Three Argonne researchers will discuss their Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) sponsored work at the LDRD Seminar Series presentation Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019, at 12:30 p.m. in Building 212, Room A157. All are welcome to attend.
Visit the LDRD website to view upcoming seminars.
Vineeth Kumar Gattu
“Failure of Implanted Medical Devices,” by Postdoctoral Researcher Vineeth Gattu (CFC)
Abstract
Various alloy materials developed for medical applications as either biodegradable devices such as stents and surgical wire or bio-durable materials used for orthopedic or dental implants often fail prematurely. Better methods are needed to evaluate in vivo performance of these material. The methods currently used to develop these materials are not conducted under redox conditions that represent the biological environments for which the materials are intended. We have developed an electrochemical testing protocol and degradation model that can be applied to directly measure the performance of both biodegradable and bio-durable materials under the full range of biological conditions that could occur during service life. Key aspects of corrosion that are addressed by the method and representative results will be discussed.
Biography
Vineeth Kumar Gattu is a postdoctoral researcher in the Chemical and Fuel Cycle Technologies division. He formulates, fabricates and conducts electrochemical and corrosion tests with multiphase and single-phase alloy, alloy/oxide and semiconductor materials. He has developed an electrochemical method to formulate and measure the performance of single and multiphase materials under controlled solution redox conditions. Upon identifying the industry needs, he leveraged the expertise gained working with multiphase alloy waste forms to research the corrosion behavior of medical devices.
Gattu specializes in the metallurgy, electrochemistry and corrosion behavior of nuclear fuel cladding and waste forms, steel-based multiphase materials, alloy/oxide composites and orthopedic biomaterials. He is currently pursuing data science at Northwestern University. He holds a Ph.D. in materials engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a B.Tech in metallurgical and materials engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, India.
Eugene Y. Yan
“Energy-Water Nexus: Integrated Water and Power Systems Assessment,” by Principal Scientist Eugene Yan (EVS)
Abstract
Energy and water systems are intrinsically interconnected. The future growth in energy/water demand, increase in climate extremes, rapidly evolving technologies and changing policy exacerbate energy-water systems interactions, complexity and uncertainty. The assessment of the energy-water nexus is challenged by dynamic interdependency, multiple interactions, a wide range of scales across multiple sectors and various physical processes and human activities. To address this challenge, the Integrated Water-Energy Systems Assessment Framework (IWESAF) is being developed to integrate multiple existing and new modeling tools for various systems and processes (e.g., hydrologic system, thermal riverine regime, thermoelectricity plant cooling process, hydropower and reservoir system and power grid system). The IWESAF can facilitate the interaction among the modeling systems and provide insights of the sustainability and resilience of the energy-water system under extreme climate events and economic consequence. The regional case demonstration in the Midwest region will be presented. The project team includes co-investigators: Getnet Betrie, Vinor Mahat, Alissa Jared (EVS) and Vladimir Koritarov, Matthew Mahalik, Zhi Zhou, Thomas Veselka, Feng Qiu and May Wu (ES).
Biography
Eugene Yan is a principal scientist in the Environmental Sciences division and also a Senior Fellow at the Northwestern-Argonne Institute of Science and Engineering. His recent research focus areas include energy-water nexus, hydrologic extremes and their impacts on energy, infrastructure, and urban system, extreme value theory, hydrologic system analysis and environmental restoration.
Jake C. Zappala
“Calibrating Atom Trap Trace Analysis for Nuclear Data Research,” by Postdoctoral Appointee Jake Zappala (PHY)
Abstract
Atom trap trace analysis (ATTA) is a technique for trapping and detecting extremely rare noble gas isotopes using laser light. It is regularly applied to analysis of groundwater samples to determine groundwater “ages” with impact in fields such as water resource management and climate history research. In this project, we aim to apply the ATTA method toward measuring nuclear properties and cross sections of noble gas isotopes. These applications require absolute calibration of ATTA’s isotopic abundance sensitivity, unlike in groundwater research where only relative measurements are required. We will describe the calibration method and several nuclear data research applications.
Biography
Jake C. Zappala is a postdoctoral appointee at the Trace Radioisotope Analysis Center (TRACER) in the Physics division, where he continues to develop the Atom Trap Trace Analysis (ATTA) technique for both existing and novel applications. Zappala received his Ph.D. in 2017 from the University of Chicago where he was awarded the Winstein Prize for outstanding work in instrumentation. His work has helped to advanced radiokrypton dating through the ATTA technique by, for example, setting a new upper limit on anthropogenic 81Kr contributions to the atmosphere and developing a rapid-processing method for 85Kr-dating.