Al-4V结构的金属燃烧，必须发生氧化物的形成。这一结果对于航天飞行器来说意义重大，因为热保护系统（TPS）的破坏可能导致原本为子结构应用而设计的材料与再入等离子体直接接触。
Char deposits on recovered fragments of space shuttle Columbia windowpanes were analyzed to further understand the events that occurred during orbiter reentry and breakup. The TEM analysis demonstrated that oxides of aluminum and titanium mixed with silicon oxides to preserve a history of thermal conditions to which portions of the vehicle were exposed. The presence of Ti during the beginning of the deposition process, along with the thermodynamic phase precipitation upon cool down, indicated that temperatures well above the Ti melt point were experienced. The stratified observations implied that additional exothermic reactions, expectedly metal combustion of a Ti–6Al–4V structure, had to occur for oxide formation. Results are significant for aerospace vehicles, where thermal protection system (TPS) breaches could cause material originally designed for substructural applications to be in direct path with reentry plasma.