This thesis presents a study of galaxy evolution in the local universe. I study how environments shape the structures of galaxies, and how internal and external processes affect star formation. I perform four investigations of galaxy properties: a study of the relations between size, mass and velocity dispersion of 124,524 galaxies from SDSS DR7; I estimate star formation rates using Hα and Dn4000 for galaxies in the MaNGA survey; a study of the spatial distribution of star formation in 1494 MaNGA galaxies; and finally, a study of 215 barred and 402 unbarred galaxies, to investigate how bars affect star formation. I find that environment plays a key role in the evolution of galaxies, both structurally and in terms of their star formation. Using core velocity dispersion to study the effects of minor mergers and tidal/ram pressure stripping, I find that central galaxies are up to 30% larger and more massive than satellites. I suggest that minor mergers play a crucial role in the increase in size and mass of centrals. In addition, I find that satellites have a uniform radial suppression of star formation, compared to centrals, which may be due to the strangulation of their cold gas supplies. I study the internal processes that affect star formation and find that specific star formation rate is suppressed at all radii for high mass galaxies. Massive galaxies are more likely to have suppressed star formation in their cores, which I determined is caused by a combination of morphological quenching and AGN feedback. Finally, I study the role of galaxy bars in regulating the cirumnuclear and disk star formation in late-type galaxies. I find that barred galaxies have lower star formation in their disks than unbarred galaxies, and that they are more likely to have enhanced star formation in their cores.

Titanium production is a long and complicated process. What we often consider to be the standard method of primary titanium production (the Kroll process), involves many complex steps both before and after to make a useful product from titanium ore. Thus new methods of titanium production, especially electrochemical processes, which can utilize less-processed feedstocks have the potential to be both cheaper and less energy intensive than current titanium production processes. This project is investigating the use of lower-grade titanium ores with the electrochemical MER process for making titanium via a molten salt process. The experimental work carried out has investigated making the MER process feedstock (titanium oxycarbide) with natural titanium ores|such as rutile and ilmenite|and new ways of using the MER electrochemical reactor to \upgrade titanium ores or the titanium oxycarbide feedstock. It is feasible to use the existing MER electrochemical reactor to both purify the titanium oxycarbide feedstock and produce titanium metal.

objective of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the behavior of the liquid metal eutectic gallium/indium (EGaIn) in composite systems and provide a platform for the development of functional hybrid nanocomposites. Contributions are regarding (i) the investigation of the electromechanical coupling performance of EGaIn as electrodes in a soft electrostatic transducer and (ii) the effectiveness of organic surfactants to stabilize EGaIn nanoparticles in organic solvents. For the first portion, a completely soft dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) using EGaIn electrodes was fabricated and evaluated. Experimental actuation of the DEA showed high agreement with a generalized NeoHookean constitutive law, assuming uniaxial pre-stretch and considering the device saddle deformation. The expected conductive behavior of the liquid alloy was confirmed, and further efforts have focused on the development and stabilization of EGaIn nanodroplets, which do not exhibit the problems associated with larger pools of EGaIn (such as leakage) and can be applied to soft multifunctional materials. A computational procedure was developed for calculating suspended EGaIn nanoparticle mass in order to determine reaction yields using applied Mie theory and optical characterization techniques (dynamic light scattering and UV/Vis spectrophotometry). This method calculated total mass to within 20% when applied to a known system. A systematic study evaluating particle yield as a function of aliphatic surfactant composition and concentration (and solvent type) revealed a pronounced dependence of nanodroplet formation on the solvent type as well as surfactant structure. Ethanol (EtOH) was found to be the most effective solvent for the formation and stabilization of EGaIn nanodroplets, in which only thiol-based surfactants were found to improve nanodroplet yield. Results suggest a stabilization mechanism other than the expected self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formation. The research has been extended to alternative (e.g. plant based) surfactant systems.

Investigating the Effect of Carbon Nanotube Functionalization in a Polydimethylsiloxane Composite through use of a Stepped Bar Apparatus