Phenolic adhesives are widely used in the production of engineered wood products due to their exceptional moisture and thermal resistance, chemical stability, and bonding strength. The phenolic adhesive is currently produced through condensation polymerization of two fossil fuel-derived compounds: phenol and formaldehyde. However, due to fluctuations in the price of phenol and formaldehyde with the price of oil, environmental and health issues associated with using these compounds, there is a strong interest in finding alternative renewables feedstocks. Lignin is a natural polyphenolic compound with excellent potential to substitute phenol in phenolic adhesive formulations. Lignin is produced as byproducts during pulp and bioethanol processes. On the other hand, biobased aldehydes such as glyoxal have recently gained a lot of attention for replacing the toxic formaldehyde in production of environmentally friendly wood products. In this study, a wide range of lignin samples from different resources (hardwood, softwood, wheat straw, and corn stover), and isolated via various processes (kraft, organosolv, soda, sulfite, and enzymatic hydrolysis), were used to formulate 100% lignin-based phenolic adhesives. In a separate work, formaldehyderee phenolic adhesives were also developed using either glyoxal or gossypol (a dialdehyde from cotton seed) in combination with phenol. Chemical, physical, and thermal properties of lignin samples and developed phenolic resins and adhesive were measured using advanced analytical techniques and appropriate ASTM standard test methods. Based on two-way ANOVA analysis results of shear strength data, a biorefinery corn stover lignin that had the highest p-hydroxyphenyl and p-coumaric acid content was the most suitable lignin for replacing 100% of phenol in phenolic adhesive formulation. In addition, the developed lignin-based adhesive (formulated with biorefinery corn stover lignin) showed similar dry and wet adhesion strengths as that of commercially formulated phenol resorcinol formaldehyde (PRF) adhesive. On weight basis, the formaldehyde consumption in the developed lignin-based adhesive was 50% lower than the formaldehyde used in phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin. Moreover, two formaldehyderee formulated adhesives using glyoxal and gossypol (renewable feedstocks) had very similar physico-chemical properties to phenol formaldehyde adhesive.

This dissertation describes a new vinyl-acrylic copolymer that displays great potential for applications in lithium ion batteries by enabling processes that are novel, faster, safer, and less costly than existing manufacturing methods. Overall, the works presented are based on tailored chemical synthesis directly applied to lithium ion battery manufacturing. Current manufacturing methods still have many flaws such as toxic processes and other time consuming if not costly steps. Understanding the chemistry of materials and processes related to battery manufacturing allows the design of techniques and methods that can ultimately improve the performance of existing batteries while reducing the cost. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to lithium batteries in terms of energy output, standard electrode and electrolyte materials, and processes for fabricating battery components. In this chapter, slightly more emphasis is placed on the electrolyte aspects of lithium battery technology, namely the plasticization of gel polymer hosts by liquid electrolyte and the standalone solid polymer electrolytes. Chapter 2 focuses on the free radical polymerization of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE) monomers to afford a vinyl-acrylic poly(PEGMA-co-MMA-co-IBVE) random copolymer and its detailed properties as a soluble, amorphous, and adhesive electrolyte that is able to permanently hold 800 times its own weight. Such material properties envision a printable battery manufacturing procedure, since existing electrolytes lack adhesion at a single macromolecular level. Without adhesion, the cathode and anode layers easily delaminate from the cell assembly, not to mention weak interfacial contact and poor mass transfer with the electrolyte. Many soft matter type electrolytes have been reported, but they lack either adhesive strength or ease of solubility. Obtaining both properties in iv a single material is a rarity. Chapter 3 aims at improving the ionic conductivity of the poly(PEGMA-co-MMA-co-IBVE) copolymer electrolyte by studying the effect of internal and external plasticizers, molecular weight of PEGMA monomer, and addition of inorganic solid state electrolytes. The inorganic electrolyte additives include Li(1+x+y)AlxTi(2-x)SiyP(3-y)O12, LiILi2WO4 mixture, Li7La3Zr2O12, and Li2S-P2S5 as part of an organic-inorganic hybrid approach. Electrolytes can also be used as an electrode binder so long as it has structural integrity and allows ion transfer to and from the active electrode material during insertion/extraction processes. In Chapter 4, the use of this electrolyte as a water-soluble binder for the aqueous fabrication of LiCoO2 cathodes is presented. Results of this study demonstrated the first aqueous process fabrication of thick, flexible, and fully compressed lithium ion battery electrodes by using commercial nickel foam as a supporting current collector. This feat is rather impressive because these properties are far superior to other aqueous binders in terms of material loading per electrode, specific area capacity, durability, and cell resistance. Finally, Chapter 5 expands on this concept by using the poly(PEGMA-co-MMA-co-IBVE) copolymer for the aqueous fabrication of a low voltage Li4Ti5O12 anode type electrode. Each component of a lithium ion battery serves a distinct role and undergoes unique electrochemical processes during cycling. The fact that this poly(PEGMA-co-MMA-co-IBVE) copolymer can be used in all three components, albeit for only about 50 cycles in a liquid half cell setup, demonstrates as a proof of concept that switching the current toxic manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries to an aqueous process is highly feasible. Furthermore, new electrode manufacturing techniques are also deemed possible. A conclusive summary along with directions for future work concerning the v novelties of this unique multifunctional vinyl-acrylic copolymer as an electrolyte, a cathode binder, and an anode binder are discussed in Chapter 6.

