Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
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- Creators: Materials Science and Engineering Program
- Creators: Loebenberg, Abby
Description
This thesis details the process of developing a force feedback system for a small robotic manipulator in order to prevent damage to manipulators and the objects they are grasping, which is a desired feature in many autonomous robots. This includes the research, design, fabrication, and testing of a custom force-sensing resistor and a custom set of jaws to implement the feedback system on. In order to complete this project, extensive research went to designing and building test beds for the commercial and custom force sensors to determine if force values could even be obtained. Then the sensors were implemented on a manipulator and were evaluated for ease of use during assembly and testing, accuracy, and repeatability of results using a test bed designed during the course of this research. Afterwards the custom jaws were designed and fabricated based on problems encountered during testing with the initial set of jaws. The new jaws were then tested on the test bed with the sensors and the force feedback system was implemented on it. The overall system was then evaluated for any current limitations and improvements that could be made in the future to further develop this research and assist with its implementation on other robots. The results of this experiment show that a low-cost force sensor that is easy to mass produce can be implemented on an autonomous robot to add force feedback capabilities to it. It is hopeful that the results from the experiments conducted are implemented on robotic manipulators so the area of force sensing technologies research can be expanded upon and improved.
ContributorsMartin, Anna Lynn (Author) / Berman, Spring (Thesis director) / Rajagopalan, Jagannathan (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
One of the more difficult portions of our capstone project has been identifying a potential market for our Clay Metal—whether there even is a potential market. To that end, I plan to use the strategies discussed in MSE482 to complete a feasibility study and market analysis for our two clay metal systems to determine if our alloys are viable as a product in any market and to determine what steps we might need to take to bring our material to that market. While we have done some preliminary research similar to a feasibility study, a more comprehensive understanding of our problem and its existing solutions will help us optimize our design with respect to desirable properties and cost. There are various metrics used to identify what materials properties are most desirable for consumers; the exact metric we use will become clearer when I have identified our demographic.
ContributorsMandzuk, Kevin Paul (Author) / Adams, Jim (Thesis director) / Krause, Stephen (Committee member) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
The story of graphene truly began in what was simply a stub in the journal Physical Review not two years after the end of World War II. In 1947, McGill University physicist P.R. Wallace authored “The Band Theory of Graphite” and attempted to develop a foundation on which the structure-property relationship of graphite could be explored; he calculates the number of free electrons and conductivity of what he describes as “a single hexagonal layer” and “suppos[es] that conduction takes place only in layers” in bulk graphite to predict wave functions, energies at specific atomic sites in the hexagonal lattice, and energy contours using a tight binding approximation for a hypothesized version of what we now call ‘armchair-style’ graphene. While Wallace was the first to explore the band structure and Brillouin Zones of single-layer graphite, the concept of two-dimensional materials was not new. In fact, for years, it was dismissed as a thermodynamic impossibility.
Everything seemed poised against any proposed physical and experimental stability of a structure like graphene. “Thermodynamically impossible”– a not uncommon shutdown to proposed novel physical or chemical concepts– was once used to describe the entire field of proposed two-dimensional crystals functioning separately from a three-dimensional base or crystalline structure. Rudolf Peierls and Lev Davoidovich Landau, both very accomplished physicists respectively known for the Manhattan Project and for developing a mathematical theory of helium superfluidity, rejected the possibility of isolated monolayer to few-layered crystal lattices. Their reasoning was that diverging thermodynamic-based crystal lattice fluctuations would render the material unstable regardless of controlled temperature. This logic is flawed, but not necessarily inaccurate– diamond, for instance, is thermodynamically metastable at room temperature and pressure in that there exists a slow (i.e. slow on the scale of millions of years) but continuous transformation to graphite. However, this logic was used to support an explanation of thermodynamic impossibility that was provided for graphene’s lack of isolation as late as 1979 by Cornell solid-state physicist Nathaniel David Mermin. These physicists’ claims had clear and consistent grounding in experimental data: as thin films become thinner, there exists a trend of a decreasing melting temperature and increasing instability that renders the films into islands at somewhere around ten to twenty atomic layers. This is driven by the thermodynamically-favorable minimization of surface energy.
Everything seemed poised against any proposed physical and experimental stability of a structure like graphene. “Thermodynamically impossible”– a not uncommon shutdown to proposed novel physical or chemical concepts– was once used to describe the entire field of proposed two-dimensional crystals functioning separately from a three-dimensional base or crystalline structure. Rudolf Peierls and Lev Davoidovich Landau, both very accomplished physicists respectively known for the Manhattan Project and for developing a mathematical theory of helium superfluidity, rejected the possibility of isolated monolayer to few-layered crystal lattices. Their reasoning was that diverging thermodynamic-based crystal lattice fluctuations would render the material unstable regardless of controlled temperature. This logic is flawed, but not necessarily inaccurate– diamond, for instance, is thermodynamically metastable at room temperature and pressure in that there exists a slow (i.e. slow on the scale of millions of years) but continuous transformation to graphite. However, this logic was used to support an explanation of thermodynamic impossibility that was provided for graphene’s lack of isolation as late as 1979 by Cornell solid-state physicist Nathaniel David Mermin. These physicists’ claims had clear and consistent grounding in experimental data: as thin films become thinner, there exists a trend of a decreasing melting temperature and increasing instability that renders the films into islands at somewhere around ten to twenty atomic layers. This is driven by the thermodynamically-favorable minimization of surface energy.
