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Pranesh Aswath – Moving Beyond the Basics

Contrary to popular belief, most researchers don’t toil incessantly on one project, seeking only one goal. Most are working on a variety of projects, but all related in some way to the researchers’ area of expertise. Take, for example, Dr. Pranesh Aswath of the Materials Science and Engineering Department, who is currently involved in several projects with researchers outside his department.

Lubrication and tribology, the study of friction and wear, are Dr. Aswath’s main interests. He is teaming with Dr. Ron Elsenbaumer, University vice president for research, on two projects. In one, they are developing low friction, high performance lubricants that will reduce an engine’s friction, wear and emission of toxic additives while increasing overall fuel economy. In another, they are combating the effects of diesel soot.

In all internal combustion engines, some gases escape past the piston rings and contaminate lubrication oil. As diesel soot particles become trapped in engine oil, they tend to accumulate and form abrasive clumps that scour engine surfaces, accelerating wear. Drs. Aswath and Elsenbaumer are using microscopy techniques to investigate these abrasive clumps and engineer an oil additive that will prevent them from forming.

Venturing into the world of biomaterials, Dr. Aswath is working with Bioengineering’s Dr. Kytai Nguyen on hydrogels – polymer shells that can be use as drug delivery mechanisms. These polymer hydrogels can be made to be pH or temperature reactive, allowing them to be manipulated once they enter the body. As a physician or clinician changes the acidity or temperature of targeted tissue, the hydrogels expand and release their contents.

In another biomedical challenge, Dr. Aswath is investigating properties of silicate and other glass chemistries in an effort to develop structurally viable but bioresorbable lattices for orthopedic implants. These lattices would support damaged bones and tissues, enhancing the growth of replacement bone and tissue and then dissolving when no longer needed.

In the areas of civil engineering and sustainability, Dr. Aswath is joining with Civil Engineering’s Dr. Ali Abolmaali in an investigation of the feasibility of using shredded tires as a component of roadway concrete. Replacing some of the normally-used aggregate material, tire rubber should make the concrete more ductile, damping vibrations and increasing its ability to flex without cracking.
Drs. Aswath and Abolmaali are also conducting tests to determine the life cycle of high-density polyethylene pipes. These pipes are increasingly being used as replacements for the concrete pipes used as water conduits, culverts under roadways and, grouped, bridges. The comparative long-term life and strength of polyethylene versus concrete pipe is of major interest to highway and water engineers. Drs. Aswath and Abolmaali hope to supply the definitive answers they need.

Though investigative achievements give him a sense of technical accomplishment, Dr. Aswath also derives great pleasure from the successes of his students. “Nothing excites me more than training my graduate and undergraduate students and see them blossom into independent researchers and educators in their own right,” he said.