The instrumentation funded by this award fills a crucial void in a developing Materials Characterization and Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) facility at Bucknell University. The facility supplies characterization and NDE capabilities to the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Chemical Engineering. The specific equipment and accompanying instruments have been selected to provide the maximum benefit to research users with current and planned projects in the areas of: (a) fundamental studies in the analysis of stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue mechanisms in nanomaterials and hard coatings (b) microstructure and property relationships in novel material systems and (c) process variation and characterization of materials.
The equipment includes an acoustic emission (AE) system with filtering and data visualization software, and an ultrasonic test (UT) system with Z-scan dual axis scanner, both critical to the success of ongoing research. Desktop and handheld models were selected to provide necessary flexibility and portability. This equipment complements the scanning electron microscope (SEM), inverted optical microscope, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer, and potentiostat/galvanostat recently acquired for the developing facility. The use of this equipment by multiple faculty in different departments further enhances the multidisciplinary nature of related research.
The broader impacts of the acquisitions include the enhancement of facilities for materials characterization and nondestructive evaluation. Improved facilities are also expected to have a significant impact on current and future outreach programs offered to middle and high school students, as well as services available to local businesses working with the college's Small Business Development Center. The developing laboratory allows for improved integration of undergraduate research activities into the teaching of related courses, and enhanced prospects for involving industry partners in undergraduate and masters-level research projects. Through student awareness developed with similar activities in a variety of courses, the PIs believe that the new NDE facilities will further increase interest in materials research and development. Research results, and new curricular materials and pedagogical approaches developed with the instrumentation, will be disseminated to the broader materials education and research and community.
