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Polymer and Organic Materials

2021

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Full-Text Articles in Materials Science and Engineering

Thermal And Mechanical Numerical Modeling Of Extrusion-Based 3d Printed Reinforced Polymers For Selecting Manufacturing Process Parameters, Sunil Bhandari Dec 2021

Thermal And Mechanical Numerical Modeling Of Extrusion-Based 3d Printed Reinforced Polymers For Selecting Manufacturing Process Parameters, Sunil Bhandari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extrusion-based 3D printing of thermoplastic polymer composites manufactures parts that have nonhomogenous, orthotropic, and process-dependent macro-scale material properties. As a part of the dissertation, research works were carried out to: • improve the interlayer mechanical properties and reduce the orthotropy, • use experimentally homogenized orthotropic material properties to numerically model the mechanical behavior of the non-homogenous orthotropic 3D printed parts, • create an efficient numerical thermal model to predict the process-dependent thermal history of the 3D printed part, and • aid the manufacturing process by selecting a suitable set of processing parameters based on a simplified sequentially coupled thermomechanical model. …


Processing Of Preceramic Polymers For Direct-Ink Writing, James W. Kemp Dec 2021

Processing Of Preceramic Polymers For Direct-Ink Writing, James W. Kemp

Doctoral Dissertations

Preceramic polymers are organosilicon polymers that, when pyrolyzed to above 1000°C, convert from a polymer to an amorphous ceramic. These polymers have been used for fiber spinning, polymer infiltration, and casting of materials but have recently gained interest for use as the feedstock material for additive manufacturing techniques. This work explores preceramic polymers being used for direct-ink writing (an additive manufacturing method) and many of the issues that occur with the polymers during curing and pyrolysis.

The first chapter of this dissertation provides a review of preceramic polymers, while the second and third chapters focus on the development of inks …


Structural Stability Of Thermosets During Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing, Stian K. Romberg Dec 2021

Structural Stability Of Thermosets During Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing, Stian K. Romberg

Doctoral Dissertations

Over the past decade, the scale of polymer additive manufacturing has been revolutionized with machines that print massive thermoplastic parts with greater geometric complexity than can be achieved by traditional manufacturing methods. However, the heat required to print thermoplastics consumes energy and induces thermal gradients that can reduce manufacturing flexibility and final mechanical properties. With the ability to be extruded at room temperature and excellent compatibility with fibers and fillers, thermoset resins show promise to decrease the energy consumption, expand the manufacturing flexibility, and broaden the material palette offered by large-scale polymer additive manufacturing. However, structural instability in the uncured …


Interfaces And Dynamics In Polymeric 3d Printing And Crystalline Polymer Blends, Stevenson C. Perryman Dec 2021

Interfaces And Dynamics In Polymeric 3d Printing And Crystalline Polymer Blends, Stevenson C. Perryman

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents experimental work that provide a foundation to rationally improve fused filament fabrication (FFF) and immiscible blend compatibilization. Objects generated from additive manufacturing processes, such as FFF, have intrinsic structural weaknesses which include two project specific examples: structural anisotropy and irreversible thermal strain. Due to low adhesion between individual print layers that results in macroscopic defects, the mechanical strength of printed objects when force is applied perpendicular to the build orientation is drastically reduced. In the first dissertation chapter, we present a protocol to produce interlayer covalent bonds by depositing multi-amine additives between individual layers of a print …


Interfacial Bonding Between Thermoset And Thermoplastic Polyurethane Reinforced Textile Grade Carbon Fiber: Structure Property Relationships, Surbhi Subhash Kore Dec 2021

Interfacial Bonding Between Thermoset And Thermoplastic Polyurethane Reinforced Textile Grade Carbon Fiber: Structure Property Relationships, Surbhi Subhash Kore

Doctoral Dissertations

The research work focused on examining the interfacial adhesion of unsized, epoxy, and urethane-sized textile grade carbon fiber (TCF) reinforced in different classes of polyurethane (PU) thermoplastic (TPU) and thermoset (TSU) polyurethane (PU) through the structure-property relationship. The Carbon Fiber Technology Facility (CFTF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has produced TCF to reduce the cost of commercial-grade carbon fiber. The first part of the research examined the fundamental relationships between (a) soft segment thermoplastic polyurethane (S-TPU), (b) hard segment thermoplastic polyurethane (H-TPU), (c) thermoset polyurethane (TSU) and TCF reinforcement’s molecular behavior at the interface using the surface and thermal …


