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Materials Science Facilities, Equipment, and Thrust Areas
The Department's major thrusts are in the following areas:
A description of each of these areas follows, along with supporting facilities and equipment.
The eventual use of advanced structural materials relies on a critical understanding of the factors controlling deformation and fracture. A variety of studies are being conducted at CWRU to determine the effects of changes in microstructure and stress state on deformation and fracture processes. Materials under exploration include conventional monolithic materials, such as high strength steels, titanium alloys, and aluminum alloys, and advanced structural materials, such as intermetallics, metal matrix composites, ceramics, and glasses. Slip and twinning studies in oxide single crystals is a particular strength. The mechanical testing facilities are operated under the guidance of a full-time engineer to aid in solving testing problems as well as in providing equipment operation training. The mechanical testing facilities include servo-hydraulic machines, universal testing machines, electromechanical testing machines, fatigue testing machines, impact testing machines and creep testing machines.
Materials processing forms the basis of all manufacturing. The importance of materials processing is underscored by the fact that various industrial and government study groups have targeted synthesis and processing of materials as an area critical to American competitiveness. In addition, a number of recent research initiatives have been set up by government agencies, such as the DOE Materials Initiative and the NSF initiative on Synthesis and Processing.
Control of environmental degradation of materials is required for reliability in critical systems for computers, cars, spacecraft, bridges, and chemical and power plants. At CWRU, a major focus area is to better understand and control the degradation processes of corrosion, oxidation, loss of adhesion, and wear. Researchers in Materials Science and other engineering and science departments are working to develop improved materials and manufacturing processes. Advances in basic knowledge provide a better rationale for accelerated tests and methods to predict the useful life of engineering structures.
The area of interfacial and surface studies of materials has been a major thrust area of research in the Department in the past decade. This research has centered around the needs of advanced composite materials for tailored interfaces. Depending upon the composite system, a strong interfacial bond between matrix and strengthening phase, a weak interfacial bond, or an intermediate case, can be optimum. The interfacial bond is being examined through the use of a host of advanced analytical techniques contained in the CWRU's Materials Characterization Laboratory.
The need for electronic devices which can operate at high temperatures has always been a matter of interest. Devices made from traditional electronic materials, such as silicon or gallium arsenide, can only operate to temperatures of ~100?C. At higher temperatures, they fail either because the material becomes intrinsic (due to a relatively small band gap for Si), or because of softening and the easy generation of defects such as dislocations (for GaAs).
The Department is known for its strength in the applications of electron-optical techniques to materials science problems. Facilities include a variety of state-of-the-art equipment in transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and surface spectroscopic techniques such as scanning Auger microscopy (SAM), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Experienced technical staff maintain these equipment and train students on their use.
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