Engineering Commons^™

Increasing Mechanical Properties Of A Double Network Hydrogel From Polyacrylamide And Agar With Methylenebisacrylamide As A Photocrosslinker, Madelyn Jeske

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Double Network hydrogels are three dimensional networks of a soft, mechanically tough material that have been used for drug delivery, agriculture, adhesives, and other widely applicable uses. Using the one-pot method, a single hydrogel can be produced in 3 hours as opposed to the once demonstrated three days. It has been found that with a first, physically cross linked network and a second, chemically cross linked, hybrid double network hydrogels exhibit high mechanical properties and are freeshapeable. Agar is a thermoreversible organic molecule with a triple helix structure that provides an excellent first network that organizes into aggregate bundles once …

Development Of Cardanol-Based Epoxy Coating, Nicholas Pottschmidt

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project was to determine the suitability of cardanol glycidyl ether (CGE) as a substitute for trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TMPGE) as the reactive diluent in epoxy coatings. CGE may be a naturally-derived alternative to TMPGE, which is a commonly-used petroleum-derived reactive diluent. Epoxy coatings were formulated with CGE replacing increasing amounts of TMPGE in the formulation. Corrosion protection provided by the coatings was evaluated with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Mechanical properties of the coatings (hardness, flexibility, adhesion, and impact resistance) were evaluated with applicable ASTM standards.

EIS results revealed the coating formulated with only CGE had superior …