Engineering Commons^™

Development Of A Production Line Appropriate Test For Teflon Adhesion On 304 Stainless Steel 0.01-0.03" Diameter Coronary Guide Wires, Danielle Dunham

Materials Engineering

A test was developed to determine relative adhesion of Teflon-coated 304 stainless steel guide wires. Two sets of wires were provided by Abbott Vascular for testing: one set was known to have poor Teflon adhesion, the other had acceptable adhesion. A prototype device was designed and manufactured that produced a shear force on the coating by dragging the wire under a ½ inch-diameter 440C hardened stainless steel cylinder. Testing consisted of increasing the force on the wire during each consecutive pass with the cylinder until the Teflon coating failed. The force on the wire during the failure producing pass was …

Low Velocity Impact Tower Feasibility, Setup, And Impact Testing Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Thermoset And Peek Thermoplastic Matrix Composites, Brent Plehn

Materials Engineering

A low velocity impact tower was donated to Cal Poly's Materials Engineering Department along with four fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites. The tower was set up in building 192 in the Mechanical Testing Laboratory. Improvements were made to the tower including adding velocity detection capabilities, making loose hardware inclusive, adding an extra tower arm for better consistency, adding a double jawed clamp for faster testing, and rerouting the tower's compressed air system to improve performance. A standard operating procedure was drafted, tested, and redrafted for impact testing composite panels. The four composite panels consisted of two quasi-isotropic 16 ply AS-1 …

Strength Testing And Material Characterization Of Cactus Spines, Mary Cooper, Jeff Goldstein, Thomas Tarlton

Materials Engineering

Twelve different species of cactus spines from 6 different genera were collected from living specimens and maintained in a dry storage environment. Spines from each species underwent 3-point bend testing, XRD testing, and SEM imaging. XRD analysis was used to verify the presence of cellulose whisker like nanocrystals and to calculate the percent crystallinity of each spine. SEM images were captured of fracture surfaces at viewing angles of 90° and 45° relative to the fracture surface, with magnifications ranging between 150x and 4,000x. A total of six spines from each species were tested in three point bending using a high-resolution …

Residual Stress Measurement Of 7050 Aluminum Alloy Open Die Forgings Using The Hole-Drilling Method, Alexandra Viksne

Materials Engineering

Open die forged 7050 aluminum alloy has residual stresses that can be measured by the hole-drilling method following standard ASTM E837-01. Weber Metals (Paramount, CA) assumes that the stress is uniform throughout the thickness of an open die forged plate. Four different stress relieved 7050 aluminum samples were tested to confirm if the measurements by the hole-drilling method at the surface of a plate is indicative of the stress throughout. The different stress relief methods included: two water quenched samples at temperature ranges of 60°-90°F and 120°-130°F and two samples plastically deformed by forging at room temperature 1% and 3%. …

The Relationship Of Barcol Hardness And Interlaminar Shear Strength In Glass Reinforced Polyester Composite Laminates, Ann E. Livingston-Peters

Materials Engineering

Chopped strand mat E-glass layers were impregnated with isophthalic marine laminating resin by hand lay-up techniques. Once the primary laminate reached the desired Barcol hardness value, the secondary laminate was applied and allowed to cure. These samples were bonded together at hardness values of 10, 30, 50, 70, and 90 Barcol. Lamination was conducted at 70°F with 35% glass fibers and 65% polyester resin catalyzed with 1.5% methyl ethyl ketone peroxide. The target thickness of each laminate was 6mm for short-beam shear testing requiring eight layers of glass and resin. Using the procedures outlined in ASTM D-2344, each sample set …

Analyzing The Flexural Properties Of Self-Constructed Bamboo Laminates, Brett Dorren

Materials Engineering

Bamboo plies of 1/8" and 1/32" thicknesses were glued together to form multiple unidirectional and cross-ply laminates that measured 12" by 12". The thickness of each laminate was between 0.25" and 0.375". All laminates were pressed together with a Tetrahedron MTP-10 bench top precision press at 75°F and 1000 lb_f for 40 minutes. Laminates were then cut with a band-saw into four 3" by 12" test specimens, 24 hours after pressing. Each test specimen was three-point bend tested to identify the modulus of rupture (MOR) and apparent bending stiffness. Three-point bend testing was also performed on laminates that were …