Phenol formaldehyde (PF) is the oldest known synthetic polymer. This polymer has seen many applications throughout history, including jewelry, electric wire insulation, and resins used to make adhesives. Today, PF resins are still crucial components used in the wood products industry. These PF resins are formulated into adhesives used to make plywood and various other wood composite products. For example, in the United States, 90 % of the homes are still frame homes that use plywood for construction. The PF adhesives used to make these composites are formulated using agricultural waste products like walnut shells and corn-cob residue. These organic waste products act as fillers that reduce the cost, increase the viscosity, and affect the rheology of the fillers. Wheat flour is added as an extender to reduce cost and affect the tack of the adhesive. These organic fillers are lignocellulosic materials that are made of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. Not much is known about the interactions of these organic fillers and the polymer resin. Rheological studies in our lab have shown that not all of the additions to the adhesive formulation are inert components in the adhesive. The steady-state flow curve analysis of PF adhesives revealed that there is a liquid structure change that occurs at high shear rate. This structure change is observed as a viscosity increase that occurs after applying a maximum shear rate of 4000 1/s. A rheological analysis was conducted to determine the source of this change, with individual components added to the resin. The PF base resin (with nothing added) has a Newtonian rheological behavior. When wheat flour is added to the resin, the overall viscosity increases, and shear thinning occurs at highe shear rates. There is no final viscosity change observed on with the addition of wheat flour. Adding corn-cob residue to the resin increased viscosity, led to some shear thinning at higher shear rates, and allowed the viscosity changes observed in the fully formulated adhesives. These experiments showed that the liquid structural changes that occur in the adhesives are attributed to the organic fillers. All organic fillers used in our studies, including corn-cob residue, walnut shell, almond shell, and Alder bark produce different levels of viscosity change in the PF adhesive formulations. These biomass materials have varying amounts of lignocellulosic content, particle size distributions, and particle shape. Among the fillers, corn-cob residue was shown to cause the most viscosity change compared to any of the fillers. Corn-cob residue is unique compared to the others because it has undergone acid digestion to convert its xylans to furfural. During the viscoelastic oscillation studies, the corn-cob residue filled adhesives showed that they developed network structures in response to a high shear rate that were not observed using the other fillers. With the discovery of these network structures, the next goal of this research was to correlate the effects observed on the rheometer to relevant adhesive application technology like high shear spraying. The corn-cob residue adhesive was sprayed at approximately 70,000 1/s compared to the 4000 1/s of rotational shear on the rheometer. The viscoelastic oscillation studies revealed that there was no network structure formation after high-shear spraying. Further, there was no change observed in the flow curve analysis after spraying the adhesive. This study showed that there are limitations when trying to correlate changes that happen in adhesives during spraying, where extensional forces dominate compared to shear forces. In future research, there is the opportunity to explore the effects of extensional deformation that occurs during the atomization of the adhesive, which will be more reflective of the changes that occur during spraying. / Doctor of Philosophy / Phenol-formaldehyde adhesives are crucial products in the home construction industry. These adhesives are used to make plywood that is used to build frame homes, which represent approximately 90 % of the homes in the United States. These phenol-formaldehyde adhesives are made using organic materials repurposed from agricultural waste products like corn cobs, walnut shells, almond shells, and tree bark. These products help to enhance the properties of the adhesive, reduce the cost, and reduce the amount of resin used. The goal of this research is to understand better the interactions between the adhesive and the organic fillers using rheology. Rheology is a field that studies how materials change and flow with applied external forces. This is an important field because it provides information on viscosity and viscoelastic behavior. Our research has shown that in response to high shear rates, the viscosity of these phenol-formaldehyde adhesives increases. Studying these changes can lead to a better understanding of how these materials change during industrial spraying. This understanding could lead to improved building adhesive materials in the home construction industry.

