Haims^ Bureau of Standards MAY 1 V 1977

Cover: An NBS electronics technician examines the antenna used in experimental

time broadcasts. These

broadcasts are part of a program

begun at NBS over 50 years ago

to broadcast standard

frequencies. Such services hav€

expanded so that they are currently making major

contributions to the Nation's space and defense programs, to world-wide transportation and

communications, and to a multitude of industrial operations, as well as providing

convenient time services to thousands of listeners. Photo by

Kent T. Higgins.
National Bureau

of Standards

Annual Report

FY 1975

I National Bureau of Standards

' " Washington, D.C. 20234

(301) 921-1000

National Bureau of Standards

Boulder, Colorado 80302

(303) 499-1000

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Rogers C. B. Morton, Secretary

James A. Baker, III, Under Secretary

Dr. Betsy Ancker-Johnson

Assistant Secretary

for Science and Technology

National Bureau of Standards

Ernest Ambler, Acting Director

Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.)T?^ec. Publ. 437, 32 pages (December 1975) Supersedes NBS Special Publication 418 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents.

U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,

D.C. 20402. (Order by SD Catalog No.

C13. 10:437). Price $1.05
A Word to the

Reader

Far right. A breakthrough

in the separation of light

isotopes using laser chemistry was achieved by NBS scientists

in FY75. With this new method

"significant quantities" of

isotopically enriched boronand chlorine-containing

molecules are produced. Such

light isotopes are used as tracer elements in medical,

environmental, and agricultural research.

ONE of the most vital elements in

technological progress is the

availability of adequate and

appropriate measurement

capabilities. The

governments of major

industrial nations have long

recognized the importance of a central organization

responsible for maintaining

basic standards, developing

measurement techniques,

and establishing

dissemination procedures. In

this country, the

organization charged with

that responsibility is the

National Bureau of

Standards.

For nearly threequarters of a century, NBS

has carried out a mission

developed to support and

encourage the growth of

commerce, industry, science,

and technology. Today,

there are literally hundreds

of individual projects being

conducted at the Bureau that

bear directly on current

national problems and

issues.

The programs at NBS

range from research aimed at exploiting scientific discovery to produce better

tools of measurement to applied technology aimed at

resolving problems of

immediate practical

importance. Energy

conservation . . . computer

utilization and related issues

of privacy . . . fire prevention . . . environmental protection

. . . these are a few of the areas where Bureau

physicists, chemists,

engineers, computer

scientists, and other

specialists are concentrating

their efforts to benefit our economy and society.

This report is being

issued on the eve of the

Nation's Bicentennial and

the Bureau's 75th

Anniversary. It seems,

therefore, an appropriate

time for reflechon and

rededication—reflection on

accomplishments in the past

and rededication to meet the

challenges and opportunities

of the future.

Ernest Ambler

Acting Director

2 ANNUAL REPORT


Introduction

THROUGHOUT the

years,the National

Bureau of Standards has

helped provide the scientific and technical base for the

advancement of the Nation's

industry and commerce. The Act of March 3, 1901, as amended, which

established the National

Bureau of Standards,

specified that NBS is responsible for: The custody,

maintenance, and

development of the national

standards of measurement,

and the provision of means

and metnods for making

measurements consistent

with those standards,

including the comparison of

standards used in scientific investigations, engineering,

manufacturing, commerce,

and educational institutions

with the standards adopted

or recognized by the

government.

The determination of

physical constants and

properties of materials when

sucn data are of great

importance to scientific or manufacturing interests and

are not to be obtained of

sufficient accuracy

elsewhere.

The development of

methods for testing

materials, mechanisms and

structures, and the testing of

materials, supplies, and

equipment including items

purchased for use of government departments

and independent

establishments.

Cooperation with

other government agencies

and with the private

organizations in the

establishment of standard

practices incorporated in

codes and specifications.

Advisory services to government agencies on

scientific and technical

problems.

Invention and

development of devices to serve special needs of the

government.

Additional legislation

has significantly expanded

the Bureau's primary mission

of enhancing measurement

science. Accordingly, NBS is deeply involved in such

activities as fire safety

research and development

and improving governmentwide use of computer and

automation technologies.

The history of NBS has

been marked by numerous

contributions in the fields of

science and technology. NBS

has been instrumental in the

development of: Q The first neon tube,

heralding the start of a new

industry in the 1930's—1904.

The radio direction

finder, forerunner of modern

aviation instrument landing

systems—1915.

The proving ring for calibrating testing machines

whose deflection under load

is accurate to within a few

hundredths of a millimeter

1926.

A new radiosonde

system, one of the most

important contributions to the study of weather

patterns—1936.

The radio proximity

fuze, an early bomb device

with built-in intelligence and

a major contribution to the war effort—1941.

The original waterpropelled turbine dental

drill, forerunner of the highspeed air drills that are standard equipment in all modern dental offices—1951.

Q The first production

line book in which the tables were composed by a photocomposition machine

controlled by the output of a

digital computer—1962.

The highest direct

frequency measurement ever made, linking for the first time the international

standards for length and

time—1972.

The following pages

contain a few examples of the

activities and

accomplishments of the

National Bureau of Standards during the fiscal year which ended June 30,

1975. They reflect the broad

range of interests and

concerns which characterize

NBS as it continues to serve a growing Nation.

Left. The Coast and

Geodetic Survey building,

home of the Office of Weights

and Measures as it appeared in 1900. The Butler building into which the new Bureau of Standards moved is believed to be the structure next door. Top. Shown is the first NBS

railway scale test car for the standardization of railroad track and master scales.

Bottom. In 1950, the Bureau

helped devise a method to air seal the Declaration of Independence in a frame to protect this vital document from

the combined destructive action

of light, atmospheric gases, and

changes in temperature and

humidity.

NBS FY 75 5
Top. The Bureau's improved Synchrotron

Ultraviolet Radiation Facility is inspected by Joseph

McMenamin, physicist. The

synchrotron is used for studies

in atomic, molecular,

biomolecular, and solid state physics; chemistry;

engineering; and medicine.

Bottom left. Leslie Guildner, NBS physical

chemist, is shown here with the

cell that was used to measure

the vapor pressure of water at its triple point. The accuracy of the measurement was improved a 100-fold. Bottom right.

Temperature measurements, sensitive to 0.01° C, are possible in biological material

heated by radio frequencies

with this new probe designed

by NBS physicist Ronald

Bowman.

6 ANNUAL REPORT
Increasing

Measurement

Competence

ALL science depends on

answers to basic

questions. Without the

I answers there would be no

I measurement standards and

Ij no data for problem-solving.

!j| During fiscal 1975, scientists

! at NBS increased the body of

scientific knowledge with

many measurement

accomplishments.

; One of the year's most

significant achievements was

the use of a laser to "enrich"

or concentrate boron and

I chlorine isotopes. In the

'i experiments. Bureau

1 scientists used laser radiation

to selectively excite

I molecules containinga boron

or chlorine isotope. The

'

j resulting chemical reactions

j yielded milligram quantities

I of enriched isotopic

I materials—amounts at least

j 10 times greater than any

j previously reported. The

i consequences are important,

since improved techniques

for obtaining significant

quantities of isotopes of

boron, chlorine, and other

chemical elements are needed for environmental,

agricultural, and medical

research.

Bureau scientists also

j made a 100-fold

I improvement in the accuracy

of measuring the triple-point

of water—the transition

I point where solid, liquid,

I and vapor are in equilibrium.

The benchmark

measurement is expected to

[ have wide impact. It can

j serve as the underpinning

I for pressure-volumeI temperature and

i thermodynamic tables that

I are applied in steam power

I technology, humidity

I measurements, and

meteorology.

Some NBS projects

during the year investigated

outer space. Bureau

researchers helped prove the

presence of organic

molecules in interstellar space by detecting and

calculating their radiation

wavelengths. One of these

molecules—dimethyl ether

is the largest, most complex

interstellar molecule ever

detected. In a related

discovery, NBS scientists were among the first to detect interstellar ethanol, or

grain alcohol. Besides adding

to our understanding of

astronomy and basic

chemical reactions, these

findings may help answer

questions about tne origin of

life in other parts of the

universe.

