Engineering Commons^™

Thermodynamics Of Strained Vanadium Dioxide Single Crystals, Yijia Gu, Jinbo Cao, Junqiao Wu, Long-Qing Chen

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Vanadium dioxide undergoes a metal-insulator transition, in which the strain condition plays an important role. To investigate the strain contribution, a phenomenological thermodynamic potential for the vanadium dioxide single crystal was constructed. The transformations under the uniaxial stress, wire, and thin film boundary conditions were analyzed, and the corresponding phase diagrams were constructed. The calculated phase diagrams agree well with existing experimental data, and show that the transformation temperature (and Curie temperature) strongly depends on the strain condition.

Coated Steel Rebar For Enhanced Concrete-Steel Bond Strength And Corrosion Resistance, Genda Chen, Jeffery S. Volz, Richard K. Brow, Dongming Yan, Signo Tadeu Dos Reis, Chenglin Wu, Fujian Tang, Charles R. Werner, Xing Tao

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This report summarizes the findings and recommendations on the use of enamel coating in reinforced concrete structures both for bond strength and corrosion resistance of steel rebar. Extensive laboratory tests were conducted to characterize the properties of one- and two-layer enamel coatings. Pseudostatic tests were performed with pullout, beam and column specimens to characterize mechanical properties and develop design equations for the development length of steel rebar in lap splice and anchorage areas. The splice length equation was validated with the testing of large-scale columns under cyclic loading. For corrosion properties, ponding, salt spray, accelerated corrosion, potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance …

Freeze Extrusion Fabrication Of 13-93 Bioactive Glass Scaffolds For Bone Repair, Tieshu Huang, Nikhil D. Doiphode, M. N. Rahaman, Ming-Chuan Leu, B. Sonny Bal, D. E. Day

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

There is an increasing demand for synthetic scaffolds with the requisite biocompatibility, internal architecture, and mechanical properties for the bone repair and regeneration. In this work, scaffolds of a silicate bioactive glass (13-93) were prepared by a freeze extrusion fabrication (FEF) method and evaluated in vitro for potential applications in bone repair and regeneration. The process parameters for FEF production of scaffolds with the requisite microstructural characteristics, as well as the mechanical and cell culture response of the scaffolds were evaluated. After binder burnout and sintering (60 min at 700°C), the scaffolds consisted of a dense glass network with interpenetrating …

Optimization Of Selective Laser Sintering Process For Fabrication Of Zirconium Diboride Parts, Ming-Chuan Leu, Shashwatashish Pattnaik, Greg Hilmas

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) was investigated to fabricate Zirconium Diboride (ZrB₂) parts for ultra-high temperature applications. Experiments were conducted to determine values of SLS process parameters (laser power, scan speed, line spacing, and layer thickness) that can be used to build ZrB₂ parts with high integrity and sharp geometrical features. A sacrificial plate with a proper number of layers (determined from experimentation) separated from the main part was built in order to reduce thermal gradients when building the main part. The sacrificial plate was found to assist in eliminating cracks in the bottom of the main part. …

Selective Laser Sintering Of 13-93 Bioactive Glass, Krishna C. R. Kolan, Ming-Chuan Leu, Greg Hilmas, Mariano Garcia Velez

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bioactive glasses are more promising than biopolymers in fabricating scaffolds for bone tissue repair because they convert to hydroxyapatite, when implanted in vivo. Both direct and indirect selective laser sintering (SLS) methods of 13-93 bioactive glass were considered in this research to study the feasibility of fabricating scaffolds for bone repair applications. Stearic acid was used as the binder in the indirect method to fabricate the scaffolds. The green scaffolds underwent binder burnout and sintering at various soaking conditions between 675⁰C and 700⁰C, achieving a maximum compressive strength of 23.6 MPa, which is higher than that of the human cancellous …

Computer Aided Contour Profiling Of High Strength Deposits, Sriram Praneeth Isanaka, Amar Bala Sridhar, Frank W. Liou, Joseph William Newkirk

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Additive manufacturing processes suffer from the effect of ripples, edge rounding and surface variations. To reduce their effect, ideal process parameters for the laser deposition process were investigated. Also, a new method was identified to analyze deposits by accurately plotting their contours. This was achieved through point cloud data of the deposits generated using coordinate measurement and 3D scanning. Curve fitting was performed on the data in Matlab to generate the contours of the deposit. The intercept values, heights, and contact angle of the curves give an indication of the uniformity of deposits and aid in reducing defects.

