Simulations and Novel Methods for Microwave Processing of Polymers and Composite Materials

聚合物复合材料的微波加工是聚合物工业及其客户日益重要的技术。聚合物复合材料联合收割机结合了其组成部分的最佳性能，即聚合物基体沿着合适的填料如玻璃，以获得具有比原始材料上级性能（包括低成本）的新材料。聚合物复合材料的期望和实现的性质包括改进的强度和耐温性等。与对流加工相比，微波加工已显示出产生上级机械性能以及在能量需求和制造时间方面更有效。聚合物复合材料的微波加工类似于在无处不在的微波炉中微波加热食物。微波炉内的电磁能与被加工的材料相互作用，并在整个体积内加热，而不是通过表面加热。温度变化导致聚合物组成的变化（因此固化过程）。电磁能、温度升高和组成变化之间的这种耦合没有得到很好的理解，导致复合材料中无法解释的过度固化和固化不足区域。化学工程和材料科学，电气和计算机工程以及机械工程的部门正在结合聚合物加工，微波能量和热传播方面的专业知识，以研究电磁能量吸收，温度变化和成分变化之间的基本相互作用。此外，计划开发一种多端口微波施加器，由于使用比目前实际使用的功率更低的微波源，该施加器将显著降低施加器构造的成本。这些耦合现象的理论建模以及实验验证的结果将被追求。预计该项目的结果将是改进的微波施加器和处理协议，这将显着改善工业聚合物复合材料的处理方法。主要研究人员正在积极参与密歇根州立大学的一项计划，为本科和研究生阶段代表性不足的少数民族和女性工程学生提供教育和指导。

Microwave processing of polymer composite materials is an increasingly important technology for the polymer industry and its customers. Polymer composites combine the best properties of its constituent parts, namely a polymer matrix along with a suitable filler such as glass, to achieve a new material that has superior properties to the original materials, including low cost. Desirable and achieved properties of polymer composite materials include improved strength and temperature tolerance among others. Microwave processing, as compared to convection processing, has been shown to yield superior mechanical properties as well as be more efficient in terms of energy requirements and time-to-manufacture. Microwave processing of polymer composites is similar to microwave heating of food in the ubiquitous microwave ovens. The electromagnetic energy within the microwave oven interacts with the material being processed and heats it throughout the volume rather than via surface heating. The temperature change causes a change in polymer composition (hence the curing process). This coupling between electromagnetic energy, temperature rise, and composition changes is not well understood resulting in unexplained over- and under-cured regions in the composite. The Departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering are combining expertise in polymer processing, microwave energy, and thermal propagation to investigate the fundamental interaction between electromagnetic energy absorption, temperature change, and composition change. In addition, development of a multi-port microwave applicator is planned that will significantly reduce the cost of applicator construction due to the use of lower power microwave sources than is used in practice today. Both theoretical modeling of these coupled phenomena as well as experimental verification of results will be pursued. It is anticipated that the results of this project will be an improved microwave applicator and processing protocol that will significantly improve industrial polymer composite processing methods. The principal investigators are actively participating in a program at MSU to provide education and mentoring to underrepresented minority and women engineering students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.