exploring materials€¦ · curiosity survives formal education,” to mention a few. as a...

Spring 2003, Volume 7, Number 1News from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Dwight Viehland BringsNew Research to MSE

Discover what we’re made of...www.mse.vt.edu

In this issue...Research Corner 2Education Corner 3Department News 4Student & Alumni

News 6People in Materials 10Head’s Up 12

more about Viehland page 2

The schematic shown above depicts new X-ray diffraction equipment which will soon bedelivered to the MSE Department, courtesy of the U.S. Navy. Dr. Dwight Viehland recentlyobtained a Defense University Research and Infrastructure Program (DURIP) to purchase thisunit, which he will use to study active and passive materials, such as ferroelectrics andpiezoelectrics. Specifically, he will be performing reciprocal space mapping investigationsof domain structures.

Reciprocal space mapping allows for the investigation of different diffraction contributionsin 2-D intensity maps. The position and intensity distribution in 2-D is determined using a triple-axis diffractometer, which is generally a conventional two-axis diffractometer equipped withan open Eularean cradle. This method requires small angles of divergence for the incidentbeam and of 2θ for the acceptance of the diffracted beam. Mapping is done by measuringnumerous coupled ω/2θ Bragg scans for a range of incident angles ω as starting values.Using a two-axis diffractometer, this is achieved by rocking of the cradle. Triple-axis modeconfigurations can probe specimens using different diffraction geometries. (Schematic cour-tesy Benjamin Ruette)

ExploringMaterials

at Virginia Tech

Exploring Materials, Spring 2003

ResearchCorner

Exploring Materialsat Virginia Tech

Department HeadDavid E. Clark

Editor, LeeAnn Ellis

e-mail: [email protected]: www.mse.vt.edu

(540) 231-6640

Newsletter TeamLeeAnn EllisEric Pappas

Steve Kampe

Department of Materials Scienceand Engineering

213 Holden Hall (0237)Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia 24061

Dwight Viehland joinedthe Virginia Tech facultylast summer, after fouryears with the Office ofNaval Research. As a re-search scientist, he de-signed acoustic materialsfor use underwater in so-nar applications, subma-rines, and unmanned ve-hicles. He is the recog-nized authority on trans-duction materials for so-nar and underwateracoustic communica-tions by the U.S. Navy.

Prior to this, Viehland served as an assis-tant professor in the Materials Scienceand Engineering Department at the Uni-versity of Illinois, where he was the re-search group leader in the area of struc-ture-property relationship investigationsof piezoelectric materials.

Dr. Viehland holds bachelor’s degreesin chemistry and ceramic engineering,and a master’s degree, also in ceramicengineering, all from the University of Mis-souri - Rolla. He earned a doctorate insolid state science from PennsylvaniaState University.

Currently, Dr. Viehland is involved in theinvestigation and development of ce-ramic and single crystal ferroelectricsand piezoelectrics. To date, he has over200 peer-reviewed scientific publica-tions and over 40 invited talks at inter-

national conferences. Hehas on-going projects on pi-ezoelectric materials, bring-ing $550K annually to Vir-ginia Tech.

In other research, he is look-ing at non-linear elastic ma-terials for use in smart struc-tures, smart skins for hu-mans, and intelligent mate-rials. Another project under-way is the development ofhigh performance hydro-gen sensors for leak detec-tion in the space shuttle.

In addition to his own research pro-grams, he has served as a contractmonitor of research programs for boththe Department of Advanced ResearchProject Agency and the Office of NavalResearch.

In the classroom, Dr. Viehland applies thephilosophy of the old farmers who main-tained that while you could lead a horseto water, you could never make thehorse drink the water. “From your expe-rience and what you’ve learned and di-gested,” he explains, “you show studentshow to get the information that’s outthere—how to get it in the most simpleand elegant way.” The teacher’s role isto “give [students] the road maps, sothat they can know how to find informa-tion and carry that with them the rest oftheir careers.”

Meet Dwight Viehland This summer, I made a research visit tothe Oak Ridge National Laboratory inOak Ridge, Tennessee. I worked underthe supervision of S. Suresh Babu andStan A. David in the Materials Joiningand Non-Destructive Evaluation Groupof the Metals and Ceramics Division. Thesix-week stay was facilitated through theOak Ridge Institute for Science and Edu-cation (ORISE) under the Higher Educa-tion Research Experience (HERE@ORNL)program.

The goals of my visit were to apply thethermal model developed for lasermetal deposition (LMD) of Ti-6Al-4V tothe Laser Surface Alloying (LSA) processand gain ideas for coupling the thermalmodel with a microstructural model thatconsiders not only the thermal historyand its affect on microstructure, but ther-modynamics and kinetics as well.

Laser metal deposition processes are ageneric group of rapid manufacturingprocesses that are currently in their in-fancy but have the potential to greatlyaffect manufacturing in the future. Thebasic premise of any LMD process is firstdesigning a part in a CAD file, slicing thethree-dimensional part into two-dimen-sional layers, and using a high-poweredlaser to melt delivered or pre-placedmetal powder into a bead or track andusing a motion control system to scanmultiple tracks to form a single layer. Thefocal point of the laser is indexed to de-posit the next layer.

Laser metal deposition processes havenumerous applications in the metallur-gical industry. They may be used to builda complex part or prototype directlywithout the need for significant amounts

Summer Research at ORNLShawn Kelly

(Grad Student, MSE)

Kelly continued on page 9

vvv

On the Cover (Border)The microstructure featured on thefront page is a result of the Laser MetalDeposition of the titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V. Ongoing research involving thisprocess is described above in “Sum-mer Research at ORNL.” The micro-structure contains needles (grains) ofthe alpha (HCP) in a matrix of retainedbeta (BCC). The width of each alphagrain is approximately 2 m. CourtesyShawn Kelly (B.S. ‘99, M.S. ‘02) andSteve Kampe.

..


