MRI: Acquisition of a Spark Plasma Sintering System for Functional Ceramics at Rio Grande Valley, Texas

在重大研究仪器计划（MRI）的支持下，德克萨斯大学格兰德河谷（UTRGV）获得了火花等离子烧结（SPS）系统。与传统的固结技术，如固态烧结和热压烧结相比，SPS采用额外的驱动力，如机电应力和高的局部温度梯度。这些额外的驱动力使得粉末压块能够在较低的烧结温度下实现快速烧结而没有晶粒生长和接近理论密度。SPS系统位于UTRGV，由教师和学生以及南德克萨斯州地区的其他人使用。该仪器推进了对光电陶瓷的研究，这些陶瓷对以下方面的潜在用途具有重要意义：制冷器、热敏电阻器、传感器和自旋电子器件、用于核废物和化学废物的环境修复陶瓷、用于石油回收和光伏电池等能源应用的功能性混合材料以及用于假肢的金属玻璃复合材料。UTRGV在四年制大学的西班牙裔总入学率（89%的西班牙裔入学率）中排名第二。这些学生接触尖端仪器，促进他们的发展，科学素养的个人，并有助于竞争力的科学劳动力。卫生和植物检疫制度旨在加强各级的研究和教育。它特别影响了从复杂金属氧化物和其他功能材料中开发各种先进陶瓷，这些材料具有广泛的应用潜力，例如用于医疗诊断的先进陶瓷，用于核废料封装的陶瓷和热敏电阻陶瓷等。并最终获得博士学位℃下 德克萨斯大学格兰德河谷（UTRGV）正在向研究型新兴大学过渡，这对我们目前的STEM学生的准备和成功至关重要。授予火花等离子烧结（SPS）系统进一步促进了这一转变。此次收购支持化学，物理和材料科学与工程领域的研究和学生培训。来自五个系和两个学院的教师直接使用SPS系统进行材料科学和工程研究。具体而言，SPS系统支持推进纳米铈、金属玻璃混合物和其他类型纳米复合材料开发的项目。此次收购拓宽了所有参与者的研究范围，使其能够解决新研究领域的科学问题。与传统的固结技术相比，最先进的SPS通过具有额外驱动力的超快焦耳加热为先进材料制造提供了一种新方法。该工具加强了UTRGV当前和未来的课程。它为许多本科生和研究生的跨学科研究、教育和培训提供了独特的机会。有机会参加国家的最先进的研究项目激励来自不同背景的UTRGV学生追求研究生院（MS。或博士学位）。它还为南德克萨斯州的高中学生和教师提供外展活动。最后，这款新仪器使当地公司能够获得一种可以解决陶瓷相关科学和工程问题的仪器，同时帮助支持仪器的维护。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With the support from the Major Research Instrumentation Program (MRI), the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) acquires a Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) System. Compared with conventional consolidation techniques such as solid state sintering and hot press sintering, SPS employs additional driving forces such as electromechanical stress and high local temperature gradients. These additional driving forces enable powder compacts achieving rapid sintering without grain growth and near theoretical density at lower sintering temperature. The SPS system is housed at UTRGV and used by faculty and students, as well as others at the South Texas region. The instrument advances research on optoelectronic ceramics important for potential uses in scintillators, thermistors, sensors and spintronics devices, environmental remediation ceramics for nuclear and chemical wastes, functional blend materials for energy applications such as petroleum recovery and photovoltaic cells, and metal-glass composites for prosthetics. UTRGV ranks 2nd in the nation in total Hispanic enrollment (89% Hispanic enrollment) at four-year colleges. The exposure of these students to cutting edge instrumentation facilitates their development as scientifically literate individuals and contributes to a competitive scientific workforce. The SPS system is aimed at enhancing research and education at all levels. It especially impacts the development of a wide variety of advanced ceramics from complex metal oxides and other functional materials which possess broad application potentials such as advanced scintillators for medical diagnostics, ceramics for nuclear waste encapsulation and thermistor ceramics, etc. With the acquired SPS system, UTRGV will have the necessary capability to build a highly competitive materials science and engineering research program, and ultimately establish a Ph.D. degree. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is undergoing a transition to a research emerging university that is of significant importance to the preparation and success of our current STEM students. The award of a Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) system further promotes this transition. This acquisition supports research and student training in Chemistry, Physics, and Materials Science and Engineering fields. Faculty members from five departments and two colleges directly use the SPS system for their research in materials science and engineering. Specifically, the SPS system supports projects to advance development of nanoceramics, metal-glass blends and other types of nanocomposites. This acquisition broadens the research scope for all participants, making it possible to address scientific problems in novel research areas. The state-of-the-art SPS provides a new approach for advanced materials fabrication via superfast Joule heating with additional driving forces compared with conventional consolidation techniques. The instrument strengthens current and futures courses at UTRGV. It provides unique opportunities for the cross-disciplinary research, education and training of many undergraduate and graduate students. The opportunity to participate in the state-of-the-art research projects motivates UTRGV students from a diverse background to pursue graduate school (M.S. or PhD degrees). It also serves the outreach activities to high school students and teachers in South Texas. Finally, this new instrument allows local companies to have access to an instrument that could solve ceramics related science and engineering issues while helping to support maintenance of the instrumentation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.