Vidic 2:00
L14
ETHICS INVOLVED WITH CARBON NANOTUBE COMPOSITES IN
SPACECRAFT
Josh Neamtu (jpn15@pitt.edu)
CURRENT SPACECRAFT MATERIALS
AND ISSUES
Companies, such as SpaceX, Boeing, Lockheed Martin,
Orbital Sciences Corps, and NASA, are always on the lookout
for materials that are lightweight, durable, and cost efficient.
Today’s craft are made out of titanium, aluminum, vanadium,
and carbon composites. SpaceX is designing a rocket, the
Falcon Heavy, which will allow the company to carry 21,200
kg of material to geo-stationary orbit for a price of $85 million
[1]. SpaceX reports the rocket having a mass of 1,462,836 kg
[2]. With the mass of the payload and the rocket, it costs
$57.27 per kilogram to launch the rocket into geo-stationary
orbit. It costs $4,009 per kg for the payload alone. These costs
are still being determined, but it is clear that the weight of the
rocket contributes a lot to the cost of sending it into space.
While, aluminum and titanium are durable and effective in
creating spacecraft, there must be a better way to construct a
rocket. We as engineers should be finding a way to better
effectively send rockets and spacecraft into space to further
man’s reach into it.
Use of Carbon Nanotube Composites in Spacecraft
Lowering costs of spaceflight comes with having lighter
crafts. Lighter crafts mean smaller, more efficient engines,
less fuel, which then saves weight. The discovery of carbon
nanotubes (CNT) has created a rush to exploit the properties
of it. NASA currently uses composites that are about 3 to 4
times stronger than steel by weight and have calculated CNT
to be 600 times stronger than steel by weight [3]. Clearly it
would be more efficient to use a CNT composite as the
building material for the craft because you would need less
of it. Furthermore, CNT materials could be used for their
electrical purposes.Studies from the Applied Physics journal
state that CNT can carry a current of 109 amperes (A), while
a copper wire of 3 mm can carry a current of 400 A [4]. It is
theoretically possible for the rocket to store power in the
carbon nanotube composite itself and therefore get rid of
batteries that would be needed to store the power. Now,
given the properties and uses of CNT, it is important to note
that the development of this material is very costly and the
amount of research that needs to be done to successfully
create a sustainable material is extensive. It should be clear
that there is much more money, time, and labor needed to
devise a useable rocket with CNT composites.
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
Submission Date 2014-10-28
ETHICS OF CNT COMPOSITES
Suppose I work at a company, such as SpaceX. I am
tasked with a group of engineers to rebuild a rocket in order
for it to be launched into space. I have two options on the
table. I could use current materials that the rocket was already
made of. These materials would be aluminum, titanium, and
carbon composites. The other option is to construct a new
CNT based material to rebuild the rocket.
Here we are faced with a dilemma. The first idea utilizes
already proven technology that is relatively inexpensive, but
it is very costly to launch. The second idea uses the lighter and
more efficient CNT material which would make the launch of
the craft cost less, but the time and money required to rebuild
the rocket greatly exceeds the original plan using the more
common materials.
In order to make a decision, we must show the differences
between the two ideas and use the code of ethics from the
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and the
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
We would need to apply specific canons and rules in order to
come up with a decision.
ISSUES IN PROPOSED IDEAS
In order to properly apply the codes of ethics, we must
look at the issues surrounding the two proposed plans. Once
the issues have been addressed and there is a better
understanding of the plans, then we can look at which
canons apply in making a decision.
Difficulty in Creating CNT
There are few ways to synthesize CNT. One method is
arc discharge. It is an electrical breakdown of gas that gives
off a plasma discharge. Professor Sumio Iijima found that
when doing this to graphene electrodes, CNT is found in the
carbon soot and it yields up to 30% by weight [5]. Today,
this is still only done on a small scale.
