1967 Technical Highlights of the National
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00 CD to CO [- «fpffi 1967 ECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS O F T H E NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS >-. * X Mr? Sri* Annual Report for: INSTITUTE FOR BASIC STANDARDS INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED TECHNOLOGY UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Alexander B. Trowbridge. Secretary John F. Kincaid. Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS A. V. Astin, Director 1967 Technical Highlights of the National Bureau of Standards Annual Report, Fiscal Year 1967 November 1967 MisceUaneous Publication 293 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 55 cents Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 6-23979 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 Move to Gaithersburg Site 1 Dedication of New Facilities 1 Symposium on Technology and World Trade. NBS Publishes History. Legislation Affecting NBS 3 Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1966. Pending Legis- lation. Expansion of the Research Associate Program 4 General Trends 5 The National Measurement System. 6 THE NATIONAL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM 7 A Systems Approach to Measurement 7 Basic Social Needs 8 Importance of the System 8 Function of the National Measurement System 9 The Intellectual System 10 The Operational System 11 The Central Core. Instrumentation Network. Data Net- work. Techniques Network. INSTITUTE FOR BASIC STANDARDS 19 Physical Quantities 19 International Base Units 20 Length. Time and Frequency. Temperature. Electric Current. Mechanical Quantities 23 Electrical Quantities—DC and Low Frequency 25 Electrical Quantities—Radio 26 High-Frequency Electrical Standards. High-Frequency Impedance Standards. High-Frequency Calibration Serv- ices. Microwave Calibrations. Electromagnetic Field Standards. Dielectric and Magnetic Standards. Thermal Quantities 32 Photometric and Radiometric Quantities^ _1 32 Ionizing Radiations 36 Physical Properties 39 Nuclear Properties. Atomic and Molecular Properties. Solid State Properties. Thermodynamics and Transport Properties. Chemical Kinetics. Surface Properties. Applied Mathematics 51 Technical Assistance to Others 53 Studies for Other Agencies. Conferences and Seminars. i i i THE NATIONAL STANDARD REFERENCE DATA SYS- TEM 57 International Data Activities 57 Data Project Activity „ 59 Nuclear Data. Atomic and Molecular Data. Solid State Data. Thermodynamics and Transport Data. Chemical Kinetics Data. Colloid and Surface Data. Information Systems Design and Research 63 Information Services 64 INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH 67 Preparation and Characterization of Materials 67 Preparation 67 Synthesis. Crystal Growth. Characterization. 70 Composition. Structure. Standard Reference Materials 76 Data on the Properties of Materials. 78 Mechanical Properties and Strength of Materials. Reac- tivity and Corrosion. Thermodynamics and Kinetic Data. Electric, Magnetic, and Optical Properties. Technical Assistance to Others 86 Advisory and Consulting Services. Conferences and Sym- posia. NBS Reactor. INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED TECHNOLOGY 91 Technological Measurements and Standards 91 Building Technology 92 Automatic Data Processing 95 Electronics Technology 98 Systems Analysis 99 Motor Vehicle Safely 100 Engineering Materials 102 Industrial and Consumer Products 104 Textile and Apparel Center 106 Transfer of Technology. 106 Invention and Innovation 106 The Clearinghouse. 107 APPENDIXES 109 Organization of the National Bureau of Standards 109 Summary of NBS Staff 115 Financial Data 115 Advisory Committees 116 Statutory Visiting Committee 116 Technical Advisory Panels 116 Awards and Honors 121 Education, Training, and University Liaison 123 Publications 124 Publications in the Bureau's Series 124 Publications in Outside Journals 133 Patents 162 LV a INTRODUCTION MOVE TO GAITHERSBURG SITE Most of the Washington, D.C., staff of the National Bureau of Standards completed their move to new facilities in Gaithersburg, Maryland. This new laboratory complex, the culmination of more than a decade of planning, constructing, and transporting, provides XBS staff the opportunity to meet the challenge of the Nation's mod- ern burgeoning industry and science. The ultra-modem installation contains many new tools as well as an environment vastly improved over the old one. Several of the major new tools such as the linear electron accelerator and a million- pound deadweight testing machine are in use, and a major nuclear reactor is due for operation during the coming year. Both the special and general purpose laboratories incorporate modern equipment and are designed to permit staff flexibility in meeting the national demands for new and improved calibration services, standard reference