9724532 Kellar Atomic force/scanning tunneling (AFM/STM) and interfacial force (IFM) microscopes will be acquired by the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT). The instruments will support research in the areas of composite materials, corrosion/leaching, super critical fluids and solid mechanics. The IFM purchase and usage will be implemented through a collaboration with Sandia National Laboratory. The instrumentation will be used by faculty and students that form a "Surface and Interfacial Chemistry" cluster within the state of South Dakota- and NSF-supported Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) at SDSMT. The microscopes will also be used as training tools in the undergraduate curriculum, both through undergraduate research activities and through formal laboratory courses. %%% Acquisition of this instrumentation will have a strong positive impact on SDSMT's research and education goals. This award is supported by the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program and by the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). ***
