Advanced Ceramic Materials

Projects involving advanced ceramics and their synthesis, processing and mechanical properties.

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Microcracking in Bioceramics

Microcracking in brittle materials can result in significant, at times even dramatic, changes in elastic moduli, fracture strength, fracture toughness and other physical properties. In conjunction with Professor Baumann and her students, my group is investigating microcracking and its implications for hydroxyapatite (HA), a bioceramic that is of considerable interest as an engineered bone material. Microcracking in HA potentially impacts both the mechanical properties and the biological function of HA.

Investigators (PI is linked): Eldon D. Case
Categories: Advanced Ceramic Materials, Biomaterials

Ceramic Membrane Water Filtration Combined with Ozonation

In this research, we are developing a novel ozone and catalytic membrane filtration laboratory scale drinking water treatment system to meet USA-EPA Stage 2 D/DBP regulatory requirements. The work is focused on optimizing the system for catalyst coated performance of membranes to control the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) such as total trihalomethanes and haloacetic acid. Ozonation by-products (OBPs), including aldehydes, ketones and ketoacids, are monitored and their concentrations are found to decrease with the application of ozone and iron oxide coated membrane filtration, as compared to that observed with either ozonation or uncoated ozonation/membrane filtration. A 5 kD MWCO membrane, coated with 40 layers of iron oxide and sintered at 900°C, combined with ozonation (gaseous ozone concentration of 2.5 g/m3) produced permeate water that met the EPA regulatory requirements for TTHMs and HAAs set under Stage 2 D/DBPs Rule and is effective in reducing the concentrations of ozonation by-products formed.

Investigators (PI is linked): Melissa J. Baumann
Categories: Nanomaterials, Biotechnology, Advanced Ceramic Materials