MRI-R2: Acquisition of Raman and Thermal Analysis Instrumentation for Studies of Materials

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).With this award from the Major Research and Instrumentation (MRI) program, Professor David S. Karpovich, Jason J. Pagano, Christopher H. Schilling, Tami L. Sivy and Ron R. Williams from Saginaw Valley State University will acquire a Raman spectrometer, a thermal gravimetric analysis instrument (TGA), and a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The instruments will be used to study the production of novel biodegradable plastics from regional agricultural and bio-fuel waste products and to analyze tubular precipitation structures formed in geological and biological systems. Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry will be used to correlate the spectral and thermal properties associated with specific intermolecular interactions and transitions in materials, with their physical/mechanical properties. The Raman spectrum provides information on the chemical composition and structure of materials. Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) measures weight changes in a material as a function of temperature providing information on the decomposition or evaporation from a sample as it is heated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measures the heat required to raise the temperature of a material and helps to identify physical changes, such as phase transitions. The combined use of these instruments will allow for the improvement of bio-plastics, optimizing their tensile strength and reducing brittleness.