NATL INST OF STAND & TECH B

National Institute of Standa

A111D7 EST^HB

PUBLICATIONS
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDA]RDS

TECHNOLOGY

Research Information Center

Gaithersbmg, MD 20899

On the cover: Diamond films can play an important role in many advanced

technologies. The micrograph on the cover shows individual diamond particles that have been deposited on a

silicon wafer in research at NIST. See

article on page 24.
National Institute of Standards and Technology

m

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Robert A. Mosbacher, Secretary

Ernest Ambler, Acting Under Secretary

forTectinology

National Institute of Standards and Technology Raymond G. Kammer. Acting Director

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

301/975-2000

Boulder. CO 80303

303/497-3000

March 1989

NIST Special Publication 761 Prepared by the Public Information

Division A903 Administration Building National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

301/975-2762

Any mention of commercial products

is for information only; it does not imply recommendation or endorsement

by the National Institute of Standards and Technology nor does it imply that the products mentioned are necessarily

the best available for the purpose.

The National Bureau of Standards became

the National Institute of Standards and

Technology on August 23, 1988, under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act. NIST retains all NBS functions. Its new

programs will encourage improved use of technology by U.S. industry. i %\

J

Research Update

Light: The Wave of the Future 4

New Centers To Aid Industry 10

Commercialization of Technology: Whose Job? 12

NIST 1990 Budget Proposed 14

Quest for Quality 16

Too Hot To Handle, But Not To Measure 19

The Beauty of Time 20

Cold Neutron Facility Dedicated 22

Diamond Films: New Gems in Advanced Materials 24

Fracture Test on Thick Steel Plate Sets U.S. Record 26

New Dental Bonding System Licensed 28

New Publications 30

Conference Calendar 32
Research Update

Computer Security Board Named

NIST has appointed a 12-member board

to advise NIST and the Secretary of Commerce on security and privacy is- sues pertaining to federal computer sys- tems. The board was established as part

of the Computer Security Act of 1987. The act gives NIST responsibility for developing standards and guidelines

needed to protect the security and

privacy of sensitive unclassified information in federal computer systems.

The board's chairperson is the director of the NIST National Computer Systems Laboratory, James H. Burrows. The

board members are: Bill D. Colvin, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Roger M. Cooper, U.S. Department

of the Treasury; Robert H. Courtney, Jr., RCI Inc.; John A. Kuyers, Ernst and Whinney; Steven B. Lipner, Digital Equipment

Corporation; Rhoda R. Mancher,

Veterans Administration; Robert Morris, National Security Agency; Jack W.

Simpson, Mead Data Central; Walter W.

Straub, Rainbow Technologies, Inc.;

Willis H. Ware, The Rand Corporation;

Larry L. Wills, International Business

Machines Corporation; and Eddie L.

Zeitler, Security Pacific National Bank.

CD-ROIVI Speech Database

Available

As part of its speech recognition re- search to help computers become better

listeners, NIST researchers have

produced the first speech database in this country in CD-ROM (compact disc- read only memory) format. The database

consists of digitized speech data for 420

talkers speaking 4,200 sentences. NIST

researchers have been working with

private industry and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop ways such as this database to

measure the performance of speech

recognition systems. Texas Instruments, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and SRI International collaborated

with NIST to produce this CD-ROM

database. A limited number of discs are

available from David Pallett, NIST, A216

Technology BIdg., Gaithersburg, MD

20899,301/975-2935.

Volt, Ohm Standards To Change

National representatives of the world's weights and measures community

met recently in Sevres, France, to adopt new conventional values for the Josephson constant and the von Klitzing constant. These are the fundamental

physical constants required to determine

operational values of the volt, using the AC Josephson effect, and the ohm, using

the quantum Hall effect. The changes,

approved by the International Committee

of Weights and Measures (CIPM), will take effect January 1, 1990. All industrial nations will share, for the first time, a com- mon practical basis for measuring volt- age and resistance.

Prior to this, there was a difference of approximately 1 .2 parts per million (ppm)

between the U.S. voltage standard and

that of most European countries purely

because of differences in the way the national standards were maintained. With

the advent of modern, high-precision

voltmeters, such differences have be- come increasingly significant to U.S.

firms seeking to export high-precision

equipment. For the United States, the new values mean that NIST will adjust the

U.S. voltage standard by about 9.3 ppm,

and the U.S. resistance standard by

about 1.7 ppm. Precision electrical measuring instruments will have to be adjusted or recalibrated to maintain consistency with the new national standards.

Test Instrument To Detect

Computer Flaws Patented

Researchers from NIST and private in- dustry recently were granted a patent

(no. 4,764,863) for a test instrument

designed to verify the correctness of in- formation exchanges between large

electronic devices. The instrument offers the designers, builders, and users of complex computer systems a powerful

tool for tracking down subtle flaws in equipment in a way previously not possible.

Most flaw-detecting instruments are programmed to trigger only when certain, predetermined events happen. This instrument can be programmed with an

idealized model of a properly operating

system; it then monitors the system until something out of the ordinary is en- countered. At that point, recording cir- cuits are triggered to memorize the anomaly.

The inventors of this instrument are Robert B.J. Warnar, George G. Nacht,

Philip Gaudette, and Arthur W. Holt

(retired) of NIST and Lee J. Silverthorn of Software Resources, Inc., Paradise Valley, Ariz. For licensing information, contact Office of Federal Patent Licensing,

National Technical Information Service,

Springfield, VA 22161 , 703/487-4732.

Software Helps Select

Patrol Vehicles

A computer software program that police

fleet managers can use to select patrol

vehicles best suited to their needs has

been written by a NIST economist. The

program, called AutoBid, was sponsored

by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). AutoBid is based on Michigan State

Police patrol vehicle performance test data and runs on an MS-DOS(tm)-based

personal computer with at least 384K

2
bytes of RAM. AutoBid offers users two methods of assessing vehicles: perfor- mance or value. Performance is based

on vehicle test scores alone, ranking

vehicles independently of cost. The value method is based on both vehicle cost and test scores. The AutoBid program is available to law enforcement agencies

from the NIJ's Technology Assessment

Program Information Center, Box 6000,

Rockville, MD 20850.

Participants Wanted for OSI,

ISDN Security Program

NIST is inviting companies and other government agencies to join in a

cooperative research program relating to security and management of computer

networks that use the Open Systems In- terconnection (OSI) architecture or Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)

communications services. NIST is look- ing for participants to provide funding,

equipment, and/or staff. A major goal of the program is to expedite the development and commercial availability of OSI

and ISDN security products.

As part of the program, NIST will provide a facility to define, develop, and

test systems for a range of telecommunications, network management, and

security sen^/ices in a distributed information processing environment. For further

details, write to NIST, B151 Technology

BIdg.. Gaithersburg, MD 20899, Attn: In- tegrated OSi, ISDN, and Security

Program.

New Materials Can Help Gauge

Coal Sulfur Content

Because sulfur emissions from coal-fired

industrial plants are regulated by environ- mental agencies, it is important for coal and utility companies to know how much

sulfur is contained in a given coal batch.

Likewise, coal companies and their cus- tomers need accurate determinations of

sulfur and ash content along with

calorific value to set fair tonnage prices

of coal shipments. A new NIST Standard

Reference Material (SRM) can help bocst

the accuracy of all these measurements

by allowing evaluation of laboratory

methods and calibration of instruments

used in coal analysis.

The SRM, which consists of a 50- gram bottle of bituminous coal, is certified for its sulfur and ash content as well as its calorific value. Also included are

non-certified values of 23 other elements. The new material (SRM 2692) costs $102

and is available from the Office of Stan- dard Reference Materials, NIST, B311

Chemistry Bldg., Gaithersburg, MD

20899,301/975-6776.

Bulk Asbestos Standard Available

A set of asbestos Standard Reference

Materials (SRM's) is available for laboratories involved in the National Voluntary

Laboratory Accreditation Program on

Bulk Asbestos and for others concerned

with asbestos abatement projects. The

SRM's are typical of asbestos types

found in bulk samples during routine in- spections of building materials. The set consists of three common mine-grade as- bestos materials and one synthetic glass

fiber sample. The asbestos types are

chrysotile, grunerite (amosite), and

riebeckite (crocidolite). The optical properties of the materials have been characterized for use as a

primary calibration standard for identifying asbestos types in building materials. The glass fiber sample does not contain

asbestos and can be used to check pro- cedures and equipment for contamination that would affect the accuracy and

limits of detection of asbestos analysis.

SRM 1866, Bulk Asbestos Common, is available for $375 from the Office of Standard Reference Materials, NIST,

B31 1 Chemistry Bldg., Gaithersburg, Md.

20899,301/975-6776.

New System Tracks Air Flow

Knowing how air flows into, out of, and

within a building is important information

to those analyzing indoor air quality and

energy use. Most techniques currently available either treat the building as a

single, well-mixed volume of air or are complex, requiring the use of several dif- ferent tracer gases. A new technique

developed by researchers in the NIST

Center for Building Technology uses a

single gas to trace airflow between

various zones or building areas. In field

trials, the technique was quicker and more accurate than any previously used.

Clarification

NIST has been involved in a collaborative effort to automate the traditional radiometric method of DNA sequencing. An article in the October 1988

issue of NIST Research Reports,

which described this work, contained

statements that were critical of new se- quencing methods that use fluores- cent dyes to label the DNA fragments.

In fact, these methods also have been

automated, and instruments with very high performance capability and high

throughput capacity are commercially

available. NIST does not recommend

any particular procedure or product

for use in automated DNA sequencing

and has not done the comparative

laboratory testing necessary for a criti- cal evaluation of the radiometric ver- sus fluorescence methods.

3
Light: The Wave

of the Future

irms in other countries sucli as Japan have managed to apply

photonic technology to useful, attractive, saleable products well

before products from our own companies have been able to

reach the market. . . . "In a number of areas, Japanese optoelectronic technology is more advanced than the best available in this country. Development by the Japanese of the full potential

inherent in photonics could

threaten Annerica's leadership in several areas of electronics. . . . "The promise of optical tech- nology to bring improvements in bandwidth, information processing, information storage, and

sensing to the consumer at substantially lower cost must be a

major driving force for the commercialization of photonic technol- ogy in this country. . . . Development of marketable consumer

products based on photonic tech- nology . . . must be a keystone of national strategy. . . ." —Robert M.

White, president. National Academy of Engineering, Photonics:

Maintaining Competitiveness in the information Era, a National Research Council report. Whether it's called photonics,

optoelectronics, or lightwave tech- nology, this new communications

technology has begun to play a

significant role in several fields, and it will have a major effect on

the U.S. economy.

