Hattiesburg, MS - The Journal of Polymer Science, Part B, Polymer Physics Edition recently awarded the Morgan Research Group a coveted best paper award. The Polymer Physics Prize was bestowed upon Dr. Sarah Morgan, Rahul Misra, and Bruce X. Fu for their excellence in authoring the paper:
Rahul Misra, Bruce X. Fu, Sarah E. Morgan, “Surface Energetics, Dispersion, and Nanotribomechanical Behavior of POSS/PP Hybrid Nanocomposites,” J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Phys., 45(17), 2441-2455 (2007).
Click here to view the entire paper
Dr. Sarah Morgan
The findings of the paper explain how blends of polypropylene with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanostructured chemicals displayed ultra-low friction and enhanced hardness, modulus and hydrophobicity surfaces, with minimal changes in the bulk thermomechanical properties.
The unique surface modification behavior resulted from POSS preferential segregation to the surface of the blend. The enhanced tribological performance of these materials, combined with their high surface hardness and hydrophobicity indicate their potential utility for applications such as micro/nanoelectronic devices requiring ultra low friction and wear performance.
POSS is a patented silsesquioxanes developed by Hybrid Plastics of Hattiesburg. Like all silsesquioxanes, POSS® has a chemical formula of (RSiO1.5)n, but unlike other silsesquioxanes, POSS® has a regular, often cubic, inorganic cage structure. The use of POSS within the Morgan Research group is a prime example of university and private industry collaborative development. Other applications for POSS are currently being explored by the Morgan Research Group.
The Morgan Research Group’s current research interests are in the area of high performance materials and nanoengineered materials, with specific focus on surface modification, including nanoengineered surfaces, high performance polymers, hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposites, stimuli-responsive polymer surfaces and thin films, biopolymers and nanomechanical analysis.
Congratulations to the Morgan Research Group!
For more information, please contact:
Sarah E. Morgan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Polymer Science
School of Polymers and High Performance Materials
University of Southern Mississippi
Office: 601-266-5296
Sarah.Morgan@usm.edu
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