U.S.-India Planning Visit: Collaborative Research on Polyactic Acid Ionomers.

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1037189Sachin Velankar This award supports the U.S.-India Planning Visit: Collaborative Research on Polylactic Acid(PLA)Ionomers. US PI Velankar, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh will visit Professor Ashish Lele, Division of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune to evaluate the facilities at NCL and conduct proof-of-concept experiments in summer 2010. The outcome will be the submission of research proposals to the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Materials World Network Program and to the Government of India's Department of Science and Technology (DST), NSF-DST Joint Program. The intellectual merit of the research is that it will apply the well- developed idea of ionomers to PLA, one of the most important biodegradable and renewable polymers. This will advance the materials science of PLA and open up new opportunities to improve and control its properties. The long-term goal is to develop PLA ionomers, which have a potentially wide range of applications for controlling rheological properties, thermomechanical properties, and the biodegradability of PLA. Dr. Velankar has the relevant expertise in ionomers, rheology, and polymer compatibilizers; Dr. Ashish Lele provides complimentary expertise as the lead investigator for NCL's PLA related research. The National Chemical Laboratory has extensive resources for polymer characterization and a significant research effort underway for advancing PLA technologies. The broader impacts of this research are the fostering of collaboration between the PI and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh with collaborators at NCL, giving opportunities to US graduate and undergraduate students to work at one of India's premier laboratories, and expanding the applications of renewable polymers.