A hyper-velocity impact sensor is configured to probe a mass of material consumed upon impact with an object. The probe can extract density and thickness characteristics of the impacted object, which can be used to classify the object.

A thermal transfer sheet includes a back face layer provided on one surface of a substrate, and a transfer layer provided on the other surface of the substrate. The transfer layer has a single-layer structure or a layered structure including a protective layer, and the back face layer contains a resin component including Si in the structure. When the thermal transfer sheet is subjected to the test described in the specification, the mass reduction ratio of the thermal transfer sheet between before and after the test is 1% or less.

A thermal transfer sheet includes a back face layer provided on one surface of a substrate, and a transfer layer provided on the other surface of the substrate. The transfer layer has a single-layer structure or a layered structure including a protective layer, and the back face layer contains a resin component including Si in the structure. When the thermal transfer sheet is subjected to the test described in the specification, the mass reduction ratio of the thermal transfer sheet between before and after the test is 1% or less.

Described are various embodiments of an ion beam delayering system and method, and endpoint monitoring system and method. One embodiment includes a method for monitoring an ion beam de-layering process for an unknown heterogeneously layered sample, the method comprising: grounding the sample to allow an electrical current to flow from the sample, at least in part, as a result of the ion beam de-layering process; milling a currently exposed layer of the sample using the ion beam, resulting in a given measurable electrical current to flow from the sample as said currently exposed layer is milled, wherein said given measurable electrical current is indicative of an exposed surface material composition of said currently exposed layer; detecting a measurable change in said measureable electrical current during said milling as representative of a corresponding exposed surface material composition change; and associating said measurable change with a newly exposed layer of the sample.

Described are various embodiments of an ion beam delayering system and method, and endpoint monitoring system and method. One embodiment includes a method for monitoring an ion beam de-layering process for an unknown heterogeneously layered sample, the method comprising: grounding the sample to allow an electrical current to flow from the sample, at least in part, as a result of the ion beam de-layering process; milling a currently exposed layer of the sample using the ion beam, resulting in a given measurable electrical current to flow from the sample as said currently exposed layer is milled, wherein said given measurable electrical current is indicative of an exposed surface material composition of said currently exposed layer; detecting a measurable change in said measureable electrical current during said milling as representative of a corresponding exposed surface material composition change; and associating said measurable change with a newly exposed layer of the sample.

An apparatus for performing a contact mechanics test in a substrate includes a stylus having at least two contact elements. Each contact element has a contact profile, and the contact elements are disposed in the stylus to define a stretch passage therebetween. The stylus is configured to deform the substrate so as to cause the substrate to flow between the contact elements and induce tension in the substrate in order to generate and preserve micromodifications in the substrate. Methods of performing a contact mechanics test using the apparatus are also provided.

A method for the handling of melt samples in a steelworks laboratory may involve processing and/or analyzing a melt sample in at least one first treatment apparatus and subsequently transporting the melt sample via at least one first transport path to at least one second treatment apparatus where the melt sample is subjected to further processing and/or analysis. As part of the transporting step, the method may involve clamping the melt sample on a sample carrier so that the sample carrier is transported together with the clamped-in melt sample between the treatment apparatuses and is positioned in the treatment apparatuses for processing and/or analysis.

A method for the handling of melt samples in a steelworks laboratory may involve processing and/or analyzing a melt sample in at least one first treatment apparatus and subsequently transporting the melt sample via at least one first transport path to at least one second treatment apparatus where the melt sample is subjected to further processing and/or analysis. As part of the transporting step, the method may involve clamping the melt sample on a sample carrier so that the sample carrier is transported together with the clamped-in melt sample between the treatment apparatuses and is positioned in the treatment apparatuses for processing and/or analysis.

A method for quantitatively evaluating ablation-resistant properties of materials, comprising repairing a cathode sample, loading a sample into a test system, setting a minimum ablation time; conducting an arc ablation test on the sample for no less than the minimum ablation time, recording the arc ablation parameters; dividing the ablation volume by an ablation power to obtain an ablation loss rate, and taking the ablation loss rate as a quantitative evaluation index of ablation-resistant properties of electrode materials. The present invention is capable of quantitatively evaluating the arc ablation-resistant properties of electrode materials.

A method for abrasion testing of a material sample includes abrading a surface of the sample with a tribometer, then characterizing particles in a portion of the flowing air that is received in an airborne particle collector. The testing may be done in an enclosure or container, such as an enclosure in or simulating a clean room environment. The drawing of air into the enclosure may be done by a fan pushing in air through a filter, such as a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. The enclosure may have vents (or louvers) through which some of the outflow of air may be directed, to help maintain an even flow, for example a laminar flow, of air through the container, and in particular past where the tribometer abrades the test material. The method may allow for real-time characterization of the particles produced by the testing.