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Scratch Modeling of Polymeric Materials with Molecular Dynamics

Description: It is impossible to determine the amount of money that is spent every replacing products damaged from wear, but it is safe to assume that it is in the millions of dollars. With metallic materials, liquid lubricants are often used to prevent wear from materials rubbing against one another. However, with polymeric materials, liquid lubricants cause swelling, creating an increase in friction and therefore increasing the wear. Therefore, a different method or methods to mitigate wear in polymers sh… more
Date: August 2012
Creator: Hilbig, Travis
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Hypotheses for Scratch Behavior of Polymer Systems that Recover

Description: Scratch recovery is a desirable property of many polymer systems. The reason why some materials have demonstrated excellent scratch recovery while others do not has been a mystery. Explaining the scratch resistance based upon the hardness of a material or its crosslink density is incorrect. In this thesis, novel polymers were tested in an attempt to discover materials that show excellent scratch recovery - one of the most important parameters in determining the wear of a material. Several hypo… more
Date: May 2002
Creator: Bujard, Bernard
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Precipitation and Pattern Formation under Far-From-Equilibrium Conditions

Description: Precipitates of a series of alkaline earth metal (barium and strontium) carbonates, chromates, phosphates, and sulfates were formed at high supersaturation by diffusion through silica hydrogel, agarose hydrogel, and the freshly developed agarosesilica mixed gels. The reaction vessels could be a small test tube, a recently designed standard micro slide cassette and a enlarged supercassette. Homogeneous nucleation is thought to have taken place, and particle development led to the formation of an… more
Date: August 1995
Creator: Chen, Peng, 1960-
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Polyamide-imide and Montmorillonite Nanocomposites

Description: Solvent suspensions of a high performance polymer, Polyamide-imide (PAI) are widely used in magnetic wire coatings. Here we investigate the effect that the introduction of montmorillonite (MMT) has on PAI. MMT was introduced into an uncured PAI suspension; the sample was then cured by step-wise heat treatment. Polarized optical microscopy was used to choose the best suitable MMT for PAI matrix and to study the distribution of MMT in PAI matrix. Concentration dependent dispersion effect was stud… more
Date: August 2001
Creator: Ranade, Ajit
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Polyethylene-layered double hydroxide and montmorillonite nanocomposites: Thermal, mechanical and flame retardance properties.

Description: The effect of incorporation two clays; layered double hydroxides (LDH) and montmorillonite layered silicates (MLS) in linear low density polyethylene (PE) matrix was investigated. MLS and LDH were added of 5, 15, 30 and 60 weight percent in the PE and compounded using a Brabender. Ground pellets were subsequently compression molded. Dispersion of the clays was analyzed using optical microscopy, SEM and XRD. Both the layered clays were immiscible with the PE matrix and agglomerates formed with i… more
Date: May 2008
Creator: Kosuri, Divya
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Processing and Characterization of Polycarbonate Foams with Supercritical Co2 and 5-Phenyl-1H-tetrazole

Description: Since their discovery in the 1930s, polymeric foams have been widely used in the industry for a variety of applications such as acoustical and thermal insulation, filters, absorbents etc. The reason for this ascending trend can be attributed to factors such as cost, ease of processing and a high strength to weight ratio compared to non-foamed polymers. The purpose of this project was to develop an “indestructible” material made of polycarbonate (PC) for industrial applications. Due to the high … more
Date: May 2015
Creator: Cloarec, Thomas
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Silver Tantalate: a High Temperature Tribological Investigation

Description: As technology advances, mechanical and electrical systems are subjugated to intense temperature fluctuations through their service life. Designing coatings that operate in extreme temperatures is, therefore, a continuing challenge within the tribology community. Silver tantalate was chosen for investigation at the atomic level, the physical and chemical properties that influence the thermal, mechanical, and tribological behavior for moving assemblies in high temperature tribological application… more
Date: December 2014
Creator: Stone, D’Arcy S.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Structure and Properties of Boron Containing Oxide Glasses: Empirical Potential Development and Applications

Description: Potential parameters that can handle multi-component oxide glass systems especially boron oxide are very limited in literature. One of the main goals of my dissertation is to develop empirical potentials to simulate multi-component oxide glass systems with boron oxide. Two approaches, both by introducing the composition dependent parameter feature, were taken and both led to successful potentials for boron containing glass systems after extensive testing and fitting. Both potential sets can pro… more
Date: December 2017
Creator: Deng, Lu
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Structures and Properties of Aluminosilicate and Borosilicate Glasses

