Mechanics of Materials Commons^™

Synthesis, Characterization, And Direct-Ink-Writing Of Syntactic Foams, Andrea Irigoyen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This project encompasses three different methods to fabricate syntactic foams using a PDMS matrix i.e., hollow spheres inclusion, pore generator leaching by solvent, and emulsion. The foam formation by using polysiloxane hollow spheres is done in a 3-step process. The first step is to create a core of polystyrene following a dispersion polymerization process. The goal for the size of the pore is to monodisperse and have an average diameter of 5-10 μm, so the polystyrene core must be as well within that range. After that, the cores are coated with a polysiloxane shell by following a polymerization by condensation …

Mechanical Properties And Microstructure Evolution Of Thermally Treated Laser Powder Bed Fusion Alsi10mg, Jorge Merino-Gomez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The optimization of mechanical properties with thermal postprocessing treatments was investigated in this study across a wide variety of variants. The relationship between heat treatments and the impacts on the mechanical properties and microstructure of printed materials is a crucial part of additive manufacturing. As a result, the current paper provides a comprehensive overview of postprocess heat treatments for Laser Powder Bed Fusion fabricated AlSi10Mg alloy, including stress relief anneals at 190 and 285 degrees Celsius for 2 hours, hot isostatic pressing at 515 degrees Celsius for 3 hours, hot isostatic pressing + T6 treatment for 6 hours, and final …

Autonomous Control And Signal Acquisition System, Rion Krampe

Scholars Week

Dr. Bunget has an autonomous control and signal acquisition system that he wants to be repaired and improved upon. This requires that we identify the current issues with the system and repair them as well as make innovations to the system to meet customer needs. The position control needs to be autonomous, and the acquisition of the oscilloscope signal and the transducer position needs to be synchronous. The user should be able to control the position, speed, and how often the signals are captured. The waveform of the scan should be appended into a spreadsheet. The system code also needs …

Quick - Release End Effector Tool Interface, Shane Farritor, Thomas Frederick

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The various embodiments herein relate to a coupling apparatus for a medical device having a coupler body, a cavity defined in the coupler body, a rotatable drive component disposed within the cavity and having at least two pin receiving openings, and an actuable locking ring disposed around the cavity.

Fatigue Damage Quantification And Life Estimation With Provision For Microstructure, Arash Pourbagheri Jirandehi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation provides methodologies for the quantification of different forms of fatigue damage by considering the role of microstructure. The laws of thermodynamics in conjunction with Finite Element Method (FEM) are utilized to devise thermodynamically-base frameworks for the estimation of cyclic damage in polycrystalline metals. Accordingly, a microstructure-sensitive platform for fatigue life estimation is introduced. The proposed framework is assessed for 3D printed metallic alloys at room and elevated temperatures. Further, it is used to analyze the fatigue performance difference between additively manufactured Inconel 718 in three print orientations. This research is of fundamental vital interest because it ensures that …

In Situ Characterization Of Tensile Behavior Of Laser Rapid Solidified Al–Si Heterogeneous Microstructures, Bingqiang Wei, Wenqian Wu, Dongyue Xie, Huai-Hsun Lien, Metin Kayitmazbatir, Amit Misra, Jian Wang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Heterogeneous Al–Si microstructure comprising of sub-micron-scale Al dendrites and nanoscale Al–Si fibrous eutectic was fabricated by processing as-cast Al-20wt.%Si alloy using laser rapid solidification. In situ tension tests explored high tensile strength ( ∼ 600 MPa) and ductility ( ∼ 10%) and high strain hardening rate ( ∼ 7 GPa). Microstructural characterization revealed the plastic co[1]deformation mechanisms between soft Al dendrites and hard nanoscale Al–Si eutectic. The progression of plasticity in nanoscale Al–Si eutectic with increasing applied strain is accommodated by dislocation plasticity in the nano-Al channels and cracking Si nanofibers. The propagation of nano-cracks is suppressed by surrounding Al, …