EducationCorner

A Philosophy of EducationBill Reynolds

When the editor asked meto contribute a brief articleabout my philosophy ofeducation, my first responsewas to realize I have yet toassemble any educationideas worth calling a “phi-losophy.” I thought aboutcoming up with a few pithywords about the art of edu-cation but quickly aban-doned that strategy. Thereare plenty of clever zingersfrom great thinkers, such as,Socrates: “I cannot teachanybody anything, I can only makethem think;” Mark Twain: “I have neverlet my schooling interfere with my edu-cation;” or Einstein: “It is a miracle thatcuriosity survives formal education,” tomention a few. As a fallback, I adoptedthe less ambitious goal of assembling afew musings from personal experience.I can’t claim they are original, but theyring true to me.

I suppose most teachers approach edu-cational strategies by examining whatworks well for them when they learnsomething new. In my case, many of mylasting educational experiences camefrom one-on-one instruction. I had greatclassroom instructors and I heard manystimulating and entertaining lectures tobe sure, but what I remember best arethe personal discussions, explanations,and demonstrations from my teachers.These ‘instructional moments’ camefrom all kinds of teachers: my parents,public school teachers, music teachers,various job supervisors, professors, col-leagues, and students.

The lessons learned from one-on-oneinstruction often arise when one at-tempts to do something and gets stuckin the process. Of course, “doing” (asopposed to passive listening) is centralto most learning, but the personal, orone-on-one, instruction that I meanhere is the role a teacher plays in lead-ing the student through the difficulty.The instruction can be a subtle sugges-tion, a dialog that leads to exploration,or a blunt comment about how to dosomething correctly. Regardless of howit is delivered, personal instruction, whenone is struggling with a problem, inevi-tably leaves a lasting impression. It prob-ably is not coincidental that personalinstruction is an essential component ofinternships and apprenticeships in the

skilled trades and mas-ter classes in the art edu-cation methods thathave a long and suc-cessful tradition.

There are several rea-sons why personal in-struction works well. Forone, there is nothing likebeing in a bind to focusyour attention. In asense, a stumbling blockmakes you particularlyreceptive to learning.

The value of an idea or solution be-comes self-evident in a natural waywhen you are trying to resolve a prob-lem. The effect of the importance orusefulness of a concept on a person’slikelihood of learning that concept isdifficult to overstate. In a lecture, for in-stance, the teacher must first establish

the value of what is to be presentedwith an example or compelling contextin order to prepare students to absorbthe material. If the teacher fails to es-tablish the utility of a concept, thechances of students learning muchfrom the lecture are low.

A second reason personal instruction iseffective arises from the sharp focus itbrings to learning. A teacher helping astudent through a problem can con-centrate directly on the concepts thatare essential to the problem without dis-tracting the student with unnecessarydetails. Although it might sound like I amreferring to engineering instruction, thefocus principle applies to many differ-ent kinds of learning.

To illustrate with a simple example, con-sider a person learning to drive a carwith a manual transmission who is hav-ing trouble starting out without stallingthe car. Someone teaching the newdriver usually recognizes that the essen-tial concept that needs mastering in-volves coordinating the release of theclutch with a gentle push on the gas. Ifthe teacher were in a classroom setting,she might cover a lot of issues relatedto driving a manual transmission car:

how fast the gears should be shifted,engine RPMs, whether braking shouldbe done with the clutch in or out, etc.In one-on-one instruction, a goodteacher can easily avoid these confus-ing details and simply direct the driverto an empty parking lot for some prac-tice and a few suggestions about howto coordinate the clutch and the gas.

In a formal school or university setting,it is unlikely we will ever return to a modelof completely personalized instruction.The efficiencies gained by teachinglarge numbers of people in classroomsensure mass education will remain animportant part of our school system.Nevertheless, the personal learningmoments that can happen even in con-ventional school settings are importantto the quality of the educational expe-rience and are worth encouraging.

Another nugget I have learned abouteducation is the power of teaching asa learning tool. Joseph Joubert, theFrench essayist, stated this idea ratherconcisely: “to teach is to learn twice.”The act of organizing a topic in a logi-cal sequence and explaining it to some-one else stimulates the familiarity witha topic we usually associate with under-standing. If you really want to learn asubject, try teaching it to someone else.Parents encounter this phenomenonwhen they try explaining something totheir children. Teachers run into it whenthey prepare a new course, or whenbright students ask probing questions.

The teach-to-learn principle also appliesto students teaching each other. I don’tknow if it has ever been demonstrated,but I suspect that students who work astutors benefit as much from the experi-ence as the students whom they tutor.Good students probably are not tutorsjust because they know a particular sub-ject well; it could be that they learn thematerial well because they have tu-tored others.

Group homework assignments can en-courage this type of learning if the prob-lems are sufficiently challenging. Ideally,groups of students can help each otherthrough difficulties as they work towarda solution. One student can benefitfrom explaining his approach to an-other student and from seeing alternateways others may have used.

Personal, one-on-one instructionenhances the overall educationalexperience for our students.

Education continued on page 9


DepartmentNews

Guo-Quan Lu at NASADr. Guo-Quan Lu spent last fall semesterworking at NASA/Goddard Space FlightCenter in Greenbelt, Maryland. His goalwas to expand his research and devel-opment experience in optoelectronics,communications, nanotechnology, andmicro-electro-mechanical systems(MEMS). Lu worked with scientists and re-searchers in the Detector SystemsBranch, which houses a strong programin MEMS, as well as a state-of-the-art mi-croelectronic fabrication facility.

Faculty Research Sabbaticals

Brian Love at NISTDr. Brian Love spent the springsemester in residence at theNational Institute of Standardsand Technology (NIST) inGaithersburg, Maryland. Hecollaborated with researchersin the Materials Science andEngineering Laboratory(MSEL) in the Dental MaterialsBranch. He also worked withresearchers from the Ameri-can Dental Association (ADA)Paffenberger Research Cen-ter, also in residence at NIST.

Dr. Love participated in two project ar-eas, the first dealing with processing andstructural characterization of amor-phous calcium phosphates. The secondseries of projects dealt with photopoly-merization of new types of dental resinformulation. Plans are underway topresent results of these collaborations atthe International Association for DentalResearch in Gothberg, Sweden, nextyear.

A direct benefit of Dr. Love’s efforts atNIST is the establishment of an alliance

Dr. Lu contributed time to two majorMEMS projects underway in the Detec-tor Systems Branch. Both projects areconcerned with developing technologyfor the Next Generation Space Tele-scope (NGST). He focused on develop-ing advanced packaging concepts forlarge area micro-mirror and micro-shut-ter arrays. Specifically, he developed apackaging concept for attaching andaligning the large-scale MEMS chips intoa mosaic pattern and interconnectingit to the rest of the system. The goal is toeliminate global thermo-mechanicalstresses that are caused by mismatchedcoefficients of thermal expansion be-tween chip and substrate.

