Friday, April 11, 2003Volume 3, Issue 5
Materials Day at Penn State
REMINDER: The Second Annual Materials Day will be held on Tuesday, April 15, 2003 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the HUB-Robeson Alumni Hall. Over 120 posters will be on display detailing materials research at Penn State in the following categories:
- Biomaterials and Medical Devices
- Chemical and Bio-sensors
- Computer Simulation and Modeling
- Electronic/Photonic Materials/Devices
- Fuel Cells and Other Energy Technologies
- Materials Characterization
- Materials Processing and Manufacturing
- Nanofabrication and MEMS
- Structural Materials/Composites
For more information go to:
http://www.mri.psu.edu/Events/materialsday
MRI Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Ivica Smid, Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics
In searching for new methods of developing durable materials for tooling applications, Ivica ("Ivi") Smid, Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, and others have developed a novel process called Tough Coated Hard Particles (TCHP). Traditional tools consist of a base material, chosen for its hardness, coated with a wear-resistant material. However, once the coating is removed, the tool is essentially useless; a costly proposition both in down-time and money. By combining hard coatings technology with sintering methods, Smid first coats hard refractory particles (such as TiN, Al2O3, or cubic BN) with tungsten carbide and cobalt and then forms tools by subjecting the coated particles to hot isostatic pressing.
For the full story go to:
http://www.mri.psu.edu/articles/IvicaSmid/
Faculty Contracts & Grants
Materials research accounted for more than $3.5 million in contracts and grants for the month of March! The largest of these contracts and grants (those greater than $200K) are listed below, along with a link to the complete list of contracts and grants. These data are provided by OSPs Strategic Information Management System.
Eden, Timothy; Spray Formed Alloys for Aircraft Wheels, Industry
Komarneni, Sridhar; Cation Separations with High Capacity Swelling Micas, National Science Foundation
Siedlecki, Christopher; Surface Engineering in Contact Activation of Coagulation, Industry
Winograd, Nicholas; Surface Chemistry Studies with Ion Beams and Lasers, National Science Foundation
Materials Seminars
Friday, April 11, 2003, 3:00 PM
339 Davey Lab
Density Functional Theory in the Age of Spintronics
Giovanni Vignale, University of Missouri
Friday, April 11, 2003, 3:35 PM
101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building
What's New in Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the Environment Institute
Bill Easterling, Penn State
Thursday, April 17, 2003, 11:15 AM
S5 Osmond
Modeling Water, the Hydrophobic Effect and Ion Solvation
Ken Dill, UCSF
Monday, April 28, 2003, 12:00 PM
339 Davey Lab
Theory of Synthetic Molecular Motors
Vincent Crespi, Downsbrough Professor of Physics and Associate Director of MRSEC
For a complete list of upcoming materials-related seminars go to:
http://www.mri.psu.edu/seminars.asp
