Polymer Chemistry Commons^™

Biobased Acrylate Composites With Enhanced Strength For Additive Manufacturing, Nicole Wagner, Joseph Mcwherter

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

With the expanding use of polymers in additive manufacturing, sustainable resins for use in vat photopolymerization are required to reduce their environmental impact. One promising approach to achieve this is to incorporate biobased fillers that replace the acrylates in photopolymer resins as ‘green’ alternatives. In this study, photopolymer composites consisting of a methacrylate resin with varying calcium carbonate powder content between 0 and 50 wt.% were investigated. A digital light processing technique was used to fabricate tensile test specimens for mechanical testing. Good printability, dimensional accuracy, and good interlayer adhesion were observed for composite resin formulations that incorporated calcium carbonate …

Development And Characterization Of Polysaccharide-Based Controlled Drug Delivery Platforms, Amanda Pepler

Open Access Dissertations

Drug delivery research focuses on overcoming challenges in patient treatment. Most therapeutics are delivered systemically through oral or intravenous routes. However, these administration methods are often inefficient due to therapeutic hydrophobicity, poor bioavailability, and liver metabolic clearance, necessitating frequent dosing. When treatment plans require frequent dosing, patients experience significant fluctuations in therapeutic concentration in the bloodstream, which can increase adverse side effects. These factors contribute to low patient compliance. Therefore, the core focus of drug delivery research is to develop new administration routes for therapeutics. Drug delivery systems (DDS) that can target therapeutics to a localized region offer advantages over …

Characterization And Optimization Of Sand And Tung Oil-Based Resins For Binder-Jet 3d Printing, Daniel I. Ajiola

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Binder-jet 3D printing as a transformative technology in additive manufacturing, offers the ability to fabricate complex structures with diverse materials. This thesis investigates the use of a sustainable tung oil-based resin to create composites, exploring the potential for an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic binders.

The aim of this research is to develop and characterize a bio-based resin formulation, using tung oil as the primary binder, for application in binder-jet 3D printing with sand as the reinforcement. The resin formulation was prepared by combining tung oil, n-butyl methacrylate, divinylbenzene, and di-tert-butyl peroxide in precise proportions, ensuring a balanced mixture that supports …

Single-Step Synthesis Of Activated Carbon From Arabica Spent Coffee Ground Using K2co3 As Activator Agent, Ghina Ivana Mieldan, Yuliusman Yuliusman

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Activated carbon is a nanomaterial that is often used as an effective adsorbent. Activated carbon raw materials can use biomass, such as coffee grounds, which can be found along with the growth of public interest in coffee drinks. Chemical activators are used for activation to increase biomass carbon's adsorption capacity. Using K₂CO₃ activator to increase the specific surface area of activated carbon is more harmless than KOH. The use of spent coffee grounds as carbon source and food additive K₂CO₃ as an activator can make food-grade activated carbon that can be used for food. …

Effect Of Alkyd And Polyester Resin Compositions On Corrosion Resistance, Blistering, And Adhesion In Utilization Of Oily Sludge As Anti-Rust Coating Material, Gerets Land Kakalang, Yohanes David Kristianto, Johny Wahyuadi Mudaryoto

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Oil sludge is a waste derived from upstream and downstream activities of the oil and gas industry which is estimated at 10,000 tonnes generated from all PERTAMINA downstream activities spread across various fields, processing units and depots throughout Indonesia. Oil sludge has the same characteristics as asphalt, where asphalt in previous studies can be used as an anti-rust coating, so that the handling of oily sludge can be topped up by reusing and having its own added value. The purpose of this research is to utilise waste oily sludge as an alternative anti-rust coating material and compare alkyd resin and …

Influence Of Glycopolymer Structure On Amphiphilic, Hybrid, Linear Branched Block Copolymer Properties For Use In Biomedical Applications, Kevin Green

Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is evaluating and adding fundamental knowledge regarding the structure-property relations of glycopolymers used in the design of hybrid block copolymers (HBC) that are cable of self-assembling into delivery vehicles for biomedical applications. A shift to the utilization of natural materials in the design and fabrication of drug-delivery vehicles has garnered significant attention. Understanding the effects of linear glycopolymers content and composition on the resulting HBCs properties can provide valuable insight into how these materials may be tailored for use in targeted biological applications.

