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Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

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Effects Of Energy Drink Additives On Crayfish Metabolism, Katherine Paltz Jan 2024

Effects Of Energy Drink Additives On Crayfish Metabolism, Katherine Paltz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The effects of caffeine and additives commonly found in energy drinks were tested on crayfish to record changes, if any, in their metabolism. Three experimental groups were studied: 1. Caffeine; 2. Caffeine + Glucuronolactone; 3.) Caffeine + Glucuronolactone + Taurine. Caffeine is a common stimulant used to improve mental awareness, headaches, memory, and athletic performance. Glucuronolactone is connected with cardiovascular issues and aggressive behavior. Taurine is said to improve mood and focus. The experiment was performed at two different caffeine levels: 600mg and 1200mg for an initial 1 hour of exposure and 10 hours after exposure used as a pseudo-baseline. …


Wetting Transition Of 3d-Printed Surface Features, Delia Weitzel Jan 2024

Wetting Transition Of 3d-Printed Surface Features, Delia Weitzel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project aims to build on the previous research of prior students in the study of the wetting transition of a textured, 3D-printed surface. The surfaces studied will be constructed by a resin printer in the lab and will be composed of an array of uniform, microscopic pillars. Features of the textured surface, such as pillar diameter, pillar spacing, and pillar height, will be varied to study the impact on the wetting transition of water, oil, and a combination of water and oil. The wetting transition is defined as a transition from a state where the surface cavities are occupied …


The Effects Of Relative Humidity And Valency On Water Absorption And Structure In Polyelectrolyte Brushes, Andrea Klima Jan 2024

The Effects Of Relative Humidity And Valency On Water Absorption And Structure In Polyelectrolyte Brushes, Andrea Klima

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project was to understand the relationship between relative humidity, ion valency, and the structure of water on positively (PMETAC) and negatively (PSPMA) charged polyelectrolyte brushes. The polyelectrolyte brushes were synthesized using Activators Regenerated by Electron Transfer Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ARGET ATRP) and were soaked in concentrations containing 0.1 M of the target counterion. The brushes were then exposed to humid vapor, and spectra were collected in 5% intervals between 0% and 85% for each counterion. Two trials were completed for each counterion studied to ensure agreement between datasets. In all spectra, peaks appeared for the …


Schaeffler Icvd Coating Machine, Louis Mcgrath Jan 2024

Schaeffler Icvd Coating Machine, Louis Mcgrath

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) is mutual technology used to deposit thin film through a gaseous phase by vaporizing the solid materials. This conventional process usually requires high thermal stability of the materials, which is not applicable for most of the polymeric materials. Therefore, a novel process, initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD) is developed by introducing the gaseous monument and initiator to form the thin film in-situ. By adjusting the free-radical polymerization in the vapor phase, a variety of thin and uniform polymer films can be achieved. Depending on the chemistry, iCVD has many categories. This report explains the design …


Degradable Staples And Delivery Device, Meha Elango, Jessica Cabrera, Makayla Scarpitti, Kareemat Melaiye Jan 2024

Degradable Staples And Delivery Device, Meha Elango, Jessica Cabrera, Makayla Scarpitti, Kareemat Melaiye

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The scope of this project is to design a method to secure skin grafts to healthy tissue. The ultimate goal for the proposed method is to be dissolvable in some form. Currently, skin grafts procedures utilize staples in most cases to hold a skin graft in place, but there are disadvantages that come with it. Staples are easy to place, but time consuming during the removal procedure. They also cause a lot of pain and discomfort for the patient. The goal of this project is to determine a way a secure skin grafts to healthy skin in order to reduce …


Assessing Co2 Capture On Amine Sorbents At Low Vacuum Swing Conditions, Brock Haas, Payton Taylor Jan 2024

Assessing Co2 Capture On Amine Sorbents At Low Vacuum Swing Conditions, Brock Haas, Payton Taylor

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to Earth's atmosphere have increased rapidly in recent decades largely due to growing fossil fuel use in human-led activities The research contained in this proposal assesses a way to capture CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. The project studies the effectiveness of a vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) process for capture of CO2 from air. CO2 will first be adsorbed by introducing an amine sorbent to a CO2-rich environment for a predetermined period. The amine sorbent will be placed in a VSA unit that will operate at the desorption stage. The sorbent will then be sent to a …


