Dr. Hirschfeld received her BS from Carnegie-Mellon University and her M. App. Sci. from University of British Columbia. She worked in the steel industry in both R&D and production for about 5 years before returning to graduate school and earning a Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Inst. & State University. She was a research associate then a tenured faculty member at VPI&SU before joining NMT as an associate professor. Currently, she teaches undergraduate ceramics, Capstone Senior Design, Design of Experiments and Statistical Analysis to both undergrads and graduate students, and graduate phase equilibria. Her team routinely uses designed experiments in their research.

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
159 Jones Hall
801 Leroy Place
Socorro, NM 87801

Phone: (505)835-5129
FAX: (505)835-5626
E-mail: hirsch@nmt.edu

Projects

• Thermal Spray
• Solid Free Form Fabrication  
• Micro Scale Fuel Cells
• Energetic Materials  
• Other Projects

Research Interests
Teaching Interests
Selected Publications
Patents

Thermal Spray

Recently, Dr. Hirschfeld and her group have been putting metal and erosion resistant coatings on polymers and polymer matrix composites. They have put copper coatings onto polyurethane with a zinc bond coat, zinc metal on kapton, and WC-Co on polyimide composites. Equipment for plasma (Plasmadyne 3600 with SG100 gun) and wire flame (Sulzer-Metco 12E) spraying are currently in use at New Mexico Tech. We plan to set up a twin wire arc system in the near future. In addition, Dr. Hirschfeld has worked with other systems while on sabbatical at the Thermal Spray Research Lab, Sandia National Labs, Albuquerque, NM.

www.sandia.gov/materials/sciences/factsheets/SprayCoating.html

Her research has included: Sulzer-Metco 6P, St. Gobain-Norton Rokide, Sulzer-Metco Controlled Atmosphere Plasma Spraying, calorimetry of flames, and spectroscopic analysis of flames.

Samples of Polyurethane with Zinc  ( appx. 25 mm square coating) and Copper  (~25 x 50 mm coating).

Solid Free Form Fabrication

Dr. Hirschfeld and her students work with Dr. Joseph Cesarano, Sandia National Labs, on Robocasting. www.sandia.gov/materials/sciences/factsheets/RoboLay.html

She and her students have robocast a variety of ceramics, stainless steel, and functionally graded silicon nitride/tungsten.

This Zirconia spiral was robocast and is being evaluated as a space saving geometry for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. The spiral is approximately 50 mm in diameter. Ceramic Metal Composites have also been produced.

Micro Scale Fuel Cells

Dr. Hirschfeld and her students have recently begun working with Sandia National Labs in developing a hydrogen reformer for micro scale fuel cells. This micro reformer will utilize glucose to produce hydrogen. Glucose has significant economic potential over ethanol feed stock for hydrogen reforming. The question is, how will lab-scale and conventional processing methods transfer to a micro-scale? Will there be more efficient chemical reactions? How will catalysis be affected by the smaller size scale?

Energetic Materials

In collaboration with EMRTC (NMT Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center) and Sandia National Labs, Dr. Hirschfeld is working on utilizing her knowledge of ceramic rheology and particle surface properties to stabilize and characterize energetic materials. Research with EMRTC involves the stabilization of lithium aluminum hexahydride, a novel rocket propellant, that will enable this material to be safely transported then utilized without significant reduction in properties. The role of particle size and morphology on the performance of energetic materials has not been thoroughly examined and is the subject of a new program with Sandia National Labs.

Other Projects

Dr. Hirschfeld is always interested in challenging projects. She has worked on materials selection for markers that will last 10,000 years for the WIPP, Carlsbad, NM, and a variety of projects for small businesses. She also runs the Materials Engineering Department thermal analysis laboratory (DTA, TGA, and dilatometry to 1500C). One of the more interesting projects that has been conducted involves the development of a mother of pearl lustre glaze tile that is also slip resistant for the Santa Barbara Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel. www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara/vacations/pool.html

The lustre glaze tile was created by Hirschfeld & students with Tony Campbell & Loretta Lowman, Four Hands Studio, Socorro, NM. The 1” tiles used in the pool were produced at Four Hands Studio. Preliminary samples of lustre glazed tiles are shown.

The tile shown is a 1” slip resistant Lustre Glazed Tile that was sectioned for electron microprobe analysis. This tile is typical of those used in the pool.