Another method is chemical vapor deposition. In CVD, a
layer of substrate, usually nickel, cobalt, or iron, is heated to
around 700 degrees Celsius. The CNT grows after two
gases, ammonia and nitrogen, are bled into the reactor. The
CNT is formed on the edges of the metal substrate where the
carbon has been pushed. This is the most widely used way to
create CNT at the moment [6]. Companies such as Bayer
Josh Neamtu
Material Science produce CNT in this fashion for around
$50 per gram [7].
Laser ablation is using a pulsed laser to vaporize graphite
in a high temperature reactor while nanotubes develop on the
cooler surface of the reactor. It yields up to 70% by weight,
but it is the most expensive of the 3 processes according to
the Scientific American journal [8].
We must pay attention to the cost of incorporating CNT
is the construction of a spacecraft. Even if you take the
cheapest method of CVD, there is still an extraordinary cost
in order to create enough for a space worthy rocket. If the
primary material used for a rocket is CNT, and the rocket
has a mass of around 1,500,000 kg, the cost for using just
50,000 kg of CNT would cost around, $2.5 billion dollars.
This would make the development of the rocket to reach an
extraordinary amount of money.
this situation, we must consider the design that will keep
consumers and workers safe, keep the environment safe, and
does not have a negative impact on anything. We first must
look at CNT toxicity. The 2007 report by Jelena Kolosnjaj
states that CNT in the body can inflammation, cell death,
lung changes, etc. [9]. While working with CNT is
beneficial to advance technology, it is important to take into
account the health and safety of workers and consumers. For
workers, it is possible to inhale CNT particles without even
knowing. Proper care and precautions need to be taken to
handle the material properly. For consumers, we must take
into account that the rocket could have a defect causing CNT
particles to fly about. Consideration must be taken so that
long term exposure to the craft does not hamper anyone’s
health of who is on the spacecraft.
Since CNT is so new and technologically superior, there
is a higher cost to making it. With a higher cost comes many
possible factors. A higher cost could mean that fewer people
are hired to build and design the craft. This would lead to
fewer jobs and the economic viability of constructing the
craft may make the project not possible. Suppose NASA is
creating this craft. The money for creating the craft would
come out of taxpayer’s pockets. Whether or not that is a
good way to spend government money is up to the public.
We still must take this into consideration for the welfare of
the public.
A NSPE Board of Ethical Review published a case that
has some relevance to this scenario. A fire protection
engineer has the responsibility of updating a fire alarm
system but, since funding fell through, does not address the
problem [11]. In this case, the engineer is obligated to hold
the safety of others first and to inform employers/superiors
of the problem. A similar problem could occur with the toxic
CNT. Suppose I am tasked to get the manufacturing of CNT
started, but the funding to properly equip my team with the
right protection isn’t quite there; I would have to notify my
employer that I cannot manufacture this because of the
needed protection for my team.
When discussing whether or not CNT should be used in
creating a spacecraft, health and safety must be used to
determine what course should be taken.
Toxicity of CNT
In 2007, Jelena Kolosnjaj of Paris Diderot University
published a report that shows, under certain conditions, if
raw CNT material reaches the organs, they can cause
inflammation, fibrotic reactions, and cell death [9]. There are
many other reports that state the same thing. One thing is
certain, there must be precautions when dealing with CNT
because they can pose a serious risk to human health. There
must be proper risk assessment.
Defects in CNT Manufacturing
CNT exhibit what is known as crystallographic defects.
As with almost anything, the arrangement of carbon atoms is
not always perfect. The regular pattern of the fullerenes is
stopped by crystallographic defects. This could range from
atomic vacancies (missing atom), precipitates in the CNT,
extra atoms, etc. With these defects, it affects the properties
of CNT. Thermal, electrical, tensile strength, and magnetism
are all affected. Making a perfectly forming CNT is by no
means easy. In order to create enough CNT to produce the
rocket, the manufacturing of the material will need to be
increased in order to create enough CNT. This creates a
greater cost for money and time.
Areas of Competence
APPLYING CANONS
The NSPE and ASME state, “Engineers shall perform
services only in the areas of their competence” [10][12].
