Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Machine Learning Strategies For Potential Development In High-Entropy Driven Nickel-Based Superalloys, Marium Mostafiz Mou

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In this study, I developed Deep Learning interatomic potentials to model a multi-phase and multi-component system of Ni-based Superalloys. The system has up to three major phase constituents, namely Gamma, Gamma Prime, and Transition-metal rich Carbide. I utilized invariant scalar-based and/or equivariant, tensor-based neural network (NN) approach as implemented in DEEPMD, NEQUIP/ALLEGRO codes, respectively, and Moment Tensor Potential (MTP). For the training and validation sets, I employed the ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) trajectory results and ground state DFT calculations, including the energy, force, and virial database from highly diverse compositions, temperatures, and pressures following a “High Entropy Strategy.” The Deep …

Development Of Advanced Germanium Detectors For Rare Event Physics, Sanjay Bhattarai

Dissertations and Theses

High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors are widely used in rare-event physics searches for dark matter, neutrinoless double-beta decay, and solar neutrinos. This dissertation fo- cuses on improving crystal quality by controlling the impurity concentration, dislocation density, and growth environment as well as developing advanced Ge detectors for various physics applications. The dissertation presents experimental investigations of electrical conduction mechanisms in p-type amorphous germanium (a-Ge), which is used as an elec- trical contact material in HPGe detectors. By measuring the surface leakage current from three high-purity planar Ge detectors, we determine the localization length and hopping parameters in a-Ge. The dissertation …

Ambient Ammonia Synthesis Via Microwave-Catalytic Materials And Plasma Chemistry, Siobhan Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ammonia is critical to supporting human life on earth because of its use as fertilizer. The Haber-Bosch process to produce ammonia has been practiced for over 100 years. This process operates at high pressure and temperature to overcome the thermodynamic and kinetic limitations of the ammonia synthesis reaction thus researchers have tried to overcome it for decades. At present this process represents 1% of global energy usage and 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions. The proposed chemical looping ammonia synthesis approach seeks to reduce the environmental impact of this critical process and to elucidate microwave-catalytic principles.

This research aims to …

3d Printed Microfluidic Devices For Advanced Fluid Manipulation In Biomedical Applications, Kathrine Curtin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microfluidics are valuable devices in the biomedical field because of their remarkable ability to manipulate small volumes of fluid and facilitate reactions. Microfluidics have several significant advantages, including their portability, low cost, fast reaction times, and high surface area-to-volume ratios. Microfluidics be used for a multitude of applications, including bioanalysis, cellular assays, organ-on-a-chip, and separations. Microfluidics have great potential to overcome many challenges in conventional chemical and biological applications. However, complex fabrication procedures in silicon, glass, thermoplastics, and (polydimethylsiloxane) PDMS devices make rapidly optimizing and prototyping devices challenging. Microfluidic fabrication techniques have been a long-standing challenge in successfully translating these …

Synthesis Of Quasi-Freestanding Graphene Films Using Radical Species Formed In Cold Plasmas, Michael A. Mathews Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For over a decade, the Stinespring laboratory has investigated scalable, plasma assisted synthesis (PAS) methods for the growth of graphene films on silicon carbide (SiC). These typically utilized CF₄-based inductively coupled plasma (ICP) with reactive ion etching (RIE) to selectively etch silicon from the SiC lattice. This yielded a halogenated carbon-rich surface layer which was then annealed to produce the graphene layers. The thickness of the films was controlled by the plasma parameters, and overall, the process was readily scalable to the diameter of the SiC wafer.

The PAS process reproducibly yielded two- to three-layer thick graphene films …

Stability Of Ruddlesden-Popper Phase Lanthanum Nickelate As Air Electrode For Reversible Solid Oxide Cells, Daniel De Lorenzo Moreira

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis studied the long-term stability of Ruddlesden-Popper phase Lanthanum Nickelate under operating conditions as the air electrode for Reversible Solid Oxide Cells (R-SOC). Renewable energies have gone through increase in popularity throughout the last decades, mainly due to the consequences of the rapid population growth in the world. These new energies have been pointed as the rightful successor of fossil fuel energies in order to decrease the environmental impact of our day-to-day life. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells as well as Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells are believed to be the key to stabilizing the energy supply when environmental conditions are …