Description: Silicate glasses are the most common glass types and have impact on almost every aspect in our lives: from window, containers, to glass fibers for telecommunications. Unlike their crystalline counterparts, glass materials lack long-range order in their atomic arrangement but their structures do possess short and medium range characteristics that play critical roles in their physical and chemical properties. Despite active development of characterization techniques that have contributed to the u… more
Date: December 2018
Creator: Ren, Mengguo
Partner: UNT Libraries

Cure Kinetics and Processing Parameters of Neat and Reinforced High Performance Epoxy Resins: Evaluation of Techniques

Description: Kinetic equation parameters for the curing reaction of a commercial glass fiber reinforced high performance epoxy prepreg composed of the tetrafunctional epoxy tetraglycidyl 4,4-diaminodiphenyl methane (TGDDM), the tetrafunctional amine curing agent 4,4’-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS) and an ionic initiator/accelerator, are determined by various thermal analysis techniques and the results compared. The reaction is monitored by heat generated determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). … more
Access: Restricted to UNT Community Members. Login required if off-campus.
Date: December 1999
Creator: Bilyeu, Bryan
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Interspecimen Study of Bone to Relate Macromechanical, Nanomechanical and Compositional Changes Across the Femoral Cortex of Bone

Description: Mechanics of bone is widely studied and researched, mainly for the study of fracture. This has been done mostly on a macro scale. In this work hierarchical nature of bone has been explored to investigate bone mechanics in more detail. Flexural test were done to classify the bones according to their strength and deflection. Raman spectroscopy analysis was done to map the mineralization, collagen crosslinking changes across the thickness of the bone. Nanoindentation was done to map indentation ha… more
Date: May 2013
Creator: Nar, Mangesh
Partner: UNT Libraries

Mechanical Properties of Polymer Modified Mortar

Description: The mechanical properties of the polymer-modified mortar are markedly improved over conventional cement mortar. We utilized recycled ABS in powder form and a polymer latex emulsion, polymer percentage ranges from 0 to 25 percent by polymer/cement ratio were investigated. The mechanical properties investigated were compression strength and adhesion strength. Compression strength effects did not have an impact on adhesion strength. Adhesion strength was calculated with pullout testing apparatus … more
Access: Restricted to UNT Community Members. Login required if off-campus.
Date: August 2002
Creator: Palos, Artemio
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Bulk and Interfacial Effects on Density in Polymer Nanocomposites

Description: The barrier properties of polymers are a significant factor in determining the shelf or device lifetime in polymer packaging. Nanocomposites developed from the dispersion of nanometer thick platelets into a host polymer matrix have shown much promise. The magnitude of the benefit on permeability has been different depending on the polymer investigated or the degree of dispersion of the platelet in the polymer. In this dissertation, the effect of density changes in the bulk and at the polymer-pl… more
Date: May 2007
Creator: Sahu, Laxmi Kumari
Partner: UNT Libraries

Barrier and Long Term Creep Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites.

Description: The barrier properties and long term strength retention of polymers are of significant importance in a number of applications. Enhanced lifetime food packaging, substrates for OLED based flexible displays and long duration scientific balloons are among them. Higher material requirements in these applications drive the need for an accurate measurement system. Therefore, a new system was engineered with enhanced sensitivity and accuracy. Permeability of polymers is affected by permeant solubility… more
Access: Restricted to the UNT Community Members at a UNT Libraries Location.
Date: December 2004
Creator: Ranade, Ajit
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Long Term Property Prediction of Polyethylene Nanocomposites

Description: The amorphous fraction of semicrystalline polymers has long been thought to be a significant contributor to creep deformation. In polyethylene (PE) nanocomposites, the semicrystalline nature of the maleated PE compatibilizer leads to a limited ability to separate the role of the PE in the nanocomposite properties. This dissertation investigates blown films of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and its nanocomposites with montmorillonite-layered silicate (MLS). Addition of an amorphous ethy… more
Date: December 2008
Creator: Shaito, Ali Al-Abed
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Piezoresistive Polyvinylidene Fluoride/Carbon Filled Nanocomposites

Description: This thesis examines the value of using dispersed conductive fillers as a stress/strain sensing material. The effect of the intrinsic conductivity of the filler on the ability to be effective and the influence of filler concentration on the conductivity are also examined. To meet these objectives, nanocomposites of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared by melt-blending using a twin screw extruder. Since PVDF has a potential to be … more
Date: May 2011
Creator: Vidhate, Shailesh
Partner: UNT Libraries

