Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

On The Use Of Machine Learning And Data-Transformation Methods To Predict Hydration Kinetics And Strength Of Alkali-Activated Mine Tailings-Based Binders, Sahil Surehali, Taihao Han, Jie Huang, Aditya Kumar, Narayanan Neithalath

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The escalating production of mine tailings (MT), a byproduct of the mining industry, constitutes significant environmental and health hazards, thereby requiring a cost-effective and sustainable solution for its disposal or reuse. This study proposes the use of MT as the primary ingredient (≥70%mass) in binders for construction applications, thereby ensuring their efficient upcycling as well as drastic reduction of environmental impacts associated with the use of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The early-age hydration kinetics and compressive strength of MT-based binders are evaluated with an emphasis on elucidating the influence of alkali activation parameters and the amount of slag or cement …

Effect Of The Filler Morphology On The Crystallization Behavior And Dielectric Properties Of The Polyvinylidene Fluoride-Based Composite, Suzana Filipović, Nina Obradović, Cole Corlett, William G. Fahrenholtz, Martin Rosenschon, Ekkehard Füglein, Radovan Dojčilović, Dragana Tošić, Jovana Petrović, Antonije Đorđević, Branislav Vlahović, Vladimir B. Pavlović

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ceramic/polymer composites can be chemically stable, mechanically strong, and flexible, which make them candidates for electric devices, such as pressure or temperature sensors, energy storage or harvesting devices, actuators, and so forth. Depending on the application, various electrical properties are of importance. Polymers usually have low dielectric permittivity, but increased dielectric permittivity can be achieved by the addition of the ceramic fillers with high dielectric constant. With the aim to enhance dielectric properties of the composite without loss of flexibility, 5 wt.% of BaTiO₃-Fe₂O₃ powder was added into a polyvinylidene fluoride matrix. The powder was …

A Phenomenological Thermodynamic Energy Density Function For Ferroelectric Wurtzite Al1−Xscxn Single Crystals, Yijia Gu, Andrew C. Meng, Aiden Ross, Long Qing Chen

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Landau-Devonshire thermodynamic energy density function for ferroelectric wurtzite aluminum scandium nitride (Al1−xScxN) solid solution is developed. It is parametrized using available experimental and theoretical data, enabling the accurate reproduction of composition-dependent ferroelectric properties, such as spontaneous polarization, dielectric permittivity, and piezoelectric constants, for both bulk and thin films. The maximum concentration of Sc for the wurtzite structure to remain ferroelectric is found to be 61 at. %. A detailed analysis of Al1−xScxN thin films reveals that the ferroelectric phase transition and properties are insensitive to substrate strain. This study lays the foundation for quantitative modeling of novel ferroelectric wurtzite …

A Priori Procedure To Establish Spinodal Decomposition In Alloys, Simon Divilov, Hagen Eckert, Cormac Toher, Rico Friedrich, Adam C. Zettel, Donald W. Brenner, William G. Fahrenholtz, Douglas E. Wolfe, Eva Zurek, Jon Paul Maria, Nico Hotz, Xiomara Campilongo, Stefano Curtarolo

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Spinodal decomposition can improve a number of essential properties in materials, especially hardness. Yet, the theoretical prediction of the onset of this phenomenon (e.g., temperature) and its microstructure (e.g., wavelength) often requires input parameters coming from costly and time-consuming experimental efforts, hindering rational materials optimization. Here, we present a procedure where such parameters are not derived from experiments. First, we calculate the spinodal temperature by modeling nucleation in the solid solution while approaching the spinode boundary. Then, we compute the spinodal wavelength self-consistently using a few reasonable approximations. Our results show remarkable agreement with experiments and, for NiRh, the calculated …

The Thermophysical Properties Of Tco2, Hong Zhong, Jason Lonergan, John S. Mccloy, Scott P. Beckman

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Technetium-99 Is A Highly Radioactive Isotope With A Long Half-Life That Is Common In Nuclear Waste. It Volatizes At A Low Temperature, Which Poses A Significant Challenge To The Clean-Up And Containment Processes. Due To Difficulties In Purifying Technetium Compounds, Their Thermophysical Properties Have Not Been Measured Or Calculated. Here, First Principle Methods Are Used Along With The Quasi Quasi-Harmonic Harmonic Approximation To Compute The Debye Temperature, Volumetric Thermal Expansion Coefficient, Bulk Modulus, And Heat Capacity Of Rutile TcO2 For Temperatures Ranging From 0 To 1500 K And Applied Pressures Ranging From 0 To 255 GPa. The Computed Atomic Structures …

