EXCEL Scholar: Brian Root ’04 Develops Electrically Insulating Coatings for Possible Use in Nuclear Energy Industry

Marquis Scholar Brian Root ’04 (Benton, Pa.) is developing electrically insulating coatings for possible use in the nuclear energy industry.

A chemical engineering major, Root says the work dovetails with his career plans because “one major consideration after college is graduate school, where I hope to focus on some type of materials area.” The project is being conducted through Lafayette’s EXCEL Scholars program, in which students collaborate with faculty on research while earning a stipend. More than 160 students participate each year, many publishing papers in scholarly journals and/or presenting their research at conferences.

Root is working with Mehmet Uz, professor of chemical engineering. A recipient of grants from NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy, Uz has written numerous technical reports and papers for those agencies, as well as articles in academic publications such as Journal of Nuclear Materials. He has been a frequent researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, where he has collaborated with Lafayette students, and NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

The first part of the study focused on becoming familiar with the right databases, computer programs, equipment, and past research on oxidation behavior of various alloys. Most of the experiments for the project are finished, and the work ahead is comprised primarily of analyzing the data they have obtained.

The project aims to develop and characterize calcium oxide on an alloy called V-4Cr-4Ti, a prime candidate for use in various structural applications, including the first wall structure/blanket of a nuclear reactor.

According to Uz, the first wall will be in contact with liquid lithium coolant on the outside, and electrical conductivity across the wall will lead to certain pressure losses during flow in the magnetic field.

“The rather stringent design criteria for the first wall material include that the coating on it is nonporous, tenacious, able to maintain its structural integrity, and electrically insulating while in use in a liquid lithium environment at temperatures 500-700 degrees centigrade,” he explains.

The goal is to develop such coatings with emphasis on the basic understanding of the thermodynamic conditions and kinetic processes needed to develop stable coatings. The pair is also attempting to perform detailed post-exposure analysis of the surface layers, measure the electrical resistance of the coating, and establish procedures for obtaining reliable and reproducible coatings.

Root believes that Uz and the rest of the professors in the chemical engineering department are excellent.

“They help us a great deal in finding internships and research programs for the summer. They are easily accessible for extra help. Their areas of research and expertise cover a wide range in chemical engineering,” he says.

A member of the Lafayette chapter of American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Root is involved in tutoring, club soccer, and various intramural sports, winning the Turkey Bowling and volleyball tournaments.