Synthesis Of Polyethylene Glycol-Based Hydrogels And Silver/Gold Nanostructures For Biomedical Applications, Isabelle Ishimwe Niyonshuti Dec 2021

Synthesis Of Polyethylene Glycol-Based Hydrogels And Silver/Gold Nanostructures For Biomedical Applications, Isabelle Ishimwe Niyonshuti

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work focuses on the synthesis of biocompatible polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based hydrogels, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and silver-gold nanocages (Ag-AuNCs) for biomedical applications. The dissertation includes two parts with Part I on the work of PEG-based hydrogel for wound healing applications and Part II on the work of Ag/Au nanostructures for antimicrobial applications. Part I studies PEG-based hydrogel for the delivery of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) for wound healing applications, aiming to overcome the challenge of designing hydrogels capable of the sustained release of bioactive FGFs. This research develops new biocompatible anionic injectable hydrogel formulations based on Poly (Oligo Ethylene Glycol …


Investigation Of Optical And Structural Properties Of Gesn Heterostructures, Oluwatobi Gabriel Olorunsola Dec 2021

Investigation Of Optical And Structural Properties Of Gesn Heterostructures, Oluwatobi Gabriel Olorunsola

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silicon (Si)-based optoelectronics have gained traction due to its primed versatility at developing light-based technologies. Si, however, features indirect bandgap characteristics and suffers relegated optical properties compared to its III-V counterparts. III-Vs have also been hybridized to Si platforms but the resulting technologies are expensive and incompatible with standard complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor processes. Germanium (Ge), on the other hand, have been engineered to behave like direct bandgap material through tensile strain interventions but are well short of attaining extensive wavelength coverage. To create a competitive material that evades these challenges, transitional amounts of Sn can be incorporated into Ge matrix to form …


Rheological Properties Of Recyclable Polymer Matrices For Advanced Composite Applications, Rahul Shankar Dec 2021

Rheological Properties Of Recyclable Polymer Matrices For Advanced Composite Applications, Rahul Shankar

Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on evaluating the rheological characteristics of a variety of recyclable polymer matrices, which can compete with thermosets in a wide range of specialized applications. Studying the fundamental solid and melt-state viscoelastic properties and establishing structure-property-processing relationships is critical for the widespread adoption of these novel recyclable polymers in commercial applications. The first chapter provides an introductory overview of the different recyclable polymer matrices and their applications including high performance thermoplastics as thermoset replacements in high energy composite manufacture, multifunctional specialty thermoplastics for additive manufacturing and next generation, reprocessable covalent adaptable networks for self-healing applications. Furthermore, the important …


Understanding Process-Structure-Property-Performance Relationships Of Thermoplastic Olefins (Tpo) Foams Through A Novel Manufacturing To Response Pathway, Sai Aditya Pradeep Dec 2021

Understanding Process-Structure-Property-Performance Relationships Of Thermoplastic Olefins (Tpo) Foams Through A Novel Manufacturing To Response Pathway, Sai Aditya Pradeep

All Dissertations

The global transportation industry is the second highest contributor to climate change. As a result, there has been a concerted effort to spearhead research in economical lightweighting technologies, as every 10 % reduction in weight will lead to to 6 – 8 % improvement in fuel efficiency. Additionally, the recent push for electrification and the emphasis on Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards have seen original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) dive into lightweighting of materials to improve overall range and/or fuel-efficiency. Thermoplastic Olefins (TPOs) have in recent years carved out a niche in the automotive industry due to advantages such as …


Automated Mini-Tubular Ceramic Production, Hunter Brooks, Daniel Freeman, Leo Taranta-Slack Dec 2021

Automated Mini-Tubular Ceramic Production, Hunter Brooks, Daniel Freeman, Leo Taranta-Slack

Mechanical Engineering

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory need a way to increase the rate of manufacturing of mini-tubular ceramics to be used in testing particulate air filters. This document outlines our process from researching and writing an initial scope of work all the way to fabricating and testing a final prototype. This journey takes us through the background research, ideation process and selection of a final design. We also detail the desired engineering specifications and our concept selection process. We dedicate a significant portion of this report to discussion of our final design. We delve into how it was manufactured as …


