Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Antimicrobial Performance Of Amorphous Vs. Crystalline La1-Xsrxcoo3 Perovskites, S. M. Au Shohag, Fahmida Akhter, Ahmed Touhami, Swati Mohan, Md. Wasikur Rahman, Mohammed Jasim Uddin

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Perovskite materials, with their unique crystal structure and chemical properties, are emerging as promising antimicrobial agents for potential biomedical applications. In this research, different weight percentages of Sr2 + doped amorphous and crystalline Lanthanum Cobaltite (La1-xSrxCoO3 defined as LSCO) (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15) perovskite was synthesized by using a simple combination of sol-gel and molten-salt processes and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) ensures the uniform morphology of the materials. During antimicrobial study using the Kirby Bauer method, amorphous LSCO showed much better activity than crystalline LSCO against Escherichia coli, Vibrio …

A Dataset Of Precipitate-Containing Multi-Principal Element Alloys, Anshu Raj, Xin Wang, Matthew Luebbe, Haiming Wen, Kun Lu, Shuozhi Xu

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report a curated dataset that brings together composition, processing conditions, microstructural details, and mechanical properties for 396 combinations of alloy composition and processing condition drawn from 100 peer-reviewed research articles on precipitate-containing multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs). The dataset was created by first utilizing a generative large language model for information extraction, followed by expert review to ensure accurate recovery of materials data. Compositional information was taken directly from tables and text, while processing routes — including homogenization, rolling, recrystallization, and aging — were converted into uniform temperature and time metrics. Microstructural descriptors, including precipitate phases and sizes, were consolidated …

Optimization Of Niobium Film For Particle Accelerators And Quantum Applications, Bektur Abdisatarov

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Niobium (Nb) films play a central role in superconducting technologies used in particle accelerators and superconducting quantum circuits. Optimizing the physical properties of Nb films is therefore critical for improving both radiofrequency (RF) performance in superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities and coherence in superconducting qubits. This thesis investigates the relationship between Nb film microstructure, impurity content, and electromagnetic response across these two application domains.

For particle accelerator applications, we studied Nb films deposited using high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) with DC bias onto a 1.3 GHz elliptical SRF cavity. Nb film cavities exhibit a pronounced medium-field Q-slope, limiting their achievable accelerating …

Ultra-High Vacuum Outgassing Characterization Of Thermally Processed Low-Carbon Steel For Advanced Particle Accelerator And Gravitational Wave Detector Applications, Aiman H. Al-Allaq

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation investigated AISI 1020 low-carbon steel as an alternative vacuum chamber material to conventional stainless steel for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and extreme-high vacuum (XHV) applications. After a 400 °C/48 h bake, AISI 1020 tube chambers achieved a hydrogen outgassing rate of 2.4 × 10⁻¹⁶ Torr·L·s⁻¹·cm⁻², approximately 2,300 times lower than the prebaked 316L stainless-steel comparator, among the lowest hydrogen outgassing rates ever reported for an uncoated metallic vacuum chamber. Bare and magnetite-coated AISI 1020 chambers were then compared using throughput and rate-of-rise methods. The magnetite coating yielded 5× lower water outgassing at room temperature, but this advantage disappeared after …

Effect Of Curing Duration On Bridge Deck Concrete Performance, Zhaniya Omarova

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study evaluates the influence of curing duration on the performance of bridge deck concrete and investigates the feasibility of reducing curing periods without compromising structural and durability properties. Two concrete mixtures, a standard Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) bridge deck mix (47BD) and an optimized reduced-cement-content mix (O47BD-R100), were evaluated under multiple curing durations Fresh, early-age, mechanical, durability, and shrinkage properties were assessed to characterize the effect of curing on concrete behavior. Internal relative humidity and temperature were monitored using embedded sensors to investigate moisture diffusion and its role in shrinkage development for lab specimens and full-scale slabs.