Manganese-Based A-Site High-Entropy Perovskite Oxides For Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen Production, Cijie Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Non-stoichiometric perovskite oxides have been studied as a new family of redox oxides for solar thermochemical hydrogen (STCH) production owing to their favourable thermodynamic properties. However, conventional perovskite oxides suffer from limited phase stability and kinetic properties, and poor cyclability. Here, we report a strategy of introducing A-site multi-principal-component mixing to develop a high-entropy perovskite oxide, (La_1/6Pr_1/6Nd_1/6Gd_1/6Sr_1/6Ba_1/6)MnO₃ (LPNGSB_Mn), which shows desirable thermodynamic and kinetics properties as well as excellent phase stability and cycling durability. LPNGSB_Mn exhibits enhanced hydrogen production (~77.5 mmol moloxide^–1) compared to (La …

Filtration Performance, Fit Test And Side Effects Of Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment Following Decontamination: Observations For User Safety And Comfort, Nathalie Turgeon, Melissa Pagé, Justin Robillard, Véronique Goulet, Ali Bahloul, Clothilde Brochot, Mohamed Nejib Saidi, Nathan Dumont-Leblond, Caroline Duchaine

Études primaires

Objective

While facing personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, several institutions looked to PPE decontamination and reuse options. This study documents the effect of two hydrogen peroxide treatments on filtration efficiency and fit tests as well as the side effects for volunteers after the decontamination of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). We also propose an efficient and large-scale treatment protocol that allows for the traceability of this protective equipment in hospitals during PPE shortages.

Methods

The effects of low-temperature hydrogen peroxide sterilization and hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) on two FFR models (filtration, decontamination level, residual emanation) were …

Development Of Polymeric Sorbents As Reusable Filtration Systems For Remediation Of Pfas Contaminated Water, E. Molly Frazar

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Decades of use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a multitude of consumer and industry-based products have led to a devastating amount of soil and water contamination. Although these chemicals and compounds possess advantageous qualities – such as that of PFAS in the role of fire-fighting foams that have no doubt saved countless lives and homes, we must take responsibility for the anthropogenic hazards that threaten our global health. This entails being able to cost-effectively remediate problems created in the past from overuse of toxic substances that could negatively impact our future, and in this case, the future of …

Application Of Multi-Scale Computational Techniques To Complex Materials Systems, Mujan N. Seif

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The applications of computational materials science are ever-increasing, connecting fields far beyond traditional subfields in materials science. This dissertation demonstrates the broad scope of multi-scale computational techniques by investigating multiple unrelated complex material systems, namely scandate thermionic cathodes and the metallic foam component of micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) shielding. Sc-containing "scandate" cathodes have been widely reported to exhibit superior properties compared to previous thermionic cathodes; however, knowledge of their precise operating mechanism remains elusive. Here, quantum mechanical calculations were utilized to map the phase space of stable, highly-faceted and chemically-complex W nanoparticles, accounting for both finite temperature and chemical …

Surface Properties, Work Function, And Thermionic Electron Emission Characterization Of Materials For Next-Generation Dispenser Cathodes, Antonio Mantica

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

A dispenser cathode’s ability to thermionically emit electrons is highly dependent on its material properties, especially those of the surface. Understanding the relationship between surface properties and electron emission, therefore, is vital to reach the next generation of the many vacuum electron devices (VEDs) that rely on the physics of electron emission. In the past century, many techniques have been developed to characterize material surfaces and quantify thermionic emission. These techniques are based on a wide range of different physical phenomena, including measuring photoemission via the photoelectric effect, measuring the electrostatic potential between metals in electrical contact, and current collection …

Solid-State Electrolytes For Long Duration Molten Sodium Batteries, Ryan C. Hill

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Rechargeable batteries have become a staple of modern society, driving the development and expansion of portable electronics and electric vehicles. The long lifetime and high energy density provided by batteries have made them excellent candidates for use in the emerging field of long duration, grid-scale energy storage. However, traditional battery chemistries, such as Li-ion, are not an ideal solution for grid-scale storage, due to high-cost raw materials that are often sourced from volatile markets. Sodium-based batteries are a promising alternative for long duration storage, owing to the domestic abundance of raw materials and energy densities that nearly rival that of …

Conductive 3d Nano-Biohybrid Systems Based On Densified Carbon Nanotube Forests And Living Cells, Roya Bagheri, Alicia K. Ball, Masoud Kasraie, Aparna Chandra, Xinqian Chen, Ibrahim Miskioglu, Zhiying Shan, Parisa Pour Shahid Saeed Abadi