An Investigation Into Energy-Material Properties Interaction In Additive Manufacturing Of Polymers., Pu Han Dec 2021

An Investigation Into Energy-Material Properties Interaction In Additive Manufacturing Of Polymers., Pu Han

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Additive manufacturing (AM), known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, is a fabrication process to build 3D objects layer by layer based on computer aided design (CAD) model or digital 3D model. Fused filament fabrication (FFF) has become a preferred method for additive manufacturing due to its cost-effectiveness and flexibility. However, the parts built using FFF process suffer from lower mechanical strength compared to that fabricated using traditional method and rough surface finish. With this motivation, this dissertation aims to develop and implement a novel in-process laser assisted technique on FFF to heal the microstructure of FFF built objects by enhancing reptation …


Silver Microparticle And Submicron Wire - Polylactic Acid Composites For Additive Manufacturing, Jenna W. Robichaux Dec 2021

Silver Microparticle And Submicron Wire - Polylactic Acid Composites For Additive Manufacturing, Jenna W. Robichaux

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the incorporation of silver microparticle and submicron wire additives into thermoplastic filament feedstock for fused filament fabrication (FFF) to create multifunctional three-dimensional (3D) printable composites. The impact of silver microparticle and submicron wire additives on mechanical behavior along with antibacterial effect of the silver microparticle and submicron wire additives on printed objects were assessed.

Composite FFF filaments were fabricated by solution processing, granulation, and extrusion. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was conducted to measure the glass transition and melting point temperatures of the composite filaments for 3D printing. The effect of the additive addition on the thermal properties …


Explorations And Developments In Multifunctionality, 3d Printing, And Accelerated Aging For Thermoplastics And Thermosets, Zachary Brounstein Nov 2021

Explorations And Developments In Multifunctionality, 3d Printing, And Accelerated Aging For Thermoplastics And Thermosets, Zachary Brounstein

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

If the world is to progress through the fourth industrial revolution, rapid advances in materials science must complement new technological feats in manufacturing, computation and device functionality, and a broader understanding of how materials behave as they age and degrade. To this effect, much effort has been directed towards polymeric materials to address and solve many problems in this new era. This includes developing polymer composites that incorporate fillers to imbue multifunctionality, fabricating novel formulations for additive manufacturing, and conducting aging studies to assess the performance of these materials over long time spans. Building and expanding on the latest research …


Optimization In The Application Of Varnishes Barrier On Cartonboard Packaging, Andre Ramalheiro De Andrade, Maria Isabel Rodrigues Phd, Eduardo Luiz Machado Phd Oct 2021

Optimization In The Application Of Varnishes Barrier On Cartonboard Packaging, Andre Ramalheiro De Andrade, Maria Isabel Rodrigues Phd, Eduardo Luiz Machado Phd

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

In this work adjustments in the rotogravure printing process are proposed to the varnish water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) aiming to obtain results smaller than 20g/m²/24h. One case study was used for the propositions for improvements, where focused on varnish application process in a gravure printer for an eight-printing unit cartonboard packaging, maximum printing speed of 175 m/min and a 285 g/m² weight cartonboard. The possible variables that influenced the WVTR result were selected from the technical expertise of the people involved in the project, the analysis in the printing process with the application of directed trials using experimental designs …


Electrospinning Processing Techniques For The Manufacturing Of Composite Dielectric Elastomer Fibers, Rani Elhajjar Oct 2021

Electrospinning Processing Techniques For The Manufacturing Of Composite Dielectric Elastomer Fibers, Rani Elhajjar

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Articles

Dielectric elastomers (DE) are novel composite architectures capable of large actuation strains and the ability to be formed into a variety of actuator configurations. However, the high voltage requirement of DE actuators limits their applications for a variety of applications. Fiber actuators composed of DE fibers are particularly attractive as they can be formed into artificial muscle architectures. The interest in manufacturing micro or nanoscale DE fibers is increasing due to the possible applications in tissue engineering, filtration, drug delivery, catalysis, protective textiles, and sensors. Drawing, self-assembly, template-direct synthesis, and electrospinning processing have been explored to manufacture these fibers. Electrospinning …


