| TROY,
N.Y. — Research on a new class of nanostructured materials
used to reduce vibrations in mechanical equipment and
electronic devices, being developed by a team of scientists
at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will be featured
in Nature Materials.
“The nanoscale building blocks
we have developed have both micro and macro applications,”
said Nikhil Koratkar, assistant professor of mechanical,
aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer.
“The new systems reduce and control vibrations within
structures and will benefit the performance, safety,
and reliability of future manufacturing equipment,
sensitive laboratory equipment, and everyday electronic
devices.”
The Rensselaer research team,
led by Koratkar, added carbon nanotube fillers to
traditional vibration reduction materials to enhance
their energy dissipation capability. Adding large
quantities of nanoscale fillers increases the amount
of surface area, and thereby increases frictional
sliding that occurs at the filler-to-filler interface.
The result is a decrease in vibrations.
In 2004, Koratkar received
a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early
Career Development Award (CAREER) to fund the development
of these new materials. Additional Rensselaer researchers
on the project include Pulickel Ajayan, professor
of materials science and engineering; Pawel Keblinksi,
associate professor of materials science and engineering;
and Jonghwan Suhr, a doctoral student in mechanical,
aerospace, and nuclear engineering.
The research is available in
the Nature Materials journal online, and will be published
in an upcoming print edition of the journal.
About Nature Materials
Nature Materials is a monthly multidisciplinary journal
aimed at bringing together cutting-edge research across
the entire spectrum of materials science and engineering.
The journal offers an engaging, informative, and accessible
product including papers of exceptional significance
and quality in a discipline that promises to have
great influence on the development of society in years
to come.
See also NSF Press Release.
About Rensselaer
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824,
is the nation’s oldest technological university. The
school offers degrees in engineering, the sciences,
information technology, architecture, management,
and the humanities and social sciences. Institute
programs serve undergraduates, graduate students,
and working professionals around the world. Rensselaer
faculty are known for pre-eminence in research conducted
in a wide range of research centers that are characterized
by strong industry partnerships. The Institute is
especially well known for its success in the transfer
of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace
so that new discoveries and inventions benefit human
life, protect the environment, and strengthen economic
development.
Contact: Mary Cimo
Phone: (518) 276-6098
E-mail: cimom@rpi.edu
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