Polymer and Organic Materials Commons^™

Filtration Performance, Fit Test And Side Effects Of Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment Following Decontamination: Observations For User Safety And Comfort, Nathalie Turgeon, Melissa Pagé, Justin Robillard, Véronique Goulet, Ali Bahloul, Clothilde Brochot, Mohamed Nejib Saidi, Nathan Dumont-Leblond, Caroline Duchaine

Études primaires

Objective

While facing personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, several institutions looked to PPE decontamination and reuse options. This study documents the effect of two hydrogen peroxide treatments on filtration efficiency and fit tests as well as the side effects for volunteers after the decontamination of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). We also propose an efficient and large-scale treatment protocol that allows for the traceability of this protective equipment in hospitals during PPE shortages.

Methods

The effects of low-temperature hydrogen peroxide sterilization and hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) on two FFR models (filtration, decontamination level, residual emanation) were …

Development Of Polymeric Sorbents As Reusable Filtration Systems For Remediation Of Pfas Contaminated Water, E. Molly Frazar

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Decades of use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in a multitude of consumer and industry-based products have led to a devastating amount of soil and water contamination. Although these chemicals and compounds possess advantageous qualities – such as that of PFAS in the role of fire-fighting foams that have no doubt saved countless lives and homes, we must take responsibility for the anthropogenic hazards that threaten our global health. This entails being able to cost-effectively remediate problems created in the past from overuse of toxic substances that could negatively impact our future, and in this case, the future of …

The Application Of Photoelectron Spectroscopies In Analyzing The Impact Of Interfacial Energetics On Perovskite Solar Cells, Tuo Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

In recent years, organic-inorganic metal halide perovskites (HP) have garnered tremendous attention in photovoltaic research. This attention is attributed to their low cost and excellent optoelectronic properties, including large absorption coefficients, tunable bandgaps, long charge-carrier diffusion lengths, and low densities of deep trap states. Inverted p-i-n architecture perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are of intense interest and are generally regarded as more amenable to low-temperature solution processing. Nevertheless, the development of inverted PSCs is lagging the conventional architecture devices. Imperfect energy level alignments and charge carrier recombination, especially at the interface between perovskite and electron transport layers (ETLs), are two main …

Understanding The Feasibility Of Improving Interfacial Properties In Direct Ink Writing Of Silicone-Polyurethane Resin Hybrid Material, Ayobami Samuel Akinfenwa

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The progress in materials engineering and the ability to make various models possible have made soft robotics a popular alternative to traditional robotics. Still, soft robots need various parts, like Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), batteries, cables, fittings, and more, to work correctly or to get attached to other complex parts. These parts can have different material properties, like elastic moduli, strength, etc. Because of these differences, mechanical failures happen at the points where two materials meet, making soft robots less durable and less lasting in real-life situations due to failure. Conventionally, the fabrication of soft robot parts is through moulding. …

Elastoplastic Quasi-Static And Impact Load Response Of Steel Structure Sub-Assemblage With Cfrp Strips, Ali Al Aloosi, Zia Razzaq

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Presented in this paper is the outcome of an experimental investigation of the elastoplastic quasi-static and impact load response of a steel sub-assemblage constructed using a pair of hollow square section members with or without Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) strips. The sub-assemblage consists of a long structural member welded to a short member, thus representing a typical combination of a column and a beam on the face of a multi-story steel building frame. The column is subjected to a lateral quasi-static or impact load. Tests are conducted on four separate steel sub-assemblages. The first two tests are conducted with …

Study Of Nanocomposite Materials Using Molecular Dynamics, Prashik Sunil Gaikwad

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

There is an increase in demand for new lightweight structural materials in the aerospace industry for more efficient and affordable human space travel. Polymer matrix composites (PMCs) with reinforcement material as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have shown exceptional increase in the mechanical properties. Flattened carbon nanotubes (flCNTs) are a primary component of many carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn and sheet materials, which are promising reinforcements for the next generation of ultra-strong composites for aerospace applications. These flCNT/polymer materials are subjected to extreme pressure and temperature during curing process. Therefore there is a need to investigate the evolution of properties during the curing …

Molecular Dynamics Modeling Of Polymers For Aerospace Composites, Swapnil Sambhaji Bamane

