Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

12-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Dr. Rogelio Benitez

Second Advisor

Dr. Horacio Vasquez

Third Advisor

Dr. Javier Ortega

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop polymer-derived Copper (II) Oxide (CuO) nanofibers through centrifugal spinning technique and subsequent calcining. To obtain the force spun pre-ceramic copper acetate nanofibers, 15% wt, 25% wt, 35% wt, 50% wt% copper acetate (active material) and poly (vinyl) alcohol ( PVA) solutions was prepared with deionized water (DI) as solvent and spun at 7500 rpm in a FibeRio Cyclone. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was implemented to determine the thermal degradation behavior of the pre-ceramic nanofibers. These nanofibers were then calcined at three different temperatures (500, 600 and 700°C) to produce CuO nanofibers. The microstructure, morphology, fiber diameter, and purity of the heat-treated nanofibers was studied through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. SEM micrographs show that the spun pre-ceramic fibers are smooth while the calcinated fibers have a rough surface appearance. The fiber’s diameters exhibit a wide range of values (200 – 1000 nm) with the smaller diameters observed for calcinated fibers obtained at the highest temperature (700°C). The Cu:O ratio was determined through EDS analysis, obtaining a ratio of 1:1 and the XRD diffraction analysis confirm the presence of CuO in the calcined fibers.

Comments

Copyright 2021 Shishir Barai. All Rights Reserved.

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