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

聚合物复合材料的微波加工对聚合物工业及其客户来说是一项日益重要的技术。聚合物复合材料将其组成部分(即聚合物基质)的最佳性能与合适的填料(如玻璃)相结合，实现了一种具有比原始材料更优越的性能(包括低成本)的新材料。聚合物复合材料的理想和已实现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更好的机械性能，并且在能源需求和制造时间方面更有效率。聚合物复合材料的微波处理类似于在无处不在的微波炉中对食品的微波加热。微波炉内的电磁能与被处理的材料相互作用，并在整个体积内对其进行加热，而不是通过表面加热。温度变化会导致聚合物组成的变化(从而导致固化过程)。这种电磁能量、温升和成分变化之间的耦合还没有被很好地理解，从而导致复合材料中无法解释的过固化和欠固化区域。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正在结合聚合物加工、微波能量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，还计划开发一种多端口微波喷射器，由于使用的微波源功率比目前实际使用的低，这将大大降低喷射器的建造成本。将对这些耦合现象进行理论建模和结果的实验验证。预计该项目的结果将是一种改进的微波辐射器和处理方案，它将显著改进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，为未被充分代表的少数民族和女性工程专业本科生和研究生提供教育和指导。

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.