Processing And Characterization Of New Oxy-Sulfo-Telluride Glasses In The Ge-Sb-Te-S-O System, C. (Charmayne) Smith (Lonergan), J. Jackson, L. Petit, C. Rivero-Baleine, K. Richardson

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

New oxy-sulfo-telluride glasses have been prepared in the GeSbTeSO system employing a two-step melting process which involves the processing of a chalcogenide glass (ChG) and subsequent melting with TeO₂ or Sb₂O₃. The progressive incorporation of O at the expense of S was found to increase the density and the glass transition temperature and to decrease the molar volume of the investigated oxy-sulfo-telluride glasses. We also observed a shift of the visNIR cut-off wavelength to longer wavelength probably due to changes in Sb coordination within the glass matrix and overall matrix polarizability. Using Raman spectroscopy, correlations …

Functionally Graded Materials By Laser Metal Deposition (Preprint), Syamala R. Pulugurtha, Joseph William Newkirk, Frank W. Liou, Hsin-Nan Chou

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fabrication of functionally graded materials (FGMs) by laser metal deposition (LMD) has the potential to offer solutions to key engineering problems over the traditional metalworking techniques. But the issues that need to be addressed while building FGMs are intermixing in the layers and cracking due to the residual stresses. This paper is to present the study of the effect of process parameters (laser power and travel speed) on the degree of dilution between the substrate (or, previous layer) and powder material for few metallurgical systems.

Reaction Sintered Zirconium Carbide/Tungsten Composite Bodies And A Method For Producing The Same, Shi C. Zhang, Greg Hilmas, William Fahrenholtz

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A method of sintering a composite body characterized by a transition metal carbide phase (such as a ZrC phase) substantially evenly distributed in a second, typically refractory, transition metal (such as W) matrix at ambient pressures, including blending a first predetermined amount of first transition metal oxide powder (such as ZrO₂) with a second predetermined amount of second transition metal carbide powder (such as WC powder). Next the blended powders are mixed to yield a substantially homogeneous powder mixture and a portion of the substantially homogeneous powder mixture is formed into a green body. The body is fired …

Impedance Spectroscopy Of Batio₃ Cubes Suspended In Lossy Liquids As A Physical Model Of Two-Phase System, Piotr Z. Jasinski, Vladimir Petrovsky, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Impedance spectroscopy techniques were used for analysis of the physical model in a two-phase system toward determining of dielectric constant of dielectric particles suspended in liquids at various solids loading (volume fraction) levels. Model experimental studies were conducted using BaTiO3 as a dielectric material that was prepared as small cubes of uniform size (2×2×1 mm). Barium titanate (BT) cubes having a dielectric constant of 3850 were immersed in liquids of low dielectric constant and moderate electrical conductivity. Measured impedance spectra consisted of two semicircles, which were fitted for (R∥C)(R∥C) equivalent circuit. The parameters obtained from fitting were compared with the …

Understanding Corrosion Of Ni₃(Si,Nb) Alloys In Hot Sulfuric Acid, Jen-Hsien Hsu

Doctoral Dissertations

"The Sulfur-Iodine thermochemical cycle has been proposed as a method for producing large quantities of hydrogen gas from water. However, the extreme operating environments involved limit the possible materials for construction.

Through proper heat treatment and composition control, the modified patented Ni₃(Si,Nb) alloy keeps high temperature strength to greater than 750⁰C and can be deformed by cold rolling more than 50% using multiple passes and intermediate anneals. The corrosion resistance is reproducible and maintains less than 5 mpy for a broad range of boiling sulfuric acid concentrations, including 70 wt%.

In the boiling 70 wt% sulfuric acid corrosion tests, kinetic …

Ceramic Dielectrics For High Energy Density Capacity Application, Sheng Chao

Doctoral Dissertations

"The objective of this dissertation is to investigate the relationship between the processing parameters, microstructural development, defect chemistry and electrical properties of titanium oxide (TiO₂) dielectrics for high energy density capacitor applications. The effects of aliovalent dopants on the dielectric properties of TiO₂ ceramics were investigated, aiming to further improve the desired dielectric properties especially at elevated temperatures (up to 200°C). Due to the segregation of acceptor type impurities in the starting powders, space charge polarization took place in TiO₂ ceramics with relative large grain size (>̲500nm), leading to high dielectric loss and low energy storage efficiency. Increased ratio …

