Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 10 of 10

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Dome Tester, Clark Bates, Nikolas M. Kulin Jan 2023

Dome Tester, Clark Bates, Nikolas M. Kulin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

We are reconfiguring and modifying the previously built dome tester to be more user friendly and mechanically applicable. This has a long-term goal of being a usable teaching tool for manufacturing education within the college of engineering and polymer sciences. The dome tester pushes a metal dome into a clamped sheet of metal to test its forming limits and where necking occurs. We have implemented a better method of viewing the sheet sample as it is being deformed, and improved measuring methods for the distance a sample is deformed. By introducing these changes in conjunction with improved documentation of the …


Defining The Proper Operating Time For The Septa Extractor, Abigail Jones Jan 2023

Defining The Proper Operating Time For The Septa Extractor, Abigail Jones

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anionic polymerizations are a common type of reaction used to produce synthetic rubber. During these reactions, it is necessary to charge initiators, modifiers, and other substances, through pressurized containers that are sealed with rubber septa. These septa prevent oxygen and moisture from entering the pressurized container, and the reactor, though they need to be cleaned before use to remove other impurities. Currently a glass Soxhlet Extractor is used to remove such impurities, and though effective, it has a limited capacity, so it has to run frequently. This limitation led to the commissioning of the Septa Extractor, which is an automated …


Anti-Freeze Double Network Hydrogels, William Gross Jan 2023

Anti-Freeze Double Network Hydrogels, William Gross

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Three polyethylene glycol (PEG) based crosslinkers with repeat unit nominal weights of 62.1, 200, and 400 g/mol in agar/PAM double network (DN) hydrogels were used to study the effect of different crosslinkers on thermal and mechanical properties. Using the one-pot synthesis method, hydrogels with the PEG crosslinkers or methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBAA) were made via sol-gel transition for formation of agar network, and photopolymerization of the PAM network using Irgacure 2959 as photo initiator. Tensile and compression tests were performed on as prepared, swollen, and swollen & cooled specimens of each hydrogel. Freezing time and thermal imaging were performed in -20 °C …


Coolant Capability Study, Christina Grassi Jan 2023

Coolant Capability Study, Christina Grassi

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The scope of my project is a capability study on different coolants used in manufacturing plants. From this study, the coolant qualities and impact on the manufacturing process will be evaluated in that process and will be documented as a changed standard at the Timken company. Since coolants are sometimes the only fluid on the surface of the parts being manufactured, the rust preventative capabilities will also be studied and evaluated through humidity cabinet testing with and without spiking the coolant with chlorides and sulfates. This project will be carried out on my co-op rotation with the Timken company so …


Wetting Transition Of Texturized Surfaces, Jenna Stephens Jan 2023

Wetting Transition Of Texturized Surfaces, Jenna Stephens

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Building on previous research, this project aims to continue the investigation of the wettability of various liquids on a uniform, texturized surface. Different surface energies can impact the wettability of a surface. The surface can be hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or in between. The goal of this project is to research how features of texturized surfaces affect the wetting transition of water, oil, and a mixture of both. Additionally, this project aims to improve the quality of the 3D printed surfaces. The surfaces that will be studied are constructed using UV cured resin 3D printing and are made up of an array …


Intergranular And Pitting Corrosion Mechanisms Of Sensitized Aluminum Alloy Aa5083, Clayton Egleston Jan 2023

Intergranular And Pitting Corrosion Mechanisms Of Sensitized Aluminum Alloy Aa5083, Clayton Egleston

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The motivation and objectives of this project is to examine the mechanisms of intergranular corrosion (IGC) and pitting corrosion of sensitized AA5083. In this regard, different characterization techniques were used, including optical analysis of microstructure, cyclic potentiodynamic polarization with Tafel fitting, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with electrical equivalent circuit (EEC) fitting, and potentiostatic current transient monitoring. The transition from IGC to pitting corrosion occurs when the grain boundaries become saturated with the β-phase (Mg2Al3). It was found that AA5083 becomes more vulnerable to pitting corrosion as the degree of sensitization increases.


Comparing Weathering Effects Of Ultraviolet And Xenon Arc Accelerated Aging On Polyvinyl Chloride, Collin Mcinnes Jan 2023

Comparing Weathering Effects Of Ultraviolet And Xenon Arc Accelerated Aging On Polyvinyl Chloride, Collin Mcinnes

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As the ubiquitousness of polymers increases and begins seeing use in outdoor settings, the need to fully understand how these materials degrade is also necessary. This study aims to compare two known accelerated aging methods, namely an ultraviolet light chamber and a xenon arc light chamber, to understand what differences, if any, manifest in the mechanical, chemical, and cosmetic deterioration of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) after long-term exposure. The study utilizes Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and colorimetry analysis to determine the extent of degradation and potential discrepancies between the aging methods.


Recycling Metal Chips Into Usable Materials, Alex Mortensen, Ben Mortensen Jan 2023

Recycling Metal Chips Into Usable Materials, Alex Mortensen, Ben Mortensen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This report entails the scope, design considerations, and plans for creating a metal chip converter into metal briquettes. The construction is a set of machines with multiple processes to make the conversion happen. The process includes washing fine metal chips, drying them off, compressing them, and melting them down into usable briquettes. This project is intended to make a simple process to recycle metal chips into usable material for reuse. The project's objective is to reduce the costs of storage and recycling waste by offering a solution to recycle it into materials the shop can reuse.


Structural Design And Application Of Polymeric Silicon Elastomers, Jacob Wyant Jan 2023

Structural Design And Application Of Polymeric Silicon Elastomers, Jacob Wyant

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project was to determine how the polymeric structure and mechanical properties of this elastomer are affected by the ratio between the polydimethylsiloxane macromolecular chains and the crosslinkers. These were determined via tensile and compression testing. Then, spiropyran was added to observe how this fluorescence and crosslinking agent affected the elastomer. Also, the elastomer’s fluorescent and icephobic nature were tested. The elastomers with a higher ratio of crosslinker to macromolecular chain could withstand higher tensile and compressive strains but failed at lower stresses than their counterparts with lower concentrations of crosslinkers. The elastomers were also found to …


Beeswax Wraps As An Alternative To Single-Use Plastics, Sarah Skiver Jan 2023

Beeswax Wraps As An Alternative To Single-Use Plastics, Sarah Skiver

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The project goal was to compare the food storage efficacy of sustainable beeswax wraps verses the single-use plastic methods of resealable plastic sandwich bags and plastic cling wrap. The goal was also to test the reusability of the beeswax wraps, as it is a key advantage of beeswax wraps that is advertised. The project purpose was to explore sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to single use plastics, which are harmful to the environment in both their production and their disposal. Food spoilage was compared in beeswax wrap, plastic sandwich bags, and plastic cling wrap, and spoilage was also observed in a …