Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Fundamental Core Effects In Co-Cr-Fe-Ni Based High Entropy Alloys, Abhishek Mehta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are near equiatomic multi-principal-element-alloys (MPEAs) which are different from traditional solvent-based multicomponent alloys. Based on initial work by Yeh and Co-workers, they were proposed to exhibit four "core" effects: high entropy, sluggish diffusion, lattice distortion, and cocktail effect. Present work investigates two of the four "core" effects, i.e. high entropy and sluggish diffusion effects, in Co-Cr-Fe-Ni based transition metal high entropy alloys. Solid-to-solid diffusion couple approach was adopted to investigate, these core effects. Experimental results contradicts the "high entropy" effect based on thermodynamics analysis: that the HEAs with low entropy of mixing may be thermodynamically more …

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Engineering And Computer Science, Spring 2018, Buenaventura "Ven" Basco

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Graphene Induced Formation Of Nanostructures In Composites, Chen Shen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Graphene induced nanostructures in graphene-based composites and the performance of these composites have been explored in this study. For the metallic nanoparticles decorated graphene aerogels composites, the fabrication of hierarchically structured, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) aerogels with heavily metallic nanoparticles was realized. Higher loading of palladium nanoparticles in graphene aerogels leads to improved hydrogen gas sensing performance. For polymer derived ceramics (PDCs) composites with anisotropic electrical properties, the fabrication of composites was realized by embedding anisotropic reduced graphene oxide aerogels (rGOAs) into the PDCs matrix. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies of PDCs composites with and without graphene indicate that …

Assessment Of Microstructure And Mechanical Behavior Of Materials And Phases Observed In Low-Enriched Uranium Monolithic Fuel Plates After Fabrication, Ryan Newell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Low enriched uranium (LEU) fuels are being developed to reduce the use of highly enriched uranium in power generation to reduce proliferation risks. Challenges arise in providing sufficient fissile U in LEU without reactor redesign. As such, a novel monolithic fuel plate design employs LEU alloyed with 10 wt. % Mo. Throughout fabrication of these fuel plates, metallurgical transformations and reactions take place as a result of elevated temperatures during processing. The transformations include decomposition of the metastable body-centered cubic γ phase in the fuel and metallurgical interactions at interfaces between fuel plate components. This work aims to provide further …

Surfactant Driven Assembly Of Freeze-Casted, Polymer-Derived Ceramic Nanoparticles On Grapehene Oxide Sheets For Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes, Ali Zein Khater

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Traditional Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) are a reliable and cost-efficient choice for energy storage. LIBs offer high energy density and low self-discharge. Recent developments in electric-based technologies push for replacing historically used Lead-Acid batteries with LIBs. However, LIBs do not yet meet the demands of modern technology. Silicon and graphene oxide (GO) have been identified as promising replacements to improve anode materials. Graphene oxide has a unique sheet-like structure that provides a mechanically stable, light weight material for LIB anodes. Due to its structure, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is efficiently conductive and resistive to environmental changes. On the other hand, silicon-based …

The Formation And Characterization Of Mesoscopic J- And H-Aggregates With Controlled Morphologies By The Co- And Templated Assembly Of Cyanine Dyes, Samuel Rhodes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The supramolecular aggregates of π-conjugated molecules have become an area of great interest to the scientific community in recent years for their promise in biosensors and optoelectronic devices. Among various supramolecular aggregates, J- and H-aggregates of πconjugated dye molecules are particularly interesting because of their unique optical and excitonic properties that are not given by individual molecules. H-aggregates are composed of dye molecules in a face-to-face stacking, giving rise to a blue-shifted absorption band compared with the monomer band and a strong emission quenching. In contrast, J-aggregates represent an edge-toedge stacking of dye molecules, showing a red-shifted absorption band with …

Processing Of Cubic Stabilized Zirconia Electrolyte Membranes For Electrolyte-Supported Single Cell Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using Tape Casting, Arturo Coronado Rodriguez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Electrochemical conversion devices are a developing technology that prove to be a viable and more efficient alternative to current environmentally friendly generation devices. As such, constant research has been done in the last few decades to increase their applications and reliability. One of these systems, and the focus of this research, is the single cell Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). These systems are a developing technology which main caveat is the need of high operating temperatures and costs. As such, most multidisciplinary research has been focused on researching materials and/or processes that help mitigate the costs or lower the operating …

Equibiaxial Flexural Strength Testing Of Advance Ceramics, Ryan T. Jordan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Ceramics are very important materials with many unique properties used in numerous industrial applications. Ceramics could be very hard and very strong in comparison to metals; however, they are very brittle, thus they are prone to instantaneous and catastrophic failure. Therefore, their reliability is compromised and it is very important to have advanced techniques that allow evaluating their mechanical behavior in many unusual stress states. One of such testing methods is biaxial strength method, that allows to measure properties not only unidirectional, but also in a biaxial way. The research work for this thesis will be built on design and …

