Other Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Investigation Of Various Techniques For Controlled Void Formation In Fiberglass/Epoxy Composites, Donald A. Klosterman, Charles Browning, Issa Hakim, Kyle Lach

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The effect of porosity in composite materials has been studied for years due to its deleterious effects on mechanical properties, especially matrix dominated properties. Currently there is an increasing use of composites in infrastructure worldwide, for example bridge components, residential and building structures, marine structures such as piers and docks, and large industrial chemical tanks. Most of these applications use fiberglass composites. Unfortunately, most of the published literature has focused on carbon fiber composites, in which fiber diameter and gas-fiber interactions are different than fiberglass composites. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to revisit the effect of porosity but specifically …

Single Molecule Super-Resolution Microscopy Study On The Precision With Which Dna Nanostructures Can Orient Fluorescent Dyes, Brett Michael Ward

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

DNA nanotechnology enables the rapid, programmable self-assembly of novel structures and devices at the nanoscale. Utilizing the simplicity of Watson-Crick base pairing, DNA nanostructures are capable of assembling a variety of nanoparticles in arbitrary configurations with relative ease. Several emerging opto-electronic systems require a high degree of control of both the position and orientation of component fluorescent molecules, and while DNA nanostructures have demonstrated these capabilities, the precision with which DNA can orient fluorescent molecules is not well understood. Determining these bounds is critical in establishing the viability of DNA nanotechnology as a method of assembling fluorescent molecular networks.

In …

Mxenes As Flow Electrodes For Capacitive Deionization Of Wastewater, Naqsh E. Mansoor

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The energy-water nexus poses an integrated research challenge, while opening up an opportunity space for the development of energy efficient technologies for water remediation. Capacitive Deionization (CDI) is an upcoming reclamation technology that uses a small applied voltage applied across electrodes to electrophoretically remove dissolved ionic impurities from wastewater streams. Similar to a supercapacitor, the ions are stored in the electric double layer of the electrodes. Reversing the polarity of applied voltage enables recovery of the removed ionic impurities, allowing for recycling and reuse. Simultaneous materials recovery and water reclamation makes CDI energy efficient and resource conservative, with potential to …

Fabrication Of Magnetocaloric La(Fe,Si)13 Thick Films, N H. Dung, N B. Doan, P De Rango, L Ranno, Karl G. Sandeman, N M. Dempsey

Publications and Research

La(Fe,Si)₁₃–based compounds are considered to be very promising magnetocaloric materials for magnetic refrigeration applications. Many studies have focused on this material family but only in bulk form. In this paper we report on the fabrication of thick films of La(Fe,Si)₁₃, both with and without post-hydriding. These films exhibit magnetic and structural properties comparable to bulk materials. We also observe that the ferromagnetic phase transition has a negative thermal hysteresis, a phenomenon not previously found in this material but which may have its origins in the availability of a strain energy reservoir, as in the cases of …

Miniaturized Ultraviolet Imager Phase Iii, Bradley D. Albright, Nicolas A. Armenta, Colin W. Harrop

Mechanical Engineering

This document details the work to date, June 9, 2020, done by the Cal Poly Mechanical Engineering senior project team, Miniaturized Ultraviolet Imager: Phase III (MUVI III), sponsored by the University of California, Berkeley – Space Sciences Laboratory (UCB SSL). MUVI III is the third senior project team of an ongoing design, MUVI: the prototype of a 2U sized CubeSat intended to capture aurora images in the ionosphere. The first team, MUVI I, finished development of the UV imager. The second team, MUVI II, designed the mirror mounting and deployable door mechanisms. The goal of MUVI phase III is to …

Design For Additive Manufacturing, Michael Charonnat, Leonardo Franco-Muñoz, Sam Noble, J.P. Purdom

Mechanical Engineering

This document outlines the critical design details and timeline for the Design for Additive Manufacturing Senior Project sponsored by Solar Turbines, Inc. The scope of this project encompasses the redesign of two of Solar Turbine’s cast parts for metal additive manufacturing in order to minimize lead time, cost, and weight. With the overall objective of performing in-depth analysis exploring affordability & feasibility, this redesign process will aid Solar Turbines in expanding their knowledge of Design for Additive Manufacturing principles and enable them to further incorporate the use of additive manufacturing into their production processes. The first part that the team …

Non-Toxic Soil Thickeners For Reducing Mudslide Intensity, Mitchell William Jensen

Materials Engineering

This project was intended to be a continuation of senior project work done last year by a group consisting of two Materials Engineering students and a Soil Science student. Their report was crucial in identifying a range of food thickeners that could be capable of performing in the mud thickening application. All thickeners that were chosen both this year and last year are biocompatible, to alleviate some toxicity concerns. The food thickeners all belong to a class of compounds known as colloids. Since water is the fluid being thickened, these compounds are more accurately referred to as hydrocolloids. Hydrocolloids are …

