Fastening and Joining Research Institute  The objective of this institute is to enhance the reliability and safety of metallic, composite and polymeric joints by advancing the science and technology of mechanical fastening, adhesive bonding, welding and riveting. The institute is a one-of-a-kind facility that pursues fundamental and applied research to develop and disseminate new technologies for the fastening and joining of metals, composites and polymers. The Institute develops and disseminates novel advanced technologies in the areas of automated assembly of bolted joints, adhesive bonding of composites, resistance welding and riveting, a niche area that significantly impacts the safety and reliability of many products. |
Magnetoelectric Multilayer Composites for Field Conversion This technology is a magnetoelectric multilayer composite comprised of alternate layers of a bimetal ferrite and a piezoelectric material for facilitating conversion of an electric field into a magnetic field, or vice versa. The preferred composites include cobalt, nickel, or lithium zinc ferrite and PZT films that are arranged in a bilayer or in alternating layers, laminated, and sintered at high temperature. The composites are useful in sensors for detection of magnetic fields; sensors for measuring rotation speed, linear speed, or acceleration; read-heads in storage devices by converting bits in magnetic storage devices to electrical signals; magnetoelectric media for storing information; and high frequency devices for electric field control of magnetic devices or magnetic field control of electric devices. |
Production of iron using environmentally-benign renewable or recycled reducing agents  The technology is intended as a replacement for the blast furnace iron making process, allowing iron oxides to be converted into high-density metallic iron in a single processing step. Pellets, briquettes, or other agglomerates made by mixing finely ground iron oxides with a variety of organic compounds or biomass materials can be made and processed into iron nuggets at the mine site. The process allows direct marketing of iron nuggets to steel producers and iron recyclers, rather than only being able to sell iron oxide pellets to blast furnace facilities. On an industrial scale, it is expected that it will be possible to process the pellets to pig iron nuggets using any of several types of furnaces including rotary hearth furnaces shaft furnaces or bath smelting furnaces. The key is that the heat for melting is supplied separately from the reducing power using any convenient fuel or energy source, while reducing power is provided by the hydrocarbon or carbohydrate materials that are added to the pellet.
All of the existing metal nugget technologies depend on coal as their reducing agent. All other iron making technologies either require coke (for blast furnaces), or natural gas (for direct-reduced iron). Researchers have all assumed that only fuels with at least as much energy content as coal can be used for reducing iron oxides to metallic iron nuggets, largely based on the fact that, historically, iron production has required either coke or charcoal as the carbon source/fuel. The iron making industry has therefore not been able to take advantage of the large quantities of biomass and recycled organics that this invention will allow to be used. |
Heap Leach Compaction Evaluation Column The purpose of this invention is to allow for the construction of a heap leach compaction evaluation column that is able to simulate the conditions within an actual ore bed. Evaluation columns are common in the mining and material processing industries but do not often realistically represent the columns in actual material leach heaps because existing column designs do not allow for generation of sufficient pressures within the simulated ore bed. The object of this invention is to produce a constant and controllable pressure in the simulated ore bed so that heap leach evaluation columns are more representative of actual conditions in the field.
