A scalable synthesis of the "flat" tridecameric inorganic cluster [Al₁₃(μ₃-OH)₆(μ-OH)₁₈(H₂O)₂₄]¹⁵⁺ has been realized by treating an aqueous aluminum nitrate solution with zinc-metal powder at room temperature. Single crystals and polycrystalline samples are readily obtained in yields exceeding 55% relative to the starting reagent Al(NO₃)₃. Products have been characterized by X-ray...
Oxide growth is a common phenomenon on aluminum alloy cladding surfaces in nuclear research and test reactors. Without better understanding of oxide growth, excessive oxide build up on the cladding surface reduces heat transfer capability from fuel to coolant and causes safety concerns due to the potential cladding rupture or...
Identifying material parameters in composite plates is a necessary first step in a variety of structural applications. For example, understanding the material parameters of carbon fiber composite is important in investigating sensor and actuator placement on micro-air-vehicle wings for control and wing morphing purposes. Knowing the material parameters can also...
Powder injection molding (PIM) is widely used to manufacture complex-shaped ceramic and metal components in high production volumes. In order to design and fabricate PIM components, it is important to know a number of material properties at different powder- polymer compositions. In this thesis, several predictive models for estimating rheological,...
The use of fly ash as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) has increased in the last century due to its various environmental benefits as a recycled product. Within the last 60 years, it has been found that it can be used to effectively control damage induced by Alkali-Silica Reaction. However,...
Microchannel process technology (MPT) offers several advantages to the field of nanomanufacturing: 1) improved process control over very short time intervals owing to shorter diffusional distances; and 2) reduced reactor size due to high surface area to volume ratios and enhanced heat and mass transfer. The objective of this thesis...
Flexible electronics processing techniques were applied to integrate a glucose sensor with a hormone-delivery catheter in order to create a cheap and minimally invasive method for patients with type 1 diabetes to continually monitor and control their blood sugar levels. Ultimately, this work intends to move toward the development of...
The need for clean and renewable fuel such as hydrogen is driven by a growing worldwide population and increasing air pollution from fossil fuels. One of the major barriers for the use of hydrogen in automotive industry is the storage of hydrogen. Physisorption is the most promising storage technique due...
Microstructure changes in uranium and uranium/metal alloys due to radiation damage are of great interest in nuclear science and engineering. Titanium has attracted attention because of its similarity to Zr. It has been proposed for use in the second generation of fusion reactors due to its resistance to radiation-induced swelling....