Engineering Commons^™

Characterizing The Mechanical Behavior Of Single And Polycrystalline Silicon Carbide Using Nanoindentation., Amit Datye

Doctoral Dissertations

This research aims at enhancing the fundamental understanding of mechanisms controlling the deformation and fracture of silicon carbide based ceramics (single- and poly-crystal). The role of microstructure and material properties on the energy absorption capability of SiC is studied. This research helps to improve the ability to quantitatively predict the initiation and propagation of fracture and the interaction between fracture and plasticity, which provides a step towards a mechanistic understanding of deformation and failure properties of ceramic single crystals and polycrystals. The validity of the indentation-cracking method for toughness measurement is examined using nanoindentation tests with different indenters (spherical, pyramidal). …

Thermodynamic Modeling Of Uranium And Oxygen Containing Ternary Systems With Gadolinium, Lanthanum, And Thorium, Jacob Wesley Mcmurray

Doctoral Dissertations

The CALPHAD method is used to assess the thermodynamic properties and phase relations in the U-M-O system where M = Gd, La, and Th. A compound energy formalism (CEF) model for fluorite UO_2±x [urania] is extended to represent the complex U_1-yM_yO_2±x [urania solid solution] phases. The lattice stabilities for fictive GdO₂ [gadolinia] and LaO₂ [lanthana] fluorite structure compounds are calculated from density functional theory (DFT) for use in the CEF for U_1-yM_yO_2±x [urania solid solution phase] while U⁶⁺ [uranium 6 plus cation] is introduced into the …

Elucidating Fundamental Mechanisms In Focused Electron- And Ion-Beam Induced Synthesis, Carlos M. Gonzalez

Doctoral Dissertations

A focused electron beam deposition process (FEBID) coupled with in-situ infrared pulsed laser assist (LA-EBID) has been implemented for higher purity tungsten nanowires using W(CO)₆ [tungsten hexacarbonyl] as parent precursor gas. Nanowires made of Co from Co₂(CO)₈ [dicobalt octacarbonyl] and Pt from MeCpPtIVMe₃ [trimethyl methylcyclopentadienyl platinum] have also been realized by using inert focused ion beams of helium and helium and neon, respectively. In all cases, higher electrical conductivities, higher purities and larger grain sizes have been obtained when compared with preceding traditional additive edit techniques. These new approaches will make possible successful nanoscale direct-write …

Influence Of Texture And Grain Size On The Plastic Anisotropy In A Wrought Mg Alloy: Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction And Visco-Plastic Self-Consistent Modeling, Yi Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

The combined effects of texture and grain size on the yielding and hardening behavior in a hot-rolled AZ31B Mg alloy were studied by using synchrotron x-ray diffraction and visco-plastic self-consistent (VPSC) simulation methods.

First, the influence of texture on Hall-Petch relationships (namely, critical resolved shear stresses and hardening parameters) in a Mg alloy was investigated to establish a constitutive basis for the VPSC simulation.

Then, the changes in dominant deformation mechanisms (basal, prismatic, and pyramidal slip as well as extension twin) and their relative interactions were studied systematically as a function of the initial texture using a VPSC scheme. The …

A Study Of Energy Resolution And Non-Proportionality Of Yalo3:Ce And Gd3ga3al2o12:Ce, Samuel Bradley Donnald

Doctoral Dissertations

For many radiation detection applications, energy resolution is one of the most important detector characteristics. In well designed scintillation detectors, the energy resolution is primarily driven by two main factors - the light output and light yield non-proportionality. A great deal of research has already focused on understanding and improving the light yield of scintillation detectors; however, light yield non-proportionality is less well understood. Until recently, light yield non-proportionality was thought to be an intrinsic scintillator property with very little sample-to-sample variation. In this work, two materials have been investigated that demonstrate a variable light yield non-proportionality. The first material …

Investigation Of Deformation And Failure Mechanisms In Nanoindentation Mechanics, Yuzhi Xia

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation further extends nanoindentation to study the initiation of plasticity in single crystals in nanoscale stressed volumes, to the instrumented tests for damage evaluation and monitoring, and to the fundamental issues in deformation and failure mechanisms in relationship to the defect evolutions.

