MSE
Page 7: Cyclone Engineer
Erik DeMeyere finds his path in Materials Engineering
A LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Dear Colleagues,
Reflecting on the past year, I am genuinely inspired by the incredible growth and momentum within our Materials Science and Engineering department.
Our faculty and staff are fostering collaborations within and beyond our department through unique perspectives and energy. These efforts fuel an exciting expansion in our student teaching, research capabilities, and external engagement with our community.
The hard work of our dedicated staff, the innovative spirit of our faculty, and the unwavering support of our college leadership have strengthened our department and sparked a wave of enthusiasm and innovation.
As this report highlights, it’s invigorating to see this energy driving us forward and propelling our work to new heights. We have achieved much together.
Thank you all for your commitment and passion as we continue to enhance our reputation as impact leaders in Materials Science and Engineering.
From the heartland of AmericaGo Cyclones!
Dr. Chris Cornelius
Thomas D. McGee and Dr. Ick-Jhin Rick Yoon Department Chair of Materials Science and Engineering
SID PATHAK RECEIVES NSF CAREER AWARD
Assistant Professor Sid Pathak has been selected for a 2024 National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program award for his project, “Towards a Fundamental Understanding of Interface Strain-Driven Pseudomorphic Phase Transformations in Multilayered Nanocomposites.”
The project will explore advancements to the thin film synthesis technique to obtain a fundamental understanding of the pseudomorphic phase transformation
and the resultant properties of the pseudomorphic phases in a multilayered architecture. Pathak’s project will utilize a novel combination of an integrated atomic layer and a physical vapor deposition (ALD+PVD) platform that allows the microstructure of nanolaminates to be precisely tailored. This is the only lab-scale system of its kind in the U.S. capable of combining these two deposition methods without the need of ever breaking vacuum or moving substrates during deposition.
LIN ZHOU EXPLORES THE ATOMIC REALM AT THE SENSITIVE INSTRUMENT FACILITY
The Sensitive Instrument Facility (SIF), a part of Ames National Laboratory, is a uniquely constructed space that enables atomic-level research.
A range of different microscopes are housed in the SIF, where Lin Zhou, associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, conducts her research. She focuses on the atomic structure and phase transition dynamics of certain materials for quantum information technology.
“By combining different microscope capabilities, ranging from optical to scanning electron microscopes and (scanning) transmission electron microscopes, we can explore the composition and the structure of materials from millimeters down to the atomic scale,” Zhou said. “We utilize the principles of quantum mechanics in computing to achieve faster computing speeds. However, to perform quantum computing, we need to fabricate quantum bits that can mimic the behavior of atoms.”
One approach involves using superconductive materials and stacking them together to form these “man-made atoms,” which can then be transformed into circuits for quantum computing. However, manufacturing these quantum bits can produce structural imperfections that limit a device’s performance.
Zhou’s main goal right now is to analyze and understand the impact of those imperfections with the electron microscopes so that the device’s quality can improve.
ABOUT AMES NATIONAL LABORATORY
Ames National Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory located on the campus of Iowa State University. For more than 70 years, the Ames National Laboratory has successfully partnered with Iowa State and is unique among the 17 DOE laboratories in that it is physically located on the campus of a major research university. Many of the scientists and administrators at the Laboratory also hold faculty positions at the University, and the Laboratory has access to both undergraduate and graduate student talent.
Ames National Laboratory is a global leader in the discovery, synthesis, analysis and application of new materials, novel chemistries and transformational analytical tools. Researchers conduct fundamental and applied research that helps the world to better understand the nature of the building blocks that make up our universe.
IVER ANDERSON’S STORIED CAREER COMING TO AN END
At the end of the year, Iver Anderson will wind down a long and storied career as a senior metallurgist for Ames National Laboratory and as an adjunct professor for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
He joined the Ames National Laboratory on Oct. 19, 1987, and has been advancing powder metallurgy and mentoring dozens of graduate students ever since.
“I have the perfect job. I get to do research that interests me, define what that is, find funding and innovate to produce new state-ofthe-art results,” Anderson said.
His research has helped develop products that “weren’t possible” and improved the efficiency of several different industrial processes with significant bottom line impact.
Among his many accomplishments, Anderson and his team invented lead-free solder, a revolutionary tin, silver and copper alternative to the once-traditional tin and lead solder.
