Details in the process of making "blacker than vantablack" coatings (part 1?)

Recreating MIT's "blacker than vantablack" in a home shop (almost). MIT press release: http://news.mit.edu/2019/blackest-black-material-cnt-0913 MIT nanotube-on-aluminum paper: https://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b08290 NIST nanotube darkness comparison: https://aip.scitation.org/doi/pdf/10.1063/1.5009190 Shaper handheld CNC router: https://www.shapertools.com/
Almost-as-large quartz tube (I used 76mm OD) : https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fused-quartz-glass-tubing-OD-50mm-x-ID-46mm-x-L-1-240mm-48-Free-Shipping/113713893883 Insulating firebrick for tube furnace: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Insulating-FireBrick-Thermal-Ceramics-K-26-3-10-pk/131698699891 Black velvet on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BGZ82XH/ LR-1 spectrometer: http://www.aseq-instruments.com/LR1.html Applied Science on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AppliedScience

Make vacuum pre-loaded spherical air bearings without special tools

A new technique to make graphite air bearings without precision tooling. I show how to make spherical, cylindrical, and flat bearings that are also vacuum pre-loaded, meaning the bearing is captive.

David Preiss' excellent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuzoEe_ykmM

10mm thick graphite sheet: https://www.amazon.com/Graphite-Smooth-Polished-Surface-200MMx100MMx10MM/dp/B07S2RDQ6P

2" ball bearing: https://www.amazon.com/Inch-Chrome-Steel-Bearing-Ball/dp/B0074VCP8S

Small 10-32 hose barb fitting: https://www.mcmaster.com/5047k11 Linear bearing shaft: https://www.mcmaster.com/6061k35

Fusion360 CAD files: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fj6zJ9GlZ07WB6jVrltPNsvqsU06qTAP?usp=sharing

12x18 granite surface plate: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWBEEH8

Applied Science on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AppliedScience

DIY mass spectrometer measures potassium in dietary salt substitute

How to build and operate a simple mass spectrometer. Please ask questions in the comments, as always.

Scientific American article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-amateur-scientist-1970-07/  $7.99 is a good value for the entire back issue in plain PDF format, and an example of a publisher being reasonable.   I'm happy to support this.

Original Dewdney paper: https://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1969211

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotopes_of_potassium
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionization_energy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_ionization
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroradius

https://www.patreon.com/AppliedScience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezME4_xMMnk

Teardown of a "date back" or "data back" camera and description of how it works: A micro LCD projector with incandescent light bulb! https://www.patreon.com/AppliedScience

Cryogenic treatment of drill bits: tested 2X lifetime and microstructure analysis

I bought some HSS stub drills, and treated half of them with liquid nitrogen, which improved their wear resistance dramatically. I also look at the change in microstructure with an electron microscope.

Performance of cryogenically treated M35 HSS drills - http://sci-hub.tw/10.1007/s00170-011-3616-8
Performance of cryogenically treated HSS tools - http://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/j.wear.2006.01.017
Effects of Cryogenic Treatment on the Strength
Properties - http://sci-hub.tw/10.1088/1757-899X/229/1/012014

LN2 generator video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PWESWqhD8s
Heat treatment of steel video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulfCxDsVTWo

Source of drill bits: https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/125/2508

Temperature logger (discontinued, unfortunately): https://www.adafruit.com/product/3081

3M fine polishing pads: https://www.amazon.com/Tri-M-Ite-Polishing-Abrasive-Assorted-Sheets/dp/B07CP9CCH4/

Delorean patent on cryogenic torsion bar: https://patents.google.com/patent/US4378658

Steel grain structure inspection, and overall great channel for material analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuHofNW40Yw

Steel grain structure video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SIr2sBHxA4


Applied Science on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AppliedScience