Other Bureau

achievements were directed

toward improving American

health care. Diathermy,

which uses heat generated

by electricity, is a common

medical treatment. A newly

developed temperature

probe, for example, permits

accurate measurement of

diathermic heating of

biological materials for the

first time. The new probe

reduces the error of previous

methods to around 1/lOOth of

a degree Celsius when the

surrounding material is being heated at about a degree Celsius per minute.

This measurement

breakthrough will help

control potentially hazardous

electromagnetic conditions

during treatment of the

patient. In a separate project,

NBS and the National

Institutes of Health (NIH)

began work to determine the

structure of biological

molecules. The goal is to

provide detailed information on hydrogen bonds and

water molecules. Such

biological systems play an

important role in biochemical

and life processes. The

Bureau and NIH also began a 3-year effort to develop and

clinically evaluate ultrasonic

techniques for medical

diagnosis.

NBS research even

played a unique role in the

life of fish. In a joint program

with the Washington State Department of Fisheries, the

Bureau developed a largescale mathematical model for

efficient management of

salmon hatcheries. The

model contributed

significantly towards

increasing the hatchery

systems' productivity,

according to state officials. Facilities for basic

research were upgraded

during the year. An

improved Synchrotron

Ultraviolet Radiation Facility,

SURF II, increased the

amount of ultraviolet

radiation available for NBS

experiments by as much as 100,000 times. Extreme

ultraviolet radiation is important in experiments on

controlled nuclear fusion

energy sources, in the

fabrication of miniaturized

electronic circuits, and in other high-technology

research.

A new time-of-flight

facility completed in FY75

increased the capabilities of

the Bureau's linear

accelerator. Researchers can now measure to a greater

accuracy neutron cross- sections of different nuclei,

including uranium-235. Data

generated by the facility are needed to design and

economically operate nuclear

reactors.

NBS research physicists

Roald Schrack and Allan

Carlson inspect the time-offlight facility, which is a major

addition to the Bureau's

electron linear accelerator experimental complex.

NBS FY 75 7
Sharing

Measurement

Techniques

This radiometer designed

at NBS Boulder automatically measures optical powers

spanning wavelengths from

ultraviolet to far infrared. Clark

Hamilton, an electrical engineer, designed the detector mechanism.

Right. Interlaboratory

standards in microwave

technology are now calibrated with a modified automatic

network analyzer at a considerable cost reduction

compared to previous manual

calibrations.

TO be useful,

measurements must not

only be accurate and precise,

but they must also be

available to those who move

measurement techniques

from the laboratory to the

marketplace and problemsolving level. NBS'

measurement capabilities are disseminated to its customers in a number of

ways.

Each state is responsible

for maintaining uniform

weights and measurements

within its boundaries. Last

year, NBS helped the states of Massachusetts, Montana,

and Louisiana meet their

responsibility by giving them

new sets of model weights

and measures. By the end of

the fiscal year, 44 states and

the District of Columbia had

received new standards in

the NBS program which

began in 1965 to update

measurement capability

throughout the country.

Through its calibration

services, the Bureau is an

impartial measurement

referee. The emphasis is on

calibrations that require

direct comparison to accurately maintained

national standards. In this case, customers deliver their

measurement instruments to the Bureau where they are

calibrated against national

standards.

Fees are charged to cover the costs of this nonprofit service. When a

test method is simplified,

calibration costs are roportionately reduced. In Y75, for example, NBS

automated some calibration

procedures used in

microwave technology and

reduced the cost per

frequency point from $400 to $35. Similarly, the Bureau

showed a state metrologist

how only $500 worth of off- the-shelf equipment,

coupled with radio signals

from NBS radio station

WWV, could be used in

calibrating the tuning forks

needed to check the accuracy

of police radar equipment.

This allowed the customer a significant savings as previously the forks were

sent to NBS for calibration.

The Bureau's

Measurement Assurance

Program (MAP), a supplement to regular

calibration services, allows

other laboratories to check

the performance of their

measurement systems. NBS

ships a newly calibrated

transport standard to the

customer's laboratory, where

it is calibrated by that

laboratory's personnel using

their normal method. Results

obtained by the participating

laboratory are sent to NBS

where they are processed

and compared with those

obtained by NBS before and

after shipment. By this technique, the customer's

measurement system and

capability are evaluated and

his primary standard is not

subjected to the hazards of

travel.Standard Reference

Materials (SRM's) are an

integral part of NBS

programs aimed at sharing

measurement expertise with

the scientific and engineering

community, commerce, and

the public. Manufacturers of

secondary standards use

these primary standards to calibrate their own

measurement systems. With

the addition of 40 new SRM's

in FY75, the number of

Standard Reference

Materials available rose to over 900. These "for sale"

items range from standards

for clinical thermometers to standards for measuring the

8 ANNUAL REPORT

Top. Via a satellite, NBS

experimentally broadcasts

reliable day, hour, minute, and

second time signals spanning 40 percent of the world. Bottom. Electronics technician Alvin Clements

checks the surface of the antenna currently under

evaluation by NBS for reception

of its experimental time signals.

quantity of lead in reference

fuel. In FY75 over 30,000

SRM's were sold

domestically and overseas. Time-of-day radio

announcements are among

the Bureau's most widely

used services. Using

conventional shortwave

receivers, anyone can hear

continuous time

announcements—accurate to within 1 millisecond or one

one-thousandth of a second—from NBS radio

station WWV in Ft. Collins,

Colorado, or WWVH in

Hawaii on 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and

20 megahertz (MHz). WWV

also broadcasts on 25 MHz.

Recorded time and frequency

information is available to the public from WWV by

calHng (303) 499-7111 and

from WWVH by calling (808)

335-4363. More than 18,000

people per Week call WWV

and WWVH for their

recordings, which are accurate to within 30

milliseconds.

In addition to sharing

proven calibrations, NBS

works at developing new

Above. William Dahlberg,

apprentice machinist, is shown

here polishing and calibrating

weights distributed to the states by NBS to help them maintain

uniform weights and

measurements.

Right. This electrically calibrated pyroelectric

radiometer designed by NBS

physicist Jon Geist combines

sensitivity and convenience

with the inherent accuracy of

internal electrical calibration.

10 ANNUAL REPORT
and more accurate measurement techniques. In FY75, the Bureau of

Radiological Health (BRH)

and NBS carried out

a nationwide pilot survey of

cobalt-60 sources used in

radiation therapy. This work

wiU assure that the amount

of radiation prescribed for the patient and the dose

actually received are the same.During FY75, the Bureau

continued to develop

measurement assurance grograms for the 1968

adiation Control for Health

and Safety Act. _As part of

these programs, researchers

designeda completely self- contained system for determining laser power.

Using special electronic

techniques, an instrument was developed which

converts optical

measurements directly into

electrical units. The new

system is considerably faster and more sensitive than

other instruments.

Bureau researchers also

developed techniques which

use signals from television

networks to calibrate

oscillators that generate radio

or audio frequencies. Using

less than $50 of equipment,

users can plug into

a color

television receiver and

calibrate oscillators to an

accuracy of one in

10,000,000,000 in

a matter of

minutes.

NBS FY 75 11

Exploring Our Energy

Options

JUST 2 years ago, there were long lines at gasoline

stations. Prices of gasoline,

home heating oil, and other

petroleum products soared

as available supplies

dropped drastically. Thus,

the need for new energy

sources for the future and

efficient energy use now

became a major national concern. At the Bureau,

during FY75, scientists

began answering such

diverse questions as "How

feasible is a solar home?" and

"How much money can

insulation save on home

heating and cooling bills?" The sun is an enormous

potential source of energy.

Finding new ways to tap this energy is the goal of the 1974

Solar Heating and Cooling

Demonstration Act. Under

the Act, the Bureau

developed interim

performance criteria for solar

heating and cooling systems

for the Department or Housing and Urban

Development.

In a separate project.

