The NC Space Grant/Lord Corporation Summer Internship Program - 2010
Applications for the Summer of 2010 are due March 26, 2010.

The NC Space Grant has partnered with the Lord Corporation to establish a summer internship program to give students real-world experiences in a cutting-edge industrial setting.

Lord Corporation is a worldwide leader in adhesives and coatings, vibration and motion control, and magnetically responsive technologies. Operating from world headquarters in Cary, NC, Lord Corporation has 17 manufacturing facilities in nine countries and 90 strategically located sales and support centers worldwide.

The NC Space Grant/Lord Corporation Summer Internship Program will provide support for 5 undergraduate or graduate students (pursuing degrees in STEM disciplines) to participate in a 10-week internship at Lord Corporation’s world headquarters campus in Cary.

Selected students will be assigned to a research project that best fits their educational experience. Each project will offer the student the opportunity to engage in hands-on research under the supervision of a professional mentor. NC Space Grant/Lord Corporation Summer Internship Program projects are described below:

1. Novel epoxy adhesive systems for metal substrates - Investigate novel curatives for two-component epoxy adhesive systems that bond a variety of metal substrates. The candidate will explore both epoxy resin and curative technology. In particular, the candidate will experiment with new environment and workplace friendly raw materials that will speed cure rate and improve performance on metal substrates.
2. Exploration of adhesive bonding of advanced composites - Advanced carbon fiber reinforced composites offer high strength, high stiffness and reduced weight. These composites are used extensively on aircraft and high-end sporting goods with potential to move into next generation automobile and renewable energy devices such as wind blades. However many of these material are difficult to adhesively bond. This project will support the development of next generation structural adhesives for bonding advanced composite materials. The candidate will assist scientists to identify and benchmark adhesive that works best for current advanced composite materials, understand the chemistry that meets requirement for bonding advanced composite materials, and develop prototype next generation composite bonding adhesives.
3. Reaction kinetics via UV spectroscopy - A key chemical intermediate used in compounding adhesives is manufactured under conditions that provide very fast reactions in good yields. Improvements to this process may be possible by better understanding the reaction kinetics and mechanism. The goal of the project is to determine the rate constants for the reaction under various scenarios, to extrapolate optimal reaction conditions. The work will involve preparation of the chemical solutions, running isothermal reactions, monitoring the reactions via UV spectroscopy, and data analysis to fit the reaction kinetics and ascertain the rate constants.
4. Product filtration optimization - A key adhesive intermediate must be isolated through filtration from an acidic reaction medium. Improvements are required to enhance product quality, reduce waste, and thereby reduce operational costs. The project involves determining the optimal conditions, first in a laboratory setting using glassware, and then applying this methodology to a pilot filtration process. The work will be hands-on in the laboratory and likely involve various analysis techniques and design of experiments software.
5. Materials Resin Technology Development- The candidate will explore new resin technologies and collaborate with the product development team in order to develop new high performance adhesive and coating formulations and evaluate the performance of these materials. The project involves the synthesis and characterization of monomers including formulation. The goal of this project is to develop innovative materials that will improve adhesion and conductivity in adhesives and coatings.
6. Thermal Management Materials Development for Microelectronics, LED and Solar Applications- The candidate will explore novel filler technologies and collaborate with the research and product development teams in order to develop improved thermal management materials. The project involves formulation development, test sample preparation, and material testing to evaluate the performance of these materials. The goal of this project is to develop new thermal management materials based innovative fillers and additives that will be utilized in next generation microelectronic, LED and solar applications.
7. Electronic Packaging Materials Application Development- The goal of this project is to develop a manufacturable process to apply LORD’s solder support material to semiconductor wafers. The candidate will work closely with both our research group as well as the product development group. The candidate will assist in materials formulation, application of the material using equipment standard to the semiconductor industry, characterization of the final coated wafers, as well as assembly of final parts for reliability experiments.
8. Wind Turbine Dynamics- Lord is exploring potential solutions to manage dynamic loads and motions in wind turbines. These dynamic loads and motions can lead to premature failures and costly unscheduled maintenance. The candidate will have the opportunity to explore various approaches that may include structural damping, component isolation, and individual blade control. A component of the internship will include completion and testing of a proof-of-concept wireless torque and bending sensor for use on wind turbine shafts. The ideal candidate will have an interest in dynamics and control, be proficient at Matlab and dynamic modeling, and have strong “hands-on” experimental capabilities.
9. Ultra Conductives for EMI Shielding- There exists a need to further explore the uses of Ultra Conductives in the area of EMI shielding for the protection of avionic devices. The current mode of EMI shielding employs aluminum enclosures that add additional weight to the aircraft. External and internal customers have a strong incentive to reduce weight wherever possible, but at the same time not compromise the current level of EMI shielding provided by the aluminum enclosures. The Lord Ultra Conductives technology used in conjunction with light weight materials such as composites or plastics may offer an opportunity to meet these requirements for weight reduction. The candidate will have the opportunity to investigate various approaches to employ Ultra Conductives for EMI shielding of avionics. The internship will require the candidate to play an active role in design of and coordination of testing for the completed proof of concept articles. This testing may include EMI shielding, environmental resistance, as well as structural soundness. The ideal candidate will have an interest and experience in chemistry or electronics, some knowledge of plastics and composites and their fabrication processes and aptitude for hands on involvement.
10. Military Vehicle Suspension Systems- Lord is currently developing new suspension technology for military vehicles using magnetorheological fluids. During the summer, the candidate will assist with vehicle simulations and vehicle data analysis. (Student must be reasonably proficient with Matlab, and have an interest in Vehicle Dynamics).
11. C130 Propeller Balance System- The candidate will assist with laboratory testing and development of new Active Balancing control technology for reducing vibration on aircraft propellers. In addition, student will assist in performing risk reduction environmental laboratory testing on the balancer technology. (Mechanical, Aerospace, Software or Electrical Engineering)
12. Electronics Power Amplifier Development- The candidate will assist in the development of a low frequency Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) power amplifier drive, integrate it into one card (the initial proto will be a two card arrangement using a COTS computer demo board with a specializing card on top with the driver hardware), package it into a cinch COTS plastic enclosure and validate the EMI and thermal performance. (Electrical Engineering)