Dielectric Properties Of Polycrystalline And Single-Crystal Magnesium Oxide At High Temperatures, Alan Devoe, Hung Trinh, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The electrical properties of high-purity magnesium oxide (MgO) samples sintered between 1500 and 1650°C were investigated up to 800°C. Dielectric constant, loss tangent and electrical conductivity were measured between 25 and 800°C. Optimum electrical properties were obtained for the sample sintered at 1600°C. The impurities in polycrystalline and single crystal MgO were discussed to understand their effect on electrical properties and the role of grain boundaries. Higher dielectric losses of polycrystalline samples as compared to the single crystal MgO were attributed to the presence of grain boundaries. MgO could be a useful dielectric material for capacitor applications up to 600°C.

Toward Smart And Sustainable Cement Manufacturing Process: Analysis And Optimization Of Cement Clinker Quality Using Thermodynamic And Data-Informed Approaches, Jardel P. Gonçalves, Taihao Han, Gaurav Sant, Narayanan Neithalath, Jie Huang, Aditya Kumar

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cement manufacturing is widely recognized for its harmful impacts on the natural environment. In recent years, efforts have been made to improve the sustainability of cement manufacturing through the use of renewable energy, the capture of CO₂ emissions, and partial replacement of cement with supplementary cementitious materials. To further enhance sustainability, optimizing the cement manufacturing process is essential. This can be achieved through the prediction and optimization of clinker phases in relation to chemical compositions of raw materials and manufacturing conditions. Cement clinkers are produced by heating raw materials in kilns, where both raw material compositions and processing conditions …

Fly Ash Coated With Alumina Sol For Improving Strength And Thermal Insulation Of Mullite Porous Ceramics, Minghui Li, Peilin Li, Qingqing Gao, Saisai Li, Ruoyu Chen, Haiming Wen, Canhua Li

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The manufacturing of mullite porous ceramics with high strength and low thermal conductivity was achieved through foam gel-casting processes using fly ash coated with alumina sol layers. This research aimed to investigate the effect of alumina sol concentration on foaming slurry rheology, as well as the influence of alumina sol coating layers on the microstructure, phase compositions and properties of the resulting mullite porous ceramics. Increasing the alumina sol concentration from 5 to 20 wt% improved both the viscosity and thixotropy of the foaming slurries while enhanced the shear thinning behavior. Porous ceramics prepared with fly ash coated with alumina …

Pisa Printing Microneedles With Controllable Aqueous Dissolution Kinetics, Aaron Priester, Jimmy Yeng, Yuwei Zhang, Krista Hilmas, Risheng Wang, Anthony J. Convertine

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study focused on the development of high-resolution polymeric structures using polymer-induced self-assembly (PISA) printing with commercially available digital light-processing (DLP) printers. Significantly, soluble solids could be 3D-printed using this methodology with controllable aqueous dissolution rates. This was achieved using a highly branched macrochain transfer agent (macro-CTA) containing multiple covalently attached CTA groups. In this work, the use of acrylamide as the self-assembling monomer in isopropyl alcohol was explored with the addition of N-(butoxymethyl)acrylamide to modulate the aqueous dissolution kinetics. PISA-printed microneedles were observed to have feature sizes as small as 27 μm, which was close to the resolution limit …

Understanding Roles And Evaluating Reactivity Of Fly Ashes In Calcium Aluminate Binders, Sai Akshay Ponduru, Taihao Han, Jie Huang, Narayanan Neithalath, Gaurav Sant, Aditya Kumar

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Calcium aluminate cement (CAC) is an alternative to Portland cement, valued for its superior early strength and thermal resistance. Partially replacing CAC with Fly ash (FA) can reduce carbon footprint and production costs of CAC, producing sustainable cementitious binders. This research investigates on various properties (i.e., hydration kinetics; phase assemblage evolution; compressive strength) of [CAC + FA] binders. Using 13 distinct FAs, up to 50% of CAC was substituted. The study measures hydration kinetics, compressive strength, and employs the number of constraints to estimate FA reactivity. Advanced quantitative analysis draws links between hydration kinetics and compressive strength and elucidate the …