In the first project, model Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni and Fe-Cr-Ni alloys that are the basis of many structural steels were synthesized as single crystals and characterized. The compositions investigated were Fe-15Cr, Fe-30Cr, Fe-30Ni and Fe-15Cr-15Ni (atomic percent). Several key mechanical properties were determined which will be useful in further studies of irradiation/deformation-induced defects. Incipient plasticity and slip characteristics …

Plastic Anisotropy Of Complex Crystals And Hierarchically Structured Alloys Using Micro-Mechanical Computational Analysis, Lin Li

Doctoral Dissertations

The material anisotropy is one of the most important material properties that cannot be disregarded in today’s world of materials designing and manufacturing. As new materials being developed and new material demands are introduced the inevitable focus on anisotropic materials has been brought under the spotlight. In this dissertation, several experimental and simulation project regarding material anisotropic effects on hexagonal close packed crystals such as Silicon Carbide as well and hierarchically structured solid solution ferritic based alloys. The general purpose was to demonstrate the improvement on various intended material properties using finite element method. Since indentation is a widely used …

Single Fiber Mechanical Properties Using Nano-Tensile Testing And Carbon Fiber Structure-Property Relationship, Matthew Erich Kant

Doctoral Dissertations

Single carbon fibers are studied using a nano-tensile testing system. This system has unprecedented load and displacement resolution, nN and nm respectively, and the ability to perform dynamic testing for storage and loss modulus during quasi-static tensile extension. Furthermore, improved fiber mounting and alignment procedures coupled with the precision of the nano-tensile testing system assist in unprecedented resolution in single fiber mechanical testing for axial modulus and strength. Hence, using these unique capabilities, the moduli and their statistical distribution of many high performance carbon fibers are reported here. From this, a simplified single parameter model describing the strain dependent modulus …

Fatigue, Fracture, And Environmentally-Assisted Behavior Of Advanced Engineering Materials, Zhi Tang

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of the present study is to provide a fundamental understanding of fatigue, fracture, and environmentally-assisted behavior of high-entropy alloys (HEAs). The work involves fatigue, fracture, and environmentally-assisted behavior of a new kind of advanced engineering materials, called HEAs. Three tasks are studied: (1) microstructures and fracture mechanisms of HEAs, (2) fatigue failure and life prediction of HEAs, and (3) corrosion and environmentally-assisted behavior of HEAs.

In the first task, microstructural stability and fracture mechanism of the AlCoCrFeNi alloy are studied and compared with thermodynamic calculations. In the second task, high-cycle fatigue-failure mechanisms of the cold-rolled Al0.5CoCrCuFeNi alloy are …

Characterization Of The Fine-Scale Weld Deposit Microstructure And Its Influence On The Elevated Temperature Properties Of 2.25cr - 1mo - 0.25v Weldments In Heavy Wall Pressure Vessels, Dewey Joshua Burgess

Doctoral Dissertations

The research herein was conducted to characterize the fine-scale microstructure of 2.25Cr‑1Mo‑0.25V (22V) submerged arc weld deposits and to study the influence of the microstructure on creep behavior and reheat cracking susceptibility. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy examinations concentrated on carbide morphology and evolution as a function of time and temperature, since the majority of properties that are associated with 22V weld deposits are attributable to the carbide type and location throughout the microstructure.

Five distinct carbides were observed in the range of heat treatments studied: MC, M2C, M23C6, M7C3, and M6C. It was shown that each carbide …

Functional Nanocomposites From Self-Assembly Of Block Copolymers With Nanoparticles, Xinyu Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation studied the proper distribution and location control of nanoparticles (NPs) within block copolymer (BCP) templates. A facile ligand exchange reaction was introduced for the hydrophilic magnetic NPs (MNPs) that are readily dispersed in polar solvents with outstanding stability. Small molecule ligands were selected to associate strongly with particle surfaces, provide hydrophilic termini for polarity matching with polar solvents, and offer the potential for hydrogen-bonding interactions to facilitate NP incorporation into polymers. Areal ligand densities of NPs indicated a significant increase in the ligand coverage after the exchange reaction. Hydrophilic MNPs were shown to drive the self-assembly of BCPs …

Polymer Modification With Multifunctional Additives And Unique Processing Methods, Polina R. Ware