Michigan Tech Publications

Conductive biohybrid cell-material systems have applications in bioelectronics and biorobotics. To date, conductive scaffolds are limited to those with low electrical conductivity or 2D sheets. Here, 3D biohybrid conductive systems are developed using fibroblasts or cardiomyocytes integrated with carbon nanotube (CNT) forests that are densified due to interactions with a gelatin coating. CNT forest scaffolds with a height range of 120–240 µm and an average electrical conductivity of 0.6 S/cm are developed and shown to be cytocompatible as evidenced from greater than 89% viability measured by live-dead assay on both cells on day 1. The cells spread on top and …

Diffuse Scattering And 3d-∆Pdf Analyses: Order-Disorder Phase Transitions In (Sr1−Xcax)3rh4sn13 And Nano2, Puspa Upreti

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Classification of structural phase transitions as being of the displacive or order-disorder types is usually done based on spectroscopic measurements performed above the transition. Transitions of the displacive type typically occur when soft phonon modes condense upon approaching the phase transition, whereas those of the order-disorder type are characterized by structures in which the atoms are located randomly above the phase transition at T* at the minima of a multiwell potential. In the ordered state, i.e., when T

We have performed single crystal x-ray scattering experiments and three-dimensional pair distribution functions (3D-∆PDF) analyses to understand the nature of phase transitions …

Mechanical Behavior Of Metallic Core-Shell Nanoparticles Under Compressive Loading, Phillip Tomich

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Core/shell metallic nanoparticles have been shown to be a promising material type for additive manufacturing in the aerospace and automotive fields. Within additive manufacturing they will be used to accurately make an array of nanoparticles within the grains of metal matrix composites. This in turn will help to strengthen the material while remaining ductility and light weight. In this study, copper/aluminum core/shell nanoparticles are compressed under [100], [110], [111], and [112] directions to showcase their anisotropic material properties. Models of their individual counterparts were also investigated. There are no previous works showing the deformation mechanisms of copper/aluminum core/shell nanoparticles. Molecular …

Assessing A Byproduct Of The Cbd Ethanol Extraction Process For Potential As A Wood Finishing Product, Avani M. Flanagan

Masters Theses

Developments in regulations concerning the use of CBD products as therapeutic remedies have allowed the global cannabidiol (CBD) market to take off within the past five years. Despite producers of CBD oil wanting to optimize their methods and increase product yields, several waste streams still exist. During the winterization phase of the ethanol extraction process, CBD oil is cooled and filtered so the fats, waxes, and lipids from the Cannabis sativa plant can coagulate and be removed, creating a purer oil with higher potency but contributing to the 58% (crude weight) total loss that occurs throughout the process. The removed …

System Analysis Of An Internal Combustion Engine (Ice) – Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (Sofc) Hybrid Cycle, Jose Javier Colon Rodriguez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy and the rigid operation of existing coal plants, the need for flexible power generation technology is eminent. Hybrid energy systems have shown potential for flexible, grid following dynamics while maintaining higher efficiencies. The work below focuses on the performance analysis of a proposed 100 kW pressurized Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) hybrid system. The un-utilized fuel from the SOFC stack provided the chemical energy to operate the engine. A turbocharger was used to deliver the necessary air flow for both the stack and engine. An external reformer …

Strongly Correlated Electron Systems: Rare- And Alkaline-Earth Manganese- And Nickel-Based Perovskite Oxides, Elena Krivyakina

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This work is an academic exploration of the capacity to manipulate the characteristics of strongly correlated electron systems, specifically transition metal perovskite oxides, through chemical substitutions and structural modifications. The high flexibility of the perovskites offers prospects for customizing materials with specific functionalities, thereby holding promise for the advancement of innovative technologies in diverse industries, ranging from electronics and energy to information storage and spintronics. My research focuses on a comprehensive overview of investigations I conducted on three specific compositions, namely alkalineand rare-earth manganese-based and nickel-based oxides, denoted as (Sr, Ba)(Mn, T i)O3−δ, (Y, T b)MnO3+δ, and (Sr, La)N iO3−δ. …

The Application Of Photoelectron Spectroscopies In Analyzing The Impact Of Interfacial Energetics On Perovskite Solar Cells, Tuo Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

In recent years, organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites (HP) have garnered tremendous attention in photovoltaic research. This attention is attributed to their low cost and excellent optoelectronic properties, including large absorption coefficients, tunable bandgaps, long charge-carrier diffusion lengths, and low densities of deep trap states. Inverted p-i-n architecture perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are of intense interest and are generally regarded as more amenable to low-temperature solution processing. Nevertheless, the development of inverted PSCs is lagging the conventional architecture devices. Imperfect energy level alignments and charge carrier recombination, especially at the interface between perovskite and electron transport layers (ETLs), are two main …

