Tech Researcher Presents Work on Self-Healing Materials

Mountain Mail reports

SOCORRO -- Akshin Bakhtiyarov, a Tech graduate and current Bureau of Geology GIS Technician, was selected to present research at a Department of Homeland Security conference in Washington, D.C. Bakhtiyarov was one of only 20 researchers selected to both display a poster and present his research.
“This is a great opportunity for me to be involved in such a highly regarded group,” he said.
A 2009 graduate with a master’s in mechanical engineering, Bakhtiyarov will present his research titled, “Thermally Activated Self-Healing Pheno-menon in Metal/Metal/Ceramic High Temperature Coating Systems.” The conference was the Fourth Annual U.S. Department of Homeland Security University Network Summit and was from March 10 to 12.
One of his advisors Dr. Nadir Yilmaz said he was not surprised that Bakhtiyarov was selected to present research.
“He has already proven that he’s a good researcher,” Yilmaz said. “This invitation was even more proof. They just chose very high quality research papers and his project was one of the best in his field.”
Bakhtiyarov has found that chromium is a key additive to iron-aluminum alloys that creates a “self-healing” material. His research has practical applications in aerospace applications, where cracked surfaces can be costly and even fatal. He has also found that the addition of specific amounts of chromium will allow manufacturers to design more ductile alloys and coating composites.
Metals can be constructed to be “self-healing” with an outer coating of composite materials. When heated, the outer layer fills cracks, thus extending the life of the base material. Bakhtiyarov said the concept of self-healing materials is inspired by biology and anatomy. He compared the process to the way human skin heals; a scar may form, but the material returns to its original strength.
Bakhtiyarov’s research is a prime example of interdisciplinary study. He started with chemistry, mathematics and physics – examining the base material and devising alloys that would serve as effective coating materials.
After analyzing and modeling how the coating layer would react, he tested the materials in a high-temperature furnace.
He also used wavelength dispersive spectrometry to characterize the materials, examine how the coating fills cracks and to test the resulting strength of the “healed” material.
“The elements we use have to go well with aluminum and other materials,” he said. “The coating layer has to work well with the base material. ”
This project results has been also presented to Boeing engineers in Seattle and also was selected to present at the 2nd Annual International Conference on Self-Healing Materials in Chicago in June 2009. His research has been funded through awards from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and NASA. He has also been named a Chevron Scholar twice, AIAA scholar winner and also NASA EPSCoR scholar winner.

Tech Researcher Presents Work on Self-Healing Materials