Digital Commons Network^™

Study Of Thermal And Mechanical Properties Of Bio-Based Foam Using Phosphorous And Nitrogen-Based Flame Retardants, Sujal Chaudhari, Mayankkumar L. Chaudhary

Posters

Polyurethanes (PUs) are defined as synthetic copolymers prepared using polyols and polyisocyanates. They have a wide range of applications in a variety of products, such as furniture, medical equipment, packaging, foams, coatings, elastomers, and adhesives. Out of all these, one of the most significant commercial products is polyurethane foams (PUFs). However, most of the raw materials used for PUFs production originate from non-renewable sources and due to their highly porous nature, these foams are highly flammable. It is considered essential to combine bio-based components to produce polyurethanes with good flame retardancy. Thus, introducing halogen-free flame retardant is a primary requirement …

Castor Oil-Based, Environmentally Friendly Using Melamine-Based Flame Retardants For Polyurethane Foam, Niyati Chaudhary, Pratik Patel

Posters

Rigid foams, which are mostly used in the construction, refrigeration, and automotive industries, are one of the most important groups of polyurethanes with substantial potential for insulation and energy efficiency. Regrettably, stiff polyurethane foams often catch fire and are entirely combustible. They rapidly spread the flame as well. Rigid foams are considered hazardous materials because of all these potentially life-threatening situations and environmental issues. In response, nitrogen-based compounds have emerged as efficient, affordable, and ecologically friendly flame-retardant substitutes for halogenated compounds. It has been established that melamine derivatives should be included in stiff polyurethane foams to create nitrogen-based flame retardants. …

Controlled Branching By Step-Growth Polymerization Of Xylitol And Succinic Acid Via Microwave Irradiation, Uday Panchal

Posters

Copolymerization of xylitol usually yields crosslinked materials. In this work, microwave-assisted polyesterification of xylitol and succinic acid produced materials with diverse molecular weights and different branching degrees, and more importantly, no cross-linking was observed, as supported by the solubility behaviour and spectroscopic data. Reactions were carried out for short times, less than 20 min, which is not common for production of industrial polyesters. Control over the branching degree was achieved by tuning the reaction conditions, such as temperature, time of exposure, and monomer ratio, during microwave irradiation. No solvent or catalyst was employed during the step-growth polymerization.

Soybean Oil-Based Adhesives: Effect Of Aliphatic Diols On The Properties Of Adhesives, Sonu Parekh, Mayankkumar L. Chaudhary, Rutu Patel, Pratik Patel

Posters

The development of low-cost bio-based formaldehyde-free adhesives has aroused widespread interest in the wood adhesive industry. The usage of adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde or phenol formaldehyde leads to environmental issues. Therefore, bio-based renewable resources are a better option to use as bio-based polyols instead of petroleum-based polyols. Among all renewable resources, plant oils are the most popular biobased resource for replacing such conventional polyols. Here, in this research work, soybean oil polyol (SOP) was used to synthesize polyurethane (PU) adhesive. For studying adhesion strength, three different aliphatic diols (EDO, BDO, and HDO) with increasing chain length were used as crosslinking …

American Absurd, Kelly Stolle

Theses

There is perhaps one line that separates the American mindset from all others in the world. That is the fascination with the American Dream. This dream, having existed since the creation of this nation, has guided almost all developments we have seen it undertake. The question that lingers, however, is what this “American Dream” actually is. How does one interpret freedom? Further, what is one to do with it? This work suggests that what fuels the American Dream is an absurdist philosophy that ripples through every aspect of American life. Utilizing the modernist literary movement, I will analyze 6 key …

Biogeographic Distribution Patterns Of Lichens In Carter Caves State Resort Park, Carter County, Kentucky, Darion C. Ball, /Allen C. Risk

2024 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Lichens are composite organisms exhibiting a symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae. Biogeography is the study of the geographical distribution patterns of living things. This poster aims to examine the biogeographic patterns of the lichens in Carter Caves State Resort Park {CCSRP), Carter County, Kentucky. In seeking potential patterns occurring in the species this furthers research on the topic and assists in identifying species based on historical biogeographical distribution data.

2023-2024 Program And Abstracts Celebration Of Student Scholarship, Morehead State University. Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program.