Bureau scientists developed

proposed performance

standards for solar collectors and thermal storage units

the keys to all solar systems.

These proposals were

submitted to the American

Society of Heating,

Refrigerating, ana Air

Conditioning Engineers for approval as ASHRAE

standards. At the same time,

testing continued on a solar

heating and cooling system

in a four-bedroom

townhouse on the Bureau

grounds. The goal is to develop standards for solar

heating and cooling systems

in residences.

Bureau experts also

worked for the improved

measurement of other

energy sources. Liquefied

natural gas (LNG) is shipped

and tracled daily in quantities

up to 72,000 cubic meters. To

give the buyer and seller measurement confidence,

NBS scientists studied ways

to standardize commercial

measurement of LNG.

During the course of this program. Bureau staffers compiled the most accurate and comprehensive data

available on the

thermodynamic properties of

methane and ethane

components of natural gas. During the year, NBS

turned its attention to magnetohydrodynamics or MHD, a way of generating

electricity from fossil fuels,

especially coal, or from

nuclear fuels. Blocking the

way to practical application

of MHD are problems

concerned with the

durability of materials that

will be used to construct MHD systems. For this reason, NBS scientists are gathering information which

will be used in the testing of

materials for MHD power

plants.

The Bureau also has an

active program in coal

gasification, a way of

converting coal into a gas for energy use. During the year, NBS scientists worked to

Left. Flow rates and heating

values for energy fuels, such as liquefied natural gas, are determined at NBS Boulder at this large-scale outdoor flow

facility.

Top. Volumetric flow rates and density and calorimetric

measurements are combined to determine the total heating

value of liquefied natural gas. Here staff scientist James A. Brennan adjusts test flowmeter. Bottom. NBS physicist

William Hosier loads samples

in furnace to measure hightemperature electrical conductivity of materials that

are potentially useful in MHD

generating systems.

NBS FY 75 13
Top. Making the Most of Your Energy Dollars, a new

consumer information booklet

published by NBS and the Federal Energy Administration,

Erovides guidelines to omeowners in determining the most cost-effective energy

improvements for their nomes.

Right. Alternative ways of heating and cooling homes are under study by NBS scientists. Here mechanical engineering

technician Theodore Ray, Jr., adjusts instrumentation on a heat pump, one such

alternative, that is being tested

in one of the Bureau's environmental chambers,

which can simulate temperature

and humidity patterns from

anywhere in the United States. The laboratory study of heat

pumps is part of a larger effort aimed at developing test methods for heating and

cooling equipment and systems

to be used in voluntary

standards. Bottom far right. Mechanical

engineering technician Donn

Ebberts inspects solar collector system mounted on the roof of the NBS experimental

townhouse.

Top far right. This solar system, being checked by

mechanical engineer James

Hill, is under evaluation for its ability to provide heating,

cooling, and hot water for the four-bedroom townhouse.

develop methods for measuring corrosion and

erosion of materials being

tested for use in coal

gasification plants. To insure

that the test methods

function in a "real-life" situation, the Bureau is correlating its laboratory

results with materials used

inside the Coal Gasification

Pilot Plant in Bruceton,

Pennsylvania.

Until solar energy,

MHD, and other new energy

sources are in practical use, there will remam an urgent nee 1 to conserve the energy

we have. More efficient energy use is one way of

making conservation easier. Accordingly, the Bureau

placed major emphasis on

energy efficiency and careful

consumption. To help

accomplish this, an Office of

Energy Conservation (OEC) was formed. Advancing the use of energy-efficient

technology in buildings,

communites, and industry is OEC's role. One of the Bureau's

most significant energy

conservation advances

during FY75 involved

industry, which uses 43

percent of all energy

consumed in the United

States. NBS published the

Energy Conservation Program

Guide for Industry and

Commerce, called EPIC. The

guide gives practical and

specific hints on energy

saving for small and

medium-sized companies

and for corporate giants.

EPIC offers more than 200

energy conservation

opportunities with actual case histories showing how

organizations achieved their

savings. EPIC is now used as

a guide by state energy

offices across the country.

Even a complex

laboratory facility with

specialized needs can utilize energy more efficiently, as NBS demonstrated during

the year. Based on a systems

analysis of its energy use, the

14 ANNUAL REPORT
Bureau reduced its energy

consumption by about 20

percent in FY75 without

disrupting its research and

standards programs.

The 40,000,000 owneroccupied homes in the

United States are also a major target of Bureau

energy conservation efforts. Homeowners can save energy and money by adding

I insulation to reduce their

I energy consumption. A new

I NBS economic analysis

I shows just how much

insulation homeowners

should add to get the

maximum return on their

investment. Based on this technical study, the Bureau

j published a consumer

i booklet. Making the Most of

I Your Energy Dollars—in Home

Heating and Cooling. Using

this booklet, homeowners

can calculate their best

combination of energy

improvements, based on

their climate, energy prices,

and investment costs. The millions of

appliances in U.S. homes, as

well as the dwellings

themselves, should be

energy efficient. During the

j fiscalyear, the Bureau

continued its appliance

labeling program for energy

conservation. Manufacturers

of 95 percent of all room air conditioners now on the

market have agreed to tag

their products with an

energy label developed at the

Bureau. With the help of the

label, buyers can compare

different models to find the

best energy buy. The Bureau

also pubhshed Energy

Efficiency in Room Air

Conditioners, a pamphlet that

describes what consumers need to know to make the

best selection. In his State of the Union

message. President Ford

announced additional NBS

responsibilities in appliance

efficiency. To help reduce

energy use of new home

appliances by 20 percent by

1980, NBS will establish

improvement goals for several appliances, specify

the test method for gauging

improvement, and monitor

progress.

The Bureau's

Experimental Technology

Incentives Program (ETIP),

which encourages

technological change for economic benefit,

demonstrated the dollar

savings of energy efficient appliances in FY75. Through

an agreement between ETlP

and the General Services

Administration, the Federal

government expects to save

$400,000 on 27,000 room air conditioners which use 21

percent less energy than

comparable models. In a separate agreement with

ETIP, the General Services

Administration purchased

7,700 gas and electric hot

water neaters for military

housing. The heaters use up

to 11 percent less energy and

are expected to save the

government $300,000 in

operating costs. Consumers, industry,

and the scientific community

share the need and

responsibility for better

energy use. The increasing

number of energy ideas and

inventions reflects this need.

To help the Energy Research

and Development

Administration evaluate

non-nuclear energy ideas.

Congress authorized the

establishment of a program

to evaluate energy-related

inventions at NBS during
/ / OMPUTERS?" Twentyfive years ago only a handful of speciausts knew

what the word meant.

Today, consumers receive

bills Dy computer, students

receive grades by computer,

and physicians use the

computer as a diagnostic aid. In some cases, even our

votes are counted by

computer.

the Federal

government, the biggest

computer user in the United

States, obtains technical

assistance from NBS in

computer systems. The

Bureau helped Federal

agencies improve computer

security to protect the

privacy of personal

information as part of its major effort to improve the

effective use of computers.

During the fiscal year, NBS computer scientists improved computer security

in several ways. For

example, the Privacy Act of 1974 requires Federal

agencies to protect certain

personal data from

unauthorized use. For the

Office of Management and

Budget, the Bureau drafted

technical guidelines for Federal agencies to use in compl5ang with the Act.

William Haight,

mechanical engineer, shows

how the NBS-developed

computer system can help

technicians calibrate a jet

engine fuel control mechanism.

procuring and
Expanding

Computer

Utilization

Preliminary to establishing a Federal

standard algorithm, NBS

published a data encryption

algorithm, which can

provide high-level security to confidential data. Encryption

or coding is achieved

through an algorithm which

is a set of mathematical steps

for scrambling the data and a key. Without the key, the

computerized data is unreadable and secure from

unauthorized use. Additionally, the Bureau

published Guidelines for Automatic Data Processing

Physical Security and Risk

Management as a Federal

Information Processing

Standard (FIPS). The new

guidelines will help Federal

agencies establish and carry out programs to protect

automatic data processing

operations against natural

disasters, as well as malicious destruction and

fraud.