Results …

Plant-Mediated Green Synthesis Of Zinc Ferrite Nanoparticles: Mechanisms, Properties, And Advanced Applications In Environmental And Biomedical Fields, Rihab Jabbar

Al-Bahir

Recently, plant-mediated green synthesis has emerged as a sustainable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective strategy for synthesizing zinc ferrite (ZnFe₂O₄) nanoparticles (NPs). This review critically examines the advancements in biosynthesizing ZnFe₂O₄ NPs using various plant extracts, including Aloe vera, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Aegle marmelos, Eucalyptus leaves, Tragacanth gum, Piper nigrum, and Moringa oleifera, among others. It emphasizes their dual role as reducing, capping, chelating, and stabilizing agents. The article extensively compares physicochemical properties of the green-synthesized NPs in terms of crystallite size, morphology, magnetic behavior, and band gap energy. Achieved through different synthesis routes such as sol-gel, hydrothermal, co-precipitation, and microwave-assisted methods. …

Requirements Of The Elderly In Interior Design Based On A Survey As A First Stage Of Smart Interior Design, Girges Sidhom, Christine Ezzat Danial

HBRC Journal

As the number of the aged in the world is expected to rise dramatically, the built environment should be adjusted to accommodate aging in place, and most of the facilities currently available are inadequate in terms of interior design requirements to support the functional and psychological needs of the aged. The purpose of this study is to establish the design needs of the aged by incorporating smart technology in interior architecture to make them safer and self-reliant. The methodology will apply a descriptive methodology by use of literature review and an analytical approach by use of a questionnaire of 153 …

Design And Construction Of Prestressed Concrete Balanced Cantilever Bridges, Ahmed S. Elareshy, Ashraf M. Osman, Ismail. M. Kamal, Amr A. Abdelrahman

HBRC Journal

Balanced cantilever concrete bridges have recently been widely used in mid and long-span bridges. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the development and design of prestressed concrete balanced cantilever (PCBC) bridges, focusing on research related to real case studies of both precast and cast-in-place box-girder bridges investigated through finite element modeling (FEM) or field measurements. The research strategy targeted peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports published over the last two decades in major engineering databases. Construction methods, design methodology, and structural behavior of this type of bridge are discussed, alongside key findings on long-term response, dynamic performance, …

Voltage Breakdown Strength And Energy Density Of Ceramic Srtio₃ At Cryogenic Temperatures From 295 K To 77 K, Hung Trinh, Alan Devoe, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The low-temperature dependence of the DC dielectric breakdown strength (EBD) and the energy storage density (W) of capacitors, fabricated from high purity polycrystalline strontium titanate, were investigated in the temperature range from 295 K to 77 K. Test samples were constructed with a process similar to that used for multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). The permittivity, loss tangent, leakage current, and breakdown strength were measured as a function of temperature and voltage. Weibull statistical analysis was used to quantify breakdown distributions. Despite electric-field suppression of permittivity, breakdown strength increased significantly with decreasing temperatures, leading to enhanced energy density. The breakdown field …

Axial Sulfur-Coordination Engineering Boosting Fe–N–C Catalysts For High-Performance Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Lin Lin, Xiu-Xuan Hou, Zhe-Chen Fan, Yi-Xuan Yin, Wei-Yi Zhao, Kai Wei, Yu-Die Zhou, Li-Na Hou, Ying Wang, Hao Wan, Jun-Jie Ge

Journal of Electrochemistry

Fe-N-C catalysts have long suffered from kinetically sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to excessive adsorption strength toward oxygen intermediates and low site utilization. Heteroatom doping effectively accelerates ORR reaction kinetics through electronic structure modulation of metal sites for optimal intermediate adsorption, while chemical vapor deposition (CVD) enhances the turnover frequency (TOF) of active sites. Herein, we developed an FeSNC catalyst featuring abundant FeS₁N₄ sites via a dual-precursor CVD strategy. Experimental and theoretical analyses revealed that S incorporation disrupts the symmetric coordination of active sites, which optimizes OH* adsorption energies from 0.212 eV to 1.194 eV. Moreover, …

Deciphering The Role Of Binder Reaction Exothermicity In Thermal Runaway Of Lithium-Ion Cells, Wen Wen, Jing-Hong Zhou, Hao-Tian Lu, Xing-Gui Zhou

