Quartz crystal particle microbalance (QCPM)

Daniel McKeown; William E. Corbin; Marvin G. Fox

doi:10.1117/12.366689

25 October 1999 Quartz crystal particle microbalance (QCPM)

Daniel McKeown, William E. Corbin, Marvin G. Fox

Proceedings Volume 3784, Rough Surface Scattering and Contamination; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.366689
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1999, Denver, CO, United States

Abstract

The QCPM has been developed to monitor particulate contamination in a space environment. The QCPM is similar in design to a TQCM in that it uses a thermoelectric device to control temperature and In Line Doublet Crystals to maintain frequency stability under solar radiation. The QCPM is coated with a thin layer of a vacuum fluid having a very low vapor pressure. At 0 degrees Celsius, the fluid is in a viscous liquid state and particles that fall onto the QCPM stick to its surface. Periodically, the particles are weighed by cooling the QCPM to -60 degrees Celsius to solidify the fluid and couple the particulates to the oscillator mass of the crystal. The results from a Scanning Electron Microscope and the Energy Dispersions Analysis by X-ray are presented showing the size, shape and composition of particles that contaminated surfaces flown on the Spacelab 1 Mission. Aluminum particles occurred in the greatest numbers and had diameters ranging between 0.5 to 10 micrometer.

Citation Download Citation

Daniel McKeown, William E. Corbin, and Marvin G. Fox "Quartz crystal particle microbalance (QCPM)", Proc. SPIE 3784, Rough Surface Scattering and Contamination, (25 October 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.366689

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