Session: Research Posters

Paper Number: 113039

113039 - The Morphological, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties of Polypropylene Reinforced With Graphene Nanoparticles Extracted From Paper Cups 

The combination of a growing worldwide population and continued overall improvements in living conditions has increased global paper consumption, resulting in a million tons of wastepaper. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, wastepaper accounts for 27 percent of municipal solid trash, more than any other substance discarded. The disposal of such large amounts of paper trash is a critical issue. Currently, the conventional method for disposing wastepaper is to burn it in massive incinerators, which produces secondary pollutants. Consequently, sustainable paper recycling can minimize greenhouse gas emissions, protect natural resources, and save energy. The importance of using paper cups as a precursor to produce graphene can not only decrease wastepaper consumption, but it can be useful for large-scale fabrication of graphene-based materials at low cost for multipurpose applications. The properties of graphene and its related materials may be used in a variety of applications to increase the mechanical strength, thermal, and electrical properties of composite materials, including plastics and metals, even when only a small quantity is used.

Biomass is an organic material that normally comes from plants or animals. The discovery of converting biomass wastes into graphene is a successful route for recovering sources because it is sustainable, renewable, and abundant. For both basic research and practical applications, finding a novel way to produce graphene with a high yield and excellent crystalline structure is critical. For this research, waste disposable paper-cups will be used for the formation of graphene sheets by using KOH activation. The chemical activation of carbon-rich materials using KOH as the activating agent is a ground-breaking technique because of its lower activation temperature and higher yield. Also, the obtained graphene will have a well-defined micropore size distribution and extremely high surface area. The graphene nanostructure can be used as a filler for thermoplastic polymers since it provides polymers of several functional characteristics, which are not accessible by using other types of fillers. For this research, the extracted graphene nanoparticles will be used as a filler in polypropylene to enhance its morphological, mechanical, and thermal properties. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests will be used to determine the thermal properties of the graphene reinforced polymer composites. Also, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, SEM, TEM, and tensile test will be used to determine the mechanical, microscopic, and morphological properties of GRPC. The results obtained from this research indicates that high yield and high quality graphene materials can be synthesized by using biomass resources rather than conventional methods and can be used as a filler in polymers that could improve the mechanical and thermal performance when dispersed uniformly.  

The purpose of this research is to incorporate graphene nanoparticles extracted from disposable paper cups into polypropylene composites in order to increase its mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties. Also, to influence other researchers to utilize greener graphene precursors and synthesis methods rather than using conventional precursors and methods that harm our environment and health.

Presenting Author: Khiri Scott Tuskegee University

Presenting Author Biography: Hello. My name is Khiri Scott, a materials science and engineering master's candidate at Tuskegee University (Class of 2023). I completed my bachelor's in mechanical engineering at Tuskegee University (Class 0f 2021).

Authors:

Khiri Scott Tuskegee University