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Polymer matrix composite materials are widely used as structural materials in aerospace and aeronautical vehicles. Resin/reinforcement wetting and the effect of polymerization on the thermo-mechanical properties of the resin are key parameters in the manufacturing of aerospace composite materials. Determining the contact angle between combinations of liquid resin and reinforcement surfaces is a common method for quantifying wettability. It is challenging to determine contact angle values experimentally of high-performance resins on CNT materials such as CNT, graphene, bundles or yarns, and BNNT surfaces. It is also experimentally difficult to determine the effect of polymerization reaction on material properties of a …

Nanocomposites For Applications In Ultracapacitors Based Energy Storage Systems, Duy Pham, Jake Ivirn, Jacob Dileonardi, Ben Mckinney, Ashish Aphale

Symposium of Student Scholars

Electrochemical capacitors also known as ultracapacitor is a potential technology for modern energy storage due to their high performance of charge capacity and fast charge-discharge rates. The superior performance of ultracapacitors will help to meet demands for energy systems in applications such as transportation. Ultracapacitor device consists of electrodes, a polymeric separator, and an electrolyte. Under the applied voltage, the migration of ions between two porous electrodes from the bulk of the electrolyte governs the performance of such devices. In this work, we present experimental research on the synthesis of different electrode materials using atomically thick graphene and conducting polymers. …

Development Of Electrochemical Sensors For The Detection Of Trace Contaminants, Quang Lam, Ashish Aphale, Duy Pham

Symposium of Student Scholars

Several industrial processes, such as stainless steel fabrication and textiles, produce heavy metal byproducts such as chromium. These heavy metals have detrimental effects on the surrounding environments and humans. Recently, electrochemical-driven sensors have been studied and show great potential in miniaturization while still providing measurements at a low cost. In addition, atomically thin allotropes of carbon, graphene, and graphene oxide have shown remarkable results in producing a highly responsive and selective sensor platform. These results are due to their excellent electrical conductivity, high surface area for utility, and physicochemical stability. The existing challenge for electrochemical-driven sensors is understanding the molecular …

Nanoclays And Curcumin Based Food Packaging Material For Intelligent Food Packaging Applications, Kalpani Y. Perera, Swarna Jaiswal, Amit K. Jaiswal, Shubham Sharma

Articles

Bionanocomposite packaging eco-friendly alternatives with enhanced characteristics. This study aimed to develop a bionanocomposite intelligent packaging. Sodium alginate, gelatin, Curcumin (Cur), glycerol, and Nanoclay (NC) films were prepared. The influences of nanoclay and curcumin on the surface, optical, mechanical, chemical, barrier, and pH-indicating properties were studied. The results showed that the lightness of films was reduced by 1.28 folds compared to NC (control) film, while the yellowness of films increased by 5.82 folds. Film transparency was reduced by 9.3 folds and a 3.46 folds increase in UV barrier properties was observed compared to NC (control) film. The highest tensile strength …

Cold Plasma Technology In Food Packaging, Kalpani Y. Perera, Jack Prendeville, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Cold plasma (CP) is an effective strategy to alter the limitations of biopolymer materials for food packaging applications. Biopolymers such as polysaccharides and proteins are known to be sustainable materials with excellent film-forming properties. Bio-based films can be used as an alternative to traditional plastic packaging. There are limitations to biopolymer packaging materials such as hydrophobicity, poor barrier, and thermos-mechanical properties. For this reason, biopolymers must be modified to create a packaging material with the desired applicability. CP is an effective method to enhance the functionality and interfacial features of biopolymers. It etches the film surface allowing for better adhesion …

Design, Fabrication, And Characterization Of Conjugated Polymeric Electrochemical Memristors As Neuromorphic/Integrated Circuits, Benjamin Grant

All Dissertations

Organic materials are promising candidates for future electronic devices compared to the complementing inorganic materials due to their ease of processability, use, and disposal, low cost of fabrication, energy efficiency, and flexible nature toward implementation as flexible and non-conformal devices.With that in mind, electrochemical materials have been widely demonstrated with commercial use as sensors, displays, and a variety of other electronic devices. As Moore's law predicts the increase in the density of transistors on a chip, the requirement to create either smaller transistors or the replacement of the transistor device entirely is apparent. Memory resistors, coined ``memristor", are variable resistive …

Exploring The Effect Of Environmental Degradation On The Shape Memory Properties Of Polymers, Jorge Mario Avila

