DTIC AD1001064: Acquisition of an Instron Electropuls E3000 Instrument for Mechanical Testing

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5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER
106012

5e. TASK NUMBER

5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER

12. DISTRIBUTION AVAIL1BILITY STATEMENT
Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited

13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not contrued as an official Department
of the Army position, policy or decision, unless so designated by other documentation.

14. ABSTRACT

This award was used to acquire an Instron ElectroPuls E3000 (EP) for Mechanical Testing. This is an
electrodynamic instrument for slow static tests and high-frequency dynamic fatigue testing for materials such as
polymers, nanocomposites, metals for microelectronics, and soft materials. It can be used to perform tests such a
tensile, compressive, fracture, fatigue, and flexural in a large range of materials and components, and a variety of
environmental conditions. The accessories include an environmental chamber for fatigue testing in air to

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15. SUBJECT TERMS
Mechanical testing, Instron, Electropuls

17. LIMITATION OF 115. NUMBER
ABSTRACT OF PAGES

UU

Standard Fonn 298 (Rev 8/98)
Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18

19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON

Barbara Calcagno _

19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER
787-413-2325

16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF:

a. REPORT

b. ABSTRACT

c. THIS PAGE

UU

UU

UU

7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAMES AND ADDRESSES

University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
R & D Center
Call Box 9000

Mayaguez, PR _ 00681 -9000 _

9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS
(ES)

U.S. Army Research Office
P.O.Box 12211

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT
NUMBER

10. SPONSOR/MONITOR'S ACRONYM(S)
ARO

11. SPONSOR/MONITOR'S REPORT
NUMBER(S)

64688-MS-REP. 1

5d. PROJECT NUMBER

3. DATES COVERED (From - To)
12-Feb-2014 - 11-Feb-2015

5a. CONTRACT NUMBER

W91 INF-14-1-0089 _

5b. GRANT NUMBER

2. REPORT TYPE

Final Report

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Final Report: Acquisition of an Instron Electropuls E3000
Instrument for Mechanical Testing

6. AUTHORS
Barbara O. Calcagno

1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY)
17-04-2015

Report Title

Final Report: Acquisition of an Instron Electropuls E3000 Instrument for Mechanical Testing

ABSTRACT

This award was used to acquire an Instron ElectroPuls E3000 (EP) for Mechanical Testing. This is an electrodynamic instrument for slow
static tests and high-frequency dynamic fatigue testing for materials such as polymers, nanocomposites, metals for microelectronics, and soft
materials. It can be used to perform tests such a tensile, compressive, fracture, fatigue, and flexural in a large range of materials and
components, and a variety of environmental conditions. The accessories include an environmental chamber for fatigue testing in air to
temperatures up to 350°C, a liquid nitrogen cooling unit for tests to temperature down to -100°C, and a bio-bath for the testing of hydrogels,
biological tissues, polymer films, and metals in a temperature range from ambient to 40°C. A standard video extensometer and software to
measure strains at micro-level without specimen contact are also included in the system. The installation of the system at the Soft Matter
Characterization Laboratory located in the Chemical Engineering building was completed in January 2015. Basic and advanced training
ended in March 2015. The EP will support research in nanotechnology, materials science and engineering, and bioengineering the
Departments of Chemical, General, and Mechanical Engineering, and Chemistry as well.

Enter List of papers submitted or published that acknowledge ARO support from the start of
the project to the date of this printing. List the papers, including journal references, in the
following categories:

(a) Papers published in peer-reviewed journals (N/A for none)

Received Paper

TOTAL:

Number of Papers published in peer-reviewed journals:

(b) Papers published in non-peer-reviewed journals (N/A for none)

Received Paper

TOTAL:

Number of Papers published in non peer-reviewed journals:

(c) Presentations

Number of Presentations: 0.00

Non Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceeding publications (other than abstracts):

Received Paper

TOTAL:

Number of Non Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceeding publications (other than abstracts):

Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceeding publications (other than abstracts):

Received Paper

TOTAL:

Number of Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceeding publications (other than abstracts):

(d) Manuscripts

Received Paper

TOTAL:

Number of Manuscripts:

Books

Received

TOTAL:

Received

TOTAL:

