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A Tuskegee University research team has developed paper from inedible sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas), peanut (Arachis hypogea), and soybean (Glycine max) plant residues for NASA's Advanced Life Support Program (ALS) for sustaining human life in space. The objective was to develop papers that could be used as a media for inocula and characterize their physical and mechanical properties. The tensile fracture behavior, micromorphological analysis, and fracture surface examination of peanut shells, sweetpotato stems, soybean pods, and a combination of sweetpotato stems (60%) / peanut shells (40%) papers were also investigated. The ultimate strength was 2.6 MPa, 9.2 MPa, 7.1 MPa and 6.5 MPa, respectively. All samples performed well as a media inocula.

Powder metallurgy cold forming processes provide several advantages: economy of material, minimal machining, close tolerances, high density and lower production costs. IN-861 is an air hardenable ferrous alloy of 2% Ni, 1% Mo, 0.7% Mn plus carbon produced from mixed elemental powders. Specimens were alloyed at three carbon levels and sintered at several temperatures in order to relate ductility and workability to alloy composition and preform sintering temperature. Results indicate that increasing carbon content and sintering temperature required increasing preform forming stresses. Also, ductility of the preform increased with increasing sintering temperature and decreasing carbon content. Further additions of manganese raise the forming stresses, however a marked reduction in ductility is noted. Additions of molybdenum appear to have little effect upon strength, but decrease the ductility.