It is proposed to acquire and install a Diffusion Bonding Hot Press Furnace for processing advanced materials such as ceramics, composites, refractory metals and composite metal foams for research and training on various topics of materials processing, evaluation and treatment. The system will be used to perform processing of panels of various sizes up to 1ft x 1ft. Currently the only system similar to this unit in the entire area is an old (over 50 years old) hot press with a very small chamber size and malfunctioning hydraulic press that is in PI������������������s lab. Due to the lack of capacity of this machine, the PIs are unable to process large parts or advanced materials that require higher temperature or pressure for manufacturing (such as ceramics and refractory metals). This press can be a valuable tool not only to support all PIs������������������ research, but also to support all users of NCSU on-campus Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics (CAMAL) and other universities in the area such as Duke university. CAMAL center currently houses five metal additive manufacturing machines that are used for a variety of research projects. However, it is lacking such large chamber press with high temperature capabilities for processing and post processing treatments of advanced ceramics, metallic and composite materials. Since the unit will housed in a shared facility, it will be easy for access both as an educational tool and a research tool for users not only at the college of engineering, but also all other colleges across the campus as well as outside users from both academia and industry. The advantages of this system over all other units are the distinctly larger chamber along with higher service temperatures and clean, efficient, and fast heating and cooling rate with a simultaneous heating and pressing. Additionally, it may be used in vacuum and in partial pressure inert gas atmosphere. Moreover, proper operation of the furnace may be mastered in a few hours which is necessary for such equipment that is going to be used by various users and students both as an educational and a research tool.

In this project a novel composite structural material will be designed, manufactured, tested and modeled for light weight and maximized efficiency of shielding.

Composite metal foam is a new class of light- weight materials offering almost two order of magnitudes higher energy absorption compared to the bulk materials that they are made of at almost a third of their density. This material has recently been invented by the PI (Dr. Rabiei) at North Carolina State University. The superior energy absorption capability of composite metal foam makes this material a potential candidate for structural components such as automotive crash box and crumple zones. In this proposal, the properties of aluminum- steel composite foams will be studied to evaluate their suitability for such applications.

This is a proposal to manufacture large test coupons to evaluate the ballistic properties of composite metal foams

This is to request funding to purchase and install a new Ion Beam Assisted Deposition unit and house it at the NCSU Nano-Fabrication facility.

The dynamic properties of metal foams under high speed dynamic impact with velocity range through a variety of experimental tests will be studied.

In this study we will prepare a total of 15 samples in three groups of areal densities to be studies in NASA for their properties against high energy radiation

The aim of this study is to develop a functionally graded Hydroxyapatite (FGHA) coating for orthopedic and dental implants with a tailored release rate of an antimicrobial component such as silver ions. Infection has been one of the main concerns for implant surgery. As the oral antibacterial medicine may affect the total body, while the surgery area is the only place that need the medication, there has been some studies on antimicrobial/ antibacterial loaded bone cement for cemented implants. However, for cementless implants that include the Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings, there has not been an effective antimicrobial loading technique offered yet. It has been shown that small amounts of silver ions can have a good antimicrobial effect on polymer and diamond like carbon (DLC) with no toxicity. However, the incorporation of antimicrobial components such as silver ions into HA and most importantly to FGHA coatings has not been studied. As our graded crystallinity HA coating has a gradual release rate, incorporation of it with antimicrobial elements such as silver ions can cause a gradual release of antimicrobial component as well. In this case, the antimicrobial component will have a higher release rate along with the highly amorphous layer at the top surface of the film right after surgery and it?s release rate will be gradually decreased through the thickness of the film towards the more crystalline layers. This can provide a lifetime antimicrobial effect on the implant at the same time the graded crystallinity will provide a great osseointegration and mechanical property of the coating. Furthermore, the proposal aims to increase the service-life of an orthopedic/ dental implant by creating coatings that form a strong, long lasting, bond not only with the juxtaposed bone, but also with the metal substrate. As the result, a patient who has received joint or dental replacement surgery can return to a normal active lifestyle with less risk for infection and less need for oral antibiotics or revision surgery. The proposed education plan involves four complementary initiatives. This research has an interdisciplinary nature based on collaboration between MAE and MSE departments at NCSU with the University of Tennessee. The students will have the opportunity to work and learn more from all parties involved in this research. The PI will continue developing her new graduate course on Advanced Materials, including Biomaterials. This course has been developed and taught by the PI for a few times. Undergraduate students will continue their involvement in this research through both REU supplement and undergraduate Independent Research Project course. Graduate students will be involved in coordinating the undergraduate research. Currently there are four graduate and three undergraduate students working in PI's group. Two graduate and one undergraduate students are specifically focused on this research. Each graduate student is teamed up with an undergraduate student. This will contribute to the integration of undergraduate and graduate education. The final effort will be on special attempts to recruit underrepresented and/or female student. Being a female faculty the PI has been a role model for female students and she has a track record on hiring female and disabled students in her group. Currently there is a female UG student that has been supported through an REU supplement to this project and a female PhD student who is actively working on the PI?s NSF CAREER award. The proposed study investigates a new coating material with tailored dissolution rate that can match with bone growth together with gradually released antimicrobial components that can have a great impact on the development of the next generation of orthopedic and dental implants with improved durability, along with better biological responses.

This is a subcontract to an industry to conduct evaluation of their advanced metallic foam for energy absorbing and safety device applications. The research includes mechanical testing followed by fractography and failure analysis.

This is a request for supplemental support to cover an Undergraduate student's stipend over the summer 2005 working on processing and characterization of new high strength composite metal foam.