Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Rapid Metal Design, Paul G. Sanders

TechTalks

Computational material design tools have advanced so that custom materials for specific applications can be designed and manufactured. In the case of metals, my team designs aluminum, iron, nickel, and copper (more to come) alloys using Thermo-Calc with Bayesian optimization. We design microstructures to deliver properties such as strength, conductivity, and corrosion resistance. Custom tailored materials are now practical solutions to engineering challenges, and materials engineers work on multi-disciplinary teams to deliver integrated, enhanced product designs.

Open Source Database And Website To Provide Free And Open Access To Inactive U.S. Patents In The Public Domain, Yuenyong Nilsiam, Joshua M. Pearce

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Publications

Although theoretically the patent system is meant to bolster innovation, the current United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is cumbersome and involves a significant time investment to locate inactive patents less than 20 years old. This article reports on the development of an open source database to find these public domain ideas. First, a search strategy is explained. Then the operation and use of free and open source software are detailed to meet the needs of open hardware innovators. Finally, a case study is presented to demonstrate the utility of the approach with 3-D printing. The results showed how …

Mos2 As A Co-Catalyst For Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production From Water, Bing Han, Yun Hang Hu

Michigan Tech Publications

Solar-to-hydrogen conversion based on photocatalytic water splitting is a promising pathway for sustainable hydrogen production. The photocatalytic process requires highly active, inexpensive, and earth-abundant materials as photocatalysts. As a presentative layer-structured transition metal dichalcogenides, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is attracting intensive attention due to its unique electro and photo properties. In this article, we comprehensively review the recent research efforts of exploring MoS2 as a co-catalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen production from water, with emphasis on its combination with CdS, CdSe, graphene, carbon nitride, TiO2, and others. It is shown that MoS2–semiconductor composites are promising photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution from water under …

Lengthscale Effects On Exchange Coupling In Co-Pt L10 + L12 Nanochessboards, Eric P. Vetter, Liwei D. Geng, Priya Ghatwai, Dustin A. Gilbert, Yongmei M. Jin, William A. Soffa, Jerrold A. Floro

Michigan Tech Publications

The Co-Pt nanochessboard is a quasi-periodic, nanocomposite tiling of L10 and L12 magnetic phases that offers a novel structure for the investigation of exchange coupling, relevant to permanent magnet applications. Periodicity of the tiling is controlled by the rate of cooling through the eutectoid isotherm, resulting in control over the L10-L12 exchange coupling. First order reversal curve analysis reveals a transition from partial coupling to nearly complete exchange-coupling in a Co40.2Pt59.8 nanochessboard structured alloy as the periodicity is reduced below the critical correlation length. Micromagnetic simulations give insights into how exchange coupling manifests in the tiling, and its impact on …

Open Source Laser Polymer Welding System: Design And Characterization Of Linear Low-Density Polyethylene Multilayer Welds, John Laureto, Serguei V. Dessiatoun, Michael M. Ohadi, Joshua M. Pearce

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Publications

The use of lasers to weld polymer sheets provides a means of highly-adaptive and custom additive manufacturing for a wide array of industrial, medical, and end user/consumer applications. This paper provides an open source design for a laser polymer welding system, which can be fabricated with low-cost fused filament fabrication and off-the-shelf mechanical and electrical parts. The system is controlled with free and open source software and firmware. The operation of the machine is validated and the performance of the system is quantified for the mechanical properties (peak load) and weld width of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) lap welds …

Free And Open-Source Control Software For 3-D Motion And Processing, Bas Wijnen, G. C. Anzalone, Amberlee S. Haselhuhn, Paul G. Sanders, Joshua M. Pearce

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Publications

RepRap 3-D printers and their derivatives using conventional firmware are limited by: 1) requiring technical knowledge, 2) poor resilience with unreliable hardware, and 3) poor integration in complicated systems. In this paper, a new control system called Franklin, for CNC machines in general and 3-D printers specifically, is presented that enables web-based three dimensional control of additive, subtractive and analytical tools from any Internet connected device. Franklin can be set up and controlled entirely from a web interface; it uses a custom protocol which allows it to continue printing when the connection is temporarily lost, and allows communication with scripts.

