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Drew Thomas spent the last 2 semesters in our laboratory  during his freshman year learning about research. This week marked the end of the LEARN program for Drew. The LEARN program at UCF is an initiative to encourage undergraduate freshmen to engage in research early within their area of discipline. Drew’s presentation was the award winner for the program and he was acknowledged for his demonstration of a great command of a challenging subject. His success is shared by his graduate mentors in our laboratory Sanna Siddiqui and Albert Manero who have nothing but praise for his efforts and enthusiasm. Drew’s words to his mentors: “Thanks for the great experience that I had over the course of the year and thank you for introducing me into the world of research.”

 

 

Erik Durnberg, along with co-presenters Forrest Vaughn and Timothy Johnson, received first place distinction in the College of Engineering and Computer Science Category at the Showcase of Undergraduate Research for their poster “Piezospectroscopy for Comparing Analytical and Numerical Nanoparticle Load Transfer Theories.”

The Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence is a university wide poster presentation held annually at the University of Central Florida. The SURE event gives undergraduate students the opportunity to present the research they are working on and gives students a chance to learn more about the other research being conducted throughout the university. This is the second year in a row that undergraduate students from our lab have won first place at the event.

 

Sanna F. Siddiqui was recently awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship.

The NSF GRFP provides support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant achievements in science and engineering research. The ranks of NSF Fellows include individuals who have made transformative breakthroughs in science and engineering research and have become leaders in their chosen careers and Nobel laureates

 

The 37th International conference and Expo on Advanced Ceramics and Composites was held January 27th at Daytona Beach. Organized by the American Ceramic Society’s Engineering Ceramics Division and ACerS, ICACC’13 showcases cutting-edge research and product developments in advanced ceramics, armor ceramics, solid oxide fuel cells, ceramic coatings, bioceramics and more. The topical areas include advanced structural and functional ceramics, composites and other emerging ceramic materials and technologies..Sanna and Kevin present their research on the “Effect of Calcium-Magnesium-Alumina-Silicate on Strain within the TGO Layer of Thermal Barrier Coatings” and “Acquisition Techniques for Synchrotron X-ray Strain Measurements in Tubular TBC Specimens for Thermal Gradient Mechanical Testing”.

 

Along with Dr Gordon’s group at UCF, our group had the pleasure of hosting a visit from the Energetic Materials Branch within the Munitions Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin AFB. Dr Jennifer Jordan, internationally recognized for her research in high strain rate response of polymers and composites, presented a seminar on the “Mechanics of Particulate Composites”. Dr Sunny is responsible for the Mechanical testing laboratory for energetic materials and assists with the strategic direction for theoretical and computational efforts related to energetics at Eglin AFB. He presented a talk on “A High Strain-rate investigation of a Bulk Metallic Glass.”

 

 

The LEARN program at UCF is an initiative to encourage undergraduate freshman students to engage in research early within their area of discipline. Anselmo Crespin and Drew Thomas who are both freshman aerospace engineering students spent this semester learning about thermal barrier coatings and the process of data analysis as part of the LEARN program from their mentors Sanna Siddiqui and Albert Manero.

This summer, Greg .and Amy gained research experience in Seattle under the guidance of our collaborator Hong Tat of the Applied Physics Non Destructive Evaluation group, Boeing Research & Technology as part of an NSF funded GOALI research project. In efforts to understand the applied research potential of the fundamental studies they have been conducting at UCF on stress sensing coatings, they were introduced to various techniques and standards used by the aerospace industry. Following their summer experience, they will continue their work on developing these coatings to monitor integrity of aerospace structures

 

 

As part of a Catalyzing New International Collaborations award from NSF, Albert and Kevin spent their summer expanding their research knowledge in the area of high temperature coatings at DLR Aerospace, German Aerospace Center, Germany’s national research center for aeronautics and space research. Under the guidance of Dr Marion Bartsch, the students were provided opportunities to learn about coating processes, simulation and thermal gradient fatigue testing conducted at the advanced facilities. Their scientific experience was complemented with activities such as the DLR Annual company picnic and visits to Forschungszentrum Jülich and Siemens giving them an insight to the society, culture and language. The collaboration will lead to new techniques for in situ synchrotron measurements under thermal gradients and mechanical loads with collaborators at Argonne National Laboratory.

