Thermal strain characteristics of RBO silicon carbide to 4 K and resultant hysteresis

John W. Pepi; Thomas L. Altshuler

doi:10.1117/12.225290

23 October 1995 Thermal strain characteristics of RBO silicon carbide to 4 K and resultant hysteresis

John W. Pepi, Thomas L. Altshuler

Proceedings Volume 2543, Silicon Carbide Materials for Optics and Precision Structures; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.225290
Event: SPIE's 1995 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1995, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Silicon carbide is one of the few materials developed over recent years which exhibits a combination of mechanical and physical properties that equal or exceed those of most all other materials over a thermal range well above room temperature to the cryogenic extremes. As such, it has all of the excellent qualities demanded for high acuity optical systems for use as both an optic which can be made lightweight and a structural support bench or metering material. Of particular interest is the behavior of this material for cryogenic application. Current available data for thermal expansion characteristics is limited to the region between room temperature and 80 degrees Kelvin. The measurement technique and results of a characterization program for accurately quantifying the nominal thermal strain characteristics of reaction bonded optical grade (RBO) silicon carbide down to 4 degrees Kelvin are presented and discussed. Hysteresis data, important for knowledge of predictable structure motions and optical figure after the extremes of thermal excursion cycling, also are discussed. The presentation concludes with discussions of the implications of these properties as they pertain to the design and performance of cryogenic optical systems.

Citation Download Citation

John W. Pepi and Thomas L. Altshuler "Thermal strain characteristics of RBO silicon carbide to 4 K and resultant hysteresis", Proc. SPIE 2543, Silicon Carbide Materials for Optics and Precision Structures, (23 October 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.225290

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