Date Approved
12-30-2023
Embargo Period
1-15-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department
Chemical Engineering
College
Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering
Sponsor
U.S. Army Research Laboratory, National Science Foundation
Advisor
Joseph Stanzione, III, Ph.D.
Committee Member 1
James A. Newell, Ph.D.
Committee Member 2
Robert V. Chimenti, M.S.
Committee Member 3
Giuseppe R. Palmese, Ph.D.
Committee Member 4
Melissa B. Gordon, Ph.D.
Keywords
additive manufacturing;biobased;interpenetrating polymer networks;polymers;structure-property-processing relationships;sustainability
Subject(s)
Polymers; Green chemistry
Disciplines
Chemical Engineering | Materials Science and Engineering
Abstract
The need for improving polymer sustainability is as ubiquitous as the role of polymers in modern society. Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) design flexibility offers opportunities for improved polymer sustainability while balancing desired polymer properties for various applications. This work investigates the structure-property-processing relationships of IPNs judiciously designed under the framework of the polymer life cycle. Sustainable polymer design was largely considered at the feedstock and manufacturing stages while considering overall polymer performance. Chemicals from bio-based feedstocks were used to design a full simultaneous polybenzoxazine-epoxy IPN, focusing on the effects of monomer and polymer structure on polymer properties. Processing-property relationships were investigated for an additively manufactured full sequential epoxy-methacrylate IPN, and the effects of interconnected versus non-interconnected networks on processing were evaluated. Bio-based structure and greener processing approaches were combined to design a bio-based semi sequential polyester-methacrylate IPN. IPNs were evaluated using spectroscopic, rheological, thermal, thermomechanical, and mechanical characterizations. These findings demonstrate that custom IPN design based on molecular structure and processing approaches can enable tunable polymer properties for broadened applications while simultaneously considering both polymer sustainability and performance.
Recommended Citation
Lehman-Chong, Alexandra Maria, "ADVANCING POLYMER SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH CUSTOM INTERPENETRATING POLYMER NETWORK SYNTHESIS, PROCESSING, AND DESIGN" (2023). Theses and Dissertations. 3184.
https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/3184
