US-Egypt Cooperative Research: Synthesis and evaluation of porous polymers for absorbing petroleum spills based on recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)

1135101该项目支持由材料科学与工程系的Witold Brostow博士、北得克萨斯大学物理系的Jose Perez博士、Denton博士和埃及开罗埃及石油研究所的Ayman Mohamady Atta博士开展的合作研究项目。他们计划研究基于回收的聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯(PET)的用于吸收石油泄漏的多孔聚合物的合成和评价智能优点：吸收石油泄漏的实际重要性显然得到了很好的认识。然而，对石油和吸收剂之间的相互作用的了解很差。其后果之一是现存的石油吸附器可以存活下来的少量吸收-解吸循环。PIS将依次与苯乙烯、丙烯酸、甲基丙烯酸和烯烃共聚，合成涉及烷基丙烯酸酯(辛基、十二基和十八基)的各种吸附剂。聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯(PET)将被回收，并由回收的纤维制成。随后，通过热接枝和光化学接枝两种方法将共聚物接枝到PET的非织造纤维上。将对所制备的吸附剂的性能进行评估，包括交联度、吸附时间、吸附容量、重复吸附-解吸循环的效果和柔韧性。吸收的成分将通过拉曼光谱和傅里叶变换红外光谱进行研究，以表征石油成分与每个聚合物吸入器的相互作用。吸附能力与吸附材料孔隙度、表面粗糙度和表面积的关系将由UNT的原子力显微镜确定。UNT小组有几项能力对于该项目来说是不可或缺的，特别是确定索索者的特征。EPRI的合作伙伴以前有处理漏油的经验，因此对吸油器有一套明确的要求，并且在聚合物合成方面也有记录，包括开发多孔聚合物。除了UNT提供的资源外，他们还将能够为该项目提供独特的资源。更广泛的影响：该项目的两个潜在结果可能与环境保护有关：一个是开发具有吸油能力的聚合物，另一个是使用PET，它现在作为废物被丢弃到环境中。这里有大量的PET垃圾；在美国，所有2升的软饮料瓶都是由PET制成的，当然不仅是这个尺寸的，也不仅仅是瓶子的。使用回收的PET作为起始材料之一，将导致制造原始聚合物所用的石油更少，制造聚合物吸附器的成本低于仅使用原始聚合物的成本，并减少作为废物丢弃到环境中的PET。开发可用于更多吸收-解吸循环的脱附器的优势是显而易见的。五名美国研究生和本科生将参加北大和埃及EPRI的研究项目，并将获得国际科学和技术前景。预计该项目将在《材料教育杂志》上发表教学文章，为教育工作者和学生提供有关石油成分和性质、石油泄漏、多孔聚合物的开发和聚合物材料表征的相关知识。

1135101 This project supports a cooperative research project by Dr. Witold Brostow of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering and Dr. Jose Perez, Department of Physics at the University of North Texas (UNT), Denton and Dr. Ayman Mohamady Atta at the Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI) in Cairo, Egypt. They plan to study the Synthesis and evaluation of porous polymers for absorbing petroleum spills based on recycled poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET)Intellectual Merit: The practical importance of absorption of petroleum spills is obvious well recognized. However, understanding of interactions between petroleum and absorbents is poor. One of the consequences is a small number of absorption - desorption cycles that extant petroleum sorbers can survive. The PIs will synthesize a variety of sorbents involving alkyl acrylates (octyl, dodecyl and octadecyl) copolymerized in turn with styrene, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and olefines. Poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) will be recycled and fibers made from the recyclate. Subsequently, the copolymers will be grafted on nonwoven fibers of PET by two procedures: thermal and photochemical grafting. Properties of the prepared sorbents will be evaluated, including crosslink density, sorption time, sorption capacity, effects of repetitive sorption-desorption cycles and flexibility. Absorbed compositions will be studied by Raman spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to characterize interactions of petroleum components with each polymer sorber. Connections of the sorption capacity to sorber material porosity, surface roughness and surface area will be determined by atomic force microscopy at the UNT. The UNT team has several capabilities indispensable for the project for characterization of the sorbers in particular. The EPRI partners have previous experience in dealing with oil spills and thus have a clear set of requirements for oil sorbers, and also have a track record in polymer synthesis including development of porous polymers. They will be able to provide unique resources for the project in addition to those from the UNT. Broader impacts: Two potential outcomes from this project can be pertinent for protection of the environment: one is development of polymers with oil absorption capability and the second is using PET which is now being thrown out into the environment as waste. There are large amounts of PET waste; here in the US all 2 liter soft drink bottles are made from PET, and of course not only in this size and not only bottles. Using recycled PET as one of the starting materials will result in less petroleum used in making virgin polymers, lower cost of making polymeric sorbers than from virgin polymers only and less PET thrown into environment as waste. Advantages of the development of sorbers that can be used in more absorption- desorption cycles are clear. Five US graduate and undergraduate students will participate in the research project at UNT and at EPRI in Egypt, and will gain an international outlook on science and technology. Instructional articles in the Journal of Materials Education are expected to result from the project, providing the educators and students with pertinent knowledge on petroleum composition and properties, on oil spills, on development of porous polymers and on characterization of polymer-based materials.