Design Of An Experimental Solid Rocket Motor, Johnathan Bettes, Andrew Fuller Jan 2024

Design Of An Experimental Solid Rocket Motor, Johnathan Bettes, Andrew Fuller

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project utilizes mechanical and chemical principles to characterize propellant grains and to manufacture a custom nozzle to create experimental Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs) with a propellant called Angry Listerine. For the propellant grains, one major non-chemical factor that determines its thrust performance is the grain geometry, or the core of the grains for which hot gases flow through the propellant and out of the nozzle to further react with exposed chemical surfaces. The two kinds of grain geometries analyzed and tested in this report are called MoonBurner, an offset circular core, and Finocyl, a gear-shaped core. The nozzle for …


Causational Analysis And Rectification Of Issues Concerning Scale Formation On Hot-Rolled Straight Bar Product And Its Effects On Ultrasonic Testing, Riley Mattix Jan 2024

Causational Analysis And Rectification Of Issues Concerning Scale Formation On Hot-Rolled Straight Bar Product And Its Effects On Ultrasonic Testing, Riley Mattix

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

At Charter Steel's NDT Processing Plant located in Cleveland, Ohio, a concern has arisen regarding the recently implemented bar straightening and UT (Ultrasonic Testing) equipment. A substantial amount of mill scale, which is typically removed during the straightening process, is persisting on the bar’s surface throughout most of the NDT procedure. This lingering scale has been observed to flake off once inside the UT equipment, introducing unwanted noise and phantom peaks into the UT readings. Additionally, thick mill scale has been identified as a source of background interference in the received data. In contrast, bars that have been subjected to …


Construction Composites Of Recycled Pvc And Recycled Polyolefins, Natalie Prusovic Jan 2024

Construction Composites Of Recycled Pvc And Recycled Polyolefins, Natalie Prusovic

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Current construction composites are typically only composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and recycled PVC (rPVC). This proposed project will investigate if recycled polyethylene (rPE) and polypropylene (rPP) can be used instead of PVC in those materials. Different compositions of rPE, rPP, and rPVC blends will be compounded and a T-peel test will be performed to test the adhesion.


Exploring Natural Raw Materials For The Development Of Hot Melt Adhesives For Linings Of Paintings, Erica Factor Jan 2024

Exploring Natural Raw Materials For The Development Of Hot Melt Adhesives For Linings Of Paintings, Erica Factor

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Natural raw materials will be explored for developing hot melt adhesives for the lining of paintings. The leading raw material is a natural resin called "Damar". This resin is obtained from the tree family Dipterocaupocea in India and Southeast Asia. This material has shown promising results from initial testing. Damar, with the potential for other natural raw materials, will be combined with synthetic ingredients to create sustainable formulations. The formulations will be tested on linen to replicate the application onto paintings. The sustainability, tackiness, texture, and overall performance of each formula will be considered. Once a formulation has been selected, …


Determination Of Spore Viability In Concrete Across Several Factors Using Most Probable Number, Samuel Boyer Jan 2024

Determination Of Spore Viability In Concrete Across Several Factors Using Most Probable Number, Samuel Boyer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

To determine the lowest concentration of spore added to polyurethane-cement composite (PUCCO) particles that can still germinate after curing in concrete. This research project is a small addition to the larger research project being undertaken by Mirza Mohammed Rashiduzzaman for his Masters. The larger project involves the use of fungal spores added in concrete to act as a self-healing component when cracks form in the concrete structure over time. These spores are suspended in a protective oil and loaded into small, hardened sponge-like PUCCO cubes to act as growth points when water and air can reach the PUCCO in the …


Removal Of Residual Stress In 3d Printed Polymers, Christian Jenkins Jan 2024

Removal Of Residual Stress In 3d Printed Polymers, Christian Jenkins

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project aims to investigate the relationship between stress relaxation and the reduction of dimensional shrinkage and warping in 3D printed polymers produced through fused filament fabrication. The hypothesis suggests that residual stress in 3D printed structures results from factors such as temperature differences, molecular-level contributions, and rapid cooling, causing post-printing warpage and damage. To mitigate these issues, the project proposes annealing 3D printed polymers in a hot sandbath to allow stress relaxation without warping. The study will employ a Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) machine to assess mechanical properties of relaxed and unrelaxed samples, comparing their effectiveness. The project's timeline …