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A key detriment of the use of polymers by our society is the negative effect this material class has had on the environment. A category of polymers known as shape memory polymers (SMP)s have the ability to return to a programmed original shape form after deformation to a temporary shape by using stimuli such as temperature, electrical pulses and even magnetism. The shape memory effect allows for some polymers to heal if they are damaged. This ability to heal means that components made from these materials can be reused rather than thrown away if they are damaged. The work presented …

Enhancing The Performance Of Poly(3-Hexylthiophene) Based Organic Thin-Film Transistors Using An Interface Engineering Method, Eyob Negussie Tarekegn

All Dissertations

An original design and photolithographic fabrication process for poly(3-hexylthiophene-2, 5-diyl) (P3HT) based organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) is presented. The structure of the transistors was based on the bottom gate bottom contact OTFT. The fabrication process was efficient, cost-effective, and relatively straightforward to implement. Current–voltage (I-V) measurements were performed to characterize the primary electronic properties of the transistors. The measured mobility of these transistors was significantly higher than most results reported in the literature for other similar bottom gate bottom contact P3HT OTFTs. The higher mobility is explained primarily by the effectiveness of the fabrication process in keeping the interfacial layers …

Hierarchical Structure And Material Integration For Electrocatalytic Co2 Reduction, Hamed Mehrabi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

CO2 released by the combustion of fossil fuels is driving significant changes to the earth’sclimate. The natural cycle for removing CO2 from the atmosphere, namely photosynthesis, cannot keep up with the rate at which it is being added. Developing engineering approaches to remove CO2 from the atmosphere is becoming essential to reduce these effects. Removal leads to further issues of carbon sequestration and favorable CO2 reuse strategies, including the electrochemical transformation of recovered CO2 to useful products such as fuels and materials. Copper is an important electrocatalyst for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) because of its unique capability for producing …

Sustainable Material For Urea Delivery Based On Chitosan Cross-Linked By Glutaraldehyde Saturated Toluene: Characterization And Determination Of The Release Rate Mathematical Model, Jayanudin Jayanudin, Retno S. D. Lestari, Indar Kustiningsih, Dandi Irawanto, Rozak Rozak, Reyonaldo L. A. Wardana, Fakhri Muhammad

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The aims of this study were to characterize the urea-loaded chitosan microspheres and determine the release kinetic constants and diffusion coefficients. An emulsion cross-linking method was used to prepare the urea-loaded chitosan microspheres. Urea was dissolved in a solution of chitosan then put into vegetable oil and stirred to form an emulsion. Glutaraldehyde saturated toluene (GST) was added into the emulsion dropwise while continuously stirring for the solidification process. Chitosan microspheres filled with urea were washed, dried, and then analyzed. Characterization of the urea-loaded chitosan microspheres was conducted using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and particle …

A Machine Learning Approach To Robotic Additive Manufacturing Of Uv-Curable Polymers Using Direct Ink Writing, Luis A. Velazquez

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design and implementation of a robotic additive manufacturing system that uses ultraviolet (UV)-curable thermoset polymers. Its design considers future applications involving free-standing 3D printing by means of partial UV curing and the fabrication of samples that are reinforced with fillers or fibers to manufacture complex-shape objects.

The proposed setup integrates a custom-built extruder with a UR5e collaborative manipulator. The capabilities of the system were demonstrated using Anycubic resin formulations containing fumed silica (FS) at varying weight fractions from 2.8 to 8 wt%. To fully cure the specimens after fabrication, a UV chamber was used. Then, measurements …

Sodium Alginate, Nanoclay And Curcumin Based Food Packaging Material For Intelligent Food Packaging Applications, Kalpani Y. Perera, Máille Hopkins, Shubham Sharma, Brendan Duffy, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Bionanocomposite food packaging contains materials of biological origin which display high-performance activity when compared to biopolymers and are eco-friendly alternatives to conventional packaging materials. Intelligent packaging monitors the condition of the food or environment surrounding the food and communicates changes to the consumer. This study aimed to develop a bionanocomposite intelligent packaging material by utilising sodium alginate, nanoclay and curcumin. Sodium alginate (2 W/V% SA) film incorporated with 0.3 W/V% curcumin (Cur), glycerol, and nanoclay (NC) in various concentrations (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 W/V %) was prepared using the solvent casting method. The influences of nanoclay and curcumin on …

Biodegradable Active Bio-Nanocomposite Film For The Enhanced Shelf Life Of Tomatoes, Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Brendan Duffy, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

