Our team is currently investigating the conversion of bio-mass into industrial-grade commodity materials. Recently, the work on converting forest waste (e.g., tree bark, branches, etc.) into a carbonaceous material shows a great industrial application in diverse engineering fields. In this project, students carry out Hydro-Tehrmal Carbonization (HTC) process to treat bio-mass and extract the carbonaceous residue. The purity, structure and properties of the residue are studied via equipment in our laboratories and optimized in order to enhance the properties of the carbonaceous material to industry standards.
Our group is also working on the development of functionally graded materials via the powder metallurgy process. The objective of the work is to create composites with enhanced abrasion resistance, increased thermal conductivity, or improved corrosion resistance.
In this project, students prepare powder blends using ball milling and jet-milling operations. Particle size analysis is carried out to relate the milling parameters to the final particle size of the powders. Then, the powders are sintered in a spark plasma sintering machine, followed by in-depth characterization of the composite’s interfaces (e.g., SEM and optical microscopy). Finally, wear testing can be carried out to quantify the relationship between the microstructure of the functionally graded material and the SPS processing / powder characteristics.