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation describes the investigation of unconventional methods to enhance polymer properties either by using unique processing methods, such as solid-state deformation, or by using multifunctional additives that can simultaneously provide a number of property enhancements. The three main research areas of this dissertation are self-reinforced glassy thermosets, melt-processeable organic/inorganic thermoplastic elastomers and semi-crystalline thermoplastics with improved ductility due to a unique solid-state process treatment. Various thermosets, including epoxies, are used in systems with fibers or other additives to improve stiffness. However such systems are difficult to process due to increased viscosity. This work investigates a new method to reinforce …

Engineering Surface Functionality Of Nanoparticles For Biological Applications, Yi-Cheun Yeh

Doctoral Dissertations

Engineering the surface functionality of nanomaterials is the key to investigate the interactions between nanomaterials and biomolecules for potent biological applications such as therapy, imaging and diagnostics. My research has been orientted to engineer both of the surface monolayers and core materials to fabricate surface-functionalized nanomaterials through the synergistic multidisciplinary approach that combine organic chemistry, materials science and biology. This thesis illustrates the design and synthesis of the surface-funcitonalized quantum dots (QDs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the fundamental studies and practical applications. For QDs, A new class of cationic QDs with quaternary ammonium derivatives was synthesized to provide permanent …

Patterning And Mechanical Analysis Of Fiber-Based Materials, Samuel A. Pendergraph

Doctoral Dissertations

The ability to define and control the topography of a surface has been studied extensively due to its importance in a wide variety of applications. The control of a non-planar topography would be very valuable since a number of structures that are pervasive in artificial applications (e.g. fibers, lenses) are curved interfaces. This potential of enabling applications that incorporate non-planar geometries was the motivation for this thesis. The first study of this thesis comprises the study of patterning the circumference of micrometer sized fibers. Specifically, a unique technique was described to pattern the fiber with a periodic array of colloids. …

Studies On The Wrinkling Of Thin Polymer Films Floating On Liquid, Kamil B. Toga

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation aims to broaden our understanding on wrinkling instabilities occurring on floating polymeric sheets, and tries to establish innovative methods that exploit these patterns in studies on material behavior and interfacial phenomena. We will address three major topics in this thesis including, i) characterization of the conditions required to buckle an annular disc, ii) characterization of wrinkles occurring around a droplet/bubble placed on a membrane that is kept taut at the liquid-air interface, and iii) using wrinkling patterns as a probe to understand the interfacial behavior and dynamics of ultrathin films. The first project in this thesis is about …

On The Morphology Of Polymer-Based Solar Cells To Achieve Higher Device Performance, Yu Gu

Doctoral Dissertations

It has been recognized that the morphology of the active layer of the polymer-based solar cells has a great influence on the device performance. To push the efficiency to a higher level, morphology design and control by varying processing conditions are crucial. The theme of this dissertation is to characterize and understanding of the morphology of the active layer of polymer-based solar cells and the role that the morphology plays on device performance, so as to develop routes by which the morphology can be optimized. The focus of this dissertation is first on a binary system consisting of poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-cyclopenta[2,1-b;3,4-b’]-dithiophene)-alt-4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] (PCPDTBT) …

Motion Of Particles As A Probe: Dynamics And Assembly In Gel Networks/Aqueous Media, Cheol Hee Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

Nanoparticles are of great interest with a wide variety of potential applications due to their unexpected but interesting physical properties which are different from bulk state, enable small length scale-driven transport through complex materials, and provide the building units for well-ordered structures. Observing the motion of nanoparticles provides information about surrounding microstructures, flow dynamics, and assembly processes by virtue of fluorescence of nanoparticles. However, the proper control of surface chemistry and the fluorescence of particles are both paramount and challenging to allow particles to be used in a quantitative and robust manner. This thesis describes the use of precisely-defined particles …

Molecular Engineering Strategies For The Design And Synthesis Of New Organic Photovoltaic Materials, Paul J. Homnick

Doctoral Dissertations

Dramatic improvements in organic photovoltaic device efficiency can be obtained by optimizing spectral absorbance and frontier molecular orbital (FMO) energies, increasing solid state exciton/charge mobility, and utilizing p-/n-type nanoarchitecture. Combining all of these properties into a new material presents a considerable synthetic challenge because potential commercial applications require materials that are high-performance and inexpensive. Thus, it is advantageous to design new materials using a versatile, modular synthetic approach that allows each design criterion to be engineered individually, in a synthetically efficient manner. Several strategies were successfully pursued using simple interchangeable electron donor and acceptor components as functional modules, which …