The increased environmental pollution has led to finding sustainable solutions for non-renewable plastic-based food packaging materials. Thus, the use of biomaterial-based packaging material has become an immense trend. This work aims at developing an antimicrobial biodegradable chitosanalginate bio-nano composite film with TiO2 nanoparticle (NPs) for food packaging applications. The film was developed by a solution casting method. The chemical, mechanical, thermal, barrier, antimicrobial, and biodegradable properties of the packaging films were evaluated. Packaging studies were performed for 15 days for cherry tomatoes. The designed packaging material had enhanced the mechanical properties with a significantly (p < 0.05) higher tensile strength of 15.76 folds and 2 fold higher elongation at break. The UV barrier properties increased by 88.6%, while the film transparency decreased by 87.23%. Molecular interaction of N-H covalent bonds was observed between alginate and chitosan together with TiO2 NPs. The developed bio-nano composite film showed antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens E. coli, S. aureus, S. typhi, and L. monocytogene with a log reduction of 7.08, 7.28, 6.04 & 6.02 log CFU/ml respectively at 24 hours incubation period. The film was completely biodegraded and a weight loss of 89.06% was observed in bio-nanocomposite film during the 3 months. Shelf-life estimation of cherry tomato using developed packaging films showed an increase in the shelf-life up to 8 days with stable pH, total soluble solids, and weight with no bacterial growth when packaged with prepared film. Owing to their improved mechanical, UV barrier, antibacterial, and biodegradability, the prepared active bio-nano composite packaging films could be considered a potential candidate for fruit packaging.

Fabrication Of Thin-Film Composite, Reverse-Osmosis Membranes With Polyethylenimine Modifications For Enhancing Membrane Fouling Resistance, Stephanie N. Hamilton

Master's Theses

Increasing water reuse opportunities for communities has become increasingly important as access to clean water is becoming more scarce. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is an advanced treatment technology used in water recycling wastewater for potable reuse applications. RO is a promising technology; however, the membranes have limitations including their high energy demand and their susceptibility to membrane fouling. The main objective of this study was to develop a reproducible method for the fabrication of RO membranes with enhanced flux and reduced susceptibility to fouling. Literature contains numerous publications on fabrication of thin film composite (TFC) RO membranes with high performance. However, …

Bio-Based Food Packaging Material For Intelligent Food Packaging Applications For Chicken Fillets, Kalpani Y. Perera, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarma Jaiswal, Shubham Sharma

Articles

Bionanocomposite packaging is made up of bio- based materials that have high performance activity and are ecologically sustainable alternatives to packaging made of synthetic polymers. Intelligent packaging retains track of the state of the food and the environment in which it is stored, and communicates relevant changes to the consumer through visualization or other methods. The aim of this study was to develop a bionanocomposite intelligent packaging material by utilising sodium alginate, gelatin, nanoclay and curcumin. Sodium alginate, gelatin film incorporated with Curcumin (Cur), and Nanoclay (NC) in various concentrations (0% W/V, 0.5% W/V, 1% W/V and 1. 5% W/V) …

Solar Pv Panels-Self-Cleaning Coating Material For Egyptian Climatic Conditions, Iman El-Mahallawi, Engy Elshazly, Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin Dr., Muhammad Qasim Rana Dr.

Renewable Mechanical Energy

No abstract provided.

Investigating Features And Output Correlation Coefficient Of Natural Fiber-Reinforced Poly(Lactic Acid) Biocomposites, Andreas Federico, Siti Norasmah Surip, Wan Nor Raihan Wan Jaafar, Jaka Fajar Fatriansyah, Agrin Febrian Pradana

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Polylactic acid (PLA) material has the potential to be applied in various industrial fields, but this material has shortcomings in terms of mechanical properties, especially mechanical strength, due to brittleness nature of PLA. The manufacture of PLA composite material with the addition of natural fibers as a reinforcing phase is one of the methods to increase the impact strength and maintain the biodegradable properties of the material. However, in theory, there are many factors that affect the mechanical properties of composite materials, thus making the mechanical properties of composites more complex than monolithic materials. The mechanical properties of these composite …

Fabrication And Non-Covalent Functionalization And Characterization Of Graphene-Based Devices On Novel Substrate Cadmium Trithiophosphate (Iv) — Cdps, Abayomi Omotola Omolewu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With graphene at the center of several application areas such as sensing, circuits, high-frequency devices for communication systems, etc., it is crucial to understand how the intrinsic properties of devices made from graphene and other materials like platinum and palladium nanoparticles affect the performance of such devices for the specific application area. Many graphene-based devices for different application areas have focused mainly on the material composition of the graphene-based devices and how it affects performance parameters for the specific application. However, it would be insightful to understand how the intrinsic electrical properties of the graphene devices for different applications affect …

