and Technology A111D3 fil3flD - TECH RX^ ^^^^ STANDAr£& NIST 380 PUBLICATIONS A11 103081 S"uiripVSNE 1989 C. C.1 N>ST- On the cover: The supersonic inert gas metal atomizer (SIGMA) is used in an intelligent processing of materi- als program at NIST. The cooperative program is aimed at automating the production of rapidly solidified metal powders. From left to right are Frank Biancaniello, James Ingram of Hoeganaes Corp., and Stephen Bidder. See article on page 10. National institute of Standards and Teclinology 0C ^00 US'? 7 o7 Research Reports U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Research Update Robert A. Mosbacher, Secretary National Institute of Standards and Technology Computer Security: Protection Is the Name of the Game 5 Raymond G. Kammer, Acting Director National Institute of Standards 'Standard Crack' Helps Detect Metal Fatigue in Aircraft and Technology 9 Gaithersburg, MD 20899 301/975-2000 Boulder, CO 80303 Building Quality into Advanced Materials during Processing 10 303/497-3000 June 1989 'HIPing': From Metal Powders to Reliable Materials 12 NIST Special Publication 765 Prepared by the Public Information Division Exploring Earth's Formation 14 A903 Administration Building National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithersburg, MD 20899 NIST: Helping Industry To Compete 16 301/975-2762 Any mention of commercial products Tracking Time 20 is for information only, it does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology nor does it imply that Movies Reveal Secrets of Materials 24 the products mentioned are necessarily the best available for the purpose. Technique Sterilizes Clinical Instruments in Seconds 26 The National Bureau of Standards became the National Institute of Standards and Technology on August 1988, under the 23, Can Smoke Control Systems Save Lives and Property? 28 Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act. NIST retains all NBS functions. Its new programs will encourage improved use of technology by U.S. industry. New Publications 30 Conference Calendar 32 1 Research Update Industry To Study Bioseparations ball, or pellet-firing air guns that expel a scientists, and combustion engineers projectile through the force of com- has been at NIST developed by NIST scientists. pressed air, compressed gas, mechani- Available on a floppy disk for personal cal firing action, or any combination. The computers (PC's), it contains data on the Cell Technology Inc., of Boulder, Colo., rule also waives marking requirements rates of approximately 2,000 chemical re- has established a Research Associate for any toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm actions with more than 5,300 individual Program at NIST's Boulder laboratories that will be used only in the theatrical, data entries. The database is an impor- to study bioproduct separation utilizing movie, or television industries. For further tant tool for modeling combustion sys- aqueous two-phase extraction and elec- details, contact: Stanley I. Warshaw, tems or chemical processes occurring in trophoresis. The University of Colorado NIST, A603 Administration BIdg., the atmosphere. This type of data is nec- (CU) and the Colorado Advanced Tech- Gaithersburg, MD 20899, 301/975-4000. essary in understanding the reactions of nology Institute are also participants in chemicals and their role in depleting the the program. Cell Technology has a Earth's ozone layer. A special software product, Imuvert, derived from the Gram- option allows users to display rapidly in a Materials Aimed at Improving negative bacterium Serratia marcescens, single graphic all of the rate constants Pesticide, PCB Analyses which has shown encouraging results in determined for a single chemical reac- regressing tumors. The company cur- tion as a function of temperature. These rently uses ultracentrifuges to separate plots showing all of the available informa- Scientists seeking to develop or validate components of the bacterium but this pro- tion are useful for revealing discrepan- the accuracy of analytical methods for duces only small amounts of ribosomes cies in experimental results. NIST Stand- measuring selected pesticides, poly- and vesicles, the desired product. A CU ard Reference Database 17, Gas chlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), and alpha- graduate research assistant will work at Kinetics, is available for $190 from the tocopherol (a form of vitamin E) in fish NIST to determine whether or not ves- Office of Standard Reference Data, NIST, and other fatty food products should find icles and ribosomes can be separated in A320 Physics BIdg., Gaithersburg, MD a new Standard Reference Material larger quantities from other cellular de- 20899, 301/975-2208. (SRM) useful. The SRM contains certified bris using aqueous two-phase extraction concentrations of six chlorinated pesti- or electrophoresis. The NIST Research cides (hexachlorobenzene, alpha-HCH, Associate Program provides an opportu- trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, trans- 200 Labs Accredited for Asbestos nity for scientists and engineers from nonachlor, and