Anthony T. Ward

Polywater: An Attempt at Synthesis in a Gas Discharge

An attempt to produce polywater in a corona discharge in moist air was unsuccessful. However, the major product produced, nitric acid, has a midrange infrared spectrum which is strikingly similar to that reported for polywater. The Raman spectrum offers a better means of distinguishing between nitric acid and polywater than the infrared spectrum does.

Barrier Coatings For Optical Recording Media

Metallic optical recording layers such as Te are degraded on exposure to oxygen and water. Both oxygen and moisture are necessary for the oxidation of Te to proceed at a significant rate. In this report, the feasibility of protecting thin metal layers from oxidation is examined in light of the known vapor permeability characteristics of selected organic polymeric materials. Experimental results are presented for multilayer Te structures.