Savannah State University has received a $218,497 grant to purchase new polymer research instrumentation from the U.S. Department of Defense Army Research Office. The principal investigator, Pascal Binda, Ph.D., is an associate professor of chemistry with an on-going research project funded by the DoD while Mir Hayder, Ph.D., assistant professor of engineering, is the co-PI.

According to the grant description, the Gel Permeation Chromatography and Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer systems are very useful in molecular weight characterization and thermal analysis, and to differentiate linear versus cross-linked polymers.

The specific data to be collected include molecular weight, melting behavior, thermal stability, polymer content, kinetics of decomposition processes, tensile strength, scratch and shear resistance and stress/strain properties to determine areas of applications.

The instruments will be of use to the chemistry, forensic science and engineering technology programs as well as undergraduate students studying polymer chemistry and principals of engineering materials. These students will experience hands-on training on materials characterization and applications.

This major instrumentation will also strengthen the American Chemical Society certified Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, which recently included polymer chemistry as one of the courses to introduce macromolecular, supramolecular and nanoscale systems to students in order to meet workforce demand in the chemical industries.