Engineering Commons^™

Properties And Mechanisms Of Self-Sensing Carbon Nanofibers/Epoxy Composites For Structural Health Monitoring, Yanlei Wang, Yongshuai Wang, Baolin Wan, Baoguo Han, Gaochuang Cai, Zhizheng Li

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

In this paper, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with high aspect ratio were dispersed into epoxy matrix via mechanical stirring and ultrasonic treatment to fabricate self-sensing CNFs/epoxy composites. The mechanical, electrical and piezoresistive properties of the nanocomposites filled with different contents of CNFs were investigated. Based on the tunneling conduction and percolation conduction theories, the mechanisms of piezoresistive property of the nanocomposites were also explored. The experimental results show that adding CNFs can effectively enhance the compressive strengths and elastic moduli of the composites. The percolation threshold of the CNFs/epoxy composites is 0.186 vol% according to the modified General Effective Media Equation. …

Mechanical Properties Of Zr-Based Bulk Metallic Glass Parts Fabricated By Laser-Foil-Printing Additive Manufacturing, Yingqi Li, Ming-Chuan Leu, Hai-Lung Tsai

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The application of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) has been traditionally limited to parts with small dimensions and simple geometries, due to the requirement of fast cooling during the conventional process of casting. This research exemplifies a promising additive manufacturing method, i.e., laser-foil-printing (LFP), to fabricate high-quality BMG parts with large dimensions and complex geometries. In this study, Zr_52.5Ti₅Al₁₀Ni_14.6Cu_17.9 BMG parts were fabricated by LFP technology in which MG foils are laser welded layer-by- layer upon a substrate. The mechanical properties of the fabricated BMG parts were measured using micro-indentation, tensile test …

Aging Response And Precipitation Behavior After 5% Pre-Deformation Of An Al-Mg-Si-Cu Alloy, Shuoxun Jin, Tungwai Ngai, Liejun Li, Shian Jia, Tongguang Zhai, Dongjie Ke

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

In this study, Al-1.00 Mg-0.65 Si-0.24 Cu alloy was solution heat-treated, water-quenched, and then pre-deformed for 5% before aging. The peak hardness and yield strength of the pre-deformed sample with subsequent artificial aging were similar to that of a T6 condition sample. It was also found that the pre-deformation treatment could inhibit the negative influence of natural aging to some degree. After seven days of natural aging, the pre-deformed sample obtained better peak hardness and yield strength upon artificial aging than the sample without pre-deformation. In addition, the pre-deformation treatment could reduce 50% of the artificial aging time to reach …

Functionalized Graphene Oxide As Reinforcement In Epoxy Based Nanocomposites, F. V. Ferreira, F. S. Brito, W. Franceschi, E. A. N. Simonetti, L. .S Cividanes, Mircea Chipara, Karen Lozano

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

The effects of amine-modified graphene oxide on dispersion and micro-hardness of epoxy based nanocomposites are reported. Graphene oxide was prepared by the modified Hummers method followed by hexamethylenediamine functionalization. Analysis conducted through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy show that the functionalization process effectively promoted a replacement of oxygen with amine groups while simultaneously creating defects in the graphitic structure. An increase in hardness was observed for the developed nanocomposites.

Mechanical Properties And Flame Retardancy Of Surface Modified Magnesium Oxysulfate (5mg(Oh)2·Mgso4·3h2o) Whisker For Polypropylene Composites, Eui-Su Kim, Ye Chan Kim, Jungwoo Park, Youngjun Kim, Sung-Hoon Kim, Kwang Jin Kim, Jonghwan Suhr, Youngkwan Lee, Seong Hoon Lee, Dae-Sik Kim, Soo-Hyun Kim, Ju-Ho Yun, In-Kyung Park, Jae-Do Nam

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Magnesium oxysulfate (MOS) whisker is considered as a promising inorganic material recently attracting a great attention for being used as a reinforcing filler for polymer composites due to high aspect ratio and extremely-low bulk density. In this study, the MOS was treated with 3-methacryloyloxypropyl-trimethoxy silane (MPS) via sol-gel condensation reactions, which successfully allowed melt mixing with polypropylene (PP) up to 30 wt% of MOS. The tensile strength at yield and modulus of the MOS/PP composites were substantially increased by 50.8% and 362%, respectively, when compared with the pristine PP. As a novel finding, the flame retardancy of MOS was proved …

Impact Of Vapor Polishing On Surface Quality And Mechanical Properties Of Extruded Abs, Clayton Neff, Matthew Trapuzzano, Nathan B. Crane

Faculty Publications

Purpose — Additive manufacturing (AM) is readily capable of producing models and prototypes of complex geometry and is advancing in creating functional parts. However, AM processes typically underperform traditional manufacturing methods in mechanical properties, surface roughness, and hermeticity. Solvent vapor treatments (vapor polishing) are commonly used to improve surface quality in thermoplastic parts, but the results are poorly characterized.

Design/methodology/approach — This work quantifies the surface roughness change and also evaluates the effect on hermeticity and mechanical property impacts for “as-printed” and acetone vapor-polished ABS tensile specimens of 1, 2, and 4 mm thicknesses produced by material extrusion (FDM).

Findings …