Aggregation-Induced Emission Probe For Alzheimer's Detection And Treatment Screening, Gemini Ramlo Jan 2024

Aggregation-Induced Emission Probe For Alzheimer's Detection And Treatment Screening, Gemini Ramlo

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The proposed project is to research if ROF-2, an aggregation-induced emitter, can be used to screen medications for Alzheimer's Disease and to accurately detect this disease, along with its progression. This will be done through multiple incubation periods using different identifiers that have already been solidified within Alzheimer's research to prove its ability and accuracy within screening and detection regarding this disease.


Comparing Weathering Effects Of Ultraviolet And Xenon Arc Accelerated Aging On Polyvinyl Chloride, Collin Mcinnes Jan 2023

Comparing Weathering Effects Of Ultraviolet And Xenon Arc Accelerated Aging On Polyvinyl Chloride, Collin Mcinnes

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As the ubiquitousness of polymers increases and begins seeing use in outdoor settings, the need to fully understand how these materials degrade is also necessary. This study aims to compare two known accelerated aging methods, namely an ultraviolet light chamber and a xenon arc light chamber, to understand what differences, if any, manifest in the mechanical, chemical, and cosmetic deterioration of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) after long-term exposure. The study utilizes Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and colorimetry analysis to determine the extent of degradation and potential discrepancies between the aging methods.


Distillery, Clare Nicholas, Patrick Hanlon Jan 2023

Distillery, Clare Nicholas, Patrick Hanlon

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal for this project is to make a cost effective still. We will be implementing cost saving parts to create a cheap but effective still. From initial research conducted, we will try to combine a stainless steel still and copper still together so that the cheaper material (stainless steel) and the component that removes sulfur compounds (copper) are both implemented. The ME side of the project will focus on the actual design and construction of the parts that will be implemented into the still. Included in the design process will be calculations of heat transfer for the current and …


Running Shoe Pedometer, Benjamin Kasper Jan 2023

Running Shoe Pedometer, Benjamin Kasper

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Running shoe pedometer aims to solve the issue of worn out running shoes. It can be difficult to know just how many miles you have run in your shoes and when a new pair is needed. Running in old shoes and worn out shoes is heavily linked to injury. My proposed project is a device that is powered by the compressive forces on the shoes soles that counts the number of steps the wearer takes using a microcontroller. Then, when the shoe reaches milestone that indicate it has been used 75% 90% and 100% of its expected life, it will …


Beeswax Wraps As An Alternative To Single-Use Plastics, Sarah Skiver Jan 2023

Beeswax Wraps As An Alternative To Single-Use Plastics, Sarah Skiver

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The project goal was to compare the food storage efficacy of sustainable beeswax wraps verses the single-use plastic methods of resealable plastic sandwich bags and plastic cling wrap. The goal was also to test the reusability of the beeswax wraps, as it is a key advantage of beeswax wraps that is advertised. The project purpose was to explore sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to single use plastics, which are harmful to the environment in both their production and their disposal. Food spoilage was compared in beeswax wrap, plastic sandwich bags, and plastic cling wrap, and spoilage was also observed in a …


Structural Design And Application Of Polymeric Silicon Elastomers, Jacob Wyant Jan 2023

Structural Design And Application Of Polymeric Silicon Elastomers, Jacob Wyant

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project was to determine how the polymeric structure and mechanical properties of this elastomer are affected by the ratio between the polydimethylsiloxane macromolecular chains and the crosslinkers. These were determined via tensile and compression testing. Then, spiropyran was added to observe how this fluorescence and crosslinking agent affected the elastomer. Also, the elastomer’s fluorescent and icephobic nature were tested. The elastomers with a higher ratio of crosslinker to macromolecular chain could withstand higher tensile and compressive strains but failed at lower stresses than their counterparts with lower concentrations of crosslinkers. The elastomers were also found to …