Journal of Electrochemistry

Thermal safety associated with lithium-ion cells as power sources remains a critical industry concern. A comprehensive understanding of how internal exothermic side reactions contribute to temperature rise is fundamental for accurately analyzing thermal runaway processes and predicting the thermal safety of lithium-ion cells. While various side-reactions, such as decomposition of solid electrolyte interphase layer, reaction between anode materials and electrolyte, reaction between cathode materials and electrolyte, and electrolyte decomposition, have been identified as heat generation sources in previous studies, the quantification of these reactions remains insufficiently standardized. Particularly, the impact of heat generation from binder decomposition (most commonly polyvinylidene difluoride) …

Entropy Of Metal/Solution Interfaces: Thermodynamic Framework, Theoretical Models, And Roles Of Interfacial Water, Zeng-Ming Zhang, Zi-Xi Liang, Jun Huang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Entropy is a basic thermodynamic property of the electrical double layer (EDL) at metal/solution interfaces, yet, its definition, measurement, and theoretical treatment are dispersed in the literature, and, in some cases, ambiguous. In this paper, we revisit the thermodynamic theory of EDL, from which two variants of entropy, excess entropy and formation entropy, are obtained and compared. In terms of the formation entropy, two calculation routes are validated in the context of a primitive EDL model, namely, the Gouy-Chapman (GC) model. After clarifying the concepts and calculation routes, we investigate interfacial water effects on the EDL entropy, using a refined …

Physicochemical Investigation Of Interactions In The Urea – Dl-Alanine System, Suvonkul E. Nurmonov, Saydullo Kh. Azimov

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

A comprehensive physicochemical study of the “urea – DL-alanine – water” system was carried out to determine the nature of the interactions between its components. Methods of isomolar series, X-ray phase analysis, thermal analysis, and FTIR spectroscopy were applied. It was found that molecular associates with a stoichiometry of 1:1 are formed in an aqueous solution, as evidenced by deviations in density, viscosity, refractive index, and electrical conductivity from their additive values. In the solid phase, the system represents a mechanical mixture of the initial components without the formation of new crystalline phases. The presence of hydrogen bonds of the …

Extraction Of Metallic Silver In Powder Form From Electronic Wastes, Mastura Kh. Aripova, Umar A. Yakhyaev, Ripsime V. Mkrtchyan, Shoxrux B. Naimov

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The research is dedicated to the extraction of silver in powder form from electronic wastes and the selective separation of associated elements through the application of hydrometallurgical methods. The conducted study determined the initial chemical composition of the electrical engineering waste (wt.%): Si – 0.08, Al – 0.133, Fe – 0.021, Mg – 0.614, Cu – 0.005,  Zn – 0.02, Ag – 46.9,Zr – 0.557,  Ta – 0.004, Pb – 0.003, Mo – 0.002, S – 0.026. A system for the efficient extraction of metals with minimal losses was developed for the selective dissolution of metals such as Cu, Ni, …

Study Of Microstructural Defects Of Drill Bit Teeth Using Microscopic Methods, Odiljon E. Abdurakhmonov, Mastura Kh. Aripova, Orifjon O. Khomidov, Bakhtiyar T. Zakhidov, Amir I. Abidov

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of this study is to investigate microstructural defects in drill bit cutting elements, including milled teeth and WC–Co cemented carbide inserts, to clarify their morphology, chemical–phase characteristics, and potential contribution to manufacturing-related defects. To achieve this goal, the study applied a combined approach based on optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS). First, the study examined surface and microstructural features, such as pores, depressions, and local heterogeneities formed during manufacturing. Then, it conducted detailed SEM–EDS analyses of selected local regions, including crack initiation sites. As a result, the study revealed that cutting elements …

Sorption Of Lanthanum(Iii) Ions On Impregnated Solid Extractants, Jaloliddin Q. Abdurashidov, Tadjigul R. Odamova, Maksim A. Kamarou, Zuhra Ch. Kadirova, Shahlo Sh. Daminova

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of this work was to obtain solid extractants by impregnating the organic reagent 1-phenyl-1,3-butadione (BNA) onto carriers based on styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers (PAD600, PAD400) as well as activated carbon, and to investigate the sorption isotherms of La³⁺ ions under static conditions. The structure of the sorbents before and after La³⁺ ion sorption was studied using SEM-EDX and IR spectroscopy. The parameters of sorption extraction of La³⁺ ions, including extraction degree, sorbent capacity, and distribution coefficient, were evaluated. It was established that the PAD600-BNA sorbent exhibits the most favorable sorption properties toward La³⁺ ions.