This research provides the evaluation of the technical measurements of pavement marking materials from a two-year data collection on 2002 National Transportation Product Evaluation Program (NTPEP)?s Mississippi Test Deck from June, 2002 to June 2004. The materials studied in this research were divided into permanent and temporary material groups on two different pavement surfaces ---- asphalt and concrete. The retro reflectivity and durability of permanent marking materials among different surfaces, colors and groups were studied. Also the characteristics for temporary tapes, which include internal tape strength, adhesion, tackiness and dicernablity were compared and regressed. This correlation analysis is to see whether these ratings are correlated to each other. The results of this study can be used for estimating service lives of pavement marking materials. They also can be used by states to select appropriate pavement marking materials for different needs.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The degradation of the resin-dentin interface after restoration placement is multifactorial and can be attributed in part to matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) enzymes associated with recurrent and secondary caries progression. This dissertation aimed to synthesize and characterize the effects of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from green tea extract as an MMP-inhibitor loaded into a dental adhesive using slow therapeutic compound release nanotubes as a reservoir to allow sustained and slow release. Loading efficiency and drug release were evaluated using a UV-vis spectrometer. The effects on the degree of conversion (DC), polymerization conversion (PC), and Vickers Micro-Hardness (VHN) tests were performed. MMP mediated β-casein (bCN) cleavage rate was used to determine the potency of the eluates contained EGCG to inhibit MMP-9 activity. The results indicated that HNTs could hold about 21.35% (±4.2%) of the EGCG used in the encapsulation process. The addition of 7.5% HNT or 7.5% EGCG-encapsulated HNT adhesive groups did not alter the curing efficiency indicated by the degree of conversion, polymerization conversion, and surface hardness results compared to the control group (p> 0.05). A statistically significant influence of adding HNTs was found to slow down the EGCG release measured up to 8 weeks (p< 0.05). There was a significant decrease in the degradation of β-casein mediated by pre-activated MMP-9 exposed to eluates from EGCG adhesives compared to non-EGCG adhesive groups (p< 0.05). The results suggested that using HNTs for EGCG encapsulating can remedy the negative impact of EGCG on the adhesive’s polymerization and still have the MMP-inhibitory effect and longer release period. Dentin adhesive containing EGCG-encapsulated HNT may contribute to the long-term preservation of restorations through slow and controlled release to maintain the dentin-resin interface's integrity by inhibiting MMP activity.

Objectives: While bracket debonding has been explored through shear bond-strength tests with debonding linked to the type of material used, the technique of adhesive application, and contamination, the contribution of internal voids in orthodontic adhesives is unknown. Voids may result in fracture or bond-failure, either within the adhesive or at the tooth-adhesive-bracket interfaces. The aim of this thesis is to quantify the internal volumetric voids and bonding strength of three generations of bracket adhesives. Methods: Extracted third molars were bonded with three groups of orthodontic brackets including conventionally-pasted (CP), pre-coated (PC), or pre-coated flash-free (FF) (n=5 per group). The three-dimensional internal structure of the adhesive was evaluated with Micro Computed Tomography (micro-CT) using the Skyscan micro-CT (maximum resolution of 5 microns). Data from the micro-CT were analyzed with SkyScan software to perform 3D reconstructions, image processing, and qualitative and quantitative analysis of the adhesive’s structure. The amount of void was determined by measuring the percentage of voids at the bonded interfaces (Vint) and within the adhesive (Vbulk). The total amount of void was also calculated (Vtot= Vint+ Vbulk). Differences in void between the groups were assessed using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey tests (α=0.05). The bonding strength of the three adhesives systems was evaluated via shear bond strength tests. Results: Our void quantification results showed that FF brackets had a statistically higher (p0.05) for any the analyzed locations (Vint, Vbulk). Our results indicate the majority of voids were found at bonded interfaces (Vint) compared to within the bulk (Vbulk) for all three groups, with statistically significant (p&lt;0.05) differences for CP and FF. Our bonding strength evaluation revealed the pre-coated group (PC) to have on average the highest bond strength compared to conventionally-pasted (CP) and pre-coated flash-free (FF) groups. Conclusions: The overall amount of void in the pre-coated flash-free adhesive brackets is significantly higher compared to conventionally-pasted and pre-coated groups. The majority of the void was identified to be located at the bonded interfaces (tooth/adhesive and bracket/adhesive) rather than within the bulk of the adhesive for all groups. Our bonding strength results indicate the pre-coated brackets to have the highest bond strength compared to pre-coated flash-free and conventionally-pasted. Our preliminary set of results indicate an inverse relationship between bonding strength and amount of void of brackets adhesives, with the pre-coated exhibiting the highest bond strength and least void. However, due to a limited sample size additional data are needed to validate these conclusions and find solid relationships between adhesive voids and bonding strength. / Oral Biology