His advancement has transformed the electronics industry, with over 70% of electronic items in the world containing Anderson’s lead-free solder, reducing the environmental impact of lead.
Iver Anderson has advanced powder metallurgy for over three decades, and along the way, he has trained generations of $58M in lead-free solder royalties 151 undergraduate students mentored 43 graduate students mentored
Lead-free solder became the alltime top-earning patent for Iowa State University and Ames National Laboratory, with royalty income totaling more than $58 million before
ALINA KIRILLOVA 3D PRINTING HYDROGELS FOR
BIOMEDICAL
APPLICATIONS
Alina Kirillova, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, and her team at the Active Polymer Materials Lab focus on polymerbased materials for various biomedical applications, emphasizing the material’s structure and resulting chemical and mechanical behavior.
“We have made significant progress in 3D printing hydrogels into porous 3D structures, which is a challenging task due to the softness of these materials. Vat photopolymerization of biocompatible hydrogel systems
has proven to be an efficient strategy to achieve well-defined porous architectures,” Kirillova said.
These structures are currently undergoing testing for their biological properties in cell and animal studies by collaborators at Iowa State.
“In terms of rigid polymer resins, we conducted a systematic study involving different resin materials and printing methods to investigate how the parameters of the porous
lattice structure and the material itself influence the mechanical behavior of printed scaffolds. We found that within the same material, the structure significantly affects the compressive properties of the scaffolds,” she said. “For instance, triply periodic minimal surfaces, such as the gyroid architecture, perform better than strut-based architectures at the same porosity levels. This insight guides us in selecting structures to test with the biodegradable rigid polymers we are synthesizing.”
DAVID EISENMANN bringing GROUND PENETRATING RADAR to AGRICULTURE at the CNDE
Materials Science and Engineering
Associate Teaching Professor David Eisenmann has several projects at the Center for Non-Destructive Evaluation (CNDE), including innovating Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to help the precision agriculture industry. He has been using GPR for over a decade, from evaluation of concrete to inspecting earthen dams and levees. He has now turned his attention to South America, where he is helping crop producers track their planting rate using GPR.
“GPR works on the variance of conductivity. Conductivity of the seed is different versus the surrounding soil,” Eisenmann said. “Not only can we use GPR to detect seeds, but we can also tell the crop producer where the moisture level is for better planting success.”
Creating a system to detect not only the rate of planting but as well as how deep to plant can further make precision agriculture obtainable throughout the world.
The CNDE is the premier US research organization for the development and application of inspection and sensing technologies. Extensive materials characterization studies and inspection system developments have been applied and implemented for metals, ceramics, and composites of interest to several industrial sectors.
FROM UNCERTAIN TO PASSIONATE, ERIK
DEMEYERE FOUND HIS PATH IN MATERIALS ENGINEERING
Erik DeMeyere knew he wanted to be an engineer; he was a problem solver and knew that was his path. Yet when it was time to choose an engineering program to attend, DeMeyere was stuck in neutral.
“I was really struggling with what path I wanted to take,” DeMeyere said. “And then I saw materials engineering listed, which, at the time, I didn’t even know existed. After doing some research, I realized I had been interested in materials science all along.”
Now, DeMeyere is a junior majoring in materials engineering, specializing in metals while working with Iver Anderson, adjunct professor of materials science and engineering and a senior metallurgist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory.
In the lab, DeMeyere works on projects that advance powder metallurgy, which is creating and investigating applications of fine metal powders. “When I imagined becoming an engineer, I pictured materials engineering: Solving problems and pushing boundaries of materials through the principles of physics and chemistry. I was unaware that it was its own field, but I am grateful I discovered it!”
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION THROUGH MSE
“Materials engineering is an interesting cross-section of a lot of different fields. It is heavy engineering, and it can be heavy chemistry or physics if you want it to be,” says Jacob Wheaton, graduate student in MSE. “It’s a very good balance of those three things, and that is exactly what I was looking for.”
While Wheaton was working his way through his undergrad studies and thinking about graduate school, Anson Martin Distinguished Professor Steve Martin offered Wheaton a chance to study glass in France over one summer after learning about his French double major. His connection to France grew even deeper during his time in MSE. He spearheaded a collaborative research project between researchers at the University of Rennes in France and Iowa State, and visited again this past year to facilitate collaboration and exchange research methods. 7
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