This invention comprises a hollow tube in which an aggregate material or agglomerated ore is placed. A free floating plunger is place on top of the ore and pressure is applied to the plunger with an external force. The external force may be applied by an inflatable air bladder or multiple bladders that are restricted by a flange or other restrictive device such as an affixed lid at the top of the tube, by placing heavy weights on top of the plunger, or other suitable means to supply sufficient force. For analytical purposes the tube may also include sensors for temperature, pressure, and other readings. |
Flotation column with adjustable support baffles An apparatus for separating by froth flotation hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles contained in an aqueous slurry, the apparatus comprising a generally vertical tubular column having an upper froth zone, an upper separation zone, and an intermediate feed inlet zone; a feed inlet, air inlet, froth outlet and a tailings outlet; an upper baffle unit comprising a plurality of horizontally extending upper baffle plates, a vertical upper support member including an upper end portion, and first upper apparatus for removably mounting the upper baffle plates on the upper support member at predetermined vertically spaced positions; each of the upper baffle plates comprising a mounting aperture and a plurality of flow apertures; and a second upper apparatus for removably supporting the upper support member in the column with the upper baffle plates in the upper separation zone. The apparatus can include a lower baffle unit. The open area of each baffle plate and the vertical space between adjacent baffle plates can vary between different baffle plates in dependence upon the position of a baffle plate in the column, or in dependence upon one or more of the following: a solids flow rate at the position, a liquid flow rate at the position, and a gas flow rate at the position. The invention also provides a method for improving the operating performance of an unbaffled column. |
Very High Purity Alumina Processing Technique This technology allows for the production of a new aluminum oxide (alumina) material with very high compressive strength making the material suitable for applications that require high strength and/or high temperature. The failure strength of alumina created with this process is considerably greater than any other commercially available alumina. The manufacturing process for this new ultra high-strength alumina includes traditional processing techniques such as vacuum hot pressing and hot isostatic pressing. |
Zinc Aluminum Alloys Zinc – Aluminum alloys as an environmentally friendly alternative to bronze for bearings Classic problems with Z-Al alloys are dimensional stability, corrosion resistance, and brittle fracture. This technology solves the strength and brittleness problems through new forming techniques. This inventor has written a book chapter on this topic. |
Institute of Materials Processing (IMP) The institute focuses on the extraction, processing, recycling, and utilization of materials and resources. They conduct sponsored technology development, research, problem solving, training, and technology services for MTU, the state of Michigan, other governmental units, and industry. Materials studied include metallics, ceramics, polymers, composites, minerals, and industrial processing wastes. Expertise includes bench-top experimentation through process development, pilot plant scale-up, and commercialization.
Personnel at IMP work closely with faculty members in the academic departments. Since the major focus of the institute, however, is toward accelerating technology transfer into the marketplace, most staff members are full-time, nonteaching research professionals. When necessary, the institute can enter into confidentiality agreements with research sponsors and can undertake both proprietary and classified work. Cooperative development programs with other organizations are also strongly encouraged.
IMP can provide full or partial student support for advanced research in the materials and resource processing areas. |
Physical Processes Involved in Adhesive Bonding and Material Damage Skills and expertise is available for modeling, analysis and simulation of contact between deformable bodies including mechanical models, mathematical formulations, variational analysis, and numerical analysis of the associated variational formulations. Areas of current activity are modeling of Industrial Processes by PDEs, variational inequalities as well as thermoelastic dynamic contact with friction, wear, adhesion or damage. |
Spin Wave Spectrum in Micro-sized Arrays of Magnetic Wires and Dots This program of research emerged from an investigation of the linear and nonlinear dynamics of magnetic excitation in magnetic films, multilayers and finite-size samples—spin waves, solitons and parametric instabilities. The program is designed to yield applications of linear and nonlinear spin waves to microwave signal processing as well as data relevant to a variety of problems including bright and dark spin envelope solitons in magnetic films. |
Optimization of the Conductivity and Transparency of ITO Thin Films This research program is broadly defined as a study of the electrical, optical, chemical and structural characteristics of Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) deposited on Glass and Polymer substrates. Indium Tin Oxide is a transparent, conducting material with a variety of applications in display devices, photovoltaic devices and heat reflecting mirrors. Basic understanding of the material properties from energy band structure calculations, deposition parameters are the key tasks in this research effort. The sheet resistances, optical transmittances and microstructures are determined using four-point probe, spectrophotometer, x-ray diffractometer and transmission electron microscope. |
