Bioabsorbable Polymer-Coated Metal Stent Degradation Simulation Design
Team Members
Kristina Price, Brendan Daun, Thomas Faulkner, Erin Larson, Derek Yesmunt, and David Strobel, Biomedical Engineering; and Kelsey Waugh and Matt Gardeski, Materials Science and Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Jeremy Goldman and Dr. Jaroslaw Drelich
Sponsor
Boston Scientific
Project Overview
The next generation of drug-eluting stents may contain drug-releasing biodegradable polymer coatings. However, the biodegradation rates and behavior of these polymer coatings will first need to be tailored to meet the needs of diseased arteries. As an improvement over existing methods, we have developed low-cost, simplified, and time-effective methods for characterizing the degradation behavior of different polymers. These parallel in vitro and in vivo methods exploit the properties of fluorescent molecules and utilize simple implant geometries to characterize degradation rates and behavior.
1st Place Undergraduate Expo 2012
The Development of a Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Interface
Team Members
Traci Billings, Biomedical Engineering and Anthropology; Hilary Aho and Henry Durnwald, Biomedical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering; and Thomas Hurley and Julia Osborne, Biomedical Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Megan Frost
Sponsor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Project Overview
We are fabricating a polymer layer to interface with hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials simultaneously. This will be accomplished through the production of a coating that can be placed over a base layer, such as polypropylene, silicon rubber, or stainless steel, that will allow for good adhesion with a collagen layer, which will in turn promote cell attachment and growth. A potential benefit of this technology is to control biological response to artificial materials used to fabricate implanted devices.
EZAC Creep Testing Team
Team Members
Kyle Deane and Mike Knudsen, Materials Science and Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Paul Sanders
Sponsor
Eastern Alloys
Project Overview
This project studies the creep behavior of EZAC, a new zinc-based, die-casting alloy developed by Eastern Alloys. To accomplish this goal, work had to be done to fix the die-casting machine, die-cast samples, and creep test—in both EZAC and Zamak samples—for comparison. Six Sigma principles were employed to ensure the information gathered was statistically significant.
Economic Recovery of Alloying Elements from Grinding Swarf
Team Members
Alicia Steele, Materials Science and Engineering/Mechanical Engineering; and Daniel Hein, Michael Wyzlic, and Nicholas Kraft, Materials Science and Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Jaroslaw Drelich
Sponsor
Casting Services Group
Project Overview
Casting Services Group (CSG) in Menominee, Michigan, currently supplies salt cores used to make precision cast components, such as aluminum pistons. As a new business opportunity, Casting Services Group would like to investigate economical recovery of high-value alloying elements from grinding swarf—fine metallic shavings removed from cutting and grinding tools. We will look at the process development and economics associated with reclamation of the valuable elements.
2nd Place Undergraduate Expo 2012
Effects of Mn and Sn on Ductile Iron
Team Members
Dale Goodloe, Materials Science and Engineering, and Jesse Dillon, Materials Science and Engineering/Mechanical Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Paul Sanders
Sponsor
EJ
Project Overview
Copper is a key element used in ductile iron to promote the stabilization of pearlite. However, as copper prices continue to rise, our sponsor, EJ, is interested in understanding whether other elements, such as manganese and tin, can be used in place of copper. Specifically, we were tasked with developing and executing a design of experiments (DOE) to quantify the effects of varying Sn and Mn content on the mechanical properties of 80-55-06 ductile iron.
Fatigue in Stainless Steel Components Produced by Powder Metallurgy and Hot Isostatic Pressing
Team Members
Tyler Botbyl, Samantha Leonard, Dave MacEwen, and Anthony Tuthill, Materials Science and Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Calvin White
Sponsor
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
Project Overview
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is conducting research to examine the suitability of replacing traditional cast stainless steels used for pressure-boundary applications with components produced by powder metallurgy (PM) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP). Our team is conducting low-cycle fatigue and surface-roughness tests on material obtained from a PM-HIP stainless-steel prototype valve body, as well as an equivalent cast stainless steel. A literature search has led to the development of a plan to explore and analyze the difference in the process-property-microstructure relationship between the two components, using a Six Sigma approach.
Reduce Residual Stresses in Gray Iron Brake Rotors for Subsequent Ferritic Nitrocarburizing
Team Members
Carol Deming, Trevor Gibson, Nick Weinberg, Materials Science and Engineering; and Lance Taylor, Mechanical Engineering/Materials Science and Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Paul Sanders
Sponsor
ThyssenKrupp Waupaca
Project Overview
Internal stresses are developed during solidification of gray iron automotive brake rotors. Ferritic nitrocarburizing has been recently employed to reduces corrosion, but stress-relieving is required to mitigate distortion during this process. To eliminate the time and cost of stress-relieving, it is desirable to minimize casting stresses through design and process optimization. Solidification modeling software (MAGMASOFT) will be employed to minimize stress development during solidification so that residual stress treatments are no longer required. Using Six Sigma techniques, a complete casting and mold strategy will be developed to minimize residual stress development.
Waupaca FNC Case Depth
Team Members
Ashwin Vekaria and Sara Heck, Materials Science and Engineering
Advisors
Dr. Paul Sanders
Sponsor
ThyssenKrupp Waupaca
Project Overview
To improve the corrosion resistance of gray cast-iron rotors, it is desirable to improve the ferritic nitrocarburizing case depth by varying the composition and processing of the gray iron. Specifically, this project will evaluate the impact of silicon content, anadium content, and FNC process temperature on the case depth of ferritic nitrocarburizing on a surrogate 20-mm thick gray cast-iron plate. Currently the average nitrocarburized layer thickness is 0.004 inches and the sponsor ideally expects a mean layer thickness of 0.008 inches.