The Influence Of Time And Temperature On 7781 Prepreg Outside Storage, Matthew L. Fuentez, Edwin Stuart Ross Viii

Materials Engineering

Investigation into the issue of out of specification flow data revealed that unregulated transportation conditions exposed 7781 prepreg with phenolic resin to temperature fluctuations up to 125°F. The temperature fluctuations have the potential to advance unwanted curing in the prepreg, making it unsuitable for manufacturing. However, this explanation does not account for the prepreg exceeding specifications above the upper limit. Another explanation was investigated that involved exposure to moisture. Moisture could be preventing curing from taking place and thus resulting in higher flow values. Data collection was unable to proceed past the preliminary stages due to the COVID-19 pandemic and …

Comparative Analysis And Dynamic Response Of Garolites Under Temperature Spectrum Using Low Velocity Impact Test, Birendra Chaudhary

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the dynamic response of three different grades of garolites under the temperature spectrum. High-Temperature G-11 Sheet (HTG), Impact Resistance Garolite E-glass (HIG), and Economical Garolite (EG) were tested using an Instron Dynatup 8250 impact tester. Three specimens were used for all three composites and were tested at 6 different temperatures, -10^oC, 25^oC, 50^oC, 100^oC, 150^oC and 200^oC using the Low-Velocity Impact Machine with 20 Kip punch shear load cell. The results showed that HIG had the highest resistance to punch …

Dynamic Characterization Of Duroprotect, A Fiber-Reinforced Ballistics Composite, Ivy A. Turner

Honors Theses

Dynamic characterization of materials has become increasingly common, as it is important to understand how materials behave under sudden loads. Understanding these properties can aid in material selection for novel designs. DuroProtect, a fiber-reinforced ballistics composite developed by Rӧchling, was tested for its dynamic properties at high strain-rates. The Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) test was used to obtain dynamic properties at high strain-rates under compressive loading conditions. Tests were initially conducted to validate force equilibriums for each sample. The data measured from the strain gages mounted on the incident and transmission bars and the elastic wave propagation theories yields …

Structure And Deformation Of Carbyne Deposited On A Nickel Substrate, Abigail Eaton

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Carbyne is a nanomaterial of great interest due to its ability to withstand high forces similarly to other carbon allotropes such as graphene or carbon nanotubes. However, it is currently difficult to synthesize and maintain without the assistance of a composite material substrate that the carbyne can be integrated with, which will affect its reaction to varying conditions. This thesis focuses on studying the effects of carbyne on a nickel surface and its mechanical properties to predict its future usages and potential for applications in varying fields. We perform a three-point bending test simulation using molecular dynamics with pure Ni …

Enhancement Of Phase Change Material Sorbitol By Nanoparticle Inclusion For Improving Thermal Energy Storage Capabilities, Joshua Kasitz

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Thermal management of electronic devices has become an increasingly vital field of study with the rapid miniaturization of many key electrical components. With the significant improvement of semiconductor manufacturing and intensified focus on interconnects, electronic devices have decreased in size at an incredible rate. Decreasing spatial requirements is essential to improving device capabilities as the electronic system is able to incorporate more components. Currently, electronic systems are drastically limited by the capabilities of their cooling mechanisms. Smaller devices lead to large increases in the energy density of the system and require more powerful cooling systems to maintain proper component operating …

Sub-/Surface Evaluation Of Industry-Grade Endodontic File Micro-/Nanoscale Structures And Low-Cost, Low-Energy Methods Of Rapidly Annealing And Nitriding Titanium, Nicholas Broadbent

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Because of their unique mechanical properties, shape memory capabilities and biocompatibility, Nickel-titanium alloys are frequently used in the medical industry for a variety of applications including endodontic files. Until now, the performance of industry-standard endodontic files has been characterized by this alloying property and a limited set of macroscale surface structures and features. In this work, High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Low Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (LRTEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX) analyses are conducted at both the surface and sub-surface levels of a wide selection of industry-grade endodontic files currently offered on the …

An All-Optical Excitonic Switch Templated On A Dna Scaffold Operated In The Liquid And Solid Phases, Donald L. Kellis

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The natural excitonic circuitry of photosynthetic organisms, including light harvesting antennas, provides a distinctive example of a highly attractive bio-inspired alternative to electronic circuits. Excitonics, which capitalizes on spatially arranged optically active molecules ability to capture and transfer light energy below the diffraction limit of light has garnered recognition as a potential disruptive replacement for electronic circuits. However, assembly of optically active molecules to construct even simple excitonic devices has been impeded by the limited maturity of suitable molecular scale assembly technologies.