Digitally Twinned Additive Manufacturing: Detecting Flaws In Laser Powder Bed Fusion By Combining Thermal Simulations With In-Situmeltpool Sensor Data, R Yavari, A Riensche, E Tekerek, L Jacquemetton, H Halliday, M Vandever, A Tenequer, V Perumal, A Kontsos, Z Smoqi, K Cole, P Rao

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The goal of this research is the in-situ detection of flaw formation in metal parts made using the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing process. This is an important area of research, because, despite the considerable cost and time savings achieved, precision-driven industries, such as aerospace and biomedical, are reticent in using LPBF to make safety–critical parts due to tendency of the process to create flaws. Another emerging concern in LPBF, and additive manufacturing in general, is related to cyber security – malicious actors may tamper with the process or plant flaws inside a part to compromise its performance. …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Self-Assemblies In Nature And Nanotechnology, Phu Khanh Tang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Nature usually divides complex systems into smaller building blocks specializing in a few tasks since one entity cannot achieve everything. Therefore, self-assembly is a robust tool exploited by Nature to build hierarchical systems that accomplish unique functions. The cell membrane distinguishes itself as an example of Nature’s self-assembly, defining and protecting the cell. By mimicking Nature’s designs using synthetically designed self-assemblies, researchers with advanced nanotechnological comprehension can manipulate these synthetic self-assemblies to improve many aspects of modern medicine and materials science. Understanding the competing underlying molecular interactions in self-assembly is always of interest to the academic scientific community and industry. …

Evaluation Of Additively Manufactured Lattices Under High Strain Rate Impact, Derek G. Spear

Theses and Dissertations

Several additively manufactured lattice designs and configurations were evaluated under compression loads under various strain rates from quasi-static to highly dynamic. These experiments examined how the mechanical behavior of the lattice changed based on the lattice design properties and the applied strain rates. The modulus of elasticity, yield strength, plateau stress, and toughness were observed to decrease with an increase in strain rate, revealing that the lattice designs exhibit a negative strain rate sensitivity. A new lattice flow stress model was developed to account for the mechanical response of the lattice and was incorporated into a computational model for simulation. …

Contact Angle Measurement Using A Hele-Shaw Cell: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Haipeng Zhang, Jacob Gottberg, Sangjin Ryu

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Contact angle is an important property to quantify the wettability of a solid surface with a liquid, which characterizes interactions of the solid-liquid pair. Generally, to measure contact angle, special instruments such as a goniometer are necessary, but they are not readily available in certain research settings. In this study, an alternative method to measure contact angle based on a Hele-Shaw cell, microscopy imaging, and image processing is suggested. In this method, a liquid drop is injected into a transparent Hele-Shaw cell, the meniscus of the drop is captured in the top or bottom view using a brightfield microscope, and …

Contact Angle Measurement Using A Hele-Shaw Cell: A Proof-Of-Concept Study, Haipeng Zhang, Jacob Gottberg, Sangjin Ryu

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Contact angle is an important property to quantify the wettability of a solid surface with a liquid, which characterizes interactions of the solid-liquid pair. Generally, to measure contact angle, special instruments such as a goniometer are necessary, but they are not readily available in certain research settings. In this study, an alternative method to measure contact angle based on a Hele-Shaw cell, microscopy imaging, and image processing is suggested. In this method, a liquid drop is injected into a transparent Hele-Shaw cell, the meniscus of the drop is captured in the top or bottom view using a brightfield microscope, and …

Novel Photothermal Materials And Thermally Engineered Membranes For Solar Desalination, Sisi Cao

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Although 71% of earth surface is covered with water, more than 97% of it is saltwater, and freshwater is limited to only about 2.5%. The freshwater shortage has been exacerbated due to the environmental pollution, increased agriculture needs, socio-economic development, and population growth. Among various desalination technologies, membrane distillation has gained wide attention due to its ability to treat highly saline water utilizing waste heat from industrial processes. However, the implementation of conventional membrane distillation is hindered in the remote regions and disaster-struck communities where the low-grade thermal energy from industrial plants and electricity are not readily available. To address …

