Rayva Abhay Ranade
Mechanical engineering
Hometown: Mountain View, California, United States
Graduation date: Spring 2022
FURI | Spring 2022
Sample Preparation and Microstructure Characterization of Novel Ceramic Matrix Composites
Accurate assessment of the performance of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) requires capturing inherent manufacturing-induced flaws including defects, voids, and pre-existing cracks. Comprehensive microstructure characterization along with uncertainty quantification are necessary to generate representative volume elements (RVEs) suitable for high-fidelity physics-based multiscale predictive models. Therefore, the objective of this research is to construct a dictionary of high-resolution micrographs to train a deep learning (DL) framework capable of generating such experimentally informed RVEs. These models will be used for material properties homogenization, as well as damage initiation and localization. In this work, CMC samples are cut using a low-speed diamond wafering blade, cold mounted onto an epoxy resin, and subsequently polished using a series of Struers polishing disks, each with a successively smaller grit size (from 30 𝜇m down to 0.04 𝜇m). A multiscale material characterization study is then performed using confocal microscopy with high resolution and variable magnifications. Acquiring high-fidelity micrographs is found to be challenging and quite heavily dependent on the nuances of the equipment utilized.
Mentor: Aditi Chattopadhyay
It’s hip to be square.
Students presenting projects at the Fulton Forge Student Research Expo are encouraged to download this personal QR code and include it within your poster. This allows expo attendees to explore more about your project and about you in the future.
Right click the image to save it to your computer.