Patent ID: 7872465

Claim:
A method of evaluating volatility characteristics of a material, the method comprising the steps of: enclosing a sample of the material in a slot of a component; securing additional members to the component, via a plurality of external fastening elements, such that the slot forms a chamber in an airtight test cell, the airtight test cell being sealed to prevent the escape of gasses from the airtight test cell that are produced from heating of the sample of the material; using a pulse control electronics subsystem to deliver a pulse of current flux, having a predetermined amplitude and duration, through a probe projecting into the slot, and into the sample to simulate a lightning strike; measuring a pressure produced by the sample and constrained in the chamber during the pulse, the measuring performed using a pressure transducer configured to send a pressure signal from the chamber; and using the measured pressure to measure volatility of the material sample.