The figure is a 3D reconstruction of the experimental microstructure of a composite material with maghemite (iron oxide) nanoparticles that have been organized into a mesoscale network of fibers. This reconstruction can be used to analyze and simulate how the conductivity of the material is influenced by the manufacturing parameters.
Engineering team wins second place in visual materials competition
07/16/2019
By Jennifer Matthews
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – A team of engineers from aerospace engineering and civil engineering recently placed second in the computation/modeling category at the 11th annual Materials Visualization Competition (MVC) sponsored by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Materials Research Institute.
The MVC is a scientific visual and artistic competition created to celebrate the quality of research in materials at Penn State. The goal is to increase awareness of materials science through the creativity and visualization of Penn State’s researchers. Entry for the competition is open to all Penn State undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty working on materials-related topics.
Anna Madra, postdoctoral scholar in civil engineering; Namiko Yamamoto, assistant professor in aerospace engineering; and Mychal Spencer, doctoral student in aerospace engineering, presented “X-ray micro-CT Data-Driven model of the microstructure of maghemite nanoparticles composite.”
The research focuses on a scalable nanofiller structuring for polymer nanocomposites. Nanoparticles, both organic (carbon) and inorganic (iron oxide, silica or silver), exhibit advanced and/or unconventional properties due to their size scale, high crystallinity, unique periodical boundary conditions and large surface-to-volume ratio.
The competition entry was a 3D reconstruction of the experimental microstructure of a composite material with maghemite (iron oxide) nanoparticles that have been organized into a specific network of fibers. This reconstruction can be used to analyze and simulate how the conductivity of the material is influenced by the manufacturing parameters.
Competition judges awarded the Best in Show prize of $500 and cash prizes to first- second- and third-place winners in each of three categories: computation/modeling, scientific and visual. The computation/modeling images are meant to convey the power of simulation and modeling software to demonstrate materials and materials systems. They should be computer generated and visually appealing with a message for the viewer. Images in this category are judged on effective communication, visual impact, originality and science.
Winning submissions are also published online.
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