Zack Sparks had an image in his head of what he wanted to design for Assistant Professor Ria Corder’s lab. The 3D printed attachment would be used to connect the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer to an ultraviolent (UV) light source so that Corder’s group could identify chemical bonds that are broken or formed during exposure to light.
Sparks, a junior chemical engineering major, spent last fall making the image come to life. He took measurements in the lab and then used AutoCAD, a 2D and 3D computer-aided design software application, to begin a trial-and-error process.
Sparks went to the Min H. & Yu Fan Kao Innovation & Collaboration Studio for his 3D prototypes. He designed a base plate and a tower with relative ease. Finding a plastic pipe that could withstand high heat and not shrink, however, took more time. He unearthed the solution—ABS plastic in the color black—after visiting the maker sSpace in the Dougherty Engineering Building.
Sparks tested the attachment multiple times, tweaking the size and shape until everything finally fit just right.
“It was like fireworks going off,” Sparks said. “I basically ran downstairs to Dr. Corder’s office and showed it to her immediately. I was like, ‘I got it. I figured it out.’ It was really exciting to have it finished.”
Sparks is in his first full year doing undergraduate research in Corder’s lab. The attachment project was funded by a Faculty Research Assistant Funding (FRAF) grant that Corder received from the Office of Undergraduate Research.
“Zack’s 3D-printed part is integral to our group’s work on studying light-controlled chemical reactions,” Corder said. “There is no commercially available products connecting an FTIR spectrometer to a UV lamp. Zack handled every aspect of producing the part.”
Widespread Research Work
Sparks found out about the research opportunities in Corder’s lab while taking her CBE 240 (Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer) class during the 2024 spring semester.
“She’s been an amazing professor to work for, because she’s given me so much freedom to do the experiments that I want to do,” Sparks said. “She likes the idea of us exploring options, and she’s given me the flexibility to do the types of experiments that I want to do. It’s allowed me to actually enjoy the research that I’m doing.”
Along with creating the attachment piece, Sparks is working in Corder’s group with a graduate student to study light-induced gelation processes (going from a solution of monomers to an elastic polymer network). The group’s overall goal is to use light instead of high temperatures to fabricate composite gel polymer electrolytes for use in batteries.
“Zack is a strong student, a responsible researcher, and a natural leader. I was thrilled when he expressed interest in joining my nascent research group,” Corder said. “He takes initiative to help others and improve his surroundings. For example, over the winter break, he volunteered to label all of our drawers and cabinets in the lab so that all researchers can more easily locate supplies.”
Sparks will be serving an internship this summer at the CEMEX cement plant in Knoxville.
“It will allow me to look at the production side of chemical engineering, which is obviously still very important,” Sparks said. “Even if I go into research-related items, you have to think about whether you can do something on a business scale as opposed to just a lab scale.”
Discovering the Volunteer Spirit
Sparks grew up in the East Tennessee area and took a tour of UT during high school. He met professors and students and was impressed with everything the school had to offer, from first-year programs to the rock climbing wall to the Living Learning Communities (LLCs).
“I was lost when I first started thinking about college. I didn’t know where to go,” Sparks said. “I just wanted to go to some place that I could be independent and learn to grow yet still feel like home. That is how UT made me feel when I came here.”
Sparks is pursuing a concentration in biomedical engineering. He wants to use engineering to help humanity and make a positive impact on the world.
“My biggest goal is to create cures for incurable diseases, whether that be creating new medications or creating new ways to deliver those medications,” Sparks said. “I’ve had a lot of family members affected by diseases that are permanent, so it’s been always a drive of mine to find a way to stop those diseases and help patients in any way I can.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, rpotkey@utk.edu)