Method and apparatus for testing parts and materials in a controlled environment such as an atomic oxygen atmosphere

An apparatus for testing a test sample in the presence of a selected testing fluid containing atomic oxygen, comprising:

• (a) a housing including surrounding wall portions that enclose an interior, at least one of said wall portions being removable from said housing whereby said housing may be opened to allow access to the interior thereof and being securable to said housing whereby said housing may be closed to isolate the interior thereof;
• (b) a sample station disposed in the interior of said housing and adapted to support a test sample thereon;
• (c) a contact element disposed in the interior of said housing and operative in an active state to contact a surface of said test sample with a selected contact force when said test sample is supported on said sample station;
• (d) means for moving said contact element relative to said surface at a selected rate when said contact element is in the active state whereby said surface is subjected to wear along a wear path;
• (e) means for introducing atomic oxygen as a first testing fluid into the interior of said housing at a first location adjacent to said test sample whereby said test sample and said contact element are subjected to a testing fluid environment containing atomic oxygen while in the active state;
• and
• (f) means for evacuating gases from the interior of said housing at a second location when in the closed state concurrently with the introduction of said atomic oxygen in order to maintain atomic oxygen in the testing fluid environment, the first and second locations being oriented with respect to said sample station such that said atomic oxygen flows across said test sample and said contact element.

An apparatus for testing a test sample in the presence of a selected testing fluid environment, comprising:

• (a) a housing having an interior and comprising a bottom wall, a surrounding sidewall and a removable top wall whereby said housing may be opened to allow access to the interior thereof, said top wall being securable to said housing whereby said housing may be closed to isolate the interior thereof;
• (b) a carriage disposed in the interior of said housing, said carriage mounted for reciprocal movement with respect to said bottom wall;
• (c) a first drive system including a first ferromagnetic coupling mounted through said sidewall, a first motor disposed exteriorly of said housing and a first drive assembly disposed interiorly of said housing and interconnected with said carriage, said first motor drivably interconnected to said first drive assembly by way of said first ferromagnetic coupling whereby said first motor may linearly move said carriage reciprocally at a selected rate between first and second limits;
• (d) a turntable disposed in the interior of said housing and spaced at a selected first distance from said carriage along said bottom wall, said turntable adapted to support a test sample thereon to define a first sample station for rotational movement with respect to said bottom wall;
• (e) a second drive system including a second ferromagnetic coupling mounted through said bottom wall, a second motor disposed exteriorly of said housing a second drive assembly disposed interiorly of said housing and interconnected with said turntable, said second motor drivably interconnected to said second drive assembly by way of said second ferromagnetic coupling whereby said second motor may rotatably drive said turntable at a selected rate;
• (f) a support arm having a first arm end mounted to said carriage for common movement therewith and a second arm end opposite said first arm end, said support arm positionable in a first orientation whereby said second arm end is adjacent to said turntable;
• (g) a contact element disposed on said second arm end and operative in an active state to contact a surface of said test sample with a contact force of selected magnitude when said test sample is supported on said sample station, said carriage operative to reciprocally move said contact element radially with respect to said turntable when reciprocally driven by said first drive system;
• and
• (h) means for introducing a testing fluid into the interior of said housing when in a closed state whereby said test sample and said contract element are subjected to a selected testing fluid environment when in the active state.

A method of testing a test sample of material in a controlled environment different from an ambient environment comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a closed environment housing having an interior that may be isolated from the ambient environment and which has disposed therein a sample support station adapted to support a test sample thereon;
• (b) placing the test sample on said sample support station;
• (c) contacting a surface of said test sample with a contact element at a selected contact force when said test sample is supported on said sample support station;
• (d) isolating the interior of said closed environment housing from the ambient environment;
• (e) introducing a testing fluid into the interior of said housing at a first location;
• (f) removing the testing fluid from the interior of said housing concurrently with the introduction of said testing fluid whereby said testing fluid flows across said test sample and said contact element so that said test sample and said contact element are subjected to a selected testing fluid environment;
• (g) reciprocally moving said contact element relative to said surface at a selected rate when said contact element is in contact therewith whereby said surface is subjected to wear along a wear path;
• and
• (h) measuring an amount of wear occurring along the wear path after a selected interval of time.