Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer for Fundamental and Applied Materials Research

由二氧化碳和食品工业废料等非常规原料制成的新材料是非常可取的。它们有可能为工业降低碳足迹，但要在经济上可行，它们必须具有与已在使用的材料一样好或更好的物理性能。我们目前正在使用这些原料来制备聚合物和复合材料。动态力学分析仪（DMA）表征了一种新材料的物理性质。例如，它可以确定热对塑料的弹性或抗破碎性的影响。它可以确定材料的可弯曲性以及材料冷却时的脆性。材料在温度变化下的行为和材料所能承受的应力是决定一种新材料如何使用的重要特性。此外，我们对材料的环境，化学和生物降解感兴趣。在这种情况下，从化学和机械行为两方面考虑降解机制是很重要的。例如，在主要由聚己内酯制成的纳米复合材料中掺入生物衍生材料（如生物炭）既可以提高强度，又可以提高生物降解潜力。纪念大学目前缺乏这样一种在实验室规模上表征塑料和复合材料的仪器。它将是我们重要的研究和培训工具，并将提供这些有价值的信息。DMA补充了纪念大学现有的材料表征仪器，它提供的数据对于充分了解我们制造的材料至关重要。我们最近从废弃鱼油和二氧化碳中制造了非异氰酸酯聚氨酯，但我们无法获得聚合物的机械数据。我们也用其他可再生原料生产聚碳酸酯，比如从柑橘果皮中提取的柠檬烯。除了良好的物理性能外，我们还将设计具有增强海洋可降解性以防止海洋污染的材料，用于高价值应用的新型可切换/混合聚碳酸酯，以及用于药物输送的新型方解石复合材料。每年，我们在绿色化学、催化、材料和聚合物科学领域平均培养6名博士、3名硕士和3名本科生。许多学生都得到了NSERC奖学金的支持。我们还与nserc资助的化学工程师及其HQP进行广泛合作。DMA将加强他们的培训环境，并为在顶级期刊上发表和技术转让活动提供数据。在接受这种实践技术培训后，我们的人员将非常适合在加拿大工业（例如新兴的生物经济部门）就业，或在学术界或政府实验室进行进一步的研究。

New materials made from unconventional starting materials including carbon dioxide and food industry waste are highly desirable. They can potentially lower the carbon footprint for industry but to be economically viable they must have physical properties as good as, or superior to, those already in use. We are currently using these feedstocks to prepare polymers and composites. A dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) characterizes physical properties of a new material. For example, it can determine the influence of heat on the elasticity or resistance to breaking of a plastic. It can determine the bendability of a material as well as how brittle a material becomes when it cools. The behaviour of a material under changes in temperature and the stresses the materials can tolerate are important properties that determine how a new material can be used. Furthermore, we are interested in environmental, chemical and biological degradation of materials. In such cases, it is important to consider mechanisms of the degradation both in terms of chemistry and mechanical behaviour. For example, incorporation of a bio-derived material (e.g. biochar) within nanocomposites primarily made from polycaprolactone can both increase strength and biodegradation potential. Memorial University currently lacks such an instrument for characterizing plastics and composite materials on a laboratory scale. It will be a critical research and training tool for us and will provide this valuable information. The DMA complements existing materials characterization instrumentation at Memorial University and the data it provides are critical in order to fully understand the materials we make. We have recently made non-isocyanate polyurethanes from waste fish oil and carbon dioxide, but we were unable to get mechanical data on the polymers. We are also making polycarbonates from other renewable starting materials, such as limonene, which is obtained from citrus fruit peels. Further to good physical properties, we will design materials with enhanced marine degradability to prevent ocean pollution, new switchable/hybrid polycarbonates for high value applications, and new calcite-composites for use in drug delivery. Annually we train on average 6 PhD, 3 MSc and 3 undergraduate research students in green chemistry, catalysis, materials and polymer science. Many are supported by NSERC scholarships. We also collaborate extensively with NSERC-funded chemical engineers and their HQP. The DMA will enhance their training environment and provide data for publication in top tier journals and for technology transfer activities. Upon receiving this hands-on technical training our personnel will be well suited for employment in Canadian industry (e.g. the emerging bioeconomy sector) or to pursue further research in academia or government labs.