Water-soluble polymers for use in stimuli-responsive materials, water treatment and flocculation of oil sands tailings

针对开发新技术以促进可持续性、加强对环境的保护、减少对环境的影响和改善人类健康的研究活动导致越来越多地使用水溶性高分子材料。相比之下，目前生产的大多数商用聚合物都是石油基的，只能溶于有机溶剂。本提案中描述的研究活动涉及一个由来自三个部门（化学工程、土木工程、化学）的五名研究人员组成的高度协作的团队，他们正在研究水溶性聚合物在一系列不同前沿应用中的使用，这些应用对加拿大社会和加拿大经济具有重大的潜在效益，包括：1。使用比现有刺激反应材料更安全、更环保的触发物（二氧化碳）的刺激反应材料；2. 油砂尾矿的处理，这是石油工业和环境的主要关切；3. 基于二氧化碳反应性聚合物的正向渗透净化水4. 以可再生的天然聚合物为基础的新型复合材料，包括纤维素、壳聚糖和淀粉，以取代石油基产品；4. 无VOC（挥发性有机成分）的新型“绿色”涂料；和5。生物医药用聚合物。所有这些有针对性的项目都明确属于女王的战略研究计划（2012-2017）。

Research activity targeting the development of new technologies to promote sustainability, increased protection for the environment, reduced environmental impact and improvements to human health is resulting in increasing use of polymeric materials that are water-soluble. In contrast, most commercial polymers manufactured today are petroleum-based and are soluble only in organic solvents. The research activities described in this proposal involve a highly collaborative team of five researchers from three departments (Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemistry) who are investigating the use of water-soluble polymers for a range of diverse leading-edge applications with significant potential benefit to Canadian society and the Canadian economy including: 1. Stimuli responsive materials that use a safer and more environmentally benign trigger (carbon dioxide) than existing stimuli responsive materials; 2. Treatment of oil sands tailings, a major concern for the petroleum industry and the environment; 3. Purification of water using forward osmosis based on carbon dioxide responsive polymers; 4. New composite materials based on renewable, naturally occurring polymers including cellulose, chitosan and starch to replace petroleum-based products; 4. A new, “green” type of paint that is VOC (Volatile Organic Component) free; and 5. Polymers for biomedicine. All of these targeted projects clearly fall within the Queen’s Strategic Research Plan (2012-2017). Common to all these research activities is the need to characterize the polymers that are being used. One of the most critical properties to be measured is the molecular weight distribution, which is a measure of the length of the individual polymer chains. Molecular weight determines several key properties of any polymer. Specifically we are requesting an aqueous gel permeation chromatograph (GPC), also known as size exclusion chromatograph (SEC). There is an urgent need to acquire a modern aqueous GPC for the co-applicants’ research activities. The lack of adequate equipment is resulting in delays in conducting research, an outright inability to conduct some research, and/or reduced research productivity and quality. The equipment is urgently needed and will be heavily used by at least three different departments at Queen’s and will provide training for 15-20 Highly Qualified Personnel per year. The equipment will also be available to other researchers as the Chemical Engineering department has agreed to provide a full time instrumentation manager to support the equipment operation and maintenance, and to train external users.