Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Material Selection And Testing For A Radiation Therapy Catheter, Philip James Wadlow

Master's Theses

Three different polymers (a high-density polymer and two other polymers) were tested for use as an x-ray catheter in a radiation therapy application. This report describes the testing of these three materials to determine which material is the best option for a long use catheter. Tests included tensile, simulated clinical life, and other tests. Some testing was performed using nitrogen and an industrial coolant. Testing revealed significant non-circularities for some catheters. With increasing pressure, the circularity of these catheters increased. The tensile tests were performed on samples with varying doses of radiation. Tensile testing showed significant decreases in ultimate tensile …

Production Of Bio-Based Phenol Formaldehyde Foams, Bing Li

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Considering the declining non-renewable fossil resources, there is increasing interest in the development of more environmentally conscious, sustainable and cost-effective substitutes for chemical production. Lignin, a main component in lignocellulosic biomass, has been considered to be a potential substitute for petroleum-based phenol due to its phenolic structure.

This PhD dissertation aimed at producing bio-based phenol formaldehyde (BPF) foams using bio-phenols, including but not limited to, kraft lignin (KL), organosolv lignin (OL), hydrolysis lignin (HL), and bio-crude oil from white birth bark. The challenge of the existing process of producing BPF foams is that a low phenol substitution ratio, generally less …

Film Performance Of Poly(Lactic Acid) Blends For Packaging Applications, Carlos A. Diaz, Hsunpao Y. Pao, Sungyoung Kim

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from renewable resources, stands out as a substitute to petroleum-based plastics. PLA based films for food packaging has been an area of both commercial and research interest within the context of sustainability. In spite of its high strength, packaging applications have been limited because PLA is more brittle than traditional oil-based plastics. Because of this, films display low tear and impact resistance and produce a loud crackling sound when manipulated. Although many studies address the toughening of PLA in the bulk, little attention has been placed on the film performance. The present study …

Occurrence Of Reverse Side Effects In Corona Treatment Of Dispersion-Coated Paperboard And Its Influence On Grease Barrier Properties, Sami-Seppo Ovaska, Ringaudas Rinkunas, Tadeusz Lozovksi, Robertas Maldzius, Jonas Sidaravicius, Leena-Sisko Johansson, Monika Österberg, Kaj Backfolk

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

The uncoated side of dispersion-barrier-coated paperboards was exposed to positive and negative direct current corona treatments in order to confirm the occurrence of backside treatment and clarify its effects on the usability of the paperboard. The main component of the coating dispersions was hydroxypropylated potato starch and the effects of talc and styrene-butadiene latex additions on backside treatment were evaluated. Coatings with a high talc proportion showed excellent initial grease resistance, but corona-induced strikethroughs caused a drastic decrease in grease penetration time. The root-mean-square roughness measurements revealed moderate surface roughening at the backside, indicating thus backside treatment. The alterations in …

Wide Bandgap Organo‐Lead Trihalide Perovskites For Solar Cells, Miao Hu

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Methylammonium lead trihalide perovskite (MAPbX3, where MA is methylammonium, and X is a halide)-based solar cells have been extensively investigated recently, with a demonstrated and certified solar power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 20%. To further boost the PCE beyond the Schockley–Queisser limit, tandem structured solar cells have been investigated based on integrating MAPbX3 and the lower bandgap solar cells. Although the best reported efficiency for this type of tandem cells is not close to the theoretically achievable value, mixed-halide perovskite MAPbBrxI3–x is still one of the most promising candidates as the wide-bandgap light absorber for the tandem application to match …

Carbon Nanoadditives To Enhance Latent Energy Storage Of Phase Change Materials, Shadab Shaikh, Khalid Lafdi, Kevin P. Hallinan

Kevin Hallinan

Latent energy storage capacity was analyzed for a system consisting of carbon nanoparticlesdopedphase changematerials (PCMs). Three types of samples were prepared by doping shell wax with single wall carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs), multiwall CNTs, and carbon nanofibers. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to measure the latent heat of fusion. The measured values of latent heat for all the samples showed a good enhancement over the latent heat of pure wax. A maximum enhancement of approximately 13% was observed for the wax/SWCNT composite corresponding to 1% loading of SWCNT. The change in latent heat was modeled by using an approximation for the intermolecular …

Technical Developments In Fish Exclusion, Guidance, And Collection Materials, A. L. Peters

International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures

Construction of mills, dams and other structures in rivers and streams, and the withdrawal of water for irrigation or cooling industrial facilities vital to social and economic progress, have impacted the survival of marine life. Barriers and guidance or collection nets can protect fish and aquatic species while allowing water to flow unimpeded for commercial and industrial use. However, nets can attract aquatic growth, fill with debris, degrade with environmental stress, and be expensive to operate and maintain.

