Undergraduate Research Opportunities

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Acid degradation of polymeric materials for dissolvable packaging

Project Description:

There is a global concern around plastic packaging and the environment caused from the use of single-use plastics. Despite these materials being reprocessable, they require more energy to recycle compared to producing new material.  Using more durable materials also has a downside, as they commonly cannot be reprocessed. Vitrimers, which live in-between thermoplastics and thermosets, have the mechanical strengths of thermosets and the reprocessability of thermoplastics. Of these polymers, polyimide vitrimers are able to be dissolved in acid aqueous environments, making them easy to dispose of while recovering the initial feedstock. Here, we will explore how the dissolution kinetics of these polymers vary by changing acid concentration as well as acid identity.

Faculty Name and Email:

Vincent Torres vxt23@psu.edu

Research Area(s):

Polymer chemistry/material science

Number of Available Positions:

1

Project Start Date:

Fall 2026

Remote or In-Person or Hybrid?

Hybrid

Estimated Time Commitment:

8

Potential for Summer Research Continuation:

Yes

Potential for Research Credit (496/497) or Independent Study:

Yes

Required Courses or Skills:

Lab experience

Preferred Student Background:

Material science