The electrical, structural, and chemical properties of twisted yarns of metal-oxide nanofibers, fabricated using a modified electrospinning technique, are investigated in this report. In particular, synthesized zinc oxide and nickel oxide yarns having diameters in the range of 4-40 m and lengths up to 10 cm were characterized, whose constituent nanofibers had average diameters of 60-100 nm. These yarns have one macroscopic dimension for handling while retaining some of the properties of nanofibers.
Electrospinning is a simple, versatile, and cost effective method for generating nanoscale fibers, wires, and tubes. Nanowires and nanotubes could be important building blocks for nanoscale electronics, optoelectronics, and sensors as they can function as miniaturized devices as well as electrical interconnects. We report on a simple method to fabricate free standing ceramic nanofiber heterostructures, which exhibit rectifying behavior of a p-n junction.
Titania nanofibers were successfully synthesized by sol-gel coating of electrospun polymer nanofibers followed by calcining to form either the pure anatase or rutile phases. Characterization of these materials was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Xray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-vis spectroscopy techniques. The average diameter of these ceramic nanofibers was observed to be around 200 nm for both the rutile and anatase forms. The valence band structure and optical absorption thresholds differ, however, indicating that nanofibrous mats of titania can be selectively developed for different applications in catalysis and photochemistry.
Faculty at three universities are collaborating in a unique approach to teaching multiphase transport phenomena (MTP). This MTP curriculum development program draws on the research experiences from nine laboratories at Michigan State University, The University of Akron, and the University of Tulsa. The objective of the program is to teach undergraduate and graduate students practical use of multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The impact of multiphase flow research on solving practical engineering problems is an integral part of the learning experience. Industrial participants in the project provide specific design problems related to emerging technologies. Specific projects suggested by the industrial sponsors for the first cycle are: Performance of a large tank separator (Chevron), Optimization of design and operation of degassing tanks (Dow Chemical), Optimization and Comparison of hydrocyclone shapes (Krebs Engineers), Mixing of suspensions in a tank during the filling stage (Pharmecia), and Distribution of a two-phase refrigerant to heat exchanger tubes (The Trane Company), Design of a Slurry Bubble Column (Eastman Chemical Company). Students are taught the fundamentals of CFD at a 1-week intensive short course in the summer. In the Fall semester the student take a web based course on multiphase transport phenomena theory and applications. Also in the Fall semester the students are assigned to teams to work on design problems posed by sponsor companies and apply their skills in CFD. The results of the first cycle of this project are presented in this paper. Lessons learned and suggestions for improvement are discussed.
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