New name, new facilities
The Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering has recently begun remodeling and updating its main laboratories in the Textile Building, including the chemistry lab, physical and testing properties lab, composites lab and processing lab.
"When the department changed its name from textile to polymer and fiber, it was an acknowledgement of new developments in the industry," said Peter Schwartz, department head. "It is time for our laboratories to match those changes so that our faculty and students can participate in the cutting edge research that is necessary in this new field."
The department coordinates and enhances polymeric composite materials research, acts as a catalyst for industrial investment, and develops new forms of high performance materials. An integral part of these efforts is to forge partnerships to better meet industry needs, and to establish credibility as a center for the development of new technology.
Close to $1 million has already been invested in new equipment for the chemistry lab. This includes a new thermo-mechanical analyzer (DMA), stress control rheometer, a thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA), a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), an atomic force microscope (AFM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) with Raman capability and other equipment that will help researchers in the department characterize the chemical properties of polymers and composites.
The physical and testing properties lab has also experienced growth. Researchers test the physical and mechanical characteristics of polymer and fiber products and often serve as outside consultants for
companies, or as expert witnesses in cases of malfunction, such as seatbelt, truck webbing and even skateboard failure. The department plans to invest more than $100,000 in new machines for the lab in the near future.
The composites lab and the processing labs are also in the early stages of remodeling. Many students get their first taste of composite development and processing here and learn to use equipment such as the injection molding machine and the autoclave. Several pieces of equipment have been donated in these labs, including two injection molding machines from ThermoFischer Scientific; a large hot press, a film laminating machine and additional equipment for coating films from AOC; and a double-headed braider from NASA.