As is the case with all FIPS, other Federal agencies

cooperated with the Bureau

in tnis computer standardsmaking process. During the

fiscal year, the number of

FIPS grew to 40 in the

categories of data, software,

hardware, quality control,

and safety and security.

Computer systems

linked by communication

facilities (computer

networks) require easy but

controlled accessibility. The

NBS-developed Network

Access Machine (NAM)

helps make networks easier

to use by translating simple

user requests to the detailed

system procedures to satisfy

them on different networks.

The NAM promises to reduce Federal computing

costs through more effective use of shared resources.

In some cases. Bureau

computer expertise helped in

the design of a specific

network. The National

Weather Service planned a network to collect and

disseminate weather data

from its 50 weather forecast

stations, 200 weather service

offices, and several

specialized centers. NBS

explored the capacity of the

network under various

operating conditions,

analyzed its reliability, and

devised alternate plans for coping with a service

disruption.

Computer scientists also

worked to improve the

effective use of computers in

the election process. In the

1974 elections, one out of

every 10 ballots was counted

by a computer. The Bureau

recently completed a yearlong study or computerized

voting for the Clearinghouse on Election Administration.

In a report prepared by NBS

and published by the

Clearinghouse, guidelines were proposed for the

effective use of computer

technology in vote tallying.

Local election officials can

use the guidelines to assure

the accuracy and security of

their computerized election

results. Computer components,

like other high-technology

equipment, require

calibration. A new Bureau

calibration service for medium density magnetic

disk surfaces was launched

in FY75. Calibrated reference

disks control the quality of

production disks and insure

that disks are interchangeable among

various computer systems.

The magnetic disk packs are high-speed random access memory devices for the

storage and retrieval of

digital information in

computers.

While most of these

accomplishments are aimed

primarily at Federal

computer use, the spin-offs can influence computers in

the private sector. For

example, the Bureau

developed computer

equipment and programs for the Naval Air System

Command's use in

automating tests of the fuel control mechanism in jet

engines. The automating of

the testing of the system will make the Navy's tests faster,

easier, and more

dependable. Although the

NBS system was designed

for testing the Navy's jet

planes, it can be modified for use in testing other engines

as well.

Left. An experimental

computer facility supports NBS

efforts in preparing Federal

standards and guidelines for

effective and efficient computer

use. Here Don Rippy,

electronics engineer, loads a magnetic disk cartridge into one

of the minicomputers within

the facility.

Above. NBS' networking

program is directed toward

reducing Federal agencies' costs by preparing Federal networking guidelines. Carol Swearman,

mathematics aid, operates

a networking terminal. Bottom. Robert Lach, head

of numercially controlled machining, and John Evans,

physical scientist, examine parts

produced by a numerically

controlled (NC) machine tool. The new machine will be used

for evaluating performance measures for NC machine tools and in developing computerized manufacturing systems.

NBS FY 75 17

MILLIONS of cars, thousands of factories,

and hundreds of new

chemicals: all threaten to decrease the quality of our

environment. Accurate

measurements, however,

can tell us which elements

are causing danger and guide

us in taking corrective action. In FY75, NBS improved

several measurement tools

for environmental

monitoring and control.

Standard Reference

Materials (SRM's) are important tools in this process. They provide a common set or accurate standards which

manufacturers and Federal,

state, and local agencies can

use to compare their

measurements. With SRM's,

measurements in all parts of

the country can be referred to a common base.

Several SRM's

completed during FY75 will

help preserve environmental

quality. For example, the

Bureau issued two SRM's to measure mercury in water. These SRM's are free of a long-standing problem

experienced with prepared

mercury solutions, that of

the mercury concentration

diminishing with time.

Bureau scientists solved this problem by stabilizing the

solution with gold ions.

Controlling the level of

mercury in water is important because some

bacteria convert ordinary

mercury into deadly

methylmercury. When fish

eat organisms contaminated

by methylmercury, the toxic

element enters the human

food chain. To guard against

contaminated food, we must

be able to measure accurately

Preserving

Environmental

Quality

the amount of mercury in water. The stabilized

mercury SRM makes this possible.

Other completed air Eollution SRM's will help the

nvironmental Protection

Agency (EPA) enforce its clean air regulations. Five

separate standards were

issued for nitric oxide, which

reacts in the air to form

nitrogen dioxide, a common

pollutant found in the

atmosphere and the

workplace. The Bureau also

made available a new SRM

for nitrogen dioxide. Using

three other SRM's, fuel producers, regulatory

agencies, and consumers

have an agreed-upon basis

for measuring lead in motor

fuel. At the request of the

EPA, NBS prepared three

SRM's for trie detection of

trace elements (chemicals

present in minute amounts)

in fossil fuels. "Do fluorocarbon

aerosol propellants and

coolants break down the

earth's protective ozone

layer?" Answering this crucial environmental

Question is difficult because

etails of the breakdown

process in the stratosphere

are unknown. A recent NBS

investigation showed that one and possibly two

chlorine atoms are produced

during the

photodecomposition of a single fluorocarbon

molecule. This information

wiU help explain the role of

the chlorine atom in the

destruction of the ozone

layer.

Although we need

ozone in the stratosphere to protect us from ultraviolet

radiation, ozone at the

earth's ground level is a serious pollutant. Bureau

chemists studied the

chemical reaction rates

affecting ozone's formation

and destruction. In a related

project, NBS is carefully

evaluating the methods for measuring ozone. Some environmental

concerns strike even closer to home. Vinyl chloride gas, for example, is used in the

production of plastics and is an industrial pollutant which

may be a cancer-causing

agent. During the year. Bureau scientists developed

a sensitive and selective

method for detecting vinyl

chloride gas. The technique

is free from interference from

many of the competing

molecules (like water and

ethylene) in atmospheric

samples that "confuse"

existing vinyl chloride

detectors. In another

environmental achievement,

NBS experts developed a technique to measure trace

levels of two elements

uranium and tellurium. The

technique is sensitive

enough to permit

measurement of these

elements, both potent

biotoxins, at their naturally

occurring levels, in

biological, medical, and

environmental materials.

In a related effort, the

Bureau began a joint study

with the Environmental

Protection Agency to determine the feasibility of

establishing a National

Environmental Specimen

Bank. The bank would store environmental samples for analysis of new or nowunmeasurable chemicals

with the improved

measurement techniques of

the future.

Top left. Chemist Sally

Harrison transfers water

collected with

noncontaminating sampling

device she developed. Devices

such as this may be used to collect materials for a future National Environmental

Specimen Bank.

Above. Richard Rebbert,

NBS chemist, examines

apparatus used in experiments

investigating the light-induced

breakdown of fluorocarbons at wavelengths similar to those in the upper atmosphere.

NBS FY 75 19
Promoting Better

Materials Use

AMERICANS are a consuming people. Each

year, every American uses about 18,000 kilograms (a kilogram equals about 2.2 pounds) of natural resources. Since resource supplies are

finite, we need to use our

materials effectively. NBS

made major progress in FY75

in finding better ways to use our dwindling supplies.

Knowing more about

materials can save money, as well as resources. American

taxpayers spend more than

$70 million yearly repairing

highway bridges damaged

largely by de-icing salts. When the Federal Highway

Administration asked NBS to

test organic coatings for steel reinforcing bars on bridges,

47 different coatings were

evaluated. Certain powder

epoxies, it was discovered,

eliminate corrosion and

should at least double the

reinforcing bars' lifespan.

Natural hazards can be even more costly. Building

failures in the wake of

earthciuakes, hurricanes, and

tornadoes cost $1 billion annually. As a first step in reducing these losses, the

Bureau published a 964-page

study on Natural Hazards

Evaluation of Existing

Buildings. This pioneer

publication tells how to survey typical buildings to determine risks to life and

property under natural

hazard conditions. In

addition, the study presents

criteria for community safe- construction planning.

NBS scientists also

investigated overseas natural

disasters on-the-spot during

FY75. For example, the

Australian government

asked the Bureau's help in

assessing the damage from a Christmas Day cyclone. The

NBS consultant then made

recommendations for future

design and construction.

