Research Initiation Award: Investigating the Efficacy and Stability of Charred Nanocellulose Materials in High Temperature and High Performing Polymers

研究启动奖为历史悠久的黑人学院和大学的初级和职业生涯中期教师提供支持，这些教师正在建立新的研究计划或重新定向和重建现有的研究计划。预计该奖项有助于进一步提高教师的研究能力和有效性，改善所在机构的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究经验。授予约翰逊·C·史密斯大学的这一奖项将支持用纤维纳米添加剂增强新型材料设计的研究。该项目还将开发一个本科研究项目，为本科生在STEM领域的职业生涯做好准备。该项目的目标是调查在高性能和高温固化的聚酰亚胺树脂中添加热解纳米纤维素材料--以焦渣的形式--作为添加剂的情况，并检查新聚合物/焦炭复合材料的机械性能。纤维素纳米材料的残炭是一种很有吸引力的添加剂，可以添加到高性能聚酰亚胺树脂中，因为它在350°C以上的固化温度下不会降解。该项目将通过纳米纤维材料的热解，将残炭以非共价方式整合到高温聚合物中，形成聚合物基质最终复合材料。这种方法为纤维素纳米材料的应用开辟了更多的机会。由于焦渣比原始聚酰亚胺材料具有更高的碳含量和表面积，它作为增强剂添加到材料中预计将改善合成的聚酰亚胺复合材料的机械性能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing research programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at the home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to Johnson C. Smith University will support research in the design of novel materials enhanced with cellulosic nano-additives. The project will also develop an undergraduate research program that will prepare undergraduate students for careers in STEM fields.The goal of the project is to investigate the addition of pyrolyzed nanocellulose materials – in the form of char residue – as an additive into high performing and high curing temperature polyimide resins and examine the resulting mechanical properties of the new polymer/char composite. The char residue of cellulose nanomaterials is an attractive additive that can be added into high performance polyimides resins, because it does not degrade at cure temperatures above 350 °C. The project will involve the integration of the char-residue into high-temperature polymers non-covalently via the pyrolysis of nanocellulosic materials into the polymeric matrices final composite. This approach opens additional opportunities for cellulose nanomaterial applications. Since the char residue has higher carbon content and surface area than the original polyimide material, its addition to the material as a reinforcement agent is expected to improve the mechanical properties of the resultant polyimide composite.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.