Recovery of Polystyrene in Lost Foam This technology emerged from a research program initiated to assist the metal casting industry in prevention of polymer waste disposal, and to promote engineering solutions leading to reuse of the polymer. Our research strategy was based the principles of modern mineral processing technology to polymer recovery. The program includes particulate characterization, examination of surface-interfacial properties of the pattern components, development of an analytical technique for contaminant concentration measurements, shredding and size reduction, and selective separation testing based on component density. Our results indicate that as high as 98% of the polystyrene can be recovered, while the level of coating contaminants did not exceed 5 wt% in the final product, after using the developed technology. |
Institute of Materials Processing The Institute of Materials Processing (IMP) is an innovative, multi-disciplined, non-profit, industrially oriented research and development center holding over 60 patents. The IMP is housed in a $47.7 million dollar research facility on the campus of Michigan Technological University. Though IMP is located within Michigan Tech, funding comes solely from royalties and research projects. IMP has been providing entrepreneurs and industry with the resources to study minerals, environmental concerns and materials processing for over 40 years. IMP can assist you in meeting the challenges associated with each phase of your project's development, from preliminary studies to the final design and construction of a commercial operation. |
Heteroepitaxial growth on compliant substrates This program of research is focused on the fabrication, characterization, and properties of nanoscale layered structures. Additional concentrations include the integration of dissimilar materials through wafer bonding and the relationship between structural, optical and electronic properties of heterostructures. |
Grinding to Sub-micron Tolerances Axis positioning resolution on the order of nanometers has made possible the ductile machining of brittle materials. However, many of the concepts and models developed for traditional machining (characterized by high material removal rates and/or ductile workpiece materials) do not apply to machining at the nanometer level or to machining brittle materials. In this research program, analytical and experimental methods are being used to develop models for the machining of brittle materials. Beyond this scope, vibration assisted and water-jet assisted grinding, as well as wheel wear and wheel loading mechanisms also are being investigated. |
Free Machining Brass Alloys Tonnage quantities of leaded brasses are used in manufacturing plumbing fittings and fixtures. The lead, which appears as small inclusions in the microstructure, promotes efficient and precise machining. There is evidence indicating that minute quantities of lead dissolved from these alloys by drinking water may have adverse health effects and, for this reason, there is an urgent need to develop free machining alloys that do not contain lead. The means by which lead enhances machinability is not well understood but it may have simultaneous roles in lubrication and in local embrittlement processes. This program of research has the objective the characterization of the elemental cutting and fracture processes. |
Aqueous Corrosion of Copper Copper is generally extremely resistant to corrosive attack by water. However, certain municipal well waters cause pitting attack of copper water tubes. The attack involves the development of a local occluded electrochemical cell, covered by a copper oxide membrane, within which there is an enriched chloride environment. As the demand for fresh water continues to grow, there is an increasing use of water from brackish wells and increasing incidence of damage by this type of corrosion. This program of research is designed to yield a better understanding of the phenomenon. |
Exploiting Low-density Intermetallic Alloys New cubic trialuminides based on titanium have been formed recently by selective alloying with chromium or manganese. These new low density alloys have good strength at high temperatures and excellent oxidation resistance. In this research program, ductility enhancement is being established through determination of the nature of the dislocations carrying the deformation by means of transmission electron microscopy and computer simulation of images. Exploitation of these materials as thermally sprayed protective coatings for a variety of materials is also being studied, as is their use in intermetallic composites formed with various ceramic reinforcements. Finally, ultrahigh pressure hot isostatic pressing of mechanically alloyed trialuminides is being examined as a means of producing nanostructured versions of these materials. |
High Transition Temperature Shape Memory Alloys Selected site substitution alloying is being used to develop new high transition temperature shape memory alloys. Currently available alloys are restricted in their use to temperatures of the order of 100C or less. Most potential high transition temperature shape memory alloys based on intermetallics are brittle, but in many cases can be ductilized through selected alloying. Similarly, the shape-memory effect can be enhanced by manipulating the balance between deformation by slip and twinning. |