Knowing the

fundamental properties of materials is crucial to their

effective use. NBS and seven

industrial firms began a joint

project to investigate the

thermophysical and

thermodynamic properties of

ethylene, an unsaturated

hydrocarbon found in coal

gas. The data are needed for better handling of ethylene

in the plant, for equipment

design, and for custody

transfer of ethylene, which

ranks fourth in U.S. chemical

production.

With the widespread use

of synthetics in medicine and

dentistry, proper materials use becomes increasingly

important. Synthetic

implants, for example, are often used successfully in the

human body. However,

Bureau stuciies revealed

great variations in implants'

surface film which can affect their corrosion rate and

surface topography or smoothness. With this information as a working

base, NBS researchers will

study how manufacturers

prepare implant surfaces.

Other Bureau staffers studied the poly(methyl

methacrylate) bone cement

used in nip joint surgery. They examined the chemical

composition, handling

characteristics, and physical

properties of the cement.

One finding—that bone

cement takes about 18 hours

to "set"—may serve as a

Left and above.

Microstructures and surface films of implant materials are studied by NBS metallurgist

Anna Fraker.

Right. An NBS evaluation

found that certain epoxy

coatings, when applied to steel reinforcing bars in bridges,

could double the lifespan of these reinforcing bars. Bottom. This NBSdeveloped wear device speeds

evaluation of dental restorative materials.

20 ANNUAL REPORT
guide to surgeons in

planning their patients'

therapy. In other work, NBS

researchers developed a new

device to measure the wearresistance of dental

restorative materials or

fillings. The apparatus,

which simulates conditions

in the mouth, replaces a

clinical test and reduces the

time required to measure

durability from years to days.

By determining how

materials fail, researchers can

learn how to prevent

failures. For tne Bureau of

Aviation Safety and the

Naval Air Test Center, NBS

analyzed a failed piston rod

and rod end from a DC-8

landing gear. The Federal

Railroad Administration

relied on NBS expertise for metallurgical and chemical

analyses of fragments

recovered from tank car accidents. Bureau staffers also went to White Sands,

New Mexico, for a field test of an insulated rail tank car. Later, NBS performed

detailed studies of 45 metal

specimens taken from the

car. When a bridge collapsed over North Carolina's Yadkin

River, the Bureau examined

the bridge's fractured

members for the National

Transportation Safety Board.

In each instance, the

sponsors now have NBS test data to help in determining

how to reduce the probability

of similar accidents

recurring.

NBS FY 75 21

Improving

Product

Safety

THE marketplace is filled with products of every

description. Some, like recreational products,

are luxuries. Other

products are essential to specialized consumers, such

as retail storeowners. Still other "products," like our homes, are huge investments

to protect. During FY75, NBS

investigated ways to aid consumers through better use of measurement science

and technology for improved

products.

To consolidate its product- oriented programs,

the Bureau formed the

Center for Consumer

Product Technology. This

umbrella organization

manages about 50 NBS

projects for the Consumer

Product Safety Commission

(CPSC). The Center also

directs all NBS work for the

Justice Department's

National Institute for Law

Enforcement and Criminal

Justice. The safety of

recreational products is one

Center concern. During the

fiscal year, the Bureau

developed a recommended

voluntary product standard

for home playground

equipment used by children

between the ages of 2 and 10. The standard covers items

ranging from paint toxicity to materials strength

requirements.

Like other voluntary

groduct standards processed

y the Bureau, the

playground standard is a consensus standard

containing guidelines that

industry has agreed to accept. Though not

mandatory, voluntary

product standards influence

the marketplace through

their emphasis on better and

safer product performance

and simplified practices. In addition, FY75 saw

the completion of an in- depth study of stairways,

ramps, and landings. NBS

safety researchers studied

videotapes of people using

stairways to learn how falls happen. Distraction emerged

as the biggest cause of falls. Armed with this information, NBS

researchers are drawing up

proposed performance

criteria and design guides

aimed at reducing the

estimated 356,000 stairway

accidents each year. Modern technology has

put many new products at the disposal of law

enforcement and criminal

justice agencies. More and

more, police officers depend

on high-technology

equipment. By providing

technical guidance to law

enforcement authorities in

evaluating and selecting

equipment, the Bureau

contributed to better police

protection in FY75.

Reducing crime is a major law enforcement goal.

Shoplifters—who are responsible for an annual $3

billion "business"—can be

discouraged by surveillance cameras. With the Selection and Application Guide to Fixed

Surveillance Cameras,

prepared by NBS in

cooperation with the Naval

Surface Weapons Center, owners of retail stores can

decide whether to buy

cameras and how to use them for the best results. Several equipment

standards were also issued in

FY75. Some of these cover

the police officer's "everyday" equipment, such

as fixed and base station FM

transmitters, metallic

handcuffs, and crash

helmets. Others deal with

non-routine items like handheld metal detectors and

portable X-ray devices for bomb squads. An NBSdeveloped Standard

Reference Material for the

type of glass found in

automobile headUghts will

aid forensic laboratories in

examining glass fragments

from hit-and-run cases and

other crimes involving cars. Certain law enforcement

equipment standards gained

widespread acceptance

during the year. The Federal

Bureau of Investigation, for example, recommended

using NBS-developed

standards for handcuffs in

Kolice procurement and the

[ational Park Service's

Protection Division began

purchasing handcuffs

conforming to the standard.

Meanwhile, the Federal

Housing Administration

(FHA) made plans to require

application or NBSdeveloped door security

standards in all FHA-insured

homes.

Another aspect of home

security is protection against

the threat of fire. With the

Federal Fire Prevention and

Control Act of 1974,

Left. In FY75, NBS

conducted a series of full-scale

fire tests on a Washington

Metropolitan Area Transit

Authority bus.

NBS FY 75 23
Distraction was found to be

a major cause of accidents on

stairways according to

a recent NBS report. NBS is in the process of studying many recreational products for safety. In FY75, the Bureau formulated a voluntary

product standard for home

playground equipment.

NBS is currently in the process of developing

recommendations on the most

effective placement of smoke

detectors for homeowners.

Congress strengthened the

Bureau's 70-year-old tire program by establishing

a Center for Fire Research at NBS. A nationwide fire survey, cosponsored by the

Center and the Consumer

Product Safety Commission

in FY75, revealed just how

serious the threat of fire is: an

estimated 5,575,000 fires,

costing $1.5 billion in property damage, in

American homes yearly. The

landmark survey gives, for the first time, a statistically accurate assessment of the

fire problem in American

households.

Combustion products

smoke and toxic gases

account for as much as 90

?ercent of all fire fatalities, o reduce this toll, the

Bureau funded three major

investigations of combustion

products, including

a detailed study of the causes

of death in fire victims,

particularly deaths from

smoke inhalation. An NBS

study on smoke detector

placement in the home is now underway and will help

homeowners protect

themselves and their homes.

The Bureau also responded to an urgent fire- safety request from the

Washington Metropolitan

Area Transit Authority

(WMATA) during FY75.A

series of suspicious bus fires prompted WMATA to turn to NBS for fire testing. The

Bureau conducteda series of

small-scale tests on bus

carpeting and seats and

large-scale tests of an entire

bus. The tests pinpointed

urethane padding in bus

seats as potentially

hazardous when ignited.

24 ANNUAL REPORT
Providing

Information as a

Resource

TNFORMATION is one of

Xthe Bureau's most

important products.

Through its varied

information services, NBS

shares its research results with many audiences.

NBS receives—and

answers—thousands of

information requests from

the public yearly. In FY75,

the NBS information and

inquiries staff received 63,800

letters and 13,500 telephone

calls asking about everything

from dead-weight gage

calibration to the safety of

wooden fire escapes. More

than 50,000 of these letters asked about the metric

system.

Since more than 1,000

people a month request a

specific NBS publication, some information requests can be answered by simply

sending that NBS

publication. The Bureau has

15 publications series,

ranging from the Consumer

Information Series to the

Journals of Research and

technical monographs. Last

year, NBS published more

than 45,000 pages of research

results in the open

literature—an increase of 52

percent over FY74.