2024 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

The 2023-2024 Program and Abstracts for the Celebration of Student Scholarship at Morehead State University held on April 17, 2023. A Showcase of Student Research, Scholarship, Creative Work, and Performance Arts.

Measuring The Blazhko Effect In Rr Lyrae Variable Stars, Gianna Federico, Jennifer Birriel, Ronald Wilhelm

2024 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Pulsating variable stars are stars that physically grow and shrink, causing them to periodically change in brightness in the night sky. In most cases, this change occurs very regularly, however some stars exhibit the Blazhko Effect (BE), which causes a gradual increase and decrease in the magnitude and time between brightness peaks. In some stars, this gradual change can itself vary in period and amplitude, which is known as a modulated BE. The cause of the BE is unknown. This research project aims to identify stars with a modulated BE, which may provide clues into its cause. We used the …

Identifying The Weather Misconceptions Of Usaf Academy Cadets: Implications For Curricular Reform, Mathew Mynk, Wilson Gonzalez-Espada

2024 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

This study identified to what extent weather misconceptions persisted after 41 USAF A cadets completed Meteor 320 (Introduction to Meteorology and Aviation Weather), as measured by their performance on a recently created Survey of Meteorology Concepts (SMC), completed as a pre- and post-test. By examining participant data using psychometric statistics, survey data will also be used to validate the SMC. The research questions are:

• What weather misconceptions are prevalent among the participants?

• To what extent completing Meteor 320 increases weather content knowledge and decrease misconceptions?

• What questions in the SMC are, statistically, the best suited to measure …

Safety Of Nebulization Of Allogenic Alpha-2 Macroglobulin In Horses, Annabel J. Phipps, Pedro Depedro

2024 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

Horses suffering from inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), develop lower airway inflammation, resulting in an obstruction of the bronchioles. This obstruction is associated with the following clinical signs: coughing, airway mucus accumulation, increased respiratory effort at rest and exercise intolerance. (Couetil et al., 2016)

IAD affects horses of all ages including young athletic horses. However, RAO mainly affects horses over 7 years of age. The common treatment for RAO includes corticosteroids, bronchodilators, and meticulously adjusting the environment to lower dust particles.

Allogenic Alpha-2 macroglobulin has shown to have anti-inflammatory properties when injected in joint and soft …

Meteorology Misconceptions Held By Students In General Education Earth Science College Course, Kaitlyn Nelson, Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, Jen O'Keefe, Mmd. Golam Kibria

2024 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations

This study identified to what extent weather misconceptions persisted after 48 students enrolled in ESS 102 (a gen-ed earth science class at Morehead State University) completed the course, measured by their performance on a recently created Survey of Meteorology Concepts (SMC), completed as a pre- and post-test. By examining participant data using psychometric statistics, survey data will also be used to validate the SMC. The research questions are:

• What weather misconceptions are prevalent among the participants?

• To what extent completing ESS 102 increases weather content knowledge and decrease misconceptions?

• What questions in the SMC are, statistically, the …

Biobased Linear Polyester: Effect Of Acids And Diols, Jainishkumar Patel

Posters

Polyester synthetics are widely used in clothing, but creating environmentally friendly materials from renewable resources is essential to reduce our reliance on non-renewable resources such as petroleum products. Azelaic acid, pimelic, and glutaric acid are natural dicarboxylic acids that can be used for the synthesis of bio-based polyesters. This research focuses on synthesizing saturated linear polyesters using azelaic acid, pimelic acid, and glutaric acid with diols of different carbon chain lengths. The process consists of a two-step polymerization process, which uses stannous octoate as a catalyst and hydroquinone as a radical inhibitor. Optimization of the polymerization conditions, including the catalyst …

Morphological And Interfacial Engineering Of Cobalt-Based Electrocatalysts By Carbon Dots For Enhanced Water Splitting, Ronit Chaudhari

