Planned
Experiments: 
Research goals include studying solidification of metals and semiconductors and the dispersion of reinforcement particles in composites. Features we observe include dendrites and cells, the effects of reinforcement particles on the morphology during solidification of Metal Matrix Composites, interfacial phenomena, and solutal segregation profiles.
NASA's interest in this work originates from the influence a microgravity or space environment has on the properties of materials as they solidify. It has been shown that the detrimental effects of natural or buoyancy driven convection on earth during crystal growth can impair product quality. Other solidification in microgravity can lead to microstructures within the materials that cannot be duplicated on the earth due to gravity. With the technology being developed here, it is possible to actually see the differences in the microstructures that microgravity causes in real time rather than be limited to speculation from post-solidification examination as it is done now. Most of gravity's effect on crystal growth occurs due to buoyancy driven flow influencing concentration in the melt ahead of the growing interface. We have demonstrated in the XTM a unique ability to image these melt concentration gradients which will be of particular interest for more fundamental solidification experiments in space.
Besides performing the solidification experiments, our work also is to develop the x-ray imaging technologies that enable the observation of these processes and to establish the conditions to provide the best images.
We suggest you explore these WWW pages to learn more about the influence of a space environment on materials processing:
MSFC Microgravity Science and Applications Home Page
NASA Headquarters, MSAD Office, Washington D.C. Home Page
Some of
our publications from this project:
W.F. Kaukler, F. Rosenberger and P.A. Curreri, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 27 1997.
S. Sen, W.F. Kaukler, B.K. Dhindaw, P. Peters and P.A. Curreri: Proceedings of Third International Pacific Rim Conference on Advanced Materials and Processing, vol. 1, pp. 1311-16, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 12-16, 1998.
P.A. Curreri, W.F. Kaukler, S. Sen: Proceedings of Space Technologies and Applications International Forum 1998, Albuquerque, New Mexico; American Institute of Physics, Woodbury, N.Y.
S. Sen, W.F. Kaukler, P. Curreri and D.M. Stefanescu: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 28A (1997) pp. 2129-2135.
William F. Kaukler, Microscopy Today, Issue 97-6, July/August (1997) Today Enterprises, Middleton WI pp. 26-28.
S. Sen, D.M. Stefanescu, B.K.Dhindaw, W.F. Kaukler and P.A. Curreri; AIAA paper 97-0451, 35th Aerospace Sciences Meeting Proceedings, Reno NV, Jan. 6-10, 1997.
Curreri, P. A.., Kaukler, W. F., Sen, S. and Peters, P. (on CD) Spacebound 97 Proceedings, Canadian Space Agency; presented at Spacebound 97 joint meeting with 9th International Symposium on Experimental Methods for Microgravity Materials Science, May 11-15 1997, Montreal Canada.
William F. Kaukler and Peter A. Curreri: Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Proceedings on Space Processing of Materials, SPIE Volume 2809 (1996) 34.
P. A. Curreri and W. F. Kaukler: Metallurgical Transactions, 27A (1996) 801.
W. F. Kaukler and F. Rosenberger: Metallurgical Transactions, 25A (1994) 1775.
Peter A. Curreri and William F. Kaukler: Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Experimental Methods for Microgravity Materials Science, pp 93-101, The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, 1995.
S. Sen, D.M. Stefanescu, B.K. Dhindaw, W. Kaukler, P.A. Curreri: in paper AIAA 97-0451, 35th Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Jan. 6-10, 1997, Reno, NV.
S. Sen, W.F. Kaukler, P. Curreri and D.M. Stefanescu: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 28A (1997) 2129.
NASA Technical Memorandum TM-4456, Materials Science on Parabolic Aircraft, P. A, Curreri, ed., (George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, March 1993).
P. A. Curreri and W. F. Kaukler; NASA Technical Memorandum NASA-TM-86573, (George C. Marshall Space Flight Center,Nov. 1986).
Last Updated March 19, 1999