A closer look at the technical developments of materials and net designs in diverse settings can offer guidance that will be of …

Effect Of Metal Organic Framework Concentration On The Crystallization Of Pla-Al-Mof Composites, Eric Futak, Jeffrey Norton, Jessie O'Connell, Nestor Vazquez

Materials Engineering

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a well-known biopolymer, is lacking in barrier properties and toughness. The research goal of this project is to look at the crystallinity of PLA when combined with metal organic framework (MOF). It is speculated that MOF has an effect on PLA chain mobility, and therefore crystallinity. In this study, aluminum MOF was added to PLA in varying concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 wt%) to observe the crystallinity of the composite. The resulting PLA-Al-MOF composite films were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron …

Low-Cost Prosthetic Transfemoral Socket, Emelie Deans, Joshua Ledgerwood, Leah Moore, Shaina Jung, Kristen Temnyk

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this senior project was to design and fabricate a low-cost adjustable prosthetic socket for above the knee amputees. This low-cost consideration was incorporated with the original intent to be used in Fiji, however, this changed to the Dominican Republic. It became clear that the need for an adjustable socket was more as a transitional socket. This transitional socket would be used for the first 6 -12 months upon amputation because this when the most amount of volume fluctuation occurs. The project sponsor, LIM Innovations, has already designed the Infinite Socket which contains four main functioning parts: baseplate, …

Solution Casting And Mechanical Testing Of Arabinan-Cellulose Nanocomposites, Kevin Su, Alina Lusebrink

Materials Engineering

The purpose of this work was to investigate methods to produce consistent, reliable, and testable thin films of arabinan-cellulose nanocomposites. Mechanical properties and composition of the Opuntia ficus-indica cactus spines served as motivation for this research. The high specific strength and stiffness, biodegradability, and sustainability of these spines inspired the creation of composites fabricated from the same materials found in cactus spines: arabinan and nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). Arabinan serves as the matrix material and NCC as the reinforcement. To explore the feasibility of using a non-toxic solvent, different solution casting techniques with water as a solvent were investigated. Ultrasonication was …

Manufacturing And Characterization Of Poly (Lactic Acid)/Carbon Black Conductive Composites For Fdm Feedstock: An Exploratory Study, Dylan Fitz-Gerald, Justin Boothe

Materials Engineering

This exploratory study developed methods of manufacturing and characterizing the electrical properties of small batches of conductive composite feedstock for the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) manufacturing process, commonly known as 3D printing. We utilized a solution casting process of Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) (Grade 4043D, NatureWorks, LLC.) and Carbon Black (CB) (Vulcan® XC72, Cabot Corp.) in chloroform. The resulting composite precursor was cryogenically treated with liquid nitrogen and milled in a coffee grinder in order to achieve particles that could be fed into the extruder. Composite precursors were dried in a vacuum oven at an elevated temperature of 38°C. Filaments were …

Improving The Mechanical Performance Of 3d Printed Parts Using Fused Filament Fabrication, Inderpreet Binning

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The 3D printing industry has seen rapid growth in the last 10 years and has been called the next industrial revolution. There are several different processes used in 3D printing, but the most popular process is called Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) or Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). This is the process where (most commonly) plastic filament enters a nozzle, is heated to a semi-liquid state, and then deposited into a pattern to create a print. One major drawback to this process is that the prints are anisotropic. This means that the strength of the print varies with the orientation that it …

Design And Testing Of A Top Mask Projection Ceramic Stereolithography System For Ceramic Part Manufacturing, Dylan Robert De Caussin

Master's Theses

Ceramic manufacturing is an expensive process with long lead times between

the initial design and final manufactured part. This limits the use of ceramic as a viable material unless there is a large project budget or high production volume associated with the part. Ceramic stereolithography is an alternative to producing low cost parts through the mixing of a photo curable resin and ceramic particles. This is an additive manufacturing process in which each layer is built upon the previous to produce a green body that can be sintered for a fully dense ceramic part.

