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Materials Science and Engineering

Open Access Dissertations

2014

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Articles 1 - 8 of 8

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Nano-Modification For High Performance Cement Composites With Cellulose Nanocrystals And Carbon Nanotubes, Yizheng Cao Oct 2014

Nano-Modification For High Performance Cement Composites With Cellulose Nanocrystals And Carbon Nanotubes, Yizheng Cao

Open Access Dissertations

One of the new engineering frontiers is the exploration of infrastructure materials with novel combinations of properties that break traditional paradigms. The goal of this study is to utilize two different nano-fibers, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to modify the nanoscale structures of cement composites and thereby improve the performance at the macro-level. This study also evaluates the mechanism behind the modification, since fiber bridging, the most common reinforcing mechanism for fiber-reinforced composites, cannot be simply applied because CNCs are too short to bridge cracks in cement composites. ^ The mechanical tests show an increase in the flexural …


Effects Of Energetic Irradiation On Materials And Devices Based On Graphene And Topological Insulators, Isaac Childres Oct 2014

Effects Of Energetic Irradiation On Materials And Devices Based On Graphene And Topological Insulators, Isaac Childres

Open Access Dissertations

This report focuses on the optical and electronic properties of graphene and topological insulators and how these Dirac fermion systems interact with energetic irradiation. We first present data exploring the effects of electron-beam and oxygen plasma induced disorder on the electronic properties and Raman spectra of graphene. These initial investigations were important for relating Raman peak intensities and weak localization features to each other and to an average disorder length in graphene, LD. ^ We then integrate gate-effect measurements into the Raman spectroscopy study to fully explore the relationships between carrier density, disorder and Raman spectrum signatures. We …


Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrolytes Produced Via Very Low Pressure Suspension Plasma Spray And Electrophoretic Deposition, James D Fleetwood Oct 2014

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrolytes Produced Via Very Low Pressure Suspension Plasma Spray And Electrophoretic Deposition, James D Fleetwood

Open Access Dissertations

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a promising element of comprehensive energy policies due to their direct mechanism for converting the oxidization of fuel, such as hydrogen, into electrical energy. Both very low pressure plasma spray and electrophoretic deposition allow working with high melting temperature SOFC suspension based feedstock on complex surfaces, such as in non-planar SOFC designs. Dense, thin electrolytes of ideal composition for SOFCs can be fabricated with each of these processes, while compositional control is achieved with dissolved dopant compounds that are incorporated into the coating during deposition. In the work reported, sub-micron 8 mole % Y …


Ultrasound Assisted Low-Temperature Synthesis Of Tib2 And Al3ti Particulates In Molten Aluminum, Zhiwei Liu Oct 2014

Ultrasound Assisted Low-Temperature Synthesis Of Tib2 And Al3ti Particulates In Molten Aluminum, Zhiwei Liu

Open Access Dissertations

In situ formed TiB2 and Al3Ti are two typical representatives of ceramic and intermetallic reinforcements in the in situ particulate reinforced Al composites. TiB2 particulates can be synthesized in molten Al via the mixed-salts reaction by adding mixed K2TiF6 and KBF4 salts into the Al melt at high temperatures. Al3 Ti particulates can be produced by the direct-melt reaction between solid Ti powders and liquid Al at high temperatures. Generally, a high reaction temperature is always needed to obtain both reinforcements. Some issues, however, such as high cost and burning loss …


The Role Of Microstructure On The Combustion And Impact Behavior Of Mechanically Activated Nickel/Aluminum Reactive Composites, Benjamin Aaron Mason Oct 2014

The Role Of Microstructure On The Combustion And Impact Behavior Of Mechanically Activated Nickel/Aluminum Reactive Composites, Benjamin Aaron Mason

Open Access Dissertations

Metal-based reactive composites are a class of materials that consist of at least one metals, such as Ni/Al, that have high-energy densities and can produce significant energy output during exothermic reaction after thermal or mechanical initiation. However, conventionally these materials typically have slow reaction rates and are difficult to ignite at typical micron particle size ranges limiting their application. Therefore, mechanical activation techniques have been used to create materials with high surface areas and smaller characteristic dimensions in order to increase combustion velocity and ignition sensitivity. Their combustion and mechanical impact behavior is being studied to develop the understanding needed …


Cnt-Reinforced Polymer Nanocomposite By Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Yaeji Kim Oct 2014

Cnt-Reinforced Polymer Nanocomposite By Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Yaeji Kim

Open Access Dissertations

Polymer matrix composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have received significant attention due to their potential for exceptional mechanical, electrical, thermal and optical properties. The enhancement of ultimate mechanical properties of CNT reinforced polymer composites is governed not just by the properties of the two phases but by dispersion of the CNTs, interactions in the interfacial region and local molecular changes in polymer due to the vicinity of the CNTs. Strong adhesive interactions between the matrix and CNT leads to good compatibility preventing the aggregation of the reinforcements and results in optimal mechanical response. Even though significant efforts have been …


Control Of Morphology Al-Fe-Si Phase In Al-Si-Cu Hypoeutectic Alloy, Meng Wang Oct 2014

Control Of Morphology Al-Fe-Si Phase In Al-Si-Cu Hypoeutectic Alloy, Meng Wang

Open Access Dissertations

Aluminum-Silicon (Al-Si) alloys are one of the most versatile aluminum alloys. Iron is considered one of the most harmful elements in Al-Si diecasting alloy because its presence leads to the precipitation of many AlFeSi intermetallic phases and unacceptable mechanical properties, such as reduction in ductility. Thus controlling the fraction and morphology of AlFeSi phase, especially the β-AlFeSi phase is an important way to improve the ductility of Al-Si die casting alloys. ^ In this dissertation, thermodynamics calculation of AlFeSi phase formation and fraction change during solidification process were conducted using Thermo-Calc software. A series of experiments, including adjusting cooling rates, …


Technology, Science, And Environtmental Impact Of A Novel Cu-Ag Core-Shell Solderless Interconnect System, Milea Joy Kammer Jul 2014

Technology, Science, And Environtmental Impact Of A Novel Cu-Ag Core-Shell Solderless Interconnect System, Milea Joy Kammer

Open Access Dissertations

Tin-based solder is ubiquitous in microelectronics manufacturing and plays a critical role in electronic packaging and attachment. While manufacturers of consumer electronics have made the transition to the use of lead-free solder, there are still a variety of reliability issues associated with these lead-free alternatives, particularly for high performance, high reliability applications. Because of these performance short-comings, researchers are still searching for a material, an alloy, or a unique alternative that can meet the thermal, mechanical, and electrical requirements for conventional reflow solder applications. In an effort to produce a more reliable alternative, Kim et al. proposed the low-temperature (200°C) …