This award supports Professor Asit Ray and a U.S. graduate student from the University of Kentucky to collaborate in chemical engineering research with Professor Gustav Schweiger and others from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Ruhr University of Bochum, Germany. The objectives of their joint research are to develop techniques for generation of layered particles of precise composition, and to develop techniques for in situ physical and chemical characterization of layered spheres. In particular, they will focus on techniques involving elastic and inelastic (Raman) scattering of light with the goal of developing a technique that combines the two simultaneously for complete quantitative characterization of layered microparticles. The challenge here is the complexity of scattering introduced by the small size of the particles. Progress will require a computational approach based on light scattering theory and controlled experimentation. The success of the effort relies heavily on the complementary expertise of Dr. Ray in elastic scattering techniques and of his German colleague, Dr. Schweiger, in Raman spectroscopy of microparticles. They will also make use of unusual facilities including the specialized Aerosol Laboratory at the University of Kentucky and the state-of-the-art laser spectroscopy laboratory of Dr. Schweiger in Bochum. Better understanding of the formation and behavior of microparticles will have immediate and important applications in many technologies and processes. These include the manufacture of high purity ceramics and thin films, separation technologies related to pollution control and remediation, chemical reaction processes in many industries, and even atmospheric processes and the generation of artificial rain.
