This is a past event.

Materials Science and Engineering Seminar

Casey Sundberg

PhD Candidate, Materials Science and Engineering
Michigan Technological University

1–1:20 p.m.

Abstract

This seminar discusses the high-temperature plastic deformation characteristics of alkali activated cement (AAC). The AACs discussed in this seminar are inorganic sodium aluminosilicate polymers with an amorphous crosslinked network microstructure composed of silicon and aluminum connected by oxygen bridges and sodium ions charge-balancing aluminum atoms. AACs can be used in place of portland cement in concrete and have beneficial high-temperature properties. One benefit of AACs is that they are plastic at high temperatures. This research posits that the high-temperature load-bearing capacity in the plastic region increases with increasing silica content due to an increase in oxygen bridge crosslinking. To determine if this is true hot compression tests were carried out on samples with varying compositions, and their viscosities were measured. Changes in crosslinking with composition were measured using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The changes in oxygen bridge crosslinking were then compared to changes in viscosity.

Bio

Casey is a PhD candidate under the advisement of Dr. Sutter and Dr. Sanders. He is from Duluth, MN, and received his BS in mechanical engineering in 2015 and his MS in Civil Engineering in 2018, both from the University of Minnesota Duluth. He is a member of various professional organizations, including the American Concrete Institute where he has presented his previous research on AACs at four national conferences and is a member of several committees. He has also presented his previous work at a national conference of the American Nuclear Society, of which he is an Executive Committee member, along with an accompanying conference proceedings paper. He has also taught Statics and Mechanics of Materials at UMD and has been a Researcher performing research on other cement and concrete materials. He enjoys interdisciplinary collaboration, but his primary focus is on materials science and engineering.