---

Nicole Brehm
James Madison University

Subject Listing - Chemistry
Advisor: Dr. Barbara Reisner

Friday, Poster Session 5, Presentation Kiosk 20 B, Health & Fitness Center

DETERMINATION OF THE COEFFICIENT OF NEGATIVE THERMAL EXPANSION OF ZRM2O8 (M = MO, W)

An exercise for the physical and materials chemistry laboratory that will enable students to investigate how changing the temperature can induce changes in cell constants and phase transitions has been developed. ZrM2O8 (M = Mo, W) were synthesized by precipitating a precursor material from solution and heating a solid state mixture. Measurements with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and powder X-ray diffractometer were used to determine the enthalphy change of the solid-solid phase transition and the negative thermal expansion of ZrM2O8. Successful collection of cell constants and phase transition data was made and characteristics of negative thermal expansion of the materials were observed.

Advisor: Dr. Barbara Reisner, Assistant Professor, Chemistry, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA