Materials Science and Engineering News

Jaroslaw Drelich (MSE) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $135,669 research and development grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Shiyue Fang (Chem), Tarun Dam (Chem), Xiaohu Xia (Chem) and Kathryn Perrine (Chem) are the Co-PIs on the project, “MRI: Acquisition of an Atomic Force Microscope for Force Measurement, Single-Molecule Manipulation and other Applications.” This is a three-year project.

Abstract

This award is supported by the Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) and the Chemistry Instrumentation and Facilities (CRIF) programs. Professor Jaroslaw Drelich from Michigan Technological University and colleagues are acquiring an atomic force microscope (AFM). An AFM is a powerful tool to look at single molecules on a surface. It operates through an atomically sharp tip attached to an extremely soft cantilever that can sense forces at tiny atomic levels (pico-newton forces). Utilizing the forces between tip and a molecule, AFM can even be used to manipulate single molecules moving them to desired locations. Using this information, projects measure the mechanical strength of single covalent bonds. This can lead to practical applications, for example, preparing better quick-response and moisture-resistant smart adhesives. Adhesion forces between materials for civil engineering application can be investigated. The research enabled by the AFM will have broad impacts in areas such as health, energy, environment and national security, and even the economy. Faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers in at least 16 research groups at Michigan Tech are trained to use this powerful instrument.

This atomic force microscope enhances research and education in areas by measuring van der Waals and magnetic forces between the tip and surface; the rupture force of non-covalent interactions between molecules and tip, and the scission force of covalent bonds in a molecule anchored between the tip and surface. Applications to projects include monitoring enzyme catalysis in real-time, and performing surface charge microscopy of biological cells. The microscope is used in the study of quick-response and moisture-resistant smart adhesives, and adhesion forces between materials for civil engineering applications. In other projects the shape and surface characteristics of atmospheric particles and atmospheric processing of black carbon are studied. The lattice structures of proteoglycan-galectin-3 cross-linked complexes are imaged and the ligand binding force of galectin-3 is measured.

Read more at the National Science Foundation.

Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) is quoted in Newsweek, “Why Donald Trump Can’t Save the Coal Industry,” and his research was covered in A Proposal To Retrain Coal Miners on North East Public Radio.

WHY DONALD TRUMP CAN’T SAVE THE COAL INDUSTRY

A study published last year in the peer-reviewed journal Energy Economics says coal miners could cheaply and easily be retrained for jobs in the solar energy industry. The solar industry is experiencing employment growth 12 times that of the entire economy. With the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimating jobs in solar energy will increase by as much as 24 percent by 2022 from a decade before, the employment opportunities for solar panel installers and other jobs in that industry are enormous. And unlike wind and hydroelectric, solar is not geographically limited and so could absorb the vast supply of coal miners with modest relocation costs—if any—for miners and their families.

A relatively minor investment in retraining would allow the vast majority of coal workers to switch to [solar]-related positions even in the event of the elimination of the coal industry,

according to the study, which was written by Joshua Pearce, associate professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Technological University, and Edward Louie, a doctoral student at the School of Public Policy at Oregon State University.

Read more at Newsweek, by Kurt Eichenwald.

Michael Meeropol: A Proposal To Retrain Coal Miners

In fact, there is a way to have both an increase in well-paying jobs in the energy sector and a switch to a carbon neutral future with emphasis on renewable sources of energy.  The Harvard Business Review just published a summary of a study showing that with the rapid growth in employment in solar industries all coal miners as well as workers in coal fired electrical generating plants (93% of the coal consumed in the US is used to generate electricity) no matter what the level of expertise, could be retrained for jobs in the solar-generated electrical industry.

[See Joshua Pearce, “What if All US Coal Workers Were Retrained to Work in Solar,” Harvard Business Review (August 8, 2016) available at https://hbr.org/2016/08/what-if-all-u-s-coal-workers-were-retrained-to-work-in-solar.]