Borate Based Bioactive Glass Scaffolds For Hard And Soft Tissue Engineering, Steven B. Jung

Doctoral Dissertations

"The main objectives of this dissertation were to evaluate bioactive borate glass scaffolds for hard and soft tissue applications and determine the potential toxicity of the borate glasses on the adjacent and systemic tissues. Porous randomly oriented fiber scaffolds composed of bioactive borate glass were implanted in subcutaneous soft tissue sites and in calvaria defects of laboratory rats and no signs of toxicity (necrotic tissue, increase in macrophages or other immune cells) were detected in any of the adjacent tissues (hard or soft). Systemic organs (kidney and liver) of laboratory rats implanted with bioactive borate scaffolds were analyzed for possible …

Zinc Iron Phosphate Glasses For Enameling Applications, Sagnik Saha

Masters Theses

"New compositions of low temperature black glasses were developed that are suitable as frits for enameling soda-lime silicate (S-L-S) glass substrates. Zinc iron phosphate glasses are of interest for this application because they possess dilatometric low softening points (under 600ºC) and have coefficients of thermal expansion that are compatible with S-L-S glass (in the range 90-110x10⁻⁷/ºC). The development of compositions with excellent chemical durability, particularly in acidic conditions, is also desired. Compositional modification were made to the (Na₂O+K₂O)·ZnO·MnO·Fe₂O₃·P₂O₅ glass system using design of experiments. The compositional boundaries used in the design were based on earlier work at Missouri S&T. The …

Dependency Of Machinability In Gray Cast Iron On Nitride-Induced Age Strengthening, Jared Teague

Doctoral Dissertations

"Work of previous researchers has suggested that room temperature age strengthening in gray cast irons improves machinability. Verification and quantification of the machinability improvement is important to industry. Improved machinability will reduce overall manufacturing costs and reduce raw material consumption by decreasing the rate at which tools are replaced. Experimental work was performed to determine a connection between improved machinability in gray cast iron and changes in machining mechanics. An industrial tool wear study verified that age strengthening improved machinability by reducing tool wear to less than one-quarter of the unaged value. Laboratory tests on iron castings from the same …

Foundry Parameters For Casting High-Aluminum Lightweight Steel In Complex Shapes, Angella Marie Schulte

Masters Theses

"This work investigated the liquid metal treatment and molding practices for Fe- 30wt.%Mn-9wt.%Al-1wt.%Si-0.9wt.%C-0.5wt.%Mo steel. The goal of this research was to determine the process conditions that would produce a tough Fe-Mn-Al-C alloy and the appropriate mold design to produce a defect-free P900 plate.

Notch toughness of age-hardenable Fe-Mn-Al-C alloys decreases as phosphorus increases. Thermodynamic calculations and experimental work show that additions of Ca followed by Ce can be used to mitigate the deleterious effects of phosphorus, and the addition of Ar-stirring can be used to decrease the number of harmful aluminum nitride inclusions. In the solution-treated and aged condition (Brinell …

Resistance Switching In Electrodeposited Magnetite Thin Films, Samantha Glen Matthews

Masters Theses

"The resistance switching phenomenon has been extensively studied in metal oxide thin films for its applications in the non-volatile memory industry. The research presented here focuses on magnetite thin films which have been electrodeposited onto gold-sputtered glass substrates via the electrochemical reduction of a Fe(III)-triethanolamine complex in aqueous alkaline solution. Magnetite was chosen for its usefulness in read/write memory applications, its high Curie temperature, its metal-to-insulator (Verwey) transition, and its half-metallic character and attendant spintronic properties. Resistance switching behavior caused by a reversible redox reaction at the anode was observed in the films, demonstrating that electrodeposited films show the same …

Effect Of Phosphorus On Cleavage Fracture In Κ-Carbide, N. I. Medvedeva, Ryan A. Howell, David C. Van Aken, Julia E. Medvedeva

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To understand the origin of cleavage fracture which dominates in Fe(Mn)-Al-C alloys at a high phosphorus concentration, we performed first-principles study of the phosphorus effect on ideal cleavage energy and critical stress in κ-carbide, Fe₃ AlC, a precipitate in the austenitic alloys. We find that phosphorus has higher solubility in Fe₃ AlC than in γ-Fe and sharply reduces the cleavage characteristics of κ-carbide. We show that strong anisotropy of the Fe-P bonds in Fe₃ (Al,P) C under tensile stress, leads to the appearance of large structural voids and may facilitate crack nucleation.

