Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 18 of 18

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Characterization Of Interlayer Laser Shock Peening During Fused Filament Fabrication Of Polylactic Acid (Pla), Fabien Denise Dec 2023

Characterization Of Interlayer Laser Shock Peening During Fused Filament Fabrication Of Polylactic Acid (Pla), Fabien Denise

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

The field of additive manufacturing (AM) has gained a significant amount of popularity due to the increasing need for more sustainable manufacturing techniques and the adaptive development of complex product geometries. The problem is that AM parts routinely exhibit flaws or weaknesses that affect functionality or performance. Over the years, surface treatments have been developed to compensate certain flaws or weaknesses in manufactured products. Combining surface treatments with the modularity of additive manufacturing could lead to more adaptable and creative improvements of product functions in the future. The current work evaluates the feasibility of pursuing a new research axis in …


On A Novel Approach To The Thermogravimetric Analysis Of Polymers: Polystyrene, Mircea Chipara, Karen Lozano, Dorina M. Chipara, Carlos Delgado, Victoria Padilla Sep 2022

On A Novel Approach To The Thermogravimetric Analysis Of Polymers: Polystyrene, Mircea Chipara, Karen Lozano, Dorina M. Chipara, Carlos Delgado, Victoria Padilla

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications and Presentations

A novel equation that describes the temperature dependence of the residual mass fraction (as determined by thermogravimetric analysis) is derived, assuming that the dependence of the residual mass fraction on temperature has a sigmoidal shape. The equation allows the estimation of the sigmoidal activation energy solely from the experimental data at a single heating rate. The consistency with the isoconversional approach and the relationship between the Ozawa and sigmoidal activation energies are reported. The equation was successfully tested by the thermal degradation of atactic polystyrene at various heating rates. Both the thermograms and their derivatives are analyzed in detail.


Mini‐Review: The Promise Of Piezoelectric Polymers, Timothy D. Usher, Kimberley R. Cousins, Renwu Zhang, Stephen Ducharme Jul 2018

Mini‐Review: The Promise Of Piezoelectric Polymers, Timothy D. Usher, Kimberley R. Cousins, Renwu Zhang, Stephen Ducharme

Physics Faculty Publications

Recent advances provide new opportunities in the field of polymer piezoelectric materials. Piezoelectric materials provide unique insights to the fundamental understanding of the solid state. In addition, piezoelectric materials have a wide range of applications, representing billions of dollars of commercial applications. However, inorganic piezoelectric materials have limitations that polymer ferroelectric materials can overcome, if certain challenges can be addressed. This mini-review is a practical summary of the current research and future directions in the investigation and application of piezoelectric materials with an emphasis on polymeric piezoelectric materials. We will assume that the reader is well versed in the subject …


The Promise Of Piezoelectric Polymers, Timothy D. Usher, Kimberley R. Cousins, Renwu Zhang, Stephen Ducharme Jan 2018

The Promise Of Piezoelectric Polymers, Timothy D. Usher, Kimberley R. Cousins, Renwu Zhang, Stephen Ducharme

Stephen Ducharme Publications

Recent advances provide new opportunities in the field of polymer piezoelectric materials. Piezoelectric materials provide unique insights to the fundamental understanding of the solid state. In addition, piezoelectric materials have a wide range of applications, representing billions of dollars of commercial applications. However, inorganic piezoelectric materials have limitations that polymer ferroelectric materials can overcome, if certain challenges can be addressed. This mini-review is a practical summary of the current research and future directions in the investigation and application of piezoelectric materials with an emphasis on polymeric piezoelectric materials. We will assume that the reader is well versed in the subject …


Curvature-Induced Stiffness And The Spatial Variation Of Wavelength In Wrinkled Sheets, Joseph Paulsen, Evan Hohlfeld, Hunter King, Jiangshui Huang, Zhanglong Qiu, Thomas P. Russell, Narayanan Menon, Dominic Vella, Benny Davidovitch Jan 2016

Curvature-Induced Stiffness And The Spatial Variation Of Wavelength In Wrinkled Sheets, Joseph Paulsen, Evan Hohlfeld, Hunter King, Jiangshui Huang, Zhanglong Qiu, Thomas P. Russell, Narayanan Menon, Dominic Vella, Benny Davidovitch