This thesis introduces a new approach …

Design, Testing, Analysis, And Material Properties Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers, Andrew Miner, Simon Jones

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Research Publications

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology excels in many fields, however in the field of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) there is a significant lack of knowledge. Over the 2015 summer I started accumulating and building a knowledge base for the institute to help future students who have interest in this ever expanding field. This report covers many of the learnings I found in the structures of fiber reinforced polymers, manufacturing processes and controls, testing procedures and standards, important considerations in the design process of CFRPs, and analysis capabilities and methods. This report is organized as a series of short guides to …

Magnetic, Optical And Electrical Properties Of Electron-Hole Pairs In Polymer And Organo-Metal Halide Perovskite Photovoltaic Cells, Yu-Che Hsiao

Doctoral Dissertations

Organic polymer and organo-metal halide perovskite (OMHP) materials have attracted extensive attention during the past decade due to their various applications, like solar cells, light emitting diode, even lasing action (OMHP). Especially, the organo-metal halide perovskite solar cell shows a remarkable power conversion efficiency of about 20%, which is comparable to the amorphous silicon solar cell. Therefore, OMHP solar cell had been considered as a promising substitution for the next generation of renewable energy source. The OMHP materials contain both advantages of organic and inorganic semiconductors, like solution processable thin film fabrication, long-range ambipolar transport characteristics, high dielectric constants, low …

Inter-Droplet Membranes For Mechanical Sensing Applications, Nima Tamaddoni Jahromi

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation combines self-assembly phenomena of amphiphilic molecules with soft materials to create and characterize mechanoelectrical transducers and sensors whose sensing elements are thin-film bioinspired membranes comprised of phospholipids or amphiphilic polymers. We show that the structures of these amphiphilic molecules tune the mechanical and electrical properties of these membranes. We show that these properties affect the mechanoelectrical sensing characteristic and range of operation of these membrane transducers. In the experiments, we construct and characterize a membrane-based hair cell embodiment that enables the membrane to be responsive to mechanical perturbations of the hair. The resulting oscillations of membranes formed between …

The Effect Of Cure Rate On Glassy Polymer Networks, Kristen M. Van De Voorde

Honors Theses

The formation of glassy polymer networks such as epoxy-amine systems may be altered by varying the temperature ramp rate that is used to cure the system. As a result, the physical and mechanical properties of the network may be changed. This work synthesized the epoxy resins diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with the amine curing agent 4,4-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (4,4’-DDS) from 35°C to 180°C using varying temperature ramp rates. Mechanical and structural properties of these samples were then analyzed to determine the effect the different temperature ramp rates had on the formation and properties of the thermoset matrix. These aspects …

Graphene And Carbon Nanotube Pla Composite Feedstock Development For Fused Deposition Modeling, Austin Plymill, Robert Minneci, Duncan Alexander Greeley, Jack Gritton

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Study Of Magneto-Optical Behaviors At A Ferromagnetic/Organic Semiconductor Interface, Jeremy Tyler Tisdale

Masters Theses

Organic materials have been widely studied for the last 20 years to use for photovoltaic applications. Organic photovoltaic materials have shown promising properties for solar cells, such as very low cost, flexibility, easy fabrication methods, etc. Although power conversion efficiencies for organic-based solar cells have exponentially grown in the last decade, up to about 13% in early 2016, it is still optimal to increase these efficiencies. In order to raise efficiencies, it is important to study the fundamental mechanisms inside organic materials that lead to photovoltaic properties. This thesis reports the magneto-optical effects on the p-type organic semiconductor, tetracene, from …

Synthesis Of Acceptors For Use In Donor-Acceptor Copolymers And Characterization Of These Polymers, William D. Walker

Honors Theses

In this thesis, a selenium-derivatized acceptor was synthesized to examine the heavy atom effects of selenium on the position of the frontier molecular orbitals (HOMO/LUMO band gap) as opposed to sulfur in a donor-acceptor copolymer for use in light harvesting and detection applications. Over the course of this research, standard operating protocols for ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis-NIR) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopies, as well as cyclic voltammetry (CV) characterization techniques were established. Once synthesized, the polymers were characterized through use of the established characterization protocols. The selenium-derivatized polymer exhibited a bathochromic shift compared to the sulfur analogue, with a solid-state absorption …