Dr. Lu’s work with NASA has paved theway for future research opportunitiesbetween Virginia Tech and NASA. Lu hasbeen invited to collaborate on a projectaddressing RF MEMS switch reliability andpackaging. In addition, NASA has do-nated to Virginia Tech a projection maskaligner, which will strengthen processingcapability for MEMS research at VirginiaTech.

between NIST and Vir-ginia Tech for futureprojects. Two proposalshave already beensubmitted to the Na-tional Institutes ofHealth, both dealingwith tissue-engineeredconstructs for bone re-pair and replacement.

While in Maryland, Dr.Love gave severalseminars around the

DC area, including the Naval ResearchLaboratory, Army Research Laboratory- Aberdeen Proving Grounds, and thePatuxent River Navy Engineering Labo-ratory. He also traveled to MississippiState University to give a seminar. In ad-dition, he attended seminars and meet-ings at NIST and at Virginia’s Center forInnovative Technology. A joint proposalhas resulted from Love’s vision of form-ing key alliances between research labsand Virginia Tech. The proposal links NSFResearch for High School Teachers (RET)in the D.C. area, lead by Virginia Techwith NIST, NRL, ARL, and perhaps localcompanies.

Other Department NewsD.P.H. Hasselman, Professor Emeritus ofthe MSE Department, has been named“Highly-Cited Researcher” by the Ameri-can Society of Information Science andTechnology. This honor is given to thosewhose lifetime number of citations ofopen-literature publications is ranked inthe top 0.5 percent. Dr. Hasselman’s ap-proximately 300 publications are experi-mental and theoretical studies of thethermal shock resistance, mechanicalbehavior, and thermal diffusivity andthermal conductivity of materials forhigh-temperature applications. Dr.Hasselman is also a recipient of the JohnJeppson Medal (American Ceramic So-ciety), the Humboldt Prize (GermanGovernment), and the InternationalThermal Conductivity Award (ITC Con-ferences), and he is an elected mem-ber in the International Academy ofCeramics. v

In June, David Clark and Guo-Quan Lutraveled to China to learn more aboutChinese universities, federal laboratories,and companies, and to establish formalties with some of the top institutions inChina for recruitment and future col-laboration purposes. v

MSE Students, Gustina Collins, Jeff Maciborski,and Kelly Stinson-Bagby visited Dr. Lu at NASA.Behind them is a full-sized model of the spaceshuttle.


Alumni visitsThis fall John Kroehling (CERE‘48) paid a visit to SteveKampe’s Materials Selectionand Design class, where hegave a presentation on refrac-tory materials and catalysis.

Alfred E. Knobler (CERE ‘38)spent a day visiting the depart-ment in October. He chattedwith faculty, staff, and studentsduring a morning reception,and in the afternoon he gavea talk on the history of PilgrimGlass. v

Dr. Clark traveled to Italy and Australiathis summer. In Florence, he presentedan invited paper entitled “MicrowaveProcessing of Materials,” which will bepublished in Ceramic International. Healso chaired a session on “Polymers Py-rolysis” and participated in the CeramicInternational Advisory Board Meeting. InAustralia, he chaired a roundtable at the3rd W. Congress. The topic was “Are WeReally Bridging Science, Technology,and Applications?” v

Photonics LabThis fall, The Center for Photonics Tech-nology (CPT) was awarded a $1.1 mil-

2002-2003 MSE Scholarships

John Kroehling (right) talks with Steve Kampe (left)and David Clark.

Alfred Knobler (center) visits with MSE students andfaculty.

lion grant from the U.S. Department ofEnergy to continue sensor developmentfor use in coal-produced electricity. TheCenter, housed in the Department ofElectrical and Computer Engineering, isdirected by Anbo Wang and GaryPickrell. Gary received a doctorate inMSE in 1994, studying under Dr. JesseBrown. v

The MSE website has undergone signifi-cant renovations over the last fewmonths. We’ve added some new fea-tures and updated others. Take a look:www.mse.vt.edu. v

ObituaryJohn F. Eckel, former head of VirginiaTech’s metallurgy department (now theMSE department), died September 27 athis home in Blacksburg at the age of 99.After receiving his doctorate from theCarnegie Institute of Technology(Carnegie Mellon University), Eckeltaught at Purdue University and workedfor several companies, including BellTelephone Laboratories, Western Elec-tric, and General Electric’s Knolls AtomicPower Laboratory. He joined the VirginiaTech faculty in 1956 and retired as headof metallurgy in 1968. v

Alfred E. Knobler John H. Kroehling Thomas G. Stroyan Frank M. FazioJosh Beck Andrew Miller Douglas Banerjee Lisa CopleyNicholas Bell Patrick Muffo Matthew Hubbard Adam MaisanoLisa Copley Mark Taczak Christopher KesslerErik Herz Ryan Turner Matthew Lynch Barry M. GoldwaterElizabeth Hubbard Brendan Wells Robert Mitchell (U.S. Congress)Elizabeth Jeffers Bryce Whited Edward Parker Erik HerzMichelle KennedyAdam Maisano Gilbert & Lucille Seay William C. McAllister Morgan L. WilliamsJemmel Pursoo Douglas Banerjee Erik Herz (Washington, D.C.Ashley White Lisa Copley chapter, ASM)Emma White Matthew Hubbard Gordon W. Jones Mark TaczakMichael Willeman Elizabeth Jeffers Mark Taczak

Matthew Lynch Foundry EducationJohn B. Greiner Andrew Miller Thomas L. Leivesley, Jr. FoundationElizabeth Hubbard Jemmel Pursoo Robert Mitchell Julie Beth Cope

Brendan WellsMSE Faculty Michael Willeman Pulley-Loudon H.H. Harris FoundationEric Payton Ashley White Christopher Kessler

Ray D. & Violet FrithStuart & Mary Shumate Andrew MillerChristopher Kessler

For more information about these scholarships, visit www.mse.vt.edu/people/AwardPages/honors-awards.html


Student and AlumniNews

The Human-Powered Submarine (HPS)Team has seen success over the past twoyears, winning international competi-tions in 2000 and 2001, and this yearproved to be no different. At HPS 2002in Escondido, California, the team waspresented with the Overall EngineeringAward as well as first place awards in theBest Submarine Design and Innovationcategories. These two awards, alongwith four second place finishes in theremaining five categories, helped theteam repeat as World Champions for thethird straight year.

