DoD Develops Next-Gen, Low-Cost, Multi-functional, Composites for Electromagnetic Shielding

Courtesy Photo | The SMART Scholar SEED Grant Program is sponsored by the SMART Program Office and the Laboratories and Personnel Office under the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. SEED Grant recipients receive research grants up to $100 thousand per year for up to a maximum of three years to help support promising SMART scholars establish a foundational research or engineering effort in their area of expertise as they transition from the pursuit of their Ph.D. to a DoD professional.  

ALEXANDRIA, VA, UNITED STATES

05.10.2022

Courtesy Story

SMART Scholarship Program

Behind every great invention is the base material. These materials are fundamental to the product’s performance and allow them to function optimally. However, what if the materials necessary are not invented? This is often the case with new Department of Defense (DoD) and Space Force technology. SMART scholar and SEED Grant awardee Jacob Monzel, Ph.D., is undertaking a 3-year effort tailoring electro-magnetic properties of composite materials to increase functionality for new DoD and Space Force materials. Jacob will analyze resin processing characteristics, the resulting phases and microstructure, thermal and environmental stability, and electro-magnetic properties during all phases of development. The effort seeks to develop lower cost alternatives to metal components while reducing material weight and improving shielding from electromagnetic sources.

Jacob is building on previous Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) efforts that researched low-cost composite materials that can operate in extreme temperatures and compete with high-performance metals. These composite materials are made with phosphate or cesium geopolymer resins, produced by reacting oxide ceramics under basic or acidic conditions. These oxides dissolve, react, and cure at relatively low temperatures to form glass ceramics.

The first phase of Jacob’s research will focus on investigation of fiber-matrix interactions with previously developed resins and on modifying the resin chemistry. Once several promising resin chemistries are identified, phase 2 will focus on production of short-fiber composites. Phase 3 will focus on fabrication of continuous fiber composites. Follow-on efforts will seek to optimize the material performance by increasing understanding of material properties and degradation mechanisms.

The team is leveraging collaborations with Cornell University and the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, to improve processing and resin properties, and understand structural changes as a function of temperature. Additionally, collaborators from the AFRL electromagnetics team are advising on the project.

Jacob credits his legacy of career mentors, both from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during his Ph.D. pursuit and from AFRL for his success. Jacob says, “During my career as a SMART scholar at Virginia Tech, I was fortunate to have several good mentors. In addition to my two academic advisors, I also had a mentor at AFRL, Tim Pruyn. Together they helped guide me through my Ph.D. and into Air Force employment. I currently rely on several people for guidance at AFRL. Specifically, Klint Simon is helping guide this project. The multi-functional aspect of this work is an area I am less familiar with, and so Klint and others are providing critical guidance.”

The SMART Scholar SEED Grant Program is sponsored by the SMART Program Office and the Laboratories and Personnel Office under the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. SEED Grant recipients receive research grants up to $100 thousand per year for up to a maximum of three years to help support promising SMART scholars establish a foundational research or engineering effort in their area of expertise as they transition from the pursuit of their Ph.D. to a DoD professional. To foster relationships between SEED Grant recipients and established members of the DoD technical workforce, mentors of SEED Grant recipients are eligible for an additional $25 thousand per year to support close engagement and collaboration with their SEED Grant mentee.

• Date Taken: 05.10.2022
• Date Posted: 05.10.2022 08:32
• Story ID: 420327
• Location: ALEXANDRIA, VA, US