ContributorsShulman, Neal Arthur (Author) / Adams, James (Thesis director) / Islam, Rafiqul (Committee member) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Statistical process control (SPC) is an important quality application that is used throughout industry and is composed of control charts. Most often, it is applied in the final stages of product manufacturing. However it would be beneficial to apply SPC throughout all stages of the manufacturing process such as the beginning stages. This report explores the fundamentals of SPC, applicable programs, important aspects of implementation, and specific examples of where SPC was beneficial. Important programs for SPC are general statistical software such as JMP and Minitab, and some programs are made specifically for SPC such as SPACE: statistical process and control environment. Advanced programs like SPACE are beneficial because they can easily assist with creating control charts and setting up rules, alarms and notifications, and reaction mechanisms. After the charts are set up it is important to apply rules to the charts to see when a system is running off target which indicates the need to troubleshoot and investigate. This makes the notification part an integral aspect as well because attention and awareness must be brought to out of control situations. The next important aspect is ensuring there is a reaction mechanism or plan on what to do in the event of an out of control situation and what to do to get the system running back on target. Setting up an SPC system takes time and practice and requires a lot of collaboration with experts who know more about the system or the quality side. Some of the more difficult parts of implementation is getting everyone on board and creating trainings and getting the appropriate personnel trained.
ContributorsSennavongsa, Christy (Author) / Raupp, Gregory (Thesis director) / Dai, Lenore (Committee member) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Chemical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The main objective of this project is to create a hydrogel based material system to capture and release CCRF-CEM Leukemia cancer cells via chemo-mechanical modulation. This system is composed of an aptamer-functionalized hydrogel thin film at the bottom of a microfluidic channel, which changes its film thickness as the temperature of the fluid in the system changes. The functionalized hydrogel film has been created as the primary steps to creating the microfluidic device that could capture and release leukemia cells by turning the temperature of the fluid and length of exposure. Circulating tumor cells have recently become a highly studied area since they have become associated with the likelihood of patient survival. Further, circulating tumor cells can be used to determine changes in the genome of the cancer leading to targeted treatment. First, the aptamers were attached onto the hydrogel through an EDC/NHS reaction. The aptamers were verified to be attached onto the hydrogel through FTIR spectroscopy. The cell capture experiments were completed by exposing the hydrogel to a solution of leukemia cells for 10 minutes at room temperature. The cell release experiments were completed by exposing the hydrogel to a 40°C solution. Several capture and release experiments were completed to measure how many cells could be captured, how quickly, and how many cells captured were released. The aptamers were chemically attached to the hydrogel. 300 cells per square millimeter could be captured at a time in a 10 minute time period and released in a 5 minute period. Of the cells captured, 96% of them were alive once caught. 99% of cells caught were released once exposed to elevated temperature. The project opens the possibility to quickly and efficiently capture and release tumor cells using only changes in temperature. Further, most of the cells that were captured were alive and nearly all of those were released leading to high survival and capture efficiency.
ContributorsPaxton, Rebecca Joanne (Author) / Stephanopoulos, Nicholas (Thesis director) / He, Ximin (Committee member) / Gould, Ian (Committee member) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
How can we change what it means to be a human? Products can be used that will allow for near-instantaneous communication with one’s friends and family wherever they are: and the newest devices do not have to be even carried around, as they can be worn instead. Wearable electronics are quickly becoming very popular, with 232.0 million wearable devices sold in 2015. This report provides an overview of current and developing wearable devices, investigates the characteristics of the average buyer for these different types of devices. Finally, marketing strategies are suggested. This work was completed in conjunction with a capstone project with Intel, where three objectives were achieved: First, a universal strain tester that could strain samples cyclically in a manner similar to the body was designed. This equipment was especially designed to be flexible in the testing conditions it could be exposed to, so samples could be tested at elevated temperatures or even underwater. Next, dogbone shaped samples for the testing of Young’s Modulus and elongation to failure were produced, and the cut quality of laser, water-jet, and die-cutting was compared in order to select the most defect-free method for reliable testing. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a fantastic candidate material for wearable electronics, however there is some discrepancies in the literature—such as from Eleni et. al—about the impact of ultraviolet radiation on the mechanical properties. By conducting accelerated aging tests simulating up to five years exposure to the sun, it was determined that ultraviolet-induced cross-linking of the polymer chains does occur, leading to severe embrittlement (strain to failure reduced from 3.27 to 0.06 in some cases, reduction to approximately 0.21 on average). As simulated tests of possible usage conditions required strains of at least 0.50-0.70, a variety of solutions were suggested to reduce this embrittlement. This project can lead to standardization of wearables electronics testing methods for more reliable predictions about the device behavior, whether that device is a simple pedometer or something that allows the visually impaired to “see”, such as Toyota’s Blaid.