Physics - All Scholarship

Wrinkle patterns in compressed thin sheets are ubiquitous in nature and technology, from the furrows on our foreheads to crinkly plant leaves, from ripples on plastic-wrapped objects to the protein film on milk. The current understanding of an elementary descriptor of wrinkles—their wavelength—is restricted to deformations that are parallel, spatially uniform, and nearly planar. However, most naturally occurring wrinkles do not satisfy these stipulations. Here we present a scheme that quantitatively explains the wrinkle wavelength beyond such idealized situations. We propose a local law that incorporates both mechanical and geometrical effects on the spatial variation of wrinkle wavelength. Our experiments …


A Soft Condensed Matter Approach Towards Mathematical Modelling Of Mass Transport And Swelling In Food Grains, Michael Chapwanya, N. Misra Aug 2014

A Soft Condensed Matter Approach Towards Mathematical Modelling Of Mass Transport And Swelling In Food Grains, Michael Chapwanya, N. Misra

Articles

Soft condensed matter (SCM) physics has recently gained importance for a large class of engineering materials. The treatment of food materials from a soft matter perspective, however, is only at the surface and is gaining importance for understanding the complex phenomena and structure of foods. In this work, we present a theoretical treatment of navy beans from a SCM perspective to describe the hydration kinetics. We solve the transport equations within a porous matrix and employ the Flory–Huggin’s equation for polymer–solvent mixture to balance the osmotic pressure. The swelling of the legume seed is modelled as a moving boundary with …


Polymer Molded Templates For Nanostructured Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaics, Lei Pei, Amy Balls, Cary Tippets, Jonathan Abbott, Matthew R. Linford, David D. Allred, Richard R. Vanfleet, Robert C. Davis, Jian Hu, Arun Madan Apr 2011

Polymer Molded Templates For Nanostructured Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaics, Lei Pei, Amy Balls, Cary Tippets, Jonathan Abbott, Matthew R. Linford, David D. Allred, Richard R. Vanfleet, Robert C. Davis, Jian Hu, Arun Madan

Faculty Publications

Here, the authors report the fabrication of transparent polymer templates for nanostructured amorphous silicon photovoltaics using low-cost nanoimprint lithography of polydimethylsiloxane. The template contains a square two-dimensional array of high-aspect-ratio nanoholes (300 nm diameter by 1 µm deep holes) on a 500X500 nm^2 pitch. A 100 nm thick layer of a-Si:H was deposited on the template surface resulting in a periodically nanostructured film. The optical characterization of the nanopatterned film showed lower light transmission at 600-850 nm wavelengths and lower light reflection at 400-650 nm wavelengths, resulting in 20% higher optical absorbance at AM 1.5 spectral irradiance versus a nonpatterned …


Modeling Of Metal-Ferroelectric-Insulator-Semiconductor Structures Based On Langmuir–Blodgett Copolymer Films, Timothy J. Reece, Stephen Ducharme Dec 2009

Modeling Of Metal-Ferroelectric-Insulator-Semiconductor Structures Based On Langmuir–Blodgett Copolymer Films, Timothy J. Reece, Stephen Ducharme

Stephen Ducharme Publications

Among the ferroelectric thin films used in field-effect transistor devices; the ferroelectric copolymer of polyvinylidene fluoride PVDF –CH2–CF2–, with trifluoroethylene TrFE –CHF–CF2–, has distinct advantages, including low dielectric constant, low processing temperature, low cost, and compatibility with organic semiconductors. The operation of a metal-ferroelectric insulatorsemiconductor structure with PVDF-TrFE as the ferroelectric layer was analyzed and optimized by numerical solution of the Miller and McWhorter model. A model device consisting of 20 nm PVDF/TrFE on a 10-nm-thick high-k dielectric buffer exhibits a memory window of 5 V with an operating voltage of 15 V. The operating voltage can be reduced to …


Nanoscale Domain Patterns In Ultrathin Polymer Ferroelectric Films, Pankaj Sharma, Timothy J. Reece, Daniel W. Wu, Vladimir M. Fridkin, Stephen Ducharme, Alexei Gruverman Oct 2009

Nanoscale Domain Patterns In Ultrathin Polymer Ferroelectric Films, Pankaj Sharma, Timothy J. Reece, Daniel W. Wu, Vladimir M. Fridkin, Stephen Ducharme, Alexei Gruverman

