Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Electrical Impedance Imaging Of Corrosion On A Partially Accessible 2-Dimensional Region, Court Hoang, Katherine Osenbach

Mathematical Sciences Technical Reports (MSTR)

In this paper we examine the inverse problem of determining the amount of corrosion on an inaccessible surface of a two-dimensional region. Using numerical methods, we develop an algorithm for approximating corrosion profile using measurements of electrical potential along the accessible portion of the region. We also evaluate the effect of error on the problem, address the issue of ill-posedness, and develop a method of regularization to correct for this error. An examination of solution uniqueness is also presented.

Preparation And Hydrogen Absorption/Desorption Of Nanoporous Palladium Thin Films, Wen-Chung Li, Thomas John Balk

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Nanoporous Pd (np-Pd) was prepared by co-sputtering Pd-Ni alloy films onto Si substrates, followed by chemical dealloying with sulfuric acid. X-ray diffractometry and chemical analysis were used to track the extent of dealloying. The np-Pd structure was changed from particle-like to sponge-like by diluting the sulfuric acid etchant. Using suitable precursor alloy composition and dealloying conditions, np-Pd films were prepared with uniform and open sponge-like structures, with interconnected ligaments and no cracks, yielding a large amount of surface area for reactions with hydrogen. Np-Pd films exhibited shorter response time for hydrogen absorption/desorption than dense Pd films, showing promise for hydrogen …

Production Of Iron Using Environmentally-Benign Renewable Or Recycled Reducing Agents, Timothy C. Eisele, Surendra Komar Kawatra

Michigan Tech Patents

To produce metallic iron from iron ore, a composition comprising a mass of material formed from a mixture of iron ore particles and particles of a reductant that is either a biomass material in particulate form or a plastic resinous material in particulate form is used. The reductant can also be a mixture of biomass material and resin in any proportions. The mass of material comprises at least one body having a shape adapted for smelting such as pellets, briquettes, pieces or lumps. The pellets have sufficient cohesion to maintain the shape into which they have been formed. The invention …

Self-Organized Nanolayers Of Organosilane Molecules, Ocelio V. Lima

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

There is a high degree of interest in organic thin films for lightweight, low power, rugged and flexible electronics. Conjugated organic molecules with polycyclic rings are being considered a major enabler of such applications. Due to a surface tension mismatch between the organic molecule with the inorganic support (mainly silicon oxides), molecular packing inside these thin films is often disordered, which suppresses the device performance. There are major efforts focused on modifying the bulk properties, for instance, maximizing orbital overlaps in the solid state, little attention was paid to receive long-range ordered thin films. A novel approach to afford conjugated …

Optical Properties Of Semiconducting Boron Carbide For Neutron Detection Applications, Ravi B. Billa

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Solid state neutron detection devices based on semiconducting boron carbide have the potential for nearly ideal neutron detection effciency for thermal neutrons. The present work is focused on characterizing optical properties of this semiconducting boron carbide material as a step in further development of the material for neutron detection and other applications.

Semiconducting boron carbide films were grown on silicon substrates using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition and their optical properties were characterized using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry over a wide spectral range, from mid-infrared to vacuum-ultraviolet wavelengths. The effects of deposition substrate temperature and of post-deposition heat treatments on …

Thermocapillary Effects In Driven Dewetting And Self-Assembly Of Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

A mathematical model for the evolution of pulsed laser-irradiated, molten metallic films has been developed using the lubrication theory. The heat transfer problem that incorporates the absorbed heat from a single laser beam or the interfering laser beams is solved analytically. Using this temperature field, we derive the 3D long-wave evolution PDE for the film height. To get insights into dynamics of dewetting, we study the 2D version of the evolution equation by means of a linear stability analysis and by numerical simulations. The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of various system parameters, such as the reflectivity, the peak laser beam …

Influence Of Grain Boundary Character On Creep Void Formation In Alloy 617, Thomas Lillo, James Cole, Megan Frary, Scott Schlegel

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Alloy 617, a high temperature creep-resistant, nickel-based alloy, is being considered for the primary heat exchanger for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) which will operate at temperatures exceeding 760^oC. Orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) is used to characterize the grain boundaries in the vicinity of creep voids that develop during high temperature creep tests (800-1000^oC at creep stresses ranging from 20-85 MPa) terminated at creep strains ranging from 5-40%. Observations using optical microscopy indicate creep rate does not significantly influence the creep void fraction at a given creep strain. Preliminary analysis of the OIM data indicates …

Thermocapillary Effects In Driven Dewetting And Self-Assembly Of Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