Evaluation Of Alternative Methods For Surface Preparation And Deposition Of Cerium-Based Conversion Coatings On Aluminum Alloys, William J. Gammill

Masters Theses

"This thesis investigates alternative surface preparation and deposition methods for cerium-based conversion coatings (CeCC) on high strength aluminum alloys. Cerium-based conversion coatings are being investigated as a more environmentally friendly replacement for chromium-based conversion coatings. Currently, the alloys are immersed in strong alkaline and acidic solutions to prepare the aluminum surfaces for conversion coating, in which immersion may not be suitable for all situations. Alternatives to this method were investigated, including wipe application of solution, ultrasonic processing in deionized water, and abrasive blasting with alumina. AI 7075-T6 test panels were prepared using each of these methods and compared to a …

Sintering And Microstructural Effects On Mechanical Properties Of Zirconium Carbide-Tungsten Cermets, Melissa M. Giles Craft

Masters Theses

"Zirconium carbide-tungsten cermets were prepared by in situ reaction sintering a mixture of zirconia and tungsten carbide. Tungsten is a refractory metal with a melting point of 3422⁰C; however, its mechanical strength decreases significantly with increasing temperature. One approach to improve the elevated temperature strength is to add ceramic particulates to the matrix. Zirconia and tungsten carbide were compacted and then reacted and sintered in a single step by heating to 2050⁰C. The resulting stoichiometric zirconium carbide-tungsten cermet had a relative density greater than 96%. Cermets with two different grain sizes were produced by altering the final sintering temperature. Sintering …

Factors Controlling Ductility In Ultrafine Grain Aluminum Alloys Under Monotonic And Cyclic Loading, Partha Sarathi De

Doctoral Dissertations

"Ultrafine grained (UFG) Al processed by severe plastic deformation (SPD) methods are characterized by high strength and a limited uniform ductility. Friction stir processing (FSP), an offshoot of friction stir welding has emerged as a new technique to produce UFG alloys. FSP-UFG Al alloys show a distinctly different behavior with higher uniform elongation and improved high cycle fatigue life as compared to other SPD processed variants. The objective of this work was to study the microstructural basis for such mechanical behavior in FSP-UFG Al alloys.

To study the mechanical behavior of FSP Al alloys, a subsize bending fatigue and uniaxial …

Controlling Strength And Permeability Of Silica Investment Casting Molds, Darryl M. Kline

Masters Theses

"Investment casting is a metal casting process in which a ceramic mold is created around a disposable pattern using dip coating. The fine silica flour making up most of the mold gives the benefits of a smooth internal mold surface and high density. The high density allows for investment casting molds to be thinner and lighter than sand-based molds, but gives substantially smaller gaps between particles for air flow. This research focused on the design and improvement of the formulation for making investment casting molds with customizable physical properties. Properties of the molds, specifically flexural strength, permeability, and physical structure, …

Electrochemical Characterization Of Cerium-Based Conversion Coatings On Al 7075-T6, Simon Joshi

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research used electrochemical techniques to characterize the deposition and corrosion protection behavior of cerium-based conversion coatings on AI 7075-T6. Alkaline activation decreased native oxide impedance (5.9 kΩ-cm²) by ~25% promoting deposition of 250-500 mn coatings. Activation in NaOH solutions deposited coatings with large cracks and craters, whereas Na₂C0₃ activation resulted in uniform coatings, i.e., fewer cracks and almost no craters. Uniformly deposited coatings exhibited better cathodic inhibition and higher impedance (~200 kΩ-cm²) than on NaOH activated substrates (~100 kΩ-cm²). Subsurface crevices, caused by Cl⁻ and H₂O₂ in the deposition solution, were found under large cracks and craters. Thus, Na₂CO₃ …

Phosphate Post-Treatment Of Cerium-Based Conversion Coatings On Al 2024-T3, Daimon K. Heller

Doctoral Dissertations

"Phosphate post-treatment of cerium-based conversion coatings (CeCCs) on high strength aluminum alloys can significantly improve corrosion resistance. As-deposited CeCCs exhibit corrosion pits and salt tails across the specimen surface after 3 days of exposure, but post-treated CeCCs have withstood 14 days of salt spray exposure without visibly corroding. The morphology, phase, and electrochemical properties of spray deposited CeCCs were affected by post-treatment parameters such as immersion time, solution temperature, and phosphate source. The best performing coatings were post-treated in aqueous orthophosphate solutions for at least 5 min at temperatures of at least 85⁰C. These conditions converted cerium hydroxy/peroxy species in …