A pilot pedaling inside the boat, similarto riding a bicycle, has typically pro-pelled human-powered submarines. Thispower turns a propeller at the back ofthe sub to move the boat down thecourse. Speeds in excess of 7 knots (8mph) have been recorded on a 100-meter course, so maintaining control forthat distance is critical. To be able tocompete at this level, the team saw aneed for a radically new and compre-hensive design as well as the integrationof advanced construction techniques.

The HPS team, which has been in exist-ence at Virginia Tech since 1989, racedtheir newest submarine, Phantom 4, atthe California competition. The designof this new, one-person, propeller-drivensubmarine began soon after the 2001races and construction was started earlyin the spring 2002 semester. A significantamount of research and testing wentinto the development of the shape of

Phantom 4, including com-puter simulation, constructionof a scale model, and windtunnel testing. By minimizingvolume and optimizing flowcharacteristics, the team cre-ated a CAD model of the hullshape. Fiberglass, carbon fiber,and closed-cell foam werelaid up in a female mold and vacuum-bagged to form a structural compositebody.

This year the team chose to incorporatea counter-rotating propeller system intothe design of their boat. The advantageto this propulsion system is that thetorque from acceleration is counter-acted by the two propellers spinning inopposite directions on the same axis.This pedal-driven system has a 4:1 gearratio allowing each propeller to spin at150-200 rpm, which translates to a dif-ferential of over 300 rpm between thetwo propellers. The sealed gearbox waskept dry by maintaining an internal pres-sure slightly higher than ambient pressureat that depth. By optimizing each com-ponent of this system, from the gears tothe shape of the propeller blades, totalefficiency over 91% is possible.

Until last year, all of Virginia Tech’s sub-marines have been mechanically con-trolled. The jump to using electronicsproved to be a difficult but worthwhileendeavor. This year the pilot controlledthe submarine using a computer joystickmodified to work underwater and pro-

Virginia Tech’s Human-PoweredSubmarine Team

Adam Maisano(Junior, MSE)

L to R: Justin Hlavin (OE, Subteam Pres. ‘01), WenonahSumner (OE), Andrew Hopkins (AE), John Hennage (ME,Ph.D.), Justin Stepanchick (OE), Adam Maisano (MSE,Subteam Pres. ‘02), Dustin Grissom (AE)

vide an intuitive system for the pilot tosteer the boat. A small computer, lo-cated in the stern, processes the signalsand operates pneumatic valves, allow-ing pressurized air to actuate pistonsconnected to the control surfaces.

One major concern in the design pro-cess was the workload experienced bythe pilot since he or she must both pedaland steer the submarine. Therefore, anauto-leveling system was incorporated,using a pair of pressure sensors to deter-mine the attitude of the boat and auto-matically operate the stern planes. Thistechnological achievement made theboat semi-autonomous, a first in the Hu-man-Powered Submarine racing com-munity.

The MSE Department joined other Vir-ginia Tech departments in sponsoringthe team. Funds helped to offset travelcosts for the competition. This year, theHPS Team will compete for its fourthstraight championship at the Interna-tional Submarine Races in June inCarderock, Maryland. To find out moreabout the team, visit www.hps.vt.edu.

Justin Hlavin demonstrates submarine operation

More Student & Alumni NewsDale Barnes (B.S. ‘93) completed a 20-year tourof duty with the U.S. Navy last September. He isnow the Senior Manufacturing Engineer incharge of the Packaging Department at TycoHealthcare’s dosage pharmaceutical companyin Hobart, New York. v

Stacey Sharp Nyakana (B.S. ‘02) is working as anR&D metallurgist at Titanium Metals in Hendersen,Nevada. “TIMET is the world’s largest supplier ofhigh quality titanium metal products.” Stacey’swork includes providing technical support for pro-duction and customers, as well as process andproduct development. v

Nick Katawczik (B.S. ‘01) is a Cost Analyst for theU.S. Navy in Maryland. v

Celine Mahieux (Ph.D. ‘97) and Jon Medding (B.S.‘94, M.S. ‘97) are the proud parents of Sarah, bornSeptember 7. Jon and Celine are currently livingin Wettingen, Switzerland. v

Liz Myers-Vailhe (B.S. ‘92) is ascientist with Ethicon, aJohnson & Johnson companyin Summerville, New Jersey.She works in the area of prod-uct characterization doingverification and product de-velopment testing, as well asmedical device testing on such products as su-tures, meshes for hernia repair, and topical skinadhesives to replace sutures. Liz is married toChristophe Vailhe (M.S. ‘92, Ph.D. ‘96), and they


Students Gain Valuable Work ExperienceThrough Summer Internships

Ashley White (Junior, MSE)Lawrence Berkeley LabI spent this past summer in Ber-keley, California, participating inLawrence Berkeley NationalLaboratory’s Energy ResearchUndergraduate Laboratory Fel-lowships (ERULF) program. TheERULF program is funded by theDepartment of Energy (DOE) and offersscience, engineering, and math stu-dents from the United States and PuertoRico the opportunity to participate in aresearch project at one of twelve DOEnational laboratories. Each student is as-signed a research project and a men-tor to help guide his research. My projectfocused on developing an aerogel-based material for use in insulating in-dustrial furnaces.

Aerogels are unique materials with manyamazing properties and applications.Silica aerogel is the lightest solid on earth,with a density as little as 0.003 g/cm3,only three times denser than air. Theaerogel typically used in applications isabout 95% air and 5% silica; however,some specimens are over 99% air. Silicaaerogel appears nearly transparent be-cause most of its pores, which have anaverage diameter on the scale of tensof nanometers, are too small to scatterlight.1 Aerogel is useful in many elec-tronic applications since it has the low-est dielectric constant of any knownsolid material.2 While it is a brittle mate-rial, sometimes crumbling at the touchof a finger, it is extremely strong. A piecethe size of a human would weigh lessthan one pound, but could support theweight of a small car.3 One of the mostuseful commercial properties of aerogelis its ability to insulate from both heat andsound. By mass or volume, silica aerogels

are the best insulators ever dis-covered, especially under amoderate vacuum. They areone hundred times moreinsulative than normal densityglass.4 These insulative propertieswere the focus of my research.