A mathematical model for the evolution of pulsed laser-irradiated, molten metallic films has been developed using the lubrication theory. The heat transfer problem that incorporates the absorbed heat from a single laser beam or the interfering laser beams is solved analytically. Using this temperature field, we derive the 3D long-wave evolution PDE for the film height. To get insights into dynamics of dewetting, we study the 2D version of the evolution equation by means of a linear stability analysis and by numerical simulations. The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of various system parameters, such as the reflectivity, the peak laser beam …

Thermocapillary Effects In Driven Dewetting And Self-Assembly Of Pulsed Laser-Irradiated Metallic Films, Mikhail Khenner

Mathematics Faculty Publications

A mathematical model for the evolution of pulsed laser-irradiated, molten metallic films has been developed using the lubrication theory. The heat transfer problem that incorporates the absorbed heat from a single laser beam or the interfering laser beams is solved analytically. Using this temperature field, we derive the 3D long-wave evolution PDE for the film height. To get insights into dynamics of dewetting, we study the 2D version of the evolution equation by means of a linear stability analysis and by numerical simulations. The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of various system parameters, such as the reflectivity, the peak laser beam …

Precipitate Redistribution During Creep Of Alloy 617, Scott Schlegel, Sharla Hopkins, E. Young, James Cole, Thomas Lillo, Megan Frary

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Nickel-based superalloys are being considered for applications within advanced nuclear power generation systems due to their high temperature strength and corrosion resistance. Alloy 617, a candidate for use in heat exchangers, derives its strength from both solid solution strengthening and the precipitation of carbide particles. However, during creep, carbides that are supposed to retard grain boundary motion are found to dissolve and re-precipitate on boundaries in tension. To quantify the redistribution, we have used electron backscatter diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy to analyze the microstructure of 617 after creep testing at 900 and 1000°C. The data were analyzed with respect …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Bioceramics For Orthopedics And Tissue Culture Applications, Hande Demirkiran

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Hydroxyapatite is the most well known phosphate in the biologically active phosphate ceramic family by virtue of its similarity to natural bone mineral. Among all bioglass compositions Bioglass®45S5 is one of the most bioactive glasses. This study initially started by adding different amounts (1, 2.5, 5, 10, and 25 wt. %) of Bioglass®45S5 to synthetic hydroxyapatite in order to improve the bioactivity of these bioceramics.The chemistries formed by sintering and their effect on different material properties including bioactivity were identified by using various techniques, such as powder and thin film x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray …

Tribological Performance Of Ashless Antiwear Additives Under Extreme Pressure Conditions, Bohoon Kim

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Zinc diakyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) has been used in engine oil for several decades as an antiwear additive. However, ZDDP is the primary source of P, S and Zn in the exhaust, which results in frequent maintenance or replacement of exhaust gas treatment systems. The use of ashless additives is more desirable because of recent environmental regulations. The main goal of this research was to develop a fundamental understanding of how ashless compounds protect the tribological surface in comparison to ZDDP. X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) has been performed on tribo and thermal films in order to investigate the …

Production And Characterization Of Novel Shaped Fibers For Fluid Sorption And Transport, Lisa Fuller

All Dissertations

This work investigated the production and characterization of novel shaped fibers for fluid adsorption and transport. Shaped fibers such as Y, H, and octolobal, as well as conventional round fibers, were extruded using a research melt extruder. The fibers were extruded from 18 melt flow index (MFI) polypropylene (PP) and blends of 18 MFI PP and 400 MFI PP. Hydrophilic spin finish Bozzetto Favorol SF2 was applied to the surface of extruded fibers and hydrophilic polyester additive LB-100 was included in the blend of some H fibers to increase the hydrophilicity of the fiber surface. The geometric shape retention of …

Self Powered Sensing By Combining Novel Sensor Architectures With Energy Harvesting, Vishwas Bedekar

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Recent advancements in the field of wireless sensor networks have resulted in increasing demand for self-powering techniques that reduces the dependence on batteries. In order to address this problem, there has been significant effort on generating small electrical power locally by harvesting energy from freely available environmental sources such as mechanical vibrations, wind, and stray magnetic field. Further, there is need for inventing new sensing techniques to reduce the overall power consumption. The road for reaching the destination of self-powered sensor networks requires cooperative progress in reduction in sensor power consumption by developing new sensing mechanisms and local generation of …

Simpler Packaging, Tomiko Oden

Graphic Communication

This project explains how product packaging is become more "green", and thus more simple. Packaging needs to go beyond just simplifying materials and graphics - it needs to create a simpler process in order to reduce wasted time, energy, and resources.