Intragranular Tungsten-Titanium Carbide Composite Ceramics Via Gas-Solid Displacement Reactions, Ryan Daniel Dempsey

Doctoral Dissertations

"Research presented herein details the synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite ceramics featuring novel heterogeneous microstructures of potential interest in a variety of electrical and structural applications. Specifically, W-TiCy composite ceramics featuring tungsten nanoprecipitates located primarily within TiCy grains have been produced via sintering of intragranular nanocomposite powders produced via reaction processing-based techniques. This dissertation details the thermodynamic basis and applied kinetics of a processing scheme for fabricating nanocomposite ceramics whose morphological heterogeneity reflects that originally developed in the powder state. The first study in this series overviews the motivation for applying metallothermic displacement reactions, conducted through gaseous intermediates, to solid …

Phosphate And Borophosphate Glasses For Optical And Biomedical Applications, Parker Tracy Freudenberger

Doctoral Dissertations

"The goal of this work was to connect the network structures of phosphate and borophosphate glasses to the compositional dependence of properties related to biomedical applications. The glasses were characterized by a variety of techniques, including phosphate ion chromatography, Raman spectroscopy, and ¹¹B and ³¹P Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy, which provide qualitative and quantitative information about the phosphate and borate moieties that constitute the network structures. The systematic addition of borate to a phosphate glass initially creates tetrahedral borate sites that replace P-O-P linkages with B-O-P linkages, and the properties of the resulting borophosphate glasses …

Multimaterial, Core-Shell Direct Ink Writing Of Flexible Strain Sensors For Pneumatically-Actuated Soft Robotic Hinge Joints, John Michael Burke

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Direct ink writing (DIW) provides for an expansive material library and the ability to print multiple materials with tailored functionalities in a controllable and single-step process. Particularly beneficial is the net shape printing under ambient conditions of a wide range of materials normally incompatible with one another. Coaxial DIW is a 3D printing technique that allows for two dissimilar inks to be extruded simultaneously in a co-flow manner. In this work, custom-designed coaxial nozzles were 3D-printed using a stereolithography printer. Composite inks comprised of thermoplastic polyurethane and silver were developed and studied. The coaxial nozzles were then used to co-extrude …

Investigation Of Microstructurally Dependent Mechanical Properties Of Cold Sprayed Copper Using Correlative Microscopy, Quintin Otto

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project employs multi-instrument materials characterization to analyze material made with the “Cold Spray” additive manufacturing process. Cold spray is an emerging additive manufacturing technique with unique benefits resulting from its low temperature adhesion process induced by plastic deformation. Metallic powder collides at high speeds creating three dimensional materials and coatings without the need for melting. Copper cold sprayed specimens were analyzed using a series of imaging techniques to characterize the microstructure at varying levels of detail and magnification. Scanning electron microscopy and electron back scattered diffraction were paired with microhardness testing to generate a correlative comparison between microstructure and …

Understanding The Feasibility Of Improving Interfacial Properties In Direct Ink Writing Of Silicone-Polyurethane Resin Hybrid Material, Ayobami Samuel Akinfenwa

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The progress in materials engineering and the ability to make various models possible have made soft robotics a popular alternative to traditional robotics. Still, soft robots need various parts, like Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), batteries, cables, fittings, and more, to work correctly or to get attached to other complex parts. These parts can have different material properties, like elastic moduli, strength, etc. Because of these differences, mechanical failures happen at the points where two materials meet, making soft robots less durable and less lasting in real-life situations due to failure. Conventionally, the fabrication of soft robot parts is through moulding. …

Boosting Snr Of Cascaded Fbgs In A Sapphire Fiber Through A Rapid Heat Treatment, Farhan Mumtaz, Hanok Tekle, Bohong Zhang, Jeffrey D. Smith, Ronald J. O'Malley, Rex Gerald, Jie Huang

PSMRC Faculty Research

This Letter reports the performance of femtosecond (fs) laser-written distributed fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) under high-temperature conditions up to 1600°C and explores the impact of rapid heat treatment on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement. FBGs are essential for reliable optical sensing in extreme temperature environments. Comprehensive tests demonstrate the remarkable performance and resilience of FBGs at temperatures up to 1600°C, confirming their suitability for deployment in such conditions. The study also reveals significant fringe visibility improvements of up to ∼10 dB on a 1-m-long sapphire optical fiber through rapid heat treatment, representing a first-time achievement to the best of our knowledge. …