Flexible Electronics For Neurological Electronic Skin With Multiple Sensing Modalities, Haochuan Wan

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The evolution of electronic skin (E-skin) technology in the past decade has resulted in a great variety of flexible electronic devices that mimic the physical and chemical sensing properties of skin for applications in advanced robotics, prosthetics, and health monitoring technologies. The further advancement of E-skin technology demands closer imitation of skin receptors' transduction mechanisms, simultaneous detection of multiple information from different sources, and the study of transmission, processing and memory of the signals among the neurons. Motivated by such demands, this thesis focuses on design, fabrication, characterization of novel flexible electronic devices and integration of individual devices to realize …

Nucleation Studies In Barium Silicate Glasses And Soda-Lime Silicate Glass, Xinsheng Xia

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Controlling nucleation is key for the manufacture of glasses and glass-ceramics. It has been observed by different researchers in many silicate glasses that at low temperatures the critical work of cluster formation (i.e. the nucleation barrier) slowly rises rather than decreasing with decreasing temperature. However, this experimental observation is in contradiction with nucleation theories. In this dissertation, crystal nucleation was studied in BaO·2SiO2, 5BaO·8SiO2, and Na2O·2CaO·3SiO2 glasses. The main research topics include measurements of the nucleation rate, the structural evolution of the glass, and the low-temperature nucleation behavior. A special focus is given to the low-temperature nucleation anomaly. In total, …

Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesized By Nonthermal Plasma For Electrochemical Applications, Qinyi Chen

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Metal oxide nanocrystals can be synthesized by colloidal processing and gas-phase processing routes. High-quality nanocrystals produced by colloidal routes typically have surface ligands. Transport of electrons and ions among nanocrystals is hindered by surface ligand, and degrades related electrical performance. Gas-phase processing, for example combustion and thermal plasma, can make free-standing nanocrystals. However, nanocrystals produced by combustion method are heavily agglomerated, which further limits the usage of nanoparticles in electrochemical applications. Nonthermal plasma, as an emerging attractive route, has been initially focused on the synthesis of elemental group IV materials, and extended to include the synthesis of multicomponent materials, such …

Structure-Property Relationship In High Strength- High Ductility Combination Austenitic Stainless Steels, Chengyang Hu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Austenitic stainless steels are widely used in our daily life, but their mechanical strength is low. In order to improve their yield strength via grain refinement, an investigation was carried out involving phase reversion annealing concept comprising of severe cold roll reduction followed by annealing at different temperatures for short durations. During annealing reversion of deformation-induced martensite to austenite occurred by shear mechanism, leading to fine-grained structure and high strength-high ductility combination.Nanoscale deformation studies suggested that the deformation mechanism of nanograined structure was different from the coarse-grained counterpart. Post-mortem electron microscopy of plastic zone surrounding the indent indicated that the …

Magnesiothermic Combustion Synthesis Of Nanocrystalline Silicon And Oxidation Kinetics Of Magnesium Particles, Sergio Cordova

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Magnesium (Mg) is a well-known reduction agent in metallurgy (more specifically, in metallothermy). Recently, magnesiothermic reduction of oxides has been used in self-propagating high-temperature synThesis (SHS) of advanced materials such as ultrahigh-temperature ceramics (UHTC). The magnesiothermic SHS has also been used for the conversion of silica (SiO2) to silicon-based materials for thermoelectric applications. However, since oxidation of Mg releases a lot of heat, the direct use of it as the reduction agent leads to excessively high temperatures and undesirable sintering of the products. We have proposed to use magnesium silicide (Mg2Si) instead of Mg in the SHS of nanostructured silicon. …

Methods , Systems , And Devices Relating To Surgical End Effectors, Shane M. Farritor, Thomas Frederick, Joe Bartels

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to various medical device components , including components that can be incorporated into robotic and / or in vivo medical devices, and more specifically including end effectors that can be incorporated into such devices. Certain end effector embodiments include various vessel cautery devices that have rotational movement as well as cautery and cutting functions while maintaining a relatively compact structure. Other end effector embodiments include various end effector devices that have more than one end effector.