Characterization Of Thermal Gelation Properties In Bioresorbable Thermally Activated Hydrogel Polymers For Hernia Surgery Applications, Alexander Mayfield

All Theses

Hydrogel adhesives are a new class of materials with excellent biocompatibility, which makes them very attractive for biomaterial applications. It has been previously shown that Tetronic T1107, a four-arm poly (propylene oxide)-poly (ethylene oxide) (PPO-PEO) block copolymer, is useful as a chemical crosslinking thermo-responsive hydrogel for bioadhesive applications. The end groups of this polymer are modified with acrylate and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) functional groups. The acrylate end group gives the polymer cohesive properties with long-range chemical crosslinking using dithiothreitol (DTT), while the NHS end group gives the polymer adhesive properties through bonding with amines found in organic tissue. It was found …

3d Printed Multicomponent Polymer Based Materials Via Hybrid Filaments: Fabrication And Characterization, Erik Antonio

All Dissertations

Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, promises a manufacturing revolution for both industry and academic circles. One of the most widely used method of 3D printing is Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) or Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), which requires a thermoplastic filament to be directed towards a heating block and then deposited via extrusion layer by layer to produce a finished part. However, there are significant issues with this technology, mainly a limitation on the materials available for use and mechanical property deficiencies when compared to traditional manufacturing. These issues are brought about by the temperature limited nature of the …

Modeling Phase Behavior And Agglomeration In Polymer Systems Incorporating Complex Architectures: From Bottlebrush To Lysozyme, Sidong Tu

All Dissertations

Using computational modeling, we focus on the phase behavior of multicomponent systems incorporating enzyme and bottlebrush polymers where the agglomeration of multiple components occurs. We start with all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of lysozyme and polyethylene glycol (PEG) based polymer mixture to understand the mechanisms of preservation of lysozyme bioactivity at high temperatures with addition of PEG-derived bottlebrushes. We show that the PEG part of bottlebrushes phase separates at high temperature and shells the access of water to lysozyme, resulting in the preservation of lysozyme secondary structures. We then developed a coarse-grained model using a Dissipative Particle Dynamics approach to …

Modeling Pattern Formation And Morphology Development In Polymer Networks, Yao Xiong

All Dissertations

Topography and morphology have considerable impacts on the functionalities of soft materials in an entire range of applications from smart optics to tissue engineering. Adapting theoretical and computational approaches, we focus on the dynamics of pattern formation and morphology development in polymer networks. This dissertation starts with studying the dynamical control of pattern formation in confined thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) gel films. The patterns are formed due to mechanical instabilities. We perform a linear stability analysis and identify the limits of this analysis in predicting pattern formation in gels. We then study the restructuring between patterns and hysteresis phenomena …

Development Of A Decellularized Hydrogel Composite And Its Application In A Novel Model Of Disc-Associated Low Back Pain In Female Sprague Dawley Rats, David Lillyman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Chronic low back pain is a global socioeconomic crisis compounded by an absence of reliable, curative treatments. The predominant pathology associated with chronic low back pain is degeneration of intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine. During degeneration, nerves can sprout into the intervertebral disc tissue and be chronically subjected to inflammatory and mechanical stimuli, resulting in pain. Pain arising from the intervertebral disc, or disc-associated pain, is a complex, multi-faceted disorder which necessitates valid animal models to screen therapeutics and study pathomechanisms of pain.

While many research teams have created animal models of disc degeneration, the translation of these platforms …

Bbt Acoustic Alternative Top Bracing Cadd Data Set-Norev-2022jun28, Bill Hemphill

STEM Guitar Project’s BBT Acoustic Kit

This electronic document file set consists of an overview presentation (PDF-formatted) file and companion video (MP4) and CADD files (DWG & DXF) for laser cutting the ETSU-developed alternate top bracing designs and marking templates for the STEM Guitar Project’s BBT (OM-sized) standard acoustic guitar kit. The three (3) alternative BBT top bracing designs in this release are
(a) a one-piece base for the standard kit's (Martin-style) bracing,
(b) 277 Ladder-style bracing, and
(c) an X-braced fan-style bracing similar to traditional European or so-called 'classical' acoustic guitars.

The CADD data set for each of the three (3) top bracing designs includes …