Elastoplastic Quasi-Static And Impact Load Response Of Steel Structure Sub-Assemblage With Cfrp Strips, Ali Al Aloosi, Zia Razzaq

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Presented in this paper is the outcome of an experimental investigation of the elastoplastic quasi-static and impact load response of a steel sub-assemblage constructed using a pair of hollow square section members with or without Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strips. The sub-assemblage consists of a long structural member welded to a short member, thus representing a typical combination of a column and a beam on the face of a multi-story steel building frame. The column is subjected to a lateral quasi-static or impact load. Tests are conducted on four separate steel sub-assemblages. The first two tests are conducted with …

Fem Eem Dataset: Optimising Retrofitted Insulation For Irish Residential Building Walls, Rakshit D. Muddu, Aimee Byrne, Anthony Robinson Dr.

Datasets

A large number of combinations of Irish wall types, insulation materials, and heating fuel types were produced to compare the multiple variables which influence Optimal Insulation Thickness values. The total cost (TC) and carbon emission (CE) at optimum insulation thickness (OIT) for all combinations of insulation material and three types of fuel are considered. The dataset presents OIT for solid wall, cavity wall and cavity block wall types located in Monaghan, Dublin, and Kerry.

Mechanical And Morphological Characterization Of Energy Materials By Nanoindentation And Scanning Probe Microscopy, Jacob Hempel

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

The demand for robust materials in energy-based applications such as solid electrolytes for batteries, piezoelectric composites for mechanical energy harvesting, or new polymer materials for polymer binders in composite electrodes is on the rise. Mechanical degradation is the most common way for devices to fail in operation, thus a thorough understanding of a material’s mechanical properties is essential for application purposes.

In this dissertation, the mechanical characterization of novel boron cluster solid electrolytes is presented. Therein, we determine the elastic modulus and hardness of these compounds using instrumented indentation. A comparison is made against other solid electrolytes. It is found …

อิทธิพลของการเติมแมงกานีสต่อสมบัติทางไฟฟ้าและแม่เหล็กของเพอรอฟสไกต์ออกไซด์เอนโทรปีสูง, พีระพัศ เมลืองศิลป์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ในงานวิจัยนี้ได้ศึกษาผลของการเจือแมงกานีสเข้าไปในตำแหน่งบีของเซรามิกเพอรอฟสไกต์เอนโทรปีสูง (Na0.2Bi0.2Ba0.2Sr0.2Ca0.2)Ti1-xMnxO3 (NBBSCT) ต่อสมบัติทางด้านไฟฟ้าและแม่เหล็ก โดยเจือแมงกานีสที่ความเข้นข้น x เท่ากับ 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 และ 0.20 การเตรียมผงเซรามิกนั้นเตรียมด้วยวิธีปฎิกิริยาสถานะของแข็งซึ่งเผาแคลไซน์ที่อุณหภูมิ 975 องศาเซลเซียส เป็นระยะเวลา 1 ชั่วโมงด้วยอัตราการให้ความร้อน 5 องศาเซลเซียสต่อนาที และทำการเผาผนึกภายในถ้วยอะลูมินาที่อุณหภูมิ 1275 องศาเซลเซียส เป็นระยะเวลา 2 ชั่วโมงด้วยอัตราการให้ความร้อน 2 องศาเซลเซียสต่อนาที โครงสร้างผลึกและเฟสของ NBBSCT เซรามิกหลังจากเผาผนึกแล้วพบว่าทุกปริมาณการเจือพบโครงสร้างผลึกรูปแบบคิวบิกของเพอรอฟสไกต์และไม่พบเฟสทุติยภูมิ ขนาดเกรนเฉลี่ยลดลงเมื่อปริมาณการเจือแมงกานีสสูงขึ้น โดยขนาดเกรนเฉลี่ยอยู่ในช่วง 8.07 ถึง 11.08 ไมโครเมตร ความหนาแน่นเฉลี่ยเท่ากับ 5.13 กรัมต่อลูกบาศก์เซนติเมตร เมื่อวิเคราะห์สมบัติทางไฟฟ้าพบว่าเซรามิก NBBSCT ที่ไม่ได้เจือแมงกานีสแสดงพฤติกรรมเป็นแบบรีแลกเซอร์เฟอโรอิเล็กทริก แต่เมื่อเจือแมงกานีสพบการสูญเสียพฤติกรรมแบบรีแลกเซอร์เฟอโรอิเล็กทริก อีกทั้งเมื่อปริมาณการเจือแมงกานีสสูงขึ้นค่าการสูญเสียไดอิเล็กทริกมีค่าสูงเพิ่มขึ้นตาม ประสิทธิภาพของการกักเก็บพลังงานของเซรามิก NBBSCT มีประสิทธิภาพลดลงเมื่อเพิ่มปริมาณการเจือแมงกานีสสูงมากขึ้น การศึกษาสมบัติแม่เหล็กพบว่าการเจือแมงกานีสเข้าไปในโครงสร้างทำให้เซรามิกแสดงพฤติกรรมแม่เหล็กแบบพาราแมกเนติก และเมื่อเพิ่มปริมาณการเจือแมงกานีสที่สูงมากขึ้นส่งผลให้ค่าแม่เหล็กอิ่มตัวมีค่าสูงเพิ่มขึ้นตาม

