[johnnyjohn993123]

Hi ! I was wondering if you guys can lend me some help regading how to choose a research topic.Im really into materials science , analytical chem and anything that has to do with metals. Nevertheless, I really wanted to help this unending problem about CO2. 

[Enthalpy]

Hi,

You mean the dioxide emissions in the atmosphere? That's a badly difficult topic because of the amounts and costs. No-one has solved it despite many people try. Don't choose that if you need a useful result within a finite time.

Similar query here and there, I put a bunch of suggestions
http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=82372.0
http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=74244.msg269878#msg269878
which don't necessarily relate with your wishes, so please sort out.

"Anything" that has to do with metals... but within chemistry or not?

Mechanical engineers would badly need a theory, model, explanation, or just a list... something that predicts if two alloys will gall when rubbing against an other. All books and courses tell "use different alloys", they are all damned wrong, all engineers botch their designs because of that. That I know, only two (2 = 1 + 1) teams have made measures, everyone else makes wrong and unsubstantiated claims. Room for useful research here.

Hydrogen storage - no idea if it works
http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/79128-alloys-to-store-hydrogen/

Predict melting points. No theory, model, software works up to now: they're 50K or 100K wrong. I'd be pleased with just alkanes and saturated amines, other people have more varied needs.

Good electric contacts on aluminium wires. Aeroplanes still use heavy copper wires because they mistrust the contacts. Suggestions there, message #60
http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/82314-better-black-boxes-on-airliners/page-3#entry884494
work has already been done for high-voltage lines but not for aeroplanes. Very strong need.

Electric insulation by vacuum. It may be a matter of electrode materials, but in the absence of a working theory, the topic is open. Vacuum serves in high-voltage components for 2-3 decades so some theory would be nice, to make predictions, improvements...

Would you tell us how difficult and long the research shall be, what kind of lab and money you have? Backyard, PhD, other?

[johnnyjohn993123]

Its an undergraduate study.

[Enthalpy]

I'd like someone to try a bunch of rocket fuels: check how easy synthesis is, measure cleanly the heat of formation, the density, the flash point and melting point and more, search for eutectics. From really easy (diazetidylcyclopropane, triazafarnesane) to difficult (dispiropentyl). I suggest a list in case you're interested, but it's not exactly what you asked.

Materials science: do you mean polymers, or alloys too? Because a third (!) study about alloy's galling would be really useful to mechanical engineers. You won't probably find a working theory about galling, but just more experimental data and a set of curves that show "no correlation with hardness, with pairing, but maybe with the atomic composition and with the oxide layer" would already be a progress, so you'll have something to show at the end.

Metals: in metallic form, as alloys, or any compound like catalysts? Hydrogen storage in shape memory alloys, magnetostrictive alloys and abnormally light alloys is worth a try. "Doesn't work" is just as acceptable an answer as "works" or "not interesting", so again you'll have something to tell at the end. It's a contribution to lower CO₂ emissions too. Experiments with H₂ under pressure are dangerous.

Vacuum insulation and electric contacts on aluminium wires look too difficult. Later maybe?

Deposit a metallic layer on lithium against corrosion in seawater, to make bathyscaphe floats. Not easy, a bit dangerous, result not guaranteed. It sound a bit exotic, but I believe it's the best possible float, and there is a real demand right now for deep-sea exploration. This can bring you to your future job.

Distill silver from recycled alloys. That would save energy over other processes, and the need exists. Needs refractory vessels. Here too, you should have something to tell at the end.

How much time do you have?

[johnnyjohn993123]

Hi man!! Thank you for suggesting alot of research topics,  I'm a Chemistry major if you didnt know. As for time I have to finished  the research by  2 yrs I have to admit it makes me so confusing to choose-- you have alot of option lay out in front of me--its inspiring yet scary haha!

[kriggy]

This makes me wonder... Is some experimental work involved in this project? Because then I doubt you can choose anything you want but you will be limited by equipment you have at uni and by having someone to supervise you.. Or am I wrong? This question actualy appeared many times here so I wonder how those projects work?

[johnnyjohn993123]

This makes me wonder... Is some experimental work involved in this project? Because then I doubt you can choose anything you want but you will be limited by equipment you have at uni and by having someone to supervise you.. Or am I wrong? This question actualy appeared many times here so I wonder how those projects work?

Well they kinda helped us choose a topic inline with our advisers my research adviser suggested things about super hydrophobic particles(nano things I believe) from egg shells. Photocatalytic thingy where hydroxapetite  and a metal doing some thing haha idk.. And yes  experimental work would be they key in proving our research is valid.

[Enthalpy]

I've put an update to the bathyscaphe float made of covered lithium, there:
http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/85991-bathyscaphe-float/#entry933315
it doesn't look very difficult, would be research for good and not "as if", would have real uses, and the proper time to do it is right now.

[Enthalpy]

Johnnyjohn asked me over a personal message whether doping hydroxyapatite to achieve photocatalytic activity with visible light instead of UV is a good research project...

While I have some understanding of crystals and light absorption, catalysis and chemistry are out of my scope, so I hope Johnnyjohn will get better answers from the public discussion here.

Google gives 80,000 hits with
hydroxyapatite photocatalyst
so the topic is fashionable rather than new. And, yes, many groups already research "doping" of apatite to make it active with visible light. So in the balance between probable results and innovation, the cursor seems on the safe side here. I'd call it "reproduce published results" more than "research".

"Doping" means here up to 10% of Ca replaced by Ti, Fe... rather than 0.1ppb to 0.1% in silicon. In such proportion, the "dopant" changes the bands and narrows the gap (towards the energy of visible light), rather than introducing individual levels and charge carriers. It also kills the minority carriers' lifetime, but since these catalysts are amorphous sponges or colloids rather than big single-crystals, it doesn't matter.

----------

What do the chemists here think of my suggestion to coat lithium for use as floats in seawater? My gut feeling is that it's rather simple, and nevertheless it's new and useful.

[Enthalpy]

Since the bathyscaphe float has become chemistry as I want it of lithium now, I've opened a discussion here
http://www.chemicalforums.com/index.php?topic=87021
making it easier for the chemists to jump in.

[johnnyjohn993123]

What about using Perovskite as another degradating compound  for certain dyes? Using again light. Example BiFeO₃ .. this was suggested by my research adviser.

[Enthalpy]

59,000 Google hits too with
perovskite photocatalyst
including
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25532834
"A review on visible light active perovskite-based photocatalysts" in 2014

It depends on what you call "research" and how much innovative you want to be. This second proposal is about as much established science as the previous one: fashionable topic, reproduce published results. Which can be interesting but won't advance Mankind's knowledge by a picometer.

Have you discussed the bathyscaphe's lithium float and hydrogen storage in uncommon metals with your research adviser?

[billnotgatez]

@Enthalpy

Notwithstanding your suggested research idea
Replication is the soul of science.
IMHO

[Corribus]

Most of scientific research is basically "repetition with a tweak".

[johnnyjohn993123]

I another idea, what do you guys think about superhydrophilic materials, because my friends were kinda interested in superhyfrophobic materials using calcium carbonate with fatty acids in it(is what I believe I heard) . My adviser told me it is possible to have a superhyrophilic material, but he ask me what material should I use. Anyone knows abit about this ?