With its Standards

Information Service,

established in 1965, the

Bureau provides a standards

information clearinghouse.

During the fiscal year, the

Bureau added 8,200

standards to its data base

bringing the total to over

200,000 standards published

by more than 500 domestic,

foreign, and international

standards organizations. The

Bureau shares this

information resource with

scientists, representatives of

industry, and the public.

The Bureau also

maintains the National

Standard Reference Data

System (NSRDS), a nationwide program

designed to give scientists

and engineers access to

reliable data. NSRDS was

established by Congress in

1968 and now has a network

of 21 data evaluation and

analysis centers across the

country. In FY75, NBS and

its collaborators conducted

over 40 projects to compile

critically evaluated data in

several areas, including

nuclear properties and

chemical kinetics of various

elements. The data are disseminated through such

publications as The Journal of Physical and Chemical

Reference Data, which is published in cooperation

with the American Institute

of Physics and the American

Chemical Society and which

completed its third year in

FY75.

The Bureau offers additional insight into NBS

activities and services

through consumer

publications, tours, and

exhibits. Last year NBS

sponsored or cosponsored 64

major conferences, which

had a total of 11,769

participants. Eight new

exhibits, including Think

Metric and Treaty of the

Meter, were built in FY75.

NBS exhibits were displayed

at a total of 50 places where

they were viewed by over

275,000 people.

Thirty-four tours were

given to 327 VIP's, such as members of Congress,

business leaders, and

This audience participation

exhibit allows viewers to experience metric

measurements. It is being

displayed in museums across the country.

NBS' National Standard

Reference Data System seeks to reduce data pollution by

recommending good data and

by compacting the total volume

of data to be searched.

representatives of other

national standards

laboratories. A total of 4,736

people saw NBS in FY75

through special and regularly

scheduled tours. Anyone wishing more

detaileci information on

Bureau activities is encouraged to contact the

Office or Information

Activities, National Bureau

of Standards, Washington,

D.C. 20234.

NBS FY 75 25
Organization

THE NBS staff is organized into four

major institutes: The Institute for Basic Standards (IBS)

provides the central base

within the United States for a complete and consistent

system of physical

measurements and

coordinates that system with

measurement systems of

other nations. It furnishes

the research and essential

services leading to accurate and uniform physical

measurements and reliable data throughout the Nation's

scientific, industrial, and

commercial communities.

IBS also operates the Boulder

Laboratories and cosponsors

the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics

with the University of

Colorado.

The Institute for Materials Research (IMR)

conducts research to provide

a better understanding of the

basic properties of matter

and materials and develops

standards for measuring

their properties to help

insure their proper

utilization by the Nation's

scientific, industrial, and

commercial communities.

IMR also develops,

produces, and distributes

Standard Reference

Materials which provide the

basis for calibration of

instruments and equipment,

comparison of

measurements on materials,

and aid in the control of

production processes in

industry.

The Institute for Applied Technology (lAT) is concerned with developing

technology and applying it to such areas as building

research, fire research and

safety, consumer product

performance and safety, and

electronics. lAT represents

the public interest in the

development of voluntary

engineering standards and

develops standards, tests, and services to protect the

public from hazardous

products.

The Institute for Computer Sciences and

Technology (ICST) is the

scientific and technical arm

of the Federal government's

automatic data processing

management system. In this

role, ICST provides advisory

services to Federal agencies

to support the formulation of

automatic data processing

management and

procurement policies and to assist individual agencies in

solving specific automation

problems. ICST also

develops Federal

Information Processing

Standards and conducts

research in computer science

and technology.

The institutes are supported by the Office of

the Associate Director for Administration; the Office of

the Associate Director for Programs, which performs

policy development and

program analysis and

planning; and the Office of

the Associate Director for Information Programs,

which focuses the flow of

information into and out of

NBS and which manages the

National Standard Reference

Data System.

This amalgam of people

and programs forms a community dedicated to

service. The inter- disciplinary approach allows

NBS to provide the Nation

with scientific measurements

of high precision and

accuracy, coupled with

actual solutions for current

technological problems.

26 ANNUAL REPORT
U.S. Department of Commerce

National Bureau of Standards

Office of

Associate

Director for

Administration

Office of

Legal Adviser

Institute

for Basic

Standards

Boulder

Institute

for Basic

Standards

Institute

for Applied

Technology

Director

Deputy Director

Office of

Experimental

Technology

Incentives

Program

NBS F>
Funds and Facilities

Top. NBS Boulder

laboratories. Bottom. NBS Gaithersburg

laboratories.

TO support its many

activities, the Bureau

received $107 million in FY75. Direct Congressional

appropriations accounted for approximately 55 percent of

NdS funds, with an

additional 39 percent

resulting from work

performed by the Bureau for other government agencies.

The sale of NBS goods and

services, such as calibrations

and Standard Reference

Materials, provided the final 6 percent. The increase in funding from other agencies

in recent years reflects the

Bureau's emerging role as a major physical sciences

research organization for the

entire Federal government.

To carry out its sophisticated research and

services, the Bureau operates

a modern physical plant.

NBS has two main locations:

Gaithersburg, Maryland

(north of Washington, D.C.)

and Boulder, Colorado. The

Gaithersburg site has 27

buildings, scattered in a campus-like setting on 233

hectares (1 hectare equals 2.5

acres). The Bureau has 14

buildings on 83 hectares in

Boulder. Also in Boulder is the University of Colorado,

where NBS studies atomic

and molecular physics at the

Joint Institute for Laboratory

Astrophysics.

In a Ft. Collins,

Colorado, field station, NBS

radio stations WWV and

WWVB broadcast standard

time and frequency

information. Another

station, WWVH, broadcasts

from Kauai, Hawaii. In Clearing, Illinois, the Bureau

has a facility with a railway

master track scale and two

test cars that are used to

calibrate master track scales | owned by railways around

the country.

The Bureau uses a wide

variety of unique equipment

at its facilities. Included in NBS' inventory are a high

flux nuclear reactor, a reverberating chamber, and a mechanical testing machine

for applying and measuring

tension and compression

loads—one of the world's

largest. A cryogenic flow

research facility provides a continuous flow of liquid i nitrogen and the ability to control flow rate, temperature, and pressure i over wide ranges.

An extensive instrument

shops division answers

specialized research needs. I Snop capabilities include

glassblowing, optics, and

metalworking. The Bureau's i equipment is described more ! fully in Special Technical

j Facilities at the National Bureau I of Standards, NBS Special I Publication 413. This 50-page

booklet is available from the i Superintendent of

' Documents, U.S.

Government Printing Office,

Washington, D.C. 20402, i and may be ordered by SD | Catalog No. 013.11:413 for | $1.10.

28 ANNUAL REPORT
Total NBS Operating Funds (all sources)

(in millions of dollars)

Provide a natioiial system for

physical measurement

1974 32.0

Fiscal 1975 34.4

Fiscal 1976

(est.) 34.8

Physical measurements, units,

and standards

22.3 24.2 24.5

ixtrlclcllCt: llltrcloU.It:lIlt:liLb HJl physical quantities

Q 7 in 7 in 3

Provide services to improve use

of materials

ZZ.U Zd.d zo.o

Properties and performance of

ma tpTial'; 16.1 20.0 20.2

RpfpTpnrp iVV,JLt-X X- J. IV-V; m^^tpfial^ 11 LCI Ll^J.XCll(3 2.1 2.1 2.1

J—Pnvirnnmpntpil (1 t V iX \J1 111 It 1 1 LCU. r^ollntinn L/v/ll U tlVJl I mpac:- 11 It CIO urements3.8 3.4 3.5

Provide services to improve the

application of technology

27.8 31.3 33.4

State weights and measures

services

.6 .6 .6

Voluntary engineering standards

1.7 1.9 2.0

Building science and technology

Electronic technology

8.9 11.3 11.5

3.3 3.5 3.7

Cryogenic technology 1.8 1.5 1.5

Product performance and safety 5.8 5.5 7.1 Radiation safety .8 1.2 1.2

Fire research 4.9 5.8 5.8

Improve the application of

computer technology

9.8 9.9 8.0

Support services to other agencies2.5 2,9 2.9

Experimental Technology In- centives Program6.1 3.0 4.4

TOTAL 100.2 107.0 109.3
People

GUIDED by the NBS

Executive Board, the

Visiting Committee, and a system of Evaluation Panels,

the Bureau staff works to increase measurement

competence and share its scientific and technical

expertise with the scientific community, industry, and

the public.

