Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Engineering Ceramic Ductility Into Aluminum Oxide, Krish Bhuva

Holster Scholar Projects

This project explores the enhancement of ductility in Aluminum Oxide (Al₂O₃) ceramics through microstructural engineering. The goal is to combine the hardness and stability of Al₂O₃ with enhanced ductility for diverse industrial applications. Inspired by the naturally occurring Itacolumite rock, known for its complex microstructure, this research aims to replicate similar microstructural features in engineering ceramics. By doping Al₂O₃ with Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂), Boron Nitride (BN), and a pore former, while employing innovative sintering techniques, we hypothesize that these modifications will lead to a measurable increase in ductility. Despite early challenges in achieving homogeneity in sintering, promising results were observed …

Development Of Robust Steel Alloys For Laser-Directed Energy Deposition Via Analysis Of Mechanical Property Sensitivities †, Jonathan Kelley, Joseph W. Newkirk, Laura N. Bartlett, Sriram Praneeth Isanaka, Todd Sparks, Saeid Alipour, Frank Liou

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To ensure consistent performance of additively manufactured metal parts, it is advantageous to identify alloys that are robust to process variations. This paper investigates the effect of steel alloy composition on mechanical property robustness in laser-directed energy deposition (L-DED). In situ blending of ultra-high-strength low-alloy steel (UHSLA) and pure iron powders produced 10 compositions containing 10–100 wt.% UHSLA. Samples were deposited using a novel configuration that enabled rapid collection of hardness data. The Vickers hardness sensitivity of each alloy was evaluated with respect to laser power and interlayer delay time. Yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) sensitivities of …

Impact Of Tib2 Source On The Microstructure And Properties Of Tib2–Sic–B4c Ceramics, Steven M. Smith, Suzana Filipovic, William G. Fahrenholtz, Gregory E. Hilmas, Carlo Baldisserri, Laura Silvestroni

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To date, the thermal and electrical properties of three-phase ceramics containing a boride phase, silicon carbide, and boron carbide have not been studied in detail. Further, the effect of the source of the boride powder has also not been investigated. This study produced three-phase ceramics containing titanium diboride, silicon carbide, and boron carbide using three different TiB₂ sources: commercial powder, TiB₂ synthesized by boro/carbothermal reduction, or (Ti,Cr)B₂ synthesized by boro/carbothermal reduction to address the effect of the TiB₂ source. Ceramics containing synthesized TiB₂ or (Ti,Cr)B₂ reached >99% relative density, while the ceramic produced from …

Solubility Characterization Of Organic Molecules For Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries, Anthony W. Ferrell, Harkeerith K. Vij, Seamus D. Jones

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The major obstacle to renewable energy sources is a lack of long-term energy storage capabilities. Energy produced during the day dissipates, leaving insufficient electricity for at night. The goal of the project is to design an Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Battery (AORFB) to act as long-term energy storage. Work has been done using machine learning to identify suitable compounds for the batteries. In this work there was no indication as to the aqueous solubility of the molecules; this controls the device’s energy storage capabilities. We used a machine learning model to determine the aqueous solubility of slightly more than 3000 …

Computational Modeling Of High Yttrium Refractory High Entropy Alloy Microstructures, Kaleb C. Ryan, Marissa M. Baker

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) are advanced metals made up of five or more principal elements in roughly equal amounts. The microstructural effects of alloying with yttrium as a principal element for RHEAs are currently not well understood. This project compared RHEA microstructures from literature with simulations using the High Entropy Alloy Predicting Software (HEAPS), which computes 10 screening criteria to predict the microstructure of a RHEA composition. The accuracy of HEAPS predictions was assessed by comparing them with experimentally validated microstructures found in literature. A combination of criteria was found to have a 95.8% accuracy rate, and a new …

Deep-Learning Based Microstructure Reconstruction And Generation, Cameron J. Maloney, Lucas Taliaferro

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Characterizing the microstructural behavior of materials is crucial for understanding their properties and performance. Traditional imaging methods, such as optical microscopy and electron microscopy, are effective but costly and time-consuming. Computational approaches can reduce costs and time while expanding the accessibility of microstructural analysis through the generation of new microstructure images. Traditional computational approaches, namely descriptor-based approaches, are slow but effective in low-data scenarios. Modern approaches use machine learning (ML), which is faster but often requires a lot of data to approach the performance of descriptor-based methods. This research leverages a special data-efficient Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) architecture to artificially …

The Undergraduate Engineering Mental Health Help-Seeking Instrument (Ue-Mh-Hsi): Development And Validity Evidence, Joseph H. Hammer, Courtney J. Wright, Melanie E. Miller, Sarah A. Wilson

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Background: Undergraduate engineering students experiencing distress are less likely than peers to ask for professional help. A population-specific instrument to facilitate the identification of factors that influence mental healthcare utilization could guide development and testing of interventions to increase help seeking.