Investigation And Statistical Modeling Of The Mechanical Properties Of Additively Manufactured Lattices, Derek G. Spear, Anthony N. Palazotto

Faculty Publications

This paper describes the background, test methodology, and experimental results associated with the testing and analysis of quasi-static compression testing of additively manufactured open-cell lattice structures. The study aims to examine the effect of lattice topology, cell size, cell density, and surface thickness on the mechanical properties of lattice structures. Three lattice designs were chosen, the Diamond, I-WP, and Primitive Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMSs). Uniaxial compression tests were conducted for every combination of the three lattice designs, three cell sizes, three cell densities, and three surface thicknesses. In order to perform an efficient experiment and gain the most information …

Robotic Surgical Devices , Systems , And Related Methods, Shane Farritor, Erik Mumm, Philip Chu, Nishant Kumar, Jason Dumpert, Yutaka Tsutano

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to various medical device components, including components that can be incorporated into robotic and / or in vivo medical devices. Certain embodiments include various modular medical devices for in vivo medical procedures.

In Vivo Printing Of Growth Factor-Eluting Adhesive Scaffolds Improves Wound Healing, Kristo Nuutila, Mohamadmahdi Samandari, Yori Endo, Yuteng Zhang, Jacob Quint, Tannin A. Schmidt, Ali Tamayol, Indranil Sinha

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Acute and chronic wounds affect millions of people around the world, imposing a growing financial burden on patients and hospitals. Despite the application of current wound management strategies, the physiological healing process is disrupted in many cases, resulting in impaired wound healing. Therefore, more efficient and easy-to-use treatment modalities are needed. In this study, we demonstrate the benefit of in vivo printed, growth factor-eluting adhesive scaffolds for the treatment of full-thickness wounds in a porcine model. A custom-made handheld printer is implemented to finely print gelatin-methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel containing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) into the wounds. In vitro and …

Development Of Novel Battery Materials For Lithium-Ion Batteries And Beyond, Jiyu Cai

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As fossil fuels are depleting and causing environmental issues, it becomes imperative to widely implement renewable energies (e.g., solar and wind power). In this context, electrical energy storage (EES) systems are essential to accommodate the intermittent supply and uneven distribution of renewable energies. To this end, high-energy-density EES devices are highly demanded, such as rechargeable batteries. This dissertation presents my efforts in developing novel battery materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), and solidstate lithium batteries (SSLBs). These efforts include electrochemical evaluations of battery materials, surface modifications of electrodes via atomic layer deposition (ALD), and advanced characterizations of batteries …

Phase-Field Modeling Of The Polymer Membrane Formation Process For Micro- And Ultra-Filtration, Michael Rosario Cervellere

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Porous polymer membrane filters are widely used in separation and filtration process. Micro- and ultra-filtration membranes are commonly used in biopharmaceutical applications such as filtering viruses and separating proteins from a carrier solution. The formation of these membrane filters via phase inversion is a complex and interconnected process where varying casting conditions can have a wide variety of effects on the final membrane morphol- ogy. Tailoring membrane filters for specific performance characteristics is a tedious and time consuming process. The time and length scales of membrane formation make it extremely difficult to experimentally observe membrane formation. Modeling the membrane formation …

Influence Of Extracellular Matrix Stiffness And Topography On Neuronal Cell Behavior And Neurite Outgrowth, Mohan Yasodharababu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The focus of regeneration therapy for traumatic brain injuries and Alzheimer's disease is on the promotion and growth of neuronal cells. In vitro research attempts to improve this by modifying the stiffness and topography of the extracellular matrix (ECM). However, the limitations of in vitro experiments make it difficult to control the individual factors influencing neuronal cell growth. A computational model can be used to decouple individual factors and study them individually to gain a better understanding of the mechanics between the neuronal cell and ECM, which will aid in the design of in vitro experimental studies.