John W. Lyons, director of the NIST National Engineering

Laboratory, offered this insight in

testimony before the House Subcommittee on Science, Research

and Technology:

"The recent move to optical

communications systems is reflected in U.S. purchases of about $1 billion in fiber optic components in 1987 and a worldwide

market for these components of about $2.5 billion in 1988. An in- dependent forecast for the world

...this new communications technology has begun to play a

significant role in

several fields, and it

will have a major effect

on the U.S. economy.

market for optical systems and

components is for growth to about $12 billion by the year 2001 . This figure compares

favorably with the figure of about

$10 billion for electronic equipment in the same marketplace

today. There is no question but

that the telecommunications

market is one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy, and its health has a significant bearing on the overall state of our economy."

Already the nation's major

telecommunications companies

are routing many telephone calls through optical fibers, tiny strands of glass that can carry more information more efficiently

than copper wires. How does it work? Essentially, electrical energy is converted by lasers

to lightwaves which are sent through the hair-thin strands of glass. For example, using this technology, the entire contents of the Encyclopaedia Britannica can be transmitted in about 2 sec- onds. That same transmission over a copper telephone line would take nearly 2 days.

This technology also has

been employed to read disks and

has spawned the era of compact

disk recordings and optical

character readers.

I 4
But this is just tine beginning.

Light coursing through optical

fibers has the potential for becoming as commonplace as electrical wiring or electronic integrated circuits. For example, optical fibers may some day connect our homes and offices with switching

stations that provide a host of educational services, computer

databases, and high-definition

television, which is expected to

ogy is working to provide industry

with the required measurement

expertise. Already NIST has

aided the telecommunications in- dustry by providing characterization and measurements for voluntary industry standards for optical

fibers. NIST has also begun to

offer basic measurement and

calibration services to support

this growing industry. (See box

on page 6.)

The focus for optical technol- ogy research within NIST is the Electromagnetic Technology

Division in Boulder, Colo., where

four major projects are under

way. Optical fiber metrology and

laser power and energy metrol- ogy are the two oldest and most advanced programs. More recent

additions are programs in optical

communication device metrology

and optical fiber sensors.

In the past 3 years, the NIST

optical technology research pro- gram has expanded, principally in the area of components

needed for modern telecommunications systems. This expansion includes research on such

components as laser diodes,

detectors, couplers, modulators,

and optical waveguides.

The optical fiber metrology

program dates back to 1976,

when NIST assigned three scientists to characterize optical fibers

in anticipation of their use in the telecommunications industry. In the years since, NIST has worked

with the Electronic Industries Association and its associated

Telecommunications Industry Association, as well as other or- ganizations, to develop the measurements upon which voluntary industry standards could be

based. NIST has provided the measurement basis for 25 in- dustry standards adopted by

these voluntary standards groups. The Electronic Industries Association has said that without the assistance and leadership of this NIST program over the past

decade, "the U.S. fiber optics in- dustry would not be in the competitive position it is today."

A current standards-related

project concerns the geometry

of optical fibers—their roundness,

diameter, and the offset between

the core and the surrounding

glass, called the cladding. A

round-robin test of various measurements is under way in the United States to be completed in

offer sharper pictures and better sound than conventional television. Mainframe computers may

be based wholly on optical in- stead of electronic components,

allowing much faster computing

speeds than even the fastest of today's supercomputers.

To help to usher in this new

era of technology, the National Institute of Standards and TechnolIgor Vayshenker, a NIST electrical engineer, calibrates a commercial test meter used by optical fiber manufacturers to calibrate their own optical power

meters.

5
Measurement Services

for the Telecommunications Industry

NIST offers a total of eight

calibration and/or measure- ment services for laser power

and energy meters and optical

fiber power meters. NIST

develops and maintains the

country's national standards

for measurement of laser power and energy. It also maintains well-characterized

transfer standards, which

allow various laser power and

energy meters to be compared to the standards. The

services offered include:

1. Laser power and energy meter

calibration in four series, C, Q, K1, and K2. The wavelength

range is 488 nanometers to 10.6 micrometers; the power

range is from 1 microwatt to 300 watts, and typical uncertainties range from 0.5 to 3.5 percent.

2. iVIeasurement Assurance Programs (MAP's) for laser power and energy. These

programs are available at the same wavelengths and power

ranges as the calibration ser- vices. For a specified wavelength and power or energy,

the appropriate transfer stand- ard is sent from NIST to the MAP participant who cali- brates the NIST transfer stand- ard and returns the data and

standard to NIST. NIST eval- uates the data and returns an

intercomparison report to the

participant.

3. Optical fiber power meters. These are calibrated using an automated system whereby

the test meter and the laboratory standard are alternately

exposed to a stable laser source. The laboratory stand- ard is an electrically calibrated

pyroelectric radiometer which

has been calibrated against

the primary standard calorimeter. Measurement capabilities

for optical fiber power meters range from 850- to 1550-

nanometer wavelengths and

100 microwatts in power. Typical uncertainties range from

0.5 to 1.0 percent.

4. Measurement Assurance Program for optical fiber power

meters. NIST maintains a set of calibrated transfer standards

which are available for MAP in- tercomparisons of optical fiber power meters. These transfer standards are calibrated as

stated above and at the same

wavelengths and power levels.

5. Low-level laser Measurement

Assurance Program. NIST has instituted a low-level laser MAP

using special silicon and ger- manium diode detectors to measure pulse energy and

peak power of low-level, 1 .064- micrometer laser pulses of about 10- to 100-nanosecond

duration.

6. Pulsed 10.6-micrometer calibrations. NIST can perform re- sponsivity and energy calibrations on instruments designed

to measure pulsed laser radiation at a wavelength of 10.6 micrometers. A transfer stand- ard is used in a beam-splitter

arrangement in which a trans- versely excited atmospheric

pressure CO2 laser is used as

the radiation source. Calibrations are performed at pulse

widths of 200 nanoseconds

and have uncertainties of be- tween 5 and 15 percent.

7. Special tests for laser power

and energy meters. NIST per- forms special laser calibrations or measurements at wavelengths or power levels not already listed. It also per- forms unique measurements

such as impulse response or

linearity.

8. Special tests for optical fiber power meters. These are per- formed on optical fiber power

meters at wavelengths and

power ranges not previously

listed. This category includes

power meters using fiber connectors and meters which

have small area detectors. For more information concerning calibrations and measurements, contact Thomas R.

Scott, Division 724.02, NIST.

Boulder, Colo., 80303 or phone 303/497-3651.

6
a year. There will also be an inter- comparison of European measurennents, which is being coor- dinated by British Telecom

Research.

Researchers on this project,

under the direction of Douglas L. Franzen, are also making measurements on a new type of

fiber—a fluoride glass composition—which has the potential for longer transmissions without the use of repeaters. Current glass

fibers are made of fused silica and must have the signal amplified about every 25 miles.

"If it pans out, you could

stretch a fiber from the United

States to Europe without

repeaters," says Franzen. The new fiber will permit longer

wavelength transmissions—2 or 3

micrometers versus the present

1 .3 or 1 .5 micrometers. The fibers are more efficient at these longer

wavelengths. Franzen and his colleagues

are developing a complete

measurement system to test components for high data rate trans- missions. A clear advantage of

optical fibers over copper wires is

their potential to carry tremen- dous amounts of data—100 billion bits per second. But this

ability is limited by the speed with which conventional electronics and lasers, particularly laser diodes, can be pulsed, or switched on and off. In laboratory

tests, the NIST researchers have

achieved pulses of nine-trillionths

of a second, which translates to a

potential carrying capacity of be- tween 10 and 20 billion bits per

second. Commercial application

of these pulse rates are probable

within the next 5 years, Franzen

estimates. "The telecommunications in- dustry wants to increase the carry- ing capacity of fibers now in the ground by increasing the bit

rate," he says. Current carrying

Researchers ... are

also making measurements on a new type of

fiber—a fluoride glass

composition—which

has the potential for

longer transmissions

without the use of

repeaters.

capacities of between 1 and 2 billion bits per second are being

rapidly eclipsed. "It seems there's a never-ending appetite for more

data transmission; high-definition

TV will only increase the demand," Franzen continues. High power and energy

measurements of lasers have

long been established at NIST,

but the growth of the optical fiber communications industry has

produced requirements for measurements and calibrations

at lower power and energy levels. Within the past year, a group of NIST researchers, headed by

Thomas R. Scott, has been

calibrating fiber optic power

meters for the telecommunications industry. Scott and his col- leagues are also working to

develop measurement services

for linearity, uniformity, and

spectral responsivity. "These are needs identified by industry," Scott notes. To keep abreast of industry's

needs, Scott plans to maintain close contact with several telecommunications companies.

His group is also working on an improved calorimeter for optical

fiber power and energy measurements. It will be based on the same principle as the current standard calorimeter; that is, the calorimeter captures laser beam

energy, absorbs it, and converts

it to thermal energy. The calorimeter's temperature is monitored and correlated with the amount of laser energy that was

put into the calorimeter. This new

calorimeter will be especially useful in measuring low levels of power generated by laser diodes. "Our work is being driven by

the growth and maturity of fiber optic use by the telecommunications industry," says Scott, adding, "They are using more power

meters and they need traceability

for that equipment."

The properties of fiber depend on many external parameters, especially mechanical

stress, temperature, and magnetic field. These effects can be

exploited by using fiber as the sensing element in measure- ment systems. The advantages

include most of the same

reasons fibers are being used

for communications: size, speed,

sensitivity, and, perhaps most

importantly, immunity to electro- magnetic interference.

7
The market for all kinds of sensors is growing rapidly and fiber sensors represent an increasing

percentage of that market. Some

studies have estimated the potential sales for fiber sensors to be

as much as $5 billion by the year 2000. The National Academy of Engineering, in the study already

cited, declares that "the need for standardization and the demonstration of well-engineered all- optical systems" are the major

barriers to the development of

this industry. NIST's optical fiber sensor program, headed by Gordon W.

Day, emphasizes the use of fiber

for electromagnetic measurements: current, voltage, and magnetic and electric fields. It is helping the fiber sensor industry by

developing a good understanding of the components that are used in fiber sensors. It is also helping other government

laboratories with specific applications of fiber sensors. The NIST program had its beginnings in a joint project with Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos scientists needed to measure very large (many millions of amperes) pulsed currents. When generated, these

currents also generate considerable interference. Optical fiber sensors, because they are nonelectrical, were a potential solution to the interference problem.

After several years of detailed study of fiber properties and

sensor design and development, fiber current sensors have become part of the stand- ard instrumentation for such measurements.