An investigation of polysulfone-Al/Li alloy interaction involved single lap shear joints and wedge samples following an FPL etch, sulfuric acid anodization (SAA) and phosphoric acid anodization (PAA). The study of the Al/Li surfaces involved the determination of the elemental composition and morphological features of the pretreated adherend before bonding and following failure. When thermoplastic polysulfone (PSF) was either thermally pressed or primed onto the microporous surface, the PSF indeed penetrated into the porous oxide and thereby provided a mechanical means of adhesion. The wedge test results for the adherend pretreated by PAA and SAA were superior to those for the FPL etched adherend. The failure path for the FPL etched samples was at the adhesive/oxide interface whereas the failure path for the SAA and PAA samples was within the adhesive but with occasional divergence of the crack into the oxide. The porous oxides on Al/Li alloy formed after PAA and SAA treatment were shown to undergo dramatic changes in morphology on short term (<90 hrs) exposure to 71 C and 100% R.H. environment. The mechanism of failure was due to moisture which caused slight hydration of the Al/Li oxide and subsequent debonding of the PSF from the oxide layer. Lithium was not concentrated at the surface in the PAA treated Al/Li alloy as shown by AES depth profiling. The effect of lithium on the durability of the bonded alloy is considered minimal. Along these lines, cyclic loading, use of primers, and infrared spectroscopy studies have been carried out. The mode of moisture intrusion into the polysulfone-Al/Li oxide interphase region is discussed. Specifically, water molecules diffuse into the polysulfone rather than transporting along the interface. Moisture then attacks the oxide interface. Thin polysulfone coatings on pretreated aluminum surfaces were characterized utilizing dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), and dielectric thermal analysis (DETA) to detect changes in the molecular motions and structural transitions in the polysulfone-aluminum interphase. The order of the loss peak temperature of the polysulfone is, PSF coating on a porous Al > PSF coating on a smooth Al > neat PSF film. The activation energy of relaxation is also lower for neat PSF when compared to the thin film cast onto a smooth Al or a porous PAA Al substrate. The loss peak temperature shift and the higher activation energy associated with the coated films can be explained by the entropy being reduced when the chains are laid down in two dimensions. Thus studies of polymer properties in the interphase region will contribute to the understanding of the adhesive-adherend interaction. / Ph. D.

High temperature, solvent resistant materials which also display good mechanical properties are desired for use as aerospace structural adhesives and polymer matrix/carbon fiber composites. High molecular weight amorphous poly(arylene ether sulfone) thermoplastic materials display many of these desirable characteristics but are deficient in solvent resistance. Previous attempts to prepare poly(arylene ether) based thermosets to improve solvent resistance have been largely unsuccessful due to processiblity issues from the low curing temperature and high glass transition temperature of the thermoset precursor. Incorporation of a high temperature curable (* 350°C) endgroup such as 3-phenylethynylphenol in the synthesis of controlled molecular weight poly(arylene ether sulfone) oligomers has allowed for a large processing window prior to the exothermic cure that forms the desired networks. Control of oligomer molecular weight and backbone structure has allowed for further control of the processing, thermal transitions and adhesive properties of the thermosets. A systematic series of phenylethynyl terminated oligomers derived from either bisphenol A, or wholly aromatic hydroquinone or biphenol has been synthesized and characterized to determine the influence of backbone structure, molecular weight, and endgroup structure on thermoset properties. The features most affected by backbone structure included thermal stability (weight loss behavior) as well as transition temperatures (Tg, Tm), and processing characteristics. Increasing molecular weight of the oligomer produced a decrease in the glass transition temperature of the network and an increase in the adhesive properties of the thermoset. Comparison of the curing behavior of the 3-phenylethynylphenol endcapped materials with other related phenylethynyl terminated compounds led to the synthesis and systematic investigation of the curing behavior of phenylethynyl endcappers in which the electronic environment in relation to the reactive ethynyl carbons was systematically varied. Electron withdrawing groups, eg. sulfone, ketone, imide on the aryl ring para to the acetylene bond enhanced the rate of cure and also appear to improve the lap shear adhesion to suface treated titanium adherands. Discussion of the background, synthesis and characterization are described in this dissertation. / Ph. D.

