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。聚合物复合材料结合了其组成部分的最佳性能，即聚合物基体以及合适的填料（如玻璃），以获得比原始材料具有优越性能的新材料，包括低成本。期望和实现的高分子复合材料的性能包括提高强度和耐温性等。与对流加工相比，微波加工已被证明具有优越的机械性能，并且在能量要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对食物进行微波加热。微波炉内的电磁能量与被加工的材料相互作用，并在整个体积上加热它，而不是通过表面加热。温度的变化导致聚合物成分的变化（因此固化过程）。电磁能量、温度升高和成分变化之间的耦合尚未得到很好的理解，导致复合材料中无法解释的过固化和未固化区域。化学工程与材料科学系、电气与计算机工程系和机械工程系结合聚合物加工、微波能和热传播方面的专业知识，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涂抹器，由于使用比目前实际使用的低功率微波源，这将大大降低涂抹器的建造成本。将对这些耦合现象进行理论建模，并对结果进行实验验证。预计该项目的成果将是改进微波应用器和加工方案，这将大大改善工业聚合物复合材料的加工方法。主要研究人员正在积极参与密歇根州立大学的一个项目，为本科生和研究生阶段的少数族裔和女性工程专业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.