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Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael Cullinan
Graduate Mentor: Ang Gao
Department: Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering
Research Group Website: https://ndml.me.utexas.edu
May 2025 - Present
Undergraduate Researcher
Developing resin formulations with embedded ZnSe and Alumina nanoparticles for DLP printing
Developed an Arduino-based control system for dual MFC-controlled burnout regulator
Investigation of different nanoparticle size combinations to yield maximum packing density in printable resins
Study of thermal degradation and pyrolysis of ceramic green parts with controlled oxygen partial pressure
Preparing ZnSe nanoparticles and micron-sized particles by top-down methods
ZnSe Nanoparticle–Infused Resin Printing for IR-Transparent Optics
Stepwise fabrication procedure
Oxygen Control
To reliably remove organic constituents without oxidizing ZnSe, an Arduino-controlled dual-MFC setup (O₂(Air)/N₂) was deployed. The controller actuates the two MFCs to prescribe the oxygen mole fraction and independently set the overall volumetric flow, enabling low-O₂ thermo-oxidative burnout under controlled residence time and sweep conditions.
DLP Printing
The DLP printing step presented several challenges, including time-consuming setup for each resin, large required resin volumes, high drag from large cross-sectional area, and dimensional inaccuracy from vat instability. These issues were addressed through resin formulation optimization and modifications to the printer, build plate, and vat geometry.
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