Research opportunities at

Materials Lab, WPAFB

• Flexible work schedules: 12-14 hours during academic year and 40 hours during summer; full-time alternating terms; or 20 hours week year round. We will work with you!
• Career related work experience!
• Earn while you learn ($9.60 - $14.70/hr)
• Undergraduate to graduate students
• Degree seeking students in good standing
• Must be a U.S. Citizen

Project #TBD—Image Analysis of Metal Matrix Composites (any science, engineering, or computer majors): Student will develop computational tools to characterize and model materials microstructures using image analysis and cellular automata. Desired skills include: ability to write Photoshop or NIH image plug-ins, experience with MATLAB, knowledge of C or Pascal, experience with cellular automata, fractals and percolation phenomena, and an understanding of image analysis.

Project #TBD—Synthesis and Characterization of New Organic Compounds & Polymers (chemistry majors): The student will perform or monitor organic reactions following established procedures for synthesis of monomers and polymers, and conduct characterization of the isolated organic compounds and polymers using standard organic analytical techniques.

Project #101—Tribological Evaluation of Candidate Fluid and Lubricant Materials (materials science and mechanical engineering majors): To study the tribological characteristics and behavior of selected base materials, additives and formulated fluids, performance evaluation testing is required. Selected tests will be set up and conducted, and test data will be compiled and evaluated. In-house test equipment to be used may include the traction apparatus, hydraulic pump test stands, the Cameron-Plint test apparatus, 4-ball testers, the Optical EHD tester, etc. Modifications of the existing equipment shall be carried out to adapt to changing test requirements.

Project #107—Coated-fiber Characterization (materials engineering and mechanical engineering majors): Current ceramic matrix composites (CMC) rely on an interface that oxidizes at high temperature. Improvements in CMC properties at high temperatures require a functional and oxidation resistant interface. This requires fiber coating, and characterization of coated fibers. Polished petrographic thin sections of coated fiber cross-sections are prepared. Sections are mounted on TEM specimen washers and ion-milled, and then inspected by TEM. TEM observations of the coatings are related to fiber strength and composite properties. Coated fiber strength is measured by single filament tensile testing of 75 filaments.

Project #125—Advance Materials Sensor Selection and Integration (computer science and electrical engineering majors): The student will work with researchers in selecting sensors for monitoring of material processes and hardware and software integration of sensors. In addition, the student will research methods of sensor integration and develop C code to interface sensors to the computer. The student will gain expertise in integration of instruments with software for process control and data collection, as well as database connectivity.

Project #141—Life Prediction of Aerospace Materials (materials science, physics, and mechanical engineering majors): Results of experimental investigations will be collected and categorized. Data will be interpreted and analyzed in an effort to understand crack initiation and growth phenomena in monolithic alloys, ceramic matrix composites and metal matrix composites. The work will involve characterization of the physical phenomena that cause materials damage and analysis of experimental data to develop physically based models of the damage process.

Project #178—Analysis of Crack Growth Data and Fractographic Study of Constant and Variable Amplitude Loading Test (materials science and mechanical engineering majors): Crack growth under various constant and variable amplitude loading will be investigated to understand crack growth under aircraft spectrum loading. Each load cycle that causes a fatigue crack to grow causes plastic deformation on the fracture surfaces. The fracture surfaces are thus the fingerprint of the loading history that was applied to the sample. Crack growth tests will be conducted using CT-specimens, and the fracture surfaces have to be investigated using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The plastic deformation on the fracture surface is to be correlated with the loading sequence, which contributes to the understanding of crack growth under aircraft loading conditions.

Project #182—Microstructure and Properties of Metal Composites (materials science): The work involved will include metallographic preparation of samples, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Analysis of the data collected will be done and will include identification and quantification of the microstructures studied. Mechanical tests which will be done may include tensile tests and creep tests.

Project #183—Microstructural Characterization (mechanical engineering and materials science): Major duties shall consist of metallography and fractography support including cutting, grinding, polishing, etching and photographing metallic materials and failed test specimens using metallographic equipment and both optical and scanning electron microscopes. Other duties shall consist of data reduction and analysis of mechanical property data using programs such as Excel and Grapher for Windows. Some time may be spent in the testing of metallic materials including tensile and microhardness measurements.

Call (937) 259-1375 for more information or to receive an application.

 Copeland Corporation has several openings at various facilities, including Sidney, OH; Natchitoches, LA; Rushville, IN; Lebanon, MO; California; Fishers, IN; Shelby, NC; Ava, MO; Hartselle, AL; the Middle East; andLatin America.

Opportunities are available in:

Position descriptions may be reviewed in the Dean’s Office. More information may also be obtained from the Copeland Corporation website at www.copeland-corp.com or via E-mail at hrresume@copeland-corp.com.

A contractor at WPAFB AFIT/ENS is currently looking for a research assistant to perform analysis of spatial-temporal information. Many decisions require the support of both spatial and temporal data. This includes various activities in the computer lab and the library, including operating existing soft-ware, new software development, and library research, further development of the Generalized Network Analyzer (a GUI) for analyzing communication networks.

Desired Employment Dates are June 1, to May 31, 2000.

For more information, or to apply for this position, contact Julie A. Wenning, AFIT/ENS by E-mail at Julie.Wenning@afit.af.mil.