Raman Spectroscopy Of The Skeleton Of The Coral Acropora Cervicornis, Zachary C. Shepard

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Coral reefs are an important element of marine ecosystem that are critical to maintain a healthy environment. Unfortunately, in recent years coral reefs are doing poorly and many in parts of the ocean are simply dying. Therefore, study of coral’s structural response to external loads could answer what will happen with their structures, while they exhibit different types of loading. Therefore, the proposition of using in-situ micro-Raman spectroscopy to study skeletons of Acropora cervicornis was used. Coral skeleton samples I subjected to mechanical loading studied their vibrational properties by exciting the material with 532nm visible light. A uniaxial compressive load …

Optimal Sintering Temperature Of Ceria-Doped Scandia Stabilized Zirconia For Use In Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Amanda K. Assuncao

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Carbon emissions are known to cause decay of the Ozone layer in addition to creating pollutant, poisonous air. This has become a growing concern among scientists and engineers across the globe; if this issue is not addressed, it is likely that the Earth will suffer catastrophic consequences. One of the main culprits of these harmful carbon emissions is fuel combustion. Between vehicles, power plants, airplanes, and ships, the world consumes an extraordinary amount of oil and fuel which all contributes to the emissions problem. Therefore, it is crucial to develop alternative energy sources that minimize the impact on the environment. …

Regolith-Based Construction Materials For Lunar And Martian Colonies, Kevin Grossman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Humankind's ambitions of exploring our solar system and parts beyond depend heavily on our ability to collect resources from local environments at our destinations rather than bringing materials on the journey. This is a concept known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and it is one that has been understood by every explorer and settler in the history of humankind. Regolith on the moon and Mars has been shown to be a particularly useful resource and has the ability to provide humans with resources including water, oxygen, construction material, fabric, radiation shielding, metals, and may more. This dissertation focuses on construction …

Influence Of Chitosan-Alginate Scaffold Stiffness On Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Differentiation, Isabel Arias Ponce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tissue grafts are the gold standard for replacing large volume tissue defects. Yet, they present several risks, including infection, low functional outcomes, and reduced graft integrity. Tissue engineering (TE) combines cells and biomaterial scaffolds to foster tissue growth and remodeling. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) have been shown to respond to the stiffness of their microenvironment, resulting in differentiation into different lineages. 3D porous chitosan-alginate (CA) scaffolds have been previously demonstrated for bone TE with osteoblasts and BMSCs; however, only a single scaffold composition (4 wt%) was studied. Three CA scaffold compositions (2, 4, 6 wt% CA) were produced. Scanning …

Cell Printing: An Effective Advancement For The Creation Of Um Size Patterns For Integration Into Microfluidic Biomems Devices, Megan Aubin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Body-on-a-Chip (BoaC) is a microfluidic BioMEMs project that aims to replicate major organs of the human body on a chip, providing an in vitro drug testing platform without the need to resort to animal model testing. Using a human model also provides significantly more accurate drug response data, and may even open the door to personalized drug treatments. Microelectrode arrays integrated with human neuronal or human cardiac cells that are positioned on the electrodes are essential components for BoaC systems. Fabricating these substrates relies heavily on chemically patterned surfaces to control the orientation and growth of the cells. Currently, …

Simultaneous Measurement Of Isotope-Free Tracer And Interdiffusion Coefficients In Sandwich Type Diffusion Couples, Esin Schulz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The experimental determination of the tracer or self-diffusion coefficient as a function of composition can be quite burdensome in alloys since separate measurements must be carried out for each alloy composition. A new formalism recently developed by I.V. Belova, N.S. Kulkarni, Y.H. Sohn and G.E. Murch, based on linear response theory combined with the Boltzmann–Matano method allows determination of tracer and interdiffusion coefficients simultaneously from a single, isotope-free solid to solid diffusion couple experiment. In this study, for the first time, an experimental investigation with an analytical approach based on the new formalism has been carried out in the binary …

Advanced Nanoscale Characterization Of Plants And Plant-Derived Materials For Sustainable Agriculture And Renewable Energy, Mikhael Soliman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The need for nanoscale, non-invasive functional characterization has become more significant with advances in nano-biotechnology and related fields. Exploring the ultrastructure of plant cell walls and plant-derived materials is necessary to access a more profound understanding of the molecular interactions in the systems, in view of a rational design for sustainable applications. This, in turn, relates to the pressing requirements for food, energy and water sustainability experienced worldwide. Here we will present our advanced characterization approach to study the effects of external stresses on plants, and resulting opportunities for biomass valorization with an impact on the food-energy-water nexus. First, the …

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Engineering And Computer Science, Fall 2017, Buenaventura "Ven" Basco