Stephen Ducharme Publications

High-resolution studies of domain configurations in Langmuir–Blodgett films of ferroelectric polymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene), P(VDF-TrFE), have been carried out by means of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). Changes in film thickness and morphology cause significant variations in polarization patterns. In continuous films and nanomesas with relatively low thickness/grain aspect ratio (<1/10), the relationship between the average domain size and thickness follows the Kittel law. Nanomesas with high aspect ratio (>1/5) exhibit significant deviations from this law, suggesting additional surface-energy-related mechanisms affecting the domain patterns. Polarization reversal within a single crystallite has been demonstrated and local switching parameters (coercive voltage and remnant piezoresponse) have been measured by monitoring the local hysteresis loops. Reliable control of polarization at the sub-grain level demonstrates …


Dielectric Nanocomposites: An Inside-Out Approach To Storing Electrostatic Energy, Stephen Ducharme Sep 2009

Dielectric Nanocomposites: An Inside-Out Approach To Storing Electrostatic Energy, Stephen Ducharme

Stephen Ducharme Publications

The ability to achieve high-energy densities is the central challenge in energy storage and recovery. A promising strategy for increasing energy storage is to use highperformance dielectric materials, such as highly polarizable nanoparticles or polymers, or nanocomposites of the two. In this issue, Kim et al. use a molecular coating and clever chemistry to combine oxide nanoparticles with a polymer matrix, thereby producing an improved nanocomposite dielectric. Some advantages and challenges of using nanocomposites as improved dielectric materials are presented in this Perspective.


Polarization Switching Kinetics Of Ferroelectric Nanomesas Of Vinylidene Fluoride-Trifluoroethylene Copolymer, R. V. Gaynutdinov, O. A. Lysova, S. G. Yudin, A. L. Tolstikhina, A. L. Kholkin, V. M. Fridkin, Stephen Ducharme Jul 2009

Polarization Switching Kinetics Of Ferroelectric Nanomesas Of Vinylidene Fluoride-Trifluoroethylene Copolymer, R. V. Gaynutdinov, O. A. Lysova, S. G. Yudin, A. L. Tolstikhina, A. L. Kholkin, V. M. Fridkin, Stephen Ducharme

Stephen Ducharme Publications

The polarization switching kinetics of ferroelectric polymer nanomesas was investigated using piezoresponse force microscopy. The nanomesas were made by self-organization from Langmuir–Blodgett films of a 70% vinylidene fluoride and 30% trifluoroethylene copolymer. The polarization switching time exhibits an exponential dependence on reciprocal voltage that is consistent with nucleation-type switching dynamics.


Optical Properties Of Charged Polymer With Nano-Sized Zeolite Inclusions, Temenujka Yovcheva, Izabela Naydenova, Ivanka Vlaeva, Rosen Todorov, Vincent Toal, Simeon Sainov Jan 2009

Optical Properties Of Charged Polymer With Nano-Sized Zeolite Inclusions, Temenujka Yovcheva, Izabela Naydenova, Ivanka Vlaeva, Rosen Todorov, Vincent Toal, Simeon Sainov

Conference Papers

The optical characteristics of photopolymer films doped with nanoparticles are studied. The investigated systems consist of a soft polymer matrix containing porous zeolite nanoparticles with concentrations varied in the range from 0wt.% to 7wt.%. 40μm thick layers are obtained by casting the photopolymer nanocomposite solution on glass substrates. The corona charging influence on the transmission spectra and on the surface and the effective refractive index of the dry layers is investigated.


Investigation Of Ferroelectricity In Newly Synthesized Nitrile Polymer Systems, Matt Poulsen, Stephen Ducharme, Alexander V. Sorokin, Sahadeva Reddy, James M. Takacs, Y. Wen, Jihee Kim, Shireen Adenwalla Jan 2005

Investigation Of Ferroelectricity In Newly Synthesized Nitrile Polymer Systems, Matt Poulsen, Stephen Ducharme, Alexander V. Sorokin, Sahadeva Reddy, James M. Takacs, Y. Wen, Jihee Kim, Shireen Adenwalla

Stephen Ducharme Publications

The ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of newly synthesized polymer systems have been studied. To date PVDF and its copolymers P(VDF-TrFE) have provided the bulk of the knowledge pertaining to ferroelectricity in polymers. Recently, ultrathin ferroelectric films of P(VDF-TrFE) 70:30 have been fabricated using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique [4]. In this study, various new polymers have been synthesized by chemically altering the PVDF structure. This alteration was performed in order to enhance the amphiphilic nature of the polymer and thus improve the LB film quality and control. Various chemical groups have been used to replace the electropositive hydrogen and electronegative fluorine found …


