Micro-and-Nanostructured Multifunctional Polymer Material Systems

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Nature of the Research Program: The goal of the proposed research program is to accelerate the design and fabrication of advanced multifunctional polymer material systems (PMS) that advance “green” economy. One key technological challenge is to tailor PMS’s micro-and-nanostructures. These include phase morphology in blends, filler alignment and networks in composites, and cellular structures in foams. In light of this, the program will research on new micro-and-nanostructuring techniques by utilizing synergy among polymer blends, foams, and composites. Significance of the Research Program: The program will contribute to the areas of advanced materials and manufacturing by identifying and elucidating mechanisms that govern the processing-structure-property relationships of multifunctional PMS. It will (i) develop new fabrication techniques for micro-and-nanostructuring PMS; (ii) investigate the desired micro-and-nanostructures of PMS to tailor their multifunctionality with low filler loadings; and (iii) derive the PMS’s processing-structure-property relationships. The technology to be developed could be used to design and fabricate multifunctional PMS for Canada’s key economic sectors (e.g., aerospace, automobile, biomedical, electronics, energy, and manufacturing). The program will train nine highly qualified personnel at various levels. It will equip them with extensive experiences and skills to develop, process, and characterize emerging materials targeting different applications. Anticipated Outcomes: Successful completion of this research program will advance the sciences and technology to micro-and-nanostructure PMS, and tailor their multifunctionality. The experimental and theoretical studies will lead to the derivation of PMS’s processing-structure-property relationships. Since the new techniques can be integrated into existing processing technology, it will create many technology transfer opportunities, including but not limited to: (1) light-weight multifunctional structural materials for automotive and aerospace sectors; (2) highly efficient thermoelectric polymeric materials for harvesting energy from waste heat; and (3) low filler loading electrically and/or thermally conductive composites for next generation of electronics. Potential Benefits to Canada: With the potential to develop new materials to improve the fuel efficiency of ground and air space transportations, to efficiently harvest energy from waste heat, and to enhance material recyclability by reducing or eliminating the uses of inorganic filler, the program aligns well with the Government of Canada’s research strategy in Environmental Science and Technologies as well as Natural Resources and Energy. By exploring bio-based polymers, it is also consistent with the Ontario Government’s research strategy in Bio-economy and Clean Technologies.