This study develops …

Optimization Of Vaccine Supply Chains In Low- And Middle-Income Countries Utilizing Drones, Maximilian Kolter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite tremendous efforts from governments and humanitarian organizations, millions of children in low- and low-middle-income countries (LICs and LMICs) are still excluded from the benefits of immunization. The vaccine distribution in LICs and LMICs is challenging for several reasons, such as limited cold chain capacities, vaccine wastage, uncertain demand, and lack of access to immunization services. A promising avenue to address these issues is the utilization of drones for vaccine delivery. Drones can fly at high speed on direct paths and could enable on-demand deliveries to mitigate limited storage capacities. Further, their independence of road networks could allow them reaching …

Electrochemical Deposition In Energy Storage Devices, Witness Atutala Martin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metals, whether in a solid or soluble ion form, are a vital part of any electrochemical storage system. More so, Li metal is widely considered as the ideal anode because of its low density and low electrochemical potential (-3.04 V vs. the standard hydrogen electrode – SHE). However, just like most metals, it does not plate or strip evenly during cycling which can lead to cycling performance issues, short cycling lifespans, and even safety concerns brought about by dendrites that can cause internal short-circuiting within cells. This research focused on investigating the electroplating of metals in both aqueous and non-aqueous …

A Computational Study Of Radiation Damage In Bilayer Silicon-Gold Structures, Cameron Hopper

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Irradiation from sources such as nuclear reactors bombard materials with neutrons and heavy ions. The primary consequence of this irradiation is the displacement of atoms from their atomic structure. As the structure becomes damaged, the mechanical properties can change. Eventually, this can result in a failure due to embrittlement. This type of damage is hard to detect and can result in sudden, unexpected failure. Therefore, focusing on managing the consequences of irradiation has been a heavily researched topic. To manage irradiation, the focus is primarily to manage the voids and interstitials that appear during irradiation. Grain boundaries and amorphous regions …

Control Of Change Of Phase Through Physical Surface Shaping, Troy Anderson, Sidy Ndao, Craig Zuhlke, Dennis Alexander, George Gogos

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

A system embodiment includes , but is not limited to , a solid structure configure to contact each of a material in a liquid phase and a material in a vapor phase , the solid structure including a plurality of microstructures protruding at angles relative to a horizontal plane ; and a layer of nanoparticles positioned on the plurality of microstructures , the layer of nanoparticles having a composition that is at least one of a same material as the plurality of microstructures and an oxide of the same material as the plurality of microstructures , the plurality of microstructures …

Atomistic Thermo-Mechanical Description Of The Deformation Behavior, Scaling Laws, And Constitutive Modeling Of Nanoporous Gold, Mohammed Hassan Yousef Saffarini

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Metallic foams, or nanoporous (NP) metals as it is widely referred to in literature, with ligament sizes up to a few tens of nm show exceptional mechanical properties such as high strength and stiffness per weight ratio under different loading scenarios due to their high surface area to solid volume ratio. Therefore, they can be utilized in a wide range of applications making them of great interest to researchers. While their elasticity and yield strength have been the subject of several studies, very limited attention was given to the effect of size, strain rate, and temperature on the material plastic …

Preventing Transmission Of Covid 19 In Hvac Duct Systems: Implementations Of Hvac System Design Upgrade, Jacob S. Lopez, Adama Barro

Publications and Research

The recent pandemic outbreak has triggered a global alarm to increase efforts on finding the best methods to mitigate contagious viral pathogens. This project is a continuation of our mission to study engineering guidelines needed to implement upgrades to HVAC Systems in order to deter airborne pathogens such as the covid-19 virus. In our previous projects we researched how covid-19 can possibly flow through the ambient air inside of restaurants, office spaces, and locomotive train cabins. As we continued our research, we were able to find some solutions that will be best used to deactivate and prevent the virus from …