Mapping Surface Polarization In Thin Films Of The Ferroelectric Polymer P(Vdf-Trfe)., Bradley W. Peterson, Stephen Ducharme, Vladimir M. Fridkin, Timothy J. Reece Jan 2004

Mapping Surface Polarization In Thin Films Of The Ferroelectric Polymer P(Vdf-Trfe)., Bradley W. Peterson, Stephen Ducharme, Vladimir M. Fridkin, Timothy J. Reece

Stephen Ducharme Publications

Pyroelectric Scanning Microscopy (PSM) has been developed to enable mapping of surface polarization in ferroelectric thin films, in particular the copolymer polyvinylidene fluoride trifluororethylene, or P(VDF-TrFE). The Chynoweth method for dynamically measuring pyroelectric current is employed in conjunction with a micropositioning system to construct two-dimensional images of the film polarization. These images have revealed enhancement of the polarization near the edges of the film below the average coercive field, with the center's polarization increasing thereafter to meet the edge value at saturation.


Electron Irradiation Effects On Ferroelectric Copolymer Langmuir-Blodgett Films, Christina M. Othon, Stephen Ducharme Jan 2004

Electron Irradiation Effects On Ferroelectric Copolymer Langmuir-Blodgett Films, Christina M. Othon, Stephen Ducharme

Stephen Ducharme Publications

The effect of irradiation on the ferroelectric properties of Langmuir-Blodgett films of the copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluorethelene) is investigating using 1.26 MeV electrons with dosages from 16 to 110 Mrad. Irradiation causes a systematic decrease in the phase transition temperature, coercive field and polarization of these thin films.


Comment On: 'Depolarization Corrections To The Coercive Field In Thin-Film Ferroelectrics', Stephen Ducharme, Vladimir Fridkin Jul 2003

Comment On: 'Depolarization Corrections To The Coercive Field In Thin-Film Ferroelectrics', Stephen Ducharme, Vladimir Fridkin

Stephen Ducharme Publications

The Letter by Dawber et al. [J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 15 L393 (2003)] notes that incomplete screening in the electrodes of a ferroelectric capacitor can result in an underestimate for the true coercive field in films of nanometer thickness. We show that their estimate of the magnitude of this correction it too large in the case of ferroelectric copolymer Langmuir- Blodgett films and, as a result, invalidates the claim that finite-size scaling of the ferroelectric coercive field is evident in films thinner than 15 nm.


Density And Conformation With Relaxed Substrate, Bulk, And Interface In Electrophoretic Deposition Of Polymer Chains, F.W. Bentrem, J. Xie, Ras B. Pandey Sep 2002

Density And Conformation With Relaxed Substrate, Bulk, And Interface In Electrophoretic Deposition Of Polymer Chains, F.W. Bentrem, J. Xie, Ras B. Pandey

Faculty Publications

Characteristics of relaxed density profile and conformation of polymer chains are studied by a Monte Carlo simulation on a discrete lattice in three dimensions using different segmental (kink-jump (K), crank-shaft (C), reptation (R)) dynamics. Three distinct density regimes, substrate, bulk, and interface, are identified. With the KC segmental dynamics, we find that the substrate coverage grows with a power law, dstγ with a field (E) dependent non-universal exponent γ=0.23+0.7E. The bulk volume fraction db and the substrate polymer density (ds) increases with the field with power-laws (db …


Translational Diffusion Of Small And Large Mesoscopic Probes In Hydroxypropylcellulose-Water In The Solutionlike Regime, Kiril A. Streletzky, George D.J. Phillies Jun 1998

Translational Diffusion Of Small And Large Mesoscopic Probes In Hydroxypropylcellulose-Water In The Solutionlike Regime, Kiril A. Streletzky, George D.J. Phillies

Physics Faculty Publications

Quasi-elastic light scattering spectroscopy was used to study the translational diffusion of monodisperse spheres in aqueous 1 MDa hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) at 25 °C. Probe diameters d spanned 14–455 nm; HPC concentrations were 0⩽c⩽7g/L. Light scattering spectroscopy consistently found spectra having the form g(1)(t)=(1−Af)exp(−θtβ)+Af exp(−θftβf). Here θf and βf refer to the “fast” mode; θ and β describe the “slow” mode. We examine the dependence of θ, β, θf, βf, and Af on d, c, scattering vector q, and viscosity η. β=1 for large probes; elsewise, β and βf are ∈(0,1). The slow mode, with short-lived memory function, is diffusive; for …