Dielectric Properties Of Polycrystalline And Single Crystal (100) Strontium Titanate From 4 To 295 K, Hung Trinh, Alan Devoe, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The dielectric properties of single crystal and polycrystalline SrTiO₃ (ST) were investigated from 295 to 4 K. Relative permittivity (εr) and loss tangent (tan(δ)) were measured systematically as a function of direct current (DC) voltage (0 V/cm to 800 V/cm), frequency (100 Hz to 1 MHz), and temperature (295 K to 4 K) for type (100) single crystal SrTiO₃ (SC-ST) and for polycrystalline SrTiO₃ (PC-ST). Calculated equivalent series resistance (ESR) data are also reported. Overall, the permittivity of ST showed a dependence on temperature, DC voltage, and frequency. Dependences on voltage and frequency were only observed at …

Hanford Low-Activity Waste Vitrification: A Review, José Marcial, Brian J. Riley, Albert A. Kruger, Charmayne E. Lonergan, John D. Vienna

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Paper Summarizes the Vast Body of Literature (Over 200 Documents) Related to Vitrification of the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Fraction of the Hanford Tank Wastes. Details Are Provided on the Origins of the Hanford Tank Wastes that Resulted from Nuclear Operations Conducted between 1944 and 1989 to Support Nuclear Weapons Production. Waste Treatment Processes Are Described, Including the Baseline Process to Separate the Tank Waste into LAW and High-Level Waste Fractions, and the LAW Vitrification Facility Being Started at Hanford. Significant Focus is Placed on the Glass Composition Development and the Property-Composition Relationships for Hanford LAW Glasses. Glass Disposal Plans …

Oxidation Of Additively Manufactured Zrb2–Sic In Air And In Co2 At 700–1000 °C, Marharyta Lakusta, Nicholas M. Timme, Abid H. Rafi, Jeremy Lee Watts, M. (Ming) C. (Chuan) Leu, Gregory E. Hilmas, William G. Fahrenholtz, David W. Lipke

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oxidation behavior of additively manufactured zrb2–sic in air and in co2 is reported in the temperature range of 700–1000 °c. Observed scale morphologies in air and in co2 were similar, featuring an outer borosilicate layer and an inner porous zirconia layer containing partially oxidized silicon carbide particles and remnant borosilicate products. Oxide scale thicknesses and parabolic scaling constants in air were approximately twice those observed in co2 across all studied temperatures. Activation energies for oxidation of 140 ± 20 kj/mol in air and 110 ± 20 kj/mol in co2 were determined, indicating similar diffusion processes that appear to be rate-limiting. …

Thermal And Electrical Properties Of Single-Phase High Entropy Carbide Ceramics, Paul M. Brune, Gregory E. Hilmas, William G. Fahrenholtz, Jeremy Lee Watts, Stefano Curtarolo

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Thermal and Electrical Properties Were Investigated for Five Nominally Phase-Pure High Entropy Carbide Ceramics. the Compositions (Hf0.2Nb0.2Ta0.2Ti0.2Zr0.2)C, (Cr0.2Hf0.2Ta0.2Ti0.2Zr0.2)C, (Hf0.2Mo0.2Ta0.2Ti0.2Zr0.2)C, (Hf0.2Ta0.2Ti0.2W0.2Zr0.2)C, and (Hf0.2Mo0.2Ti0.2W0.2Zr0.2)C Were Synthesized by Carbothermal Reduction of Oxides. the Thermal Diffusivity and Heat Capacity Were Measured from Room Temperature to 1800°C. the Room Temperature Thermal Conductivity Ranged from 5.1 W/mK for (Hf0.2Mo0.2Ti0.2W0.2Zr0.2)C to 9.0 W/mK for (Cr0.2Hf0.2Ta0.2Ti0.2Zr0.2)C. the Thermal Conductivity Increased over the Temperature Range with Maximum Conductivities of 19.6 W/mK Measured for (Hf0.2Mo0.2Ta0.2Ti0.2Zr0.2)C to 29.7 W/mK for (Cr0.2Hf0.2Ta0.2Ti0.2Zr0.2)C at 1800°C. the Electron Contribution to Thermal Conductivity Calculated from Measured Electrical Resistivity Varied from 41% to 52% of the …

