Undergraduate Research in MSE

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://digital.lib.washington.edu/handle/1773/46238

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Review on titanium and titanium alloy usage in biomedical implantation applications
(URMSE, 6/30/2021) Juenke, Taylor
Titanium and titanium alloys possess various properties which contribute to their superior osseointegration and durability in implant fixture applications. This review discusses the current state of titanium use in biomedical research, development, and clinical application structures. The microstructural and mechanical properties of commercially pure titanium and titanium alloys are outlined, as well as the effects of their mechanical properties on biocompatibility and stress shielding. Processing methods of titanium alloys which improve these properties are discussed including thermomechanical processing, selective laser melting, electron beam melting, laser shock peening, and sol-gel processing. Also, multiple bioactive glass coatings on titanium implant pieces are currently being explored to improve bone-implant interactions. The high average tensile strength of titanium and its effective biocompatibility can be observed in the clinical application of various structural implants containing titanium alloys. The benefits and drawbacks of commercially pure titanium and titanium alloys, resulting from the current state of research and applications, are outlined and compared.
Stimuli-responsive DNA-based hydrogels for controlled drug delivery applications
(URMSE, 6/30/2021) Pereira, Gillian
Adverse side effects from drugs being delivered to healthy tissue inside the body remain a persistent challenge within the medical field. Targeted drug delivery by use of stimuli-responsive DNA-based hydrogels emerge as a promising solution to this issue. These hydrogels can be used for a “smart” controlled drug delivery system that enables a drug to be delivered to a target location in a controlled amount by responding to an external stimulus. DNA hydrogels that respond to various non-biological and biological stimuli and their potential applications for targeted drug delivery are discussed in this paper.
Progress in top-down production of graphene
(URMSE, 6/30/2021) Ekdahl, Bror
In this review, the focus is on recent studies into production methods of graphene classified as “top-down”. The methods are electrochemical exfoliation, liquid phase exfoliation (LPE), and liquid-phase pulsed laser ablation (LP-PLA). Each method is introduced and discussed based on changes that can be made to the chemistry involved, the layout and tools of the method, or additional steps taken. As graphene is looked at increasingly for research purpose, it is important to optimize its processing and gain a better understanding of each. TEM and SEM imagery help to give an indication of the structure, quality and morphology of graphene product made.
Investigating the aging of release coating in aerospace composites manufacturing
(URMSE, 6/30/2021) Bainbridge, Kyle; Schoenholz, Caleb; Zobeiry, Navid
During aerospace composites manufacturing, release coating is applied on tools to minimize adhesive bonding and facilitate the removal of cured parts. For prepreg manufacturing, the aerospace industry typically uses semi-permanent release coatings that require frequent reapplications to mitigate aging effects. Release coatings are often over- or under-applied due to a lack of knowledge regarding the relationship between aging and processing. Understanding the relationship between aging and processing is critical to ensure end-part quality. This paper presents the investigation of aging in release coating using FTIR. The FTIR absorbance peak intensities of functional groups in release coating are shown to be valuable for qualitative evaluation of aging.
Organic piezoelectric wearable and implantable sensors
(URMSE, 6/30/2021) Markgraf, Emmy
Piezoelectric properties, capable of transforming mechanical stress into an electrical potential, or vice versa, are currently being explored for wearable and implantable sensor applications. The historical focus of studies has centered around inorganic materials systems. However, attention has recently shifted to organic piezoelectric materials, with an interest in the biocompatible and biodegradable properties for biomedical applications. The applications hold promise as a more sustainable and ideal alternative to the current industry-standard sensors. This paper explores the current understanding of organic piezoelectric materials, ongoing research into biomedical applications in sensor technology, and specific examples of current sensor prototypes.
Application of computational modeling methods to metallic phenomena
(URMSE, 4/14/2021) Truesdale, Evan
Computational modeling techniques are becoming increasingly useful for studying a wide array of metallic properties at all length scales as the complexity of materials increases and the requirements for their application becomes more stringent. The development of algorithms for individual size and time domains is central to this area of research. An overview of various modeling methods is presented in this paper, categorized by their size domains, as well as their current applications in research on metallic phenomena. The methods described are Finite Element Analysis and Finite Volume Analysis on the macroscale, Cellular Automata and Monte Carlo methods on the microscale, and Molecular Dynamics and Density Functional Theory on the atomistic scale.
Heat treatments to improve microstructures of nickel alloys after selective laser melting
(URMSE, 6/30/2021) Carson, Helen C.
Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is the preferred additive manufacturing process for manufacturing high-temperature metals such as nickel alloys, and it has revolutionized the ability to create complex, previously unimaginable structures. However, the full mechanical capabilities of alloys produced via SLM cannot be achieved without methods of controlling the microstructure and addressing defects. This work reviews combinations of hot isostatic pressing and other heat treatments that can reduce porosity, anisotropy, residual stress cracking, and undesired precipitate phases and enhance overall mechanical properties. Comparative studies of post-processing treatments are documented for the Inconel 718, Inconel 625, Inconel 738, Haynes 282, and Hastelloy X alloys. Although not all nickel alloys have been well characterized, post-processing methods have consistently shown the ability to achieve many microstructural properties equivalent to (and in some cases, better than) wrought samples. In addition, many recommendations apply to all nickel alloys, and the results of these existing studies can therefore help guide future research into post-processing procedures for newer alloys.