The staff has grown

from its original 11 in 1901 to about 3,100 full-time

employees. Approximately

2,600 are located in Gaithersburg, Maryland,

with the remainder in Boulder, Colorado. More

than 1,000 Bureau staff members are physical

scientists and engineers and more than 40 percent of the

professional staff have

earned doctorates. The

professional staff, the largest

percentage of the NBS staff,

is supported by

administrative, clerical,

housekeeping, and

froundskeeping personnel,

he staff includes almost 400

technicians.

NBS provides advanced

training for representatives

of science and industry. For

example, in FY75 22

scientists who had recently

earned doctorates in physical

sciences and engineering

began 1-year post-doctoral

research associateships at the

Bureau. They undertook

advanced research projects

guided by senior NBS

scientists in the 20-year-old

program administered by the

Nahonal Research Council.

In addition, NBS hosted

88 industrial research

associates in FY75. The

Bureau's first six industrial

research associates were

appointed in 1921. Since

then, more than 1,000

research associates have

worked at NBS. Under the

sponsorship of individual

companies and trade and

professional societies, the

research associates work full- time at the Bureau on

projects of concern to both

the sponsor and NBS.

During the fiscal year, more

than 30 programs, including

eight new projects, were

underway. Eight program

extensions were negotiated

during the year. Tne NBS Executive

Board oversees the efforts of

the entire Bureau staff. For

advice, the Executive Board

turns to the NBS Visiting

Committee, created by the

Bureau's Organic Act. The

Committee is concerned with

all aspects of the Bureau,

including the scientific wellbeing of programs and the

condition of equipment and

facilities. Yearly, the

Committee reports its findings to the Secretary of

Commerce.

The NBS Evaluation

Panels are more involved

with specific Bureau projects.

Panel members review the

activities of each technical

division and institute. An

Executive Committee of

panel members reports the

findings and

recommendations of each

panel to the NBS Director

and the Visiting Committee.

The National Academy of

Sciences, the National

Academy of Engineering,

and the National Research

Council appoint the

approximately 200 members

of NBS Evaluation Panels.

30 ANNUAL REPORT
The contributions of NBS employees to the advancement of science and

technology are often recognized by outside

organizations. During the

fiscal year, those staff members honored by

independent and

professional organizations mcluded: JOHN R. AMBROSE of the Corrosion and

Electrodeposition Section

received tne Melvin Romanoff Award of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers

(Northeast Region).

WILLIAM E. ANDRUS from

the Office of Engineering and

Information Processing Standards was elected to a 6- year term as vice president of

the International Organization of Legal

Metrology.

LAWRENCE H. BENNETT

received the American

Society of Metals' Burgess Memorial Award for his research in the Alloy Physics

Section. HAROLD BERGER of the Reactor Radiation Division was awarded the American

Nuclear Society's Radiation

Industry Award for research and basic developments in neutron radiography. He

was also named a Fellow of the Society. DOUGLAS M. BURCH of the Center for Building

Technology was granted the H.C. Carrier Award from the

Carrier Corporation for experimental and analytical work on the NBS masonry

blockhouse and townhouse. LOUIS COSTRELL, chief of

the Radiation Instrumentation Section, received the Harry Diamond

Award from the Institute of

Electrical and Electronic Engineers for outstanding achievements in nuclear

radiation measurement

techniques.

ROBERT CRIST, chief of the

Structures Section of the Center for Building

Technology, was one of 21 committee members

awarded the 1974 State-of- the-Art Civil Engineering

Award from the American

Society of Civil Engineers.

RUTH M. DAVIS, director of the Institute for Computer

Sciences and Technology, was elected to membership

in the National Academy of Public Administration. ARTHUR M. DINESS, a fuest worker in the Physical

roperties Section, was named a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society. ANTHONY EVANS and

MELVIN LINZER, both of the Inorganic Materials

Division, received the Ross

Coffin Purdy Award from

the American Ceramic

Society for outstanding

contributions to ceramic

literature. GEOFFREY

FROHNSDORFF, chief of the Materials and

Composites Section of the Center for Building

Technology, received a Certificate of Merit from and

designation as Fellow of the American Ceramic Society. ARTHUR HOCKMAN of the Center for Building

Technology received an American Society for Testing and Materials Award of Merit and designation as Fellow for contributions to standards development for sealants and caulking

materials. WARREN P. IVERSON won

the Charles Thom Award

from the Society of Industrial Microbiology for his work in the Corrosion and

Electrodeposition Section. MADELEINE JACOBS of the

Office of Information

Activities was honored by

the Federal Editors Association for her technical news release on an NBSdeveloped chlorine monitor. ROBERT A. KAMPER of the Electromagnetics Division received the Arnold O. Beckman Award from the Instrument Society of America for contributions to the application of the Josepnson effect to new

measurement systems.

THEODORE LASHOF, chief

of the Laboratory Performance Section, was

granted an Award of Merit from the American Society

for Testing and Materials for his leadership in establishing the precision of paper test methods. H. L. MASON of the Office

of Information Activities and

IRIS M. LLOYD of the Management and

Organization Division were

honored by the Washington,

D.C., chapter of the Society

for Technical Communications for editing

Special Technical Facilities at the National Bureau of Standards. FIELDING OGBURN was

granted the Scientific Achievement Award of the American Electroplaters Society for his work in the Corrosion and

Electrodeposition Section. RICHARD W. ROBERTS,

former Director, received the Arthur S. Flemming Award

from the Downtown Jaycees

of the District of Columbia

for his effective administration of the Bureau. ROY G. SALTMAN of the Information Technology

Division was granted an

Intergovernmental Affairs Fellowship by the Civil Service Commission.

SAMUEL J. SCHNEIDER of the Solid State Chemistry

Section was named a Fellow

of the American Ceramic

Society for his work in phase

equilibria. BARRY N. TAYLOR, chief of the Electricity Division, received the John Price Wetherill Award from the Franklin Institute for work

with the a.c. Josephson

junction.

JACK TECH of the Optical

Physics Division received an Honor Award for Superior Performance from the Department of State for distinguished and

exceptional service in advancing U.S. -Soviet cooperation in science and

technology.

F, KARL WILLENBROCK,

director of the Institute for Applied Technology, was

elected to membership in the National Academy of

Engineering.

JAMES R. WRIGHT, deputy

director of the Institute for Applied Technology, was

elected to the Bureau (Board

of Directors) of the

International Union of Testing and Research

Laboratories for Materials and Structures (RILEM).

HARVEY YAKOWITZ,

DALE NEWBURY, and

ROBERT MYKLEBUST, all of the Metallurgy Division, were granted the Corning

Award from the Microbeam

Analysis Society.

NBS Executive Board

Dr. Richard W. Roberts*

Director Dr. Ernest Ambler

Deputy Director Dr. Arthur O. McCoubrey

Director, Institute for Basic Standards Dr. John D. Hoffman

Director, Institute for Materials Research Dr. F. Karl WiUenbrock

Director, Institute for Applied

Technology Dr. Ruth M. Davis

Director, Institute for Computer

Sciences and Technology Dr. Howard E. Sorrows

Associate Director for Programs Paul H. Schrader

Acting Associate Director for Administration Dr. Edward L. Brady

Associate Director for Information Programs

NBS Visiting Committee

Dr. Arthur Bueche, Chairman

Vice President for Research and

Development

General Electric Company

Dr. Robert Dicke

Professor of Physics

Princeton University Dr. Edwin Gee

Senior Vice President

E. I. du Pont de Nemours

•RESIGNED JUNE 30, 1975.