Engineered Quantum Dots For Eva Nanocomposite Films And Tio2 Photocatalysts, Md Abdul Mumin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Light absorbing inorganic nanoparticles in transparent plastics such as poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) are of enormous interest in emerging solar materials, including photovoltaic (PV) modules and commercial greenhouse films. Quantum dots (QDs) have the potential to absorb UV light and selectively emit visible light. However, how to stabilize the QDs for long product life spans without "blinking" while enabling their easy integration into polymer systems is lacking. This work examines different approaches for loading mesoporous silica encapsulated QDs into EVA polymer films which can control plant growth in greenhouses or enhance PV panel efficiencies.

Highly luminescent CdS and CdS-ZnS core-shell QDs …

Tribological Performance Of Hybrid Filtered Arc-Magnetron Coatings: Part I: Coating Deposition Process And Basic Coating Properties Characterization, Vladimir Gorokovsky, Chris Bowman, Paul Gannon, David Vanvorous, Andrey Voevodin, Adam Rutkowski, Christopher Muratore, Richard Smith, Asghar Kayani, David Gelles, Vaithiyalingam Shutthanandan, Boris Trusov

Christopher Muratore

Aircraft propulsion applications require low-friction and wear resistant surfaces that operate under high contact loads in severe environments. Recent research on supertough and low friction nanocomposite coatings produced with hybrid plasma deposition processes was demonstrated to have a high potential for such demanding applications. However, industrially scalable hybrid plasma technologies are needed for their commercial realization. The Large area Filtered Arc Deposition (LAFAD) process provides atomically smooth coatings at high deposition rates over large surface areas. The LAFAD technology allows functionally graded, multilayer, super-lattice and nanocomposite architectures of multi-elemental coatings via electro-magnetic mixing of two plasma flows composed of different …

Progress In The Development Of Adaptive Nitride-Based Coatings For High Temperature Tribological Applications, Samir Aouadi, Brandon Luster, Punit Kohli, Christopher Muratore, Andrey Voevodin

Christopher Muratore

Adaptive tribological coatings were recently developed as a new class of smart materials that were designed to adjust their surface chemical composition and structure as a function of changes in the working environment to minimize friction coefficient and wear between contact surfaces. This paper provides an overview of the current research developments in this field, including: (1) Chameleon nanocomposite coatings which are produced by depositing a multi-phase structure whereby some of the phases provide mechanical strength and others are lubricious; (2) Micro- and nano-textured coatings which consist of hard nitride films with highly ordered micropores and nanopores that are subsequently …

Plasma Enhanced Surface Treatments Using Electron Beam-Generated Plasmas, Darrin Leonhardt, Christopher Muratore, Scott Walton, Robert Meger

Christopher Muratore

NRL has developed a ‘large area plasma processing system’ (LAPPS) utilizing a high energy (∼2 keV) modulated electron beam to drive the plasma ionization. This system has been shown to be (1) efficient at producing plasma in any gas composition, (2) capable of producing low temperature plasma electrons (9–10¹² cm⁻³) and (3) scalable to large area (square meters). In this work, the progress of a number of applications using LAPPS is discussed. Nitride growth in stainless steel was investigated, which demonstrated high rates (up to 20 μm/h^1/2) at low temperatures (≤462 °C). Complementary mass spectrometry …

Molybdenum Disulfide As A Lubricant And Catalyst In Adaptive Nanocomposite Coatings, Christopher Muratore, Andrey Voevodin

Christopher Muratore

Nanocomposite YSZ–Ag–Mo–MoS₂ coatings with different MoS₂ additions (0–100 at.%) were deposited with a hybrid pulsed laser/magnetron sputtering/filtered cathodic arc process. Wear testing was performed from 25 to 700 °C for each of the coatings. Electron microscopy and other characterization techniques were used to examine the surfaces and wear tracks of the coatings and to determine the mechanisms resulting in the measured tribological properties. Adaptive coatings containing 8 at.% MoS₂demonstrated a friction coefficient of 0.2 throughout the temperature range examined here, compared to 0.4 for YSZ–Ag–Mo with no MoS₂. Characterization of the YSZ–Ag–Mo–8% MoS_{2 …}

