Polymer and Organic Materials Commons^™

Fire Fossils: Biomineral Infrastructures In Untangling Climates, Tanmayee More

Masters Theses

Diatoms drift, sediments sink, wildfires generate their own weather. Lightning strikes can blast sand into glass, and microscopic organisms do the same in the cold recesses of the ocean. What alchemies and metabolisms catalyze space, time, and energy? What are the thermodynamics of infrastructure in Climate Change?

Places, materials, and beings are afterimages. Through alchemical experiments, and multi-scalar imaging, I develop simulations of wildfires, and their profound, reverberating effects. In this thesis, a glass-meets-landscape experimental process enters these obscured conditions and renders new material relations for the built environment.

Electroplating Of Nanoengineered Polymer Substrate, Brandon Voelker

Masters Theses

The development of a polyethylene based polymer with metallic inclusions, a nanoengineered polymer, has recently opened up great potential for many new commercial and industrial applications. The major advantage of developing these nanoengineered polymers is to be able to tailor the resistance and other properties by varying the composition of the polymer. The industrial usage of this polymer benefits from the addition of an electrically conductive, metallic coating. This research develops methods of electroplating nickel and copper layers on to the polymer substrates using DC and pulsed techniques.

Electroplating is conducted in a 1000 mL beaker using a specialized plating …

Use Of Polymer Rapid Tools As Functional Injection Mold Tooling, Sean Derrick

Masters Theses

Conventional tool making for injection molded plastics is expensive, time consuming, and generates a great deal of waste. Presently, industry is waiting for what is commonly referred to as Rapid Tooling (RT). The greatest opportunity for RT implementation would be the use of Additively Manufacturing (AM) technology. Specifically, AM techniques which use a high strength polymer resin substrate.

The following research is an initial feasibility study to determine if Polymer Rapid Tools (PRTs) could be used as functional injection mold tooling. The objective of the research was to determine if a PRT could mold a variety of features to a …

Improved Deinkability Of Lep (Liquid Electrophotography) Digital Prints, Zheng Wei

Masters Theses

Digital printing plays a very important role in the life of modern society. With the development of digital printing technologies, and the increasing market share of digital printing, the amount of digital prints in waste paper is rapidly increasing. Under “green” manufacturing and environmental sustainability, deinking of digital print inks is an urgent problem that needs to be solved. Indigo is a typical series of HP (Hewlett-Packard) digital presses that use a liquid ink named ElectroInk (Liquid Electrophotography or LEP). The particle size of HP ElectroInk is very small, 1-2 microns, which is smaller than dry toners. But, during flotation, …

Effect Of Antioxidants On Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (Uhmwpe), Clifford Schrader

Masters Theses

This thesis presents a study on the effects of antioxidants on the oxidative induction time (OIT), thermal behavior, and hardness property of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The antioxidants were dissolved into methanol alcohol before the solution was mixed with UHMWPE powder. The mixture was degassed under vacuum, and then compression-molded into disks 1.25 in. in diameter.

Different antioxidants were evaluated at concentrations up to 0.6 percent. A 0.6 percent concentration was used to screen the effectiveness of various antioxidants. Effect of antioxidant concentration was investigated in the range between 0 and 0.6 percent. OIT was evaluated on UHMWPE …

The Effects Of Machining On Structure And Tribological Properties Of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene For Artificial Joint Prostheses, Jinshan Song

Masters Theses

Understanding the effect of machining on the structure and property of subsurface layer of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) can significantly facilitate the increase in longevity of artificial joints. This study was performed to investigate the machining effects on the polymeric structure and tribological properties. Machining parameters include cutting speed, tool feed rate and depth of cut. Temperature rise was studied during machining to assess the extent of thermal degradation due to machining. Polymeric structure of the semicrystalline polymer was characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in terms of melting enthalpy, crystallinity and melting temperature. Surface texture and hardness …

Mechanical And Tribological Properties Of Composites Of Recycled High Density Polyethylene And Recycled Rubber, Jason G. Boulanger

Masters Theses

This thesis presents a study on the mechanical and tribological properties of composite materials of recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) and recycled rubber tire particles. The materials were compounded by extrusion and formed into test specimens by injection molding.

The first experiment studied the effect of recycled rubber percentage on mechanical properties of composites of recycled HDPE and recycled rubber. The mechanical properties included tensile strength, percent elongation, hardness, and impact resistance. Recycled rubber concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 percent were tested. The second experiment investigated the tribological properties of recycled HDPE and recycled rubber …

Study On Rheological Behavior Of The Composites Of Recycled Hdpe With Recycled Tire Rubber Particles, Yanze Li

Masters Theses

This study was mainly concerned with rheological properties of composites of recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) with recycled tire rubber particles at shear rates from 1.167 to 116.7 s^-1. The viscosity was investigated in terms of effects of shear rate, shear stress, temperature, concentration of recycled tire rubber particles and heating duration. The temperature was in the range from 160 to 250 °C and the rubber particle concentration was between 0 and 25%. The heat duration for the composites was up to 240 minutes before testing.

The viscosities of composites were decreased with increase in shear rate and …

An Investigation Of Recycled High Density Polyethylene Reinforced By Short Glass Fibers, Tony Lynn Alwardt

Masters Theses

The mechanical properties of recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced by short glass fibers were investigated. The composites formed by an injection molding process were examined in terms of tensile strength, percent elongation, and hardness. Recycled HDPE was compared to virgin HDPE regarding the effects of fiber concentrations, types, sizes, and treatments. The addition of three coupling agents at different concentrations was investigated.

The virgin HDPE composites slightly outperformed their recycled HDPE counterparts; having higher tensile strength and hardness, but were less ductile. Increase in fiber concentration generally increased the tensile strength and hardness, but the concentration of fibers was …

A Dynamic Study Of The Effect Of Cationic Starch Molecular Weight And Charge On Filler And Fines Flocculation, Deflocculation, And Reflocculation, Bob Shian-Hou Ching

Masters Theses

A modified laboratory instrument was used to dynamically monitor the flocculation of fines and filler under various shear conditions on the "seconds" basis. A three-way factorial design and ANOVA were used to evaluate the significance of cationio starch molecular weight and charge in affecting fines and filler flocculation, deflocculation, and reflocculation. The reduction of molecular weight under high shear was suggested by the results. Both main effects and interaction effects of charge and molecular weight were important in determining flocculation. Charge was the only significant factor for the reflocculation process. Molecular weight was more important than charge in imparting shear …

Isolation And Characterization Of The Dimers Formed In The Free-Radical And Anionic Initiated Polymerization Of Alpha-Methylstryene, Kevin S. Bosman

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Inhibitors And Retarders For The Free Radical Polymerization Of Alpha-Methylstyrene, Alexander Accetta

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.