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Below are a few examples of a couple of the research projects that will be offered with the BACE summer camp.
Characterization of ceramic pastes for processing and performance optimization of high solids loading in additive manufacturing
Materials processing is a key component of all manufacturing, and additive manufacturing in particular. Knowing the history of a material (origin of the material, the crystal structure, the chemical formulation, any prior processing exposure, etc.) and influencing the processing process is integral to improving the engineering pathway to producing high quality and functional products. The ceramic industry has a long processing history dating back to pinch pots in ancient times to much more recent technology, specifically ceramic additive manufacturing (C-AM). See Figure 4 for an example of a C-AM set-up. Challenges that are faced in C-AM are slow production rate, defects, and limited printing materials [1]. C-AM covers a range of applications from concrete homes [2] to electronics [3-5] to pharmaceuticals [6,7] to aerospace materials [8,9]. Fundamental studies focusing on process improvement and materials advancement are needed to propel C-AM forward [1].
Reconstructing paleoenvironment and paleoclimate with White River Group sediments and fossils
Western SD, particularly areas like Badlands National Park (BADL), preserve one of the best archives of past climate from the Eocene-Oligocene, an interval of geologic time marked globally by cooling and increased aridity. These climate changes are reflected in changes to fossils and geochemical signatures preserved in rocks. Rocks at BADL tell a story of change, with times of sediment transport by rivers, times of lake development, and times of more intense sediment transport by larger rivers. At both the field-scale (outcrops of rocks) and thin-section scale (slices of rocks under the microscope), the rocks and minerals help geologists reconstruct the past. The types of vertebrate fossils present in each rock layer are also important for reconstructing the past.
Understanding poor performance of structural concrete mixes
Structural concrete mixes for transportation infrastructure in SD in recent years have not met specified strength requirements. The cause of the poor performance mixes remains a mystery. Due to the composite nature of concrete, the cement paste as well as the interfacial transition zone between the paste and the aggregate are usually the phases that primarily affect strength properties [10]. It has been speculated that the observed low strength might result from constituent materials issues (e.g., cement, ash, admixtures, aggregates, etc.) or could be due to mix designs. Furthermore, the processing of the concrete including batching, delivery, placement, and curing methods could also be contributing factors to the issue.
[1] Jang, S., Park S., Bae CJ. Development of ceramic additive manufacturing: process and materials technology. Biomed Eng Lett. 2020 Oct 10;10(4):493-503. doi: 10.1007/s13534-020-00175-4.[2] Buswell, R.A. Leal de Silva, W.R. Jones, S.Z. Dirrenberger, J. 3D printing using concrete extrusion: A roadmap for research. Cement and Concrete Research. 112, 37-49. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.05.006.[3] Mendes, D., Sousa, D., Cerdeira, A.C., Pereira, L.C.J. Marques, A., Murta-Pina, J., Pronto, A., Ferreira, I. Low-cost and high-performance 3D printed YBCO superconductors. Ceramics International. 47, 381-387 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.08.143[4] Chen, C., Jiang, J., He, W., Lei, W., Hao, Q., Zhang, X. 3D printed high-loading lithium-sulfur battery toward wearable energy storage. Adv. Funct. Mater. 30, 1–7 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201909469[5] Idrees, M., Ahmed, S., Mohammed, Z., Korivi, N.S, Rangari, V. 3D printed supercapacitor using porous carbon derived from packaging waste. Addit. Manuf. 36, 101525 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2020.101525[6] Abaci, A., Gedeon, C., Kuna, A., Guvendiren, M. Additive manufacturing of oral tablets: technologies, materials and printed tablets. Pharmaceutics 13, 1–27 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13020156[7] Khaled, S.A., Burley, J.C., Alexander, M.R., Yang, J. Roberts, C.J. 3D printing of five-in-one dose combination polypill with defined immediate and sustained release profiles. J. Control. Release 217, 308–314 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2015.09.028[8] Costakis WJ, Rueschhoff LM, Diaz-Cano AI, Youngblood JP, Trice RW. Additive manufacturing of boron carbide via continuous filament direct ink writing of aqueous ceramic suspensions. J Eur Ceram Soc. 2016;36:3249–3256. doi: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2016.06.002.[9] Lakhdar, Y., Tuck, C., Binner, J., Terry, A., Goodridge, R. Additive manufacturing of advanced ceramic materials. Progress in Materials Science. 116, 100736 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmatsci.2020.100736[10] Mehta, P. K., Monteiro, P. J. (2006). Microstructure and properties of hardened concrete. Concrete: Microstructure, properties and materials, 41-80.
This REU site (Award) is jointly funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the Division of Earth Sciences (Directorate for Geosciences), the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Division of Engineering Education and Centers (Directorate for Engineering). https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2349313&HistoricalAwards=false
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