Experimental Study On Thermal Treatment Of Used Printed Wiring Boards (Pwbs), Xiangjun Zuo

Masters Theses

The availability of cheaper and better electronic products as a result of the rapid innovation in technology in past decades has driven the production of e-waste forward. Printed wiring board (PWB) is a component made of one or more layers of insulating material with electrical conductors. The existing processes of recycling PWBs use pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical methods, which generate atmospheric pollution. Green recycling has obvious benefits to decrease the amount of PWBs. Green recycling includes two features, 1) little or zero pollution of toxic gases and heavy metals, and 2) efficient (quick and economical) recycling.

The aim of this work …

The Properties And Structure Of Tin Phosphate Glasses Modified With Other Oxides, Jong Wook (Austin) Lim

Masters Theses

"The main objective of this research was to evaluate the properties and structures of glasses from the stannous (SnO) phosphate system for possible use in low temperature optical applications. Glasses in the binary xSnO-(100-x)P₂O₅ system (50 ≤ x ≤ 70) were prepared and their thermal and optical properties were evaluated. Differences in glass transition temperatures (T_g) measured here and reported in the literature were explained by differences in the residual water content in the glasses, as determined by infrared spectroscopy. In general, increasing the SnO content of the binary glasses increased the refractive index and the glass transition …

Characterization Of Diamond Thin Films And Related Materials, Travis K. Mckindra

Doctoral Dissertations

"Thin carbon films including sputtered deposited graphite and CO₂ laser-assisted combustion-flame deposited graphite and diamond thin films were characterized using optical and electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Amorphous carbon thin films were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering using Ar/O₂ gases. The film morphology changed with the oxygen content. The deposition rate decreased as the amount of oxygen increased due to oxygen reacting with the growing film. The use of oxygen in the working gas enhanced the crystalline nature of the films. Graphite was deposited on WC substrates by a CO₂ laser-assisted O₂/C₂H₂ combustion-flame method. Two distinct microstructural areas …

Phase Equilibria In Iron Phosphate System, Liying Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

"The main objectives of this research were to synthesize iron phosphate compounds, study phase equilibria in the iron phosphate system, focusing on the glass forming area, and investigate glass formability and properties based on the liquidus regions. Twelve iron phosphate compounds were successfully prepared and studied in terms of liquidus temperature or decomposition behavior. The liquidus surface of the Fe₃PO₇- Fe(PO₃)₃ system was re-determined and found to be significantly different from that originally presented by Wentrup in 1935. Eutectic points exist at 58.0 mole% Fe₂O₃ (1070⁰C), 42.7 mole% Fe₂O₃ (925°C), and 37.0 mole% Fe₂O₃ (907°C). The latter two eutectic points …

Fluid Flow Related Phenomena And Inclusion Motion In Continuous Casting Strands, Yufeng Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

"To improve the efficiency of the continuous casting process and the quality of its products, this dissertation mainly investigated fluid flow related phenomena and inclusion motion in continuous casting. Mathematical simulation was performed for this purpose. Both a slab caster and a billet caster were investigated. In the study of the slab caster, the application of electromagnetic brake field on the slab mold was evaluated. The results indicated that the magnetic force decelerated the high speed steel jet, stabilized the top fluctuation, and prevented the bias flow inside the mold. The other study of this slab caster involved the fluid …

Characterization Of The Corrosion Protection Mechanism Of Cerium-Based Conversion Coatings On High Strength Aluminum Alloys, William R. Pinc

Doctoral Dissertations

"The aim of the work presented in this dissertation is to investigate the corrosion protection mechanism of cerium-based conversion coatings ( CeCCs) used in the corrosion protection of high strength aluminum alloys. The corrosion resistance of CeCCs involves two general mechanisms; barrier and active. The barrier protection mechanism was influenced by processing parameters, specifically surface preparation, post-treatment, and the use of gelatin. Post-treatment and the addition of gelatin to the coating solution resulted in fewer cracks and transformation of the coating to CeP0₄, which increased the corrosion resistance by improving the barrier aspect of CeCCs. CeCCs were found to best …