Carbon Capture Utilization for Bio-Based Building Insulation Foams

Description: Ecological, health and environmental concerns are driving the need for bio-resourced foams for the building industry and for other applications. This is because insulation is one of the most important aspects of the building envelope. Global building insulation is expected to reach USD 27.74 billion in 2022. Conventional insulation materials currently used in buildings are made from nonrenewable products (petroleum, fiber glass). However, they yield increasing unrecyclable eco-unfriendly waste … more
Date: August 2021
Creator: Oluwabunmi, Kayode Emmanuel
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Reactions and Interfacial Behaviors of the Water–Amorphous Silica System from Classical and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Description: Due to the wide application of silica based systems ranging from microelectronics to nuclear waste disposal, detailed knowledge of water-silica interactions plays an important role in understanding fundamental processes, such as glass corrosion and the long term reliability of devices. In this dissertation, atomistic computer simulation methods have been used to explore and identify the mechanisms of water-silica reactions and the detailed processes that control the properties of the water-sili… more
Date: May 2016
Creator: Rimsza, Jessica M.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

A magnetorheological study of single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotube dispersions in mineral oil and epoxy resin.

Description: Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were dispersed in mineral oil and epoxy resin. The magnetorheological properties of these dispersions were studied using a parallel plate rheometer. Strain sweeps, frequency sweeps, magneto sweeps and steady shear tests were conducted in various magnetic fields. G', G", h* and ty increased with increasing magnetic field, which was partially attributed to the increasing degree of the alignment of nanotubes in a strong… more
Date: May 2005
Creator: Yang, Zhengtao
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Charge Interaction Effects in Epoxy with Cation Exchanged Montmorillonite Clay and Carbon Nanotubes.

Description: The influence of charge heterogeneity in nanoparticles such as montmorillonite layered silicates (MLS) and hybrid systems of MLS + carbon nanotubes was investigated in cured and uncured epoxy. Epoxy nanocomposites made with cation-exchanged montmorillonite clay were found to form agglomerates near a critical concentration. Using differential scanning calorimetry it was determined that the mixing temperature of the epoxy + MLS mixture prior to the addition of the curing agent critically influenc… more
Date: May 2005
Creator: Butzloff, Peter Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Processing, structure property relationships in polymer layer double hydroxide multifunctional nanocomposites

Description: Dan Beaty (1937-2002) was a prolific composer, pianist, researcher, educator, and writer. His large compositional output included chamber works, choral works, songs, orchestral pieces, electronic music, and keyboard works. Beaty was well versed in traditional Western music as well as the more avant-garde and perplexing idioms of the twentieth century. Beaty's compositions reflect the many fascinating, if not always popular, musical trends of his time. His music encompasses styles from serial … more
Date: August 2009
Creator: Ogbomo, Sunny Minister
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Biodegradable Poly(hydroxy Butyrate-co-valerate) Nanocomposites And Blends With Poly(butylene Adipate-co-terephthalate) For Sensor Applications

Description: The utilization of biodegradable polymers is critical for developing “cradle to cradle” mindset with ecological, social and economic consequences. Poly(hydroxy butyrate-co-valerate) (PHBV) shows significant potential for many applications with a polypropylene equivalent mechanical performance. However, it has limitations including high crystallinity, brittleness, small processing window, etc. which need to be overcome before converting them into useful products. Further the development of biode… more
Date: December 2011
Creator: Vidhate, Shailesh
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Influence of design and coatings on the mechanical reliability of semiconductor wafers.

Description: We investigate some of the mechanical design factors of wafers and the effect on strength. Thin, solid, pre-stressed films are proposed as a means to improve the bulk mechanical properties of a wafer. Three-point bending was used to evaluate the laser scribe density and chemical processing effect on wafer strength. Drop and strike tests were employed to investigate the edge bevel profile effect on the mechanical properties of the wafer. To characterize the effect of thin films on stren… more
Date: August 2002
Creator: Yoder, Karl J.
Partner: UNT Libraries
open access

Computer Simulations of Dilute Polymer Solutions: Chain Overlaps and Entanglements

Description: Chain conformations and the presence of chain overlaps and entanglements in dilute polymer solutions have been analyzed. The fundamental problem of existence of chain overlaps in dilute solutions is related to the drag reduction phenomenon (DR). Even though DR occurs in solutions with the concentration of only few parts per million (ppm), some theories suggest that entanglements may play an important role in DR mechanism. Brownian dynamics technique have been used to perform simulations of dilu… more
Date: August 1996
Creator: Drewniak, Marta
Partner: UNT Libraries
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