Posters

Cobalt-based electrocatalysts have garnered significant interest for their potential in water splitting applications. However, their limited functionality, subpar performance, and sensitivity to electrolyte pH levels have hindered their further advancement. In this study, we explored morphological and interfacial modifications of cobalt nanoparticles by incorporating carbon dots (CDs). Specifically, we synthesized nitrogen-doped carbon-encapsulated cobalt nanoparticles (N−C@Co NPs) in situ, aiming for superior performance in electrocatalytic water splitting. These N−C@Co NPs exhibited remarkable hydrogen evolution performance in both acidic and alkaline environments, with overpotentials of 137 mV and 134 mV at 10 mA/cm2, respectively. Additionally, they demonstrated excellent oxygen evolution performance in …

Outdoor Adventure Camp Impact On Emotional Regulation In Youth, Allie Johnston

Posters

Outdoor Adventure Camps (OACs) have proven beneficial for the mental and physical health of youth across age groups (Bowers et al., 2019; Eigenshenk et al., 2019). OACs have typically been reserved for the middle and upper class of the United States and have only recently been made available to low-income groups (Browne et al., 2019). Within the low-income population we also typically see a higher incidence of behavioral issues stemming from emotional regulation difficulties in children (Collins et al., 2017). The purpose of this study is to better understand the beneficial outcomes of OACs with regard to emotional regulation in …

Development Of Circularity-Focused Plastics Laboratory Activities At Pittsburg State University, Emma Springer, Megan Walser, Paul Herring, Dan Spielbusch, Grant Howard

Posters

Modern plastics manufacturing by traditional methods can create a significant amount of waste plastic including sprues, runners, flash, trim, and out-of-spec parts. Transforming waste products into useful parts can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the plastic industry. Plastics Engineering Technology laboratory activities at PSU generate copious amounts of waste plastic due to required hands-on coursework. This investigation focused specifically on reprocessing ABS waste material from thermoformed scoops generated in Part and Mold Design I. Our objective was to prove the viability of a circular process for ABS waste material by grinding the scrap, injection molding test coupons, extruding new …

Urea-Assisted Room Temperature Stabilized Metastable Β-Nimoo4: Experimental And Theoretical Insights Into Its Unique Bifunctional Activity Toward Oxygen Evolution And Supercapacitor, Harsh Panchal

Posters

Room-temperature stabilization of metastable β-NiMoO4 is achieved through urea-assisted hydrothermal synthesis technique. Structural and morphological studies provided significant insights for the metastable phase. Furthermore, detailed electro- chemical investigations showcased its activity toward energy storage and conversion, yielding intriguing results. Comparison with the stable polymorph, α- NiMoO4, has also been borne out to support the enhanced electrochemical activities of the as-obtained β-NiMoO4. A specific capacitance of ~4188 F/g (at a current density of 5 A/g) has been observed showing its exceptional faradic capacitance. We qualitatively and extensively demonstrate through the analysis of density of states (DOS) obtained from first-principles calculations that, …

Fluorine-Free, Bio-Based Antismudge Polyurethane Coating With Enhanced Flame Retardancy, Rutu Patel, Pratik Patel, Mayankkumar L. Chaudhary

Posters

Traditional methods for synthesizing coating materials often involve the use of fluorinated reagents, which are not only costly but also hazardous, limiting their use in the 21st century where environmental concerns are paramount. As a result, researchers are increasingly turning to bio-based materials for synthesizing polyurethane (PU) coatings. This study focused on developing an eco-friendly polymer coating to protect wood and metal surfaces. The researchers synthesized the coating by reacting a silicone-containing diol with soybean oil polyol (SOP), aiming to leverage the chemical inertness, resistance to various chemicals, and non-stick properties of silicone to achieve the desired properties of an …

Targeted Synthesis Of Unique Nickel Sulfide (Nis, Nis2) Microarchitectures And The Applications For The Enhanced Water Splitting System, Urvashi Gondaliya

Posters

Water splitting stands out as an optimal technology to address the continually growing energy demands. This field has garnered considerable attention, with numerous materials being scrutinized for their potential applications. Among these, the family of nickel-based sulfides emerges as a noteworthy example, showcasing intriguing properties pertinent to water-splitting endeavors. In this study, a methodical and uncomplicated approach for synthesizing nickel sulfides is proposed. The process initiates with the creation of nickel disulfide (NiS2) hollow microspheres through a hydrothermal procedure. Subsequently, meticulous temperature regulation in a specific atmosphere lead to the preparation of porous hollow microspheres of nickel sulfide (NiS). The …

