04/23/2024
By Danielle Fretwell
The Francis College of Engineering, Department of Plastics Engineering, invites you to attend a Doctoral Dissertation Proposal defense by Sixtus Nzeh on: "Investigation and mitigation of process instabilities in industrial recycled polyolefins blends."
Candidate Name: Sixtus Nzeh
Degree: Doctoral
Defense Date: Thursday, May, 2, 2024
Time: 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Location: ETIC 445
Committee:
- Advisor: David Kazmer, Professor, Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Margaret Sobkowicz-Kline, Professor, Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Ramaswamy Nagarajan, Professor, Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Vicky Nguyen, Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Brief Abstract:
Polyolefins represent approximately 55% of global plastics production, surpassing an annual output of 200 million metric tons. Projections suggest that this production volume will double over the next 20 years, driven by ongoing economic expansion. However, despite this substantial production scale, only a mere 5% of these plastics are currently recycled. The limited recycling rate can be attributed to two main barriers including (1) economic costs associated with recovery and subsequent mechanical or chemical reprocessing, and (2) the assurance of the recycled materials’ consistent and desirable properties, particularly considering the variability inherent in the recovered feedstocks.
In response to these challenges, the proposed research will investigate a systematic methodology aimed at consistently producing materials with tailored properties, such as mechanical strength and barrier performance. By pioneering model-based process and material systems designs, we aim to pave the way for a sustainable future in plastics recycling, where economic and technical barriers are surmounted, and the full potential of recycled polyolefins is unleashed.