The analysis and component

characterization studies undertaken during the course of this work led NIST scientists to tech- niques for using fiber current sensors to measure much smaller

currents and to improve their

stability and accuracy. These

developments should open up new application areas. For ex- ample, NIST recently completed

a study of the potential applica- , tion of current and voltage sensors in the electric power in- dustry, where accuracy is.

a

paramount concern. As a follow-up to this study, the NIST Electrosystems Division

in Gaithersburg, Md., in collaboration with the electric power industry, has begun an experimental program to evaluate certain measurements made with optical

8
sensors versus those made with conventional transducers, such

as magnetic current transformers. The goal is to obtain a definitive database that may alleviate con- cerns about the long-term ac- curacy and reliability of the opti- cal sensors and, thereby,

facilitate their acceptance by

the industry.

Presently, in joint programs

with NASA and the Navy, NIST

scientists in Boulder are studying

the use of current and voltage sensors for power monitoring on

board aircraft and ships. For the Defense Nuclear Agency, they

are studying the application of optical fiber current and magnetic

field sensors to high-speed pulse measurements. A newer NIST program deals

with measuring the characteristics of optical waveguides. Many

new components and subsystems will be built using optical

waveguides, where the refractive index of a material is modified so

light flows in channels a few

micrometers wide. By getting

light to flow in channels, it be- comes easier to perform a

variety of functions, such as

switching, modulating, multi- plexing, and coupling—functions

similar to those in electronic

microcircuits. Individual or in- tegrated devices are needed for these functions, and they, too, need characterization. NIST researchers, headed

by Robert J. Phelan, are in the process of making optical waveguides out of various materials,

such as lithium niobate and

gallium arsenide. Phelan and his colleagues are also creating detectors and modulators to control the photons. "For any device

you can think of in electronics, there's an analog in optics," says

Phelan. The purpose in constructing

the various optical components

is not to produce commercial

products (there are very few now

on the market) but to understand

the composition and functions of the components so that they can

be better measured and characterized. "We're just getting into in- tegrated optics in order to ad- vance the state of measurement

art," says Phelan.

..."the need for standardization and the

demonstration of wellengineered all-optical

systems" are the major

barriers to the development of this industry.

He foresees commercial applications in the telecommunications industry, such as local area computer networks where the high data rate to be communicated is best handled through

lightwave technology.

Another facet of his group's

work is the production and

measurement of extremely fast pulses of light. For the potential of

optical communication to be fully

realized, it will require turning optical devices on and off at the level

of trillionths of a second. Phelan

has built a detector capable of measuring pulses down to twotrillionths of a second.

There is stiff international competition to develop optical technol

ogy. Japan has, perhaps, taken

the lead in this area. Among

others, British Telecom in Great

Britain and AT&T Bell Labs and

Bell Core in this country have

major research programs. Where

all of this will lead is uncertain at the moment, but it is clear that there is the potential for revolution ary changes in communications.

And NIST wants to be in a position to give support to the advanced measurement technology

that will be involved. Recently, Phelan received the go-ahead to purchase a million- dollar chemical beam epitaxy sys tem that will allow NIST to grow

unique optoelectronic semiconductor chips of indium gallium ar- senide phosphide. "We will develop multiple quantum wells

to make lasers, modulators,

switches, and waveguides. We

will be able to control the device

structures to a very precise degree," Phelan notes. Perhaps in the not-too-distant

future laser diodes will be as com

mon in our homes as transistors are today. To ensure that we get

there, NIST is preparing the measurement base to support a whole new industry. And that is NIST's primary goal—to provide

industry with the best measure- ments in order to produce the best products.

by Fred McGehan

NIST Public Affairs Specialist

9
New Centers

To Aid Industry

TheCleveland Advanced Manufacturing Program in Cleveland,

Ohio, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and the

University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., were selected by

the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish

regional manufacturing technology centers to aid small- and

medium-sized businesses. The centers will help smaller firms take

advantage of some of thie recent and dramatic advances in manufacturing technology. Thirty-six

non-profit institutions representing various segments of industry, state and local government, and

academe applied for the federal support.

"It was not difficult to find qualified organizations. It was difficult to narrow the field down to

just three," said Raymond G. Kammer, acting director of NIST. NIST selected the three organizations after a National Research

Council committee reviewed applications and NIST staff members made site visits to eight of the applicants.

Each new center will: inform and educate the in- dustrial firms in its region;

demonstrate the applicability

of advanced technology to these

firms; actively help firms to evaluate

their requirements and to implement newer technologies;

support workforce training and

retraining; and

The program is

intended to accelerate

the transfer of manufacturing technology

to small- and

medium-sized U.S.

businesses....

share appropriate transfer ex- periences with others. The Cleveland Advanced

Manufacturing Program (CAMP)

will establish a NIST Regional

Manufacturing Technology

Center at the Unified Technologies Center, a recently constructed facility for technology

demonstration and training in downtown Cleveland on the campus of Cuyahoga Community College. The not-for-profit CAMP

emphasizes research, development, technology applications,

and training in an area with a very

high density of manufacturing

activity.

NIST funding will help

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

to establish the Northeast

Manufacturing Technology

Center, which will concentrate on

applying advanced manufacturing technologies to material removal, assembly, and inspection of mechanical components

for the automotive, consumer, and electronics industries. The

center will take advantage of a New York state extension network

and build upon that concept in applying it to similar extension or- ganizations in other northeastern

states. The South Carolina Technology Transfer Cooperative will be

established by the University of South Carolina and the state's technical college system to transfer new manufacturing technol- ogy to small- and medium-sized

metal fabricating companies.

Clemson University faculty also

will be involved in this NIST

Regional Manufacturing Technology Center, which is located in a state that is diversifying its manufacturing economy and

10
expanding its fabricated metals

industry.

"We expect not only to monitor the progress of these

centers but to work closely with them. NIST researchers will visit the centers, and we expect the

centers' staffs to spend time at our laboratories," said Kammer.

The new NIST Regional Manufacturing Technology Centers have some notable common features, according to Kammer. In each case, the market for their manufacturing support services

is well understood and the

delivery mechanisms have been

well thought out. Educational

needs—training and retraining

have been given very high

priority. In addition, strong local capabilities exist to adapt

manufacturing technologies to the particular needs of local industry. And, importantly, all enjoy

excellent state and local industry

support.

The Regional Manufacturing

Technology Centers Program is part of NIST's expanded mission. The Institute is charged with helping U.S. industry be more competitive by adopting productivityand quality-improving techniques. The program is intended

to accelerate the transfer of manufacturing technology to small- and medium-sized U.S. businesses to help these firms

to improve their manufacturing

capabilities and market competitiveness—an important ingredient

to successful international economic competition. Each

center will serve the needs of

manufacturers located within its region.

One of the major manufacturing technology resources to be

used by these new centers in helping companies is the NIST

Automated Manufacturing

Research Facility (AMRF). This research version of the "factory

of the future" has been used by

government, industry, and universities for years to advance the

state-of-the-art in flexible auto- mated manufacturing, and to per- form measurement and standards

research needed to make advanced manufacturing tech- niques more accessible to U.S. companies.

Many advanced manufacturing technologies have been

developed and implemented in the AMRF. Although the purpose

of the AMRF is research on broad

issues such as advanced tech- nologies for making precisely

machined parts and stand- ardized interfaces between

various types of equipment, there are narrower pieces of new tech- nology that may be transferred separately. The extent of transfer

will depend upon the individual needs of the Manufacturing Technology Centers' client businesses.

NIST has established cooperative agreements with the host or- ganizations to provide at least $1 .5 million in matching funds for each of the centers. The host or- ganization may count as part of

its matching funds dollar contributions from state, county, city, industrial, or other sources. It also

may count in-kind contributions of

full-time personnel, equipment,

and centrally located office, laboratory, and shop floor space

directly related to this program.

by Mat Heyman

Chief, NIST Media Liaison

Metrologist Ralph ¥eale monitors the periormance of a

robot at the inspection workstation in the NIST Automated

Manufacturing Research Facility. The test routine used by

the coordinate measuring machine is generated automatically from a computerized description of the part under

test, an example of the advanced automation control tech- niques studied at NIST.

11
Commercialization

of Technology:

Whose Job?

Thecommercialization of technology is receiving unprecedented

attention not only in Washington, but also by industry and university policymakers, scientists, and engineers around the

country. Let me tell you briefly about one of the changes the

federal government has made in order to deal with technology

issues. Late in the last session of Congress, legislation was passed

establishing an Under Secretary

for Technology and a Technology

Adnninistration within the Commerce Department.

I believe that this was an essential step in heightening the

role of technology within the Department of Commerce and in integrating that role with the considerable economic analysis,

trade, and other functions of the department. Such a coordinated

effort needs to be put squarely

behind U.S. technology-based in- dustry and business. You will notice I said "behind U.S. in- dustry." That implies industry is out front—an issue that I'll return

to later.

This article was excerpted from remarks made by Ernest Ambler,

Acting Under Secretary for Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce,

to the Institute of Electrical and

Electronics Engineers ' Technology

Policy Conference, Washington, D.C., on February 21, 1989.

I think the decision to give the Commerce Department an explicit position and organization for dealing with technology matters

reflects an emerging consensus

that the state of civilian technol- ogy in this country is an issue that we must deal with better. The

federal government should have

an important role to play in helping industry to improve the applications of civilian technology

and, therefore, marketplace

performance.

Coming to that conclusion is the easy part. But then determining exactly what this role should

be still is not crystal clear. But

there is one thing that I think is in- controvertible. It is the job of the

private sector to develop and sell goods and services. Government

has never been successful in showing industry how to do its

job, and there is absolutely no

reason to think that will change in the future. That does not mean the federal government cannot help. It can. But the government's role must be limited and carefully designed

to help and not to hinder. Busi- ness and industry must get out

front, and they must do so in a

It is the job of the

private sector to

develop and sell goods

and services.

way that is more cohesive. from a

national point of view. That clearly relates to the Commerce Department's

broadened technology mission,

which is: "to develop and

promote federal technology

policies and programs to in- crease U.S. commercial and industrial innovation, productivity.

12
and growth through consultation and collaboration with U.S. industrial and non-profit sectors." The office of the Under Secretary

is a catalyst, a friend, a forum, a

listening post, and a voice in Washington for technology-based

industry.

One of the first things I did was to draft a charter for a technical advisory board with predominant industrial membership. It is my intention that this board be a

central feature of the operations

of the Under Secretary.