Teflon Replacement In Pans, Teodora Neamtu Jan 2023

Teflon Replacement In Pans, Teodora Neamtu

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of the project is to determine an optimal prepping method of common cooking oils for pans that will be as effective as Teflon non-stick pans. The reason for this is to replace Teflon coating in pans, which can be very toxic for humans and the environment. Teflon has been a common coating for non-stick surfaces that is useful when cooking things such as eggs. To determine an optimal cooking method, three different oils were used: olive oil, vegetable oil, and shortening. The oils were tested on an aluminum pan by cooking egg whites at various temperatures, cooking times, …


Analysis Of Plastic Pyrolysis Oil Separation Using Chemcad, Brian Berish, Juliana Mcgaffic Jan 2023

Analysis Of Plastic Pyrolysis Oil Separation Using Chemcad, Brian Berish, Juliana Mcgaffic

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Excessive plastic waste is a massive global issue. Plastic pyrolysis is a process of melting plastic in the absence of oxygen to create an wax-oil type substance called pyrolysis oil. This project will use a ChemCAD simulation to perform a distillation of a predetermined plastic pyrolysis oil into usable products. Heat integration will be used to construct a heat exchanger network and estimate utility usage. Sizing and costing of all equipment will be calculated and an overall cost analysis of the completed simulation will be performed to determine the economic viability of plant construction. Market research for potential products will …


Level And Temperature Controlled Vessel, Cameron Macesich Jan 2023

Level And Temperature Controlled Vessel, Cameron Macesich

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Using two Arduino microcontrollers, level and temperature Proportional-Integral control systems for a continuously stirred tank reactor were designed and configured. Open-loop step tests were performed and fitted with First Order Plus Time Delay responses so that controller tuning parameters could be analytically derived. The effectiveness of the designed systems was evaluated by monitoring the response of closed-loop setpoint changes.


Defining The Proper Operating Time For The Septa Extractor, Abigail Jones Jan 2023

Defining The Proper Operating Time For The Septa Extractor, Abigail Jones

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Anionic polymerizations are a common type of reaction used to produce synthetic rubber. During these reactions, it is necessary to charge initiators, modifiers, and other substances, through pressurized containers that are sealed with rubber septa. These septa prevent oxygen and moisture from entering the pressurized container, and the reactor, though they need to be cleaned before use to remove other impurities. Currently a glass Soxhlet Extractor is used to remove such impurities, and though effective, it has a limited capacity, so it has to run frequently. This limitation led to the commissioning of the Septa Extractor, which is an automated …


Architectural Paint Tank Cleaning, Callie Ruppen Jan 2023

Architectural Paint Tank Cleaning, Callie Ruppen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Architectural paint is highly susceptible to bacterial contamination, so material preservative ingredients are added during production to prevent bacterial contamination which can lead to wet-state spoilage of paint. In recent years however, paint formulations have reduced or eliminated volatile organic compounds (VOC) and regulations on the use of material preservative ingredients have been increased, reducing the use of traditional material preservatives. As a result, the coating industry must focus on improving microbial control through manufacturing hygiene programs including process tank cleaning and sanitization. While requirements for tank cleaning are clearly outlined in standard operating procedures (SOPs) and internal standards, there …


Anti-Freeze Double Network Hydrogels, William Gross Jan 2023

Anti-Freeze Double Network Hydrogels, William Gross

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Three polyethylene glycol (PEG) based crosslinkers with repeat unit nominal weights of 62.1, 200, and 400 g/mol in agar/PAM double network (DN) hydrogels were used to study the effect of different crosslinkers on thermal and mechanical properties. Using the one-pot synthesis method, hydrogels with the PEG crosslinkers or methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBAA) were made via sol-gel transition for formation of agar network, and photopolymerization of the PAM network using Irgacure 2959 as photo initiator. Tensile and compression tests were performed on as prepared, swollen, and swollen & cooled specimens of each hydrogel. Freezing time and thermal imaging were performed in -20 °C …


Utilizing Computer-Aided Molecular Design With Azido-Ester Plasticizers, Justin Ebert Jan 2023

Utilizing Computer-Aided Molecular Design With Azido-Ester Plasticizers, Justin Ebert