Evaluation Of High Phosphorus Electroless Nickel Platings To Protect Carbon Steel Heat Exchangers In Seawater Service, Nathan Brink

Materials Engineering

The purpose of this project was to determine the suitability of using a high phosphorus electroless nickel (HPEN) coating to prevent corrosion in carbon steel heat exchangers in seawater service. 1 in. x 4 in. samples were cut from ¼ in. SA-516-70 pressure vessel plate, pickled to remove mill scale, dressed with 300 grit sand paper and sent out for plating with 2 mils of HPEN. Due to a clerical error during plating, samples were plated to a significantly lesser extent than requested. Samples were plated with approximately 0.6 mils of HPEN versus the 2 mils requested, however this was …

An Investigation Of Arabinan And Cellulose Based Nano-Composite Fabrication Methods, Marianne Smithfield, Carl Petterson, Robert Miller

Materials Engineering

Microcrystalline cellulose was converted into nanocrystalline cellulose via an acid hydrolysis procedure. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to measure the particle size and thus the effectiveness of acid hydrolysis. The nanocrystalline cellulose was poured through a 0.2μm filter to isolate the particles of ideal size. The nanocrystalline cellulose samples were stored in dimethylformamide (DMF) to prevent mold growth and agglomeration upon drying. Numerous composite samples were created by dissolving the arabinan in a solvent, suspending cellulose in the arabinan solution, and then drying the sample. Casting was performed in a silicon mold to allow sample removal without damage. Initial …

Evaluation Of Corrosion Properties Of Proprietary Metal Alloy Stents For In-Vivo Use, Michael David Bremner

Materials Engineering

To assess corrosion rates of metal alloy bio-absorbable stents an experimental set-up was designed to mimic the coronary artery environment. The artery was modeled using 4mm diameter Tecoflex tubing and the metal alloy stents were inserted into the tubing using a catheter. As is the case in cardiac surgery, the catheter with the stent and a microballoon were maneuvered to the desired position. The microballoon was then slowly inflated to expand the stent and compress it against the tubing walls. The catheter and microballoon were then withdrawn. A circulating pump system was set up to cycle fetal bovine serum (FBS) …

Effect Of Carbon On Primary Alpha Percentage In Ti-6al-4v As Temperature Approaches The Beta Transus, Kyle Savage

Materials Engineering

Some Ti-6Al-4V forgings require a specific amount of α phase known as primary α in the finished product. The percentage of primary α is dependent on how close to the beta transus temperature forging is conducted. The beta transus temperature is affected by certain alloying elements. Carbon is one of the elements known to increase the beta transus temperature. Since each Ti-6Al-4V ingot contains varying amounts of carbon, testing on a variety of chemistries needs to be conducted. Cubes approximately 0.5 inches from low, medium, and high carbon chemistries were heat treated at temperatures below the beta transus in 18 …

A Design Methodology For Buoyant Prescription Sunglasses, Katherine Burzynski

Materials Engineering

As a means to develop fashionable, buoyant prescription sunglasses, this project focused on identifying a system of lens and frame materials that yield sunglasses that float in water. There was an emphasis on developing a product that could be integrated into the current sunglass market. The term fashionable is used to define a sleek frame style that does not require attaching additional floatation. This methodology relies on the relationships between the strength of the user’s prescription and the volume of the desired sunglass frame style. This relationship was verified through buoyancy testing. This testing included varying the lens material in …

Mechanical Properties And Microstructures Of Incoloy 909 Rolled Rings Subjected To A Modified Forging Cycle, Colin Lee Elliott Glaves

Materials Engineering

The microstructure of rolled rings of Incoloy 909 nickel-iron-cobalt superalloy subjected to a standard customer solution and aging treatment exhibited unacceptably large grains. Samples cut from a failed ring were mounted and polished for analysis. The samples were etched with a modified Kalling’s waterless reagent and metallographic analysis was done to identify characteristic large grain structures distributed among the desired smaller grain structures. The large grains were identified and noted for comparison to later samples. Two test rings were forged out of Incoloy 909 using revised forging procedures involving reduced soak temperatures before each forging step. Metallographic samples were cut …