In Situ Studies Of Tic1−X N X Hard Coating Tribology, Marisa Rebelo De Figueiredo, Christopher Muratore, Robert Franz, Richard Chromik, Kathryn Wahl, Andrey Voevodin, Michel O'Sullivan, Markus Lechthaler, Christian Mitterer

Christopher Muratore

TiC1−x N x hard coatings present time-dependent tribological behavior with an initial running-in period (500–2000 cycles) marked by an elevated friction coefficient, followed by >10000 cycles with low-friction and wear at room temperature (RT) in ambient air. The mechanisms behind this behavior are not completely understood. Tribological tests performed at RT and at different relative humidity (RH) levels revealed that a minimum value between 15 and 25% RH is needed to trigger the low-friction regime at a sliding speed of 100 mm s−1. By in situ observations of transfer film growth, it could be observed that third body material …

Adaptive Nanocomposite Coatings With A Titanium Nitride Diffusion Barrier Mask For High-Temperature Tribological Applications, Christopher Muratore, Jianjun Hu, Andrey Voevodin

Christopher Muratore

Adaptive nanocomposite coatings that demonstrate low friction throughout broad ranges of temperature, wear, humidity and other environments are currently in development. One effective temperature adaptation mechanism at temperatures ≤ 500 °C is diffusion of noble metal to the coating surface, providing a low shear strength interface at the friction contact supported by a hard surface underneath. To prolong the wear lifetime of chameleon coatings relying upon this mechanism for low friction, a coating architecture incorporating a diffusion barrier mask to inhibit noble metal diffusion was employed. The diffusion barrier-capped coating provided lubrication at 500 °C over ten times longer than …

A Simultaneous Increase In The Thermal And Electrical Transport In Carbon Nanotube Yarns Induced By Inter-Tube Metallic Welding, Sabyasachi Ganguli, Amber Reed, Chaminda Jayasinghe, Joe Sprengard, Ajit Roy, Andrey Voevodin, Christopher Muratore

Christopher Muratore

Vertically aligned arrays of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were decorated with gold (Au) nanoparticles of different diameter and areal densities and spun into yarns. The melting point of Au nanoparticles determined by differential scanning calorimetry was approximately 260 °C, well below the oxidation temperature of carbon. A continuous yarn was formed while pulling out a bundle of CNTs from the metalized CNT array. Relatively low temperature (300 °C) thermal processing of the metalized yarn resulted in a 30% improvement in thermal conductivity, 40% increase in electrical conductivity and a 4× increase in elastic modulus. Cross-sections of the yarn were examined …

Biopolymeric Mucin And Synthetic Polymer Analogs: Their Structure, Function And Role In Biomedical Applications, Sundar Prasanth Authimoolam, Thomas D. Dziubla

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Mucin networks are viscoelastic fibrillar aggregates formed through the complex self-association of biopolymeric glycoprotein chains. The networks form a lubricious, hydrated protective shield along epithelial regions within the human body. The critical role played by mucin networks in impacting the transport properties of biofunctional molecules (e.g., biogenic molecules, probes, nanoparticles), and its effect on bioavailability are well described in the literature. An alternate perspective is provided in this paper, presenting mucin’s complex network structure, and its interdependent functional characteristics in human physiology. We highlight the recent advances that were achieved through the use of mucin in diverse areas of bioengineering …

Control Of Plasma Flux Composition Incident On Tin Films During Reactive Magnetron Sputtering And The Effect On Film Microstructure, Christopher Muratore, Scott Walton, D. Leonhardt, Richard Fernsler

Christopher Muratore

A hybrid plasma enhanced physical vapor deposition (PEPVD) system consisting of an unbalanced dc magnetron and a pulsed electron beam-produced plasma was used to deposit reactively sputteredtitanium nitride thin films. The system allowed for control of the magnitudes of the ion and neutral flux, in addition to the type of nitrogen ions (atomic or molecular) that comprised the flux. For all deposition experiments, the magnitude of the ion flux incident on the substrate was held constant, but the composition of the total flux was varied. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy showed that crystallographic texture and surface morphology of the …