Creasing Instability Of Hydrogels And Elastomers, Dayong Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

CREASING INSTABILITY OF HYDROGELS AND ELASTOMERS MAY 2014 DAYONG CHEN, B.S., TIANJIN UNIVERISTY M.S., TIANJIN UNIVERSITY M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Ryan C. Hayward Soft polymers placed under compressive stress can undergo an elastic creasing instability in which sharp folds spontaneously form on the free surfaces. This process may play an important role in contexts as diverse as brain morphogenesis, failure of tires, and electrical breakdown of soft polymer actuators. While the creasing instability has been used for collotype printing since as early as the 1850s, the scientific appreciation of this instability …

Monte Carlo Modeling Of Ion Beam Induced Secondary Electrons, Uk Huh

Doctoral Dissertations

Modeling ion beam induced secondary electron (iSE) production within matter for simulating ion beam induced images has been studied. When the complex nature of ion beam interactions with matter is account for, a detailed quantitative model of the ion interactions with matter, Monte Carlo simulation will be the best choice to be able to compute and predict iSE yields faster and more accurately. In order to build Monte Carlo simulation software incorporated with a reliable database of stopping power tables, for wide variety of range of materials, there have been numerous attempts to experimentally measure ion stopping power tables and …

Neutron Diffraction Study Of Engineering Materials Subjected To Complex Loadings, Jeffrey R. Bunn

Doctoral Dissertations

No studies using diffraction have specifically aimed to study the (hkl) specific shear strain of lattice planes to the application of pure shear due to applied torsion. Also no measures of strain resultant from combined loads of tension and shear stress applied simultaneously have been performed. Current techniques simply measure the planar response to axial stress and cannot provide shear strains directly. Shear moduli are not necessarily related through traditional continuum mechanics to planar Youngs’ moduli (E_hkl) from these axial experiments for all materials. This is of significance as most engineering components fail under the …

Deformation Of A Face-Centered Cubic Fecocrmnni High Entropy Alloy, Chao Zhu

Doctoral Dissertations

A polycrystalline, face-centered cubic high entropy alloy (HEA) FeCoCrMnNi was investigated by nanoindentation and stress relaxation. A literature review on HEAs was presented in Chapter 1 and a description of methodology was followed in Chapter 2.

In Chapter 3, the nature of incipient plasticity was characterized with instrumented indentations over various loading rates and temperatures. The maximum shear stress for initiating the incipient plasticity attained the theoretical strength and was relatively insensitive to grain orientation. However, it strongly depended upon the temperature, indicating a thermally activated nucleation process. The estimated activation energy and volume signify that the nucleation is mediated …

Phenotypic Modulation Of Smooth Muscle Cells On Biodegradable Elastomeric Substrates, Xifeng Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the U.S. Cardiovascular tissue engineering holds enormous potential by providing synthetic materials as vessel replacements. This dissertation focused on the development of novel biodegradable and photo-crosslinkable polymers with controlled surface chemistry, stiffness, and topographical features in regulating smooth muscle cell (SMC) adhesion, proliferation and phenotypic conversion for cardiovascular tissue engineering applications. Chapter II presents a facile synthesis route to obtain a series of photocrosslinkable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) triacrylates (PCLTA) with varied mechanical properties and further demonstrated tunable cell responses using these polymer system. Chapter III demonstrates a model polymer network from PCLTA that can …

Temperature And Alloying Effects On The Mechanical Properties Of Equiatomic Fcc Solid Solution Alloys, Zhenggang Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

Compared to decades-old theories of strengthening in dilute solid solutions, the mechanical behavior of concentrated solid solutions is relatively poorly understood. A special subset of these materials includes alloys in which the constituent elements are present in equal atomic proportions, including the high-entropy alloys of recent interest. A unique characteristic of equiatomic alloys is the absence of “solvent” and “solute” atoms, resulting in a breakdown of the textbook picture of dislocations moving through a solvent lattice and encountering discrete solute obstacles. To clarify the mechanical behavior of this interesting new class of materials, we investigate here a family of equiatomic …