Patents Submitted

Patents Awarded

Awards

Graduate Students

NAME

PERCENT SUPPORTED

FTE Equivalent:

Total Number:

Names of Post Doctorates

NAME

PERCENT SUPPORTED

FTE Equivalent:

Total Number:

Names of Faculty Supported

NAME

PERCENT SUPPORTED

FTE Equivalent:

Total Number:

Names of Under Graduate students supported

NAME

PERCENT SUPPORTED

FTE Equivalent:

Total Number:

Student Metrics

This section only applies to graduating undergraduates supported by this agreement in this reporting period

The number of undergraduates funded by this agreement who graduated during this period:. 0.00

The number of undergraduates funded by this agreement who graduated during this period with a degree in

science, mathematics, engineering, or technology fields:.0.00

The number of undergraduates funded by your agreement who graduated during this period and will continue

to pursue a graduate or Ph.D. degree in science, mathematics, engineering, or technology fields:.0.00

Number of graduating undergraduates who achieved a 3.5 GPA to 4.0 (4.0 max scale):.0.00

Number of graduating undergraduates funded by a DoD funded Center of Excellence grant for

Education, Research and Engineering:. o.OO

The number of undergraduates funded by your agreement who graduated during this period and intend to work

for the Department of Defense.0.00

The number of undergraduates funded by your agreement who graduated during this period and will receive

scholarships or fellowships for further studies in science, mathematics, engineering or technology fields:.0.00

Names of Personnel receiving masters degrees

NAME

Total Number:

Names of personnel receiving PHDs

NAME

Total Number:

Names of other research staff

NAME

PERCENT SUPPORTED

FTE Equivalent:

Total Number:

Sub Contractors (DD882)

Inventions (DD882)

See Attachment

Scientific Progress
Technology Transfer

SUMMARY

The acquisition of the ElectroPuls E3000 is fundamental for the development of novel materials
at UPRM in structural and bioengineering applications as well. As stated in the proposal, 7 research
projects of faculty members from the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering,
General Engineering, and Chemistry at UPRM will immediately benefit from the acquisition. These
ongoing research projects require determination of mechanical properties of a wide variety of materials
under demanding ambient conditions. Based on this base user group it is estimated that more than 9
graduate students, 15 undergraduate students, and 2 high/middle school teachers, will benefit immediately
from the acquisition of the EP. The Instron ElectroPuls E3000 Instrument for Mechanical Testing, will
allow room for expansion of research interests and collaboration with other researchers interested in
mechanical behavior in general, as well as the particular applications listed below.

The projects that have priority in the use of the equipment are:

Development and Testing of Magneto-Thermally Healable Polymer Nanocomposites for
Structural Applications; B.O. Calcagno (Department of General Engineering).

Composite Liquid Crystalline Elastomers for Sensing Applications; A. Acevedo, B.O. Calcagno
(Departments of Chemical and General Engineering).

Fabrication of Wires Treated with Diboride Nanoparticles; O.M. Suarez (Department of General
Engineering).

Solder Based Nanomanufacturing Using Three Dimensional Nanotemplates; R. Valentin
(Department of Mechanical Engineering).

Bone Regeneration using Biomimetic Peptide-Hydrogel Scaffolds; J. E. Ramirez-Vick
(Department of General Engineering).

Dynamic strain response of Type I collagen fascicles under cyclic loading; P. Sundaram
(Department of Mechanical Engineering).

Factors Influencing Formation or Inhibition of Protein Amyloid Fibrils in Hydrogels; S.P.
Hernandez-Rivera (Chemistry Department).

Summary of On-going tests

Composite Liquid Crystalline Elastomers for Sensing Applications (one graduate student, one
undergraduate student)

Liquid crystalline polymers and their elastomers are structurally anisotropic materials capable of changing
their mechanical and optical properties, amongst others, when exposed to applied external fields (flow,
electric or magnetic) or due to molecular binding events at their interfaces. Responsive composite LCEs
with chemically functionalized magnetic nano-particles have been created (MLCE). Their dynamic
response to an external magnetic field is been investigated to find the coupling amongst internal structure
and mechanical performance, which provides information on particle-matrix compatibility and adhesion,
orientation, dispersion, and stress propagation mechanisms. Mechanical properties of these novel
materials are been determined using dynamic and tension tests with a video measurement system for
accurate determination of strains. (See Fig. 1 and 2)

Figure 1. Stress-strain curves for neat LCE, and
MLCE with 0.5w/o with stress applied along the
director (n), and for neat LCE with stress applied
perpendicular to the director. Young moduli for
all of them are included in the graph.