The large furnaces used in indus-trial applications require a great deal ofinsulation. Aerogels could provide bet-ter insulation at a smaller thickness thanthe types of insulation that are currentlyused. A problem, however, is that silicaaerogel begins to disintegrate at tem-peratures of about 500°C, and industrialheating applications require a materialthat can withstand temperatures of upto 1000°C. Therefore, my project focusedon developing an aerogel composite ofaluminum, chromium, and silica thatcould withstand these high tempera-tures while still retaining most of itsinsulative properties. The group’s re-search on this project is continuing; how-ever, my work contributed significantlyto the overall goal of the project andthe results will hopefully be published inthe near future.

While working at Berkeley Labs, I livedat the University of California atBerkeley’s International House with otherstudents in the ERULF program and UCBerkeley students taking summer classes,many of whom were international. Ad-ditionally, San Francisco is just a short sub-way-ride away from Berkeley so I hadthe chance to explore a lot of the city.

This was the fourth summer research pro-gram in which I have participated, andI can say that these types of programsare excellent in that they give a realtaste for what a research career is likeand are a lot of fun. Because of theseprograms, I plan to continue on tograduate school to pursue a researchcareer.

For more information on this and otherDOE-sponsored research programs, visithttp://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/sci_ed.htm. And remember to keep an eyeout in the future for aerogel insulation!

References1. “Aerogel Rides Again: Launch of StarDustis Latest Adventure for Frozen Smoke,” NASApress release, February 5, 1999. (http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/msad05feb99_1.htm).2. “Will Aerogel Let You Put a 24 GHz Com-puter On Your Desktop by 2006?” NASA pressrelease, 1997. (http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/msad/aerogel_update.htm).3. “Aerogels: Lightweight, Strong, and WithMany Special Properties for the Modern Era,”Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.(http://www.llnl.gov/IPandC/op96/07/7a-aer.html).4. J. Kahn: “Aerogel Research at LBL: Fromthe Lab to the Marketplace,” Berkeley Na-tional Laboratory, 1991. (http://www.lbl.gov/S c i e n c e - A r t i c l e s / A r c h i v e / a e r o g e l -insulation.html).

Internships continued next page

have 2 children, Madeline, who is 3, and Remy,5 months (pictured above). v

Cindy Kornegay Waters (M.S. ‘85) is teaching ma-terials classes at NCA&T State University in Greens-boro. She is pursuing a doctorate there, studyingnano-thin films and superconductor materials.She is also mom to two sets of twins, girls, 15, boys13. v

Stephan Stücklin (B.S. ‘99) earned his master’s inApril ‘01 at the EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Tech-nology, Lausanne), then he spent nine monthsinterning with the Research and EngineeringCenter at Nippon Steel Corporation in Futtsu, Ja-pan. He is currently working for Stratec Medical,a biomedical company in Switzerland. v

Andrea Kay (B.S. ‘93) and Nao Tsumagari arethe proud parents of Erika Michelle Kay-Tsumagari, born July 18, 2002. She weighed 5 lbs.,4 oz. and was 19 inches long. Andrea is a QualityEngineer with EST in Milwaukee, WI. v

Erik Herz was awarded a Barry M. GoldwaterScholarship for the fall semester. This foundationwas established by the U.S. Congress in 1986 tohonor Senator Barry M. Goldwater, who servedhis country for 56 years, first as a solider, then as astatesman. The purpose of the foundation is toprovide a continuing source of highly qualifiedscientists, mathematicians, and engineers byawarding scholarships to college students whointend to pursue careers in these fields. Erik, a se-nior, is currently working on undergraduate de-

grees in MSE, economics, and internationalstudies. He plans to continue his studies at Tech,pursuing a master’s in MSE. v

James Myers (B.S. ‘99) married Byerly Walker(ARCH ‘99) May 5, 2001. James is a Perfor-mance Engineer in the Testing Departmentat Brenco in Petersburg, Va. Byerly works forBalzaar & Assoc., a C.E. & Arch. firm in Rich-mond. v

Heidi (Allison) Williams (B.S. ‘93,M.S. ‘97) is an Engineer in IBM’sMaterials & Physical Analysis Labin Research Triangle Park, NC. Shemarried Robert Williams in 1997,and they have two children,Nathan, 4, and Abigail, 20 mos.v

Aerogel protects the crayons from the intenseheat of the blow torch. (Courtesy AerogelPhotos, http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/photo/aerogel.html)


Internships continued from page 7

Adam Maisano (Junior, MSE)NASA - LangleyThis past summer, I spent myvacation working for NASA asan intern in the highly com-petitive Langley ResearchSummer Scholars (LARSS) pro-gram. I worked in Structuresand Materials Competency at NASA-Langley, located in Hampton, Virginia.

During the ten-week program, I workedclosely with engineers and scientists inthe Metals and Thermal StructuresBranch where I learned how NASA is de-veloping new technology to improve airand space travel. My major researchproject was to use an electron beamwelding machine for freeform fabrica-tion. This technology has potential useas a means to fabricate large structuresin orbit or as a way to rapid prototypenecessary components on extendedspace missions.

Electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3) is a rapid prototyping process thatuses an electron beam to melt wirefeedstock onto a substrate. In EB F3, afocused electron beam is used to cre-ate a molten pool of metal. Wire is fedinto this pool as the beam is translatedacross the surface of the substrate. Thisprocess is repeated to fabricate partslayer by layer. Aluminum alloy 2219 is anaerospace alloy often used for its goodcryogenic properties. This alloy is readily

Emily Vernon (Senior, MSE)Dominion Metallurgical,Inc.Anyone who tells you that metal-lurgy is all work and no play hasnever met Paul Huffman. I had theopportunity to work with him in sev-eral different capacities over thepast year, both during my seniordesign project and during a summer intern-ship, and there was never a dull moment.Mr. Huffman serves as an advisory boardmember to the MSE Department and is alsopresident of Dominion Metallurgical, Inc.(Domet) in Roanoke, Virginia.

