INNOVATION DAY 2023 | materials science & engineering

Capstone instructor

Mano Misra

The 2023 Senior Capstone course in materials science and engineering was taught by Mano Misra. To learn more about the materials science and engineering projects, please email Mano Misra.

About the department

Our undergraduate programs offer you the opportunity to work closely with our research-active faculty. Small class sizes and undergraduate research opportunities help you get to know your professors and provide opportunities to get hands-on research experience. We offer Nevada's only undergraduate degree program in chemical engineering and materials science and engineering. Visit the Department of Chemical & Materials Science Engineering.

Explore the projects

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MSE-1 Design of Glass Matrix Composition for Vitrification and Safe Storage of High-Level Nuclear Waste at Hanford Site
External advisor: Krista Carlson, UNR College of Engineering, Chemical & Materials Engineering Department

Students: Sydney Fields, Jake Kattelman, Harmony Werth

At the Hanford Site in Washington state, there are approximately 56 million gallons of nuclear waste stored in underground containers. Without further processing, those nuclear materials are at risk of escaping into the surrounding environment. This project will design a glassy matrix composition for vitrification of Cesium-137 to limit the leaching of radioactive material while minimizing the waste volume. The design also will include parameters for the storage containers in which the vitrified waste will be placed, including the details of the site where the waste will be stored. The environmental, economic and ethical aspects of the proposed design will be fully described in order to investigate the ramifications of our nuclear waste vitrification and storage solution.
MSE-2 Development of High-Performance, Hypersonic Alloys for Military and Aerospace Applications
Students: Evan Burke, Briana Meyer, Diarra Morgan,

The project involves developing a material that has the ability to be attached to a missile and travel at hypersonic speeds. We must describe in-depth the background of hypersonic missiles, the creation and characteristics of our chosen material (SiC), including how it is fabricated and manufactured, as well as the cost and safety aspects.
MSE-3 Recycling of EV Batteries — A Sustainable Design
Students: Zachary Futch, Teague Morrissey, Cameron Tucker

Electric vehicles have started gaining popularity in global markets. In the United States, many car manufacturers have joined the EV excitement, with many electric vehicles coming out this year. With states like California, Oregon and Washington additionally putting in place regulations to require all new car sales to be electric vehicles by 2035, this could cause problems related to the supply of raw materials needed for EVs. Focusing on EV lithium-ion batteries, the precious materials involved include lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper. With over three quarters of these EV battery materials coming overseas from China, the U.S. needs to quickly find an alternative to help reduce the import costs of raw materials. The alternative that many companies are looking at is recycling these expensive materials from old EV batteries. Recycling EV batteries not only gets car manufacturers the materials they need to continue building new EV cars, but it also cuts down on the waste that is produced from old batteries. With the explosion of EV cars in the market, the necessity for all these rare earth metals is putting pressure on the recycling process to become more efficient as well as becoming more cost-effective.