thermal_spray (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} thermal_spray) wrote,@ 2006-10-19 19:42:00 |
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Last weekish
October 11, 2006
a. Six successful nickel runs, unfortunately we are only averaging 6-10% efficiency on our coatings. Nathan helped with the first five, Mike with the last nickel coating.
b. One failed yttria run. No powder flow, though the plume turned bright red. Mike helped with this attempt as well. Hopefully I'll upload the table of all spray runs shortly.
October 12, 2006
Today was busy school-wise, so I only worked on the Excel spray file.
October 13, 2006
We had an 8am meeting this morning. From it, I learned we should:
a. Aim for 50-60% efficiency, as this is pretty standard.
b. Buy a computer for the DTA and one for controlling the hoppers.
c. Check the pressure balance line on the hopper which is not feeding yttria. Also try vacuum drying yttria and adding 5 vol% fumed silica to see if that will keep it dry enough to feed.
d. I will propose my thesis in January
I ordered the computers today from Tiger Direct.
October 16, 2006
Today, I disassembled the hopper we were using for yttria. I could not get the powder wheel off and had to completely disassemble the hopper. I ended up taking the motor out. Ultimately, to separate the wheel from the shaft, I had to drive the wheel around with a punch and then beat the shaft out with a rubber mallet, as the bottom plate was held in a vice. The wheel is neither flat nor useable. Someone at some point tried to pry the wheel off with a screwdriver or some other unsuitable pry bar and bent it out of flat. This allowed powder to get behind the wheel and help bind it to the motor shaft. We have ordered a new wheel from Thermach, as well as another hopper kit, which has all the O-rings and felts, which should be kept only for one powder.
I ordered a flat screen monitor for the DTA computer as well.
October 17, 2006
a. We had two successful yttria runs this morning! The coatings aren't thick, but using a flat powder wheel, vacuum drying, and 10 SLPM Ar for carrier gas seemed to work. I'll add it to the spreadsheet and try to upload it soon.
b. The rest of the dy was spent installing the shelves for the thermal analysis room. I have put the controllers and power supplies up on the shelves, freeing up space on the counter for sample preparation. I don't think everything is hooked up properly yet, but I will work on that some more this week.
October 18, 2006
Busy class day, I got nothing done.
October 19, 2006
a. I have set up a factorial experiment to investiate the effects of current, helium flow rate and argon flow rate on the effiency and weight gain on yttria samples. There will be 8 experiments, and I did one this morning, before running out of argon.
b. Ordered more argon.
c. Updated this journal finally
d. Started assembling dilatometer again. I forget a few steps, so I am going to wait until Scott is back in town before finishing.
October 11, 2006
a. Six successful nickel runs, unfortunately we are only averaging 6-10% efficiency on our coatings. Nathan helped with the first five, Mike with the last nickel coating.
b. One failed yttria run. No powder flow, though the plume turned bright red. Mike helped with this attempt as well. Hopefully I'll upload the table of all spray runs shortly.
October 12, 2006
Today was busy school-wise, so I only worked on the Excel spray file.
October 13, 2006
We had an 8am meeting this morning. From it, I learned we should:
a. Aim for 50-60% efficiency, as this is pretty standard.
b. Buy a computer for the DTA and one for controlling the hoppers.
c. Check the pressure balance line on the hopper which is not feeding yttria. Also try vacuum drying yttria and adding 5 vol% fumed silica to see if that will keep it dry enough to feed.
d. I will propose my thesis in January
I ordered the computers today from Tiger Direct.
October 16, 2006
Today, I disassembled the hopper we were using for yttria. I could not get the powder wheel off and had to completely disassemble the hopper. I ended up taking the motor out. Ultimately, to separate the wheel from the shaft, I had to drive the wheel around with a punch and then beat the shaft out with a rubber mallet, as the bottom plate was held in a vice. The wheel is neither flat nor useable. Someone at some point tried to pry the wheel off with a screwdriver or some other unsuitable pry bar and bent it out of flat. This allowed powder to get behind the wheel and help bind it to the motor shaft. We have ordered a new wheel from Thermach, as well as another hopper kit, which has all the O-rings and felts, which should be kept only for one powder.
I ordered a flat screen monitor for the DTA computer as well.
October 17, 2006
a. We had two successful yttria runs this morning! The coatings aren't thick, but using a flat powder wheel, vacuum drying, and 10 SLPM Ar for carrier gas seemed to work. I'll add it to the spreadsheet and try to upload it soon.
b. The rest of the dy was spent installing the shelves for the thermal analysis room. I have put the controllers and power supplies up on the shelves, freeing up space on the counter for sample preparation. I don't think everything is hooked up properly yet, but I will work on that some more this week.
October 18, 2006
Busy class day, I got nothing done.
October 19, 2006
a. I have set up a factorial experiment to investiate the effects of current, helium flow rate and argon flow rate on the effiency and weight gain on yttria samples. There will be 8 experiments, and I did one this morning, before running out of argon.
b. Ordered more argon.
c. Updated this journal finally
d. Started assembling dilatometer again. I forget a few steps, so I am going to wait until Scott is back in town before finishing.
