Engineering Commons^™

Determining An Inorganic Mineralization Process To Inhibit Organic Degradation And Preserve The Dimensional Stability Of Bamboo, Eric Hahn

Materials Engineering

Bamboo is a renewable natural composite with potential as both a construction and synthesis material. The components of bamboo are cellulosic vascular bundles imbedded within a lignin matrix that create a porous hierarchical structure. This structure has low density while maintaining high strength, toughness, and elasticity, but is susceptible to organic decay. A study was performed to evaluate the effect of varying bamboo culm age (1-3 years) and density (0.72-1.05 g/cm³) on the ability to control inorganic mineral precipitation to prevent degradation and preserve dimensional stability of the organic matrix. Internodal culm samples were immersed in solutions of …

Biaxial & Twist Testing Of Composite Carbon-Fiber Sandwich Panels For Automotive Racing Vehicles, Erik Eckberg

Materials Engineering

Composite sandwich panels were constructed with 4-ply plain weave carbon-fiber/epoxy face sheets in the 0^o/45^o/0^o/45^o orientation and 1/8^th inch Nomex honeycomb core. The panels were cut into 5-inch square test plates for mechanical testing. All testing was done on a fixture designed and fabricated by Pratt & Miller Engineering and installed on an Instron testing system at Cal Poly. The twist test was performed by supporting diagonal corners of the plate while simultaneously loading the opposite two corners at a crosshead rate of .06 in/min (ASTM 3044-94R11). Out of 10 panels tested, …

The Design And Fabrication Of A Silicon Membrane For Electrostatic Actuation, Elizabeth L. Brooks

Materials Engineering

An electrostatically actuated silicon membrane was designed and fabricated utilizing a siliconon- insulator wafer. The SOI wafer contains three layers- a 400μm thick “handle” layer of silicon followed by a 2μm thick oxide layer topped with a 20μm thick “device” layer of silicon. The embedded oxide layer acts as an etch-stop during silicon etching, leaving a thin membrane of consistent thickness on the device side. The device dimensions were chosen to provide acceptable membrane deflection predicted by calculations and Finite Element Analysis. A microfabrication process plan was designed to produce thin membranes appropriate for electrostatic actuation. A 700nm layer of …

Effects Of Beta Stabilizers On Quench Delay Susceptibility Of Ti-6al-4v, Kyle Logan

Materials Engineering

Tensile samples of Titanium 6Al-4V (Ti-6Al-4V) were machined from forgings containing rich and poor amounts of beta stabilizers in their compositions. The tensile samples were each heat treated two times. In the first round of heat treatments, the samples were either beta solution treated (BST), or solution treated (ST). Each sample was water quenched with varying quench delays of 10, 20, and 30 seconds. BST treated specimens were then overaged at 1350°F for 2 hours and air cooled (BSTOA); while the ST treated samples were aged at 990°F for 6 hours and air cooled (STA). Following heat treating, the tensile …

Evaluation Of Corrosion Properties For Use Of Az31b In Bioabsorbable Stents And In Vivo Corrosion Rate Prediction Using Fea, Jared Vidales, Austin Schader, Jenna Jerman, Michael Turovskiy

Materials Engineering

AZ31B was heat treated to evoke more controlled and uniform corrosion. 1/16” diameter AZ31B wire was cut into six samples each 1” long. The samples underwent heat treatments following ASTM B661-06. Samples were weighed and placed into three different in vitro environments. In the first scenario two samples of each heat treatment were individually placed in 50 ml of saline solution at 0.9% sodium, in a static test tube at 37°C temperature. Two samples were placed in 100 ml of 0.9% saline solution in a 250 ml stirring beaker with an average whirlpool depth of 1”. Two of each sample …

Effects Of Alternate Cementitious Materials On Compressive Strength And Environmental Impacts Of Cement Mix Designs., Mitchell R. Bush

Materials Engineering

Specific proportions of Portland cement, fly ash, and blast furnace slag cement mixtures where chosen by a ternary phase diagram to be investigated. By experimental testing and company data history fly ash was limited to not exceed 30% and contribution of Portland cement must be over 50%. Ten chosen mix designs were batched by following ASTM C305-94 and cured for twenty-eight and forty-two days, the extended cure length allows the reaction of pozzolanic material with calcium hydroxide to complete. Compressive strength testing at forty-two days yielded low strength for mix designs with 20% or less Portland cement compared to our …