Now let me give you a little more detail about the new Commerce Technology Administration. It includes three line or- ganizations—the National

Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the National Technical Information Sen/ice.

The two new offices in the Technology Administration are

the Office of Technology Policy

and the Office of Commercial Affairs. The Policy Office is already

carrying out its functions by identifying opportunities or barriers af- fecting U.S. commercial innovation, quality, productivity, and

manufacturing. It is also advocating federal policies and programs

to eliminate—across the govern- ment—statutory, regulatory, or other barriers to the rapid U.S. commercialization of science and

technology.

The Office of Commercial Affairs will have more operational programs. This office encourages

the establishment of industry re- search consortia through joint ventures; works to speed

industry's adoption of flexible computer-integrated manufacturing by mostly small- and mediumsized businesses; increases

private sector access to federally

developed technology by seeking greater industry involvement

in, and awareness of, research

conducted at federal laboratories; improves the information avail- able to U.S. companies about

Japanese science and tech- nology developments; and works

closely with the Department of Defense.

But the government's

role must be limited

and carefully designed

to help and not

to hinder.

Let me now offer you some

reflections after 2 months on this new job. First, there is so much

going on in the Commerce

Department that relates specifically to technology—with the

potential to help U.S. industry.

What we need to do, and

what I consider the Under

Secretary's reason for being, is to ensure that technological and

business facts figure into the

larger equation, so that federal decisions that affect our civilian technology and technologybased business enterprises

reflect these facts to the greatest

extent possible. There clearly is a

role for a federal voice that will

speak out for U.S. technologybased industries' interest and

help forge a national effort. By the same token, an active

federal role does not mean that the federal government should

unilaterally design a solution—it should not, and it cannot. I am

firmly convinced that the ball is in the private sector's court. The

federal government can provide

leadership as a convener and

must help remove some of the roadblocks to commercializing new technologies, The govern- ment must in some cases provide

incentives and support generic

technology through its own R&D

budgets. In all cases, it must lis- ten to and respond to what in- dustry is saying. But, in the final analysis, this country's technological and commercial success

rests with industry.

1 hope that the industrial community will feel that the mission of

this new Technology Administration provides exactly the right en- vironment for it to use as a plat- form to get the government's

attention. 1 think that the mechanism is now in place for a Department of Commerce that will be more aggressive, more in tune

with industry's technological

needs. But let me reiterate: In- dustry must first pull together. In- dustry must shew the government

that it is willing to make decisions

that allow cooperation and

partnership, that it is ready, willing, and able to cooperate

among companies and with the government. If it can do that, I

think it will find a strong partner in the Commerce Department.

13
NIST 1990 Budget

Proposed

he President's budget proposal to Congress for fiscal year 1990

includes $155.6 million for the National Institute of Standards

and Technology. This compares with $159 million appropriated

by Congress for FY 1989. Measurement is vital to all segments

of the U.S. industrial economy to assure quality and costcompetitiveness of high-technology products and services. The request

recognizes NIST's traditional role

in providing measurement-related

scientific and engineering re- search to support U.S. industry,

government, and science. In addition, the request recognizes

NIST's enhanced role under the Omnibus Trade and Competitive- ness Act of 1988, which was

designed to boost U.S. industry in the world marketplace. Particularly, NIST research is targeted

at helping industry accelerate

the commercialization of new,

high-technology products-and

services. Included in the request are program increases in several

areas:

Chemical Process Control and

Quality Assurance ($2.1 million). Chemical measurement technol- ogy, standards, and reliable data

are crucial to enhance productivity, introduce new technologies, and meet the competitive

challenge in a range of international markets. For many emerging technologies, no chemical

measurement base exists. This re- quest would add to $400,000 appropriated in FY 1989 and would

allow NIST to advance chemical

measurement science needed

for new, high-technology in- dustries and to improve the

quality assurance of chemical measurements.

High-Performance Composites

($1 million). Composites are at- tractive because of their high

strength and stiffness, corrosion

resistance, design and manufacturing flexibility, and effectiveness

in conserving critical materials. They are an important area of worldwide competition in which

the United States is no longer a

clear leader. The program at NIST would focus on developing

basic information needed to link the microstructure of the material components to their performance

characteristics. This increase

would mean a total of $3 million would be available for the program in FY 1990.

Lightwave Measurement Technol- ogy—Fiber Optics ($2.6 million). Lightwave technology is the basis

for current and future communications and computer systems.

Competition is intense in the inter- national market for fiber optic

components—currently $2.5 billion a year and expected to reach

$1 1 billion by the year 2000. This increase would bring the total funding available in FY 1990 to $4.7 million and would enable

NIST to provide the measurement

capability that U.S. industry

needs to develop and sell more

competitive optoelectronic components in the world market.

High-Temperature Superconductors

($700,000). International competition to develop and market super- conducting products is unprecedented. This increase would

bring the total available in FY

1990 to $3.5 million for NIST to conduct a research program as

specified in the President's Super14
conductivity Initiative. Tlie initiative called for NIST to develop

measurement methods, Standard

Reference Materials, and supporting data as well as devices for measuring weak magnetic fields,

In addition, it called for NIST to establish a superconductivity center

for electronic applications. The

center is operating now at NIST

laboratories in Boulder, Colo. NIST already has made many

contributions including implementing the first superconducting

electronic device capable of operating at liquid nitrogen

temperatures and fully characterized as a measurement device.

Bioprocess Engineering ($2.3

million). The United States currently leads the world in fun- damental biochemical research

and innovation in the laboratory, but is behind in the world competition to get the technology to the marketplace. The NIST

program would focus on providing U.S. industry with the measurement foundation needed

to facilitate manufacture of products from microorganisms

and animal and plant cells in commercial quantities at low cost. In

particular, areas of proposed re- search include monitoring and

control of bioreactors, commercial separation and purification of bioproducts, measuring thermophysical properties needed for design, and identifying and

characterizing the relationship be- tween molecular structure and

conformation and chemical

process behavior of biomolecules. This funding would bring the total available for this re- search in FY 1990 to $3.7 million, Computer Security ($3.5 million). The Computer Security Act of 1987 (P.L 100-235) gives NIST

the primary responsibility for developing standards and

guidelines needed to secure sensitive, unclassified information in federal computer systems. The

addition of these funds would

make a total of $6 million avail- able in FY 1990, Planned areas

of research include security ar- chitecture and standards for net- works, methods and standards

for securing database systems,

and uniform personal identification and authentication methods.

These standards, guidelines, and

methods will help assure that data are processed correctly and

are available when needed and

that only those authorized have

access.

Scientific Computing Upgrade

($3.1 million). These funds have

been requested to upgrade the

scientific computing system used

by both NIST and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, another Commerce

Department agency.

Also included in the 1990

budget are several proposed

decreases.

Industrial Technology Grants (-$7.5

million). NIST plays an important

role in facilitating the transfer and

effective use of technology. The

establishment of the Industrial Technology Grants program.

however, has introduced a large, new activity to NIST that is a significant departure from its ongoing work as a laboratory-based re- search facility. The Administration

supports additional funding for key research efforts undertaken

to fulfill NIST's traditional role and

to further facilitate technology

transfer, but is opposed to expansion of the grants program.

Center for Integrated Design, Nondestructive Evaluation and

Manufacturing (-$7.5 million). NIST

received a special appropriation

of $7.5 million in its FY 1989

budget to fund the new center at Iowa State University over a 3- year period.

Fire and Building Safety Research

(-$3.9 million). The fire and build- ing safety research programs at NIST would receive $5 million and continue, although in some

cases at reduced levels, NIST's

efforts directly addressing safety

such as work on earthquake

hazards, structural safety and engineering, fire modeling, and

studies on the toxicity of combustion products.

Other decreases include non-energy related inventions (-$150,000), fire research on

ignition of upholstery and general

toxicity studies (-$250,000),

and alternative refrigerants

(-$250,000).

by Jan Kosko

NIST Public Affairs Specialist

15
Quest for Quality

uality products and services sell—at home and abroad.

Those sales by U.S. companies help reduce the nation's

trade deficit. In fact, strategic planning for quality and quality

improvement programs is becoming essential to the strength

of the nation's economy and the ability of U.S. companies to

compete in the global marketplace.

Recognizing the critical role of quality to business, Congress

created the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This award

honors American companies that achieve the highest level of total quality management. Named

after former Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige, the

Malcolm Baldrige National

Quality Award

award was established by legislation—the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act of 1987—that was passed in August

1987.Presented annually, the award

is intended to help motivate U.S. companies—both large and

small—to improve their total quality management, including

the quality of their products and

services. The award was pre- sented for the first time at a White

House ceremony in November

1988. (See box on page 17.) The National Institute of Stan- dards and Technology manages

the award program. NIST's role is a natural extension of the mission

that has guided the Institute since

its founding in 1901 —help in- dustry improve quality through measurement.

That effort continues through

such research programs as the Automated Manufacturing Re- search Facility, which attempts to improve the quality of products

through in-process control monitoring, and materials work in polymers, ceramics, and metals as well as basic measurement

services, such as calibrations and reference materials. The NIST quality award staff, headed by Curt W. Reimann,

Associate Director for Quality

Programs at the Institute, work

with experts in the private sector

to establish the award criteria and

procedures, staff the board of ex- aminers, and develop a course to prepare examiners for the evaluation of applications submitted for the award.

In particular, NIST staff have

worked extensively with a consortium of the American Society for Quality Control and the American

Productivity and Quality Center. Funding for the program comes

from application fees and the

private Malcolm Baldrige National

Quality Award Foundation.

Almost 20,000 applications

which also serve as guidelines

for a comprehensive quality

program—have been distributed

in connection with the second

round of awards, to be presented

in November 1989. Reimann is the first to admit surprise at the heightened awareness among

corporations after the initial year's

effort at publicizing the award.

He attributes the success at reaching target audiences to the

16
close networks of companies and

suppliers. "As big companies learn about the program and begin to say 'We like this idea; this is useful,' they encourage their suppliers to get interested," explains

Reimann.

A prime incentive for any busi- ness to pursue quality is the way

it shows up on the firm's profit and loss statement. "Put your money into quality improvement.

There are few things a company

can do that pay as large a divi- dend," says Reimann. "People in the more heads-up companies

are fully aware that quality now

plays a significant role in the inter- national marketplace."

The award guidelines are also catching on as a value system, a

checklist for any company seri- ously pursuing quality. Explains

Reimann, "We find companies actively using this material, ordering

the guidelines in quantity, and

passing them along to line managers. A number of companies

have even asked for permission

to reproduce them." Companies

just getting started in quality can

review the guidelines document

ana come away with a strong sense of what they ought to be

doing. In effect, they have a

checklist for quality.

