Date of Award

January 2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Surojit Gupta

Abstract

This thesis has been organized into five chapters. The main focus of this thesis is to design

novel multifunctional materials by using particulate additives. Chapter 1 is devoted to reviewing

recent studies in additive manufacturing (AM) and other background information. In Chapter 2,

the synthesis and characterization of novel Ti3SiC2-reinforced Zn-matrix composites is reported.

During this study, all the Zn composites were hot pressed at 500oC for 5 min at a uniaxial pressure

of ~150 MPa. Microstructure analysis by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and phase analysis

by XRD (X-ray Diffraction) confirmed that there was minimal interfacial reaction between Ti3SiC2

particles and the Zn matrix. The addition of Ti3SiC2 improved the tribological performance of

these composites against alumina substrates but did not have any beneficial effect on the

mechanical performance. The addition of Ti3SiC2 particulates to metal and polymer matrices show

interesting properties. Chapter 3 will focus on additive manufacturing of Ti3SiC2 particulates in a

polymer matrix. Waste materials are a big problem in the world. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on

recycling materials. The mechanical and tribological properties of the Resin-Nylon and ResinPolyester

composites are reported, respectively.

Share

COinS