Engineering Commons^™

Production And Characterization Of Uranium Sol Gel Surrogates Produced With Cerium Acetate And Cerium Nitrate, Matthew Brett Alford

All Dissertations

For the production of ceramic microspheres for future space travel, new methods of processing must be explored. The sol gel method proves promising for the production of uranium-based ceramic microspheres that are consistent enough in size and shape for such an application. A process for producing these microspheres has already been established, but there are avenues for improvement.

Handling of radioactive material like uranium is not always possible or warranted. As such, a non-radioactive surrogate that greatly resembles the processing of its actual radioactive counterpart. Herein this work a cerium-based surrogate is developed to closely resemble an already established process …

Characterization Of Mechanical, Thermodynamic And Surface Properties Of The Butterfly Proboscis, Tatiana Stepanova

All Theses

The butterfly proboscis is a fascinating fiber designed to probe and transport fluids. The built-in sensors and actuators make this fiber multifunctional. The proboscis consists of 2 hollow C-shaped tubes that are united when the butterfly comes out of the pupa. A single galea consists of a solid cuticular wall, muscles, nerves, and tracheae. The proboscis cuticular wall is mainly composed of polymers and small amounts of metals and non-metals. The proboscis is a porous material, and its water content is high, up to 50%. When the butterfly is not hungry, its proboscis is tightly coiled; when the butterfly is …