Purpose: We used mixed methods guided by the Integrated Behavioral Model (IBM) to develop and evaluate the Undergraduate Engineering Mental Health Help-Seeking Instrument (UE-MH-HSI).

Method: First, we adapted existing measures of mental health help-seeking intention and mechanisms (i.e., attitudes, perceived norm: injunctive, perceived norm: descriptive, personal agency: autonomy, personal agency: capacity). Second, we coded qualitative interviews (N = 33) …

Kinetic Modeling Of Dust Grain Dynamics In Electrostatic Sieving, Aaron Berkhoff, Easton Ingram, Fateme Rezaei, Jeffrey Smith, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new kinetic particle modeling framework was developed to investigate electrostatic transport of lunar regolith dust particles with applications to the concept of electrostatic sieving. the new approach is based on kinetic particle dynamics and includes major modules of sampling the particle size distribution, solving electric fields, and tracking motion of charged dust grains. a case study for a concept of electrostatic sieving was chosen to validate the new model. the simulation achieved similar performance of particle size classification as reported in the literature. the new model is computationally efficient (takes a few minutes on a PC-type laptop computer) so …

Substrate Interference And Strain In The Second-Harmonic Generation From Mose2 Monolayers, Sudeep Puri, Sneha Patel, Jose Luis Cabellos, Luis Enrique Rosas-Hernandez, Kaitlin Reynolds, Hugh O.H. Churchill, Salvador Barraza-Lopez, Bernardo S. Mendoza, Hiroyuki Nakamura

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Nonlinear optical materials of atomic thickness, such as non-centrosymmetric 2H transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers, have a second-order nonlinear susceptibility (χ⁽²⁾) whose intensity can be tuned by strain. However, whether χ⁽²⁾ is enhanced or reduced by tensile strain is a subject of conflicting reports. Here, we grow high-quality MoSe₂ monolayers under controlled biaxial strain created by two different substrates and study their linear and nonlinear optical responses with a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches. Up to a 15-fold overall enhancement in second-harmonic generation (SHG) intensity is observed from MoSe₂ monolayers grown on SiO₂ when …

Concrete Design: Underwater Concrete Forms In A Saltwater Environment, Noah Z. Lau

Construction Management

This following project investigated the effects of salt on the concrete curing process. Concrete possesses numerous strengths, making it extremely versatile. This makes it one of the most utilized construction materials. New improved methods are constantly being developed for concrete’s application as a construction material. While concrete is a flexible material with many strengths, it is not without its flaws. Concrete, while strong in compression is weak in tension. It has long cure times and doesn’t generally handle moisture well. This paper evaluates concrete’s change in strength from letting concrete cure in a salt-based underwater environment. To determine the full …

Intrinsic Manipulation Of Microstructure And Strength Of Ice-Templated Lithium Titanate, Rohan Parai

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on developing a fabrication landscape first time ever for directionally porous lithium titanate (LTO) materials using ice-templating technique. Ice-templating, a promising fabrication technique for porous ceramics, enables the formation of sintered structures with anisotropic pores that are aligned to improve mechanical stability of materials.

The work presented in this dissertation addresses advancements in tuning the porosity, strength, and microstructural characteristics of ice-templated LTO materials through adjustments of intrinsic variables, including sucrose as a water-soluble additive, variations in freezing front velocity, solute concentration, and solid loading. First, this study demonstrated that adding sucrose in LTO suspensions increased the …

Zhong-Qun Tian, Academician And Honorary Member Of Electrochemistry Committee Chinese Chemical Society, Achieved "Raman Lifetime Award", Editorial Office Of J.Electrochem.

Journal of Electrochemistry

No abstract provided.

2024 Tianmulake Advanced Anode Materials Innovation Forum And Sixth National Conference Of Advanced Battery Failure Analysis And Testing Technology Concluded Successfully, Editorial Office Of J.Electrochem.

Journal of Electrochemistry

No abstract provided.

