INNOVATIVE SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATED SINGLE-FILAMENT TENSILE ANALYSIS WITH PRECISE FIBER DIAMETER MEASUREMENT AND ENHANCED THROUGHPUT (RPA Pilot / Seed Project)

The Carbon Materials group at the Center for Applied Energy Research is broadly funded to study and develop an extensive portfolio of fibers for lightweighting composites for energy efficiency and fibers for use in thermoelectric devices for energy harvesting. Central to understanding process-structureproperty relationships in fiber development is fiber characterization, particularly single filament tensile analysis. Our current 24 year old tensile testing system is failing. Here, we propose the purchase of a Dia-Stron fibra.stress system. The fibra.stress system not only replaces an aging, soon to fail system, but enhances the accuracy and throughput of our tensile analyses. The fibra.stress system enables automated specimen loading and testing, reducing hands-on person hours by 75% compared to our current system. In addition, it utilizes a Mitutoyo laser for precise diameter measurement of individual filaments, including filament rotation for eccentricity observation. The Carbon Materials group has numerous active collaborations across campus who have expressed interest in the fibra.stress system. As described in the proposal solicitation, replacement equipment can be difficult to purchase on a typical award. Our ability to continue single filament tensile analysis is vital to the continued funding and success of numerous collaborate projects across UK’s campus. With $100,000 cost share committed by CAER, we are requesting $137,621 from the Energy RPA (with requested co-funding consideration from the Materials RPA) to purchase this innovative Dia-Stron fibra.stress system.