Category: Engineering

Lamellar microstructure

Lamellar microstructure

Lamellar microstructure

03/25/17

“What is the microstructure of materials during the Eutectic phase?”
For each material, it is well known that when the eutectic point is reached, the material will melt and decompose. However, have you ever wondered what the microstructure of this substance looks like during the reverse process? Well, let’s make an investigation. When a eutectic quickly cools down into two substances, the once conjoined phases must now be separated. This cause bands of alternating phases to be formed, thus forming a lamellar microstructure! 

Solar powered prosthetic skin

Solar powered prosthetic skin

Solar powered prosthetic skin

03/24/17

“Is it possible to use solar power to power artificial skin?”
Many individuals on this planet suffer from skin related wounds, whether it originates from combat, accidents, or sustenance abuse. But with the advance of prosthetic engineering, artificial skin capable of intercommunicating with the human brain is coming out of the realm of science fiction and into science fact. However, since these machines are contingent upon electrical signals, power is needed to be provided for operation. So how can we use our engineering mindsets to solve this problem? Well, luckily for us, Dr. Ravinder Dahiya of the University of Glasgow school of Engineering has developed a solution using one of my favorite technologies, solar energy. In a recent paper published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, Dahiya and his team illuminate us on how a graphene-based artificial skin can be underlaid with thin-film solar photovoltaics to provide all necessary power! This is an astounding discovery and one that is sure to assist the lives of many individuals in a most benevolent way. Dahiya states that further work needs to be done on creating an energy storage system to capture all energy generated by his system, which could then be used to power external electrical systems.

Peritectic point

Peritectic point

Peritectic point

03/23/17

“What happens when a solid phase and a liquid phase merge together?”

 

A material’s composition is often in multiple different phases. Sometimes, they are in a solid phase, sometimes a liquid, and sometimes a proportion of the two. So what happens when two of such compositions come together? Well, if the material is just at the right composition as well as the temperature, then the two phases will merge to forge a new phase known as a peritectic! Although peritectics are not as common as their simpler cousins eutectics and eutectoids, peritectics are just as much of a wonderful illustration of the laws of nature!

Eutectoid point

Eutectoid point

Eutectoid point

03/22/17

“Can a solid become two other solids under certain conditions?”
It is well known when a eutectic point, is reached, a material will instantly become a liquid. However, is it possible for such a reaction to occur but for the two products to become solids instead/ This is the primal idea behind a reaction in Materials Science known as the Eutectoid point, and can be found on a material’s phase diagram

Nautical mile

Nautical mile

Nautical mile

03/21/17

“How do we measure distance while traversing the ocean?”
One of the most important pieces of information needed for transportation is the distance that one needs to cross. This fact holds regardless if it’s by land, sea or air. Speaking about the sea, have you ever wondered how people measure distance when they are out on the ocean? Well, after many centuries of improvements, navigators have created the unit of the Nautical mile for traversing aquatic distances. Despite sounding like a unit based on the imperial system, the nautical mile is actually an SI-based quantity, with one NM being equal to 1852 meters.  This unit is so fundamental to navigation that not only has the field of aviation begun using it, but that the unit for aquatic speed, the knot, is equal to one nautical mile per hour!

Eutectic point

Eutectic point

Eutectic point

03/20/17

“What is the lowest possible melting point for a composite material?”
Pure elements always have a fixed melting point. However, when mixed, their melting point can change drastically. Let’s say we have a crystal composed of elements A and B. If element A is predominant, then B will melt first and vice versa for element B. So is there a single point of possible element combinations in which both elements will melt? Well, after years of research, Materials Scientists have came up with the definition of the eutectic point to describe this scenario. The eutectic point is not only the point of complete melting but the point of lowest possible melting since both elements will be melted!

Bearing stress

Bearing stress

Bearing stress

03/18/17

“What happens when stress acts upon an area perpendicular to the axis of an object?”
The most well-known types of engineering stress are normal stress, (when a stress acts upon an area parallel to the axis of an object) and shearing stress (when a stress acts perpendicular to said axis). But is there a third type of stress? Well, to know more, let’s scientifically analyze such a phenomena. Well, when two bodies are in contacts and move in opposite directions, they will exert a force upon one another. Furthermore, this force will be distributed over their area of contact, creating a stress. This form of stress is known as a bearing stress and can be symbolically described using the equation (sigma)_ bearing = force/area

Thermal Batteries

Thermal Batteries

Thermal  Batteries

03/16/17

“How can we reinvent batteries using heat?”

 

The most widely used for of batteries are oxidation process based batteries. Even though these units are plentiful, their construction can be very destructive to the environment. However, their use as large-scale energy storage systems is most valuable, so how can we change their composition to be less intensive on our resources? Well, let’s think about it. One way to release energy from cells is to heat them up. An easy way to do this is to use a material near such cells. So what if we were to put this theory into practice and create a series of heat dependent cells between an anode and a cathode contained with a meltable electrolyte? This setup is known as a thermal battery. Thermal batteries are compact and lightweight, making them a popular application for electric vehicles, and can store energy for upwards of 50 years!

Slip (materials science)

Slip (materials science)

Slip (materials science)

03/13/17

“How does plastic deformation in a material affect the internal defects?”
All physical materials have defects within their crystal structure. Furthermore, plastic deformations can cause the internal structure of a material to shift. So what happens when a plastic deformation is applied to a material with edge dislocations? Well, let’s use our scientific mindset to think about it. We know that these edge dislocations represent an absence of atoms along a chain. We also know that applying plastic deformations will cause a plane of atoms to move in the direction of the force. So logically, wouldn’t this plastic deformation cause the edge deformation to move within the lattice? This is the fundamental idea behind a phenomenon in Materials Science and Engineering known as a slip and can be used to characterize the internal movement of atoms.