Two-Stage Heat Treatment For Producing Highly Crystalline H-Bn Nanoparticles From Boric Acid And Urea, Sherzod E. Abdurakhmonov, Mastura Kh. Aripova, Umar A. Yakhyaev, Shoxrux B. Naimov, Odiljon E. Abdurakhmonov

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The purpose of the study was to investigate the formation of the crystal structure of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanoparticles obtained by the chemical-thermal method using two-stage heat treatment. Boric acid and urea were used as starting precursors, enabling ammonia-free synthesis conditions. It is shown that the first thermal stage at 600 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere leads to the formation of a predominantly amorphous BN-containing precursor, whereas the second stage at 1000 °C in an N₂/H₂ atmosphere promotes crystallization of a highly ordered hexagonal h-BN phase. The morphology and particle size distribution were examined by transmission …

Structure And Morphology Of Ultradispersed Erbium Ytterbium Oxide Powders Obtained By Deposition Method, Eygeniy N. Poddenezhny, Andrei A. Boiko, Natalya E. Drobyshevskaya, Vladimir S. Urbanovich, Ekaterina E. Trusova

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of research is to develop a new method for synthesis of ultra-dispersed crystalline powders of lanthanide oxides, in particular, erbium oxide doped with ytterbium oxide, intended for making transparent ceramics. The formation of nanostructured powders of the erbium oxide – ytterbium oxide system using deposition and heat treatment processes by co-deposition of salt solutions mixed with ammonium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide complex solution at temperature of 10 °C followed annealing at 100, 650, 900 and 1200°C was studied. Studies of the morphological and structural characteristics of the powders using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray phase analysis showed that …

Mechanical, Thermal And Fire Behaviour Of Hemp-Based Composites With Different Binders For Sustainable Building Applications, Anilcan Aygun, Fahri Birinci, Selim Aytac, Ali Kemal Ayan, Hasan Alp Sahin, Ibrahim Isildak

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This study investigates the physical, mechanical and thermal properties of hemp-based composites produced with traditional binders such as lime, cement, gypsum, clay, and water-based glue. Hemp fractions of different sizes (splinter, shiv, fiber and powder) were combined with these binders to manufacture cube and plate specimens, which were tested for physical, mechanical, thermal, and temperature resistance properties. The study aims to compare the mechanical, physical, thermal, and fire behaviour of these composites to assess their suitability for sustainable construction applications. The hemp-based composites were tested for unit weight, water absorption, compressive strength and thermal conductivity. Most specimens are lightweight (<1000 kg/m3), and exhibit good thermal insulation performance and high compressive deformability, making them suitable for seismic-prone regions. The glue-based composite had the lowest unit weight, measured as 330 kg/m3. Thermal conductivity ranged from 0.051 to 0.243 W/m· K, with several mixtures performing better than natural pumice. While cement-based composites showed the highest compressive strength, ranging from 5.5 to 24.8 kg/cm2, natural hydraulic lime is the lowest. Water absorption was high, and moisture release occurred slowly across all hemp fractions. Combustion tests indicated that hemp-based materials have moderate temperature resistance, with charring temperatures ranging from 238–265°C for raw hemp and 300–385°C when mixed with binders. Overall, hemp-based composites are lightweight, eco-friendly, and suitable for non-load-bearing construction and insulation applications. However, improvements in moisture resistance and long-term durability are necessary to enhance their practical applicability.

Sustainable Cow Dung Bricks: An Innovative Approach To Eco-Friendly Masonry With Enhanced Thermal And Mechanical Performance, Nagesh Sugandhi, Sachin Patil, Satish Reddy, Ashwini G, Santosh Kumar

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This study explores the development, characterization, and performance of sustainable cow dung bricks using locally sourced organic (cow dung) and mineral (clay, quartz sand, feldspar, lime) constituents for non-load-bearing masonry in India. Three blends with varying cow dung content (70%, 75%, 80%) were mixed, molded, air dried, and cured without kiln firing to reduce environmental impact. The bricks' mechanical properties—compressive strength, water absorption, bulk density, flexural strength, shore hardness, and modulus of elasticity—were systematically evaluated with complete statistical documentation (n = 6 replicates per formulation per test age). Microstructural features were investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-Ray …