MRI-R2: Development of Micro Tensile Tester Operated in Atomic Force Microscopy

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。该微型拉伸测试仪将用于在原子力显微镜（AFM）内测试各种材料，以了解纳米级材料变形和材料的机械性能作为施加拉伸载荷的函数。该仪器将服务于马萨诸塞州达特茅斯大学（UMassD）四个学术部门的研究工作：机械工程，材料科学，生物医学工程生物技术和民用环境工程。研究内容包括：小拉伸载荷对导电聚合物接枝碳纳米管（CNTs）的位移和变形对聚合物-CNTs增强纳米复合薄膜的导电性、电纺纳米纤维支架中细胞迁移率的影响;电纺纤维支架的损伤引发和生长，聚氨酯纤维网格结构增强的环氧水凝胶薄膜的断裂，以及紫外线和热降解纺织品微米级纤维的纳米表面脆化。该实验研究将专门解决与结构健康监测，组织工程和纺织工业相关的问题。提出的微型拉伸试验机的另一个主要影响在于使用它为本科生和研究生提供研究培训和教育机会。本科生将获得研究机会，通过支持他们通过NSF-LSAMP研究项目使用拟议的设备。UMassD将把拟议设备的收购所产生的研究计划纳入新生暑期研究所（FSI），这是一个现有的预备和推广计划，有前途的当地大学高中毕业生将与教职员工一起研究工作项目。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This micro-tensile tester will be used in testing various materials inside an atomic force microscope (AFM) to understand nano-scale material deformation and mechanical properties of the materials as a function of applied tensile load. The instrumentation will serve research efforts covering four academic departments at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMassD): mechanical engineering, materials science, biomedical engineering & biotechnology, and civil & environmental engineering. The research efforts include investigations to study the effect of small tensile loads on displacement and deformation of conductive polymer grafted carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on electrical conductivity of polymer-CNT reinforced nanocomposite thin films, cell mobility in electro-spun nanofibers scaffolds; damage initiation and growth of electro-spun fiber scaffolds, fracture of epoxy hydrogel thin films reinforced with polyurethane fiber grid structure, and nano-surface embrittlement of ultraviolet and thermally degraded textile micron-sized fibers. The experimental research that will specifically address the issues associated with structural health monitoring, tissue engineering and textile industries. Another major impact of proposed micro-tensile tester lies in using it to provide research training and education opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduate students will be given research opportunities by supporting them through NSF-LSAMP research projects using the proposed equipment. UMassD will incorporate the research programs resulting from the acquisition of proposed equipment into the Freshman Summer Institute (FSI), an existing preparatory and outreach program where promising local college bound high school graduates study with faculty members on working projects.