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Oxidation of MoS/sub 2/ by thermal and hyperthermal atomic oxygen

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5997693

The present study shows that at 1.5 eV O-atom translational energy SO/sub 2/ is generated and out gasses from a anydrous MoS/sub 2/ surface with a reactivity comparable that of kapton. The reaction of atomic oxygen with MoS/sub 2/ has little or no translational energy barrier, i.e., thermalally generated atomic oxygen reacts as readily as that having 1.5 eV of translational energy. It has also been shown that water present in the flowing afterglow apparatus used to study thermal O-atom reactivity formed sulfates on the MoS/sub 2/ surface and that the sulfate is most likely in the form of sulfuric acid. These results imply that water dumps or outgassing in low earth orbits have the potential of forming sulfuric acid covered surfaces on MoS/sub 2/ lubricants. 9 refs., 2 figs.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA); Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36; AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
5997693
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-89-956; CONF-890664-1; SAND-89-0106C; ON: DE89009273
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English