Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Incorporation Of Catalytic Dehydrogenation Into Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis To Lower Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Gerald P. Huffman

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Patents

A method for producing liquid fuels includes the steps of gasifying a starting material selected from a group consisting of coal, biomass, carbon nanotubes and mixtures thereof to produce a syngas, subjecting that syngas to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) to produce a hyrdrocarbon product stream, separating that hydrocarbon product stream into C1-C4 hydrocarbons and C5+ hydrocarbons to be used as liquid fuels and subjecting the C1-C4 hydrocarbons to catalytic dehydrogenation (CDH) to produce hydrogen and carbon nanotubes. The hydrogen produced by CDH is recycled to be mixed with the syngas incident to the FTS reactor in order to raise the hydrogen …

Nanostructured Dielectric Materials For High Energy Density Multi Layer Ceramic Capacitors, Fatih Dogan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A high energy density multilayer ceramic capacitor, having at least two electrode layers and at least one substantially dense polycrystalline dielectric layer positioned therebetween. The at polycrystalline dielectric layer has an average grain size of less than about 300 nanometers, a particle size distribution of between about 150 nanometers and about 3 micrometers, and a maximum porosity of about 1 percent. The dielectric layer is selected from the group including TiO₂, BaTiO₃, Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, lead zirconium titanate, and combinations thereof and has a breakdown strength of at least about 1100 …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of Oscillatory Couette Flows With Slip Boundary Conditions, Nikolai V. Priezjev

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The effect of interfacial slip on steady-state and time-periodic flows of monatomic liquids is investigated using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The fluid phase is confined between atomically smooth rigid walls, and the fluid flows are induced by moving one of the walls. In steady shear flows, the slip length increases almost linearly with shear rate. We found that the velocity profiles in oscillatory flows are well described by the Stokes flow solution with the slip length that depends on the local shear rate. Interestingly, the rate dependence of the slip length obtained in steady shear flows is recovered when the …

Water Modeling Of Self-Braking Submerged Entry Nozzle Used For Steel Continuous Casting Mold, Yongfeng Chen, Lifeng Zhang, Shufeng Yang, Jingshe Li

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Slag entrainment in a continuous casting mold is one of the major causes of macro nonmetallic inclusions in continuous casting steel products. Stabilizing the level fluctuation is an important factor to improve steel quality. a new type of submerged entry nozzle (SEN) named self-braking SEN was designed. in the current study, water modeling experiments were performed to study the effect of self-braking SEN on level fluctuation in a continuous casting slab mold. the level position and the root mean square value of level fluctuation were analyzed through the online detection data. the results showed that the flow in the mold …

Carbon Nanotubes With Ni2P Nanoparticles As A Counter Electrode In Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Yan-Ye Dou, Nan-Fu Yan, Guo-Ran Li, Xue-Ping Gao

Journal of Electrochemistry

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) supported by Ni₂P nanoparticles are prepared and used as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for the first time. The CNTs-Ni₂P composite was prepared by the heat treatment of a mixed precursor including nickel chloride, sodium hypophosphite and CNTs in argon atmosphere. The X-Ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that the as-prepared sample consists of hexagonal Ni2P and carbon nanotubes. No peaks of other nickel phosphides are observed in the XRD pattern. Microstructure of the Ni₂P-CNTs composite was investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is shown that the Ni …

Poly(Aniline/O-Nitroaniline): A High Capacity Cathode Material For Lithium Ion Batteries, Rui-Rui Zhao, Li-Min Zhu, Jiang-Feng Qian, Han-Xi Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Polyaniline can be used as a high capacity cathode material due to the advantages of material abundance and synthetic simplicity. However, its practical application in battery has been hindered by poor electrochemical utilization and cycling instability. To solve these problems, we synthesized the poly(aniline/o-Nitroaniline) (P(AN-oNA)) by introducing the electron-drawing group-nitroaniline onto the polyaniline chains, so as to enhance electrochemical utilization and stability of the polyaniline derivative. The as-prepared Li/P(AN-oNA) copolymer shows a greatly enhanced discharge capacities of 186 mAh·g^-1 at initial cycles, about 37% higher than its parent PAN, and remains 168 mAh·g^-1 after 60th cycle. Also, the …

Influences Of Particle Size And Sulfuric Acid Treatment On The Electrochemical Performance Of Bamboo Charcoal, Yu Yao, Ai-Shui Yu

Journal of Electrochemistry

The bamboo charcoal had been milled and treated by sulfuric acid. The influences of as-prepared material particle size and sulfuric acid treatment on the electrochemical performance had been studied. The result displays that the bamboo charcoal with mean particle size about 5 μm has the best first coulombic efficiency. Sulfuric acid treatment could raise the discharge capacity of bamboo charcoal, and the first discharge capacity of 328.2 mAh·g^-1 was obtained with the bamboo charcoal treated by sulfuric acid for 18 h. Furthermore, the capacity of 302.3 mAh·g^-1 could be maintained for 50 cycles, showing good cycle performance.