Funding sources include

Teaching Interests

Capstone Senior Design Course
Interfacing with Industry to allow students to experience the “Real World” before they are truly part of it. If you have a project/problem that you would like our students to investigate, please contact me for details.  We have completed projects for a variety of companies including Motorola, TPL, Inc., Wall Colmonoy,  Nambe, NAVAIR-China Lake, and others.

Design of Experiments and Statistics for Engineers and Scientists
A multidisciplinary engineering approach to practical statistics and experimental design for all engineers and scientists. All engineers and scientists need to know how to evaluate data and how to minimize the cost of experimentation while obtaining the most information.

Dr. Hirschfeld has developed a Distance Education Class: MATE 530/430 Design and Analysis of Experiments which is cross listed with the Chemical Engineering Dept. and a core class for the Engineering Management Program.

This course began as a mini-course developed by Dr. Alan Gutjahr and Dr. Hirschfeld with funds from the New Mexico Council for Excellence in Education. More information on this course can be found in the NMT Course catalog and at http:// webct.nmt.edu


Outreach K-12 and beyond
Dr. Hirschfeld (and occasionally her students) are available to discuss Materials Science and Engineering to students of all ages.  We have demos and hands on activities demonstrating the processing and properties of all types of materials: metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites  - “the stuff” from which everything is made. The practical application of chemistry and physics principles are demonstrated and discussed, such as why atomic bonding is important.

In addition, Dr. Hirschfeld can discuss the college experience (under grad and graduate) from a professors’ point of view, helpful hints for your first job as an engineer, and issues concerning women/minorites/men in the workplace.

