A Home of Students, Alumni & Faculty
Note: This website is created and maintained by faculty advisor, students and alumni of the Polymers & Coatings program of Eastern Michigan University with a goal to provide in good faith the useful information about the program, the admission process, and related opportunities and news. It is not an official website of EMU nor is endorsed by the EMU.
Current Research Projects
Research Interests:
• Bio-renewable material synthesis for advanced coating.
• Organic-inorganic hybrid coatings based on sol-gel chemistry for corrosion resistance.
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UV-curable Organic/Inorganic Hybrid system based on sol-gel chemistry for various applications.
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Dual-Cure (UV + Moisture) system for Automotive Interior Coating.
• Radiation-cure (UV-cure) coatings – novel crosslinking chemistries.
• Study of Structure/property relationship in polymers coatings.
• Sustainability: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of coating materials.
Current Research Projects
Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane (NIPU) - An environmentally-friendly route for sustainable Polyurethanes
While isocyanate compounds are very important and commonly used components of polyurethanes, hazards associated with the toxicity of some isocyanate compounds – both in their manufacture and use - as well as some technical issues related to their high reactivity have led to the search for alternative materials and synthetic routes for making polyurethanes. Our research group, supported by a major federal funding has been very active in developing Non-Isocyanate Polyurethanes (NIPU) for specific end-use applications.
The following schematic shows out technical approach for this project.
Organic-Inorganic Hybrid (OIH) films derived by Sol-Gel Chemistry.
Our research group at Eastern Michigan University has been working on developing a chromate-free and environmentally friendly hybrid film technology for past many years. Building on to their research supported by US Air Force, the group is presently working on systems that work not only on barrier property principles but have also passivation potential (self-healing), similar to hexavalent chromium. This technology is based on advanced sol-gel chemistry which uses simple room temperature process for deposition of highly adherent and corrosion resistant thin hybrid nanocomposite coatings onto metal surfaces. By proper tuning of compositions and process parameters, this technology can be customized for different end-users. The proposed technology uses the same application equipment and process that is currently used in the industries, making its commercialization much easier without the need for additional capital equipment cost. Very recently, we have also advanced this technology using unique dual-cure chemistry that allowed excellent kinetic control making it suitable for 3D-printing applications (additive Manufacturing). Our research group was selected in March 2020 for the "University Emerging Innovative Technology" award for the second consecutive year by RadTech.
Harnessing the potential of bio-renewable materials in advanced coatings.
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Bio-based UV/LED curable nail gels:
Gel nail polishes represent an advanced class of nail polishes, with the ability to cure under UV radiation, and consequently demonstrate improved properties and greater durability compared to conventional nail polishes. Most gel nail polishes available today are based on petrochemical resources making them unsustainable. To keep pace with environmental regulations and consumer preference, we have developed two sustainable UV-LED curable gel nail polish prototypes–one high-solids zero-volatile organic content (VOC) and the other waterborne, both with considerable bio-renewable content, were designed. The high-solids formulation demonstrated promising performance, exceeding that of the benchmark in opacity, chemical properties, gloss, and pendulum hardness, while the waterborne formulation met most of the desirable requirements with some significant technical benefits, including low odor and higher renewable raw material content. These novel gel nail polishes are greener alternatives to the current products in the market with high potential for promising consumer acceptance.
A paper of this research has been published in the Journal of Cosmetic Science (doi: 10.1111/ics.12497). Moreover, this patent-pending research was recognized with the University Emerging Technology Award at the 2018 RadTech Conference. Please read more in the following links:
2. Development of bio-based BPA-free epoxy resins
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a petroleum-derived material and is currently used as a major building block in the manufacture of epoxy polymers used for making a wide range of paints and coatings. Due to its toxicity, there are impending regulations that restrict its use and hence scientists across the globe are exploring its effective replacement. The primary goal of our research was to design and develop BPA-free epoxy polymers using abundantly available and low-cost agriculture-based renewable raw materials such as rosin, soybean oil, itaconic acid, and cardanol, to name a few. By combining advanced green synthesis techniques and our extensive experience with renewable materials, we could successfully develop a series of BPA-free epoxy polymers that are structurally and functionally comparable to BPA-epoxy polymers.
3. Enhancing thermoplastic road-marking paints performance using sustainable materials
The binder systems of conventional thermoplastic road-marking paint (TRM) formulations typically contain a thermoplastic resin and a liquid plasticizer/toughening agent. The liquid plasticizer often migrates to the paint surface and is leached away, negatively affecting the performance during its service life. The purpose of this study was to eliminate and/or reduce the liquid plasticizer from TRMs compositions by developing a sustainable thermoplastic resin compatible with the other resin types. To this end, a series of resins were prepared by reacting two bio-renewable based compounds including rosin ester compound, RE, with different amounts of epoxidized soybean oil, ESO via an esterification reaction. Various techniques were used to characterize ESO-treated RE. A variety of TRM paints were formulated by melt blending different types of resins, including; neat rosin ester, ESO-treated RE, hydrocarbon resin, and a mixture of both, and other essential components such as fillers and glass beads. The TRM coatings were then evaluated for softening point temperature (Tsp), color difference (ΔE), luminescence factor, β, before and after the heat stability test, and accelerated weathering performance. Taber abrasion, flow resistance, and cold impact resistance of the TRM samples were also determined. The drop-on glass beads retention of various samples was evaluated by means of a standard wash-ability test. The results revealed that the use of combination of sustainable ESO-treated RE and hydrocarbon-based resins improves the physical and mechanical properties of TRM materials thereby improving the compatibility between the components and increasing the toughness of TRM materials. The results also showed improved glass beads retention in the samples containing ESO-treated RE, probably as a result of interactions between the hydroxyl groups and some residual oxirane rings of the ESO compound with the hydroxyl groups on the glass beads’ surface.