Synthesis And Electrochemical Characterization Of Li3V2(Po4)3/C Cathode Material By Ball-Milling Assisted Microwave Method, Zhi-Yuan Tang, Wen-Feng Mao, Ji Yan, Wei Yuan, Xin-He Zhang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The cathode materials of Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C were successfully synthesized by ball-milling assisted microwave method and the microwave irradiation time was also optimized. It is found that the Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃/C material obtained at a microwave power of 640 W for 18 min showed the best electrochemical performance with the initial reversible capacity of 101.3 mAh·g^-1 and the remained 100.8 mAh·g^-1 at 5C rate after 300 cycles. This excellent electrochemical capability may be resulted from good crystallinity, smaller and uniform particle size of the material, showing …

Electrochemical Performance Of Yf3-Coated Li(Li0.22Ni0.17Mn0.61)O2 Cathode Material For Li-Ion Batteries, Xin Feng, Guo-Ran Li, Shi-Hai Ye, Xue-Ping Gao

Journal of Electrochemistry

The Li(Li_0.22Ni_0.17Mn_0.61)O₂ was prepared with oxalic co-precipitation and coated with an YF₃ layer by a chemical deposition method. The as-prepared and YF₃-coated Li-rich materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results demonstrate that the as-prepared and YF₃-coated Li(Li_0.22Ni_0.17Mn_0.61)O₂ materials have a typical layered structure and are composed of sphere-like particles with a diameter of 100~200 nm. Galvanostatic charge-discharge tests show that the discharge capacity of the YF₃-coated Li(Li_{0.22 …}

Preparation And Performance Of Sn-Co-M-C（M = Zn, Fe）Composites As An Anode Material, Guo-Qing Fang, Wei-Wei Liu, Shi-Ci He, Qian Zhang, Jun-Wei Zheng, De-Cheng Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

The anode materials of Sn-Co-M-C (M = Zn, Fe) composites were prepared by carbothermal reduction method from metal oxides and sucrose in N₂ atmosphere. Their structural and electrochemical properties were studied by XRD, SEM and charge-discharge test. Among them, the Sn-Co-Zn-C composite showed higher specific capacity and good cycle performance. The initial specific discharge capacity of 571 mAh·g^-1 could be obtained, while 369 mAh·g^-1 was still kept after 45 cycles.

Electrochemical Sensing Of Guanine And Adenine Based On The Boron-Doped Carbon Nanotubes Modified Electrode, Ya-Lin Xia, Chun-Yan Deng, Juan Xiang

Journal of Electrochemistry

In this work, the boron-doped carbon nanotubes (BCNTs) modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode was simply fabricated, and the electrochemical oxidation behaviors of guanine and adenine at the BCNTs/GC electrode were investigated. Compared with the bare GC and CNTs/GC electrodes, the BCNTs-modified electrode exhibited extraordinary electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidations of guanine and adenine as indicated by the obvious increase in current responses. Moreover, the peak separation between guanine and adenine was large enough for their potential recognition in mixture without any separation or pretreatment. Therefore, the simultaneous determination of guanine and adenine was successfully achieved. The BCNTs/GC electrode showed high …

Electrochemical Immunosensor Based On Polycalconcarboxylic Acid Modified Electrode For The Determination Of Alpha-Fetoprotein, Xiao Lin, Shao-Huang Weng, Jian-Zhang Zhou, Ai-Lin Liu, Xin-Hua Lin, Yong-Ji You

Journal of Electrochemistry

A highly sensitive electrochemical immunosensor based on novel electropolymerized polycalconcarboxylic acid modified electrode (poly-CCA/GC) has been fabricated for the detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The differences of the poly-CCA/GC electrodes before and after the immobilization of AFP antibody were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The immobilization of antibody/antigen/antibody-HRP sandwich was formed on the poly-CCA modified electrode for the determination of special AFP concentrations. The electrochemical signals generated from the HRP which catalyzed the TMB substrate were measured. Experiment results indicated that the developed immunosensor showed a good sensitivity and precision.