The first chapter introduces current literature on the need for improvement in …

Solubility Characterization Of Organic Molecules For Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries, Anthony W. Ferrell, Harkeerith K. Vij, Seamus D. Jones

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The major obstacle to renewable energy sources is a lack of long-term energy storage capabilities. Energy produced during the day dissipates, leaving insufficient electricity for at night. The goal of the project is to design an Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Battery (AORFB) to act as long-term energy storage. Work has been done using machine learning to identify suitable compounds for the batteries. In this work there was no indication as to the aqueous solubility of the molecules; this controls the device’s energy storage capabilities. We used a machine learning model to determine the aqueous solubility of slightly more than 3000 …

Chemical Recycling Of Bio-Based Polyurethane Foams: Evaluating Bio-Based Glycols In Comparison To Petroleum-Based Glycols, Anirudh Thorbole Mr.

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

The paradigm shift towards bio-based polyurethane foams (bio-PUF) has significantly increased post-consumer waste. To address this issue, this research represents a novel approach to enhance sustainable development in the recycling industry by replacing traditional petroleum-based glycols with sustainable bio-based alternatives. This study explores the glycolysis of bio-PUF using bio-based SG-522 glycol and polyethylene glycol (PEG) for comparison. The findings from this research as outlined, reveal no significant differences in depolymerization time between the two glycols, achieving proper depolymerization and high recovery yields of over 95% after solvent purification. Comprehensive FT-IR and NMR analyses confirmed the successful degradation of bio-PUF and …

Poly(Thioether) Thermosets With Gated Photodegradation, Surabhi Jha

Dissertations

Photodegradable polymer networks are attractive due to the precise spatiotemporal control and large-area applicability of light. Chemical linkages that enable these polymer networks to be photo-responsive, also hinder their applicability in ambient light. Photostable and photodegradable networks have recently been reported to overcome this challenge by combining other stimuli with light for degradation. We report the design of a network that responds to a simultaneous, dual stimulus for photodegradation. We design poly(thioether acetal) networks with benzylidene acetal moieties that are known to undergo β-scission in the presence of free thiols. By blocking these free thiols with a thermally labile protecting …

Analysis Of The Effect Of Different Surface Preparation Methods On Corrosion Resistance And Adhesion Strength Of Astm A36 Steel Substrate With Surface Tolerant Epoxy Paint As Coating Material, Irwan Wijaya Santoso, Daffa Aqila, Rini Riastuti, Rizal Tresna Ramadhani

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

In the industrial world, to extend the service life of materials, protection methods are carried out to slow down the material's corrosion rate. The protection method that is often used is the coating method. The coating method is a protection method by coating the substrate material using a coating material to prevent contact between the substrate material and the environment. In this research, the substrate material used is ASTM A36 steel and the coating material used is Surface Tolerant Epoxy paint. The independent variable used in this study lies in the surface preparation method which consists of: solvent cleaning, hand …

Enabling High-Rate Thermoplastic Composite Manufacturing Through Structure-Processing-Property Relationships Of Polyphenylene Sulfide, Lina Ghanbari

Dissertations

In this dissertation, relationships between polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) chain structure and melt processing parameters are linked to thermoplastic composite (TPC) properties and mechanical performance. Deviations from linear PPS structure and the formation of branching/crosslinked moieties upon exposure to TPC manufacturing steps presents an opportunity to systematically uncover the interdependencies of melt-state thermal history on polymer rheology, crystallization, crystal structure, and translate these properties to the continuum level. This work first explores unreinforced PPS and how the formation of non-linear chain architectures yield altered rheological states when held at melt processing temperatures. These hindered chains exhibit unconventional crystallization behavior and non-uniform …

Thermal Frontal Polymerization – Applications In Coatings And Composites, Maria Martinez

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Thermal frontal polymerization has long been used as a method to cure composites and coatings. However, this is the first time these applications have been used without the use of a catalyst, for the case of composites and coatings.