The decision to make the application guidelines both an ex- amination and an evaluation was

a conscious one. In designing the program, the public and private sector awards committee posed

questions aimed at specific areas

important to quality, such as ex- ecutive leadership and human

resources. According to Reimann, experts believe quality is driven by

strong leadership, which creates

a sustained and visible role for quality in the whole corporate

fabric. Under the category

"leadership," which is one of seven areas examined, the guidelines request details about

the extent of personal involve- ment by the senior executives in quality-related activities. And they

spell out the types of activities: assessing and reviewing quality

plans and progress; giving and

receiving training and recognition; and learning about the

quality of domestic and international competitors.

The application also asks for a brief summary of the company's

policy mission that demonstrates

quality values. This item reflects the view of quality experts working with Reimann that unless

there is visible and sustained

leadership from the executive

and unless there is a quality

The First Winners

Former President Reagan

announced the first winners of the Malcolm Baldrige National

Quality Award on November

14, 1988, during a ceremony

at the White House;

Motorola Inc.;

• Commercial Nuclear Fuel

Division of Westinghouse

Electric Corp.; and

• Globe Metallurgical, Inc. Motorola Inc. has been

recognized for its success in rediscovering the critical role

of the customer in demanding

perfection. The company's fun- damental objective is total customer satisfaction through

quality improvement. Its Six Sigma Quality program sets a

goal of only 3.4 defects per million products. To achieve this. Motorola made statistical tech- nologies a part of every employee's job.

The commitment to total

quality for the Commercial

Nuclear Fuel Division of West- inghouse Electric Corp. results from what its chairman terms

"a cultural change," that is, embracing quality as a way of

life. The company developed

a method to monitor continuously 60 key quality areas

called pulse points—from cus- tomer satisfaction to product

performance.

Globe Metallurgical, Inc., a

small company of 210 employees, has become the lowest

cost, highest quality producer

of ferroalloys and silicon metals in the United States. The

company attempts to monitor

and quantify every factor that influences product quality,

making extensive use of computer-controlled systems that continually advise workers

whether targets are met.

17
Curt W. Reimann explains the application process for the Malcolm Baldrige

National Quality Award.

policy that pervades the organization, quality will not take hold. "Through the quality program, we've been able to pull together an operating definition with an

associated value system. The national award encourages people

to look at just what this value sys- tem is in a way not possible

without the existence of an

award," adds Reimann.

Beyond the award program, Reimann has set some long-term

goals on quality. One is to make

the award a focal point for economic and business studies. He feels that one of the barriers to more scholarly studies on quality

is that quality is largely undefined.

"The field must be elevated. Executives must be able to talk about it more intelligently rather than reciting phrases like quality,

quality improvement, and total quality management," stresses Reimann.

He already sees that happening as fellow committee members

begin to use the quality criteria in business schools.

"This approach to quality is catching on quickly," says Reimann. "The award drives a

national awareness campaign.

Businesses begin to take note and take interest. And business

school professors who interact in the same communities as senior business leaders begin to realize the substance in this issue. They

adopt the framework, and, in- deed, contribute to the framework. It amounts to a social movement. That's the ultimate goal. I think we're moving in the right direction."

by John Makulowich

NIST Public Affairs Specialist

To Apply

The deadline for the 1989

award applications is May 5, 1989. Application review and

site visits will take place from

May 5 through September 30. The winners will be announced

at an awards ceremony in November.

All applications are confidential and applicants are

not expected to provide

proprietary information on

products or processes. An application fee of $2,000 for large

companies and $1 ,200 for small companies recovers the costs of review. Two awards may be given

in each of three categories:

manufacturing companies or subsidiaries; service companies or subsidiaries; and

small business. Businesses in- corporated and located in the United States may compete for the award. Subsidiaries

divisions or business units of larger companies—must

primarily serve either the

public or businesses other than the parent company.

Small businesses are inde- pendently owned with not more than 500 full-time employees.

To receive a copy of the application guidelines, write or

call: Malcolm Baldrige National

Quality Award Office, NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-2036.

18
Too Hot To Handle,

But Not To Measure

Imagine trying to measure the melting point of graphite, an important

material in rocket casings and chemical process equipment. You

steadily increase the temperature of your sample. Suddenly, as you

approach its melting point—POOF!—it's gone. What happened?

Graphite evaporates at extremely high temperature and atmospheric

pressure. A National Institute of Standards and Technology researcher.

Ared Cezairliyan, has developed a technique to avoid that problem. He designed and successfully operated a measuring

system that will allow investigation of materials properties at temperatures ranging from 1300

Kto 6000 K. Even 10,000 K is within reach of the system.

The practical applications of such research include spacerelated work, where temperatures

soar during reentry, nuclear reactor safety, and defense—specifically rocketry, in which the nose cone as well as the skin gets very

hot."The principle of the method

is very simple," explains

Cezairliyan. "Just pass high

currents through the sample.

Let it increase in temperature

through resistive heating. Then

make the electrical and thermal measurements." The secret to the system,

which took 10 years to design,

develop, construct, and make

operational, is extremely rapid

measurements, taken in microseconds (millionths of a

second). Also noteworthy is the system's high-speed temperature

measurements using a photoelectric technique.

"The measurement technique

is unique. We do everything

quickly because the hightemperature environment is quite

hostile. If you conduct the experiment in a very, very short time,

many measurement problems as- sociated with hostile environ- ments, while still present, are minimized," says Cezairliyan.

As a byproduct of his work,

the measurements that Cezairliyan and his coworkers

are making contribute to the fun- damentals of materials behavior.

Thus, the data gathered are good

input to theoreticians in understanding materials. A sense of the system's

speed dawns with the realization

that the experiment is over within 100 microseconds. The temperature of the sample, which is 1 .5 millimeters in diameter and 2 to 3

centimeters long, is raised by

passing high currents utilizing a

capacitor discharge.

The speed at which the measurements are taken yields a

positive side effect—the introduction of another variable, time. This allows researchers to see how

materials change with time and

becomes a new parameter, like temperature, pressure, or wavelength, for example.

Using the system, Cezairliyan

intends to perform research on

several important thermophysical

properties. These include heat

capacity, electrical resistivity, thermal emissivity, thermal expansion, melting point, heat of fusion,

and the velocity of sound.

Cezairliyan points out that the

first accurate dynamic measure- ments of thermal properties at high temperatures were made in the same NIST laboratory. It is

still the only one in the world with such broad and accurate

capabilities. While parts of the system are available in a few

other countries, the laboratory at NIST is at the frontier of new

developments. J.M.

19
The Beauty of Time

Timeis many things to many people. But is it beautiful? Ask some

physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

in Boulder, Colo., and they will reply with a resounding "yes!"

Forget wall clocks and digital watches; forget chronometers and

sundials. For these dedicated researchers time has become

atoms that dance in laser light. And, to them, that is beauty.

From their book-cluttered of- fices and colorful laser laboratories, they are producing a new

standard of timekeeping—and

blazing new trails in physics.

When they get through, perhaps

in a decade, their "clocks" will keep such stable time that they

will neither gain nor lose a second in 10 billion years, or roughly the age of the universe. It

is termed—appropriately—atomic

time.

All clocks ultimately depend

upon the counting of a periodic

event. In a pendulum clock, for example, one full swing of the pendulum accounts for 1 second

of elapsed time. With atomic

clocks, the swing of the pen- dulum is replaced by the oscilla- tions—or vibrations—of a particular atom. The measurement of time

changed forever on January 6, 1949, when NIST unveiled the world's first atomic clock. It counted the oscillations of microwaves required to change

the energy state of the nitrogen

atom in the ammonia molecule.

Since the resonant frequencies of atoms never vary, the atomic

Physicist Wayne itano adjusts an external cavity frequency doubler, whicii is part of a laser setup for the mercury ion clock experiment.

clock would keep time with great

stability—1 second in 3 years.

Physicists had known for years that an atom stimulated by

an outside influence such as microwaves "jumped" to a higher

level of energy. When the fre- quency of the applied radiation matched that needed to raise the atom to the higher energy level, the resonance condition was

achieved. By counting this fre- quency, a measure of time was

obtainable. Over the years, NIST

scientists have improved on this method. Atomic time is now

measured officially by electronically "locking" high-frequency

microwaves to a resonant fre- quency of the cesium atom. This provides a clock that neither gains nor loses a second in 300,000 years. The advent and perfection of lasers has allowed NIST scien20
tists to progress to a new time- keeping plateau. Lasers emit streams of photons wliicln are absorbed by the atoms (or by electri cally charged atoms called ions), cooling them, and causing them

to slow down. In fact, the tech- nique has been so successful

that it has resulted in atoms that

literally stop when confined in magnetic or electric "traps." When cooled to the stopping

point, the resonant frequencies of the ions were studied and found

to be extremely well defined and

stable. Once these frequencies

are measured, they could be- come the basis for a new stand- ard of timekeeping. NIST scientists are studying single mercury

ions as likely candidates for such

a new clock.

It is uncertain when this laser- cooled clock will come on line

perhaps as long as a decade. A

prototype of this clock, based on

the oscillations of the beryllium

atom and equal in stability to the best current cesium clocks, could

be functioning within 6 months.

The mercury ion clock should be

considerably beyond this in performance.

Donald Sullivan, chief of the NIST Time and Frequency

Division, is confident that a far more accurate clock will become

a reality. "There are no fundamental roadblocks; it's going to happen," he says. This clock may be

based on the mercury ion.

In their quest for the superstable atomic clock, the NIST re- searchers have broken new

In research that could be the basis for a new standard of timekeeping, John

Bollinger sets the optics of the system used to image fluorescence of the beryllium ion.

ground in physics. Since 1913

physicists had theorized that atoms moved from one energy

level to another in quantum

jumps, but no one had ever

directly witnessed such a leap.

In their quest for the

super-stable atomic

clock, the NIST

researchers have

broken new ground

in physics.

The NIST group—along with others at the University of Washington and the University of Hamburg—have actually seen

these jumps, and the NIST

group made computer-processed

images of single and small

clusters of laser-cooled mercury

ions fluorescing on and off as

they changed energy states.

In another leading-edge

experiment, the NIST group

laser-cooled a mercury ion, confined in a radio frequency "trap,"

to its fundamental limit. "The atom was pushed into the ground

state of its confining well. That's the end of cooling for a bound

particle," says Sullivan. The work

is important for spectroscopy, a

study of the nature of matter through various radiation it emits. One result may be a highly

sensitive spectrum analyzer.

