A Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer for Assessing Thermomechanical Characteristics of Advanced Functional Materials

用于评估先进功能材料热机械特性的动态机械分析仪

• 批准号: RTI-2022-00496
• 负责人: Fatehi, Pedram
• 金额: $ 10.84万
• 依托单位: Lakehead University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=741748
• 关键词: Dynamic; Mechanical; Analyzer; Assessing; Thermomechanical

The use of petroleum-based plastics, composites, and aerogels (i.e., foams) has been increased globally, but these products have significant environmental footprints. To tackle this issue, the production of bioplastics, biocomposites, and bioaerogels has been studied in the past few years. Despite the progress, the properties (e.g., thermomechanical, water/gas barrier, and UV absorption) of the produced bioproducts do not meet the requirement of the industry, and hence there exists room for generating functional bioplastics, biocomposites, and bioaerogels with more acceptable properties. On the other hand, lignin, the byproduct of the pulping industry, can be produced at commercial scales in Canada. Despite its tremendous potential, lignin has not been utilized in high-value material productions. In applicant's research group, several research programs have been developed to valorize lignin in biomaterial generations. These programs include 1) the production of lignin-derived plastics for food wrapping applications, 2) the creation of lignin nano- and micro- particle-based composites, and 3) the development of lignin-based aerogels for food packaging and insulation applications. To meet the objectives of the stated programs, 17 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows (PDF)s are researching 1) the chemical modification of lignin to induce functionalized lignin derivatives, 2) the incorporation of lignin derivatives in plastic, composite, and aerogel formulas and 3) the assessment of physicochemical, surface, and structural properties and performance of the induced products. Despite the critical importance of the thermomechanical performance of such products, a thermomechanical analyzer is not available at Lakehead University, or in Thunder Bay, to assess the thermomechanical performance of the created products. Therefore, the research objectives of the developed programs cannot be met, and the graduate students/researchers will not have complete training on biomaterial development and characterization. A dynamic thermomechanical analyzer is an analytical instrument used for assessing the thermomechanical behavior of plastics and polymeric materials. It is capable of determining glass transition and melting points of polymeric materials, and mechanical properties, such as modulus, damping, creep, and stress relaxation, of plastics, composites, and aerogels. It is expected that, with the help of this instrument, the thermomechanical properties of lignin-based plastics, composites, and aerogels be determined and correlated with other properties of the induced biomaterials. Furthermore, the use of lignin-derived biomaterials will remarkably reduce the use of traditional oil-based polymeric materials and thus contribute to reducing their environmental footprints. The creation of value-added lignin-based materials will also help the overall financial profits of the pulping industry, which is one of the major contributors to GDP in Canada.

全球范围内石油基塑料、复合材料和气凝胶（即泡沫）的使用有所增加，但这些产品具有显着的环境足迹。为了解决这个问题，过去几年人们对生物塑料、生物复合材料和生物气凝胶的生产进行了研究。尽管取得了进展，但所生产的生物产品的性能（例如热机械、水/气体阻隔和紫外线吸收）仍不能满足行业的要求，因此还有空间生产更容易被接受的功能性生物塑料、生物复合材料和生物气凝胶。特性。 另一方面，木质素（制浆工业的副产品）可以在加拿大进行商业规模生产。尽管木质素潜力巨大，但尚未用于高价值材料生产。在申请人的研究小组中，已经开发了几个研究项目来稳定生物材料世代中的木质素。这些项目包括1）生产用于食品包装应用的木质素衍生塑料，2）创建木质素纳米和微米颗粒复合材料，以及3）开发用于食品包装和隔热应用的木质素气凝胶。为了实现既定项目的目标，17 名研究生和博士后研究员 (PDF) 正在研究 1) 木质素的化学改性以诱导功能化木质素衍生物，2) 将木质素衍生物掺入塑料、复合材料和气凝胶中公式和3) 物理化学、表面和结构特性以及诱导产品性能的评估。尽管此类产品的热机械性能至关重要，但湖首大学或桑德贝没有热机械分析仪来评估所创建产品的热机械性能。因此，所开发项目的研究目标无法实现，研究生/研究人员将无法接受完整的生物材料开发和表征培训。 动态热机械分析仪是一种用于评估塑料和聚合材料热机械行为的分析仪器。它能够测定聚合物材料的玻璃化转变温度和熔点，以及塑料、复合材料和气凝胶的机械性能，例如模量、阻尼、蠕变和应力松弛。 预计在该仪器的帮助下，可以确定木质素基塑料、复合材料和气凝胶的热机械性能，并将其与诱导生物材料的其他性能相关联。此外，木质素衍生生物材料的使用将显着减少传统油基聚合物材料的使用，从而有助于减少其环境足迹。增值木质素材料的创造也将有助于制浆业的整体财务利润，制浆业是加拿大国内生产总值的主要贡献者之一。