 

Gregory Freihofer was given the opportunity to present two papers at the Society for the Advancement in materials and process engineering (SAMPE) conference in Baltimore this 2012. One of the papers that Greg presented “Embedded alumina nanoparticles as diagnostic coatings for structures” was awarded 3^rd place for the Outstanding paper award at the SAMPE conference. Greg was able to proudly accept this award on behalf of his student co-authors Ashley Jones, Emrecan Ergin, Kevin Lautenslager, and Will Gysi and our collaborators Dr Schülzgen (CREOL) and Hong Tat (Boeing Reseearch & Technology).

Steven Scott and Will Gysi attended the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) User Meeting. World renown researchers and scientists were in attendance presenting their novel research. Both Steven and Will participated in workshops pertaining to the Advanced Photon Source and the Center for Nanoscale Materials. Steven presented his poster on “The Role of Thermo-mechanical Loads on Depth-resolved EB-PVD TBC’s – in situ Synchrotron Experiments”  and Will presented his poster on “Stress-Sensing Nanomaterials using Photo-simulated Luminescence Spectroscopy.” The trip was an overall success and the experience and knowledge gained will be brought back to the UCF lab.

An outreach video made by our researchers “An Undergraduate Story” won Best Documentary in the ANL Users Meeting “Usies” Video Competition. The effort, led by Steven Scott, showcases undergraduate participation at Argonne National Laboratory made possible through our NSF funded research on high temperature coatings.It highlights the success of our undergraduate researchers and the opportunities for high impact research available to undergraduates. The video is showcased in our website video page.

 

 

Will Gysi and Kevin Lautenslager received first place distinction at the Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence for their poster on “Stress-sensing Nanomaterials Using Photo-Stimulated Luminescence Spectroscopy” in the College of Engineering and Computer Science Category 1. Spencer Frank and Erik Durnberg received honorable mention for their poster on “A Theoretical Model of Load-Transfer in an Alumina Nanoparticle Filled Epoxy Matrix to Obtain Stress-Sensing Characteristics”.

The Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence is a poster presentation of undergraduate research held annually at the University of Central Florida. This showcase gives undergraduate students the opportunity to present the research they are currently working on.

Spencer Frank been awarded the NSF Graduate research fellowship. The award will support Spencer as he pursues his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley. With over 3 years of undergraduate research background in our laboratory with various contributions in areas of turbine blade flutter, piezospectroscopy and mechanics of nanocomposites, we know that Spencer is more than ready for his next endeavor. The program recognizes and supports outstanding students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in fields within NSF’s mission.  The GRFP provides support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant achievements in science and engineering research. The ranks of NSF Fellows include individuals who have made transformative breakthroughs in science and engineering research and have become leaders in their chosen careers and Nobel laureates.

 

53rd AIAA/ASME/ASME/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference: Materials Conference: This established annual conference is a widely acknowledged event that provides a unique forum dedicated to the latest developments in the collective disciplines of structures, structural dynamics, materials, design engineering, and survivability. Plenary presentations by recognized, forward-thinking invited speakers are a special feature of the conference. This year’s presentations were organized around the potential applications of structures, structural dynamics, and materials in the next generation of aircraft. Talia presented “Synchrotron X-rays Monitoring Nano-Aluminim Grain Growth of a Metal Matrix Composite under Thermo-mechanical conditions on behalf of her student co-authors, Ashley Jones and Melan Jansz.

 

 

The trip to CNM was part of a collaboration with CNM scientists to develop nanoscale experiments to investigate the fundamentals of the stress sensing behavior for varying alumina nanoparticles. Using electron beam (E-beam) lithography, “nanobuckets” were created in Si wafers of various sizes and filled with an epoxy/alumina nanoparticle mixture.

