Enhanced Plastic Recycling Experiments to Further Improve Undergraduate Materials Education

加强塑料回收实验，进一步提高本科材料教育

• 批准号: 9550857
• 负责人: Peter Liu
• 金额: $ 8.05万
• 依托单位: Eastern Illinois University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1995
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1995-06-01 至 1997-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9550857&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Enhanced; Plastic; Recycling; Experiments; Further

Since plastics account for approximately 20 percent of the landfill volume, recycling plastics will play a significant role in reducing solid waste flow to the already congested landfills in the nation. Students must be educated in the methods to recycle plastics and to produce products from recycled materials in order to protect the environment. This project enhances materials recycling experiments by adding a drying experiment, an injection molding process, and a study of melt property for recycled plastics. Over several courses, and with an integrative overview at each stage, students are being involved in a series of plastic recycling experiments. These experiments include collecting and cleaning postconsumer containers, grinding, extrusion compounding and pelletizing, drying, injection molding, controlling melt behavior, and testing the final properties for recycled plastics. Students are now able to produce products from recycled plastics with an injection molding machine, to control the quality, and to improve efficiency of the processing of the recycled materials. Students in the technology majors and non-science-majors can gain fundamental understanding and practical experience through this series of experiments. They are educated with knowledgeable insights of reducing, reusing, and recycling plastics to protect our environment and to conserve natural resources. This project could serve as a model of materials education in the nation for undergraduate students concerning the materials and product cycles and their impact on the environment.

由于塑料约占垃圾填埋场体积的 20%，因此回收塑料将在减少流向该国已经拥挤的垃圾填埋场的固体废物方面发挥重要作用。 为了保护环境，学生必须接受回收塑料和用回收材料生产产品的方法的教育。 该项目通过增加干燥实验、注塑工艺以及再生塑料熔体性能的研究，增强了材料回收实验。 通过几门课程，并在每个阶段进行综合概述，学生们正在参与一系列塑料回收实验。 这些实验包括收集和清洁消费后容器、研磨、挤出混炼和造粒、干燥、注塑、控制熔体行为以及测试再生塑料的最终性能。 学生现在能够使用注塑机生产再生塑料产品，控制质量并提高再生材料的加工效率。 技术专业和非理科专业的学生都可以通过这一系列的实验获得基础知识和实践经验。 他们接受了关于减少、再利用和回收塑料以保护我们的环境和自然资源的丰富见解。 该项目可以作为全国本科生材料教育的典范，涉及材料和产品周期及其对环境的影响。