This means that they can only work on assignments where
they are qualified through education and experience in the
specific technical field.
When working on creating the spacecraft, I must
consider who I hire based on their technical skills. CNT is
still a relatively new material and qualified workers who can
handle CNT would be in demand. If they are in demand then
the cost to hire them will increase, therefore increasing the
cost of development. It would be my obligation to hire those
All engineers must follow the code of ethics of the NSPE
and their respective field codes. Here we will look at the
codes of ethics for the NSPE, ASME, and AIAA.
Safety, Health, and Welfare
The NSPE, ASME, AIAA, in essence all state the
following canon, “Hold paramount the safety, health, and
welfare of the public.” This describes that in all engineering
projects, the safety and welfare of others comes first [10]. In
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who are educated and experienced. Even if I am not
technically proficient, I must appoint those who are.
A case published by webGURU talks about a graduate
student attempting to carry out a chemical reaction. The
student did not have a good understanding of what would
happen with the reaction and regrettably dies due to bursting
flames [13]. This is a perfect example why engineers should
follow the canon of only performing in fields they have
competence in. In order to properly make a decision on
which idea to pursue, I must consider the fact that I would
need to hire professionals with education and experience and
be willing to pay higher salaries.
After extensive research and reviewing the code of
ethics, I would most likely choose to build the spacecraft
that does not have the carbon nanotube composites. There is
no way to justify the immense costs of the craft for it to be
built.
The things that went into this decision was the toxicity of
CNT. As of now, there are not many people who know how
to handle CNT and there is much needed research to be done
on what other effects there could be from being around
CNT. Not only are there adverse effects for those working
with CNT, there is also a threat to those who work upon the
spacecraft. There is just not enough info of what could
happen when there is prolonged contact with CNT. In order
to follow the canon of keeping the safety, health, and
welfare of others first, we must choose the other spacecraft
design.
Secondly, we have to consider that there are not many
people who have expertise with CNT and their properties.
With a limited supply of professionals, they would need to
have high salaries which would increase project costs. In
order to successfully and ethically design the spacecraft, we
would need number a professionals that are familiar with
CNT, something that it not available at the moment.
Finally, we must consider the cost of CNT and the
project as a whole. 1 gram of CNT cost $50. The most
powerful rocket today is the Falcon heavy. It has a mass of
1,462,836 kg [2]. If we were to theoretically construct it all
out of CNT, it would cost $7,314,800,000. Of course it
would not be entirely made of CNT, this is just to put the
cost of making CNT into perspective. The cost to develop
the Falcon Heavy by SpaceX was $300 million [16]. There
is no way to justify the cost of producing a CNT dominant
spacecraft in this day and age. The production scale is too
small at the moment and the cost to make such a small
amount is too high. When following the engineering code of
ethics, building a spacecraft with current materials is the best
course of action to take in this scenario.
Conflict of Interest
A canon found in the ASME code of ethics states,
“Engineers shall act in professional matters for each
employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall
avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of
interest” [12]. When designing projects, one always has to
keep the business side of things in mind; cost, production,
employees, deals, etc. As engineers we must act honorably
and responsibly. It is part of the code of ethics. When
considering the business side, you think of self-interest,
greed, profit, personal gain, etc. A case published by Texas
Tech University gives an example of an engineer who has a
decline in projects and opens a new office in a new country
in order to gain profit [14]. This shows an engineer putting
his self interest in front of the engineering code of ethics by
setting up an office in an already filled area. These two
mindsets are very different from one another. One focuses
on personal gain and the other focuses on the gain of society
as a whole. Here is a conflict of interests. Engineers must be
aware of this canon and conduct themselves in a way so that
there is no conflict. That means choosing a design because it
follows engineering ethics and not personal interest.
Honor and Responsibility
References
The NSPE, ASME, and AIAA codes of ethics all state
that engineers should conduct themselves honorable,
responsible, ethically, and lawfully [10][12][15]. In our
situation, we must not let personal conflicts or interests
interfere with the judgment of the project. Things such as
greed, personal gain, popularity, etc. should not be factored
into decisions. Designs should not be based on what will
make more profit or which one is more popular. They should
be based on facts and which design better serves society.