Measuring The Mechanical Properties Of A Newly Developed Discontinuous Carbon Fiber And Epoxy Composite, Morgan Adams

Materials Engineering

Engineering firm Pratt & Miller have developed a new and previously untested carbon fiber/epoxy composite using a spray lay-up process similar to a process commonly used in fiberglass production. This new composite is made by using a pneumatic chop gun that simultaneously cuts the carbon fibers to a specific length and deposits the chopped fibers and resin onto surface of an exposed mold surface. The composite is then rolled down to flatten and better wet the fibers and then the whole mold is vacuum bagged at room temperature to cure. The flexural stiffness and flexural strength of the composite with …

Tensile Properties Of Adhesive Joints Between Alclad 2024-T3 Aluminum Sheets And Extruded 6061-T6511 Aluminum For Use In Ultralight Personal Aircraft, Kevin Jones

Materials Engineering

Cold cure two-part epoxy adhesives were tested in aluminum joints to investigate their viability for use in an ultralight aircraft. The joints consisted of Alclad 2024-T3 aluminum sheets adhesively bonded to extruded 6061-T6511 aluminum, and are part of low-load-bearing members required to carry a minimum load of 175 lbs./ft. or 14.58 lbs./in. The Alclad 2024-T3 and 6061-T6511 aluminum were prepared by sanding with 80 grit abrasive paper, the surface was cleaned with acetone to remove surface contaminants, rinsed with distilled water, and dried using paper towels. Once the surface was prepared, the test coupons were assembled using one of the …

Ql+ Body Temperature Regulating Vest Design Report, Ritesh Desai, Brad Gausewitz, Mira Atiya, Jaison Machanickal

Materials Engineering

Patients with spinal cord injuries are often unable to regulate their body temperature. This can be very dangerous when the body reaches temperatures above 104 degrees F. The result is damaging to the human body and can even result in death. Therefore it is necessary to implement external sources of cooling for these individuals who are incapable of reducing their body temperature through normal methods. This two year long thermal vest project is a senior project sponsored by QL+ and began in Fall 2011. QL+ is a not-for-profit organization who focuses on improving the quality of life of those injured …

Design Of A Children’S Earth Science Exhibit For The Exploration Station In Grover Beach, California With An Emphasis On Fog Collection, Kathryn Thomas

Materials Engineering

An outdoor earth science museum exhibit was designed for the Exploration Station in Grover Beach, California, and will use the harvesting methods of fog as a clean water resource to educate children. The design of the exhibit has two parts: a 1 m x 1 m static Standard Fog collector for long term fog collection which rises 2 m off the ground, and a mobile six-panel display consisting of six different materials and structures of meshes, all of which could potentially be used in a large scale fog collection setting. The six-panel portion will present the children with a hands-on …

Evaluation Of Forging Strain For Maximum Grain Size In Open-Die Forged 6061 Aluminum, Eric Strehl

Materials Engineering

In an effort to maximize grain growth of open-die forged 6061 aluminum alloy parts, samples from three of Weber Metals’s suppliers (Hidal Co-Almex USA Inc., TST Inc., and Vista Metals Corp.; to be called Supplier H, Supplier T, Supplier V respectively) were cut into cylinders with diameters of 0.75˝ and heights of 2˝, and put through a simulated forging process and heat treatment. It is possible that additional alloying elements may be promoting or inhibiting grain growth in the final part. Maximizing grain growth for aluminum alloy parts results in improved resistance to intergranular corrosion. Samples from each vendor had …

Analyzing The Acoustical Properties Of Alternative Materials In Guitar Soundboards To Reduce Deforestation, Chris Dunn

Materials Engineering

To mitigate the effects of deforestation, man-made alternative materials were analyzed and tested for potential use in the soundboards of acoustic guitars. The materials evaluated included 0.06 in. foamed polycarbonate, 0.12 in. single-ply honeycomb fiberglass, and 0.04 in. epoxy fiberglass. The properties of Sitka spruce, the most common tonewood, were used as a benchmark. The Young’s modulus to density ratio found in Sitka spruce is relatively high, making its properties ideal for soundboard applications. Both Young’s modulus and density were necessary to calculate the acoustic constant of each material that was tested. The samples were subject to the impact of …