Influence Of Oxygen Concentration On The Performance Of Ultra-Thin Rf Magnetron Sputter Deposited Indium Tin Oxide Films As A Top Electrode For Photovoltaic Devices, Jephias Gwamuri, Murugesan Marikkannan, J. Mayandi, Patrick Bowen, Joshua M. Pearce

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Publications

The opportunity for substantial efficiency enhancements of thin film hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar photovoltaic (PV) cells using plasmonic absorbers requires ultra-thin transparent conducting oxide top electrodes with low resistivity and high transmittances in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Fabricating ultra-thin indium tin oxide (ITO) films (sub-50 nm) using conventional methods has presented a number of challenges; however, a novel method involving chemical shaving of thicker (greater than 80 nm) RF sputter deposited high-quality ITO films has been demonstrated. This study investigates the effect of oxygen concentration on the etch rates of RF sputter deposited ITO films to …

High-Efficiency Solar-Powered 3-D Printers For Sustainable Development, Jephias Gwamuri, Dhiogo Franco, Khalid Khan, Lucia Gauchia, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications

The release of the open source 3-D printer known as the RepRap (a self-Replicating Rapid prototyper) resulted in the potential for distributed manufacturing of products for significantly lower costs than conventional manufacturing. This development, coupled with open source-appropriate technology (OSAT), has enabled the opportunity for 3-D printers to be used for sustainable development. In this context, OSAT provides the opportunity to modify and improve the physical designs of their printers and desired digitally-shared objects. However, these 3-D printers require electricity while more than a billion people still lack electricity. To enable the utilization of RepRaps in off-grid communities, solar photovoltaic …

Mse Annual Report 2016, Department Of Materials Science And Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Annual Reports

Table of Contents

• Faculty and Staff News
• Faculty Research
• Student News
• Senior Design Teams
• Graduate Student News
• Outreach
• Alumni News
• MSE by the Numbers
• Scholarships

Inhibition Of Bacterial Growth And Prevention Of Bacterial Adhesion With Localized Nitric Oxide Delivery, Julia Osborne

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Bacterial infections continue to be a problem at the site of an indwelling medical device, and over the years, various bacterial strains have become more resistant to current antibiotic treatments. Bacterial infection at an indwelling medical device can be dangerous and affect the performance of the medical device which can ultimately lead to the failure of the device due to bacterial resistance to treatment.

Nitric Oxide (NO) has been shown to possess antibacterial properties to prevent and inhibit bacterial growth. NO releasing coatings on indwelling medical devices could provide a reduction in bacterial infections that occur at the device site …

Experimental Investigations Of Fused Filament Fabrication For Applications To Affordable Scientific Hardware, Bas Wijnen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This research aims to make science more accessible through the use of open source 3-D printers.

A new control system for CNC machines in general and 3-D printers specifically, is developed and presented that enables web-based control of 3-D tools from any Internet connected device. The system can be set up and controlled entirely from a web interface.

A tool was designed to help apply science to the developing world. The developing world remains plagued by lack of access to safe drinking water. A methodology is provided for the design, development, and technical validation of a low-cost open-source water testing …

Nanosphere Lithography And Its Application In Rapid And Economic Fabrication Of Plasmonic Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Devices, Chenlong Zhang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Solar photovoltaic (PV) devices harvest energy from solar radiation and convert it to electricity. PV technologies, as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels, use clean and renewable energy while minimizing pollution. For decades researchers have been developing thin film solar cells as an important alternatives to the relatively expensive bulk crystal solar cell technology. Among those, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells prevails for good efficiency, non-toxic and materially abundant nature. However, a-Si:H thickness must be minimized to prevent light induced degradation, so optical enhancement is necessary. Light manipulation has to be applied and carefully engineered to trap light within …

Dynamic Atomistic Study Of Tunnel Functions In Nanostructured Transitional Metal Oxides, Yifei Yuan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Alpha (α-) MnO₂ is a well know transitional metal oxide possessing one dimensional 2×2 (4.6 × 4.6 Ų) tunnels for accommodation of various ions. Such a characteristic tunneled structure has enabled the wide applications of α-MnO₂ in the fields of ion exchange, molecular sieves, biosensor, catalysis and energy storage. This PhD dissertation focuses on the dynamic study of ion transport functionality of α-MnO₂ at atomic level using an aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy equipped with a special holder with a scanning tunneling microscopy probe.

The wide application of in situ TEM studying the dynamic …

Thermomechanical Processing Of Aluminum Micro-Alloyed With Sc, Zr, Ti, B, And C, Cameron Mcnamara

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Critical exploration of the minimalistic high strength low alloy aluminum (HSLA-Al) paradigm is necessary for the continued development of advanced aluminum alloys. In this study, scandium (Sc) and zirconium (Zr) are examined as the main precipitation strengthening additions, while magnesium (Mg) is added to probe the synergistic effects of solution and precipitation hardening, as well as the grain refinement during solidification afforded by a moderate growth restriction factor. Further, pathways of recrystallization are explored in several potential HSLA-Al systems sans Sc. Aluminum-titanium-boron (Al-Ti-B) and aluminum-titanium-carbon (Al-Ti-C) grain refining master alloys are added to a series of Al-Zr alloys to examine …

Investigation And Modeling Of Al3(Sc, Zr) Precipitation Strengthening In The Presence Of Enhanced Supersaturation And Within Al-Cu Binary Alloys, Kyle Deane

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Diffuse Al-Sc and Al-Zr alloys have been demonstrated in literature to be relatively coarsening resistant at higher temperatures when compared with commonly used precipitation strengthening alloys (e.g. 2000 series, 6000 series). However, because of a limited strengthening due to the low solubility of scandium and zirconium in aluminum, and owing to the scarcity and therefore sizeable price tag attached to scandium, little research has been done in the way of optimizing these alloys for commercial applications.

