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Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Extraction Of Micro- And Nano-Plastic Particles From Water Using Hydrophobic Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents, Jameson R. Hunter
Extraction Of Micro- And Nano-Plastic Particles From Water Using Hydrophobic Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents, Jameson R. Hunter
Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
The production of plastic and the amount of waste plastic that enters the environment increases every year. Synthetic polymers will gradually break down into particles on the micro- and nano-scale. The micro- and nano-plastics pose a significant ecological harm by transporting toxic chemicals and causing inflammation and cellular damage when ingested. Two common plastics are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polystyrene (PS), and a newer bioplastic polylactic acid (PLA) that has become a popular alternative. Deep eutectic solvents are a recently discovered solvent composed of a hydrogen bond donor and hydrogen bond acceptor and have been proposed as a cheaper alternative …
Separation Of Water From Ulsd Using Superhydrophobic Ps Nanofiber Mats, Alisa G. Webel
Separation Of Water From Ulsd Using Superhydrophobic Ps Nanofiber Mats, Alisa G. Webel
Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects
Superhydrophobic polystyrene nanofiber membranes have potential to separate micron scale water droplets from organic due to their hydrophobicity and small pore openings. Polystyrene nanofibers were electrospun into flat sheets and cylindrical filter membranes. The fibers were crosslinked to increase strength and reduce solubility in diesel fuel. The filters were tested and the filtration efficiency was compared to their non-crosslinked counterparts. The optimal electrospinning conditions to create superhydrophobic nanofibers were found to be 20 wt. % PS fibers at 1 mL/hr. under a current of 20kV and at a distance of 20 cm away from the ground. It was found that …
Synthesis And Characterization Of Graphene-Polymer Nanocomposites Via Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain-Transfer Polymerization, Renpeng Gu
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
Graphene has emerged as a subject of tremendous scientific interest due to its exceptional electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. When incorporated into a polymer matrix, graphene sheets can significantly improve the properties of the host polymer. However, the dispersion of pure graphene throughout a polymer matrix is not homogeneous, due to the strong van der Waals interactions between graphene sheets and the difference in surface compatabilities. To prevent agglomeration of these graphene sheets, surface functionalization is required. The goal of this thesis was to develop a facile approach for growing polymer chains from the surface of graphene sheets via reversible …