Chapter 2 discusses how to optimize cure-on-demand, thin layer coatings, using frontal polymerization. Previously, for the use of curing thin layer coating using thermal FP, it was known to just make the formulation viscous enough, as this would prevent premature quenching caused by heat loss. It was discovered that for a given layer thickness, a minimum viscosity and initiator concentration were …

Combined Risk Based Inspection And Fault Tree Analysis For Repetitive 3-Phase Line Piping Leakage At West Java Offshore Topside Facility, Dona Yuliati, Akhmad Herman Yuwono, D. Rizal Asral, Donanta Dhaneswara

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Hydrocarbon releases might result in serious consequences in various aspects. In addition to the contribution to environmental pollution, repetitive leakages need high repair costs. This study aim is to minimize potential repetitive leakage for other typical 3-phase piping systems. We conducted the risk assessment by adopting Risk Based Inspection (RBI) API 581 to identify risk level, calculating piping lifetime, recommended inspection plan and mitigations. The most relevant root causes can be obtained through quantitative Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). Observation and investigation was taken from eight 3-phase piping systems that experienced repetitive leakages. It has been found that the risk level …

Nitrogen Gas Quenching Pressure Effect On Bs S155 Alloy Steel In Vacuum Furnace, Agus Mulyadi Hasanudin, Eddy Sumarno Siradj

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

The production of metal and alloy products requires the use of heat treatment, when during the heat treatment process, quenching is a crucial step. The quenching medium can be anything from water, a salt bath, oil, air and gas. In a vacuum furnace, pressurized gas, most frequently nitrogen (N₂) gas, serves as one of the quenching mediums. One of the drawbacks of the quenching process is the distortion and dimensional change of the parts. This paper aims to investigate the influence of nitrogen gas quenching pressure on the distortion and dimensional change of aerospace actuator gear planet parts …

Upcyclying Of Polyethylene Terephtalate By Addition Of Thermoplastic Elastomer, Diego Francisco Bermudez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Continual overconsumption of single-use plastics has generated challenges of solid waste management across the United States. Common plastic waste management solutions, such as landfill, have caused the migration of contaminants into the environment consequently affecting not only the health of wildlife, but also that of human beings. Alternative strategies for the handling of single-use plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), used in the food packaging industry, can ultimately help mitigate the noxious consequences of single-use plastics affecting entire ecosystems. This study demonstrates a potential avenue of materials upcycling by studying the effects of coupling PET with the thermoplastic elastomer styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene …

Characterization Of Interlayer Laser Shock Peening During Fused Filament Fabrication Of Polylactic Acid (Pla), Fabien Denise

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The field of additive manufacturing (AM) has gained a significant amount of popularity due to the increasing need for more sustainable manufacturing techniques and the adaptive development of complex product geometries. The problem is that AM parts routinely exhibit flaws or weaknesses that affect functionality or performance. Over the years, surface treatments have been developed to compensate certain flaws or weaknesses in manufactured products. Combining surface treatments with the modularity of additive manufacturing could lead to more adaptable and creative improvements of product functions in the future. The current work evaluates the feasibility of pursuing a new research axis in …

Characterization Of Mechanically Recycled Polylactic Acid (Pla) Filament For 3d-Printing By Evaluating Mechanical, Thermal, And Chemical Properties And Process Performance, Mahsa Shabani Samghabady

All Theses

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biopolymer made from renewable resources such as sugar and corn. PLA filament is a popular material used in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D-printing. While this material has many advantages, all the failed parts, support structures, rafts, nozzle tests, and the many prototype iterations during the 3D-printing process contribute to the plastic pollution and release of greenhouse gases. Although PLA is biodegradable, it can take years to degrade in landfills. Instead of throwing away PLA waste and buying new filaments, PLA can be recycled. Amongst the different recycling technologies, mechanical recycling is the most environmentally friendly. …

The Effect Of Heat Treatment And Chemical Treatment On Natural Fibre To The Durability Of Wood Plastic Composites – A Review, Nuratiqah Asyiqin Mohd Nasharudin, Nur Fatihah Sulaiman, Nurul Aziemah Mohammad, Wan Nor Raihan Wan Jaafar, Falah Abu Dr., Siti Norasmah Surip

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

The application of WPC is not only limited to indoor applications but has been extended to exterior applications where properties of WPC could compromise during service life. WPC was derived from wood fiber of various sizes to reinforce polymers. Wood fiber has the advantage of a cheaper price, being abundantly available, and ease of processing, however, the critical factor is its hydrophilic nature, where moisture absorption is likely to occur. Thus, treatments for reducing the hydrophilicity of wood fibers are applied. By treatment of wood fiber, the surface impurities were removed, leaving the roughened surface of fibers, thus providing a …

