[ag44488]

Hi, I'm currently doing a short University cycle, and I'd like to make my thesis on the subject of materials, something along the lines of eutectic alloys or something alike. First off, I'd like to start from an interesting application for them and work my way up to a microstructure comparison between similar materials and point out the benefits or disadvantages that they could present or synthesize it in the lab (not metal alloys, since we don't have a furnace that can reach above 500ºC)

The catchy part is I need a subject that is compatible with the current lab equipment we have, which is: Scpectofotometer UV/visible, an IR, Chromatograph of gases, flame photometer, Spectrometer of atomic absorption and I think that's it.

Thank you!

[Enthalpy]

Welcome, ag44488!

Store hydrogen, release at will. The result, including "doesn't work", interests people.
http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/79128-alloys-to-store-hydrogen/
- Try alloys that are abnormally light, bell bronze, invar...
- Try magnetosctrictive materials.
- Try shape-memory alloys.

Coat lithium with something waterproof so it can serve as a float deep in the Ocean
http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/85991-bathyscaphe-float/#entry834413
looks bizarre, but other methods work badly. This one seems more reliable, and bathyscaphes are much in demand right now. Since Ni and Ni+Co coatings aren't done on Li up to now, this is more chemistry than metal technology. At least AlH₃ pellets have already been coated with thin metal to use as a solid rocket fuel, paper at an AAAF meeting.

[ag44488]

Thanks for the suggestions! It's extremely interesting, specially the coating with lithium. But in this "project" we have do it on something feasible with the equipment we have in our lab, so it wouldn't be possible to test its effectiveness in the field, we have to create it or test its different properties in the lab, with our own equipment. I'm inclined to do something with materials, such as an alloy of Bismuth with tin, which would be pretty easy to do since its melting point is fairly low although I haven't been able to find any applications for it. I would love to know what you think of it, and if you could help me out in any way I would appreciate it immensely since its clear that you have extended knowledge in chemistry. Thanks!