ContributorsNiebroski, Alexander Wayne (Author) / Adams, James (Thesis director) / Anwar, Shahriar (Committee member) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
A novel approach, the Invariant Based Theory of Composites and the "Trace" method it proposes, has the potential to reduce aerospace composite development times and costs by over 30% thus reinvigorating the development process and encouraging composite technology growth. The "trace" method takes advantage of inherent stiffness properties of laminates, specifically carbon fiber, to make predictions of material properties used to derive design allowables. The advantages of the "trace" theory may not necessarily be specific to the aerospace industry, however many automotive manufacturers are facing environmental, social and political pressure to increase the gas mileage in their vehicles and reduce their carbon footprint. Therefore, the use of lighter materials, such as carbon fiber composites, to replace heavier metals in cars is inevitable yet as of now few auto manufacturers implement composites in their cars. The high material, testing and development costs, much like the aerospace industry, have been prohibitive to widespread use of these materials but progress is being made in overcoming those challenges. The "trace" method, while initially intended for quasi-isotropic, aerospace grade carbon-fiber laminates, still yields reasonable, and correctable, results for types of laminates as well such as with woven fabrics and thermoplastic matrices, much of which are being used in these early stages of automotive composite development. Despite the varying use of materials, the "trace" method could potentially boost automotive composites in a similar way to the aerospace industry by reducing testing time and costs and perhaps even playing a role in establishing emerging simulations of these materials.
ContributorsBrown, William Ross (Author) / Adams, James (Thesis director) / Anwar, Shahriar (Committee member) / Krause, Stephen (Committee member) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
The semiconductor industry looks to constantly improve the efficiency of research and development in order to reduce costs and time to market. One such method was designed in order to decrease time spent inducing warpage in integrated circuits in an Intel research process. Intel's Atom product line seeks to compete with ARM architecture by entering the mobile devices CPU market. Due to the fundamental differences between the Atom's Bonnell architecture and the ARM architecture, the Intel Atom product line must utilize such improved research and development methods. Until power consumption is drastically lowered while maintaining processing speed, the Atom product line will not be able to effectively break into the mobile devices CPU market.
ContributorsLandseidel, Jack Adam (Author) / Adams, James (Thesis director) / Krause, Stephen (Committee member) / Anwar, Shahriar (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
The characteristics possessed by undergraduates who have enjoyed success in an intern position are defined. Through an interview process, four traits were identified: multitasking, strong team work understanding, an inquisitive nature, and application of a cross-disciplinary mindset. An exposition of how these four traits are employed to ensure success in an internship setting is then given. Finally, a personal account of a project with Intel is expounded upon. This project addressed the unoptimized characterization test time of an Intel package quality control process. It improved throughput by developing a parallel testing method by increasing package carrier capacity and utilizing simultaneous testing. The final design led to a 4x increase of throughput rate.
ContributorsHusein, Sebastian Saint Tsei (Author) / Adams, James (Thesis director) / Krause, Stephen (Committee member) / Jarrell, Joseph (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
One of the grand challenges of engineering is to provide access to clean water because it is predicted that by 2025 more than two thirds of the world’s population will face severe water shortages. To combat this global issue, our lab focuses on creating a novel composite membrane to recover potable water from waste. For use as the water-selective component in this membrane design Linde Type A zeolites were synthesized for optimal size without the use of a template. Current template-free synthesis of zeolite LTA produces particles that are too large for our application therefore the particle size was reduced in this study to reduce fouling of the membrane while also investigating the nanoparticle synthesis mechanisms. The time and temperature of the reaction and the aging of the precursor gel were systematically modified and observed to determine the optimal conditions for producing the particles. Scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive x-ray analysis were used for characterization. Sub-micron sized particles were synthesized at 2 weeks aging time at -8°C with an average size of 0.6 micrometers, a size suitable for our membrane. There is a limit to the posterity and uniformity of particles produced from modifying the reaction time and temperature. All results follow general crystallization theory. Longer aging produced smaller particles, consistent with nucleation theory. Spinodal decomposition is predicted to affect nucleation clustering during aging due to the temperature scheme. Efforts will be made to shorten the effective aging time and these particles will eventually be incorporated into our mixed matrix osmosis membrane.
ContributorsKing, Julia Ann (Author) / Lind, Mary Laura (Thesis director) / Durgun, Pinar Cay (Committee member) / Chemical Engineering Program (Contributor) / Materials Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05