Optimization Of Channel Structure Of Alkaline Water Electrolyzer By Using An Expanded Mesh As A Bipolar Plate, Hai-Yan Xiong, Zhen-Xiao Zhu, Xin Gao, Chen-Ming Fan, Hui-Bao Luan, Bing Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is the most mature technology for hydrogen production by water electrolysis. Alkaline water electrolyzer consists of multiple electrolysis cells, and a single cell consists of a diaphragm, electrodes, bipolar plates and end plates, etc. The existing industrial bipolar plate channel is concave-convex structure, which is manufactured by complicated and high-cost mold punching. This structure still results in uneven electrolyte flow and low current density in the electrolytic cell, further increasing in energy consumption and cost of AWE. Thereby, in this article, the electrochemical and flow model is firstly constructed, based on the existing industrial concave and …

Chinese Chemical Society: First Young Scholars' Symposium On Electrosynthesis Held Successfully, Chinese Society Of Electrochemistry (Cse)

Journal of Electrochemistry

No abstract provided.

Electronic Communication Between Co And Ru Sites Decorated On Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes Boost The Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Reaction, Meng-Ting Gao, Ying Wei, Xue-Meng Hu, Wenj-Jie Zhu, Qing-Qing Liu, Jin-Yuan Qiang, Wan-Wan Liu, Ying Wang, Xu Li, Jian-Feng Huang, Yong-Qiang Feng

Journal of Electrochemistry

Designing highly efficient Pt-free electrocatalysts with low overpotential for an alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) remains a significant challenge. Here, a novel and efficient cobalt (Co), ruthenium (Ru) bimetallic electrocatalyst composed of CoRu nanoalloy decorated on the N-doped carbon nanotubes (CoRu@N-CNTs), was prepared by reacting fullerenol with melamine via hydrothermal treatment and followed by pyrolysis. Benefiting from the electronic communication between Co and Ru sites, the as-obtained CoRu@N-CNTs catalyst exhibited superior electrocatalytic HER activity. To deliver a current density of 10 mA·cm^–2, it required an overpotential of merely 19 mV along with a Tafel slope of 26.19 mV·dec …

Aging Characteristics Of Lithium-Ion Battery Under Fast Charging Based On Electrochemical-Thermal-Mechanical Coupling Model, Dong-Xu Zuo, Pei-Chao Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

The aging characteristics of lithium-ion battery (LIB) under fast charging is investigated based on an electrochemical-thermal-mechanical (ETM) coupling model. Firstly, the ETM coupling model is established by COMSOL Multiphysics. Subsequently, a long cycle test was conducted to explore the aging characteristics of LIB. Specifically, the effects of charging (C) rate and cycle number on battery aging are analyzed in terms of nonuniform distribution of solid electrolyte interface (SEI), SEI formation, thermal stability and stress characteristics. The results indicate that the increases in C rate and cycling led to an increase in the degree of nonuniform distribution of SEI, and thus …

Study Of Regularities Of Formation Of Hydroxyammonium Oligomers From Alkanolamine Of The Type Of Hexahydrosimtriazine And Epichlorohydrin, Nozima M. Ibragimova, Ravshan I. Adilov

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of the work is to study the patterns of formation of hydroxylammonium oligomers based on hexahydrosymtriazine with epichlorohydrin. The paper studies the interaction patterns of the alkanolamine hexahydrosimtriazine type - N, N', N'-tris (β-oxyethyl) hexahydro-S-triazine (THOHST)with epichlorohydrin (ECH). The reaction between TOEGT and ECH occurs at a noticeable rate, already at 0 ^oC. An increase in the reaction duration leads to a symbate increase in the molecular weight values, the concentration of hydrolyzed chlorine, a decrease in the content of epoxy groups, and the concentration of hydroxyl groups do not change within the experimental error. An increase …

O-Xloratsetiltimol Sintezi Va Uni Kimyoviy Modifikatsiyalash, Azimjon U. Choriev, Anvar K. Abdushukurov, Ilyos U. Normurodov, Sarvinoz K. Mirzayeva

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of the study is to develop a convenient method for the synthesis of O-chloroacetylthymol and to propose the mechanism of the O-chloroacetylation reaction. Thin-layer chromatography of chloroacetylation and nucleophilic substitution reaction products was studied and their composition was confirmed by reference substances. Nucleophilic exchange reactions of O-chloroacetylthymol with sodium oxalate, sodium tartrate, potassium rhodanides were studied. Favorable conditions for carrying out the nucleophilic exchange reaction were searched and 3 new substances unknown in the literature were synthesized. The structure of the synthesized substances was proved by IR and NMR spectra.