Naf-M (M = Fe, Cu) Nanocomposites As Conversion Cathode Materials For Sodium Ion Batteries, Ting Li, Zhong-Xue Chen, Yu-Liang Cao, Han-Xi Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The NaF-M (M = Fe, Cu) nanocomposites were prepared by high-energy ball milling using TiN grinding nanoparticles and investigated as cathode materials for sodium ion batteries. The experimental results demonstrated that NaF-Fe and NaF-Cu nanocomposites can go through electrochemical conversion reaction with Na⁺ uptake or removal, delivering a reversible capacity of ~ 150 mAh·g^-1, even through a reversed conversion from initial discharged state to a charged state. These results reveal the possibility to realize a conversion reaction as long as NaF and elemental metal particles are intimately contacted to form active nanocomposites at nanodomain, which suggests a …

Synthesis And Electrochemical Properties Of High-Capacity Cathode Material 0.08lico0.75Al0.25O2-0.92linio2, Ru-Ying Wang, Tian Qiu, Chong Mao, Wen-Sheng Yang

Journal of Electrochemistry

CoAl-LDH or Co(OH)₂ coated spherical Ni(OH)₂ precursors were obtained via a co-precipitation method at a constant pH. The mixtures of the precursors and LiOH·H₂O were annealed at high temperature in O₂ atmosphere, and then the cathode materials of 0.08LiCo_0.75Al_0.25O₂-0.92LiNiO₂, 0.08LiCoO₂-0.92LiNiO₂ and LiNiO₂ were synthesized. Effects of the coating layer were also studied. The results showed that the 0.08LiCo_0.75Al_0.25O₂-0.92LiNiO₂ material possessed the best rate and cycle life performance. The discharging capacities at 0.1C, 0.5C and 3C were …

A Facile Approach To Prepare Lifepo4/C Composite With High-Rate Performance, Peng Zhang, Ling-Bin Kong, Yong-Chun Luo, Long Kang

Journal of Electrochemistry

The LiFePO₄/C composite electrode material was synthesized by a moderate in situ carbothermal reduction method at 600 °C using FeCl_3·6H₂O, LiOH·H₂O, and NH₄H₂PO₄ as starting materials, soluble starch sol as a carbon source and a reducing agent. This method is readily reproducible and possibly feasible to carry out large-scale synthesis. The structure and morphology of the LiFePO₄/C samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesized LiFePO₄/C composite was in pure phase of olivine-type, …

Preparation And Modification Of Li4Ti5O12 As Anode Materials For Lithium-Ion Batteries, Jin-Long Liu, Zhou-Guang Lu, Yang Ren, Ya-Jie Zhu, Shan-Shan Hu, Zhong Peng, Dong Qian, You-Gen Tang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Anode Material Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ for lithium-ion batteries was successfully prepared using half-solid-state method. Furthermore, carbon coating modification of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ was also carried out. The phase structure and morphology were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The electrochemical properties were investigated by constant current discharge-charge tests, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance techniques. The results indicated that the electrochemical performance of Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ without modification declined seriously due to the aggregation of Li₄Ti …

Electrochemical Performances Of Layered Polypyrrole/Chemically Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites As Supercapacitor Electrodes, Si-Zhe Xu, Xue-Jiao Zhou, Kun Wu, Yong-Qiang Yang, Hai-Xia Wu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Nanocomposites of polypyrrole (Ppy) and chemically reduced graphene oxide (CRGO), Ppy/CRGO, have been fabricated through in-situ polymerization of pyrrole on graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The as-synthesized Ppy/CRGO composites were characterized complementarily using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). By controlling the initial ratio of the GO to pyrrole, the layered composites could be obtained and their thickness could be tuned properly. The Ppy/CRGO electrodes were prepared using a mechanical compressing technique and their electrical conductivity and electrochemical properties were characterized systematically. We demonstrated that as electrodes for supercapacitor, the Ppy/CRGO composites with Ppy …

Electrochemical Corrosion And Protection Of Copper Foil Treated By Surface Siloxane Filming, Wei-Jun Miao, Yu-Bao Zhang, Ning-Yu Gu, Feng Liu

Journal of Electrochemistry

Copper foil specimens were immersed in hydro-alcoholic solution of 3-amino-propyl-trimethoxy-silane (γ-APS) to prepare a protective self-assembled siloxane membrane on the surface. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic tests were performed in 0.1 mol.L^-1 NaCl to evaluate the effects of the self-assembled siloxane membranes prepared at different pH of γ-APS on corrosion of copper foil. The surface morphology of siloxane membrane was studied by SEM. Experimental results revealed that the γ-APS self-assembled siloxane membranes effectively inhibited the corrosion of copper foil and the optimum anti-corrosion effect was found when the pH value of the silane solution was 7.