Impact Of Coding Proficiency On Starting Annual Salaries After Graduation, Tejasri Dodda

Posters

As many companies are going digital in their operations and many startups are driven by software solutions instead of focusing on physical infrastructure, the demand for coding jobs has increased across the globe as it is the programming that drives computer systems. From transport and food to healthcare everything became Information Technology dependent. We can also observe that there is a wide popularity for programming courses, as the coding skills from those courses might fetch high paying jobs. Students who are pursuing their masters in information technology must be good in coding as it will get them a high paying …

Remarkable Mechanical And Solvent Resistance Properties Of Polyurethane Elastomers Based On Betulin Prepared Without Need Of Catalyst, Mansi Ahir

Posters

Polyurethane (PUs) are an incredibly versatile class of polymer due to the broad range of chemistries that may be utilized in their synthesis to create an abundance of types and properties. As an example, PU elastomers have outstanding chemical, mechanical, and physical properties together with excellent biocompatibility. An increasing number of people are becoming interested in using sustainable biomass feedstock to produce biobased chemical products. The bark of birch trees contains naturally occurring cyclic aliphatic diol known as botulin which is found in substantial level. In this research, several types of bio-based polyurethane (PU) elastomers with exceptional mechanical characteristics, solvent …

Cobalt Oxide As Photocatalyst For Water Splitting: Temperature-Dependent Phase Structures, Bhumikaben Makawana

Posters

This study investigated the best phases of cobalt oxide for the photochemical and photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting reaction. Cobalt oxide was produced via a hydrothermal process of cobalt nitrate hexahydrate and then annealed at different temperatures from 450 oC to 950 oC. The Co3O4 phase was produced during pre-annealing and annealing at 450 oC. The mixed phase of Co3O4 and CoO was produced during annealing at 550 oC and 650 oC, and pure CoO was produced during annealing from 750 oC to 950 oC. The Co3O4 phase produced the highest photocurrent density with a value of 1.15 mA cm-2 at a …

The Role Of Computer-Based Education In The Academic Achievement Of Public High School Students (6th, 7th, 8th, 9th And 10th Grades) In India, Surya Vinodh Moraboina

Posters

With increasing technology innovations, the world is moving towards digitalization. These advancements in technology caused changes in the global education system. The most significant change was the transition in teaching methods from oral to computer based. Computer-based education creates interest among students about a particular topic and students can understand visuals better than reading textbooks or listening to an oral lecture. Countries such as India have both public and private schools. However, in India, just a few public schools implemented computer-based education. Thus, students in public schools may have poor computer abilities, remain uninterested in academics, lack fundamental concepts, and …

Study Of Post-Industrial And Post-Consumer Plastics For Degradation Behavior And Material Properties, Emma Springer, Brady Franklin, Zach Coenen, Jacob Shuler, Grant Howard

Posters

Plastic pollution is a rapidly growing global problem. Current methods of plastics disposal cause even greater environmental impacts. For example, landfills are at capacity, incinerators are increasing greenhouse gases, and microplastics are polluting woodlands and water ways. Thermoplastics recycling of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has become a focal point in the plastics industry. In this study, we demonstrated the effects that different processing levels have on HDPE physical properties. We processed and analyzed six different plastics: “virgin HPDE”, “internal regrind”, “internal regrind pelletized”, “repro”, “repro with additive”, and “flake”. We first processed the material that was donated to us by Rehrig …

Will The Requirement Of Lactation Consultants In Hospitals Increase Breastfeeding Rates In The U.S.?, Suzanne Eubanks

Posters

In recent years as health in the United States is declining, so are breastfeeding rates. It seems that majority of the people aware of this issue, are specialized in the area of maternal-newborn care and/or breastfeeding. “The fact that breastfeeding rates remain low in many contexts, with substantial gaps between income groups, suggests that countries are not providing women with sufficient information and support. This is an area that requires urgent attention.” Improving breastfeeding rates could save more than 820,000 children under 5 every year, and an additional 20,000 maternal deaths from breast cancer. “Physicians are not often adequately prepared …

Low Socioeconomic Status Negatively Impacts Field-Test Battery In College Aged Women, Adam Mortensen

