CAREER: Fabrication of Composite Material Structures using Light-Induced Self Writing

这项学院早期职业发展计划(Career)赠款将通过提供与制造复合材料的新制造工艺相关的新知识来促进科学进步，这些复合材料用于能源、基础设施、航空航天、化工和汽车行业的各种应用。复合材料是由两种或两种以上材料组合而成，这些材料的组合提供了增强的电、机械、化学和/或表面性能。通过了解如何控制复合材料的加工，可以为各种关键应用提供定制的性能。有许多制造工艺来制造复合材料。然而，大多数都需要多个工艺步骤，并需要使用大量的能源和化学品，这两者都是昂贵和浪费的。这笔赠款支持基础研究，以提供关于新型光照射工艺的新知识，该工艺将能够以更低的成本和能源使用快速、可扩展和可控制地制造由聚合物和陶瓷制成的复合材料。这一多学科的研究融合了制造、化学和材料科学，将有助于扩大未被充分代表的群体参与研究并积极影响工程教育。光诱导自写复合材料结构可以克服现有制造技术的几个局限性，如高成本、高能耗、多步骤和缺乏对形态的微观控制。然而，一些科学障碍阻碍了光诱导自写在复合材料结构添加剂制造中的全部应用潜力的实现。本研究旨在填补自写聚合物-无机复合材料结构的工艺-结构-性能关系和微观结构形成机理方面的知识空白。实验将建立工艺参数和复合形态之间的关系，以验证自写可以从反应和扩散动力学方面调节形态演变的假设。将开发一个多物理模型来模拟形貌形成和预测最终组织作为工艺参数的函数。应用演示将包括超疏水表面材料、锂离子电池和超轻机械结构。该教育计划将重点关注中学教育，为高中教师提供研讨会，为高中生和教育硕士研究生提供研究经验，重点是从STEM中代表性较低的群体中招聘人才。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grant will promote the progress of science by contributing new knowledge related to a novel manufacturing process for fabricating composite materials for a variety of applications in the energy, infrastructure, aerospace, chemical and automotive industries. Composite materials are made by combining two or more materials, the combination of which provides enhanced electrical, mechanical, chemical, and/or surface properties. Understanding how to control the processing of composite materials enables customized performance for a broad range of critical applications. There are many manufacturing processes to make composite materials. However, most require multiple process steps and require the use of significant energy and chemicals, both of which are costly and wasteful. This grant supports fundamental research to provide new knowledge about a novel light irradiation process that will enable rapid, scalable, and controllable manufacturing of composite materials made from polymers and ceramics with lower cost and energy usage. This multidisciplinary research integrates manufacturing, chemistry, and materials science and will help broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in research and positively impact engineering education.The light-induced self-writing of composite material architectures can overcome several limitations of existing manufacturing techniques, such as high cost, high energy usage, multiple steps, and lack of microscale control over morphology. However, some scientific barriers prevent the realization of the full application potential of light-induced self-writing for additive manufacturing of composite material architectures. This research aims to fill the knowledge gap on the processing-structure-property relationship and the microstructure formation mechanisms for self-writing polymer-inorganic composite material architectures. Experiments will be performed to establish relationships between process parameters and composite morphology to test the hypothesis that self-writing can regulate morphology evolution in terms of reaction and diffusion kinetics. A multi-physics model will be developed to simulate morphology formation and predict final structure as a function of process parameters. Application demonstrations will include materials for superhydrophobic surfaces, lithium-ion batteries, and ultra-light mechanical structures. The educational program will focus on secondary education by providing workshops for high school teachers and research experiences for high school students as well as Masters of Education graduate students, with a focus on recruiting from groups underrepresented in STEM.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.