9. Characterization of a Heating and Quenching Apparatus for Microgravity Testing

Microgravity experimentation enables new materials to be developed and traditional materials to be improved, which can’t be completed under terrestrial conditions. Recent developments on Heavy Metal Fluoride Glasses (HMFG’s) have shown that, when heated, there is a crystallization dependency on gravity. HMFG’s have the potential for optical transmission from 0.3 μm in the UV to 7 μm in the IR region, enabling fiber optic applications such as fiber amplifiers, radiometry, and mid-IR laser technology for surgery, drilling and cutting. The problem of devitrification from heat processing prevents this material from achieving its theoretical transmission range. Past researchers have shown that crystallization of HMFG’s is suppressed in microgravity and enhanced in hyper-gravity, however further investigation is still needed for a determination of this phenomenon. In this study, a HMFG heating and quenching testing apparatus was characterized and developed for microgravity and hyper-gravity testing. The testing apparatus was developed and characterized for use on a parabolic aircraft that provides a microgravity and hyper-gravity environment for experimental testing. The apparatus was successful in processing HMFG’s, which produced crystalline and non-crystalline glasses for future studies.