[1] "Capabilities & Services." SpaceX. 2013.
(Web). 28 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities>.
[2] "Falcon Heavy." SpaceX. 1 Jan. 2013. (Web). 28 Oct.
2014. <http://www.spacex.com/falcon-heavy>.
[3] Dunbar, Brian. "The Right Stuff for Super
Spaceships." NASA. NASA, 11 Aug. 2003. (Web). 28 Oct.
2014.
<http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/gettingtospace/16sep_rig
htstuff.html>.
[4] Wei, B. Q., R. Vajtai, and P. M. Ajayan. "Reliability
and Current Carrying Capacity of Carbon
Nanotubes."Applied Physics Letters (2001): 1172. (Print).
[5] Iijima, Sumio. "Helical Microtubules Of Graphitic
Carbon." Nature 354 (1991): 56-58. (Print).
CONCLUSION
After we look at the code of ethics and the research
simultaneously a decision has to be made. It is very hard to
make one. One engineer may choose one path and another
will choose the other path.
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Josh Neamtu
I would like to thank my roommate, Hunter, for giving
me his perspective on the code of ethics. I would also like to
thank the librarians for showing me relevant books.
[6] Kumar, Mukul, and Yoshinori Ando. "Chemical
Vapor Deposition of Carbon Nanotubes: A Review on
Growth Mechanism and Mass Production." Journal of
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (2010): 3739-758. (Print).
[7] Evans, Jon. "Manufacturing the Carbon Nanotube
Market." Manufacturing the Carbon Nanotube Market.
Royal Society of Chemistry, 1 Jan. 2007. (Web). 28 Oct.
2014.
<http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2007/November/
ManufacturingCarbonNanotubeMarket.asp>.
[8] (2000). "Nanotubes for Electronics". Scientific
American. (Print) 67–69.
[9] Kolosnjaj, Jelena. "Toxicity Studies of Carbon
Nanotubes." Bio-Applications of Nanoparticles 620 (2007):
181-204. (Print).
[10] "Code of Ethics." National Society of Professional
Engineers. (Web). 28 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics>.
[11] "Public Health and Safety-Delaying in Addressing
Fire Code Violations." National Society of Professional
Engineers. 1 Jan. 2013. (Web). 28 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/BER Case No 1311-FINAL.pdf>.
[12] "Society Policy Ethics." American Society of
Mechanical Engineers. 1 Jan. 2012. (Web). 28 Oct. 2014.
<https://www.asme.org/getmedia/9EB36017-FA98-477E8A73-77B04B36D410/P157_Ethics.aspx>.
[13] "It Only Takes a Second." WebGURU. (Web). 28
Oct. 2014.
<http://www.webguru.neu.edu/professionalism/casestudies/it-only-takes-second>.
[14] "Ethics Cases." Texas Tech University. (Web). 28
Oct. 2014.
<http://www.depts.ttu.edu/murdoughcenter/products/cases.p
hp>.
[15] "AIAA Code of Ethics." The American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics. (Web). 28 Oct. 2014.
<https://www.aiaa.org/Secondary.aspx?id=19692>.
[16] "SpaceX's Falcon 9: Rocket for the
Dragon." Space.com. (Web). 28 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.space.com/18962-spacex-falcon-9.html>.
ACKOWLEDGMENTS
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Paragraphs
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Indent all paragraphs; no space between paragraphs within columns
Spacing: Body and Between Elements
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Line spacing: Single (1.0) space for text in all sections
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Josh Neamtu
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“Double space” (hit return/enter, as you did for Assg. #1) between MAIN TITLE and name/email, between
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between one section and the next
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Group number
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Engineering (all on one line)
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Title, Headings, Subheadings
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Columns: Width and Spacing
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2 column format for the body of the document
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All “body” text (all text in all columns) full justified
numbers and figure captions)
(except for HEADINGS, subheadings, FIGURE
In-text References
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In-text reference numbers go in numerical order beginning with [1] for the1 st reference
Place reference numbers in brackets; for example,
[1].
