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Department of Mechanical Engineering

Rishi Raj

Professor
(303) 492-1029
Rishi.raj@Colorado.EDU
Personal Website

Education

  • Ph.D. Applied Sciences, Harvard University
  • B.Sc. Electrical Engineering (Hons I), University of Durham, England.

Professional Recognition

  • Guggenheim Fellow
  • Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award
  • John Mattias Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Aditya Birla Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Research Interests

  • Multifunctional Polymer Derived Ceramics: Processing, Nanostructure, Properties and Devices.
  • Electrochemical, Electromechanical, and Hydrogen–Storage Science and Systems.
  • Ultrahigh Temperature Structural Materials

Broadly speaking, we work on processing, structure and properties of materials, from a materials science viewpoint. Specifically, we are interested in the synthesis of new materials, principally ceramics, from the chemical route. Multifunctional materials, which, in addition to structural and environmental resistance at ultrahigh temperatures, possess functional properties, such as semiconductivity, sensors and catalysts, are of interest. Often these materials are finding application in energy systems, such as fuel cells, and propulsion systems, e.g. microturbines and rocket nozzles.

Selected Publications

  • “PicoScale Catalyst for Hydrogen Generation from NaBH4 for MicroFuel Cells”, R. Peña–Alonso, A. Sicurelli, E. Callone, G. Carturan and R. Raj, under review (submitted October 2006).
  • “Novel Composites Constituted from Hafnia and a Polymer–Derived Ceramic as an Interface Phase for Severe Ultrahigh Temperature Applications”, B. Sudhir and R. Raj, under review (submitted November 2006).
  • “Mechanical and Tribological Behavior of Polymer–Derived Ceramics Constituted from SiCxOyNz”, T. Cross, R. Raj, S. V. Prasad, T. E. Buchheit and D. R. Tallant, Journal of American Ceramic Society, Vol. 89[12], 3706–3714 (2006).
  • “Effect of Steam Velocity on Hydrothermal Oxidation/Volatilization of Silicon Nitride”, B. Sudhir and R. Raj, Journal of American Ceramic Society, Vol. 89[4], 1380-1387 (2006).
  • “A Model for NanoDomains in Polymer-Derived SiCO”, A. Saha and R. Raj, Journal of American Ceramic Society,  Vol. 89[7], 2188-2195 (2006).
  • “Influence of Grain Size Variability on the Strain Rate Dependence of the Stress Exponent in Mixed-Mode Power Law and Diffusional Creep”, J. Bai and R. Raj, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A , Vol. 36A [11], 1913-2919 (2005).
  • “A Phenomenological Model (and Experiments) for Liquid Phase Sintering”, R. Raj, R. Rixecker, and M. Valentinotti, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, accepted: in press (2007).
  • “A methodology for analyzing the variability in the performance of a MEMS actuator made from a novel ceramic”, J. S. Kong, D. M. Frangopol, M. Raulli, K. Maute, R. A. Saravanan, L. A. Liew and R. Raj, Sensors & Actuators A-Physical, Vol. 116[2], 336-344 (2004).