The sample development will pave the way for experiments using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) within a confocal backscattering setup for measuring Photo-luminescence from the samples. These fundamental studies will investigate a range of particles, quantifying a multitude of important nano-composite properties such as interface strength, load transfer, and piezospectroscopic properties

 

Our publication on the “Characterization of particle dispersion and volume fraction in alumina filled epoxy nanocomposites using photostimulated luminescence spectroscopy” was selected as a feature article by Polymer Journal.

The paper authored by Amanda Stevenson, Ashley Jones and S. Raghavan presents a novel method of evaluating the dispersion o alumina nanoparticles within a polymer matrix as well as creating a calibration for filler particle volume fraction. Polymer Journal publishes a wide variety of article types on cutting-edge developments in macromolecule research.

 

As part of the MMAE Fall Seminar Series, Dr. Anette Karlsson visits UCF to present a lecture on “The microstructures of arthropod exoskeletons and the mechanical behavior of bio-inspired composites”. Dr. Karlsson visits the team’s lab to get an update on our work on Synchrotron XRD in-situ strain measurements of EB-PVD Thermal Barrier Coatings and on Characterization of alumina-filled epoxy nanocomposites using photo-stimulated luminescence spectroscopy.

John Ergin is a graduate student from Chalmers University in Sweden, working in our lab as part of the ALOX team researching stress sensing coatings using photo-stimulated luminescence spectroscopy. John received his Bachelor’s Degree in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering at Yildiz Technical University in Turkey and is set to earn his Masters Degree in Advanced Engineering Materials at Chalmers University in June 2012. Welcome, John!

Rene Diaz (recently graduated) has been nominated and chosen for the undergraduate of the month award based on the overall merit of the research he has conducted at UCF, entitled,  “In-Situ Strain Measurements of EB-PVD Thermal Barrier Coatings using Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction under Thermo-Mechanical Loading”. This award recognizes excellence in undergraduate research at the University of Central Florida and honors students who have excelled in academic research under the mentorship of a UCF faculty mentor. Rene will receive a certificate as well as a write-up in the Office of Undergraduate Research’s monthly newsletter and recognition on their website.

Ashley and Rene have been awarded NSF Graduate research fellowships. The program recognizes and supports outstanding students who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in fields within NSF’s mission.  The GRFP provides support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant achievements in science and engineering research. The ranks of NSF Fellows include individuals who have made transformative breakthroughs in science and engineering research and have become leaders in their chosen careers and Nobel laureates

Both Ashley and Rene are active undergraduate researchers working on high impact research in our laboratory. In addition to their excellent academic and research portfolio, they have been active in mentoring and volunteering efforts. Ashley’s research has been funded by the UCF Office of Research and Commercialization In-house Research Grant and Rene has been funded by FCAAP and the NSF I-cubed program. Both Ashley and Rene have been supported by the Undergraduate Research Initiative by the UCF Office of Research and Commercialization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our laboratory’s strong presence at the Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence UCF this year was felt with contributions from Talia and Ashley for their work on metal matrix composites, David and Spencer for their work on Flutter prediction for turbine blades. Rene presented his work from his summer experience at JPL on bulk metallic glass.

At the invitation of Professor David Clarke, Dr Raghavan presented a
lecture at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University. The lecture, “In-situ studies in spectroscopy and synchrotron x-ray diffraction – mapping strain evolution in aerospace materials” was based on the unifying theme of mechanics of materials research conducted in Dr. Raghavan’s laboratory.

 

Reme Diaz presented his research on “In-Situ Strain Measurements of EB-PVD Thermal Barrier Coatings using Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction under Thermo-Mechanical Loading.” at the 49th AIAA ASM meeting. The AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting is the first major multidisciplinary event of the year for aerospace scientists and engineers from around the world. It provides an ideal forum for scientists and engineers from industry, government, and academia to share and disseminate scientific knowledge and research results with a view toward new technologies for aerospace systems. This meeting is built around excellent technical paper presentation sessions. Rene’s work was funded by FCAAP.