Bracketed reference numbers go after quotation marks and before punctuation marks; for example, “quoted
material” [2].
Bracketed reference numbers go after a paraphrase and before punctuation marks; for example, paraphrased material
[3].
See Formatting Your References on page 3, and “How to Reference Sources” (linked from the Writing Assignments
page) for further information on how to set up your References section
References Section
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Every in-text reference number must have a corresponding, same-numbered reference in your REFERENCES
section. For example, if the 1st source from which you quote or paraphrase is an article on a NASA deep space
initiative, you must put the bracketed number [1] after the paraphrased material. The 1 st reference in your references
section will then be [1] and will include, in the correct order and with the correct punctuation, all the bibliographic
information for that NASA article.
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Josh Neamtu
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For example, this is what you would put in your REFERENCES section:
[1] D. Weaver, M. Brakus. (2011). “NASA Announces Design for New Deep Space Exploration System.” NASA
Exploration. (online article).
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/sls/html
The next reference in your References section would be [2] and would provide bibliographic information for the next
source from which you have quoted or paraphrased (referenced as [2] in your paper).
The basic correct order and punctuation for your bibliographic information is this:
[number] First Initial of Author. Last Name of Author. (Date of Publication). “Title of Article.” Larger Source Within
Which Article is Located. (source medium; for example, online article, or website, or print article, or blog entry). URL
or DOI. p.
To see how to correctly present bibliographic information for a variety of kinds of sources (for example, print articles,
online articles, lecture notes), consult the “How to Present Sources” document available on the Writing Assignments
page.
Figures: Pictures, Drawings, Graphs, Tables, etc.
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All figures must have a FIGURE number, a caption, and a [reference number]
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Place the FIGURE number below the picture, drawing, chart, etc.
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Place FIGURE caption below the figure number 10 pt., centered. Figure captions are brief descriptions of the
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“Double space” (hit return/enter) between “body” text and figure; between figure and FIGURE number with
reference, and between FIGURE caption and and following “body” text
For example:
FIGURE 1 [3]
Mars Rover Curiosity’s tool turret and flexible arm
The drill used to collect rock samples on Mars is located on the “tool turret” at the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm, as shown
in Figure 1. In May of 2013, the drill bored into a specifically targeted area of Mars rock and obtained a powdered sample of
the rock [4].
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Your Name
FORMATTING STRATEGY 1: TYPE ON THIS TEMPLATE
You may use this template to type or paste your own writing into the formatted title, headings and subheadings, and
columns. To do so, you would select/highlight a line (such as a section heading) or a block of text (such as a paragraph) and
replace the original text with your own text. Your text will then be in the same format as the original text. If you opt for this
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FORMATTING STRATEGY 2: USE SETTINGS, MENUS/KEYBOARD COMMANDS
Instead of selecting and typing over text on this template, you may opt to use Word’s settings, menus, and commands to
create (and to double-check for) correct formatting. This method can be helpful if you are continuously revising and refining
your draft. While the instructions that follow might look intimidating at first, they simply detail how to use menus and
toolbars/”ribbons”—which you already generally know how to use--to set correct formatting.
Set Margins
To correctly set your margins, go to Format; click on Document. Set the top and bottom margins at 1”. Set the left and
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To set line spacing, go to Format; click on Paragraph. Under Spacing, set Before at 0, After at 0, and check Don’t add
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Set Header, Page 1
Open the header and type in your 0011/0711 section (for example, Budny, 10:00). Move your cursor to directly below the
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Open the footer. Type University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering. Place your cursor beneath the start of
that line (this will maintain single spacing), and type in the date on which you are submitting your paper (for example 201410-30). Be sure your font, text, and alignment are correct: 10 pt., bold, aligned left.
Go to Insert; click on Page Numbers. Under Position, choose Bottom of page (Footer). Under Alignment, select Center.