NIST staff members working on this project include

James Bergquist, John Bollinger,

Wayne Itano, Charles Manney,

and David Wineland. F.M.

21
TinniiTTillll

Cold Neutron Facility

Dedicated

In

January, Commerce Department officials cut the ribbon on the first

U.S. facility devoted to cold neutron research. The NIST Cold

Neutron Research Facility (CNRF) will give U.S. industry prime ac- cess to one of the key tools of modern materials science. "NIST has

developed this new resource to share with the rest of the country,"

said Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology Ernest Ambler.

"All the proposed experimental

stations will be available for use by outside organizations."

There are at least four major

centers for cold neutron research

in Europe, he said, and another

under construction in Japan.

Beams of neutrons, produced

by nuclear research reactors, have emerged in recent years as one of the premier probes for studying the arrangement and in- teractions of atoms in materials. Because they interact with matter

in a fundamentally differentway,

beams of neutrons provide a good complement to betterThe newly constructed NIST Cold Neutron Research

Facility is the first facility devoted solely to cold neutron research in the United States.

known infrared and x-ray techniques.

"Cold" neutrons—they are

refrigerated to about -415 °F

have greatly extended the power

of neutron research. Their very low kinetic energies allow re- searchers to conduct experiments on classes of materials

that would be impractical or even

impossible with higher-energy

neutrons. Typical test subjects range

from semiconductor devices and

high-temperature superconductors to new magnetic alloys and

high-strength ceramics for light- weight, high-efficiency motors. Neutrons are highly penetrating, which makes it possible to probe deep within materials to characterize, for example, microcracks or voids. Other common

probes, such as x-rays or electron beams, can examine

only relatively thin layers near

the surface of materials.

In addition, neutrons interact with light elements and heavy ones with, essentially, equal

sensitivity and so complement

x-rays, which are more sensitive

to heavy elements. Neutrons can

"see" a difference between

hydrogen and its chemical twin, deuterium, a fact used to great

advantage in polymer, chemical,

and biological research to label specific molecules in order to study their structure; x-rays cannot. Neutrons interact in a special

way with magnetic materials, and

so can be used for very sophisticated studies of the properties of these materials. Neutrons probe

the atomic-scale motions of all materials in a way unmatched by

any other technique.

Applications for intense cold neutron beams exist in virtually every branch of materials re- search. For example, a cold neutron source can be used to: study the microstructure

of new, high-temperature

superconductors.

investigate the magnetic

properties of new, advanced alloys. As an example, new magnetic alloys are being developed

22
for use in power transformers and

small motors, which promise

major savings in the cost of power generation and automobile

components. measure the growth of cracks

or the nature of voids in new, ex- perimental ceramics. The use of high-temperature ceramics in automobile engines, for example,

could mean a 30-percent in- crease in efficiency.

study the distribution of "doping" elements in semiconductor materials in concentrations

below 1 part in a million. This is a critical factor in improved

process control for the semiconductor industry. allow the tailoring of new

catalytic materials for use in "cracking" crude oils and producing specialty chemicals. Cold

neutron beams make it possible

to observe the movement of molecules which control chemical

reaction or selection. measure the size and shape

of "engineered" biomolecules in

their natural environments as changes occur. Such a capability

is of major importance to the growing biotechnology industry.

The first instruments to be

installed in the new facility will include: a high-resolution, 30-meter

small-angle neutron scattering

(SANS) spectrometer—a fundamental tool of neutron research,

which will rank with the best in the world; the best neutron depthprofiling instrument in the world, a tool particularly useful to the semiconductor industry;

a prompt-gamma-ray activation analysis station for "real-time" elemental analysis—this and the

depth-profiling instrument will make up the best facility in the world for the chemical analysis

of materials with neutron beams;

and

"All the proposed

experimental stations

will be available for

use by outside

organizations."

two interim instruments: a

medium-resolution 8-meter SANS

spectrometer and a time-of-flight

spectrometer. The latter is used

to study molecular motions and in- teractions, which are a key to un- derstanding chemical absorption,

diffusion, or catalysis. At least three of these instru- ments will be available within a

year.As a result of a recently con- cluded agreement, the National Science Foundation will sponsor

the construction of a Center for High-Resolution Neutron Scattering at the CNRF. It will consist of a second 30-meter SANS

spectrometer and a unique spinpolarized inelastic neutron scattering (SPINS) spectrometer. These

instruments should be available

to the U.S. research community

within 2 and 3 years respectively.

Other instruments are under

design. Ultimately, the center will include 15 experimental stations: 10 will be instrumented and

operated by NIST and 5 will be

instrumented and operated by

outside groups. These Participating Research Teams (PRT's) will come from industrial, academic,

or government research institu- tions and will fully instrument and

maintain their stations in return for exclusive use of 75 percent of the

available research time. The high-resolution SANS

spectrometer is being constructed by a PRT consisting of NIST and Exxon Research and

Engineering. Eastman Kodak

Company has provided support

for the construction of several of the instruments, in particular the neutron depth profiling station. One-quarter of the available research time on the stations in- strumented by PRT's and twothirds of the time on the NIST sta- tions will be made available to the general research community in the United States. An external advisory committee will be set up to handle the allocation of research

time, which will be made avail- able to all U.S. users. The cold neutron source at the NIST research reactor be- came operational in the fall of 1987. The research facility itself was authorized by the Congress,

beginning in fiscal year 1987, at a

level of $6.5 million per year. The

direct appropriation for the first year was $4.5 million. In fiscal years 1988 and 1989, $6.5 million has been appropriated. The total construction cost of the facility is estimated at $25 million.

by Michael Baum

NIST Public Affairs Specialist

23
Diamond Films:

New Gems in

Advanced iVIaterials

Ancient alchemists did not succeed in changing base metals

into gold, but scientists today are able to produce synthetic

diamonds from common organic materials. With modern technology, hydrocarbon vapors mixed with hydrogen can be

made to deposit a film of diamond on hot objects. While it would be impossible to produce jewelry with this process, these synthetic

diamonds have the same crystal structure as natural gemstones.

Materials scientists at the National Institute of Standards and

Technology are developing the measurement information industry

needs to produce diamond films with many of the properties of natural diamond. The physical

Diamond particles are stiown merging into a continuous

Ti\m in this micrograph.

and chemical properties of diamond make it a highly

desirable material for aerospace

products, electronics, and in- dustrial equipment.

Diamond is the hardest known

natural material. It has the highest thermal conductivity, and it has

very high electrical insulation characteristics. Diamond also is optically transparent and chemically stable or inert under most

conditions. Albert Feldman, leader of the NIST optical materials group,

points out that diamond films can

play an important role in many advanced technologies. For ex- ample, diamond would be an excellent window material in anti-missile defense systems

equipped with high-powered

lasers. The thermal conductivity

of diamond will allow it to dis- sipate heat rapidly and eliminate

hot spots, says Feldman.

Other examples include hightemperature diamond transistors

that would largely replace conventional electronic devices in un- manned spacecraft. Many of these conventional components

require cooling systems that typically occupy up to 60 percent of the volume of the satellite. Diamond film substrates in electronic chips can improve the

efficiency of computers by permitting a higher density of components because diamond dis- sipates heat faster than other

materials. Diamond also has

potential for microwave power

generation because it can carry

electric charges at high velocities without suffering a breakdown in performance at the high voltages

required.

Industrial applications for diamond films include coatings

to resist corrosion in chemical

storage containers, to reduce friction and wear on machines and

cutting tools, and to protect opti- cal lenses from surface scratches.

24
Feldman says, "Our research

objective is to characterize the production processes, the structures, and other properties of diamond films to help industry

produce high-quality, highperformance advanced

materials." At NIST, the scientists are

evaluating the production of diamond films by a hot filament chemical vapor deposition (CVD)

method. With the CVD process, an object is placed inside a low- pressure chamber and heated to approximately 800 °C. A tungsten

filament at the top of the chamber is heated to approximately

1800 °C. As a gas mixture of approximately 0.5 percent methane

and 99.5 hydrogen flows over the

"white hot" filament, it undergoes

a chemical reaction to form reactive hydrocarbon vapors. These

vapors react with the heated object, which then becomes coated

with diamond.

The NIST researchers are

using a variety of analytical tech- niques to evaluate the synthesized diamond crystals on

various materials. The tools in- clude Raman spectroscopy, a

light-scattering technique to deter- mine the purity of diamond;

Auger electron microscopy to measure the surface quality of diamond films; scanning electron microscopy to study the physical

shape or morphology of diamond

crystals; and x-ray diffraction to evaluate the crystal structure of diamond.

In addition, they are using

cathodoluminescence imaging

and spectroscopy in a scanning

electron microscope. This lightemitting technique identifies defects and their distribution on a micrometer scale in diamond

films.Feldman and his colleagues

are measuring the thermal conductivity of diamond, particularly

for optical applications like the windows for anti-missile systems

and for optoelectronics such as

stress, fracture, and the delamination of films. The substrate

materials under investigation are

silicon, silicon carbide, and mullite—a silicate of aluminum with

similar thermal expansion properties to diamond.

Future plans call for studies on how the crystal structure of each substrate material affects

Edward Farabaugh (left) and Albert Feldman use the hot filament chemical vapor deposition

method to deposit a diamond film on a silicon carbide sphere.

ultraviolet detectors. They also

will work to develop a better un- derstanding of how defects, such

as nitrogen impurities and crystal

lattice vacancies or voids, can affect the performance of diamond

films.The scientists are concerned

about differences in the thermal expansion of various substrates and diamond as they cool during

processing. This can lead to

the growth and orientation of diamond crystals. Epitaxial

growth in which the crystal struc- ture of the diamond film is in perfect alignment with the crystal structure of the substrate would

represent a significant breakthrough for electronic applications, says Feldman.

by Roger Rensberger

NIST Public Affairs Specialist

25
Fracture Test

on Thick Steel Plate

Sets U^. Record

Just

how tough is a 6-inch-thick piece of steel? Ask Richard J. Fields, project manager for a series of tests on thick steel plates

that were performed to learn more about how cracks might travel

and stop in large pieces of metal. Fields and a team of scientists

at the National Institute of Standards and Technology learned that

it took 5.94 million pounds of force in tension—pulling force—to fracture a

6-inch-thick, 40-inch-wide new

steel plate. According to Fields,

this represents a U.S. record for fracture tests. Fields says, "It is unlikely that a higher load fracture test will be

performed in the NIST test facility because the nnachine is rated for only 6 million pounds in tension

only 1 percent more than the

actual test load. To our knowledge, this was the largest, controlled tensile test to be con- ducted in the United States." The record fracture test was

carried out on the NIST 12-million- pound-force Universal Testing

Machine, the largest operating

device of its type in the nation. This special apparatus, rising

80 feet above the ground, is used

to pull or compress materials to

failure. The machine is capable of producing 6 million pounds force

in tension or 12 million pounds

force in compression. These

forces can be applied to full- scale test structures such as

bridge columns or large material specimens like the thick steel

plate.