dieldrin), five individual companies and other organizations to PCB's, and the nutrient alpha-tocopherol work with NIST researchers on programs in cod liver oil. In addition to containing More than 200 labs received the first ac- of mutual interest. the certified components, the SRM also creditations to perform analyses for has noncertified concentrations of six asbestos content in bulk insulation and dioxin compounds and a related com- building materials under the new Final Rule Issued on Toy Firearms pound, octachlorodibenzofuran. The new National Voluntary Laboratory Accredita- material, SRM 1588, Organics in Cod tion Program (NVLAP) for bulk asbestos Liver Oil, is available for $199 per set of in schools. The labs have demonstrated The Technology Administration of the five sealed vials from the Office of Stand- their competence to analyze bulk mate- U.S. Commerce Department issued a ard Reference Materials, NIST, B31 rial samples by polarized light micros- final rule, effective May 5, 1989, which Chemistry BIdg., Gaithersburg, MD copy using test method procedures prohibits the manufacturing, entering into 20899, 301/975-6776. specified by the Environmental Protec- commerce, shipping, transporting, or re- tion Agency. Approximately 500 other ceipt of any toy, imitation, or look-alike labs are being evaluated to determine their ability to meet NVLAP requirements. firearm unless it contains or has affixed Gas Kinetics Database Available The accredited labs have undergone an to it a marking approved by the tech- Secretary of Commerce. The final rule on-site assessment performed by a specifies the markings established under nical expert in optical microscopy and A new computerized database with an Section 4 of the Federal Energy Manage- have demonstrated full compliance with extensive compilation of information on ment Improvement Act of 1988. The law NIST technical evaluation criteria. The the rates of chemical reactions important does not apply to traditional BB, paint to research chemists, environmental 2 labs also have successfully participated trations of these gases is important to the computer model that can help predict in the first round of proficiency testing in properties of steel because they con- how smoke from a burning oil spill will be which they were required to determine tribute markedly to steel brittleness and dispersed. The work is being done in col- the presence and type of asbestos in pre- therefore to the strength and durability of laboration with the U.S. Department of characterized quality assurance mate- steels. Standard Reference Material the Interior and Environment Canada. rials developed by NIST. For information (SRM) 1754, Oxygen and Nitrogen in on NVLAP, contact; National Voluntary Low-Alloy Steel, AISl 4320, is in rod form, Laboratory Accreditation Program, NIST, 0.95 cm X 0.95 cm x 10.2 cm. It was 'ZIP' Will Economic BIdg. 41 Gaithersburg, certified through the NIST/ASTM Re- Find Most 1 , MD 20899, 301/975-4016. search Associate Program involving nine Levels of Insulation industrial laboratories. SRM 1754 is avail- able for $119 per unit of 1 rod from the How much insulation should be installed Office of Standard Reference Materials, World's Smallest Prism Made in a house? A new computer program NIST, B31 1 Chemistry BIdg., Gaithers- called ZIP can help find the answer. burg, MD 20899, 301/975-6776. Quick and easy to use, ZIP can provide Researchers at the NIST laboratories in customized estimates of the most Boulder, Colo., have created what they economic levels of thermal insulation for believe to be the smallest optical prism NIST Studying Burning building components such as attics, ever made. The microscopic glass prism of Crude Oil Spills walls, floors, crawlspaces, and base- is only 0.005 inch on a side—about the ments. ZIP determines these estimates thickness of a heavy sheet of paper. by searching internal data files contain- Barely visible to the naked eye, the "mi- Can an oil spill be cleaned up by burn- ing local weather information and energy croprism" may be used in microoptics ing? What happens when oil on water and insulation costs all keyed to the and fiber optics research and instrumen- burns? How much smoke is produced? user's postal ZIP code. The program and tation—for example, as a test probe for What are the physical and chemical prop- supporting files are contained on a single making accurate measurements of the erties of the smoke? These are some of diskette and will run on MS-DOS systems performance characteristics of optical the questions NIST researchers are at- with 256K of RAM. ZIP was designed by fibers in the tight confines of an inte- tempting to answer in a project to eval- NIST in conjunction with the Department grated optical circuit. Besides being uate combustion of oil spills on water. In of Energy's Oak Ridge National Labora- measuring tools, microprisms might also a recent paper, the researchers dis- tory. The disk is available from several eventually have applications as actual cussed the results of their preliminary sources including MTS Software, 3534 elements in miniaturized optical circuits.