Theoretical Studies Of The Growth And Functionality Of Layered Materials, Wei Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis, we present several projects on the growth and functionality of layered materials, using density functional theory (DFT) method and phenomenological modeling approach. Beyond the understanding of growth mechanisms and exploration of properties, we propose novel avenues to realize controllable growth processes and layered materials with desirable properties. The contents have three major parts:

(1) Graphene growth on Cu(111) and Ni(111) substrates. We first demonstrate that the inherent multi-orientational degeneracy of the graphene islands on Cu(111) in the early stages of nucleation could result in the prevalence of grain boundaries (GBs). Next, we propose a possible solution to …

Structural Dynamics And Charge Transport In Room Temperature Ionic Liquids, Philip James Griffin

Doctoral Dissertations

Room temperature ionic liquids are an important class of materials due to their chemical tunability and numerous advantageous physicochemical properties. As a result, ionic liquids are currently being investigated for use in a wide array of chemical and electrochemical applications. Despite their great potential, however, the relationship between the chemical structure and physicochemical properties of ionic liquids is not well understood.

To this end, this dissertation presents experimental studies of the reorientational structural dynamics and charge transport properties of a variety of room temperature ionic liquids using quasielastic light scattering spectroscopy and broadband dielectric spectroscopy.

Studies of a series of …

Ab Initio Studies Of Proton Transport In Proton Exchange Membranes, Jeffrey Keith Clark

Doctoral Dissertations

A molecular-level understanding of the factors that contribute to transport properties of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for fuel cell applications is needed to aid in the development of superior membrane materials. Ab initio electronic structure calculations were undertaken on various PEM ionomer fragments to explore the effects of local hydration, side chain connectivity, protogenic group separation, and specific side chain chemistry on proton dissociation and transfer at low hydration. Cooperative interactions between both intra- and inter-molecular acidic groups and hydrogen bond connectivity were found to enhance proton dissociation at very low degrees of hydration. The energetics associated with proton transfer …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Magnetic Nanowires Prepared By Chemical Vapor Deposition, Siwei Tang

Doctoral Dissertations

Various metal silicide and germanide magnetic nanowires were synthesized using a home-built CVD [chemical vapor deposition] system. The morphology, composition, and magnetic properties of the nanowires were studied and correlated with growth parameters such as temperature, pressure, time, and source-substrate distance.

One of the compositions targeted for synthesis was MnSi [manganese silicide]. In bulk, this material orders helimagnetically at T_c [curie temperature] = 30K, with a helical pitch of about 20 nm. After extensive study, we learned that the thickness of the silicon dioxide layer on the substrate is a critical parameter for the growth of MnSi nanowires. An …

Nanolayer Polymeric Coatings To Enhance The Performance And Service Life Of Inorganic Membranes For High Temperature-High Pressure Biomass Pretreatment And Other Applications, Vincent C. Kandagor

Doctoral Dissertations

Membrane technology has become increasingly attractive in several applications including water filtration, food industry, oil and gas, and biomedical applications. Most recently the quest for renewable, bioenergy has called for use of membranes in biomass pretreatment and other stages of producing biofuel. The success and advancement of the membrane technology for these various applications has, however, been impeded by the fouling of membranes, which causes the pores in the microporous structure to block, resulting in reduced efficiency, and in some cases, total failure of the membranes system. This challenge leads to a tremendous increase in the cost of using membranes …

Investigation Of The Phase Transformation Kinetics And Texture Evolution In A Trip Steel Under Complex Loads, Ercan Cakmak

Doctoral Dissertations

The martensitic phase transformation kinetics and its relation with texture evolution and deformation/transformation microstructures under complex loading conditions were investigated in a 304L stainless steel that exhibits the transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) effect when strained at ambient temperature. The applied load paths included torsional and biaxial deformation scenarios including simultaneous biaxial torsion/tension and torsion/compression as well as stepwise deformation of tension followed by torsion. Synchrotron x-ray and electron back-scatter diffraction techniques were used to investigate the phase transformation-microstructure-texture evolutions relations.

Under torsional deformation, the inhomogeneous distribution of martensite phase fractions were recorded through the radius of solid cylindrical specimens consistent …