mate- rials, measurement standards, measurement methodology, evaluated data on the properties of materials, systems studies and advisory and consulting services to the other governmental agencies, industry, commerce and education, particularly in science and engineering. The move into the new laboratories was commemorated with a dedication of international scope. DEDICATION OF NEW FACILITIES Secretary of Commerce John T. Connor presided at the formal dedication of the new NBS facilities on November 15, 1966. In an address to about 3,000 distinguished guests from science, industry and Government from this country and abroad, Secretary Connor referred to the new facilities as "... a blue chip investment— national investment in progress, an investment made by all the people (which) will pay untold dividends to American science, industry, .". and commerce . A highlight of the dedication was a message from the President of the United States in which Mr. Johnson ob- served that, "This eminent institution now has the resources for even greater service to America and the world. Throughout its 65 years, the National Bureau of Standards has advanced the frontiers of measurement in pace with the increasing demands of science and industry." 1 Dr. A. V. Astin, Director of the National Bureau of Standards, speaks at the dedication of the Bureau's new laboratory complex at Gaithersburg, Md., on Tuesday, November 15, 1966. Left to right: Lewis L. Strauss, former Secre- tary of Commerce; Rev. Edward G. Latch, Chaplain of the House of Repre- sentatives ; Dr. Donald F. Hornig, Director of the Office of Science and Technology; Secretary of Commerce John T. Connor; Dr. Astin; Congress- man B. B. Conable, Jr., of New York; Associate NBS Director Robert S. Walleigh; Dr. Edward U. Condon (partially hidden), former Director of NBS; and Dr. J. Herbert Hollomon, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Science and Technology. Symposium on Technology and World Trade Immediately following, and in a real sense as part of the dedication ceremonies, NBS was host to a Department of Commerce sponsored symposium where over 500 internationally known dignitaries, leaders in the fields of industry, education, and commerce discussed technol- ogy and world trade. The purposes were: • To examine and forecast the impact of technology upon the patterns and conduct of international trade and investment, • To consider the international environment needed for the wider generation and utilization of technology, • To explore prospects for evolving policies and institutions that promote economic development through technology and trade. This week of dedication was climaxed with an open house in which approximately 20,000 guests toured the facilities and visited the lab- oratories in a day-long event. 2 NBS Publishes History In keeping with the spirit of the Dedication, NBS released Measures for Progress, a history of the first 50 years of NBS. The book recounts and documents the critical role played by the Bureau and in particu- lar the major contributions of individual scientists of the staff in the explosive growth of America's science and industry over the first half of the twentieth century. LEGISLATION AFFECTING NBS Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1966 NBS has been assigned important responsibility in the Depart- ment of Commerce's activities under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act passed by the Congress in 1966. NBS is responsible for identifying undue proliferation in the weights, measures, or quantities in which any consumer commodity is being distributed for retail sale. The Bureau must also determine whether this proliferation impairs the consumers' ability to make value comparisons. When NBS determines that proliferation does exist, it will invite the manufacturers, packagers, and distributors of the commodity to participate in the development of a voluntary industry packaging standard. If, one year after this request is made, it becomes apparent that no standard is going to be published, or if a published standard is not being observed, the Secretary of Commerce must report the situation to the Congress. He must state what efforts have been made to arrive at a voluntary standard and then recommend whether the Congress should enact legislation providing regulatory authority to deal with the situation. Pending Legislation At the end of the fiscal year, there were five bills under considera- tion by the Congress which, if passed, would affect the National Bureau of Standards: • The Fire Eesearch and Safety Act of 1967 • Amendments to the Flammable Fabrics Act • Standard Reference Data • International Standards • Metric System Study The proposed Fire Research and Safety Act of 1967 would amend the Organic Act of the National Bureau of Standards to authorize a comprehensive fire research and safety program. In the program, NBS would gather comprehensive