High-Temperature Oxidation Behavior Of High Entropy Carbide (Tanbtiv)C In Atmospheres With Different Oxygen Contents, Ruoyu Chen, Hongbin An, Jie Zhan, Saisai Li, Aiqin Mao, Haiming Wen

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A high entropy carbide (TaNbTiV)C was fabricated via spark plasma sintering of high entropy powders that were prepared using a molten salt method. The as-fabricated high entropy carbide was then investigated for its high-temperature oxidation behavior at 850 °C, under atmospheres with three different oxygen contents (20 vol%, 40 vol%, and 60 vol%). After the high-temperature oxidation process, the main phases observed in all the specimens were incompletely oxidized phase (Nb_xTi_1-x)C_yO_2-y and oxides (Nb_0.5Ta_0.5)₂O₅, TiO₂, and Nb₂O₅. Importantly, the …

Processing & Properties Of Zirconium Carbide Manufactured By Ceramic On-Demand Extrusion, Clare Sabata

Masters Theses

"This research focuses on the development of a zirconium carbide (ZrC) paste for use in material extrusion direct ink write additive manufacturing (AM) followed by the pressure less densification of ZrC and the mechanical and thermal characterization of the resulting ceramics. A highly loaded, aqueous paste was developed using commercial ZrC powder ball milled to ~1 μm. Optimal dispersant, binder, and solids loading were found by rheological characterization. The paste composition consisted of 46-47 vol% ZrC, 43.5 vol% distilled water, 8.1 vol% dispersant, and 1.6 vol% binder. A yield stress of ~8 Pa allowed for shape retention upon removal of …

Sub-Critical Crack Growth And Fatigue Behaviour Of Alkali Silicate Glass, Noah Weyrauch

Masters Theses

"Delayed failure in silicate glasses can be linked to subcritical crack growth (SCCG) where surface defects grow over time until catastrophic failure. This phenomenon originates from stress-enhanced chemical interactions between the environment (e.g. water) and the strained silicate bonds at the crack tip. SCCG must be accounted for to predict the long-term survivability of silicate-glass components. This study compares two methods to measure SCCG parameters for a commercial alkali silicate sealing glass and for a series of binary xNa₂O-(1-x)SiO₂ glasses, where 0.15 ≤ x ≤ 0.35. A constant moment double cantilever beam (DCB) technique was used to …

In-Depth Characterization Of The Selective Oxidation Products Of Hafnium Carbide, Jonathan Allen Scott

Doctoral Dissertations

"Materials capable of withstanding oxidative environments at temperatures >2000°C are necessary for hypersonic applications. Hafnium carbide (HfC) shows a combination of properties that lends itself toward these applications; however, its oxidation behavior is poorly understood. At 1300°C, HfC was found to oxidize via the following mechanism: 1) Initial oxidation of both C and Hf present in the system, 2) Formation of an interconnected pore network, whose size is related to the volume of gases being generated during the oxidation process, 3) Growth of the oxide scale to become sufficiently protective, 4) Formation of an initially amorphous “HfO₂C” at …

Bioprinting With Adipose Stem Cells And Hydrogel Modified With Bioactive Glass, Krishna C.R. Kolan, Apurv Saxena, Bradley A. Bromet, Lesa B. Steen, August T. Bindbeutel, Julie A. Semon, Delbert E. Day, Ming C. Leu

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bioprinting research is focused on utilizing growth factors and multiple cell types to create clinically relevant three-dimensional (3D) tissue models using hydrogels. Rheological and biological challenges are two main factors that limit the creation of extrudable bioactive hydrogels. In this study, we investigate incorporation of fast dissolving and bioactive borate glass in different weight to volume percentages (0.075 to 0.6%) to alginate-gelatin (1:1) hydrogel to improve rheological properties and enable bioprinting with bioactive glass. The addition of glass improved the stiffness of the hydrogel. Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) were uniformly mixed in this bioink at 1 x 106 …

Production Of Glass-To-Metal Seals Using Additive Manufacturing Techniques, Aaron Read

Masters Theses

"Glass-to-metal (GtM) seals are hermetic barriers between glass and metal components, often used in the electronic and vacuum industries. Creating the seals traditionally requires heating all the components to the glass melting temperature, where the glass will flow and bond to the metal. Due to the manufacturing constraints of the individual components and sealing conditions there are geometric and material restrictions. Additive manufacturing techniques were used to make GtM seals to reduce these restrictions.