An example of nanophotonic circuitry, natural light harvesting antennas employ proteins as scaffolds to organize and self-assemble light-active …

Mitigating Safety Concerns And Profit/Production Losses For Chemical Process Control Systems Under Cyberattacks Via Design/Control Methods, Helen Durand, Matthew Wegener

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Faculty Research Publications

One of the challenges for chemical processes today, from a safety and profit standpoint, is the potential that cyberattacks could be performed on components of process control systems. Safety issues could be catastrophic; however, because the nonlinear systems definition of a cyberattack has similarities to a nonlinear systems definition of faults, many processes have already been instrumented to handle various problematic input conditions. Also challenging is the question of how to design a system that is resilient to attacks attempting to impact the production volumes or profits of a company. In this work, we explore a process/equipment design framework for …

Questaal: A Package Of Electronic Structure Methods Based On The Linear Muffin-Tin Orbital Technique, Dimitar Pashov, Swagata Acharya, Walter R.L. Lambrecht, Jerome Jackson, Kirill Belashchenko, Athanasios Chantis, Francois Jamet, Mark Van Schilfgaarde

Kirill Belashchenko Publications

This paper summarises the theory and functionality behind Questaal, an open-source suite of codes for calculating the electronic structure and related properties of materials from first principles. The formalism of the linearised muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) method is revisited in detail and developed further by the introduction of short-ranged tight-binding basis functions for full-potential calculations. The LMTO method is presented in both Green's function and wave function formulations for bulk and layered systems. The suite's full-potential LMTO code uses a sophisticated basis and augmentation method that allows an efficient and precise solution to the band problem at different levels of theory, …

Effects Of Intrinsic Defects And Alloying With Fe On The Half-Metallicity Of Co2Mnsi, G. G. Baez Flores, Ivan A. Zhuravlev, Kirill Belashchenko

Kirill Belashchenko Publications

The electronic structure and half-metallic gap of Co2MnSi in the presence of crystallographic defects, partial Fe substitution for Mn, and thermal spin fluctuations are studied using the coherent potential approximation and the disordered local moment method. In the presence of 5% Co or Mn vacancies the Fermi level shifts down to the minority-spin valence-band maximum. In contrast to NiMnSb, both types of Mn antisite defects in Co2MnSi are strongly exchange coupled to the host magnetization, and thermal spin fluctuations do not strongly affect the half-metallic gap. Partial substitution of Mn by Fe results in considerable changes in the Bloch spectral …

Responsive Economic Model Predictive Control For Next-Generation Manufacturing, Helen Durand

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Faculty Research Publications

There is an increasing push to make automated systems capable of carrying out tasks which humans perform, such as driving, speech recognition, and anomaly detection. Automated systems, therefore, are increasingly required to respond to unexpected conditions. Two types of unexpected conditions of relevance in the chemical process industries are anomalous conditions and the responses of operators and engineers to controller behavior. Enhancing responsiveness of an advanced control design known as economic model predictive control (EMPC) (which uses predictions of future process behavior to determine an economically optimal manner in which to operate a process) to unexpected conditions of these types …

Impact Of Team Formation Approach On Teamwork Effectiveness And Performance In An Upper-Level Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Laboratory Course, Erick S. Vasquez, Matthew J. Dewitt, Zachary J. West, Michael J. Elsass

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

This study focuses on the impact of team formation approach on teamwork effectiveness and performance spanning three years of instruction of the chemical engineering unit operations laboratory, which is an upper-level undergraduate laboratory course. Team formation approaches changed each year, and assessment tools, including peer-assessment, academic performance, and course evaluations, were employed to evaluate team performance. Approaches included three cases: instructor-selected teams based on GPA with the objective of a similar cumulative average GPA for each team, student self-selected teams, and a combination of self-selected teams with instructor-selected teams for a final experiment. For the third case, new teams were …

Performance Evaluation Of Lightweight Normal And Geopolymer Foamed Concrete Using Palm Oil Fuel Ash As Partial Replacement Of Binder, M .E. Alnahhal Ahmed

Student Works (2020-2029)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) have a detrimental effect on the environment and this had led many researchers to search for other alternatives in the form of sustainable cementitious materials. The depletion of natural resources and dumping the industrial by-products and waste materials are serious concern to our environment. This research focusses on the performance of using a palm oil industrial by-product, namely, palm oil fuel ash (POFA), as a partial replacement for OPC and fly ash (FA) in lightweight normal foamed concrete and lightweight geopolymer foamed concrete, respectively. Thus, using 10, 20, and 30% POFA …