The Silver Paper Award Chemical characterisation of meteorites
From the chemical composition of meteorites, planetary scientists can learn a great deal about their parent bodies’ history. “Studying meteorites and their parent bodies helps us understand how our solar system formed and evolved,” said Mehmet Yesiltas from Kirklareli University, Turkey, winner of the Silver Paper Award 2021. His publication presents a detailed chemical analysis of the Didim meteorite, which he investigated together with his colleagues from research institutions in Turkey, the USA, France and Germany.
The Didim meteorite is a chondrite with a relatively rare and varied mineralogical composition, making it especially interesting. The authors investigated its chemical composition on different scales using three spectroscopic methods. Biconical refl ectance spectroscopy was used for an initial large-scale assessment and revealed mainly anhydrous silicates. Raman imaging then allowed for a more precise characterisation of the rock’s minerals, including feldspars, olivine and pyroxene, and their distributions on the micrometre scale. Also, aromatic hydrocarbons of different thermal metamorphic grades were shown to exist in close proximity within the meteorite. Non-destructive 3D Raman imaging showed that the carbonaceous matter was present beneath an olivine grain inside the meteorite, suggesting its extraterrestrial origin.
Silver winner Mehmet Yesiltas (Kirklareli University, Turkey) and his co-authors from Ankara University (Turkey), Stony Brook University (USA), Paris- Saclay University (France), the German Aerospace Center (Germany) and Cukurova University (Turkey). © Mehmet Yesiltas, Kirklareli University, Turkey
Furthermore, nano-FTIR spectroscopy indicated that the mineralogical composition of the rock varied even on the sub-micrometre scale. The Bronze Paper Award Thermochemical degradation of ceramic coatings
Jet engines are protected against their extremely high operating temperatures by thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). Ingression of molten calcium, magnesium and alumino-silicates (CMAS) into a TBC during fl ight causes severe damage to it and shortens the engine’s lifetime. Chance Barrett from the University of Central Florida (UCF), USA, wins the Bronze Paper Award 2021 for presenting 3D Raman imaging as a non-destructive method for analysing the CMAS-induced degradation of TBCs, together with his co-workers from UCF and the German Aerospace Center. CMAS ingression causes a transition of the TBC to the monoclinic phase. The volume fraction of this phase therefore represents a measure of the degree of degradation and it can be quantifi ed with Raman imaging. 3D Raman maps of TBCs visualised the degradation as a function of depth. The damage was less pronounced in the core of the columns that form the TBC than at their edges, because the gaps between the columns were more accessible. Additionally, time-dependent measurements showed that most of the damage occurred during the fi rst hour of CMAS infi ltration. The results were validated by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. To the authors’ knowledge, their study is the fi rst to present a non-destructive 3D characterisation of TBC degradation at high resolution. They postulate that, “This ability to quantitatively and non- destructively characterise degradation of CMAS infi ltrated TBCs will accelerate development of degradation resistant coatings.”
Bronze winner Chance Barrett and his colleagues from the University of Central Florida (USA) and the German Aerospace Center (Germany).
Don’t miss your chance to enter the 2022 WITec Paper Award
WITec invites scientists from all fi elds of application to participate in the Paper Award 2022 competition. Articles are eligible if they were published in 2021 in a peer-reviewed journal and feature results (at least partially) obtained with a WITec instrument. Submit your work as a PDF before 31st January 2022. WITec is looking forward to receiving many outstanding publications again.
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