Hermetic, single pin seals were produced using printed metal shells, by selective laser melting (SLM), and digital light processing (DLP) printed glass preforms. Glass preforms were …

Ring Opening Functionalization Of Thiolactone Homopolymers For Ros Scavenging, Aaron Priester, Forrest Kievit, Anthony J. Convertine

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In This Research, We Explored the Synthesis and Application of Thiolactone Acrylamide (TLA) Polymers for Neutralizing Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), Produced as a Result of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). We Synthesized Well-Defined TLA Polymers using RAFT (Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer) Polymerization Across a Range of Monomer-To-Chain Transfer Agent ([M]0/[CTA]0) Ratios to Achieve a Range of Molar Masses. Polymerizations Were Carried Out using a Trithiocarbonate CTA (Chain Transfer Agent) with AIBN (Azobisisobutyronitrile) as the Initiator in N'N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAc) at 60 °C. Kinetic Studies Indicated a Linear Increase in Molar Mass with Conversion, Pseudo-First-Order Kinetics, and Molar Mass Values that Are Consistent …

Additive Manufacturing Of Novel Lightweight Insulation Refractory With Hierarchical Pore Structures By Direct Ink Writing, Saisai Li, Jiaxuan Xin, Ruoyu Chen, Haiming Wen

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A direct ink writing process using fly ash foaming slurries was employed for the additive manufacturing of lightweight mullite insulation refractory with hierarchical pore structures. The viscosity, thixotropy, and shear thinning behavior of the inks were analyzed to investigate the effect of the inorganic binder and dispersant of the foaming inks. A slurry exhibiting excellent rheological characteristics was identified, consisting of 45 wt% fly ash floating beads, 55 wt% water, 3.0 wt% additional dispersant, and 6.0 wt% additional binder. Furthermore, through the optimization of printing parameters such as printing pressure and printing speed, notable enhancements were achieved in the pore …

Cf/Sic Ceramic Matrix Composites With Extraordinary Thermomechanical Properties Up To 2000 °C, Min Sung Park, Jian Gu, Heesoo Lee, Sea Hoon Lee, Lun Feng, William Fahrenholtz

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The thermomechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide ceramic matrix composites (Cf/SiC CMCs) were studied up to 2000 °C using high temperature in situ flexural testing in argon. The CMC specimens were fabricated using an ultrahigh concentration (66 vol%) aqueous slurry containing nano-sized silicon carbide powder. The SiC powder compacts were obtained by drying the slurry and were densified using the precursor impregnation and pyrolysis (PIP) method with field assisted sintering technology/spark plasma sintering (FAST/SPS). The high relative density of the SiC green body (77.6%) enabled densification within 2.5 days using four PIP cycles. In contrast, conventional PIP processes …

Thermodynamic Analysis Of Metal Segregation In Dual Phase High Entropy Ceramics, Steven M. Smith, William G. Fahrenholtz, Gregory E. Hilmas, Stefano Curtarolo

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Equilibrium Gibbs' free energy calculations were used to determine metal segregation trends between boride and carbide solid solutions containing two metals that are relevant to dual phase high entropy ceramics. The model predicted that Ti had the strongest tendency to segregate to the boride phase followed by Zr, Nb, Mo, V, Hf, and Ta, which matches experimental results of measured compositions. The ratio of a metal in the carbide phase to the content of the same metal in the corresponding metal boride had a linear trend with the change in standard Gibbs' free energy of reaction for a metal carbide …

Spark Plasma Sintering Of Magnesium Titanate Ceramics, Suzana Filipović, Nina Obradović, William G. Fahrenholtz, Steven Smith, Miljana Mirković, Adriana Peleš Tadić, Jovana Petrović, Antonije Đorđević

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Magnesium titanate ceramics were prepared by reactive spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1200 °C for 5 min. Prior to sintering, MgO and TiO₂ powders were mixed by high energy ball milling (HEBM) for 15, 30, or 60 min. The effect of milling time on phase composition was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) for milled powders and sintered specimens. The morphology of the sintered ceramics was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while elemental distribution was determined by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The presence of the MgTi2O5 phase was detected in XRD and was confirmed by EDS analysis. Microcracking was …