The NC Space Grant/Lord Corporation Summer Internship Program is open to current 2010-11 undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled in a STEM degree program at one of the NC Space Grant eleven member institutions.

Each applicant must submit an online application. The deadline for submission of applications is Friday, March 26, 2010. Submission instructions are provided on the application. Online recommendations are due April 1, 2010.

Applications will be reviewed by NC Space Grant staff and Lord Corporation project researchers. The review committee will examine a number of criteria including academic achievement, resume, career goals, and references.

The NC Space Grant/Lord Corporation Summer Interns will be announced by April 15, 2010.

Online Application

The total value of the NC Space Grant/Lord Corporation Summer Internship Program is $9,500 per student. Students will be paid a stipend of $7,000 by Lord Corporation. NC Space Grant will provide $2,500 for living expenses.

Selected students will be treated as Lord Corporation employees. As such, students will be asked to sign intellectual and non-disclosure agreements for Lord.

To ensure that all award requirements are met, selected students will be required to sign an acceptance letter. Furthermore, students will be required to submit a brief report that describes the impact of the internship on their educational and professional goals.

Q: What are the eligibility requirements?
A: Any student may apply as long as they meet the following requirements:

• Junior standing or higher, including graduate students in the 2010-11 academic year;
• US citizen;
• GPA of 3.0 or higher;
• Major in STEM discipline. Examples of related degrees include, but are not limited to, mechanical and aerospace engineering, materials science, physics, chemistry;
• Attend one of the NC Space Grant member institutions.

Q: If I am selected as a Summer Intern, what are my obligations?
A: The Intern’s responsibilities are to:

• Accept the internship offer and sign an acceptance letter;
• Complete all Lord Corporation personnel information;
• Submit a brief report describing the impact of the internship on their educational and professional goals.

Q: Will I be guaranteed a job when I graduate?
A: No, but with the increasing shortage of professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math related fields, there will be a strong demand for a highly skilled workforce.

Q: How many interns will be selected?
A: The NC Space Grant/ LORD Summer Internship program is highly competitive. Up to five internships will be chosen for Summer 2010.

Contact Information

Questions regarding this announcement should be directed to Ms. Jobi Cook, Associate Director of the NC Space Grant, at jcook@ncspacegrant.org or (919) 515-5933.