A synergistic partnership for research and education on nanostructured and functional materials

CHED 1512

O. Marcelo Suárez, msuarez@ece.uprm.edu1, Jeannette Santos, jsantos@ece.uprm.edu1, Eddie Marrero, eddiem@uprm.edu1, Carlos R. Rinaldi, crinaldi@uprm.edu2, and Sandra Dika, sdika@uprm.edu3. (1) Department of Engineering Science and Materials, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Mayagüez, PR 00681, (2) Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Mayagüez, PR 00681, (3) Office of Institutional Reseach & Planning, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Mayagüez, PR 00681
This project between the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez and the University of Wisconsin helped catalyzed a substantial amount of work on advanced materials in four areas: a) spintronics and nanostructured magnetic materials; b) MgB2-based superconductor processing; and c) multifunctional metal matrix composites; d) education and outreach on materials.

We discovered the formation of monosize particles of metastable -Co in trimethylene glycol. Quantitative comparison of magnetic nanoparticle-based sensors to rotational Brownian motion model was developed. We could explain reported variations in MgB2 superconducting properties by atmospheric processing conditions. Functionally-graded Al matrix composites were synthesized via centrifugal casting for the first time.

The education and outreach component of the project has implemented interventions at three critical points in the pipeline – high school, undergraduate, and graduate education. The program structure and preliminary results, including student performance, future study plans, and perceptions of knowledge and skills in material sciences, will be highlighted in the presentation.

 

Research and Education in Material Science
8:30 AM-11:35 AM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Hilton New Orleans Riverside -- Rosedown, Oral

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008