Preparation Of A Polylactic Acid With Hydroxyapatite Reinforcement Composite, Odessa N. Quezon

Materials Engineering

Biodegradable polymers are a prime material choice for temporary biomedical devices due to its ability to degrade into non-toxic products for their use in vivo. However, polylactic acid (PLA) by itself lacks the sufficient strength and stiffness to permit their use as its properties begin to decrease as the polymer degrades. To improve the polymer’s mechanical properties, hydroxyapatite (HA) will be added to the PLA solution to act as reinforcement. The chemical property, glass transition temperature of a polymer, also plays a key role in the mechanical properties of the polymer. PLA’s glass temperature is 130⁰F. A polymer that …

Interactive Museum Exhibit To Introduce K-6 Grade Students To Circuits And The Electric Conductivity Of Various Materials, Thien Vu-Nguyen

Materials Engineering

The SciTechatorium (SciTech) is a museum filled with interactive exhibits for visitors to learn science informally. A new exhibit was developed to explore electric conductivity and circuits. The design was made based on the size of the material sample the students will use and to allow interactions with multiple users. The materials the students will use were selected using Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES) to sort the materials by resistivity, the inverse of conductivity. After sorting the materials by resistivity, five different materials (balsa wood, polystyrene, polyester, stainless steel, and copper) were chosen for the exhibit. The target size of the …

Fluorescence Characterization Of Quantum Dots For Use As Biomarkers, Logan M. Grimes

Materials Engineering

Fluorescence profiles of quantum dots (QDs) were characterized to select the ideal QDs for encapsulation in phospholipids for use as biomarkers to selectively adhere to cancer cells. QDs were synthesized and extracted 0, 30, 60, and 90 seconds after precursor compounds were mixed. These extractions were isolated by extraction time. Portions from each vial were coated in a zinc sulfide shelling procedure, leaving at least half of the QD solution unshelled. These samples were characterized over four days to monitor fluctuations in fluorescence. This was done utilizing an Ocean Optics spectrometer in conjunction with Spectra Suite software. The central wavelength, …

The Effects Of Heat Treatment On The Grain Growth, Phase Evolution, And Hardness Of Newly Developed Steel-Based Hardfacing Alloys For Industrial Applications, Renee Kuzniar

Materials Engineering

Steel-based hardfacing alloys are welded onto the outside diameter of tool joints in three beads with a slight overlap between welds for underground drilling to prolong the tool joints’ life. Current hardfacing alloys have a shortened life due to cracks occurring in neighboring weld beads. To decrease cracking, the effects of composition and heat treatment on the microstructure was investigated on five alloys. Five small arc-melt circular ingots roughly 1.4 x 0.3 inches were produced. Each sample had varying amounts of C, B, Cr, Mn, Mo, Nb, Si, Ti, V, and W. The carbon levels in the alloys were .91wt%, …

Simplifying The Testing And Calculation Of Fracture Toughness Of Thermoplastic And Thermoset Matrix Composite Materials, James Shedden

Materials Engineering

Fracture toughness, or the ability of a material to resist fast fracture by crack propagation is an important property in the use of composite materials for structural designs. Other mechanical tests such as tensile, flexure, and compression are more established and practical than testing fracture toughness. Fracture toughness testing is less commonly used because it requires specific specimens and non-conventional test methods. In composite materials specifically, delamination of the plies of materials is tested for G_IC and G_IIC values to find the critical strain energy release rate of the two types of fracture modes. The common two tests …

Design And Construction Of A Simulated Evaporative Heat Exchanger For Testing The Mitigation Effects Of Pipe Coatings On Mineral Scale Deposition, Taylor J. Anderson

Materials Engineering

The thermal efficiency of evaporative heat exchangers is diminishing due to mineral scale buildup on heat exchanger surfaces. A simulated evaporative heat exchanger was designed and constructed for testing the mitigation effects of polymer coatings on mineral scale deposition rates. The heat exchanger was designed to cool hot mud at 200°F using a cooling water supply with a calcium concentration of 1000 ppm. The system was constructed using 1.5-inch diameter polypropylene piping, a DIG Corporation drip irrigation system, a TotalPond 530 GPH pond pump, an Omega CSI32K miniature benchtop controller, Omega FWH321-020 high temperature heater tape, and fifteen copper pipe …

