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Cryogenics, Volume 52, Issues 7–9, July–September 2012, Pages 325-330
O. Kirichek, A.J. Church, M.G. Thomas, D. Cowdery, S.D. Higgins, M.P. Dudman, Z.A. Bowden
ISIS Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot, UK
Abstract
Adhesion and plasticity of polycrystalline solidmethane have been studied in the temperature range 10–90 K. It was shown that adhesion is very strong in the 50–90 K temperature range where the solidmethane is soft and sticky. Closer to the melting point (at 90.6 K) the solidmethane behaves as extremely viscous non-Newtonian liquid. Below 30 K solidmethane loses its stickiness and ductility and acts like ordinary glass. Methaneadhesion remains similar for very different materials. We have also made some video observations which reveal unexpected and mostly inexplicable properties of solidmethane which could be of some interest for designing new methane moderators for neutron sources and planetary physics particularly the study of the environment of Titan.
Figure captures:
Solid methane viscosity temperature dependence; rhombic symbols – viscosity obtained from the data published in the paper; circle symbol – data from Ref.[10]; curve – Arrhenius form with activation energy of 1300 K.
