How To Apply
Interested in participating in this research project? Contact the professor or graduate student listed below.
Professor
Dr. Ruel McKenzie (Polymer Engineering) | rmckenzie@uakron.edu
Graduate Student
Harini Sridharan | hs141@zips.uakron.edu
Project Description
Our group has developed a rheological apparatus capable of sustaining spatial thermal gradients in shear rheometry. It is hypothesized that orthogonally superimposed thermal fields will produce linear, field-averaged rheological responses up to a threshold where anomalous, thermo-rheological dissipative phenomena will occur. The molecular influence of heat flow, especially at reduced dimensions, is from entropy production. Translational and orientational motions evolve as a molecular compensation mechanism. Investigating rheological dynamics under such a nonequilibrium state encompasses a drive to discover materials that are active in energy exchange processes with the environment. In materials, thermodynamic forces are known to have reciprocal relationships and any foreseeable application will be concerned with the efficiency at which heat is converted to useful energy. Results from this study may highlight alternative methods to process, operate and store materials with enhanced physical properties or to engineer discrete field-driven mesostructures. The potential impact of understanding the rheological mechanisms coupled with heat transfer will be in the capacity to target materials with exceptional sensitivities to thermal flux because this can be advantageous when engineering materials such as heat transfer films, thermo-electric generators, thermal energy harvesters and storers. We are seeking a motivated and ambitious student to study the rheological dynamics of cellulose nanocrystal suspensions under thermal gradients. Cellulose nanocrystals are derived from renewable resources and show promise in a wide variety of applications. Our consideration is to apply cellulose nanocrystals as thermal management media. Interestingly, the literature has documented anisotropic, temperature dependent and geometry dependent thermal properties of nanocellulose. Our objective is to phenomenologically explore some of the underlying mechanisms of the thermal properties by utilizing our novel apparatus. The specific aim is to study the impact of cellulose nanocrystals on the thermorheological properties of traditional heat transfer fluids such as ethylene glycol and glycerol towards improving the efficiency and lifetime of heat exchangers.
Project Dates
Open until further notice
Search Terms
Advanced Materials, Sustainability, Chemical Physics/Physical Chemistry, For Credit, Non-Credit, Non-Funded, STEM