With this in mind, this dissertation describes research which aims to tackle several important areas of Al-Sc-Zr research that have been yet unresolved. In …

Methodology For Analyzing Epoxy-Cnt Phononic Crystals For Wave Attenuation And Guiding, Madhu Kolati

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Phononic crystals (PhnCs) control, direct and manipulate sound waves to achieve wave guiding and attenuation. This dissertation presents methodology for analyzing nanotube materials based phononic crystals to achieve control over sound, vibration and stress mitigation. Much of the analytical work presented is in identifying frequency band gaps in which sound or vibration cannot propagate through these PhnCs. Wave attenuation and mitigation analysis is demonstrated using finite element simulation. Engineering principles from current research areas of solid mechanics, solid-state physics, elasto-dynamics, mechanical vibrations and acoustics are employed for the methodology. A considerable effort is put to show that these PhnCs can …

Nd2fe14b: (Nd1-X Dyx)2 Fe14b Core-Shell Structure Formation By Hot Press Liquid Phase Sintering, Li Chen

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The purpose of this project is to produce Nd rich core-Dy rich shell grain structure in liquid phase sintered alloys by consolidating Dy rich powder mixed with powder. The technical barrier to producing the core-shell microstructure is that the Dy composition variations will homogenize during the consolidation process. This dissertation is based on the hypothesis that compositional homogenization of the core-shell structure can be minimized if consolidation occurs under applied pressure (hot press liquid phase sintering). The hypothesis is tested by comparing the homogenization of the Dy composition to the degree of consolidation with and without applied pressure. It is …

The Effect Of Solidification Rate And Solutionizing Quench Rate On The Mechanical Properties And Hardening Response Of Aluminum Alloys: A Quantitative Comparison, Rafael Gil-Figueroa

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

A comparative study of five aluminum alloys was performed to characterize the effect of solidification rate and quench rate on casting microstructure and properties. The alloys were cast in the geometry for Jominy End Quench (JEQ) testing, so as to take advantage of the JEQ test’s ability to give data on multiple quench rates in a single sample and illustrate the quench sensitivity of an alloy. While the Jominy End Quench test has been used in aluminum alloys, the effects of solidification rates have not been assessed in depth. The work done by other studies has either focused on a …

Increasing Solar Energy Conversion Efficiency In Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Devices With Plasmonic Perfect Meta – Absorbers, Jephias Gwamuri

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Solar photovoltaic (PV) devices are an established, technically-viable and sustainable solution to society’s energy needs, however, in order to reach mass deployment at the terawatt scale, further decreases in the levelized cost of electricity from solar are needed. This can be accomplished with thin-film PV technologies by increasing the conversion efficiency using sophisticated light management methods. This ensures absorption of the entire solar spectrum, while reducing semiconductor absorber layer thicknesses, which reduces deposition time, material use, embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions, and economic costs. Recent advances in optics, particularly in plasmonics and nanophotonics provide new theoretical methods to improve …

Mechanical Testing Of Fused Filament 3-D Printed Components For Distributed Manufacturing, Nagendra Gautam Tanikella

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Fused filament fabrication (FFF)-based open-source 3-D printers offer the potential of decentralized manufacturing both in developing and developed countries. Unfortunately, a severe lack of data and standards relating to material properties and printed components limit this potential. This thesis first investigates the mechanical properties of a wide-range of FFF materials and provides a database of mechanical strength of the materials tested. The results demonstrate that the tensile strength of a 3-D printed specimen depends largely on the mass of the specimen, which provides a means to estimate the strength of 3-D printed components. Then this information is used to evaluate …

Investigation Of The Resistance To Demagnetization In Bulk Rare-Earth Magnets Comprised Of Crystallographically-Aligned, Single-Domain Crystallites With Modified Intergranular Phase, Jie Li

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The research presented in this dissertation investigates whether an increased coercivity of Neodymium-Iron-Boron (Nd2Fe14B) based bulk magnets at elevated temperature (160°C), which is now only obtainable by substituting ~7wt% dysprosium (Dy) for a portion of neodymium (Nd), can be achieved through specific microstructural modifications with decreased Dy concentrations. The approach is to reduce the size of individual crystallographically-aligned grains in the magnet so that each grain can only support a single magnetic domain and to simultaneously dilute the Nd-Fe inter-granular phase present in conventional magnets with a non-Fe-containing, Nd-rich phase (Nd-Cu alloy) in an attempt to partially magnetically isolate the …