Millersville’s Atwater Scores NSF Grant

Millersville University students from applied engineering, safety & technology; chemistry and physics will soon be working together on nanotechnology projects, thanks to the efforts of Millersville University’s Dr. Mark Atwater. The assistant professor of applied engineering, safety & technology was awarded a $502,420 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to pursue researching the use of nanotechnology on metal foams.

The grant, which spans five years, is entitled “CAREER: New Solid State Metal Foams Using Oxide Reduction and Intraparticle Expansion.” Work under the grant will begin in June.

The NSF explains that a “Career grant” –is targeted for “…faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.”

Atwater has been researching how nanostructured metals can be used in different applications since he began his Ph.D. studies at North Carolina State University in Materials Science and Engineering.

The NSF grant is Atwater’s third grant project.  In October he received a five-year grant from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground to further study nanostructured metals, including high-entropy alloys and thermoelectrics. The new CAREER grant is based on work first established in conjunction with Army researchers and will complement existing efforts.

“Oxides can inadvertently get into metals during processing,” explained Atwater. “I have been working on how to control it and ways to benefit from it.  The Army is interested because they want lightweight, strong materials for applications such as air and ground vehicles.”

In addition, Atwater is working on a research project to grow carbon nanofibers. The application of these unique foams may benefit the catalytic process used in that work and allow for overall cost reduction. That work is also funded through NSF until August of 2017.

“Metallic foams and porous metal structures are valuable because they are strong for their weight, can absorb impact energy and allow for efficient heat transfer,” said Atwater.  “We first observed this new foaming mechanism in copper, and the new NSF grant will allow us to explore other metals, including nickel.”

There is a significant educational component to the grant including funding for two undergraduates and one graduate assistant (G.A.).  Laura Guevara, a senior chemistry major, has been working with Atwater and will be the G.A. on the project when she graduates in May. “I’ve always been interested in chemistry but I never imagined I’d be able to do this type of research at Millersville.  I started my undergraduate work at Penn State, but it wasn’t a good fit. This has been amazing for me,” said Guevara, a Cocalico High School graduate.

Expanding the undergraduate nanofabrication option in applied engineering and developing additional programs, including a graduate offering, are on the radar for Atwater. “An opportunity for graduate study where we collaborate with other departments could really boost our enrollment potential and bring new opportunities to Millersville,” said Atwater.

“We would also like to connect with local or regional businesses,” said Atwater. “The ramifications of being able to produce strong, lightweight materials out of a variety of metals could be helpful for any number of businesses. We would like to encourage companies to partner with us at Millersville.”