Posters

Low Socioeconomic Status Negatively Impacts Field-Test Battery in College Aged Women

Amorphous Phosphorus-Incorporated Cobalt Molybdenum Sulphide On Carbon Cloth: An Efficient And Stable Electrocatalyst For Enhanced Overall Water Splitting Over Entire Ph Values, Fnu Himanshi

Posters

­­­Developing cost-effective, efficient, and highly durable catalysts to replace expensive noble metal electrodes in electrocatalytic water-splitting applications is crucial. A particularly intriguing and challenging strategy in this regard involves the deliberate design of nanocomposites comprising multiple components with distinct functionalities. Here, we present the synthesis of a robustly catalytic and exceptionally durable electrocatalyst, phosphorus-incorporated cobalt molybdenum sulphide (P-CoMoS), grown on carbon cloth (CC). This hybrid material demonstrates remarkable activity for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions across a wide pH range (1−14), while maintaining extremely high stability (approximately 90% retention of the initial current density) after 24 hours of electrolysis. …

A New Life For Pittsburg State University Surplus Plastics Through Recycling, Joe Murphy, Taygen Bantz, Nicholas Clark, Connor Ramsey

Posters

Recycling polymeric materials has become an area of concern worldwide but may not be as economical as consumers believe. We examined the feasibility of recycling discarded soap dispensers after changes were made in PSU bathrooms campus-wide. First, soap dispensers were deconstructed, cleaned, and granulated to reduce the size of the plastic parts to processable dimensions. To achieve optimal granulation of material from the soap dispensers and aid in the processing of post-consumer regrind (PCR) for other projects, we installed a larger capacity size reduction machine. We then successfully determined the base polymer in each different part through infrared spectroscopy and …

Bio-Adhesives: Effect Of Diamine’S Chain Length, Uday Panchal

Posters

The production of ecologically friendly items from renewable feedstock is essential to lessening the demand for non-renewable resources like petroleum-based products. High-performance polymers are formed in large part by plant oils. Still, adjustments are necessary for improved performance. Making polymers from renewable and environmentally friendly materials such as epoxidized plant oils (EPOs) is one way to attain sustainable development in the materials industry. To improve the qualities of EPO-based polymers, crosslinking agents comprising large concentrations of functional groups can be employed in polymers. In this work, highly branching and flexible polyamine was crosslinked with epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) using ring-opening …

Potentially Biodegradable “Short-Long” Type Diol-Diacid Polyesters With Superior Crystallizability, Tensile Modulus, And Water Vapor Barrier, Jainishkumar Patel

Posters

Long-chain aliphatic polyesters are potentially biodegradable polymers with PE-like structures and properties. To develop biodegradable long-chain polyesters for practical applications, a series of “short-long” type long-chain polyesters, PEsxy (x = 2−4, 6, y = 10−16), are designed and synthesized from C2−4,6 short-chain α,ω-diols, and C10−16 long-chain α,ω-diacids via melt polycondensation. They showed intrinsic viscosity as high as 0.93− 1.64 dL/g and PE-like crystal structure, rapid crystallization, and ductile tensile behavior. Their crystallization and melting temperature showed an increasing trend with diacid chain length and an apparent odd−even effect. The highest melting temperature reached 94 °C, and the highest tensile strength …

Biobased High-Molecular-Weight Polyester With Impressive Elasticity, Thermo-Mechanical Properties, And Enzymatic Biodegradability: Replacing Petro-Based Pbat, Lav Sharma

Posters

The widespread utilization of petroleum-based plastics causes environmental issues, prompting the production of biobased high-performance polymers for a sustainable future. With the application of multiple biobased monomers with comparable chemical structures in recent years, efforts are to made to explore or synthesize alternative polymers that has the advantages of plastic. In this study, we have synthesized poly (alkylene furanoate-co-sebacate) by two-stage melt polycondensation, utilizing biomass-derived substituent dimethyl furan 2,5-carboxylate and dimethyl sebacate, and different diols such as butane diol and pentane diol. The synthesized high-molecular weight aliphatic-aromatic polyesters, poly (butylene furanoate-co-sebacate) (PBFS) and poly (pentylene furanoate-co-sebacate) (PPeFS), were characterized by …