I first worked with Mr. Huffman in August2001, as he was the industry advisor forthe project completed by RobynHerman and myself titled “Determiningthe cause of corrosion in a sheet metalroof.” The project entailed discoveringwhy a recently installed metal roof onthe library at Hollins University in Roanokewas corroding at an unacceptablyrapid rate. We worked in conjunctionwith Domet, Hollins, and East Coast Roof-ing Consultants, an independent com-pany out of Richmond, Virginia, to solvethe problem. The fact that we were ableto work on a “real life” project was in-valuable to the senior design experi-ence. Aside from learning how to planand execute a design project, we alsogained knowledge about how thingsreally work in industry, be it good or bad.Mr. Huffman was a wonderful source ofinformation on this topic and gave usconfidence in our work despite the factthat we were just “lowly college stu-dents” surrounded by people who hadbeen doing this type of work for the bet-ter part of their adult lives.

As a result of my work on the Hollins roofproject, Mr. Huffman hired me to workat Domet as an intern this past summer.Although I did continue some work onthe Hollins project, I also had the oppor-tunity to work with many of the otheremployees of Domet on a wide varietyof projects. The main specialty of Dometis metal castings, but what makes thecompany special is that all of the ac-count managers, who work as media-tors between customers and the found-ries, have, themselves worked exten-sively in foundries or machine shops. Be-cause of this, their combined knowledge

base is amazing, and thereseems to be someone that spe-cializes in just about every as-pect of metal casting.

Some of the projects that Iworked on included heat treat-ment analysis of metal liners forshaped charges, material selec-

tion for rapid prototyping in casting ap-plications, and coordination of effortsbetween Domet and Virginia Tech tocreate a private foundry for the univer-sity. I also created a material propertiesdatabase and a foundry/machine shopdatabase for use by the account man-

weldable and has high strengthand fracture toughness.

Through my work, it was shownthat complex geometries canbe welded and a desirable mi-crostructure can be achieved.After welding several specimensup to 6-inches in height, I sec-

tioned and polished each one to exam-ine the microstructure. The result was a100% dense material that was fully fusedwith the substrate. Tensile specimenswere also tested and it was found thatstrength values were comparable to an-nealed and tempered aluminum.

The LARSS program accepts approxi-mately 125 students from across thecountry each year. The program is opento rising juniors, seniors, and first-yeargraduate students from all majors.

agers in the field. My favorite task, how-ever, was setting up the mini-metallurgi-cal laboratory, including several grind-ing and polishing wheels, hardnesstesters, and other analysis tools. Domethad acquired several very old opticalmicroscopes at auctions, and I had theincredible task of somehow makingforty-year old microscopes work withoutthe help of any sort of handbook or parts(they don’t make them anymore!). Inthe end, to everyone’s surprise (includ-ing mine), I succeeded, and now Domethas their very own metallurgical analy-sis laboratory, complete with posterity.

Electron beam welder in the process offreeform fabrication.


of post-deposit machining, re-pair damaged componentsthat would otherwise be tooexpensive to replace, or to ap-ply a surface treatment or struc-ture to an existing part. The sur-face treatment could be ahard-face coating, or laserheating to induce a more de-sirable mechanical property atthe surface. LMD processes save timeand are economical in small batch pro-duction.

The microstructural evolution in theseprocesses is inherently complex, due tothe thermal variations experienced asmultiple layers/tracks are deposited.Thus in order to understand and predictthe microstructural evolution in an LMDprocess, the thermal history must bemeasured or, in absence, modeled. Ini-tial work has focused on the LMD of thetitanium alloy, Ti-6Al-4V, for rapidly manu-factured structural aerospace compo-nents. A complex microstructural mor-phology was observed and, in an at-tempt to understand the microstructuralevolution, a thermal model for LMD pro-cesses was developed. An evolutionscheme has been developed based onthermal history characteristics (peak/minimum temperature, cooling rate).

In LSA, tungsten carbide particles areintroduced into the laser-induced mol-ten pool of a metal alloy to create ahard-face composite on a substrate. Anindustrial application of the LSA process

Manhattan Project. Initially, Oak Ridgewas a military installation, where civiliansworking in the labs and production fa-cilities were housed in barracks. Duringmy stay I lived in the boarding home ofone of the original Oak Ridgers, Ms. D.Young, who worked in the K-25 plant,where U-235 was produced. “We weretold to monitor the gauges and makesure that they stayed between certainlevels,” Ms. Young said. “We found outwhat we were making after the atomicbomb was dropped on Hiroshima.”

The food at Ms. Young’s house was goodsouthern cooking, and as a result, I puton a few pounds. Just thinking about hermeals makes my mouth water and mystomach crave for slow cooked beefand green beans.

While at Oak Ridge, I walked the samestreets as some of the world’s top scien-tists and engineers did 50 years ago,worked with nearly 300 Ph.D.s in theMetals and Ceramics Division and withabout 1,500 scientists and engineers inthe lab; inspiration for research was everpresent.

Did anything strange happen? One daywhile walking through the parking lot, anannouncement came over the publicaddress system. Low doses of strontium-90 had been found in a parking lot nearthe lab. That’s something you don’t heareveryday while walking to class at Vir-ginia Tech.

Kelly continued from page 2

would be to coat fossil fuel drill-ing shafts with a hard compos-ite to extend the life of the part.Depending on conditions, thetungsten carbide particles maydissolve in the molten pool, ad-versely affecting the overallhardness of the coating. To bet-ter understand the dissolutionand control the microstructure,

the thermal history as multiple tracks aredeposited was examined. The stay atOak Ridge was too short to analyze themicrostructural evolution in the deposit;however, future work in this area isplanned.

Future plans include a return to ORNL inthe spring of 2003 to continue work withlaser metal deposition process model-ing, with the end result being a Ph.D.degree no later than December 2004.The Ph.D. research will focus on devel-oping a couple thermal-kinetic modelfor laser deposition processes that willpredict microstructural evolution. It ishoped that someday this tool can becoupled with a process control modelso that LMD processes can be controlledby-wire to produce multifunctional partswith one process. In the future, a one-step process such as LMD would be idealfor space-based manufacturing.