Study Of Crystallization Ability Of Glasses Synthesized In The Basalt-Quartz-Soda System, Eldor I. Ruzmatov, Mastura Kh. Aripova, Bahrom R. Ro'ziboyev

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of the work is to study the crystallization capacity of glasses synthesized in the basalt-quartz-soda system. The crystallization capacity of glasses was studied by the method of mass crystallization in the range of 600 ^oC and 1050 ^oC. The stages of spontaneous crystallization were determined by the DTA method. The density, TCLE, refractive index, compressive strength and frost resistance were studied. The crystalline phases of crystallized glasses were determined by the X-ray phase method. The presence of diopside and anorthite was revealed.

Influence Of The Granulometric Composition Of Carbonate Rocks On Glass Formation Processes In Float Glass Technology, Sergey P. Grechuha, Yury G. Pavliukevich, Ludmila F. Pаpko, Olesya M. Mozhdzher, Aleksandr P. Kravchuk

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of this work is to study the influence of the granulometric composition of dolomite and limestone of 0.1–1.0 mm, 1.0–1.6 mm, 1.6–2.5 mm fractions on the rate of glass formation processes in the synthesis of float glass. The dependence of the degree of decarbonization of dolomite and limestone on the dispersion of particles and the time of heat treatment has been established. According to the study of the influence of the granulometric composition of carbonate rocks on the melting characteristic of float glass, it can be concluded that it is possible to use the 1.0–1.6 mm fraction of …

Antibacterial Semi-Fritted Glazes Containing Iron (Iii) And Manganese (Iv) Oxides, Ivan A. Levitskiy, Mihail V. Dyadenko, Ekaterina E. Trusova

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of this research work is production of colored antibacterial glaze coatings for ceramic products containing iron (III) and manganese (IV) oxides. The coatings are produced on the basis of multicalcium aluminoborosilicate frit, dolomite and iron or manganese oxides. The constant components in the raw mixture were feldspar, alumina, coal clay and kaolin. The coatings were obtained by finely grinding the components then applied to the dried semi-finished product and single fired at a temperature of 1200±5 °C for 60±2 minutes. The formation of the glaze layer, the decorative properties of coatings, and their physical and chemical and operational …

Synthesis Of Nanostructured Cerium-Doped Yttrium-Aluminum Garnets By Method Of Sol-Gel Burning In A Microwave Oven, Eygeniy N. Poddenezhny, Andrei A. Boiko, Ekaterina E. Trusova, Ekaterina R. Kravcova

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of research is to study the new method of thermochemical synthesis of yttrium-aluminum garnet luminescent powder, cerium doped (Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Се³⁺, YAG:Ce) using the nitric acid salts of yttrium, aluminum and cerium, with the mixture of carbamide and hexamethylenetetramine used as fuel. Synthesis was performed in a microwave oven with the power of 800 W and frequency of 2450 MHz in a porcelain crucible closed with a perforated heat-resistant cover. The average size of coherent scattering region (CSR) of YAG:Ce particles (nominal diameter D) obtained in the crucible during the microwave heating …

Polyvinyl Alcohol–Red Cabbage Nanofibers As Ph-Responsive Freshness Sensors For Advanced Food Packaging Technology, Foliatini Foliatini, Singgih Wibowo, Henny Rochaeni, Suhartini Suhartini, Fachrurrazie Fachrurrazie, Arzzaq Imanda Prianditya, Pradnadia Putri Hadriansyah, Naura Athira Putri Siregar, Novi Nurpadilah, Putri Alfiani, Maudi Rahim, Endah Sriwahyuni

Makara Journal of Science

The development of innovative food packaging technologies, particularly those capable of monitoring freshness, has become increasingly important in the food industry. This research explores the development of a pH-responsive freshness sensor using polyvinyl alcohol–red cabbage (PVA/RC) nanofibers. The nanofibers are fabricated through the electrospinning technique and meticulously analyzed via scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results underscore the fine structure of the nanofiber matrix, with an average diameter of ~68 nm. FTIR analysis substantiates the presence of anthocyanin compounds from RC within the PVA/RC nanofibers, which confirms the integration of beneficial components into …