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Set Header and Footer, Page 2
For most versions of Word, the easiest way to create a different header and footer after the first page is to go to Format,
click on Document, click on Layout. In Headers and Footers, click on Different First Page. Note that using the Format >
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In your page 2 header, simply put your name at the top, 10 pt., bold, aligned left. For your page 2 footer, simply insert
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Paper Title, Your Name and Email
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Type your title. (You can start with any draft title; you need something to start with so you can get your columns set in the
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FORMATTING REFERENCES
Every in-text reference number must have a corresponding, same-numbered reference in your References section. For
example, if the 1st source from which you quote or paraphrase is an article on a NASA deep space initiative, you must put the
bracketed number [1] after the paraphrased material. The 1 st reference in your references section will then be [1] and will
include, in the correct order and with the correct punctuation all the bibliographic information for that article. For example:
[1] D. Weaver, M. Brakus. (2011). “NASA Announces Design for New Deep Space Exploration System.” NASA Exploration.
(Online article).
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/sls/html
The next reference in your References section would be [2] and would provide bibliographic information for the next source
from which you have quoted or paraphrased (referenced as [2] in your paper).
References at a Glance
The basic correct order and punctuation for full bibliographic information is this:
[ ] First Initial of Author. Last Name of Author. (Date of Publication). “Title of Article.” Larger Source Within Which Article
is Located. (Source medium; for example, online article, or website, or print article, or blog entry). URL or DOI. p.
Different Kinds of Sources and a Sample
To see how to correctly present bibliographic information for a variety of kinds of sources (for example, print articles,
online articles, lecture notes), consult the “How to Present Sources” document available on the Writing Assignments page.
Here is a sample References section:
REFERENCES
[1] G. Kalonji. (2011). “Preface.” UNESCO Report, Engineering: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities for Development.
(online report). http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001897/189753e.pdf
[2] S.D. Brown, P. Nativo, J.A. Smith, et al. (2011). Gold nanoparticles for the improved anticancer drug delivery of the active
component of oxaliplatin.” Journal of the American Chemical Society. (online article). DOI: 10.1021/ja908117a. pp. 4678–
4684
[3] D. Chandler. (2012). “A New Dimension for Solar Energy.” MIT News. (online article).
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/three-dimensional-solar-energy-0327.html
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Your Name
[4] “Carbon Fiber Concrete Arch Bridges.” (2012). University of Maine Advanced Structures &Composites Center. (video).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bupAxrq1_Iw
[5] D. Budny, K. Bursic, N.Vidic, et al. (2011). “Freshmen are the Best Inventors.” Journal of Engineering Education. (print
article). Vol. 99, no 3. pp.78-80
[6] E. Strickland. (2012, Sept 5). “Wireless Power Beamed Straight to Your Heart.” IEEE Spectrum Tech Talk. (online blog).
http://spectrum.ieee.org/blog/tech-talk
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
Additional sources must be listed alphabetically by the author’s last name. If a source does not have an author’s name, use
the first word of the source’s title. Arrange the bibliographical information exactly as you would in the References section
(except there will be no bracketed number). The Additional Sources section goes after the References section
What, exactly, is the difference between References and Additional Sources?
 Additional Sources = sources that you used in researching and focusing your paper, but you have not included any
material from those sources in your paper ( no quotations, paraphrases, summaries, pictures, etc.). Additional
Sources are not numbered because you have not included any of their information in the paper.
 References = source material that you have used in your paper (quoted or paraphrased material, summaries, pictures,
etc.).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
You must have an Acknowledgements section. The Acknowledgements section goes after the Additional Sources
section. Your Acknowledgements section is formatted the same way as the other “body text” paragraphs/sections in your paper.
In this section you thank anyone who has provided substantial inspiration and support through your process of writing. For
example, you might thank your 0011 instructor, and/or the Bevier Librarians, and/or a Writing Center tutor, You might thank
a mentor, friend, or roommate with whom you had useful discussions about the paper.
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