Charles Peck

Vice President Owens-Corning Fiberglas Dr. John Truxal Dean of the College of Engineering

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Evaluation Panel

Executive Committee

Dr. W. O. Baker, Chairman

President

Bell Laboratories Dr. Jordan Baruch (Chairman,

Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology Panel) Amos Tuck Graduate School of Business Administration Dartmouth College Professor Raymond A. Bauer

(Chairynan, Institute for Applied Technology Panel) Harvard Business School Dr. Harry C. Gatos

(Chairman, Office of Standard

Reference Data Panel) Department of Metallurgy and

Materials Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology Dr. Milton Harris (Chairman,

Experimental Technology

Incentives Program Panel) Consultant Professor Alan K. McAdams

(Member-at-Large) Graduate School of Business and

Public Administration

Cornell University Charles J. Meechan

(Chairman, Institute for Materials Research Panel) Corporate Vice President Research and Engineering

Rockwell International Dr. Roland W. Schmitt

(Chairman, Institute for Basic Standards Panel) Research and Development

Manager

Physical Science and

Engineering

General Electric Research and

Development Center

Dr. I. C. Schoonover

(Member-at-Large)

retired. Deputy Director National Bureau of Standards

Dr. G. King Walters

(Member-at-Large) Department of Physics

Rice University

NBS FY 75 31
Michael Witunski (Memberat-Large) McDonnell Douglas

Corporation

Evaluation Panel—Institute

for Basic Standards

Dr. Roland W. Schmitt, Chairman

Research and Development

Manager

Physical Science and

Engineering General Electric Research and

Development Center Dr. C. A. Bennett (Chairman,

Applied Mathematics Division Panel)

Staff Scientist

Battelle Human Affairs Research

Centers Dr. Herbert P. Broida

(Chairman, Optical Physics

Division Panel) Department of Physics

University of California at Santa

Barbara Professor James W. Daily

(Chairman, Mechanics Division

Panel) Department of Applied Mechanics and Engineering

Science University of Michigan

Professor Vernon J. Ehlers

(Member-at-Large) Department of Physics Calvin College R. W. Flugum (Chairman,

Electricity Division Panel)

Director—Applied Research The Ohio Brass Company

Professor Ronald Geballe

(Chairman, Laboratory Astrophysics Division Panel)

Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences University of Washington

Dr. Charles M. Huggins

(Chairman, Time and Frequency

Division Panel) Corporate Research and

Development

General Electric Company

Professor Donald N. Langenberg (Chairman,

Cryogenics Division Panel) Department of Physics

University of Pennsylvania Dr. Darrell W. Osborne

(Chairman, Heat Division

Panel) Senior Chemist Argonne National Laboratory

Robert A. Soderman

(Chairman, Electromagnetics

Division Panel) General Radio Company

Dr. Richard F. Taschek

(Chairman, Center for Radiation Research Panel) University of California Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

Evaluation Panel—Institute for Materials Research

Charles J. Meechan,

Chairman

Corporate Vice President Research and Engineering

Rockwell International Professor Neil Bartlett (Member-at-Large) Department of Chemistry

University of California at Berkeley Professor Morris Cohen

(Member-at-Large) Department of Metallurgy and

Materials Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Warren E. Falconer

(Chairman, Physical Chemistry

Division Panel)

Director, Physical Chemistry

Research Laboratory

Bell Laboratories Dr. Herbert I. Fusfeld

(Member-at-Large)

Director of Research Kennecott Copper Corporation Dr. Robert I. Jaffee (Chairman, Metallurgy

Division Panel)

Technical Manager, Materials,

Fossil Fuels, ana Advanced

Systems

Electric Power Research

Institute Dr. Frank E. Jamerson

(Chairman, Measures for Air

Quality Panel) Head, Physics Department

General Motors Research

Laboratories Dr. David W. McCall

(Chairman, Polymers Division

Panel) Chemical Director

Bell Laboratories Dr. George H. Morrison

(Chairman, Analytical Chemistry Division Panel) Department of Chemistry

Cornell University

Dr. R. J. Stokes (Chairman,

Inorganic Materials Division Panel) Manager, Materials Science Department

Honeywell Corporate Research Center Dr. Max L. Yeater (Chairman,

Reactor Radiation Division

Panel)

Professor and Curriculum Chairman, Nuclear Engineering

School of Engineering

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Evaluation Panel—Institute

for Applied Technology

Professor Raymond A.

Bauer, Chairman

Harvard Business School William D. Carey (Member-atLarge)

Vice President Arthur D. Little, Inc. Professor Howard W. Emmons (Chairman, Center

for Fire Research Panel) Harvard University

(deceased) Dr. Hubert Heffner (Memberat-Large)

Professor, Applied Physics and

Electrical Engineering

Stanford University Dr. David B. Hertz (Memberat-Large) Director McKinsey and Company, Inc. Professor Percy Pierre (Member-at-Large) Dean of Engineering Howard University Henry Rowen (Chairman,

Technical Analysis Division

Panel) School of Business Administration

Stanford University Dr. Gordon K. Teal (Chairman, Electronic Technology Division Panel)

retired, Texas Instruments Inc. Dr. G. King Walters

(Member-at-Large) Department oj Physics

Rice University Paul Weidlinger (Chairman,

Center for Building Technology

Panel) Weidlinger Associates, Consulting Engineers

Foster C. Wilson (Chairman,

Center for Consumer Product Technology Panel) Group Manager

Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation Dr. Eric Wolman (Member-atLarge) Head, Network Engineering Department

Bell Laboratories

Evaluation Panel—Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology

Dr. Jordan Baruch, Chairman Amos Tuck Graduate School of Business Administration Dartmouth College Bruno Augenstein

SpectraVision, Inc. Dr. Julian Bigelow

Institute for Advanced Study

Dr. William E. Bradley

President Puredesal Walter M. Carlsort Advanced Market Development

Consultant IBM Corporation Dr. Lawrence Goldmuntz

Economics and Science Planning

Dr. Robert R. Johnson

Vice President, Engineering

Burroughs Corporation Lester Kilpatrick

President

California Computer Products

Inc. Wijliam May

President and Chairman of the Board American Can Company

Professor Alan K. McAdams

Graduate School of Business and

Public Administration

Cornell University William Norris

President and Chairman of the Board

Control Data Corporation Alfred R. Zipf

Executive Vice President Bank of America

Evaluation Panel—Office

of Experimental Technology

j Incentives Program

Dr. Milton Harris, Chairman

Consultant Dr. Jordan Baruch Amos Tuck Graduate School of Business Administration Dartmouth College Dr. Herbert Fusfeld

Director of Research Kennecott Copper Corporation Dr. Neil V. Hakala

President Exxon Research and

Engineering Professor Walter R. Hibbard,

Jr. College of Engineering

Virginia Polytechnic Institute Professor Edwin Mansfield

Department of Economics

University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Richard R. Nelson

Professor of Economics

Yale University Dr. Charles^ E. Reed

Senior Vice President General Electric Company

Dr. Eli Shapiro

Chairman, Finance Committee

Travelers Insurance

Evaluation Panel—Office of Standard Reference Data

Dr. Harry C. Gatos, Chairman

Department of Metallurgy and

Materials Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. A. Arnold Bondi

Consulting Research Engineer

Shell Development Company

Dr. Warren E. Falconer

Director, Physical Chemistry

Research Laboratory

Bell Laboratories Dr. William H. Flygare Noyes Chemical Laboratory

University of Illinois Dr. Joseph Kestin

Physics and Engineering Department Brmon University Dr. Marion Semchyshen

Metallurgical Da'elopment

Manager

Climax Molybdenum Company

Dr. Richard F. Taschek

University of California Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

32 ANNUAL REPORT
Credits

Writer: Pamela A. Powell

Editor: Sharon A. Washburn

Photographers:

(Gaithersburg) H. Mark

Heifer with assistance from

Bessmarie Young and

Lawrence N. Hale

(Boulder) Harry D. Covey
YEARS NBS 1301-137 6