Electrocatalytic Activities Of Mb/Aunps/Mwnts/Gc Electrode For Hydrogen Peroxide Reduction, Zheng-Juan Huang, Hua-Ping Peng, Dai-Jun Cha, Ai-Lin Liu, Wei Chen, Xin-Hua Lin, Yong-Ji You

Journal of Electrochemistry

A novel matrix, multiwalled carbon nanotubes supported Au nanoparticles composite nanomaterial (AuNPs/MWNTs), for immobilization of protein and biosensing was designed using a simple and effective one-step in situ synthesis route. Using myoglobin (Mb) as a model, the direct electrochemistry of the immobilized proteins on the AuNPs/MWNTs composite was studied. The results showed that the AuNPs/MWNTs composite can maintain the bioactivity and facilitate the direct electrochemistry of Mb in the Mb/AuNPs/MWNTs/GC electrode. Based on the direct electron transfer of the immobilized Mb, the protein electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity to the reduction of H₂O₂ with a linear range …

Freeze-Form Extrusion Fabrication Of Functionally Graded Material Composites Using Zirconium Carbide And Tungsten, Ang Li, Aaron S. Thornton, Bradley K. Deuser, Jeremy Lee Watts, Ming-Chuan Leu, Greg Hilmas, Robert G. Landers

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ultra-high-temperature ceramics are being investigated for future use in aerospace applications due to their superior thermo-mechanical properties, as well as their oxidation resistance, at temperatures above 2000⁰C. However, their brittleness makes them susceptible to thermal shock failure. As graded composites, components fabricated as functionally-graded materials (FGMs) can combine the superior properties of ceramics with the toughness of an underlying refractory metal. This paper discusses the grading of two materials through the use of a Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) system to build FGM parts consisting of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and tungsten (W). Aqueous-based colloidal suspensions of ZrC and W were developed …

Graphene Refinement By High Temperature Anneals, Benjamin A. Calvopina, Justin Bult, Jeff Blackburn

STAR Program Research Presentations

Graphene’s intrinsic properties of being a good conductor as well as having efficient optical transmission make it a potentially useful material in photovoltaic cells as a transparent conducting electrode. One problem preventing graphene from being fully utilized stems from contaminates created and deposited during the transfer process of multiple graphene layers. After synthesis, TRT (Thermal Release Tape) is applied to the graphene supported on the copper growth substrate. TRT utilizes a unique formulation of adhesive that is temperature sensitive so that it will release when heated. Upon removing the growth substrate in a chemical bath, the TRT is used to …

Selective Laser Sintering; A Design Of Experiments, Philip David Hopkins, Victor Castillo Phd

STAR Program Research Presentations

Additive Manufacturing (AM), also commonly known as 3D Printing or Rapid Prototyping, is a method of manufacturing that provides for the ability to make intricate internal features and easily customizable parts. The concept is to break a Computer Aided Design (CAD) file into a series of thin layers that are sent to the machine and laid down one layer at a time. Just like any other form of processing, material properties can alter by undergoing this process. Manipulating various parameters of the AM process can allow for different properties to be achieved. For this reason, an in depth study will …

Commissioning Of The Asta Laser Lab With Uv Pulse Length Characterization, Daniel Kelley, Jeff Corbett

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC depends on a photocathode electron gun to provide the linear accelerator with the raw material – electrons – used for making X-ray laser pulses. The photocathode used in the LCLS Injector is a clean copper plate in high vacuum. When the cathode is struck with high energy UV light, electrons are liberated from its surface and then accelerated down the linac with radio-frequency electric fields. These fast-moving bunches of electrons are directed through an undulator magnet to radiate X-ray light.