The Characterization And Comparison Of Biochar Produced From A Decentralized Reactor Using Forced Air And Natural Draft Pyrolysis, Leah Herbert, Ian Hosek, Rishi Kripalani

Materials Engineering

The soil additive properties of biochar have proven both effective and globally beneficial, but depend heavily on feedstock used and process conditions. This study characterizes how forced and natural draft air flows affect the biochar’s soil amendment potential. Biochars manufactured from two pine species of feedstock, in timber and pellet form, were compared against a designer biochar. The designer biochar held the lowest C:N ratio (57.43), followed by the natural draft pellets (199.5), forced air timber (282.5), forced air pellets (422.7), and natural draft timber (503.7). The designer char had the largest cation exchange capacity at 138.5 cmolc/kg; the decentralized …

Microstructural Characterization Of Ti-6al-4v And Its Relationship To Sample Geometry, Blake Gaspar

Materials Engineering

A problem exists with a part produced by forging made by Shultz Steel of Ti-6Al-4V in the variance of properties throughout the part. There is one specific region that exhibits the most variance. The purpose of the report is to determine any microstructural differences within the region of interest in the part. When microstructures of the inner section and outer section of the part were looked at it was determined that they exhibited a martensitic structure. There was a noticeable difference in the lath structure between sections. The outer region contained larger more widely spread laths of an average length …

Artificial Alveolar-Capillary Membrane On A Microchip, Keith Male

Materials Engineering

A microfluidic device was synthesized out of polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) to simulate the structure of the alveolar-capillary interface of the human lung. Soft lithography techniques were used to build a mold structure out of SU-8 epoxy at heights ranging from 30µm to 110 µm on a silicon substrate, with the 70 µm structure working the best. A mixture of 10:1 Sylgard 184 elastomer was then cast using the mold, and cured at a temperature of 80^oC. For the porous membrane, the PDMS was spun on at 6000rpm for 30 seconds using a spin coater to produce a membrane …

Bond Strength Characterization Of Su-8 To Su-8 For Fabricating Microchannels Of An Electrokinetic Microfluidic Pump, Nash Anderson

Materials Engineering

Photosensitive negative resist polymer layers of SU-8 2050 were adhered to 100 mm n-type silicon and Pyrex wafers via spin coating. These wafers were then bonded together at various temperatures of 100 ͦC, 120 ͦC, 140 ͦC, 150 ͦC, 160 ͦC, and 180 ͦC. The target thickness of each SU-8 layer was 100 µm. Photolithography was used to create microfluidic channels within the SU-8. An n-type silicon wafer and a Pyrex wafer, each with an SU-8 layer, were brought together on the “hard bake” or final step of SU-8 polymerization. A pressure of ~300 KPa was applied during the hard …

Design And Fabrication Of Serpentine-Hinged Silicon Micro-Mirror Devices, Nicholas Wiswell

Materials Engineering

Seven different actuating micro-mirror designs were created and verified via finite element analysis. Two were straight torsion beam hinge designs representative of previous work at Cal Poly; the remaining five were new designs incorporating serpentine hinges. The surface area of these mirror devices ranged from 0.5 square millimeters to 12.5 square millimeters. Geometric patterns representing the device profiles were created and used to obtain photolithographic masks. Beginning with a 400μm thick, 100mm diameter silicon on insulator wafer, a silicon dioxide layer was thermally grown on the surface at 1050 degrees Celsius. Positive photoresist was then spun onto the wafer at …

Design And Development Of An Interactive Materials-Based Learning Kit For K-4 Grade Levels, Thomas Agasid, Santiago Caceres, James Woodhead

Materials Engineering

The Materials Safari Adventure kit was designed to help introduce basic materials concepts to young audiences in kindergarten through fourth grade levels. The primary goal of this project was to design a tool to spark an interest in materials science for young children, while revealing the field of materials science to parents and educators. The final kit design incorporates a safari theme to encourage imagination and promote self-directed learning through the interaction with materials. Materials were selected to showcase a range of properties within three materials classes: metals, polymers, and natural woods. A total of 9 materials were chosen for …