A numerical analysis of the loop tack test is presented to study the behavior of the strip and the influence of several factors, and the results are compared with experimental ones. The numerical results can be applied to model the performance of a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). Since the simulation of the loop tack test includes geometrical and material nonlinearities, it is solved numerically by the finite element method. The finite element program ABAQUS is used throughout the research. As the teardrop shaped loop is pushed down onto the adhesive and then pulled up, the variation of the loop behavior is investigated using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) models. A bilinear elastic-plastic constitutive law is used for the strip. The deformation of the pressure sensitive adhesive is approximated as uniaxial extension of independent adhesive strands. A Winkler-type nonlinear elastic foundation and a viscoelastic foundation are used to model the PSA. A nonlinear elastic spring function is used, which is composed of a compression region for the bonding phase and a tension region for the debonding phase. A debonding failure criterion is assumed, in which an adhesive strand will debond when it reaches a certain length. During the bonding phase, it is assumed that the loop is perfectly bonded, and the contact time is not included. Curves of the pulling force versus the top displacement (i.e., tack curves) are obtained throughout the simulation. A parametric study is made with respect to the nonlinear spring function parameters, experimental uncertainties, and strip thickness. Anticlastic bending behavior is shown in the 3D analysis, and the contact patterns are presented. The effects of the elasticity modulus of the PSA for the elastic foundation and the displacement rate for the viscoelastic model are investigated. / Ph. D.

It was the objective of this research to develop high temperature and high performance polyimides that also display (a) thermal stability; (b) crystallinity in the initial material and ability to crystallize from the melt; (c) fast crystallization kinetics and (d) melt processability. This unique combination of properties is presently unavailable in any other polyimide. In this regard, the present work investigates the crystallization, morphology and thermal stability of two novel semicrystalline polyimides based on the same diamine, 1,3-bis (4-aminophenoxy) benzene (TPER), but two different dianhydrides, 3,3',4',4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) and 3,3',4,4'-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA). Phthalic anhydride was used as an endcapper to improve the thermal stability of the polyimides. The BPDA based polyimide was also tested extensively as a structural adhesive using Ti-6Al-4V coupons. Additionally, these polyimides are based on monomers, that are presently commercially available. The bulk thermal stability of the polyimides was first evaluated using dynamic and isothermal thermogravimetric experiments. DSC was utilized to test the ability of the polyimides to crystallize from the melt after exposures to varying melt times and temperatures. Exceptional thermal stability was demonstrated by BPDA based polyimide with no change in the melting behavior after 40 min at 430°C or 30 min at 440°C. The semicrystalline morphology of the material was studied using hot stage polarized optical microscopy (OM) and atomic force microscopy. The spherulitic growth rates were determined as a function of crystallization temperature after quenching from various melt times and temperatures. The effect of crystallization temperature, previous melt time and melt temperature on the morphology was considered. The spherulitic growth rates increased with increasing undercooling in the temperature range studied (nucleation controlled), while the growth rate at a specific crystallization temperature decreased on increasing the previous melt time and temperature. The melting behavior was studied after different crystallization times and temperatures and also as a function of different heating rates. Crystallization kinetics was followed both isothermally and non-isothermally using DSC and OM. Avrami analysis was performed for TPER-BPDA and the obtained results were correlated with microscopic observations. Melt viscosity measurements were carried out as a function of melt temperature, melt time and frequency. The adhesive investigations for TPER-BTDA utilized lap-shear test, wedge test and double cantilever beam tests. The durability of the adhesive and the fracture surface was studied after exposure to various solvents and after high aging and testing temperatures. The polyimide demonstrated very high average room temperature lap-shear strengths (8400 psi or 59 MPa), excellent solvent resistance and durability of strengths at high aging and testing temperatures. / Ph. D.