Nanomanufacturing Research
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Scientific breakthroughs in Nanoscience have come at a surprisingly rapid rate over the past few years. While the list of commercial "nano-products" seems almost endless, technology transfer can be severely hindered by a lack of understanding of the barriers to manufacturing at the nanoscale. If these "nano-products" are to become a commercial reality, we must understand how to create high-volume, low-cost processing solutions. The overall objective of this research team is to understand the fundamental science affecting the nanoscale processing of plastics. At these scales, on the order of the molecular size, interfacial behavior becomes a dominant mechanism. Our focus is on the effect of polymer properties and process conditions on "internal" interfaces between phases in polymer blends and on the "external" material/tooling interface. The Plastics Engineering Department is involved in two separate nanomanufacturing initiatives described below.
The Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing, CHN, is one of the prestigious NSF-funded Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers. The CHN is an equal partnership between three Universities: UML, Northeastern, and UNH. NU features a state-of-the-art semiconductor fabrication facility, complete with e-beam lithography, etching, thin photoresist films, contaminant removal, and plating for template functionalization and manufacture. UNH’s organic chemistry laboratories specialize in carbon-nanotube synthesis and surface functionalization, and UML’s expertise lies in polymer processing, such as high-rate injection molding of nano-scaled features and structures. UML’s Plastics Engineering facility contains the largest collection of plastics processing of any university including state-of-the-art extruders, injection molders, blown film, blow molding, rotational molding and thermoforming equipment. UML's Materials Characterization facility has just been renovated and includes a comprehensive collection of state-of-the-art analytical equipment including dip-pen nanolithography, STM/AFM, NSOM, SIMS, SEM, TEM, XRD, AEM, XPS, and a full compliment of rheological, thermal, and mechanical characterization equipment.
The CHN is developing tools and processes that enable high-rate/high-volume bottom-up, precise, parallel assembly of nanoelements (such as carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles, etc.) and polymer nanostructures. The Center uses nanotemplates to direct the assembly of nanoscale elements by controlling the forces required to assemble, detach, and transfer nanoelements at high rates and over large areas. The Center has developed and fabricated templates with nanostructures down to 20 nm and utilized them to conduct directed assembly of carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles and polymers. The Center also works very closely with partner companies to ensure that the developed nanotemplates can be utilized for their application. CHN has fabricated MEMs devices that are used as reliability and characterization tools for nanoelements and is developing nanoscale contamination control. In addition, the center is concurrently assessing the environmental, economic, regulatory, and ethical impacts of nanomanufacturing.
The Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence, NCOE, is funded by the Massachusetts Technical Collaborative through the John Adams Innovation Institute to to support the development of the innovation economy in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to strengthen local industry clusters’ competitiveness. The NCOE objective is to develop high-rate, high-yield, environmentally-safe processing technologies which capitalize on converting nanotechnological breakthroughs into manufacturable products. The initial focus is on extending to nanoscale manufacturing processes such as multilayer coextrusion, electrospinning, nanocomposite fabrication, and injection molding of nanoscale structures. With its multidisciplinary faculty, the Center collaborations will produce new manufacturing processes and products, which merge technologies from electrical engineering, biotechnology, chemistry and physics amongst others. In addition to having the largest collection of plastics processing equipment of any university, UML also has recently-expanded materials characterization capabilities, a highly interdisciplinary research infrastructure, and an integrated School of Health and Environment.
Both Centers actively encourage industry participation through sponsored research and membership opportunities.
For more information or Nanomanufacturing research, go to www.uml.edu/nano or contact:
Anne Marie Baker, D.Eng.
Industrial Liaison
Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence and the NSF NSEC Center for High Rate Manufacturing
Olney Hall G24
UML
One University Avenue
Lowell, MA 01854
Annemarie_Baker@uml.edu
Tel: (978) 934-2929
Mobile: (617) 388-2384
