Accelerated Degradation of Wax Binder with UV Oven
Schools or Programs: Engineering & Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)
Location(s): UW Bothell
Quarter(s): Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter
Includes the quarter to apply or participate.
Hours per Week: 1hr - 3hrs
Estimated weekly effort
Compensation: No compensation or volunteer position
UV Degradation Oven is used for simulating the natural UV radiation and temperature from the sun to accelerate the degradation process in natural and synthetic polymeric materials. To analyze the degradation results, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is used to measure the absorbance of samples, which demonstrates the oxidation oven time by creating an absorbance vs wavenumber curve. Goal:
To mimic year 1 to year 7 (Graph 2) by exposing wax binder samples to the UV Oven at different periods.
Student Outcomes
- Accelerate UV degradation of a wax binder used in a polymeric granular composite.
- Recognizing and interpreting trends in exposure times using FTIR testing.
- Finding a comparison between accelerated time and real-time exposures.
- Becoming familiar with materials testing, FTIR testing, and lab procedure.
- The opportunity to coauthor a journal article given results.
Student Responsibilities
- Attend weekly research meetings at UWB and maintain the lab.
- Perform materials testing with UV oven and FTIR
- Conduct literature searches/assist with journal articles and technical reports
Other Contributors
Cham Hang Yeung, Undergrad, (jackyyeung3405@gmail.com), Brian Farkas, Undergrad, M.E (brian_farkas20@y ahoo.com), and Kaleb Dempsey, Undergrad, M.E (kalebDempsey@aol.com).