John F. McMahon Professor & Chair of Ceramic Engineering

Educational Background:
B.S. & M.S. Ceramic Engineering, University of Missouri-Rolla, 1985 & 87
Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, 1992

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Phone: (607) 871-2451
Location: McMahon Building, Room 314
Website: http://cact.alfred.edu

Research Overview
My research focuses on traditional and advanced ceramic processing of colloidal and nanoscale powders, the connection of processing to phase evolution and microstructure, grain boundary tailoring, and physical properties of sintered ceramics.  Our work in ceramic processing has resulted in significant improvements in the understanding of ceramic forming operations and defect elimination, microstructure control, and dramatic efficiencies in commercial glass melting.  In recent years we have extended our research to address non-aqueous ceramic processing and developed rules that describe metastable grain boundary chemistry

Current and Recent Projects

• Colloidal Processing in Non-Aqueous Media, Ph.D. thesis, internally funded (2008-2011).
• Application of the Glass Formation Boundary Concept for Predicting Grain Boundary Chemistry in Sintered Systems, Ph.D. thesis, internally funded (2007-2010).
• Dispersion of Diamond for Sintering Applications, Industrial Funding, 2009.
• Effect of Selective Batching on Fining Operations in Float Glass, CEER-EPA (2007-8).
• Emissions Reduction of Commercial Glassmaking Using Selective Batching, CEER-EPA, (2006-7).
• Robust, spectrally selective ceramic coatings for recycled solar power tubes, CEER-EPA, (2005-6).

Selected Publications and Patents

K. DeCarlo, T. Lam, and W. Carty, “Dissolution of Alumina in Silicate Glasses and the Glass Formation Boundary,” Advances in Ceramics, Sintering 2008 Proceedings, Amer. Ceramic Soc., accepted for publication. 

W. Carty, H. Lee, E. Reeves, P. Ormond, R. Mauzy, “The Development of an Improved Shell for Investment Casting Applications,” Trans. Amer. Foundry Soc., 113th Annual Metalcasting Congress, American Foundry Society.  (ISBN Print = 978-0-87433-340-4; ISBN CD = 978-0-87433-341-1; 2009)

H. Brown-Shaklee, D. Edwards, and W. Carty, “Spectral Selectivity of Composite Enamel Coatings on 321 Stainless Steel,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, SOLMAT4759 Elsevier, 2009.

W. Carty, U. Kim, and C. Sinton, “Selective Batching for Improved Commercial Glass Melting,” Glass Researcher, Amer. Ceramic Soc. Bull., 83 [10], 28-32 (2004). 

W. Carty, “Selective Glass Batching Methods for Improving Melt Efficiency and Reducing Gross Segregation of Glass Batch Components,” U.S. Patent 7,260,960, (Aug. 28, 2007).

W. Carty, “Method for Determining the Thermal Expansion Coefficient of Ceramic Bodies and Glazes,” U.S. Patent 7,722,246 B1 (May 25, 2010). 

W. Carty, “Controlled Distribution of Nano-Scale Sintering Dopants,” Patent Application: U.S. 2008/0193318 (Aug. 14, 2008).