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Electrode Integration Of Nanostructured Metal And Metal Oxide Materials Based On In-Situ Growth Methods For Environmental Sensors, Xiaochen Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the past decades, increased human population and activities have introduced a large amount of pollutants into the environment. Various types of conventional analytical instruments were used for monitoring the emitted chemicals with low detection limit, high accuracy, and discrimination power. However, many of these methods are laboratory-based owing to sample collection, transportation, extraction, and purification steps. To make real-time on-site monitoring possible, miniaturized sensors with various integrated elements were developed. One of the most well-known strategies is to utilize nanostructured materials with enhanced sensing properties for those devices. For a majority of the current state of art devices, the …

Anisotropy Evolution Due To Surface Treatment On 3d-Printed Fused Deposition Modeling (Fdm) Of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (Abs), Blake E. Lozinski

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Purpose: This paper will present insight to the methodology and results of the experimental characterization of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). The work in this research explored the effects of print orientation, surface treatment, and ultraviolet (UV) light degradation with the utilization of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) on ABS tensile specimens.

Design/methodology: ABS specimens were printed at three build orientations (flat (0 degrees), 45 degrees, and up-right (90 degrees)). Each of these specimens were treated with three different surface treatments including a control (acrylic paint, Cyanoacrylate, and Diglycidyl Bisphenol A) followed by exposure to UV light …

Study Of Surface Passivation Behavior Of Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells, Haider Ali

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To achieve efficiencies approaching the theoretical limit of 29.4% for industrially manufactured solar cells based on crystalline silicon, it is essential to have very low surface recombination velocities at both the front and rear surfaces of the silicon substrate. Typically, the substrate surfaces feature contacted and uncontacted regions, and recombination should be limited for both to maximize the energy conversion efficiency. Uncontacted silicon surfaces are often passivated by the deposition of silicon nitride (SiNx) or an aluminum oxide film with SiNx as capping layer (Al2O3/SiNx stack). Further, proper surface preparation and cleaning of Si wafers prior to deposition also plays …

Interaction Between Carbon Nanotubes And Metals (Al, Cu) And The Effects On Resultant Properties Of The Hybrid Materials, Jingyin Jiang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the exceptional strength, stiffness and excellent electrical and thermal properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been regarded as promising candidates for advanced nanoelectronics and multifunctional nanocomposites. In this dissertation, the interaction of CNTs with metals have been investigated and the resultant electrical conduction have been analyzed, aiming to develop innovative avenues to best utilize CNTs' potential. In order to do so, quantum mechanics calculations have been carried out to study that how to obtain greater electrical conduction by doping metals (Cu, Al) which tailor the electronic structure of three different types of metal-CNT interactions, : 1) encapsulation of atoms …

Printable Carbon Nanotube Based Multifunctional Nanocomposites For Strain Sensing And Self-Heating, Xin Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The unique properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) represent a potential for developing a piezo-resistive strain sensor and a resistive heating sheet with a smart structure. Conventional fabrication techniques of CNT based nanocomposites such as molding, casting or spray coating lack the ability to control the geometry and properties of fabricated composites. In order to meet the various requirements of strain sensing or self-heating applications, nanocomposites with complex geometry and controllable properties are in high demand. Digital printing technique is able to fabricate CNT films with precisely controlled geometry with the help of computer aided design, and their properties could also …

Carbon Nanotube (Cnt) Metallic Composite With Focus On Processing And The Resultant Properties, Md Muktadir Billah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metal-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composites are the promising advanced materials that are being developed to take the advantage of the exceptional properties of CNTs. Because of the intrinsically strong in-plane atomic SP2 bonding CNTs offer high young's modulus (1.0–1.8 TPa), high tensile strength (30–200 GPa) and high elongation at break (10–30%). The thermal conductivity of individual single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) are about 6000 W/m-K and 3000 W/m-K, respectively. Therefore it is expected that by incorporation of CNTs in metal matrices multi-functional composites can be used ideally as thermal interface materials, light-weight high-strength structural materials, electric components, …

A Parametric Study Of Meso-Scale Patterns For Auxetic Mechanical Behavior Optimization, Matthew C. Schuler

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis focuses on the development, parameterization and optimization of a novel meso-scale pattern used to induce auxetic behavior, i.e., negative Poisson's ratio, at the bulk scale. Currently, the majority of auxetic structures are too porous to be utilized in conventional load-bearing applications. For others, manufacturing methods have yet to realize the meso-scale pattern. Consequently, new auxetic structures must be developed in order to confer superior thermo-mechanical responses to structures at high temperature. Additionally, patterns that take into account manufacturing limitations, while maintaining the properties characteristically attached to negative Poisson's Ratio materials, are ideal in order to utilize the potential …

Phase Transformation And Growth Kinetics In Reaction Zone Between Uranium Alloy And Zirconium Diffusion Barrier, Young Joo Park

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

U-10wt.%Mo (U10Mo) alloy as a part of monolithic fuel system is being developed under Material Management and Minimization Reactor Conversion (MMMRC) program, tasked with replacing high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel with low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel in civilian research and test reactors. Use of U10Mo fuel alloy entails a Zr diffusion barrier to avoid the undesirable interdiffusion and reactions between the U10Mo and Al-alloy cladding. To better understand the interaction between these fuel system constituents, microstructural development and diffusion kinetics in U-Mo-Zr, U-Zr and fuel plate assembly processed by co-rolling and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) were investigated using a variety of analytical …

Characterization Of Dispersion And Residual Stress In Nanoparticle Reinforced Hybrid Carbon Fiber Composites, Alex Selimov

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hybrid carbon fiber reinforced composites are a new breed of materials that are currently being explored and characterized for next generation aerospace applications. Through the introduction of secondary reinforcements, such as alumina nanoparticles, hybrid properties including improved mechanical properties and stress sensing capabilities can be achieved. In order to maximize these properties, it is necessary to achieve a homogeneous dispersion of particulate filler. Utilizing the photoluminescent properties of alumina, it is possible to compare local levels of particle concentration through emission intensities as a way to determine the effectiveness of the tested manufacturing parameters in increasing material homogeneity. Parameters of …

Stress-Induced Phase Change Sintering: A Novel Approach To The Fabrication Of Barium Chloride Transparent Ceramic Scintillators, William Shoulders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the precise in-field identification of dangerous radioisotopes, the desire for higher resolution, cheaper, and more rugged gamma-ray scintillator detectors has pushed the materials science community to investigate new compounds and processing techniques.  One particular solution is Eu:BaCl2 transparent ceramics processed by the novel phase-change sintering technique. Typically, optical transparency in BaCl2 would be limited by birefringence scattering at grain boundaries due to mismatch in refractive index. Traditional ceramic processing routes would also predispose this volatile and hygroscopic material to the formation of defects, which interrupt the energy transfer in the scintillation process. Literature shows that these challenges have prevented …

Interdiffusion, Crystallography And Mechanical Properties Of Nickel Manganese Gallium Alloys, Le Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

NiMnGa Heusler alloys, functioning as either ferromagnetic shape memory alloys or mangetocaloric materials, have both practical applications and fundamental research value. The functional properties of NiMnGa alloys are closely related to the martensitic transformation from high temperature austenitic phase to low temperature martensitic phase. Alloys can be used for room temperature or high temperature applications, depending on the martensitic transformation temperature, which is compositional sensitive. The microstructure and crystallography of the martensites can be very complex but are crucial to the optimization of the material performance. In this study, for the first time, a combinatorial study by combining solid-to-solid diffusion …

Nanoengineered Energy Harvesting And Storage Devices, Chao Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organic and perovskite solar cells have recently attracted significant attention due to its flexibility, ease of fabrication and excellent performance. In order to realize even better performance for organic and perovskite solar cells, rejuvenated effort towards developing nanostructured electrodes and high quality active layer is necessary. In this dissertation, several strategic directions of enhancing the performance of organic and perovskite solar cells are investigated. An introduction and background of organic and perovskite solar cells, which includes motivation, classification and working principles, nanostructured electrode materials and solvent effect on active materials, and devices fabrication, are presented. A facile method, called Spin-on …

Electrical Properties Of Polymer-Derived Silicoaluminum Carboxide Ceramics (Sialco) And Their Applications In Micro-Sensors, Yejie Cao

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) is a new kind of material which is directly synthesized by the thermal decomposition of polymer precursors. Due to their unique structure, which consists of the amorphous matrix phase and free-carbon phase, PDCs exhibit many distinguished properties even at high-temperature environment such as oxidation and creep resistance, amorphous semiconducting behavior as well as piezoresistive behavior. These outstanding properties make PDCs become promising candidates for various applications especially for high-temperature microsensors. However, most common used PDCs in the market now are SiC, SiCN and Si(M)CN ceramics, the high price and toxicity of their raw materials as well as …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Stable And Metastable Phases In Ni- And Fe-Based Alloy Systems By Mechanical Alloying, Ahmed Al-Joubori

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mechanical Alloying (MA) is a process that involves repeated cold welding, fracturing and rewelding of powder particles in a high-energy ball mill and has been used extensively to synthesize both stable (equilibrium) and metastable phases in a number of alloy systems. This is due to its ability to achieve many effects simultaneously, viz., reduction in grain size, introduction of a variety of crystal defects, disordering of the lattice, and modifying the crystal structures of materials; all these allowing alloying and phase transformations to occur in powders. In this Dissertation, we have synthesized a number of different alloy phases in Ni- …