Experimental Examination Of Enhanced Nanoceramic-Based Self-Cleaning Sprays For High-Efficiency Hydrophobic Photovoltaic Panels, Iman El-Mahallawi, Merna Abdrabo, Ahmed Elkaseer Prof., Engy Elshazly, Mohamed S. El-Deab

Renewable Mechanical Energy

Dust deposition poses a significant challenge in the implementation of photovoltaic panels (PV) especially in hot and dusty environments, such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This issue leads to progressive degradation of PV efficiency and output power. In this context, this research work aims to improve PV performance by developing self-cleaning sprays as a preventative solution. Different concentrations of SnO2 and TiO2 nanoceramics were dispersed in isopropyl alcohol solvent to reduce the mixture’s viscosity and facilitate smooth spraying on solar panels, whose efficiency was continually assessed in outdoor conditions. Although less commonly used for this application, …

Mapping Of The Potential To Substitute Plastic In Food Packaging In Finnish Supermarkets, Taina Lahtinen, Kirsi Kataja, Jari Viitanen, Vinay Kumar, Jussi Lahtinen, Ali Harlin

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Single-use plastics (SUP), which are extensively utilized in food packaging, are one notable cause for the constantly growing littering issue. This novel study is one of the first attempts to systemically analyze food packaging data to reveal the potential for plastic packaging material reduction or substitution by utilizing a primary packaging material summary of single items sold in Finnish supermarkets. The outcome of the study indicates considerable dissimilarities among product groups concerning used packaging materials, weight, share of plastic, and sales volume. The analysis identified sweets and ready-to-eat meals as product groups for which there is a clear need, but …

Performance-Tunable Thermal Barrier Coating For Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Composites Via Flame Spraying, Heejin Kim, Kandasamy Praveen, Min Wook Lee, Juhyeong Lee

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are essential for improving the heat resistance of materials operating in high-temperature environments. This paper proposes a new method for manufacturing double-layered TBC with graded porosity for carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites. The TBC was created by a flame spraying process, consisting of relatively dense and porous layers: (1) a dense layer was produced by spraying yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) particles directly onto neat carbon fabric substrate and (2) a porous layer was prepared by co-spraying YSZ particles with sacrificial polyetheretherketone (PEEK) particles. The porosity of the porous layer was controlled by varying a PEEK injection distance …

Nanofiber-Hydrogel Composite Scaffold Fabrication Methods For Peripheral Nerve Regeneration, Jacob Lee Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Nerve graft conduits (NGCs) are a rapidly advancing field for treating peripheral nerve injuries that aim to guide the growth of regenerating axons across damaged gaps. A more effective NGC can be manufactured by combining the use of nanofibers to act as guidewires within a 3-D hydrogel that imitates the extracellular matrix of nerve tissue. Several methods have been developed to embed aligned nanofibers in an ordered architecture within a hydrogel matrix. The first method involves layer-by-layer additive manufacturing to create NGCs with rows of polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers surrounded by a gelatin methacrylate (GelMe) hydrogel in a 3-D structure. A …

Luminescent Coupling In Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells: The Advantages Of Perovskite And Luminescent Coupling In Photovoltaics, Briana Dokken

Senior Seminars and Capstones

Multijunction or tandem solar cells are made of multiple semiconductor light absorbing layers. Having multiple absorber layers in a solar cell allows it to absorb a larger range of the solar spectrum. When electrons recombine (relax to a lower energy state) in the top layer of a tandem solar cell, they can emit luminescent photons that are absorbed by the bottom layer of the cell. This process is called luminescent coupling, and it can be used to enhance the performance of photovoltaic cells. Another strategy to increase solar cell performance is to use perovskite as the absorber layer material. Currently, …

Experimental Study Of Drag Characteristics And Dust Removal Performance Of A Hybrid Wet-Filter Precipitator, Hang Yi, Zifeng Yang, Deqiang Chang, Xinjiao Tian, Jingxian Liu

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

With their advantages of high dust removal efficiency and low drag characteristics, hybrid wet-filter precipitators have great potential for dust control in coal mines, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, to help fill this knowledge gap, a hybrid wet-filter precipitator consisting of a 40-layer metal filter and a defogger device is designed and a prototype is constructed. Experiments are conducted to investigate its drag characteristics under wind velocities from 0.85 to 5.68 m/s and its dust removal performance under wind velocities of 2 and 4 m/s. On the basis of results with the initial design, …