Pozzolanic Activity Of Rice Husk Ash: Comparison Of Various Electrical Methods, S Wansom, S Janjaturaphan, S Sinthupinyo

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The great abundance of rice husk ash (RHA) as low-cost agricultural waste in Thailand makes it the most suitable material for cement-based applications. However, the use of RHA as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) is not yet widespread in Thailand due to the poor pozzolanic activity of most agricultural RHA. Most RHA is incinerated at too high temperatures (usually in excess of 1000ºC) or under uncontrolled conditions as biomass fuel. This reduces the amount of amorphous SiO2 and hence worsens the pozzolanic activity of the resulting RHA. To enhance the use of RHA as an SCM in Thailand, a proper …

A Simple Method For Production Of Humidity Indicating Silica Gel From Rice Husk Ash, J Nayak, J Bera

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The objective of the present work is to develop a procedure for obtaining and characterizing active blue silica from rice husk ash. About 25 wt.% silica powder (from total mass of rice husk) of 95% pure silica could be produced after heat-treating at 700°C for 6 hours. A simple method based on alkaline extraction followed by acid precipitation was developed to produce pure silica hydrogel from RHA. A well-defined very minimum amount CoCl2-containing blue silica gel was prepared by impregnation of the aqueous solution of the salt to silica hydrogel, ageing and drying method. The sharp colour changing from blue …

Investigation Of The Thermoelectric Behavior And Structure Formation Of (Pbte/Agsbte2)-Silver Chalcogenide Mixtures, Yisha Wang

All Theses

Sustainable energy research is currently on the forefront of scientific exploration and energy conservation and the development of new energy production techniques are both crucial for our long lasting stable future. Accordingly, thermoelectric materials will be a significant energy conservation and production source. The state-of -the-art thermoelectric materials can be used to collect the wasted heat and converted to power, which is the future for the green power generation.
PbTe is considered a state-of-the-art thermoelectric material, which has been extensively studied. It forms in the NaCl structure and it is a semiconductor with a room temperature gap value of 0.29 …

Mechanical And Chemical Characterization Of Biological Composite Structures, Bonnie Zimmerman

All Theses

A better understanding of the bioresponse of naturally occurring systems will help
to optimize the engineering of synthetic biomaterials. The aim of this thesis was to
characterize the mechanical and chemical behavior of two distinct biological composite
systems, human teeth and wool fibers. These mechanical and chemical properties were
also studied as a function of natural structure and environmental conditions.
Human teeth are composite systems consisting primarily of hydroxylapatite and
protein. This project investigated how the use of clinical dental treatments and
procedures, such as whitening and etching, affects mechanical properties. Analysis of
nanoindentation with the Oliver-Pharr model provided elastic …

Synthesis, Characterization And Potential Applications Of Fept Nanoparticles, Vikas Nandwana

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Monodisperse FePt nanoparticles with controlled size and geometry have drawn great attention in the last decade for fundamental scientific studies and for their potential applications in advanced materials and devices such as ultra-high-density magnetic recording media, exchange-coupled nanocomposite magnets, biomedicines and nanodevices. This dissertation focuses on the synthesis and characterization of FePt nanoparticles and their use in potential applications. The FePt nanoparticles of different size (2 to 16 nm) and shape (spherical, cubic, rod) were synthesized by a chemical solution method. The size and shape of these particles were controlled by adjusting reaction parameters. The as-synthesized FePt nanoparticles have chemically …

Ziegler-Natta Catalyst With High Activity And Good Hydrogen Response, L Sinthusai, W Trakarnpruk, R Strauss

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Ziegler-Natta catalysts were prepared from chemical reaction route comprising of steps of 1) magnesium complex formation between butyloctyl magnesium and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, 2) MgCl2 support preparation from the reaction between the magnesium complex and TiCl4 as chlorinating agent and 3) titanation with TiCl4. The catalysts were used for ethylene polymerization using triethylaluminum as a cocatalyst. Effects influencing properties of catalysts and polymerization performance were investigated: triethylaluminum/Mg molar ratio, Ti/Mg molar ratio, addition of electron donor and aging step. Results show that addition of ethylbenzoate as an electron donor resulted in decreased catalytic activity. However it was found that catalytic stability under …

Preparation Of Silica Gel From Rice Husk Ash Using Microwave Heating, S Rungrodnimitchai, W Phokhanusai, N Sungkhaho

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The purpose of this research is to separate silica gel from rice husk ash by microwave heating. The experiments were performed by heating rice husk ash in sodium hydroxide solution with various concentrations in microwave oven for 5 or 10 minutes. The obtained sodium silicate was neutralized to give silica gel. The best condition for silica gel production was the reaction with 2.0 M sodium hydroxide at microwave power of 800 W for 10 minutes. The ability of silica gel as desiccant was investigated by adsorption test. The results showed that silica gel prepared by low concentration of sodium hydroxide …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Silicon-Silicon Carbide Composites From Rice Husk Ash Via Self-Propagating High Temperature Synthesis, S Niyomwas