Selected Publications

1. D. Hirschfeld, T. Ndalama, D. Vasquez, James K. Sutter, “Effect of Surface Modification on Adhesion of a Thermally Sprayed Metal Bond Coat to PMR Composites”, Submitted to Journal of High Performance Polymers, 5/04
2. T. Ndalama, D. Vasquez, D. Hirschfeld, J. Sutter, “Surface Modification of Polyimide Composies by RF Plasma and UV/Ozone Treatments,” Journal of High Performance Polymers, 15, 2003, 441-458.
3. J.N. Stuecker, J Cesarano, and D.A.Hirschfeld, “Control of the Viscous Behaviour of Highly Concentrated Mullite Suspensions for Robocasting,” Journal of Materials Processing Technology, v. 142 (2), 2003, p. 318-325
4. D. A. Hirschfeld, C. S. Watson, and D.S. Walsh, “In Situ Elastic Recoil Detection of Ionic Movement During Anodic Bonding,” Invited paper, Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry: 17th International Conference Proceedings, J.L. Duggan and I.L. Morgan, eds., American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings, 2003, V. 680, p. 389-395.
5. M.V. Collins, L.E.S. Rohwer, A.D. Oliver, M.G. Hankins, and D.A. Hirschfeld, “Optimization of Anodic Bonding to MEMS with Self-Assembled Monolayer (SAM) Coatings,Micromachining and Microfabrication,” Proceedings of the SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, 2001, V. 4558, p.234-41
6. G. He, D. Hirschfeld, J. Cesarano, J. Stuecker, “Robocasting and Cofiring if Functionally Graded SI3N4 -W Materials,” Ceramic Engineering & Science Proceedings, V. 22, No. 4, 2001, 119-126.
7. M.V. Collins, D.A. Hirschfeld, and L.E. Shea, Effects of Processing Parameters on Properties of Alumina Formed by Combustion Synthesis Innovative Processing and Synthesis of Ceramics, and Glasses, and Composites IV Edited by Narottam P. Bansal and J.P. Singh, Ceramic Transactions Vol. 115, 2000, 83-92
8. C.H. Su, S. Feth, D. A. Hirschfeld, T. M. Smith, L. J. Wang, M. P. Volz and S. L. Lehoczky, “Point Defect Distributions in ZnSe Crystals: Effects of Gravity Vector Orientation during Physical Vapor Transport Growth,” J. of Crystal Growth, 204 (1999) 41-51.
9. J. N. Stuecker, D. G. Martin, and D. A. Hirschfeld, “CMZP and Mg-doped Al2TiO5 Coatings as Possible Oxidation Protection for Carbon-Carbon Composites,” Journal of Materials Science, 34 (1999), 5443-5447.
10. V. Vaubert, D. A. Hirschfeld, and D. P. Stinton, “Low Modulus, Oxidation Resistant Coatings for SiC/SiC Composites,” Advances in Ceramic Matrix Composites IV, American Ceramics Society, 1999, pp. 27-38.
11. D. A. Hirschfeld and J. R. Clarke,” Sintering and Properties of CMZP Ceramics for Engine Applications”, Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Ceramics for Engines, Arita, Japan, Technoplaza, Co., Japan, 1998, pp 311-315.
12. T. K. Li, D. A. Hirschfeld, and J. J. Brown, “Alkali Corrosion Resistant Coatings for Si3N4 Ceramics”, Journal of Materials Science, 32(8), 1997, pp 4455-4461.
13. K. H. Lee, D. A. Hirschfeld, and J. J. Brown, “In Situ Whisker-Reinforced AlPO4-Modified b-Eucryptite Glass-Ceramic:I, Morphology and Crystallization Kinetics” Journal of the American Ceramics Society, 79(3), 1996, 597-602.
14. D. A. Hirschfeld, T.K.Li, W.M.Russ, and K.H.Lee, “Development of New Low Expansion Ceramics: CMZP and Modified b-Eucryptite,” Symposium on Low Expansion Ceramics, American Ceramics Society, June, 1995, 19-33.
15. T.K. Li, D.A.Hirschfeld, and J.J.Brown, “(Ca1-x,Mgx)Zr(PO4)6 and ZrP2O7 Coatings and Foams,” Symposium on Low Expansion Ceramics, American Ceramics Society, June, 1995,163-184.
16. T.K.Li, D.A.Hirschfeld, and J.J.Brown, “In Situ NZP Type Whisker Growth,” Symposium on Low Expansion Ceramics, American Ceramics Society, June, 1995,129-141.
17. T. K. Li, D.A.Hirschfeld, and J.J.Brown, “Thin film coatings of (Ca0.6,Mg0.4)Zr4(PO4)6 (CMZP) Ceramics” Journal of the Materials Research Society,9,2004-18(1994).
18. T. K. Li, D. A. Hirschfeld, S. VanAken, Y. P. Yang, and J.J.Brown, “The Synthesis, Sintering, and Thermal Properties of (Ca0.6,Mg0.4)Zr4(PO4)6 (CMZP) Ceramics,” Journal of the Materials Research Society,8,2954-67(1993).
19. D. A. Hirschfeld and C. T. Herakovich, “Failure Analysis of Notched Unidirectional Graphite/Epoxy Tubes Under Combined Loading”, Composite Materials: Fatigue and Fracture, Fourth Volume, ASTM STP 1156, W. Stinchcomb and N. Ashbaugh, Eds., ASTM, Philadelphia, 1993, 72-85.
20. F. Weinberg and D.A.Hirschfeld, “Porosity in Cast and Directionally Solidified Al-Cu Alloys”, Metals Science, June 1979, 335-340.
21. D. A. Hirschfeld and F. Weinberg, “Pore Formation in Iron”, Met. Trans., Vol. 9-B,#6, 1978, 321-328.

Patents

1. D. A. Hirschfeld, W. K. Schubert, and C. S. Watson, “A Novel Low Temperature Method for the Anodic Bonding of Glass to Silicon”, US Patent 6,660,614 Granted, December 9, 2003.
2. J.J. Brown, D.A.Hirschfeld, D. M. Liu, Y. Yang, T. Li, R. Swanson, S. VanAken, and J. M. Kim, “Ceramic Materials with Low Thermal Conductivity and Low Coefficients of Thermal Expansion”, U.S. Patent No. 5,102,836 Granted April, 1992.
3. K.H.Lee, D.A.Hirschfeld, and J.J.Brown, “An In-Situ Whisker Reinforced Glass-Ceramic”, U.S. Patent No. 5,186,729 Granted February, 1993.
4. T.K. Li, D.A.Hirschfeld, and J.J.Brown, “Alkali Corrosion Resistant Coatings and Ceramic Foams Having Superfine Open Cell Structure and Method of Processing”, U.S. Patent No. 5,268,199 Granted December, 1993.