The wide-plate, crack-arrest

tests were conducted by NIST to obtain new information on the per- formance of thick steels. Existing

standards, according to Fields, are based in part on information extrapolated from small-scale

laboratory fracture measure- ments—known as "Charpy

tests"—made with centimetersized material specimens. New in- formation from the NIST wideplate tests will help to assess how conservative the current standards are. For the large-scale fracture ex- periment, the test material was

specially prepared to predetermine the location of the fracture. The steel specimen had an 8- inch notch through the plate, cut

into the material at the outside

edge. A sharp crack was made

from one outer surface to the other in the notch. There also was

a face groove across the surface

of the plate to guide the crack

under stress. The test material then was

welded to heavy steel pull-plates

to form a 35-foot-long "dogboneshaped" test assembly that

"To our knowledge,

this was the largest,

controlled tensile test

to be conducted In the

United States."

weighed approximately 26,000

pounds. The overall dimensions

of the test specimen were

designed to take advantage of the high load capability and large

dimensional capacity of the NIST

Universal Testing Machine.

26
After being mounted vertically

in the test apparatus, the notched

edge of the steel plate was

cooled to below -100 °C and the other edge was heated to approxinnately +200 °C. The test plate was then pulled until frac- ture occurred under 5.94 million pounds force in tension.

Fields explains that metallurgists know that cold steels are

relatively less tough and more

susceptible to crack propagation

than warm, ductile steels. The

thick steel plate used in the NIST

test was cooled at the notched

edge and heated at the other to cause a brittle crack to start run- ning at more than 500 meters per second (over 1200 mph) and

then stop in the warmer, very tough material. He also notes that in order to measure correctly the speed of a

crack in tests of this type, the test specimen had to be 10 times

longer than it was wide to avoid

the distorting effects of reflected stress waves that travel between

5 and 10 times faster than the actual crack.

Fields says, "We had approximately 2 milliseconds in which to measure crack velocity before the stress waves returned from the ends of the 35-foot-long

test specimen."

With special high-speed in- strumentation, the scientists were

able to measure the speed of the

brittle crack as it moved through

the test specimen, determine

when the crack stopped or "ar- rested," and identify the temperature where ductile behavior

fibrous tearing of the thick steelbegan and led to the final stage

where the material was pulled

apart.

Other fracture experiments at NIST have included tests on thick steels that were specially heat- treated to modify their microstructures. This treatment produces a

low-toughness material that is similar to steels exposed to high

temperatures and other harsh

conditions in various industrial environments.

In addition to extending the

limits of existing data on crack arrest. Fields points out that the NIST scientists aim to establish

clearly that brittle cracks stop before ductile fracture or slow

crack growth begins. Information from the tests also can be used

to improve fracture models and

experimental methods, says

Fields. Roland deWit, assistant

project manager, points out that the results from the NIST experiments may be used to revise in- dustry codes and standards. New information will be useful in the design of all types of steel structures including bridges,

ships, and buildings, as well as

for equipment in industrial plants

and utilities, says deWit. How tough are the thick, heavy section steels tested at NIST? Fields says, "All information so far from the wide-plate, crack-arrest tests indicates that the fracture toughness of these

steels at the point of crack arrest

significantly exceeds minimum

values used in applicable design

codes and standards." R.R.

Mechanical engineer Samuel R. Low stands on the plat- form of the Universal Testing Machine beside the midsection of a 35-foot-long test specimen with an insert of special thick steel plates.

27
New Dental Bonding

System Licensed Asimplified adhesive bonding system for restoring teeth is closer to the marketplace as a result of a new license granted

to a U.S. manufacturer. The improved system for bonding dental resins to hard tooth tissues—both dentin and enamel simultaneously—was developed in the Paffenbarger Research

Center (PRC) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The new two-step method was licensed under a domestic

agreement to Myron International,

Inc., a Kansas City, Kan., dental

materials manufacturer and distributor, by the American Dental

Research scientist Fred Eictimiller and researcli associate Agnes Ly test a new adhesive bonding system on a patient

at the Paffenbarger Research Center.

Association Health Foundation

(ADAHF), the sponsor of the 60-

year-oid research program at NIST.

Rafael L. Bowen, director of the PRC, points out that the new

system is a two-step clinical method that simplifies a multistep

procedure developed at the re- search center in 1981 . The new

system permits dentists to do a

better job in conserving tooth

structures, rebuilding badly

damaged teeth, and making cos- metic improvements to front

teeth, says Bowen.

He also points out that in addition to reducing the amount of tooth structure that must be cut away for the retention of restorative composites, adhesive bonding methods increase patient

comfort during and after dental procedures.

The new system requires the treatment area to be conditioned

with an acidic N-phenylglycine

solution for about 60 seconds.

After the surface is blown dry, the

area is painted with a solution of PMDM (the reaction product of pyromellitic dianhydride and 2- hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and

allowed to dry for 30 to 60

seconds. Then the surface is ready for the application of a composite restorative material. The

surface treatment also can be

used with resins to bond porcelain and cast ceramic

restorations. Roger M. Sigler, president of Myron International, says, "The

opportunity to work with Dr. Bowen and the researchers at NIST has been a real privilege.

We truly believe this new technical breakthrough will revolutionize the dental profession."

John A. Tesk, leader of the NIST dental and medical

materials group, says, "The new

bonding method is a result of our

efforts to support research on the

safe, efficient, and economical

use of materials to benefit con- sumers, the practicing dental

professional, and American in- dustry. This also shows how we

can support the competitive

28
position of U.S. dental materials connpanies in international markets." The new two-step method is the latest in the long series of projects with industry and government that have been conducted

by the American Dental Association (ADA) at NiST. (See box

below.)

For information on the new

dentin and enamel adhesive

bonding system (Mirage-Bondregistered trademark of Myron In- ternational), contact: Myron Inter- national, Inc., 200 N. 6th Street, Kansas City, KS 66101, 800/255-

4620. R.R.

A Model of Collaboration

The dental materials program at NIST is a longstanding model of cooperation

between the private sector and government. It involves approximately 45 dental scientists from NIST's Polymers

Division, the American Dental

Association, the National Institute of Dental Research

(NIDR), the dental materials in- dustry, and leading universities in the dental field. The first dental materials re- search project at NIST, then

the National Bureau of Standards, was done for the U.S. Army Dental Corps in 1919. The Army asked for assistance

in writing a bid request for amalgam—metal dental filling material—that could be based

on some physical property measurements.

After studying the amalgam materials available, the re- searchers published a report

in 1920 on the basic properties and characteristics of amalgams. The report, which

had an immediate influence on

the manufacture of alloys for amalgams, provided dentists

with the first unbiased source

of information on the materials.

In 1928 the ADA and NIST

embarked upon a collaborative research program that continues to this day. In this program, ADA pays scientists

to work at NiST on projects of mutual interest; for example,

they are studying new ways to bond composite materials to teeth and bone and analytical

methods to learn more about

the causes of dental disease.

Researchers have made

improvements in the durability

of composites and resins used

in tooth restorations and

developed spherical alloys for amalgams. Other contributions

to the practice of dentistry in- clude the panoramic x-ray and

the water turbine contra-angle

dental drill, which was later refined into today's air-driven

drill. In addition to increasing

the quality of patient care, both of these instruments have

saved the nation several billion dollars since they were intro- duced by reducing the time re- quired by dentists to treat patients while increasing the comfort and effectiveness of dental treatment. One offshoot

of the 61 -year collaboration has resulted in approximately

50 specifications for dental

materials, instruments, and

equipment.

NIDR also sponsors re- searchers to work at NIST to study the chemistry of calcium

compounds and how they relate to living systems. NIDR

scientists are interested in combining their biologically oriented work with NIST chemical research on calcium phosphate compounds. Their goal

is to develop new treatments

for diseases of the teeth and

skeletal system.

Other organizations that recently have sponsored re- searchers at NIST include

Dentsply International, Astron

Corp., the Royal Dental College, Georgetown University,

The University of Maryland,

Nihon University, Tokushima

University School of Dentistry,

Tokyo Medical and Dental

University, and the U.S. Naval

Dental Clinic. Johnson and Johnson,

Pentron Corp., Austenal Dental Laboratories, Williams Gold

Refining Co., Whip Mix Corp.,

Howmedica Inc., and Genex

also have provided support to the program.

29
NewPublications

Facilities of the National Institute

of Standards and Technology

Public Information Division, Natl. Inst. Stand. & Tech. (U.S.), NIST Spec. Pub.

732, 36 pages (September 1988). Order

by sending a self-addressed mailing

label to the Office of Research and

Technology Applications, NIST, A537

Administration BIdg., Gaithersburg, MD

20899.

Need a laboratory for measuring

high voltage? How about an ultra- clean room for ceramics processing? Or maybe a transverse electro- magnetic cell? This brochure describes

these and many other research and test- ing facilities at NIST laboratories in Gaithersburg, Md. and Boulder, Colo. These NIST facilities—some unequaled

anywhere in the world—are available through different programs to qualified in- dividuals and organizations for collaborative or independent proprietary research. The NIST Research Associate Program

enables sponsoring organizations to pay

researchers' salaries while NIST contributes its expertise and allows use of its equipment.

NIST Calibration Services

Users Guide 1989

Simmons, J.D., editor, Natl. Inst. Stand.

& Tech. (U.S.), NIST Spec. Pub. 250,

186 pages (January 1989). Order from

the Office of Physical Measurement

Services, NIST, B362 Physics BIdg.,

Gaithersburg; MD 20899, 301/975-2005.

This new guide lists the calibration senyices, special test services, and

measurement assurance programs

(MAP'S) available from NIST. These physical measurement services are designed

to help the makers and users of precision

measurements achieve the highest possible levels of measurement quality and

productivity. The hundreds of individual services described in this guide are the

most accurate calibrations of their type

available in the United States. They

directly link a customer's precision equipment or transfer standards to national measurement standards. The calibrations and special tests include NIST ser- vices that check, adjust, or characterize

instruments, devices, and sets of standards. The MAP'S are quality control programs for calibrating a customer's entire measurement system. The guide also

lists NIST technical experts who may be

contacted for information on services

and measurement problems.