Morphology And Particle Size (Maps) Exercise: Testing The Applications Of Image Analysis And Morphology Descriptions For Nuclear Forensics, Stuart A. Dunn, Ian J. Schwerdt, David E. Meier, Naomi E. Marks, Thomas Shaw, Alexa Hanson, Kari Sentz, Meena Said, Richard A. Clark, Kyle A. Makovsky, Jason M. Lonergan, Matthew Gilbert

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Image analysis techniques have been applied and shown to be a valuable tool in nuclear forensics analysis. The interlaboratory exercise reported here has tested quantitative and qualitative approaches for characterizing nuclear materials. Particle size, surface features and morphology descriptions were compared by four laboratories on a common image set generated by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Digital Light Microscopy. Quantitative analysis of the image sets through the Morphological Analysis for Materials software highlighted the strength of image analysis, but also that the application of the software alone can introduce significant bias in the analysis. Qualitative morphology descriptions following the process outlined …

Phosphate-Based Dechlorination Of Electrorefiner Salt Waste Using A Phosphoric Acid Precursor, Paige Murray, Harmony Werth, Sean Sullivan, Brian J. Riley, Michael Simpson, Charmayne E. Lonergan, Krista Carlson

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electrochemical processing of spent nuclear fuel in molten chloride salts results in radioactive salt waste. Chlorine removal from the salt has been identified as an effective and efficient first step in the management of high-level waste. In this work, a simple salt was dechlorinated with a phosphoric acid phosphate precursor, resulting in a glassy dechlorinated product. The dechlorination efficacy was evaluated in air and argon environments. This work serves as an initial step to advance the technological readiness level of h3po4-based dechlorination step toward implementation of iron phosphate waste forms to immobilize electrochemical fuel reprocessing salt waste streams.

A Super-Hard High Entropy Boride Containing Hf, Mo, Ti, V, And W, Suzana Filipovic, Nina Obradovic, Greg E. Hilmas, William G. Fahrenholtz, Donald W. Brenner, Jon Paul Maria, Douglas E. Wolfe, Eva Zurek, Xiomara Campilongo, Stefano Curtarolo

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Super-Hard (Hf,Mo,Ti,V,W)B2 Was Synthesized by Boro-Carbothermal Reduction and Densified by Spark Plasma Sintering. This Composition Was Produced for the First Time as a Single-Phase Ceramic in the Present Research. the Optimized Ceramic Had a Single Hexagonal AlB2-Type Crystalline Phase with a Grain Size of 3.8 µm and Homogeneous Distribution of the Constituent Metals. the Vickers Hardness Exhibited the Indentation Size Effect, Increasing from 27 GPa at a Load of 9.8 N to as High as 66 GPa at a Load of 0.49 N. This is the Highest Hardness Reported to Date for High Entropy Boride Ceramics.

Ijmc/Fef Student Research Competition: Understanding The Effect Of Boron On Graphite Nodularity And Distribution In Ductile Iron Castings, Chase Schroeder, Colleen Lehrer, Simon Lekakh, Laura Bartlett

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ductile iron is renowned for its superior mechanical properties, higher strength, and ductility, combined with excellent castability and the economy of using a scrap melting process. The matrix structure as well as morphology and distribution of graphite nodules significantly influences mechanical properties of as-cast ductile iron. Boron contamination of the scrap supply has presented some difficulties in controlling the microstructure and mechanical properties of certain gray and ductile iron grades. In the current study, the effect of boron levels up to 95 ppm was determined on graphite nodularity and distribution in as-cast ductile iron castings as a function of section …

Magnetic Separation Of Lunar Regolith Simulants With Applications To In Situ Resource Utilization On The Moon, Peter Bachle, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) for metal extraction is imperative as a steppingstone for habitation construction in lunar and non-terrestrial environments. Separation of minerals by chemical composition is important to optimize metal and oxygen liberation from lunar ore. to this effect, devices capable of separating aluminum bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals from the lunar regolith simulants have been developed. Twenty-eight different simulants have been used in this study. a dual-belt separator was designed to reduce middlings. Para-magnetic minerals were reliably separated using a neodymium N52-magnet-separator system. Effective separation of aluminum-bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals was greater than …