Chitosan-based drug delivery systems for brain cancer therapy
(URMSE, 6/30/2021) Harris, Ryan
Chitosan is a material known for its biocompatibility, biodegradability and ease of modification. The focus of this review is to illustrate the large variability in the uses of chitosan in the field of treating brain cancers such as Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). This paper will first introduce and discuss chitosan, its applicability to the medical field and the material properties that make it a viable solution for treating brain cancer tumors. Constraints such as the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) and biocompatibility will be mentioned, and how chitosan is a viable solution for bypassing many limitations. Entrance points to the body will then be discussed, the different mucosal entrance points as well as oral and ocular drug delivery pathways, and how chitosan can be equipped and modified to fit the parameters of these pathways. Different drug delivery methods all use chitosan to improve their effectiveness in reaching and delivering the predetermined drug to the GBM or respective indicator.
Textile recycling via ionic liquids
(URMSE, 9/1/2020) Robinson, Emily Grace
Textile waste is a global problem, as it comprises a significant portion of landfill mass. Textile demand is increasing, which places demands on agriculture to produce more cotton. Industry standards of spinning and dyeing cotton fibers is hazardous and consumes large amounts of energy. The viscose method of wet spinning is the most common industry method, and uses large amounts of water, time and energy. Ionic liquids (ILs) have been shown to dissolve organic matter such as cellulose fibers and have shown promise in separating waste polymer-cellulose textile blends. When the cellulose concentration is high enough, the IL-cellulose solution can be wet spun, producing recycled fibers. The remaining polymer fibers can also be respun and possess characteristics competitive to virgin polyester fibers. The process has been shown to preserve dyes, if desired, or remove the original coloring and produce neutral fibers, relieving industry strain in the dyeing process and saving time, water, and energy.
Piezoelectric nanofibers as biomaterials for bone regeneration and wound healing
(URMSE, 8/26/2020) Gibbs, Alex; McNamee, Emerson; Slade, Daniel
Piezoelectric properties of materials are becoming a more relevant area of research for biomaterials. Examples of these materials are polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), collagen, and a combination of these with other materials like polycaprolactones (PCL) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). These materials offer the unique ability to respond to an applied electric field with a mechanical response or vice versa, with an electric response to an applied mechanical force. This behavior can be instrumental in modern medicine for wound healing and bone regeneration. A variety of cells (osteoblasts, epithelial cells, mesenchymal cells) have all shown piezoelectric properties. This would allow for the use of piezoelectric materials to aid in cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation, facilitating the end goal of wound healing and bone regeneration.
Osseointegration and biocompatibility of titanium implants
(URMSE, 8/25/2020) Gibbs, Alex
Orthopedic implants are a growing field of modern medicine at which titanium is at the forefront. Titanium offers favorable surface modification, phase control, and mechanical properties. A challenge of orthopedic implants is the osseointegration and biocompatibility of the implant. The following pages review recent advancements in improving the osseointegration and biocompatibility of titanium implants with bone.
Metallic alloys used in implants
(URMSE, 8/4/2020) Salanga, Benneth
Metal alloys made from titanium, zinc, copper, and cobalt-chromium-molybdenum used in medical implants are investigated in helping resolve post-treatment complications such as corrosion, bone resorption, and toxicity due to the body’s response to foreign materials. Multiple tests have been done to measure the limits of their mechanical properties such as corrosion resistance, rates, flexibility, and strength. Mechanical testing and finite element method are used to determine the ideal porosity that maintains titanium’s mechanical strength but lowers its elastic modulus. Zinc-copper alloys underwent electrochemical and cytotoxicity tests to evaluate its corrosion behavior and toxicity. Tribocorrosion resistance of cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloys were tested under different conditions. Metal implants are significantly improved in terms of strength and compatibility to help resolve implant complications by including special additives, alloying, and carburizing. However, more research must be done on these materials to ensure optimal quality and functionality to continue improving modern transplant operations.
Optimization and characterization of printing parameters on a novel continuous carbon fiber composite material for 3D-printing
(URMSE, 8/28/2020) Waddell, Sarah; Law, Esther; Inthavong, Amanda; Parker, Mallory; Arola, Dwayne D.