Improving Solar Cell Performance Using Cdse/Zns Core/Shell Quantum Dots In A Spectral Conversion System, Buddy Bump

Materials Engineering

Solar cells have been found to absorb light more efficiently and effectively when the energy of incoming photons matches the electronic band gap of the solar cell. Spectral conversion of light from UV to lower energy wavelengths can improve solar cell efficiency an estimated 14.5%. Cadmium Selenium/Zinc Sulfide Core/Shell quantum dots have been successfully embedded in PDMS silicone elastomer. Using a Keithley 2400 Electrometer with Labview software, voltage and current characteristics have been recorded in steps of 10 mV with a wait time of 250 ms on a commercially available solar cell using an artificial solar spectrum created by a …

Morphology And Roughness Of Al2o3 On Ferritic Stainless Steel Foil For Diesel Catalytic Converter Applications, Megan Butala

Materials Engineering

The improved thermal properties of metal-substrate catalytic converters enable effective catalysis sooner after ignition than traditional ceramic monoliths, resulting in less harmful emissions. ACAT Global, a manufacturer of stainless steel catalytic converters, uses ferritic stainless steel substrates for low temperature catalytic converters for diesel automobiles. Production begins with an oxidizing heat treatment to increase surface roughness. The success of the second production step, the application of catalyst-containing ceramic slurry (washcoat), depends on the surface roughness that results from oxidation. Formation of the primary oxide of interest, alumina (Al₂O₃), is controlled by the stainless steel foil composition, …

Discontinuous Grain Boundaries Of Forged René 41, Steven Crump

Materials Engineering

Forged components must pass a grain size specification (grain size, distribution) for acceptance in an application. The varying amounts of plastic deformation during forging can lead to abnormally large recrystallized grain sizes in certain regions of the part, which will not pass specification. The question exists whether these abnormally coarse grains are truly comprised of poly crystalline fine grains with grain boundaries resistant to etching techniques. To investigate this abnormal grain size effect, a cross section of a forged René 41 nickel-based superalloy aircraft engine ring was cut and sectioned into six segments. Those segments were then prepared for microstructural …

Analyzing The Corrosion Resistance Of Ni-Shield 200 Coatings At Different Temperatures When Exposed To Sulphuric Acid, Alex Hussinger

Materials Engineering

Six steel samples each were twin wire arc sprayed with Hastelloy C-276 or Nickel-Shield 200 coatings approximately 0.020″ thick. These samples were then cut into 3″ by 3″ squares. A 2″ diamond grit hole saw was used to abrade and polish to a smooth surface a ring in the middle in order to get an O-ring mechanical seal. The samples were then weighed and loaded into a jig that started from the bottom up with a stainless steel plate, then the sample, then a Viton O-ring, a ¾″ thick glass plate with a 1 3/4″ hole cut in it, another …

Al2O3 Oxide Morphology For Two Fe-Cr-Al Stainless Steel Foils Used In Gasoline Engine Catalytic Converters, Jennifer Suiter

Materials Engineering

Corrugated 0.05 in thick strips of Fe-Cr-Al ferritic stainless steel samples with 4% and 6% aluminum were heat treated, and the resulting Al₂O₃ oxide was analyzed using SEM imaging. Three heat treatment cycles were carried out for each sample. The heat treatments were based on future metal-substrate catalytic converter processing prior to applying the washcoat Each heat treatment started with a 90 minute ramp from room temperature to 538°C and a 32.5 minute ramp from 538°C to 899°C. The three different dwell periods at 899°C were 4 hours, 6 hours, and taking a sample out every hour …

The Mitigation Of Eutrophication Using Microporous Polymer Membranes To Control Algae Growth, Christopher R. Riley

Materials Engineering

A system was designed to mitigate the accelerated process of anthropogenic eutrophication. This system aimed to contain Chlorella Vulgaris microalgae cells within an enclosed polymer membrane pouch while allowing for water and nutrients to diffuse through the pouch. As a test model, a 10 gallon aquarium was partitioned into three sections using polycarbonate membranes with 1 micron pore diameters. Each section was then gradually filled with a deionized water and Bristol solution recommended for microalgae growth. Phosphate and nitrate were added to Section A of the aquarium and allowed to diffuse throughout the tank. A water pump was used to …