Advanced Materials Design Using Application-Based Processing Techniques, Daniel S. Camarda Oct 2021

Advanced Materials Design Using Application-Based Processing Techniques, Daniel S. Camarda

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation pertains to generating advanced materials using application-based processing techniques. First, billets consisting of PTFE sintering powders are evaluated using Thermomechancal Analysis. It was found that both shape change and volume change are associated with enthalpic and entropic recoil, respectively. These phenomena, due to melting and stored energy during the powder compaction process, were found to be molecular weight dependent. Additionally, kinetics of the recovery and sintering process were found to be slower in blended specimens than pure samples. Next, the creation of graft copolymers by selectively grafting a second polymer to the amorphous fraction of a semi-crystalline polymer …


Chitosan Graphene Composite Fabrication And Characterization For Treatment Of Harmful Algal Blooms And Toxins, Sarah Zetterholm Oct 2021

Chitosan Graphene Composite Fabrication And Characterization For Treatment Of Harmful Algal Blooms And Toxins, Sarah Zetterholm

Master's Theses

Chitosan graphene composites were fabricated and characterized as a management strategy for harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by various species of cyanobacteria. These chitosan graphene materials were compared to previously studied chitosan graphene-oxide composites in both material properties and HAB treatment. In previous studies, adsorption of the cyanobacteria onto the surface of the composite materials has been observed. Investigations of the pure materials for these composites are also included in this study to determine whether removal is a result of charge interactions with the composite, or as an inherent property of the graphene or graphene oxide. Initial results suggest that …


Development Of The Composition Of A Composite Material Based On Thermoreactive Binder Ed-20, Umida Ziyamukhamedova, Gavhar Miradullayeva, Erkin Rakhmatov, Jasur Nafasov, Mavtuna Inogamova Oct 2021

Development Of The Composition Of A Composite Material Based On Thermoreactive Binder Ed-20, Umida Ziyamukhamedova, Gavhar Miradullayeva, Erkin Rakhmatov, Jasur Nafasov, Mavtuna Inogamova

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of the type of structural modifier and filler on the structure formation and technological properties of potting composite polymeric materials (HCPM) and protective coatings for sheet and complex-configuration technological equipment, taking into account their rheological properties. Compositions of composite polymer materials based on a thermosetting binder of epoxy-diane resin ED-20 filled with a mineral filler - kaolin modified with gassipol resin (GS) - were developed using Newton's interpolation formula and the Lagrange method. The optimal amount of gossypol resin determined in the composition of the composite – in the amount …


Effect Of Talc On The Properties Of A Compound Based On Ethylene-Propylene Copolymer, Ikromjon Usmanov, Farrukh Kurbanbekov, Bobir Aykhodjaev, Ravshan Adilov Oct 2021

Effect Of Talc On The Properties Of A Compound Based On Ethylene-Propylene Copolymer, Ikromjon Usmanov, Farrukh Kurbanbekov, Bobir Aykhodjaev, Ravshan Adilov

CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

The aim of the research is to study the possibility of replacing Korean-made talc with inexpensive talc from an Afghan deposit, processed in Uzbekistan and used for the production of polypropylene compounds. In the future, these compounds are used for the manufacture of plastic car parts. A block copolymer produced by Uz Kor Gaz Chemical was chosen as a binder. For this, the influence of the content and type of talc on the properties of a compound based on an ethylene-propylene copolymer was studied.

The properties of the obtained compounds checked using ISO standards. The fractional composition of the studied …


Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Hydrogels For Contact Lens Applications–A Review, Kushendarsyah Saptaji, Nurlaely Rohmatul Iza, Sinta Widianingrum, Vania Katherine Mulia, Iwan Setiawan Sep 2021

Poly(2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Hydrogels For Contact Lens Applications–A Review, Kushendarsyah Saptaji, Nurlaely Rohmatul Iza, Sinta Widianingrum, Vania Katherine Mulia, Iwan Setiawan

Makara Journal of Science

The emerging technology in biomedical engineering requires biocompatible materials, which are also referred to as biomaterials. For a material to be considered biocompatible, it should not interact with human tissues in a harmful way, and vice versa. Various properties of biocompatible materials, such as mechanical and optical properties, have to be considered for different biomedical applications. One of the most popular applications of biomaterials is for contact lenses. Hydrogels, specifically poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogels, are among the most popular ones in ophthalmologic applications, especially in soft contact lenses. This paper reviews the use of PHEMA hydrogels as one of the …


