MRI: Acquisition of a Thermal Analysis System for Multidisciplinary Research and Educational Projects

这笔拨款将资助一个多功能热分析（TA）系统，该系统可以支持拉马尔大学的跨学科工程、材料研究和教育活动，以及它与该地区的工业和其他大学的合作推广计划。该系统旨在提供以下功能：差示扫描量热法，DSC，热重分析，温度范围从120到1600℃的TGA，并连接到FTIR和MS气体分析系统。它将允许测定比热、熔化温度、转变焓、相变、相图、结晶温度、结晶度、玻璃化转变温度、分解效应、反应动力学、纯度测定、质量变化、去羟基化、腐蚀/氧化、热稳定性、还原/氧化研究和成分变化。拉马尔大学正在工程学院建立一个中央工程材料研究设施，土木、化学、机械、工业和电气工程等系将积极参与。材料科学与工程实验室的主要目标是为拉马尔大学的本科生和研究生提供一个跨学科的工程和材料研究和互动学习的环境，并鼓励与校外工程和材料研究中心和个人的合作。此外，化学系、物理系和地质系将参与实验室，并在教学和研究中广泛使用热分析系统。研究和教育项目将在以下领域：环境科学与工程、聚合物、纳米结构材料、结构薄膜、高科技合金、超导和磁性材料、地质和古生物材料。该仪器将支持20名高级人员、70名研究生和220多名本科生的工作，最初将有5个工业研究合作者。它将用于研究生研究性教育、本科生研究性教育以及工程、化学、地质和材料科学的一般热力学和材料教育。高级人员来自拉马尔大学、Prairie View a&m（一所传统的非裔美国人大学）、德克萨斯a&m大学和墨西哥萨尔提略理工学院，以及催化剂、石油、钢铁和采矿行业。由于许多研究和教育项目在获得高质量的宽温度范围热分析系统方面存在困难，因此获得多功能热分析系统是合理的。

This grant will fund a multifunctional thermal analysis (TA) system that can support the interdisciplinary engineering, materials research and educational activities at Lamar University and its collaborative outreach program to industry and other universities in the region. The system is designed to provide the following capabilities: differential scanning caloremetry, DSC, thermal gravimetric analysis, TGA over a temperature range from 120 to 1600C and connectivity to FTIR and MS gas analysis systems. It will allow the determination of specific heats, melting temperatures, transition enthalpies, phase transformations, phase diagrams, crystallization temperatures, degrees of crystallinity, glass transition temperatures, decomposition effects, reaction kinetics, purity determinations, mass changes, dehydroxylation, corrosion/oxidation, thermal stability, reduction/oxidation studies, and composition changes. Lamar University is establishing a central engineering materials research facility for the University to be located in the College of Engineering with active participation of the departments of civil, chemical, mechanical, industrial, and electrical engineering. The major objectives of the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory is to provide a productive environment for interdisciplinary engineering and materials research and an interactive learning experience for undergraduate and graduate students at Lamar and to encourage collaboration with off-campus engineering and materials research centers and individuals. In addition, the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Geology will participate in the laboratory and have extensive use for the thermal analysis system in both teaching and research.The research and education projects will be in the following areas: environmental science and engineering, polymers, nano-structured materials, structured thin films, high technology alloys, super conducting and magnetic materials, and geological and paleontological materials. The instrument will support the work of 20 senior personnel, 70 graduate students and over 220 undergraduates and will initially have five industrial research collaborators. It will be used in graduate research education, undergraduate research education and in general thermodynamic and materials education in engineering, chemistry, geology and materials science. The senior personnel come from Lamar University, Prairie View A&M (a traditionally African-American university), Texas A&M University and the Technological Institute of Saltillo, Mexico, as well as catalyst, petroleum, steel and mining industries. The acquisition of the versatile thermal analysis system is justified by the difficulty numerous research and educational projects have in accessing a high quality broad temperature range thermal analysis system.