การศึกษาการดูดซับไอออนเงินและทองแดงด้วยผงจากใบว่านหางจระเข้, พิชญา อัครานุรักษ์กุล

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ด้วยสมบัติทางกายภาพของใบว่านหางจระเข้ ที่มีลักษณะเป็นรูพรุน ใบว่านหางจระเข้จึงมีความโดดเด่นและมีโอกาสพัฒนาขึ้นเป็นผงดูดซับสำหรับใช้ในกระบวนการกำจัดโลหะประเภทต่างๆ ในงานวิจัยนี้ได้ทำการศึกษาเกี่ยวกับการกำจัดไอออนเงินและไอออนทองแดงโดยใช้ผงจากใบว่านหางจระเข้ สายพันธ์บาร์บาเดนซิส (Barbadensis) เป็นตัวดูดซับ โดยมีการเตรียมผงด้วยกระบวนการอบให้ใบว่านหางจระเข้แห้งจากนั้นนำไปบดด้วยเครื่องบดละเอียด ตัวแปรการศึกษาประสิทธิภาพการดูดซับประกอบด้วย ปริมาณของตัวดูดซับ (0.2-1.0 กรัม) ค่าความเข้มข้นเริ่มต้นของสารละลายไอออนทองแดงและสารละลายไอออนเงิน (15-50 มิลลิกรัมต่อลิตร) ค่า pH (2-7) รวมทั้งศึกษาไอโซเทอมและแบบจำลองจลนพลศาสตร์ของการดูดซับเพื่อความเข้าใจในกลไกของการดูดซับของผงใบว่านหางจระเข้ ภาพถ่ายจากกล้องจุลทรรศน์อิเล็กตรอนแสดงให้เห็นว่าผงว่านหางจระเข้มีลักษณะเป็นรูพรุนระดับไมโครเมตร ผลการทดสอบการดูดซับโลหะ ได้แสดงให้เห็นว่าผงของใบว่านหางจระเข้ที่เตรียมขึ้น มีประสิทธิภาพในการดูดซับเงินในสารละลายไอออนเงินสูง เงื่อนไขที่เหมาะสมที่สุดในการดูดซับสารละลายไอออนเงินที่ความเข้มข้นเริ่มต้น 20 มิลลิกรัมต่อลิตร คือปริมาณตัวดูดซับ 0.2 กรัม ค่า pH 7 ซึ่งมีประสิทธิภาพการดูดซับถึงร้อยละ 95.6 ส่วนผลการทดสอบการดูดซับโลหะทองแดงความเข้มข้นเริ่มต้น 20 มิลลิกรัมต่อลิตร ที่มีประสิทธิภาพสูงสุดใช้ปริมาณตัวดูดซับ 1.0 กรัม ค่า pH 5 ซึ่งมีประสิทธิภาพการดูดซับร้อยละ 65.7 จลนพลศาสตร์ของการดูดซับทั้งในไอออนโลหะทองแดงและไอออนโลหะเงินอธิบายได้ด้วยสมการ pseudo second-order และลักษณะของการดูดซับที่เกิดขึ้นอยู่บนไอโซเทอมแบบแลงเมียร์ งานวิจัยนี้สามารถสรุปได้ว่า ผงจากใบว่านหางจระเข้มีโอกาสในการต่อยอดการพัฒนาเพื่อนำไปใช้ในการดูดซับโลหะจากสารละลายต่างๆ อาทิ ดูดซับโลหะในน้ำยาล้างบริเวณบ่อชุบเพื่อลดความเข้มข้นของโลหะก่อนปล่อยทิ้ง เป็นต้น