Novel Platform Development Using An Assembly Of Carbon Nanotube, Nanogold And Immobilized Rna Capture Element Towards Rapid, Selective Sensing Of Bacteria, Elizabeth I. Maurer, Kristen K. Comfort, Saber M. Hussain, John J. Schlager, Sharmila M. Mukhopadhyay

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

This study examines the creation of a nano-featured biosensor platform designed for the rapid and selective detection of the bacterium Escherichia coli. The foundation of this sensor is carbon nanotubes decorated with gold nanoparticles that are modified with a specific, surface adherent ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequence element. The multi-step sensor assembly was accomplished by growing carbon nanotubes on a graphite substrate, the direct synthesis of gold nanoparticles on the nanotube surface, and the attachment of thiolated RNA to the bound nanoparticles.

The application of the compounded nanomaterials for sensor development has the distinct advantage of retaining the electrical behavior …

Corrosion Of Stainless Steel 316l And Astm F75 Cobalt Chromium Alloy During Immersion Testing In Silver Salt Solutions, Meagan Higgins

Materials Engineering

This study evaluates the potential effects of silver salts on biocompatible metals used for prostheses during the chemical reduction process to produce a silver antimicrobial layer on the metal’s surface. Samples of two biocompatible metals were obtained: Stainless Steel 316L and ASTM F75 Cobalt Chromium Alloy. Three different silver salts were also acquired: silver nitrate, silver sulfadiazine, and silver chloride. Specimens of each metal were cut to size using a 4-1/2 inch aluminum oxide, 40 grit, cut off wheel for metal, attached to a Dewalt Angle Grinder. The biocompatible metal samples were then subject to either Solution 1, water with …

Effect Of Fluxing Additive On Sintering Temperature, Microstructure And Properties Of Batio3, Yaseen Iqbal, Asad Jamal, Riaz Ullah, M. Naeem Khan, Rick Ubic

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Various fluxing materials are added to technical ceramics in an attempt to lower their sintering temperatures and make their processing economical. The effect of 0·3wt% Li₂CO₃ addition on the phase, microstructure, phase transition temperatures and dielectric properties of BaTiO₃ was investigated in the present study. The addition of 0·3wt% Li2CO₃ was observed to lower the optimum sintering temperature by ∼200^◦C with no second phase formation and cause a five-fold reduction in grain size. Rhombohedral-to-orthorhombic and tetragonal-to-cubic phase transitions at the expected temperatures were evident from the Raman spectra, but the orthorhombic-totetragonal phase transition …

Multipolymer Interactions In Bulk Heterojunction Photovoltaic Devices, Grant Olson

Physics

Multipolymer photovoltaics, single layer devices made up of multiple photoactive polymers, can create organic photovoltaics (OPVs) with a wider spectral response than single polymer systems without the difficult fabrication of a tandem. Our group has successfully created multipolymer solar devices with 2% power conversion efficiency. We have analyzed the optical and electrical properties of these devices, and found that it may be possible for polymers to assist each other with charge extraction, though combining polymers disrupts single polymer crystallinity.

Creating A Solar Cell Array From A Single Silicon Wafer, Samyukta Gade, Roderick Marstell

Materials Engineering

Two different processes to create multi-celled solar panels from single wafers were made and implemented. To do this, the cells must not have a common ground, and both designs use different approaches to solve this problem. One utilizes a 2.9 µm deep n-type well within a 10.74 µm deep p-type well in an n-type wafer. There are two cells in series, which has a theoretical voltage of 1 V. The cells are connected in series with 1.9 µm thick gold traces. Any area that the gold is not in contact with the silicon has a .5 µm layer silicon dioxide …

The Effects Of Concentration, Stir Rate, And Processing Temperature On The Iridescence Of Polymethyl Methacrylate Nanoparticles, David Baruela