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project was to utilize Computer-Aided Molecular Design (CAMD) using the Signature molecular descriptor to inversely design optimized azido-ester plasticizers. Azido-ester plasticizers are used to modify the mechanical properties of propellant and explosive formulations. With the assistance of quantitative structure-property relationships, QSPRs, and two types of constraint equations, these new, novel plasticizers have the potential to possess optimal physical and chemical properties. Properties investigated in this work were decomposition temperature, heat of formation, glass transition temperature, and molecular weight. These properties were chosen for their importance when formulating propellants or explosives. After the filters were applied to …


Cross-Seeding Of Protegin-1 And Amyloid Beta To Inhibit Amyloid Beta Aggregation, Sarah Robinson Jan 2023

Cross-Seeding Of Protegin-1 And Amyloid Beta To Inhibit Amyloid Beta Aggregation, Sarah Robinson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Amyloid beta (Aβ) is considered a major component in the progression of degenerative disease like Alzheimer’s disease. In an attempt to cure Alzheimer’s before it has presented, this project proposes a study on the effects of protegrin-1 (PG-1) on the aggregation of Aβ. By cross-seeding to form a PG-1- Aβ heterocomplex, it is believed that aggregation of Aβ on the human brain can be inhibited, thus helping to stop the neurodegeneration caused by Alzheimer’s disease. To complete this project, an initial literature review of previous work done by the graduate student leading the project will be completed. After this, experiments …


Reinforcement Of Elastomers By Reactive Ionic Surfactant, Nicole Vickerman Jan 2022

Reinforcement Of Elastomers By Reactive Ionic Surfactant, Nicole Vickerman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Elastomers without cross-linking agents or fillers do not have the necessary properties for practical applications in the rubber industry. Elastomers must be reinforced with fillers and/or cross-linking agents to achieve the needs of physical and mechanical properties for commercial products. Sodium octyl 6-mercaptohexyl phosphate (SOMP) and sodium ethyl (6-mercaptohexyl) phosphate (SEMP) were used to investigate the influence of a reactive ionic surfactant and its influence on the physical properties of peroxide crosslinked styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). SEMP and SOMP were both found to be able to be grafted successfully on to the SBR chains within the rubber using extraction testing …


Prototype Development For Fabric Sodium Sensor, Mary Nicodemus, Dunia Jaffal, Shelby Daniels Jan 2022

Prototype Development For Fabric Sodium Sensor, Mary Nicodemus, Dunia Jaffal, Shelby Daniels

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project is designed to refine a process for developing sodium-selective nylon fabric sensors to be used for reading sodium concentrations in sweat from the human body through a series of quality control and on-body testing experiments. The intention is to have a refined process to make reproducible sensors that are turned into consistently working prototypes for future mass production. There are three essential steps in developing a working prototype: sensor synthesis, sensor testing, and sensor validation. Once all three steps are completed, consistent methods will be defined for turning nylon into sensors and then into prototypes, calibrating the prototypes, …


Austenitic, Duplex, And Lean Duplex Stainless Steel Critical Pitting Temperature In Simulated Concrete Environment, Bobby Giebel Jan 2022

Austenitic, Duplex, And Lean Duplex Stainless Steel Critical Pitting Temperature In Simulated Concrete Environment, Bobby Giebel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this work, the critical pitting temperature (CPT) will be observed for a selection of austenitic (316LN and 24100) and duplex (2205), and lean duplex (2304, 2001) stainless steels in simulated concrete pore solution. To study the influence of temperature on the pitting stability of the stainless steels, three temperatures were tested: 25oC, 45oC, and 65oC for cyclic potentiodynamic polarization (CPP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Electrochemical properties of the interfaces we studied via EIS analysis. Kinetics were studied via CPP testing. To reveal the critical pitting temperature of the stainless steels, cyclic thermammetry was used. Characterization of the pits …


Designing A Distillation Process For A Local Brewery, Julia Syme Jan 2022

Designing A Distillation Process For A Local Brewery, Julia Syme

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Proper distillation of spirits is key in maximizing resource value and producing a consumable liquid. A local brewery owner is considering entering the distilling market, and he requested information regarding a small-scale continuous column. This project used CHEMCAD to determine an operating design for continuous distillation of ethanol at a few different feed compositions. Since this model was limited to CHEMCAD, it had to build off of previous research and engineering parameters without an experimental verification. The project determined that an eight stage distillation column produced 40-58% ethanol product when the feed ranged from 7.5-12% ethanol. Eight stages produced even …