What was life like in the Secret City? OakRidge was founded during WWII out ofa need for a secure, remote site for pro-duction of fissionable material for the

Along similar lines, I recall from a courseI took many years ago that cognitivepsychologists have used the teaching-to-learn concept to explain why theyoungest child in a family has a statisti-cally lower IQ than older siblings. Thehypothesized mechanism behind thisobservation is that children teach theiryounger siblings and, in so doing, stimu-late their own intellectual development.The youngest child has no youngerbrother or sister to teach and presum-ably learns less than he otherwisewould. (Note: If you are a youngestchild, let me add a few disclaimers herebefore you get too indignant. Not allyoungest children have lower IQs thantheir siblings; the IQ differences be-tween siblings that are attributed to thiseffect are very small and are only no-

ticeable in large samples of children,and I don’t really know what IQ testsmeasure anyway.) My purpose in men-tioning the teaching-learning connec-tion in children is to point out that onedoes not have to be an education pro-fessional to benefit from teaching.

My last little chestnut about educationinvolves the need to keep learning; thistopic is often discussed under the rubricof “lifelong learning” in today’s educa-tion-speak. Lifelong may be too preten-tious a term, or at least too ambitious,but the central idea is to encouragepeople to keep learning and recharg-ing their intellectual batteries aftergraduation. For a researcher and edu-cator, the need to keep learning is animperative. Unless you happen to be aLatin instructor, you can expect your

field to change constantly – sometimesvery quickly – and staying abreast of thechanges is essential to remain relevant.My wife reminds me of this point whenshe tells me, “You can’t teach what youdon’t know.” Learning new subjectsand skills sometimes puts the old, famil-iar subjects in a different light, and thisalso helps keep a teacher’s outlook andpresentation fresh.

That’s about all of my ruminating oneducation. If this little essay sounded toomuch like a dry lecture, then I hope Ido a better job with the students one-on-one.

Bill Reynolds is a professor and the assis-tant department head in the MSE Depart-ment. He is also the director of the MSEgraduate program.

vvv

Education continued from page 3


People inMaterials Kyanite and Virginia Tech:

Jesse J. Brown Carries on a TraditionLeeAnn Ellis

1.MiningDynamite

2.Crushing & GrindingVarious stages take the mined rocks from boulders

to fine (28 Mesh) particles.

How Does Kyanite Become Mullite?

3.FlotationThe crushed particles travel through several flotation

stages to separate out the kyanite from other minerals suchas pyrite and sand.

Kyanite Mining Corporate Offices, built in1957 of kyanite quartzite rock.

Most of you will rememberthat Professor Jesse Brownretired from the MSE Depart-ment a couple of years ago.I recently paid a visit to Kya-nite Mining Corporation inDillwyn, Virginia, where Dr.Brown has been working asthe Director of Researchand New Product Develop-ment. During our vis it, Ilearned about the impor-tance of kyanite, how it’s extracted andrefined, and I learned about VirginiaTech’s role in the history of the develop-ment of alumino-silicate materials andthe history of Kyanite Mining Corporation(KMC).

What’s so important about alumino-silicates?This class of materials forms a key com-ponent in many end products.“Alumino-silicate refractories,” ex-plained Dr. Brown, “are critical for mak-ing iron and steel, making any metal youcan think of, making ceramics, glass,absolutely critical for the United States

and the world, for thatmatter.” Alumino-silicatesare materials with compo-sitions of SiO2 and Al2O3.The key minerals for theseapplications are kyanite,andalusite, sillimanite, andmullite. “The mullite is thereal important phase thatwe all want,” said Dr.Brown, but mullite is no-where to be found. What

KMC does is mine kyanite, which is 60%alumina, and calcine it to form mullite.Kyanite is one of only a handful of min-erals that can be manipulated to formmullite. “Looking at the overall picture,in the United States there are only twoplaces where you can get materials inthe 50-70% alumina range. You can cal-cine bauxitic clay or you can calcinekyanite.”

Why do we need kyanite and mullite?Most of us are not familiar with kyaniteor mullite, yet they are key ingredients inmany items in use everyday. Mullitelends heat resistance properties to, for

example, ceramic bakeware, wherethermal shock protection is needed toprevent dishes from cracking. A pizzastone requires mullite to stand up to re-peated cycles of heating and cooling.Mullite increases the mechanicalstrength of floor and wall tiles. As cal-cined kyanite decomposes into mullite,it expands irreversibly. This makes themullite particularly valuable whereshrinkage is undesirable, as in bricks andmortars. Also important are its refractoryproperties such as heat and corrosionresistance, which make it valuable inhigh-temperature furnaces and reac-tors. Electrical insulators are anotherplace where mullite is used because of


4.Roasting and ReducingThe kyanite is roasted in a reducing environment to

magnetize all iron, which must be removed.

5. Magnetic SeparationIron is pulled out.

6. CalciningThe kyanite is heated to a high temperature so that it will decompose

into mullite.

TestingThroughout this process, sample materials

are tested in the field and in the lab for par-ticle size and chemical composition.

its low electrical conductivity and highthermal resistance. In fact, electrical in-sulators sparked the beginning of inter-est in kyanite back in the late 1920s.

The Virginia Tech ConnectionKyanite Mining Corporation’s roots dateback to about 1927. The company wasknown as McClanahan-Watson for itstwo founders, who began to experimentwith kyanite. During World War II, therewas a growing need for spark plug insu-lators, which meant there was a needfor materials that were 60-70% alumina.

“It has occurred to me over the years,”commented Dr. Brown, “that VirginiaTech faculty, staff, and alumni have hada critical role in the development ofalumino-silicate refractories.” The Vir-ginia Tech/Kyanite connection datesback to the 1940s, when JohnWhittemore did consulting work for thecompany that would become KyaniteMining Corporation. Dr. Whittemore wasa professor of ceramic engineering atTech, appointed in 1928. From 1952-1963he served as dean of the College of En-gineering. During all of his years with Vir-ginia Tech, Whittemore served as a con-sultant for KMC and, in fact, he playedan important role in getting the com-pany up and running by setting up theirfirst laboratories. Stashed away in theKMC files are many letters and reports

written by Whittemore, such as “TheDevelopment of a Refractory Aggre-gate from Virginia Kyanite.”1 In the pro-cess of growing the company, moreland containing kyanite deposits waspurchased over the years, includingland previously owned by Vic Kelsey, aceramist, and uncle to Tech graduate,Vic Kelsey (CERE ’69).