Biodegradable Nanocomposite Multifunctional Packaging Film For Fruits, Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Dileswar Pradhan, Amit Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal Sep 2021

Biodegradable Nanocomposite Multifunctional Packaging Film For Fruits, Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Dileswar Pradhan, Amit Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Biopolymers have been used in food packaging in recent years due to high pollution rates and decreased biodegradation of synthetic polymers. Chitosan (CH) and Sodium alginate (SA) are both biodegradable biopolymers with excellent film forming capability. TiO2 nanoparticles have high mechanical strength, degradation ability and antimicrobial properties, which are beneficial in food packaging. The aim of the current work is to develop the biodegradable multifunctional nanocomposite film for fruit (i.e., Pear) packaging applications. Bionanocomposite film was prepared by solvent casting method using CH-SA and various concentrations of TiO2. The multifunctional properties such as UV barrier, thermal, water retention, mechanical, chemical, …


Seaweed Polysaccharide In Food Contact Materials (Active Packaging, Intelligent Packaging, Edible Films, And Coatings), Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal Sep 2021

Seaweed Polysaccharide In Food Contact Materials (Active Packaging, Intelligent Packaging, Edible Films, And Coatings), Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Food contact materials (FCMs) are materials that come in contact with food products such as food packaging which play a significant role in the food quality and safety. Plastic, which is a major food packaging material, harms the eco-system, wildlife, and the environment. As a result, numerous researches have been in progress on alternative polymers, which has similar properties as plastic but is also environmentally friendly (biodegradable). In recent years, the utilization of seaweed polysaccharides has piqued interest due to its biodegradability, non-toxicity, antioxidant capabilities, and excellent film formation ability. However, it has a number of drawbacks such as low …


Tools And Strategies For The Patterning Of Bioactive Molecules And Macromolecules, Daniel J. Valles Sep 2021

Tools And Strategies For The Patterning Of Bioactive Molecules And Macromolecules, Daniel J. Valles

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Hypersurface Photolithography (HP) is a printing method for fabricating structures and patterns composed of soft materials bound to solid surfaces and with ~1 micrometer resolution in the x, y, and z dimensions. This platform leverages benign, low intensity light to perform photochemical surface reactions with spatial and temporal control of irradiation, and, as a result, is particularly useful for patterning delicate organic and biological material. In particular, surface- initiated controlled radical polymerizations can be leveraged to create arbitrary polymer and block- copolymer brush patterns. Chapter 1 will review the advances in instrumentation architectures from our group that have made these …


Evaluation Of Stretch Film Behavior During Long-Term Storage Under Different Atmospheric Conditions, Kyle Dunno, Maria Symanski Aug 2021

Evaluation Of Stretch Film Behavior During Long-Term Storage Under Different Atmospheric Conditions, Kyle Dunno, Maria Symanski

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

This study examined the post-application behavior of two 20.3 micron machine stretch films, one categorized as high-performance and one as general-performance, for thirty days while stored at either 23°C or 38°C. For each film type, the stretch film was applied to a simulated unit load to produce neutral and positive applied total stretch scenarios. The relaxation curves developed from each test indicate the relaxation rate of the films varied based on the storage condition. Observed was an average of 41% containment loss for both high-performance and general-purpose films when the simulated loads were stored at 38°C. For simulated loads stored …


Characterization Techniques And Cation Exchange Membrane For Non-Aqueous Redox Flow Battery, Kun Lou Aug 2021

Characterization Techniques And Cation Exchange Membrane For Non-Aqueous Redox Flow Battery, Kun Lou

Doctoral Dissertations

The motivation of this work comes from one of the major problems of emerging non-aqueous flow battery (NAFB) that a separator or membrane which facilitates conductivity and blocks redox species crossover does not exist. Although many aspects of principles can be mirrored from mature fuel cell and aqueous flow battery, it is found that some well-defined membrane properties in aqueous systems such as swelling, transport and interactions are different in non-aqueous solvents to some extent. However, the approach of this work does follow the way perfluorosulfonate ion exchange membrane (PFSA) facilitated development of fuel cell and aqueous flow battery in …