Computer Simulation of Dislocation-based Study of Materials Deformation, Strengthening and Failure Dislocation studies play an important role in understanding deformation, strengthening, and failure mechanisms of materials. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been commonly used in these studies. Improved computer simulation methods, recently developed in a program of research, have enhanced our ability to identify dislocations quantitatively. For example, comparison of a TEM image of a `superlattice' dislocation in a deformed Al67Mn8Ti25 alloy, compared favorably with the computer-simulated image of the dislocation formed by using only pertinent material constants, geometrical data, and imaging conditions. |
Metal Fabrication Facility  The metal fabrication laboratory complex consists of four laboratory areas: foundry, machine tool, welding, and fabrication. Examples of equipment available for use include laser cutter, 1/4" x 10' shear, 90 Ton press brake, MIG/TIG/Plasma/Stick/Gas welding, foundry (sand casting), 1-Ton bridge crane, and monorail crane. Some of the processes that can be accomplished on these state-of-the-art machines include cutting through 1/4" steel on the (500 watt) computer numerical control industrial laser or by using the 100 amp plasma-arc machine. Manufacturing with the twenty tool automatic tool changing machining center is computer controlled and can be programmed manually at the machine control center or by (DNC) direct numerical control from the (CAM) computer-aided manufacturing laboratory. |
Magneto-Electric Nanostructures for Novel Microwave The objective of this collaborative research is to fabricate and study the magneto-electric interactions in novel one-dimensional ferromagnetic-ferroelectric nanostructures, and to exploit them for innovative device applications. The program is motivated by theoretical models that suggest much stronger interactions in such nanostructure geometries than in standard thin films and laminate structures. The approach is to synthesize nanowire and nanotube composites consisting of ferroelectric materials, such as lead zirconium titanante or barium titanate, with ferrimagnetic nickel- or cobalt ferrite.
A comprehensive research program is planned consisting of the following components: sample fabrication, structural characterization, magneto-electric interaction studies spanning a wide frequency range, device studies, and theoretical modeling. Efforts will focus on the creation of novel nanostructures using innovative processing methods and examine their use for a new class of microwave devices that are both electric and magnetic field tunable. At the University of Alabama, the PI will lead the sample fabrication, structural characterization and device fabrication efforts; while the physical property measurements, theoretical studies and device applications will be led by the PI at Oakland University.
The efforts will bring together a multidisciplinary team of investigators that will make significant contributions to scientific knowledge, education outreach and infrastructure, and potentially lead to a host of next-generation devices for the national defense and consumer electronics. The program will provide support for graduate and undergraduate students, including underrepresented minorities, and contribute to their broad interdisciplinary training. Project personnel will collaborate with local schools to facilitate participation by high school students in research. |
Wide-Band Magnetoelectric Interactions in Single Crystal Multiferroic Bilayers Materials that are capable of magnetic field-to-electric field conversion are potentially useful for a variety of technologies. There are few such magneto-electric materials in nature and most of them have a low efficiency when converting fields. This research is aimed at artificial composite materials with excellent conversion properties. The composites will be made by bonding plates of ferrites, which deform in a magnetic field, together with ferroelectrics, which produce an electric field when deformed. The field conversion properties will be studied over a wide frequency range for information on their use in consumer electronics, communication devices, and radar systems. These projects will provide research training for personnel at all levels, from high school sophomores to post doctoral associates.
A comprehensive research program is planned on wide-band magnetoelectric (ME) interactions in bilayers of single crystal ferrites and ferroelectrics. The electromagnetic coupling in such systems is mediated by mechanical stress: magnetostriction induced mechanical deformation and the piezoelectric effect induced electric fields. Theories predict orders of magnitude stronger ME interactions in single crystals compared to polycrystalline multilayers. The primary tasks and goals are as follows. (i) The fabrication of bilayers consisting of spinel ferrites and piezoelectrics by bonding techniques. (ii) Measurement and analysis of ME dispersion characteristics, including Maxwell-Wagner relaxation, and low-frequency ME effects. (iii) Investigations on resonant ME effect when the electric and magnetic subsystems show resonance behavior. Human resource development will involve personnel at all levels, from high school students to research associates. The ME materials are potential candidates for magnetoelectric memory devices, magnetic field sensors, electrically controlled magnetic devices, and magnetically controlled piezoelectric devices. |
home | about us | contact us
Powered by IEI © 2006 - 2010 | All rights reserved.