Beginning in the 1960s, a Virginia Techgraduate became interested inalumino-silicate materials. GeorgeEusner (CERE ’43) started Mullite Corpo-ration of America (MULCOA) nearAndersonville, Georgia. The companyeventually became C-E Minerals (Com-bustion Engineering Minerals), the larg-est producer of alumino-silicate miner-als in the world. George’s son, Paul, com-pleted ceramic engineering degrees atTech in 1968 and 1970 and went to workfor his father in Andersonville, followedby Dilip Jain (CERE M.S. ’73), who wasDr. Brown’s first graduate student, andMark Northrop (MATE ‘89). Paul Eusnerrecently co-founded a new company,Great Lakes Minerals, that imports min-erals from China and is rapidly becom-ing a major player in the alumino-silicateminerals business.

Dr. Brown began consulting for KMC in1973, picking up where Whittemore leftoff. He set up a new laboratory based

on atomic absorption testing. That labremained in operation until 2000, whena new facility, the Billy R. Coleman Me-morial Laboratory, was completed. Dr.Brown is in charge of this new labora-tory, where he oversees a variety of test-ing activities such as particle size analy-sis, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence,specific gravity, and others. He alsohandles training, and, according toHank Jamerson (PhysEd ’74), Director ofSales at KMC, “helped educate thecompany owners on the whys andwherefores of kyanite production and itsuses.”

“There’s a tremendous Virginia Techconnection to all of these alumino-sili-cate materials,” said Dr. Brown. “It maybe one of the bigger contributions thatVirginia Tech has made to science andindustry.”

Reference1. Sawyer, J.P. and J.W. Whittemore, “TheDevelopment of a Refractory Aggre-gate from Virginia Kyanite,” Bulletin ofVPI, Eng. Exp. Station #49, November1941.

The author wishes to thank Dr. Brown forhis help in preparing this article and alsofor giving her a fascinating tour of KyaniteMining Corporation and an excellent lunchat Teresa’s Place.

Head’s Up

David Clark

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDBlacksburg, VA 24060

Permit #28

Department of Materials Science and Engineering213 Holden Hall (0237)Virginia TechBlacksburg, Virginia 24061www.mse.vt.edu

MSE has achieved severalmajor milestones in the lastyear. In October 2002, ourundergraduate programreceived a Next GeneralReview (NGR) rating fromthe Accreditation Board forEngineering and Technol-ogy (ABET). This ratingmeans that our programhas met all the require-ments of ABET and will notbe reviewed again for sixyears. Likewise, our gradu-ate program was evaluated in April by ateam of external experts. There is no na-tional requirement to evaluate graduateprograms, but the College of Engineeringat Virginia Tech requires an evaluation bedone every five years to ensure that stu-dents are receiving a high quality andcompetitive education. Although the re-view team made several recommenda-tions for consideration by our faculty, ourprogram received high marks overall.

The MSE Advisory Board met on April 3-5in Blacksburg. They were given an over-view of the department’s academic pro-grams, research, and facilities. The boardsubmitted a report offering recommenda-tions that are at various stages of imple-mentation. This Advisory Board, chairedby Warren White, consists of 14 membersrepresenting industry, academia, andfederal laboratories. A complete listing ofthe members, affiliations, and the board’smission can be found on our website.

MSE has been involved in recruiting activi-ties this year. Our annual Open House washeld on October 16. Over 250 freshmenvisited Holden Hall and saw demonstrations

in superconductivity, sensors,night vision goggles, memorymetal, computation materialsscience, among others. A fewstudents learned to use a ce-ramic golf putter and won t-shirtsin a putting contest. MSE alsohosted a Parents’ Day visit to thedepartment and an eveningwith freshman Honors students.We expect these events to havea positive impact on our under-graduate enrollment.

Two of our alumni, JohnKroehling and Alf Knobler, visited

the department and made presentationsto the faculty and students. John lectureda senior design class on catalysis and Alfgave a seminar on Pilgrim Glass. Both indi-viduals have made generous donations tosupport our undergraduate students andto purchase state-of-the-art equipment.

In June, G.Q. Lu and I visited universitiesand national laboratories in China tostrengthen our ties. A formal memorandumof understanding (MOU) was signed be-tween our department and the MSE de-partment at the University of Fudan. ThisMOU will foster student exchange and jointresearch opportunities between the twodepartments. A similar agreement is inplace with the University of São Carlos inBrazil.

Our faculty continues to be successful insecuring research funding. This is especiallyimportant in times of dwindling state sup-port. Since April, MSE’s portion of the statebudget has been permanently cut by

about 8%. Such unprecedented cuts willcertainly impact our department, but ourfaculty are working hard to ensure that thehigh quality of education provided to ourstudents is not compromised.

MSE is supportive of the new Institute forCritical Technology and Applied Scienceat Virginia Tech led by the College of En-gineering. The Institute will provide an in-frastructure and space that will foster syn-ergistic research between engineeringand the sciences. This initiative has threephases and will require raising $85 millionfor buildings, equipment, and infrastruc-ture. Fund raising activities are underwayand Phase 1, which will focus on Ad-vanced Materials and Nano-technology,Information Technology, and BiomedicalTechnology, is expected to be operationalin three to five years. We expect the Insti-tute to add significantly to materials re-search and education capabilities at Vir-ginia Tech. More on this in the next issue.

MSE has an ambitious plan to become na-tionally ranked by the year 2010. The toppriority is to build our graduate programwith respect to quality and diversity whilemaintaining the strength of the under-graduate program. We have identifiedsome of the key components required toachieve this goal and these are providedon our website.

We appreciate the strong support that wehave received from the Dean’s office. In-terim Dean McPherson retired at the endof 2002 and Associate Dean Ed Henneke(presently Interim Dean) will provide theleadership until our new dean, Dr. HassanAref, arrives in April. We wish Malcolm ahappy retirement and look forward toworking with Hassan.

exploring materials€¦ · curiosity survives formal education,” to mention a few. as a...

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