Undergraduate Research Assistant for Development of Hight Entropy Alloys
This summer I have been working as an undergraduate research assistant with the SmartState Center for Strategic Approaches to the Generation of Electricity (SAGE) under Dr. Jason Hattrick-Simpers and graduate student, Kenneth Bunn. Dr. Hattrick-Simpers' research focuses on the development of high entropy alloys (HEA). HEAs are alloy systems composed of five or more principle metals in equimolar proportions, which combine to form a single phase alloy, giving it a high entropy of mixing. The group is trying to develop a stable, oxidation resistant HEA that can operate at high temperatures. This HEA can be used to coat Jet Turbines, which operate in extreme temperature environments. The project that I have been working on measures the oxidation growth of different HEAs annealed at specific temperatures and durations. In order to make this process more accurate and efficient, I have been building an in-situ reflectometer. Using an oil drum as a base, we added a heating element inside the drum where the sample can be annealed. A laser will be pointed at the sample, and the light which is reflected off the sample will be received by a photodiode to determine the thickness based on how much the light was refracted. The next step is to write software that will enable us to analyze the data that the diode receives. The goal is to eventually have an automated stage which will run the laser at certain intervals so the machine can function on its own without supervision. I have learned a lot from this project and have picked up quite a few new skills. I am lucky to work alongside a great group of both graduate and undergraduate students. Hopefully I can continue this research in the fall semester.
