This project is carried out as a part of the NSF Research Centers - Small Firms Collaborative R&D initiative, under the leadership of the Center for Advanced Polymer and Composite Engineering (CAPCE), an IUCRC established by the National Science Foundation.
In this project, faculty and students in the Center for Advanced Polymer and Composite Engineering (CAPCE) will work closely with a group of small firms to develop techniques of using supercritical carbon dioxide to (1) reduce residual monomer and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in reactive extrusion and continuous polymerization processes, and (2) control cell size and cell distribution in continuous micro-cellular foaming. These R&D efforts are new ideas originating from the participating small firms: METSS Corporation, Plaskolite, and MPM Extrusion Division. The small firms involved include an extruder vendor (HPM Extrusion Division), a sheet extrusion company (Plaskolite), and a materials research firm (METSS). CAPCE will use $100,000 ($50,000/yr for two years) industry funds to match the NSF funding. Edison Polymer Innovation Corporation (EPIC) will also provide $100,000 of state funds to CAPCE in 1999. A portion of this funding will be used to support this proposal.