Rapid Annealing Of Perovskite Solar Cell Thin Film Materials Through Intense Pulse Light., Amir Hossein Ghahremani Aug 2021

Rapid Annealing Of Perovskite Solar Cell Thin Film Materials Through Intense Pulse Light., Amir Hossein Ghahremani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have garnered a great attention due to their rapid efficiency improvement using cheap and solution processable materials that can be adapted for scalable high-speed automated manufacturing. Thin film perovskite photovoltaics (PVs) are typically fabricated in an inert environment, such as nitrogen glovebox, through a set of deposition and annealing steps, each playing a significant role on the power conversion efficiency (PCE), reproducibility, and stability of devices. However, atmospheric processing of PSCs would achieve lucrative commercialization. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize materials and methods that enable successful fabrication of efficient PSCs in the ambient environment. The …


Degumming Of Hemp Fibers Using Combined Microwave Energy And Deep Eutectic Solvent, Bulbul Ahmed Jul 2021

Degumming Of Hemp Fibers Using Combined Microwave Energy And Deep Eutectic Solvent, Bulbul Ahmed

LSU Master's Theses

Hemp is considered as one of the sustainable agricultural fiber materials. Degumming or surface modification of hemp bast is needed to produce single fibers for ensuing textile and industrial applications. The traditional degumming process necessitates a high amount of alkali, which causes detrimental environmental pollution. This study offers a new method to degum hemp fibers with reduced use of harmful alkali and precious water resources. In this work, hemp bast fibers were degummed by using combined microwave energy and deep eutectic solvent (DES). The properties of hemp fibers manufactured by this method were investigated and compared with the traditional alkali …


Designing Stimuli-Responsive Nanocomposites To Investigate Interface Dynamics, Huyen Vu Jul 2021

Designing Stimuli-Responsive Nanocomposites To Investigate Interface Dynamics, Huyen Vu

Doctoral Dissertations

Inspired by nature, this research focuses on designing multifunctional renewable nanocomposites with high toughness and stimuli-responsiveness. In recent years, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have been explored due to their abundance, renewable resource, and unique mechanical strength and structural coloration. CNCs naturally self-assemble into the helicoidal (Bouligand) structure that effectively endure high impacts but is brittle without an attendant soft phase. A thermoresponsive polymer, poly(diethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate) (PMEO2MA), was incorporated into CNCs via evaporation-induced self-assembly to improve toughness of the resulting nanocomposites and to study responses in polymer dynamics under varying temperature and humidity conditions. To study microscopic …


Thermoelectric Transport In Disordered Organic And Inorganic Semiconductors, Meenakshi Upadhyaya Jul 2021

Thermoelectric Transport In Disordered Organic And Inorganic Semiconductors, Meenakshi Upadhyaya

Doctoral Dissertations

The need for alternative energy sources has led to extensive research on optimizing the conversion efficiency of thermoelectric (TE) materials. TE efficiency is governed by figure-of-merit (ZT) and it has been an enormously challenging task to increase ZT > 1 despite decades of research due to the interdependence of material properties. Most doped inorganic semiconductors have a high electrical conductivity and moderate Seebeck coefficient, but ZT is still limited by their high lattice thermal conductivity. One approach to address this problem is to decrease thermal conductivity by means of alloying and nanostructuring, another is to consider materials with an inherently low …


Tribological Studies Of Thick Polytetrafluoroethylene Coatings Enhanced By Polydopamine And Nanoparticles, Sujan Kumar Ghosh Jul 2021

Tribological Studies Of Thick Polytetrafluoroethylene Coatings Enhanced By Polydopamine And Nanoparticles, Sujan Kumar Ghosh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a popular low friction solid lubricant with high chemical and thermal stability. Thick PTFE coatings have the potential for many tribological applications, such as replacing Tin-based Babbitt materials in journal bearings. However, the weak bonding strength to the substrate and the high wear rate of PTFE coatings are current limiting factors. The lack of understanding of their tribological properties and wear mechanisms in oil-lubricated conditions and how coating thickness affects the tribological performance further hindered the use of PTFE coatings. In this dissertation, polydopamine (PDA), a bio-inspired adhesive, is used as an underlayer for or as a …