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Silicon-Silicon Carbide (Si-SiC) composites were synthesized by self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) from a powder mixture of rice husk ash (RHA)-C-Mg. The reaction was carried out in a SHS reactor under static argon gas at a pressure of 0.5 MPa. The standard Gibbs energy minimization method was used to calculate the equilibrium composition of the reacting species. The comparison of silica from RHA and commercial sources in the precursor mixture on the Si-SiC conversion has investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope technique. The as-synthesized products of Si-SiC-MgO powders were leached with 0.1M HCl acid solution to obtain the …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Sio2 Nanowires Prepared From Rice Husk Ash, S Pukird, P Chamninok, S Samran, P Kasian, K Noipa, L Chow

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

SiO2 nanowires were synthesized by thermal evaporation of rice husk ash and coconut shell charcoal with the ratio of 1:2 by weight heated at a temperature of 1,350ο C in atmosphere of nitrogen for 1 hour. The scanning electron microscope and X-rays diffraction instrument are used to characterize the SiO2 nanowires. The SiO2 nanowires synthesized have diameters varying from 40 nm to 200 nm while the lengths were a few micrometers.

Preparation And Characterization Of Silicon From Rice Hulls, E Swatsitang, M Krochai

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

High purity silica can be prepared by reflux raw rice hulls in 1 N HCl for 45 minutes first, then pyrolyzed at 650°C for 3 hours in O2 atmosphere. The obtained white ash was examined by XRD showing a broad peak of amorphous silica at 2 theta = 22 degree. Silicon can be prepared by metallothermal reduction of pure silica at 650°C in Ar atmosphere for 1-3 hours, using magnesium (99% purity) as a reducing agent. High purity silicon (99.98 %) can be obtained by subsequently washing the as-reduced silica with HCl: H2O and HF: H2O solutions. The results from …

Utilization Of Rice Husk To Synthesize High-Performance Phosphors, L Xiong, K Saito, S Wada, E H. Sekiya

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Rice husk (RH) has high C and Si contents, so it can be used not only as a fuel candidate, but also as a low-cost Si source for synthesizing high-performance products. In the present work, we proposed a low-cost route to synthesize high-performance silicate phosphors with RH. RH was burned either as received or as pretreated by HCl washing. The resulting ashes were, respectively, utilized to react with other raw materials at high temperatures to form silicate phosphors. The high-temperature solid-state reaction process was optimized by varying either the temperature or the holding time. The crystallographic and fluorescent properties of …

Utilization Of Silica In Rice Hulls As Raw Materials For Silicon Semiconductors, T Okutani

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Highly pure silicon and silicon compounds are required in high technology products such as semiconductors and solar cells. Rice hulls consist of 71 to 87wt% organic components such as cellulose and 13 to 29wt% inorganic components. In rice hulls, 87 to 97wt% of the inorganic components are silica (SiO2). Rice plants absorb water-soluble siliceous ions via the roots. These ions are transported to stems, leaves and rice hulls by sap flow. In rice hulls, siliceous ions accumulate at the cuticle outside of the epidermis. The production of pure silicon compound (SiCl4) and of silicon metal as the starting material for …

Utilization Of Rice Husk Ash Silica In Controlled Releasing Application, P Prawingwong, C Chaiya, P Reubroycharoen, C Samart

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Mesoporous silica was produced by sol-gel technique using rice husk ash as a silica source which was applied in the drug delivery system. The drug releasing behavior was studied in phosphate buffer using indigo carmine as a drug model. The textural properties of mesoporous silica were characterized and considered with the result of the releasing study. The pore volume and silanol group on the surface of mesoporous silica affected the releasing behavior. The larger pore volume could contain the larger amount of drug which showed fast release. The effect of the silanol group presented an interaction between the drug molecule …

Crystal Habit Of Caco3 Under Different Carbonation Methods, J Ariyaprayoon, U Leela-Adisorn, A Supsakulchai

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The saturated solutions of Ca(OH)2 were carbonated by CO2 in air under static and turbulent conditions. The saturation state of starting solution and carbonation methods had effect on the crystal habit. The phase of CaCO3 precipitated from saturated solution is calcite. No metastable phase of CaCO3 was found.

Effect Of Black Rice Husk Ash Substituted Opc On Strength And Leaching Of Solidified Plating Sludge, R Piyaphanuwat, S Asavapisit

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Strength and leachability of the solidified plating sludge using OPC and BHA as solidification binders were investigated. BHA was used to replace OPC at 0, 20 and 30 wt.%, and was used to solidify 30 and 50 wt.% of the plating sludge. Results showed that no strength was observed during the first 7 days of curing when OPC was used to solidify the plating sludge. But when 20 and 30 wt.% of BHA were used to substitute OPC, the solidified wastes containing 50 wt.% of the plating sludge gave strength of 4.5 kg/cm2 at the age of 3 and 4.1 …