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

在主要研究仪器计划（MRI）的支持下，德克萨斯大学格兰德谷分校（UTRGV）获得了一个火花等离子烧结（SPS）系统。与固态烧结和热压烧结等传统固结技术相比，SPS采用了机电应力和高局部温度梯度等额外驱动力。这些额外的驱动力使粉末压坯在较低的烧结温度下实现无晶粒生长和接近理论密度的快速烧结。SPS系统位于UTRGV，供教师和学生以及南德克萨斯地区的其他人使用。该仪器推进了光电陶瓷的研究，这对闪烁体、热敏电阻、传感器和自旋电子器件的潜在用途很重要，对核和化学废物的环境修复陶瓷，石油回收和光伏电池等能源应用的功能混合材料，以及假肢的金属-玻璃复合材料。UTRGV在四年制大学的西班牙裔总入学率（89%）中排名全国第二。这些学生接触尖端仪器有助于他们发展为具有科学素养的个人，并有助于形成具有竞争力的科学劳动力。SPS制度旨在加强各级的研究和教育。这尤其影响了由复杂金属氧化物和其他具有广泛应用潜力的功能材料制成的各种先进陶瓷的发展，如用于医疗诊断的先进闪烁体、用于核废料封装的陶瓷和热敏电阻陶瓷等。凭借获得的SPS系统，UTRGV将有必要的能力建立一个极具竞争力的材料科学和工程研究项目，并最终建立博士学位。德克萨斯大学格兰德谷分校（UTRGV）正在向一所研究型新兴大学过渡，这对我们目前的STEM学生的准备和成功具有重要意义。火花等离子烧结（SPS）系统的获奖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方面的研究。具体来说，SPS系统支持推进纳米陶瓷、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，使解决新研究领域的科学问题成为可能。与传统的固结技术相比，最先进的SPS提供了一种通过超高速焦耳加热和额外驱动力来制造先进材料的新方法。该文书加强了UTRGV目前和未来的课程。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。参与最先进的研究项目的机会激励来自不同背景的UTRGV学生攻读研究生院（硕士或博士学位）。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，这种新仪器允许当地公司使用一种仪器，可以解决与陶瓷相关的科学和工程问题，同时帮助支持仪器的维护。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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.