|  | | Moisture Degradation Kinetics of Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) Products
Date Approved: 2/03/04
Amount: $36,688, leveraged to receive a
$1.3 million USDOE Biomass Grant in collaboration with Drexel
University (R.A. Cairncross, PI)
Lead: Shri Ramaswamy, Professor and Department Head
Contact Person: Shri Ramaswamy
Benefits and Deliverables:
- Update the literature base on bio-based polymer degradation performance.
- Conduct
preliminary experiments to determine the feasibility of using NMR/MRI
to characterize moisture penetration in Poly Lactic Acid and
degradation kinetics.
- Characterize the self-diffusion coefficient and crystallization kinetics during PLA degradation.
- Submit
two competitive grant proposals to agencies such as USDA and USDOE to
secure further grant funding to study bio-based polymer performance.
Description:
The long-term goal of the proposed project will be to develop a fundamental understanding of moisture transport mechanisms and hydrolytic degradation reactions occurring during poly lactic acid production, processing, and applications using experimental and theoretical methods. How moisture management and degradation depend on polymer structure parameters (chain length, D/L ratio, percent crystallinity), temperature, and moisture content are critically important in manufacturing and end-use applications of PLA products. This project will contribute to better, more efficient and more environmentally benign bio-based polymeric products.
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