Gold(I)-Hydroarylation In Polymer Modification – Alkynes And Alkenes With Unexpected Reactivity, Samuel B. Hunt

Dissertations

Polymer modification is crucial for developing new properties and materials from recalcitrant waste polymers. Synthetically, polymers possess a chemical inertness that renders their functionalization challenging. Specifically, the omnipresence of C–H bonds in all commercial polymers endows their chemical resistance. Thus, developments in C–H activation chemistry are crucial to polymer diversification processes and allow for fundamental insight into the role of material processing conditions on novel chemical reactions. Au(I)-chemistry has recently come to the fore owing to a unique chemical reactivity nonexistent with other transition metals. The alkynophilicity of Au(I), in tandem with their insensitivity to common polymer processing conditions (air, …

Covalent Adaptable Networks For Wood Coatings, Jachin Boaz Clarke

Materials Engineering

Wood swells and shrinks causing problems with seasonal humidity. Applying thick coatings of reactive finishes based on cross-linked polyurethane, epoxy, or polyesters can slow moisture-vapor exchange. However, the use of thick coatings leads to cracking and crazing sooner than thin finishes. This research proposes the addition of 3.3 mol % triazabicyclodecene, a conventionally used covalent adaptable network catalyst, in a commercially available polyester-based wood coating. The self-healing of the wood coating is tested using DMA stress relaxation and compression molding. The result from DMA renders inconclusive and compression molding indicates the novel wood coating oxidizes at elevated temperatures. The wood …

Enhancing Compatibility And Mechanical Properties Of Natural Rubber Composites, Krisma Yessi Sianturi, Adam Febriyanto Nugraha, Belle Kristaura, Mochamad Chalid

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Pure natural rubber (NR) exhibits low mechanical properties, necessitating the incorporation of additives like vulcanizing agents and fillers. Carbon black and silica, conventional fillers, are relatively expensive and not environmentally friendly. This study explores using Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) fiber as an affordable, abundant, and biodegradable alternative filler for NR. However, compatibility issues arise between the nonpolar NR and the polar OPEFB fiber. A latex-starch hybrid coupling agent (CA (NR-St)) was added to the composite formulation to address this. NR, OPEFB fiber, and the coupling agent were mixed using an open roll mill with a 10 phr OPEFB …

Separation Of Organic Acids Through Direct Catalysis From Sugars, Katelyn Robinson

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Society relies on plastic products, whether they are single use or durable. A downside of plastic is that the most common type is a product of oil and oil is not only a limited resource but also a climate-damaging resource. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a bio-based, biodegradable plastic. However, the process of converting biomass to polylactic acid polymer has the largest environmental impact of the PLA production process, so alternative methods of conversion are needed (Moretti et al., 2021). The polylactic acid polymer can be made with lactic acid, which can be converted from glucose.

Dpd Guided Insight On The Formation Process Of Polyethersulfone Membranes By Nonsolvent Induced Phase Separation And The Effects Of Additives, Eric Ledieu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD), a coarse grain simulation method, was applied to the membrane formation process of non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) to gain further insight on the mechanism of certain variables and how they affect the final morphology. NIPS involves two solutions, an organic polymer dissolved in an organic solvent colloquially called the dope and an aqueous coagulation bath, brought into contact with one another. The solvents then mix, causing the polymer to fall out of solution as an asymmetric membrane with a dense surface layer and a more open subsurface layer in response to the decreasing solubility. Polyethersulfone …

The Influence Of Diamine Curing Additives On The Network Architecture Of Phthalonitrile Thermosetting Polymers, Tyler J. Richardson

Dissertations

Phthalonitrile monomers undergo diamine-promoted polymerization by a complex reaction mechanism involving two competitive cure pathways, forming two primary network architectures: linear polyisoindoline chains and branched triazine crosslinks. The influence of the diamine curing additive on the polymerization pathway, and the influence of the resulting network architectures on cured network properties, have not been adequately explored within the phthalonitrile field. Two structurally different diamine curing additives, bis[4-(3-aminophenoxy)phenyl] sulfone (mBAPS) and 1,3-phenylenebis((4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl)methanone) (AEK-134), were studied for the polymerization of resorcinol phenylphosphate phthalonitrile (RPPhPN), where the influence of diamine structure and concentration on the polymerization behavior, network architecture, and bulk thermal and thermomechanical …

Science Club, Danielle Gibson, Krista Andersen

Honors Program: Expanded Learning Clubs

Honors After School program for elementary age children to engage with scientific principles. Students performed hands-on experiments to explore various STEM fields. Each weekly lesson consisted of a different concept to be learned or explored by early elementary aged students.