Design And Implementation Of A Micro Force Displacement System, Evan Cate

Materials Engineering

The design and implementation of a micro-force displacement system was completed to test various Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices including silicon diaphragms and cantilevers. The system utilizes a World Precision Instruments Fort 10g force transducer attached to a World Precession Instruments TBM4M amplifier. A Keithley 2400 source meter provided data acquisition of the force component of the system. A micro prober tip was utilized as the testing probe attached to the force transducer with a tip radius of 5um. The displacement of samples was measured using a Newport M433 linear stage driven by a Newport ESP300 motion controller (force readings at …

Grain Size Control In Post-Forged C263 Seamless Rolled Rings, Christopher Smith

Materials Engineering

Seamless rolled rings of C263 superalloy were forged by Carlton Forge Works in Paramount, CA and sectioned for mechanical testing. The as-forged ring sections were then machined into tensile samples. To simulate cold working done after Carlton’s forging process, the C263 tensile samples were strained using an Instron tensile tester to 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9% plastic strain. These tensile samples were then solution treated at 2100°F for 30 minutes and water quenched before being aged at 1470°F for 8 hours and air cooled, following Carlton Forge Works’ heat treatment process. The gauge length sections were metallographically prepared and …

Development Of A High Precision Quantum Dot Synthysis Method Utilizing A Microfluidic Reactor And In-Line Fluorescence Cell, Harry Lafferty, Jonny Hoadley

Materials Engineering

Quantum dots show great potential for use as spectral converters in solar cells, lighting applications and biological imaging. These applications require precise control of quantum dot size to maximize performance. The fluorescence profile of quantum dots in solution correlates directly with particle size. An alternative, high precision process was developed for the synthesis of cadmium-selenide quantum dots using a microfluidic reactor and fluorescence flow through cell. The process required creating separate cadmium and selenium precursors that were then mixed in a nitrogen environment at 17± 1°C. Using an NE-300^® syringe pump, the solution was pumped through a microfluidic reactor …

Comparison Of Polyurethane And Polysiloxane Coating Systems In Marine Environments, Jake Jarman, Jessica Salvatin

Materials Engineering

This project investigates the performance benefits of polysiloxane and polyurethane coating systems for corrosion protection in marine environments. PPG Industries Amercoat 450H and International Paint Interthane 990HS were the polyurethane topcoats tested. PPG Industries Ameron PSX 700 (New Blend) and International Paint Interfine 878 were the polysiloxane topcoats tested. Each coating was sprayed onto carbon steel panels that were prepared through hand blasting with glass beads. Scribed and unscribed panels were tested in a salt fog chamber for 1,200 hours according to ASTM Standard B0117-11 and in a UV/Humidifier for 1,650 hours according to ASTM Standard D4587-11. Panels were tested …

Application Of Quantum Dots Onto Glass Wafers As A Feasibility Test For The Spectral Down Conversion Of Uv Light For Solar Cells, Anthony Fong

Materials Engineering

Quantum dots have the ability to convert high energy photons into multiple lower energy photons. Down conversion of such high energy photons from sources such as UV light can be beneficial for applications on solar cells which waste much of the energy in the form of thermalization. To test this theory, a solar cell was hooked up to an Amprobe Solar Analyzer and tests were run to compare power output with and without the presence of quantum dots. Additionally, quantum dots were spin coated onto a glass wafer to determine its adhesion ability. Spectrometer readings were taken of the wafer …

Lunalight - Bringing Light To The Expanding World, Gabriela M. Igel, Daniel J. Patrick, Kimberley M. Smith

Materials Engineering

The LunaLight, a solar rechargeable light and cell phone charger, addresses the lack of access to electricity faced by 1.4 billion of the world’s population (International Finance Corporation). The LunaTech team has developed a product that is bright, simple, compact, versatile and competitive with existing products. Through a partnership with the non-profit organization One Million Lights, LunaTech has improved a previous team’s design to address user feedback, concerns of durability, and manufacturability.

The LunaLight design includes a 5 component plastic housing held together by 4 screws, a surface mounted PCB, a lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery, one high-brightness LED, a solar panel, …