Energy-Related Inventions

Program: A Joint Program of the

Department of Energy and the

National Institute of Standards

and Technology—Status Report

Hart, F.L., Natl. Inst. Stand. & Tech.

(U.S.), NISTIR 88-4005, 307 pages

(October 1988). Order by stock no. PB

89-141 154 from NTIS, $36.95 prepaid.

A

portable pothole patcher, a new

composite material made of highstrength fibers, a new process for continuous casting of steel cylinders,

and a lightweight aluminum cylinder

which makes it practical to use natural gas as a vehicle fuel are among the 400-

plus inventions to receive support from

the federal Energy-Related Inventions Program. The program, which began in 1975, is conducted jointly by NIST and

the U.S. Department of Energy and aims

at helping inventors get their ideas from

the workshop to the marketplace. NIST

provides, at no cost to the inventor,

evaluations of energy-related inventions and recommends those it considers

promising to DOE. In turn, DOE can

provide financial support or help in marketing an inventor's idea. This report

describes the program as well as the in- ventions which have been recommended

for DOE support.

High-Temperature

Superconductivity: Abstracts of

NIST Publications, 1987-1988

DeWeese, M.E., Kamper, R.A., and

Powell, R.M., editors, Natl. Inst. Stand. &

Tech. (U.S.), NIST Spec. Pub. 759, 35

pages (November 1988). Order by stock

no. 003-003-02902-5 from GPO, $2

prepaid.

With the discovery of hightemperature superconductors came the need to extend re- search from metals to ceramics, for which NIST was well prepared. NIST

has an established program in ceramics

and an extensive array of facilities to analyze and map the composition, structure, and electronic energy spectrum of materials in a wide range of scales. This

collection of 61 abstracts represents the

first results of applying all these re- sources to high-temperature superconductors. Many of the papers have

authors from several institutions. NIST en- courages collaborative research projects

to maximize the benefit of its resources

to the U.S. research and development

community.

Center for Analytical Chemistry—

1988 Technical Activities

Hertz, H.S., Natl. Inst. Stand. & Tech.

(U.S.), NISTIR 88-3875, 177 pages

(November 1988). Order free from the Center for Analytical Chemistry, NIST,

A309 Chemistry BIdg., Gaithersburg, MD

20899, 301/975-3145.

The measurement of trace ele- ments in the human diet, tools to improve urine tests for drug abuse,

and accuracy improvements in the radiocarbon dating of fossil bones are

30
just a few of the 74 projects described in this report. It spotlights the important role NiST analytical chemistry work plays in providing data for highly complex sample types—samples such as hazardous

chemicals, body fluids, plant and animal

tissues, foods, and high-technology

materials. Significant publications and activities are listed, along with tallies of analytical chemistry Standard Reference

Materials that NIST produced in 1988.

Preliminary Performance

Criteria for Building Materials,

Equipment and Systems Used in Detention and Correctional

Facilities

Dikkers, R.D., Husmann, R.J., Webster,

J.H., Sorg, J. P., and Holmes, R.A., Natl.

Inst. Stand. & Tech. (U.S.), NISTIR 89- 4027, 172 pages (January 1989). Order

by stock no. PB 89-1 148514 from NTIS,

$21.95 prepaid.

Arapid increase in construction of new prisons in the United States

is taking place to supplement existing overcrowded, aging, and

deteriorating facilities. Over $1 .5 billion was spent to build new jails and prisons

in both 1985 and 1986. But little specific information exists on the special

materials, equipment, and systems used

in these facilities. As a result, many correctional agencies have experienced

equipment and system performance

problems leading to expensive retrofits or repairs. In a project for the U.S. Department of Justice, NIST researchers have

developed preliminary performance

criteria to help in the selection, application, and maintenance of building

materials, equipment, and systems. This

report covers such criteria as choosing a

site, selecting appropriate fencing and in- trusion detection systems, and developing structural systems.

Technical Digest, Symposium

on Optical Fiber Measurements,

1988

Day, G.W. and Franzen, D.L., editors,

Natl. Inst. Stand. & Tech. (U.S.), NIST

Spec. Pub. 748, 202 pages (September

1988). Order by stock no. 003-003-

02878-9 from GPO, $10 prepaid.

Researchers interested in ad- vances in optical fiber measure- ments will benefit from this publication. It contains the summaries of

all 42 papers presented at the fifth biennial Symposium on Optical Fiber Measurements, held at NlST's Boulder,

Colo., laboratories in September 1988. Of particular interest are papers on opti- cal time domain reflectometry, the measurement of cut-off wavelength, and

the characterization of planar optical

waveguides.

NBS Handbook 44-1989,

Specifications, Tolerances, and

Other Technical Requirements for

Weighing and Measuring Devices

Oppermann, H.V., editor, Natl. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), NBS Hdbk. 44-1989, 277

pages (September 1988). Order by stock

no. 003-003-02888-6 from GPO, $16

prepaid.

NBS Handbook 130-1989,

Uniform Laws and Regulations

Brickenkamp, C.S., editor, Natl. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), NBS Hdbk. 130-1989, 201

pages (September 1988). Order by stock

no. 003-003-02890-8 from GPO, $1

1

prepaid.

NBS Handbook 133-Third Edition,

Checking the Net Contents of

Packaged Goods

Brickenkamp, C.S., Hasko, S., and

Natrella, M.G., editors, Natl. Bur. Stand.

(U.S.), NBS Hdbk. 133-Third Edition, 305

pages (September 1988). Order by stock

no. 003-003-02885-1 from GPO, $16

prepaid.

All three of these handbooks have

been revised by NIST to reflect changes adopted at the 73rd annual meeting of the National Conference

on Weights and Measures (NCWM) held

in July 1988. NCWM, an organization of

state, county, and city weights and

measures enforcement officials, receives

technical support from NiST through its Office of Weights and Measures. The major changes to NBS Handbook 44-1989 include a revised section on liquid measuring devices to clarify the code for use by field inspectors; a new

set of requirements for identifying the "concentrated load capacity" of large

scales such as those used to weigh

vehicles; and new marking requirements

for grain moisture meters. A new definition for net weight has

been added to NBS Handbook 130-

1989. Also included are a reference to ASTM D4814 Standard Specification for Spark-Ignition Engine Fuel, a clarification to the method of sale for seafood, and an amendment to variations from declared

thickness for polyethylene products.

New inspection procedures that recognize moisture loss in packaged

meat and poultry during the course of good distribution practices have been

added to NBS Handbook 133.

Ordering Information

To order publications from NTIS, send re- quest with payment to: National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA

22161 . Publications can be ordered from

GPO by mailing the order with payment

to Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,

DC 20402.

31
Conference Calendar

SECOND INTERNATIONAL

CONFERENCE ON

CHEMICAL KINETICS

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD

Leading individuals from universities, re- search laboratories, and industrial or- ganizations will review the progress and

problems of current interest in the measurement, evaluation, and application of fundamental chemical kinetic data

to the analysis of complex chemical

processes. The conference will focus on

those areas of science and technology in which modeling is used successfully to explain and predict complex phenomena. Subject areas include: atmospheric

chemistry, acid deposition, combustion

chemistry, chemistry of energetic

materials, plasma processing, analytical

chemistry, and modeling studies of complex systems. Sponsored by NIST,

the Environmental Protection Agency, the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the American Chemical

Society, the Petroleum Research Fund,

the Gas Research Institute, the National Science Foundation, and the Ford Motor Company. Contact: Rhoda Levin, A267

Chemistry BIdg., NIST, Gaithersburg,

MD 20899, 301/975-2575.

16TH INTERNATIONAL

CONFERENCE ON THE PHYSICS

OF ELECTRONIC AND ATOMIC

COLLISIONS

Grand HyaH Hotel, New York, NY

This biennial international conference

seeks to promote the growth of scientific knowledge and its effective exchange

among investigators of all nations in the

field of electronic and atomic collisions and related areas of atomic and molecular physics. The conference deals with

two-body interactions between ions,

atoms, molecules, electrons, positrons,

and photons. It is sponsored by the Inter- national Union of Pure and Applied

Physics. Cosponsored by NIST and the American Physical Society; supported in part by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Office of Naval Research,

the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,

and the Defense Advanced Research

Projects Agency. Contact: Thomas

Lucatorto, A251 Physics BIdg., NIST,

Gaithersburg, MD 20899, 301/975-3734.

12TH INTERNATIONAL

SYMPOSIUM ON POLYNUCLEAR

AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD

The major focal point for multidisciplinary

research on this important class of chemical species, the symposium encourages

open discussions among scientists repre- senting government, academic institu- tions, industry, and research facilities in- vestigating the chemical properties and

biological effects of these compounds.

The 1989 meeting will include presentations on parent hydrocarbon PAH's as

well as heteroatomic species and PAH

derivatives including amino, nitro, and

halogen substituted compounds. Topics

include adducts, bioactivity, carcinogenesis, mutagenicity, cell transformation, detoxification, epidemiology, pollution modeling, and occupational exposure. Sponsored by NIST, the National Institutes of Health, and Battelle Memorial Institute. Contact: Willie E. May,

A1 13 Chemistry BIdg., NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, 301/975-3108.

ATOMIC PROCESSES IN PLASMAS

NIST, Gaithersburg, MD

Among the subjects to be discussed at

this biennial meeting of international experts are atomic processes relevant to plasma applications, such as material processing by plasmas, x-ray lasers, fusion, and astrophysics. This conference combines the series previously

known as the APS Topical Conference on

Atomic Processes in High-Temperature

Plasmas with the International Conference/Workshop on the Radiative

Properties of Hot Dense Matter. Sponsored by the American Physical Society, the Department of Energy, and NIST. Contact: Yong-Ki Kim, A267 Physics

BIdg., NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-3203.

12TH COMPUTER SECURITY

CONFERENCE-INFORMATION

SYSTEMS SECURITY: SOLUTIONS

FOR TODAY, CONCEPTS

FOR TOMORROW

Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD

This conference provides a forum for users, vendors, and the research and

development communities to share infor- mation technologies that are designed to meet the ever-growing challenge of telecommunications and automated infor- mation systems security. Topics will in- clude: systems application guidance,

security education and training, evaluation and certification, innovations and new products, and disaster prevention

and recovery. Sponsored by NIST and

the National Computer Security Center. Contact: Irene Gilbert, A254 Technology

BIdg., NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899,

301/975-3360.

32 U.S GOVERNMENT PRIHTING OFFICE: 1989 - 233-600 - 814/00175

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

Penalty for Private Use, $300

BULK RATE

POSTAGE & FEES PAID NIST

PERMIT No. G195