Projects

Elastomer Machines and Devices

Stress Measurement Using Luminescence

Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermoelectrics

Tunable Windows

 

Collaborations

Next generation thermal barrier coatings materials (Honeywell Aerospace, University of California at Santa Barbara)

The collaboration focuses on the discovery of new, thermal barrier coating materials that remain stable at high operating temperature, resistant to chemical attacks, and sufficient lifetime to allow for high efficiency and high performance turbine engines. On fundamental levels, we are exploring the effect of structure and compositions in lowering the thermal conductivity of the oxides. On practical levels, we are developing methods for analyzing the thermal properties and high temperature stability of new materials that would potentially replaces 7YSZ. We are also developing non-destructive tests to evaluate thermal barrier coating deposited from EB-PVD.

 

Thermal history sensors (Metro Laser)

We are collaborating in developing a high temperature thermal history sensor based on crystallization phenomena which can be detected using luminescence method. The basis of many of these approaches is to utilize the kinetics of a thermally activated crystallization process since most are linearly dependent on time and exponentially dependent on temperature.

Structural characterizations of high temperature oxides (University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Waltrud Kriven and Pankaj Sarin)

As temperature changes, materials undergo phase transformation, which affect its physical and chemical properties. In this collaboration, we uses a variety of analytical methods, such as using high-temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction and in-situ Raman microscopy, to characterize the phase transformation of high temperature oxides.

High temperature thermoelectric materials (CNRS)

Thermoelectric materials are  highly attractive for energy harvesting applications. Unfortunately the popular thermoelectric materials, such as Bismuth-Telluride, can only operate at relatively low temperature, which consequently limit its maximum thermodynamics efficiency. We are exploring new, improved high-temperature thermoelectric materials for energy conversion applications. On the fundamental levels, significant efforts are underway to understand the materials-structure relations in oxide materials that contribute to low phonon transport but high electron mobility.

Dielectric elastomers for full-color digital displays (Solchroma Technologies)

Our collaboration applies the synthesis, processing, and characterization of dielectric elastomers towards building vivid and reflective digital displays.