Week 7:


     This week we had a large setback in our design of the table top tensile strength tester.  We found that after using weights from 50-500 grams that most of the voltage results were exactly the same.  This is because the load cell is meant for a minimum 130 grams and the voltmeter does not have a more accurate result other than one decimal place.  In order to create this strength tester we would need much more sophisticated equipment to get usable results because the electrospun fibers will not put up that much resistance.  So after that had been decided, our new task is to continue creating the tensile strength tester, but instead use it as a demo with string or some other type of material like string.  We are to show that we did create a system to do the job, and that with the proper equipment it can test the strength of fibers also.
     In the Materials Science lab, the polyethylene fiber compound has been spun.  The polyethylene and 1% carbon black compound and the polyethylene and 9% carbon black have also been spun.  Next week the mixtures containing 3% and 6% carbon black will also be electrospun.  Once the fibers are finished spinning, they will be tested using Kawabata machine due to the load cell and voltmeter being used for the table top tensile strength tester.