Materials Engineering

Synthetic opals were synthesized by creating polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) nanospheres in order to determine which conditions would create the best iridescent samples. The factors affecting the iridescence were nanosphere concentration, stir rate, and processing temperature. PMMA solutions were made by adding 17 mg of granular azobis to a solution of 16 mL of distilled water with 3 mL of methyl methacrylate (MMA). The solution was stirred at different rates, slow and fast, and different temperatures, 70 °C and 90 °C, under a constant flow of nitrogen gas for 40 minutes until the polymerization reaction was complete. Glass substrates were prepared …

Fabricating Replacement Glass Prisms For The Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, Daniel Garcken

Materials Engineering

The objective of this project was to design and create a process for manufacturing replacement glass prisms for the Piedras Blancas lighthouse and several other lighthouses nationwide. The prisms were designed to be in multiple metal arrays spread across the floor of the beacon room (the topmost room of the lighthouses). The prisms functioned to transmit extra, radiant light from the beacon light through the floor of the beacon room and disperse it into the maintenance room below. Using computer aided drafting (CAD) software, an original prism was measured and modeled; the corresponding mold was also modeled. G-codes for controlling …

Effects Of Abrasive Particles On The Projected Fatigue Life Of Nylon Climbing Rope, Casey Johnson, Charlie Klonowski

Materials Engineering

When climbing rope is used outdoors, it is exposed to foreign particles such as sand and silt. These particles can potentially work their way through a rope’s sheath and damage the load bearing core decreasing the rope’s strength without exhibiting obvious wear. This project quantified the effect of abrasive particles on the fatigue life of nylon climbing rope. The experimental design involved 18 pieces of static nylon rope of kernmantle construction. 9 of these samples were heavy agitated in a slurry of water, silt, sand and soil, and left to sit for 24 hours. The remaining 9 samples were submerged …

Synthesis Of White Cadmium-Selenium Quantum Dots, Kyle Reilly

Materials Engineering

A process was developed for the synthesis of cadmium-selenium quantum dots that fluoresce at multiple wavelengths, giving a white color to the solution. The process involved making a selenium pre-cursor, then a cadmium precursor, then injecting the selenium precursor into the cadmium precursor and extracting a sample. Once the a repeatable process for synthesizing white quantum dots was developed, the absorption and fluorescence was measured and recorded over a period of two weeks. In the development of the process, the key variables were the temperature of the cadmium precursor and the time between injecting the selenium precursor and extracting the …

Characterization Of Positive Macrosegregation At The Subsurface Of Direct-Chill Cast 7050 Aluminum Forging Billets, Aaron Youril

Materials Engineering

Segregation of alloying elements during casting of forging billets may persist to the final forged component leading to unacceptable surface appearance. Determination of the elements or compounds that segregate is the essential first step to solving this problem. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was used to determine a composition profile of the macrosegregation occurring at the subsurface of an as-cast 7050 aluminum alloy billet. Data collection was carried out by separating 10 to 20 mg samples from the outer centimeter along the radius of the billet, as well as samples from the bulk interior of the billet for comparison with the …

Analysis Of Failed Forging Saddling Mandrels And Process Improvements For Increased Mandrel Lifespan, Brock Costalupes

Materials Engineering

This project seeks to increase the lifespan of steel mandrels used by Schlosser Forge in the saddling process, which is part of the production of forged rings for the aerospace and power generation industries. All saddle mandrel samples were taken from used 4340 steel mandrels. Hardness profiles were measured across rectangular bars cut from the transverse direction of a completely fractured piece of a 7″ diameter mandrel. The hardness near one outer surface of the tested bar was 36 HRC and gradually decreased to 30.5 HRC at the opposite surface. Macroscopic examination of the primary fracture surface along with light …

Effect Of Heating Temperature, Heating Time And Initial Microstructure On Recrystallization Of Waspaloy During Heating For Forging, Marissa Hill

Materials Engineering

A fine, uniform grain size is required for creep limited Waspaloy in aircraft engine applications. Upon heating, Waspaloy does not always recrystallize in a uniform manner resulting in occasional large grains with a majority of the grains meeting the grain size requirements. Waspaloy’s microstructure was analyzed with different heat treatments and in the as-forged condition. The strengthening mechanism is the gamma prime phase. The gamma prime solvus temperature is 1908°F so the different heat treatments were determined around that temperature, as well as the forging temperature range of 1800-2150°F. At the 1850°F heat treatment, the microstructure recrystallized with small grains, …