The detailed research was published by Dr. Pearce and a collaborator Edward Louie in the journal Energy Economics (“Retraining Investment for U.S. Transition from Coal to Solar Photovoltaic Employment”  Vol 57, pages 295–302 (2016). doi:10.1016/j.eneco.2016.05.016 free open access pre-print.)   In the Harvard Business Review article, Dr. Pearce writes that “…. because of the tremendous drop in costs for solar technology, solar adoption is now rising rapidly.   ….  the American solar industry had a record first quarter in 2016, and for the first time, it drove the majority of new power generation. The U.S. solar industry is creating a lot of jobs, bringing on new workers 12 times faster than the overall economy. As of November 2015, the solar industry employed 208,859 solar workers,…”

Read more and listen to the audio at WAMC Northeast Public Radio, by Michael Meeropol.

In the News

Research by Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) and undergraduate student Emily Peterson was covered widely in the 3-D printing industry press, 3-D printing undustry and 3-Ders and Could You Save Money by 3D Printing Household Items? – All3DP, as well as the larger technical press including: 3D printing ordinary household goods can save you a lot of money, study finds – TechSpot, License to Print Money at Home?– Engineering360, and 3D-printing household objects could be top money-saving tip – E&T.

Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) was quoted in the article Can Plug-and-Play Solar Systems Lead the Way? in Green Buildings.

Pearce’s lab was covered by BBC Arabic on 3-D printing and CBS Detroitused MTU 3-D printers as examples in The Future Of Manufacturing: What’s Next?

3-D printing research by Pearce and undergradate Emily Peterson was covered by technology sites across Asia including Nanjixiong (China), Weiot (China), 24 Maker (China) and Naver (Korea).

Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) wrote an opinion piece for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The piece was titled “America Should Recruit Smart Immigrants from Every Country.”

Pearce’s research is covered in These Researchers Want To Prepare Us For The Post-Apocalypse-Futurism, and 3D Printers In The Average American Household – Computer Power User.

In Print

Materials Science and Engineering undergraduate student Emmily Peterson co-authored a paper with Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) titled “Emergence of Home Manufacturing in the Developed World: Return on Investment for Open-source 3-D Printers,” in the journal Technologies.

PhD student Nagendra Tanikella (MSE) coauthored an article with alumnus Ben Wittbrodt (MSE) and Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) titled “Tensile Strength of Commercial Polymer Materials for Fused Filament Fabrication 3-D Printing” that was published in Additive Manufacturing.

Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) published Emerging Business Models for Open Source Hardware in the Journal of Open Hardware.

Just Press Print: 3-D Printing At Home Saves Cash

By Stefanie Sidortsova.

Interested in making an investment that promises a 100 percent return on your money, and then some? Buy a low-cost, open-source 3-D printer, plug it in and print household items.

In a recent study published in Technologies, Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) set out to determine how practical and cost effective at-home 3-D printing is for the average consumer.

He found that consumers—even those who are technologically illiterate—can not only make their money back within six months, but can also earn an almost 1,000 percent return on their investment over a five-year period. Pearce estimates that using only the random 26 objects analyzed in the study may have already saved consumers who use 3-D printers at home more than $4 million. There are several million free 3-D printable designs available on the web.

Read the full story.

Associate Professor Joshua Pearce received a 2017 People’s Choice Award from Opensource.com. Recipients are recognized for having excelled in contributing and sharing stories about open source. Winners were voted on by the community.

Joshua Pearce runs the University’s Open Sustainability Technology group. In March 2015, he wrote about his course that lets students build their own open source 3D printers and use them to complete class projects. Since then, Pearce has shared several stories about open hardware, open source design, and more with readers.

Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) was interviewed for the podcast covering solar energy for the Global Energy Leaders.

Episode 12 – Solar Energy

Miguel Levy (Physics/MSE) and Dolendra Karki (Physics) authored a paper published this month in Scientific Reports — Nature, entitled “Nonreciprocal Transverse Photonic Spin and Magnetization-Induced Electromagnetic Spin-Orbit Coupling.”

doi:10.1038/srep39972