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Faculty and Staff
Olivia Graeve
Courtesy Faculty Appointment
Alfred University Contact Info
Office Location:
Department: Matls Science & Engineering  
Email:    
Education
Ph.D.: Materials Science and Engineering
University of California, Davis, 2001

B.S.: Structural Engineering
University of California, San Diego, 1995
Background
Areas of Concentration

My research expertise connects fundamental principles of materials processing with specific engineering needs, with special emphasis on electromagnetic multifunctional materials for sensors and energy applications. Specific areas of concentration are:

* Fundamental studies of colloidal systems for the preparation of ceramic and metallic nanoparticles of unique morphologies.
* The effect of crystallite size and particle size on the sintering behavior of nanopowders and amorphous-metal / nanocrystalline-ceramic composites: interface behavior, agglomeration effects, morphological effects.
* Luminescence responses of doped oxide ceramics such as barium aluminum silicate compounds for triboluminescent sensor applications, lutetium silicate compounds for gamma-ray detection applications, and hydroxyapatite for in vitro probing of deterioration of scaffolds and bone.
* Morphological effects (i.e., crystallite size vs. particle size) on the behavior of metal-based nanofluids for thermal energy dissipation.
* Processing of hexaboride and carbide materials for electro-optics (neutron detection), hydrogen storage, and high-temperature sensor applications.

These areas of concentration are interrelated very directly, beginning with the synthesis and sintering of powders and ending with the characterization of both powders and dense specimens, as illustrated below. Characterization of particle size using dynamic light scattering is of particular focus. My research group is interested in the design and fundamental understanding of new synthesis and sintering processes, which have the potential for delivering nanostructured and hybrid materials that can be used in a variety of engineering applications.



Awards, Grants, and Fellowships
* Honorary member (Level II) of the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Mexico (January 2013)
* B.J. Harrington Lecturer, McGill University (September 2012)
* Jaime Oaxaca Award, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (2011)
* Karl Schwartzwalder Professional Achievement in Ceramic Engineering (PACE) Award, American Ceramic Society (2010)
* Best Paper Award, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Annual Meeting (2009)
* CAREER Award, National Science Foundation (2007)
* Hispanic Educator of the Year, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (2006)
* Faculty Member of the Year, National Hispanic University (2000)

Selected Publications
M.S. Saterlie, H. Sahin, B. Kavlicoglu, Y. Liu, and O.A. Graeve, "Surfactant Effects on Dispersion Characteristics of Copper-based Nanofluids: A Dynamic Light Scattering Study," Chemistry of Materials, 24 [17] 3299-3306 (2012).
H. Fathi, J.P. Kelly, V.R. Vasquez, and O.A. Graeve, "Ionic Concentration Effects on Reverse Micelle Size and Stability: Implications for the Synthesis of Nanoparticles," Langmuir, 28 [25] 9267-9274 (2012).
R. Kanakala, R. Escudero, G. Rojas-George, M. Ramisetty, and O.A. Graeve, "Mechanisms of Combustion Synthesis and Magnetic Response of High-Surface-Area Hexaboride Compounds," ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 3 [4] 1093-1100 (2011).

M.S. Saterlie, H. Sahin, B. Kavlicoglu, Y. Liu, and O.A. Graeve, "Particle Size Effects in the Thermal Conductivity Enhancement of Copper-Based Nanofluids," Nanoscale Research Letters, 6 [1] 217 (2011).

O.A. Graeve, Comment on "Photoluminescence Efficiencies of Nanocrystalline Versus Bulk Y2O3:Eu Phosphor-Revisited," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 94 [8] 2694-2695 (2011).

J.P. Kelly and O.A. Graeve, "Statistical Experimental Design Approach for the Solvothermal Synthesis of Nanostructured Tantalum Carbide Powders," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 94 [6] 1706-1715 (2011).

V.R. Vasquez, B.C. Williams, and O.A. Graeve, "Stability and Comparative Analysis of AOT/Water/Isooctane Reverse Micelles System Using Dynamic Light Scattering and Molecular Dynamics," Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 115 [12] 2979-2987 (2011).

J.P. Kelly, R. Kanakala, and O.A. Graeve, "A Solvothermal Approach for the Preparation of Nanostructured Carbide and Boride Ultra-high Temperature Ceramics," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 93 [10] 3035-3038 (2010).

R. Kanakala, G. Rojas-George, and O.A. Graeve, "Unique preparation of hexaboride nanocubes: a first example of boride formation by combustion synthesis," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 93 [10] 3136-3141 (2010).

O.A. Graeve, R. Kanakala, A. Madadi, B.C. Williams, and K.C. Glass, "Luminescence variations in hydroxyapatites doped with Eu2+ and Eu3+ ions," Biomaterials, 31 [15] 4259-4267 (2010).

A. Madadi, R. Kanakala, and O.A. Graeve, "Analysis of particle and crystallite size in tungsten nanopowder synthesis," Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 41 [10] 2691-2697 (2010).

K. Sinha, B. Pearson, S.R. Casolco, J.E. Garay, and O.A. Graeve, "Synthesis and consolidation of BaAl2Si2O8:Eu. Development of an integrated process for luminescent smart ceramic materials," Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 92 [11] 2504-2511 (2009).

K. Sinha, B. Kavlicoglu, Y. Liu, F. Gordaninejad, and O.A. Graeve, "A comparative study of thermal behavior of iron and copper nanofluids," Journal of Applied Physics, 106 [6] 064307 (2009).

A. Mishra, S. Banerjee, S.K. Mohapatra, O.A. Graeve, and M. Misra, "Synthesis of carbon nanotube-TiO2 nanotubular material for reversible hydrogen storage," Nanotechnology, 19 [44] 445607 (2008).

O.A. Graeve, R. Kanakala, L. Kaufman, K. Sinha, E. Wang, B. Pearson, G. Rojas-George, and J.C. Farmer, "Spark plasma sintering of Fe-based structural amorphous metals (SAM) with Y2O3 nanoparticle additions," Materials Letters, 62 [17-18] 2988-2991 (2008).

A. Gardner, V.R. Vasquez, A. Clifton, and O.A. Graeve, "Molecular Dynamics Analysis of the AOT/Water/Isooctane System:  Effect of Simulation Time, Initial Configuration, and Model Salts," Fluid Phase Equilibria, 262 [1-2] 264-270 (2007).

O.A. Graeve and K. Sinha, "Dynamic Light Scattering Study of Reverse Micellar Systems for the Synthesis of Iron-Based Nanofluids," International Journal of Modern Physics B, 21 [28/29] 4774-4781 (2007).