Auburn University

1. Auburn University Polymer and Fiber Engineering

2. Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering http://www.eng.auburn.edu/pfen/ 80 undergraduate students 25 graduate students Several post-docs 9 faculty members 1 research faculty member

3. Technology development Stone Age Bronze Age Silicon Age Iron Age What is next?

4. The Polymer Age • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8S8tbQMp2k • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJZZKOiBDLw&feature=related • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6bkmPjVF-k&feature=fvw • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHLEZtYBv8s • Organic Light emitting diodes made by polymers

5. What is a polymer? mono-mer + mono-mer + mono-mer Poly-mer

6. A polymer is… … a natural or synthetic material formed by combining units, called monomers, into long chains. Polymers are the materials that form plastics, rubber, films, fibers, coatings, and structural composites They are in your cellular phone, MP3, computer, car, soda bottle, and almost everything you use

7. Polymers (and fibers) Natural sources Cellulose (wood, plants, paper) Starch (rice, potato) Proteins (hair, silk, enzymes) Synthetic Polyester (food container) Polypropylene (yogurt container) Polyamide (nylon fibers) Polyethylene (grocery bag)

8. Properties of polymers gel or liquid bend and stretch tough & hard

9. Natural polymers, e.g. cellulose Biosynthesis bymicroorganisms Sugar Polysaccharides Biodegradation bymicroorganisms Concept of NO WASTE

10. Synthetic polymers Petroleum products Isolation of starting chemicals Chemical reaction(polymerization) polymer “mer” DP = degree of polymerization = number of units

11. Polymer materials Liquid: - thickeners (food, cosmetics, paint, …) Solid plastics - containers, tubing,construction materials.. Soft plastics: - foils, covers… Resins (thermoplasticor thermoset) - coatings, casings….

12. Usage of Polymeric materials Source: American Plastics Council

13. Polymers have nine lives… Before: Milk jugAfter: Doghouse, park bench, picnic table, fence Before: Bread bagAfter: Trash can, landscape "timber"

14. What is a fiber? A structure that has an extremely large ratio of length to width - very long and very slender Fibers can be made from polymers, metals or ceramics

15. Why combine both? Fiber-reinforced polymers Structure: Fibers provide strength and carry the load usually graphite [carbon] or aramid • Matrix: plastic/glue provide rigidity and protect the fibers When high-strength fibers are imbedded in a polymer matrix, they give the resulting composite material physical properties which may be very different from the originals

16. Engineered materials Materials can be engineered for desired performance characteristics

17. Fiber reinforcements provide strength, flexibility, light weight, and durability Reinforcement structure Turbine engine Fiberglass-reinforced polyester body Chevrolet Corvette

18. Engineering design Polymeric materials allow automotive, aerospace, and marine engineers to have greater flexibility in designing and building components - giving them the option to combine several complex parts into a single, integrated piece. Lamborghini Diablo 6.0 Carbon fiber-reinforced polyester body

19. Fibrous composites

20. Advantages of Composites First used in military aircraft, composites are • strong and stiff • comparable or superior to metal • lighter in weight than metal • offer great savings in aircraft fuel The Fabric Flight Connection by Dr. Nancy Breen Cornell University Spectrum 33CFRP experimental Drummond X-29

21. Sidewall Belts Bead Pirelli P6000 Automotive materials

22. High Performance Sports equipment Trek’s race bike Madone 5.2 is made of carbon fiber composites

23. High Performance Sports equipment Personal student project: carbon fiber composite bike

24. Computers & communications equipment • Phones, MP3’s • Communications satellites • Computer components • Fiber optics Conference telephone

25. Asphalt underlayer Geomaterials Bridge repair

26. Composite marine materials Visby Corvette Stealth Vessel Sabre yacht Hovercraft

27. Military Materials Composite rotor blades Composite armor Apache Helicopter

28. Airframe Skin B-2 “Stealth” Bomber Radar Absorbent Material = RAM F-16 fighter

29. The proposed “New Orient Express” (X-30 NASP, National Aerospace Plane) is expected to fly commercial passengers from Los Angeles to the Asian continent in less than two hours. this slidefrom The Fabric Flight Connection byDr. Nancy Breen Cornell University

30. Space Flywheel Enclosure lightweight but stiff, spacecraft mechanical and thermal interface Magnetic Bearings Controls & losses are the key risk areas Rotor (Rim, Hub ) High specific energy Fatigue Life & “creep”, safety w/o containment The complete rotor Auxiliary Bearings High speed, high impact, Long life expectancy, Launch environment Role of PFE researchers Create and manufacture a novel design for flywheel rotors

31. Filament-wound reinforced aluminum Lab module International Space Station Module

32. Faculty research areas • Polymer synthesis and characterization • Nanomaterials • Natural and synthetic polymers • Medical applications (stents, wound healing) • Protective materials (hard and soft armor) • Composites (manufacture, testing, modeling) • Films and hydrogels • Sustainability and environmental issues • Enzymology • Polymers for industrial applications • ….. and more ….

33. Research Laboratories State-of-the-art polymer analytical capabilities: FT-IR-Raman, DSC, TGA, DMS, rheology, atomic force microscopeLabs for composites, protective materials,films, hydrogels, polymer processing, extrusion

34. Heat Shape memory polymer research Segmented polyurethaneNanocrystalline reinforcedpolymersNanocarbon tube research

35. Enzymatic polymerization Enzymatically formed polymericcoating (increased hydrophobicity) Colorant formation in solution from small phenols (e.g., resorcinol (left), guaiacol (right))

36. Nanofiber Research Nanofibers for as coatings in barrier materials or filtration Porous PLA nanofibers for drug delivery Collagen scaffolds for tissue engineering

37. Fuel cell research Improvement of fuel cell efficiency

38. Biomedical materials

39. Protective materials • Protection against threats • Chemical • Biological • Radiological • Ballistics

40. Active protection for emergency personnel Gas permeation through graftedmembranes Microporous membranes Modeling of gas flow; comparison to mimics of toxins

41. Molecular Modeling of gas flow through microporous membranes Energy balance calculation for gas flow mimics toxins

42. Composite modeling (pcGINA) Calculate elastic and thermal properties of fibrous composites using hybrid finite element analysis and geometric modeling

43. Ceramic/ceramic Composites Companies/agencies: Pratt &Whitney General Electric NASA/Air Force Turbine engine components Role of PFE researchers Understand behavior of the material and design its constituents High Speed Civil Transport aircraft 50% faster than the Concorde with lower fuel consumption

44. Space flywheels Enclosure Magnetic bearings Rotor (rim, hub ) The complete rotor Energy storage battery for satellites with an expected life of 31 years Auxiliary bearings

45. Body armor Role of PFE researchers Create a breathable bullet proof vest and reduce the “punch” from the bullet by deflecting force away from body

49. Illustrated story of the corn cob Lactic acid for bio-polymers Ethanol for fuel Starch for food/non-food use Polymer and fiber engineers work on product development and applications Chemical engineers work on production processes

50. One Major, two options Polymer and Fiber Engineering general engineering background + options • Polymer option – chemistry, polymers • Fiber option – mechanics, reinforced composite materials and other fibrous structures Concentrations or minors in pre-med, pre-biomedical, pre-vet, pre-law, business