200 -

-

t LCE neat, extension parallel to n

180 -

MLCE 0 5 wt% extension parallel to n

-tr- LCE neat, extension perpendicular to n

160 -

j

140 -

Strain rate a 1 mm/min

I Ambient temperature

120-!

Young's moduli:

# LCE neat, 108 3 kPa

MLCE 0 5 wt%. 382 73 kPa

100 -

LCE perpendicular

extension to the director. 18.57 kPa

80-

J

■ /

60 A

J M

a m j*

$ M

40-

J / j#**

I §

20 “

y

0 -

1.

2 .

3.

4.

5.

6 .
7.

LCE neat

MLCE 0.5 wt% particle loading

Figure 2. Creep curves for LCE neat and MLCE with 0.5w/o particle loading at various stresses applied
along the director.

Dynamic strain response of Type I collagen fascicles under cyclic loading (One undergraduate student)
The goal of this project is to determine the strain response of collagen in the form of Type I fascicles
obtained from rat-tail tendons under dynamic loading conditions. A controlled tensile sinusoidal load
function will be applied to sample fascicles and the corresponding strain response will be measured over a
frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 2.5 Hz which covers the physiological range of many cyclic human
activities. The viscoelastic behavior of the fascicles under sinusoidal tensile loading will be characterized
in terms of models developed specifically to explain the observed results.

Fatigue tests of fascicles from rat-tail tendons have been done under load control (0.4 ± 0.3 N) at 0.5, 1,
2.5 and 5 Hz (see Fig. 3)

Figure 3. Snapshot of an ongoing fatigue test at 2.5 Hz.

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ElectroPuls E3000 All-Electric Dynamic Test Instrument, Dell Precision T3400
PC, 19” flat screen monitor. Includes load frame, linear motor, displacement and
force transducer set, advanced digital controller and Console software,
WaveMatrix Software for Fatigue Testing and Bluehill Materials Software for
Static Testing. It has a dynamic capacity of 3kN and 2,100 N static capacity, and
Two Self-identifying Load Cell (250 N & 10 N). On-site hardware installation,
and training, ASTM Load Cell Calibration, and Displacement and Speed
Calibration Post Installation Sales Engineer Visit

$122,000

High stiffness support table, and Safety guard made of polycarbonate .

$8,290

Pneumatic grips and fixtures (ambient temperature): (1) ±3 kN pneumatic
fatigue-rated wedge action grips; (1) fatigue adaptors to use these grips with the
250 N load cell; (1) flat serrated jaw faces 25 mm wide for flat specimens; (1) vee
jaw faces for round specimens; (1) pneumatic air kit to control the pneumatic
grips; (2) compression anvil (10k N); (1) Dynamic extensometer for direct strain
measurement; (1) Flexure fixture, 3-point bend, capacity 5 kN; (1) Thin film grips
and adaptors; (1) Fiber clamps; (1) Wire snubbing grip

$22,580

BioPuls Bath and Accessories for use with distilled water or saline solution with
accurate control of bath temperature at 37°C. Submersible grips and compression
platens (250N).

$20,000

Environmental Temperature chamber supplied with digital temperature controller,
observation window, removable wedges with temperature range from ambient to
350°C. Cooling module with a temperature range down to -100°C.

$22,000

Manual Fatigue grips for use inside temperature chamber (3kN, 250°C)

$15,800

Video Extensometer and BlueHill software with mounting brackets. Includes a
Firewire digital camera, electronics, and accesories

$26,000

Fracture Mechanics grips and software (3kN capacity)

$17,800

Total Equipment Cost

$254,470

One day of advanced training (8 hours)

$1,755

Installation cost for upgrade of facilities (compressed air)

$483.93

Total Project Cost

$256,708.93

Figure 4. Images showing the Instron ElectroPuls E3000