Additive manufacturing of composites materials is rapidly gaining interest in the aerospace industry due to the technique’s flexibility and the high strength to weight ratio of polymer composites. Toray has recently developed a novel continuous carbon fiber (CCF) composite filament with Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) resin matrix (CCF/PPS). With a high volume fraction of fibers, 50 Vf%, this new filament could introduce significant improvements in mechanical properties upon existing alternatives such as chopped fiber and continuous fiber composites with lower fiber volume fraction. In this investigation, we tested this novel material using fused deposition modeling and quantitatively evaluated the contributions of the printing parameters to the print quality using a Design of Experiments (DOE) approach. The printing parameters included the print height, nozzle temperature, printing speed, and flow rate. We found correlations between the printing parameters to the surface roughness, dimensional accuracy, crystallinity, and microstructure of the printed materials. The resulting printing conditions can be adopted in further scientific investigations as well as serve in the fabrication of high-quality components of this CCF/PPS composite material.
Recent developments in ionogel-based stretchable electronics
(URMSE, 8/16/2020) Lam, Kristine
This review will go over the potential ionogels hold in the future of stretchable electronics in terms of its fabrication, capabilities, and application. The studies in this review focus on ionogels’ cost effectiveness, different types of manufacturing, various mechanical properties, and proof of concept devices that show potential applications.
Developments in bone tissue bioceramics: Effects of preparation on properties
(URMSE, 6/5/2020) Samson, Jason
Bone tissue is the second most transplanted tissue each year. A demand for synthesized bone substitutes has led the development of materials that are biocompatible, bioactive, and bioabsorbable while also mechanically similar to bone tissue. Hydroxyapatite and calcium phosphate-based bioceramics have been the gold standard for substitute bone tissue development. Techniques have been developed such as formulation manipulation, freeze-drying, and 3D-printing gels that show promise in changing particle size and porosity. Higher porosity has been found to increase bioactivity, but also reduces compressive strength. Simple statistical methods and novel 3D-printing techniques have been shown to improve ultimate compressive strength and optimize scaffold formulas.
Material characterization in the identification of unknowns
(URMSE, 8/30/2020) Song, Henry
Materials characterization methods are widely used in many fields, such as in determining material properties when selecting materials to be used for a wide variety of purposes, such as building construction; aircrafts; and machines; or being used in application such as failure analysis to determine how a part failed and how it can be prevented in the future. Another application of materials characterization techniques that is less mentioned, however, is their use in identifying the identity and history of a material. This review seeks to explore this application of characterization methods, describing both how the methods are used, and the results obtained, with special focus on optical microscopy, used to examine the surfaces of structures, and various spectroscopies, used in examining various properties such as composition, crystal structure, etc.
Materials in nuclear energy applications
(URMSE, 8/31/2020) McKinney, Logan
Nuclear energy is growing in importance as a form of clean energy, and many of the limiting factors for its development are materials based. There is a need for materials that can make reactor components that are resilient to extreme environments. This review article highlights multiple studies regarding the state of materials development for nuclear energy. Among the topics discussed are tritium production and how it causes failure, methods of simulating component damage, thermomechanical properties of multi-principal element alloys, and corrosion resistance of nickel alloys. Simulations involving the conditions found in fast and fusion reactors show that fast neutrons cause much shallower and more uniform damage compared to the heavier ions found in fusion reactors. Another important finding is that nickel-based alloys have much higher corrosion resistance than steels, and higher nickel content in these alloys translates to higher resistance.
Manufacturing, structure, and properties of crosslinked polyethylene induced by peroxides
(URMSE, 9/1/2020) Song, Renjie
Crosslinking of polyethylene induced by peroxides can greatly improve some of its properties such as stability and impact strength. The underlying material science is well-known yet provides great potential for process optimization as well as product amelioration. In this review, the structure-processing-property relationship of crosslinked polyethylene is introduced with a focus on the chemical reaction mechanisms involved.
Development and use of titanium alloys for biomedical and orthopedic applications
(URMSE, 8/23/2020) Sanchez-Martinez, Xitlalit Rubi
Materials that can perform and mimic biological functions have been in high demand in the medical field since the invention of prosthetics. A variety of implant materials have been tested and applied to meet a wide variety of medical needs. In recent years titanium alloys and titanium-based alloys have been a focus for the use of biomedical and orthopedic applications due to their superior mechanical behavior and biocompatibility. Various attempts to improve on their properties have been made such as processing changes and surface modifications. This review summaries the existing research that has been made to develop a more effective titanium alloy for biomedical and orthopedic applications.
An examination of improvements in OLED quality and fabrication
(URMSE, 8/29/2020) Passannante, Anthony
This paper will discuss recent advancements in the fabrication and applications of OLED. As it stands now, OLED has revealed itself as having highly desirable qualities, applicable in a broad range of fields, from cutting edge computer technology, to improvements in medical diagnosis. Despite these advantages, OLED still lacks greatly in efficiency and reliability in comparison to other similar electro-optical materials systems such as LCD. This paper will cover the disadvantages of OLED as well as recent attempts and breakthroughs made in order to improve upon and negate these disadvantages. In particular, recent publications detailing methods to reduce the cost of fabrication of OLED through the novel use metal oxides, improvements in reliability through different surface treatments, and a new method of water protection are examined.

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