Although scientists have been using photocathode techniques at SLAC for 25 years, …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Biocomposites From Polylactic Acid And Bamboo Fibers, Sarah E. Royse

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

Environmental concerns have been motivating research in the field of biodegradable materials, especially those from biological sources. Polylactic acid (PLA) is one biopolymer with the potential to replace some standard synthetic polymers. PLA is currently used for fibers, medical sutures, and some packaging, but is still used very little compared with synthetic polymers. One thing that can be done to expand the potential applications of PLA is to add fibers to create composite materials. Bamboo is a good choice for these fibers because it is abundant in many parts of the world, grows very quickly, and is widely unused. Composites …

Magnetic Properties Study Of The Mn-Al System With Additions Of B Or C And Mechanical Milling Techniques, Timothy E. Prost

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

Recently a shift in the focus of permanent magnetic research has moved from Rare Earth (RE)-based alloys to those made from more readily available elements. Because of their relatively large magnetocrystalline anisotropy, L1₀ compounds have the potential for use as permanent magnet materials. One particular alloy that is readily available and inexpensive is near equi-atomic manganese and aluminum (Mn₅₀-Al₅₀). First characterized in 1958, it did not receive much attention until more recently when RE supply chain issues made the alloy more attractive for commercial and research applications. The ferromagnetic (FM) τ-phase (L1₀) is …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Thermomechanically Processed Sulfur And Boron Doped Amorphous Carbon Films, Lonnie Carlson

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Small scale, high power density, reliable, and long-life power supplies would be useful or even critical for space missions or the growing number of microdetectors, microsensors, and miniature vehicles. Alpha or beta particle voltaic devices could satisfy these requirements but have been shown to degrade quickly due to radiation damage. Amorphous carbon (a-C) PN junctions or PIN devices could provide radiation hardness and sufficiently high efficiency. As the range of alpha and beta particles in a-C is ~20-120μm, much thicker films than are typical are needed to maximize collection of the particle energy.

In this work, the fabrication of thermomechanically …

A Resistance Based Structural Health Monitoring System For Composite Structure Applications, Dennis N. Boettcher

Master's Theses

This research effort explored the possibility of using interwoven conductive and nonconductive fibers in a composite laminate for structural health monitoring (SHM). Traditional SHM systems utilize fiber optics, piezoelectrics, or detect defects by nondestructive test methods by use of sonar graphs or x-rays. However, these approaches are often expensive, time consuming and complicated.

The primary objective of this research was to apply a resistance based method of structural health monitoring to a composite structure to determine structural integrity and presence of defects.

The conductive properties of fiber such as carbon, copper, or constantan - a copper-nickel alloy - can be …

Conductivity Of Twin-Domain-Wall/Surface Junctions In Ferroelastics: Interplay Of Deformation Potential, Octahedral Rotations, Improper Ferroelectricity, And Flexoelectric Coupling, Eugene A. Eliseev, Anna N. Morozovska, Yijia Gu, Albina Borisevich, Long-Qing Chen, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electronic and structural phenomena at the twin-domain-wall/surface junctions in the ferroelastic materials are analyzed. Carriers accumulation caused by the strain-induced band structure changes originated via the deformation potential mechanism, structural order parameter gradient, rotostriction, and flexoelectric coupling is explored. Approximate analytical results show that inhomogeneous elastic strains, which exist in the vicinity of the twin-domain-wall/surface junctions due to the rotostriction coupling, decrease the local band gap via the deformation potential and flexoelectric coupling mechanisms. This is the direct mechanism of the twin-wall static conductivity in ferroelastics and, by extension, in multiferroics and ferroelectrics. On the other hand, flexoelectric and rotostriction …

Dynamical Properties Of Ferroelectric Perovskites (Ba,Sr)Tio3 And Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 Systems From First Principles, Jeevaka Weerasinghe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A first-principles-based effective Hamiltonian scheme which incorporates coupling between ferroelectric (FE) and antiferrodistortive (AFD) motions is applied to Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ alloys. It validates the existence of two modes of E symmetry (rather than the single E(1TO) soft mode) in the 50-75 cm^-1 range for temperatures smaller than 200 K and for compositions falling within the Rhombohedral R3c phase. Coupling between long-range-ordered FE and AFD motions is shown to be the cause of the additional mode and more insight into its nature is provided. This scheme is further used to reveal a field-induced anticrossing involving FE and AFD degrees of …

Atomistic Simulations Of Defect Nucleation And Intralayer Fracture In Molybdenum Disulphide During Nanoindentation, James A. Stewart

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) is a layered, hexagonal crystal that has a very low coefficient of friction. Due to this low coefficient of friction, MoS2 has become a well-known solid lubricant and liquid lubricant additive. As such, nanoparticles of MoS2 have been proposed as an additive to traditional liquid lubricants to provide frictional properties that are sensitive to different temperature and pressure regimes. However, to properly design these MoS2 nanoparticles to be sensitive to different temperature and pressure regimes, it is necessary to understand the mechanical response of crystalline MoS2 under mechanical loading. Specifically, the fundamental mechanism associated with the nucleation …