No description available.

No description available.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) plans to reduce the volatile organic compound (VOC) limit of specialty primers, sealers, and undercoaters (SPSU), also referred to as stain blocking primers, from 350 g/L to 100 g/L in January of 2012. These coatings are primarily used as stain blocking primers over a variety of substrates, such as wood and drywall. Currently the stain blocking primers that are considered most effective are solvent based primers that contain VOC levels much higher than 100 g/L. The goal of this study is to determine if primers on the market today with a VOC content of 100 g/L or less can provide acceptable performance in comparison to primers with a VOC content greater than 100 g/L. This project had four milestones: 1) survey currently available SPSU coatings and related literature, 2) substrate and stain characterization, 3) benchmark testing of existing formulated commercial products, and 4) prepare a final report. This report: 1) describes the preliminary work performed in preparation of a more systematic and comprehensive study to evaluate the performance of paints sold for the SPSU market, 2) describes the final results of selected test methods for all primers, and 3) discusses the future steps required for the completion of this project. In preliminary testing, six primers, both waterborne and solvent based, were selected for testing and comparison. Basic primer characterization was completed, including sag, leveling, contrast ratio, and density, as was preliminary stain blocking testing, including stains by various common markers and tannin staining from dark wood. From the tests conducted during this portion of the project, and through input from an industrial advisory panel, a total of 15 commercially available primers, 7 solvent based and 8 water based, were tested. Acceptable test methods representing both the physical properties and the stain blocking capabilities of the SPSU primers were also selected from the preliminary testing and industry counsel. As a result of the data obtained from stain blocking testing, conclusions were drawn regarding the stain blocking capabilities of both categories of primer and also about each primer individually. Although it cannot be said that all stain blocking primers, both waterborne and solvent based, perform equally, it can be said that there are waterborne primers that perform as well or nearly as well as solvent based primers in several of the stain blocking tests. Part B of this report addresses the characterization of a water reducible coating for polypropylene. The solvent retention of the paint with varying drying times and film thicknesses is analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Solvent retention affects the production and shipment of coated polypropylene siding. When solvent is retained within the coating, adhesion can be reduced, and stacking or movement of the product may result in adhesion failure. Corona treatment of polypropylene was used to increase the surface tension of the substrate and improve adhesion. It was hoped that the surface tension would rise to 60 dynes/cm, however this could not be accomplished. An increase in surface tension to 38 dynes/cm was achieved and proved to be effective at significantly increasing the adhesion of the coating to the substrate.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Functionalized nano materials have an expansive range of potential uses in bio medical applications. Functionalized synthetic (biocompatible and/or biodegradable) polymers that control or monitor cell signaling can be effective antagonists and promising drug candidates. We have developed a series of biodegradable functional polymer systems (with dimensions in the nanoscale) for creating allergy-effective drugs, using RBL mast cells and anti-2,4 dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE antibodies that sensitize these cells by binding to high affinity IgE receptors(FceRI); creating polymers which are effective inhibitors of degranulation of mast cells stimulated by a potent allergen. The inhibition is possible because of the specific interaction of the functional polymers with the proteins (IgE) on the mast cell surfaces to control cell-signaling i.e. intelligent design of functional materials to manipulate cellular functions. The functional polymer system is based on biodegradable poly(lactides) carrying two, three or four 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) groups. Although these DNP-functionalized ligands do not stimulate the granule exocytosis response, they have the potential to inhibit the robust response stimulated by other multivalent DNP ligands. These polymeric ligands are effective inhibitors of degranulation of mast cells stimulated by a potent allergen and thus are a potential model drug system. Additionally these lactide based polymers bind and achieve steady state binding with solution IgE within a few seconds at low concentrations; achieving about 75% of the binding below 0.2 uM. The preparation, characterization, processing and effectiveness of the functional polymers to control material-cell interactions will be discussed

Hybrid organic-inorganic materials represent a new class of materials having scientific and technological potential. In this thesis, Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS) are used as an inorganic building block which has been tethered to an organic polymer. POSS are silica precusors, having a well defined silsesquioxane cental core surrounded by an organic periphery which makes them compatible with monomers and possibly polymers. The objectives of this study are to (1) study the basic structures of POSS homopolymers, (2) to incorporate POSS building blocks by a bottom-up approach into polymer chains and study the resulting morphologies, and (3) to study the thin film behavior of POSS block copolymers. PMA and styryl POSS homopolymers of different peripheries were synthesized by ATRP and mass spectrometry studies were carried out by MALDI-TOF and ESI. PMA POSS chains undergo a number of fragmentations while styrly POSS chains have a relatively robust backbone. Poly(ethylene-butylene-b-MAPOSS), AB type copolymers and poly(MAPOSS-b-styrene-b-MAPOSS), ABA type copolymers were synthesized by a combination of anionic and ATRP polymerization. Spheres, inverse cylinders, lamellar and crystalline lamellar morphologies were observed for the poly(ethylene-butylene-b-MAPOSS) copolymers. In the poly(MAPOSS-b-styrene-b-MAPOSS) copolymers, cylindrical, lamellar and perforated lamellar morphologies were obtained. Beyond the interaction parameter (χ), total degree of polymerization (N) and volume fraction (f), the conformational asymmetry (ϵ) also plays an important role in determining the morphology of these block copolymer. Crystallization of the POSS phase and better thermal properties were observed in the both block copolymers. Thin film studies of poly(MAPOSS- b-styrene-b-MAPOSS) copolymers showed that the microdomains can be oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the substrate depending upon the film thickness, morphology and relative volume fractions of the connecting blocks. By removal of the organic phase, ordered mesoporous low dielectric constant silica films were obtained. These hybrid block copolymers are a potential candidate for nanopatterning applications.