Hydrothermal Liquefaction Of Saccharina Latissima For The Production Of Biofuel, Mayokun A. Oke

Mechanical Engineering Theses

We performed hydrothermal liquefaction of brown macroalga (Saccharina latissima) in the presence of homogenous and heterogenous catalysts such as KOH, Na₂CO₃, Pd/C, HZSM-5, Ce/HZSM-5, and Ni/SiO₂-Al₂O₃ in hot compressed water, to investigate their effects on product yield and composition in the biocrude. To investigate hydrocarbon production, we used methanol as co-solvent (methanol-to-water 1/4 vol.%) and as the only liquefaction solvent. We carried out the experiments in a batch reactor at 330^oC and 120-130 bar, and varying temperature, algae-to-water ratio, residence time, and pretreatment method. The biocrude yields …

Polyethersulfone Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membrane Embedded With Amine-Functionalized Graphene Oxide For Desalination Applications, Ahmed Bahaeldin

Theses and Dissertations

Thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) desalination membranes were prepared based on a polyethersulfone (PES) support, where the polyamide (PA) layer was embedded with amine-functionalized graphene oxide (GO). The effect of adding various concentrations of functionalized and un-functionalized GO on the desalination performance, hydrophilicity, and morphology of the membranes was additionally assessed throughout this work. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements were used to assess the morphology of the membranes in combination with Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. Contact angle measurements were used to gauge the hydrophilicity of the synthesized membranes. The membrane with the best desalination performance contained 1x10^-3 wt/vol% of functionalized GO in …

Potential Of Biduri Fiber (Calotropis Gigantea) As Material For Oil Spill Absorbent, Anne Sukmawati, Wulan Septiani

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Biduri fiber (Calotropis gigantea) is a natural hollow fiber with hydrophobic and oleophilic properties potentially used as oil spilled sorbent from seawater. This study aims to determine the absorption capacity and efficiency of the Biduri fiber and membrane to fuel oil. Measurement of oil absorption to seawater was carried out at various fiber weights (0.5-1.5 g), fiber composition (50-95%), contact time (10-90 minutes), temperature (30 and 50°C), and compared with commercial products. The results showed that the fiber weight variation of 0.5-1.5 g has an average absorption efficiency of 96.67%, and the highest absorption was obtained in a weight of …

Mechanical And Adhesive Properties Of Supramolecular, Mussel-Inspired Hydrogels, Daniel Darby

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The exceptional mechanical and adhesive properties of mussel byssal threads come from supramolecular interactions of ligands found in the proteins comprising them. Ligands can form hydrophobic interactions, π-π stacking interactions, and hydrogen bonds, but the strongest supramolecular interaction they demonstrate is metal-ligand coordination. Specifically, Histidine (His-) and nitrodopamine (nDOPA) ligands coordinate to metals in a bidentate fashion and take on tris-, bis-, and mono- modalities (3, 2, or 1 ligand per ion, respectively). The distribution of these modalities is controlled by equilibrium thermodynamics. These same ligands can be used as crosslinks in supramolecular hydrogel networks. Supramolecular hydrogel networks are dissipative, …

Chemical Decomposition Of Flexible Polyurethane Foam To Generate A Media For Microbial Upcycling, Kaushik Baruah

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Polyurethane waste is becoming a global concern as a large amount is being disposed of in landfills every year, and only a fraction is being recycled. Several polyurethane recycling techniques exist, of which ammonolysis and base-catalyzed hydrolysis is the least explored. Flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) decomposition can generate amines that can act as a carbon source for the growth of microbial consortia. This study aims to generate a novel media capable of microbial upcycling via ammonolysis and base-catalyzed hydrolysis of flexible polyurethane foams (FPUFs) using ammonium hydroxide and subsequently determine the reaction conditions for maximum solubilization of polyurethane foam in …