Category Archives: Research Highlights

Natural rubber based nanocomposites have current and potential applications in many fields. Mostly the nanomaterial are incorporated to rubber lattices during the compounding stage. However homogeneours dispersion of nanomaterial in rubber matrix is very challenging.

In this research we are trying to develop a spray drying process to improve the dispersion of carbon based nano materials such as graphite and carbon nanotubes in rubber lattices. The nanomaterils is first homogenized in latex and then spray dried to get well-dispersed nanomaterils in dry rubber matrices. So far we have achieved the well dispersed graphite in spray dried NR lattice and they have been compounded to make rubber sheets.

Table 01: The mechanical performance of rubber sheets

Sample No	Elongation at break (mm)	Strain (%)	Stress at break (N/mm2)	Youngs Modulus (Pa)
Back flowed NR+Graphite	943.17	1886.3	4.239	2247.25
Sprayed NR+Graphie	937.75	1875.5	4.59	2447.34
Sprayed NR	919	1838.16	3.702	2013.97
RSS+Graphite	820	1641.9	2.959	1802.18

 

The mechanical properties of the rubber sheets made out of spray dried rubber is much better than that of the rubber sheets made out of conventional rubber compounding processes. Our ultimate goal is to develop a laboratory scale spray drying setup for spray drying latex containing nonmaterial.

 

 

 

In this project we are developing a textile material that provides protection against NIR and UV radiation. Spandex and nylon are selected as the textile materials since it is the widely used textile material to make sportswear. People who are engaged in outdoor sports activities expose to solar radiation often. Exposure to solar radiation can cause health issues such as skin and eye cancers, changes in biological genomes, etc. The active material that prevents entering the UV through the textile and reflecting the NIR is ZnO. In order to get the optimum performance ZnO particles must be on the surface of the textile fibrils. Polydopamine (PDA) is used as an adhesive to incorporate these ZnO onto spandex/nylon fibrils. Catechol groups in PDA make bonds with amide groups in the textile substrate and the hydroxyl groups in the ZnO nanoparticle surface. Therefore, the ZnO nanoparticles will immobilize on the textile surface and the ZnO nanoparticles can efficiently absorb UV radiation and reflect NIR radiation. Such textile materials have already prepared and currently the performances are being characterized.

This research work addressed one of the main problems in non-marking tyre compound, which is having a considerable long curing process which cause heat buildup and unfinished crosslinking. The reason for this cause is due to the low thermal conductivity of silica. This study mainly focused on addressing these limitations by the novel technology of incorporating modified silica and modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The results showed that modified MWCNTs could significantly enhance the thermal properties of the composites than pristine MWCNTs. This has been achieved by better dispersity and suppressing the thermal resistance barrier by formation of effective thermal conductive channels by modified MWCNTs. Thermal conductivity of the non- marking tyre compound was able to enhance by maintaining the mechanical properties and non-marking characteristics

Conferences

Jayawardane Y. W.; and Etampawala T.N.B.; Non-Marking Tyre Compounds with Enhanced Thermal Conductivity via Modified Silica and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Proceedings of ITUMR Symposium ‘Broadening Horizons’ ISSN: 2773-7055, pg. 69-73, Presented at ITUM Research Symposium 2021, 29th September

 

Phthalates are a known plasticizer group used in producing flexible plastic products, especially soft PVC products. However, the leaching of these phthalates used in plastic products to the surrounding arose many complications. The primary purpose of this research project was to develop a rapid but easy-to-handle phthalate detection technique compared to the existing phthalate detection technologies. Under this research, a novel material from highly conducting MWCNTs was developed to detect phthalates in solutions. In presence of phthalates the conductivity was changed and the amplitude of the change is used to identify the phthalate quantitatively as well as qualitatively. The change of conductivity of the buckypaper after adsorbing phthalates was detected using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. This developed buckypaper showed the ability to distinguish different types of phthalates: DEHP, DnOP, and DPHP while being sensitive to 1000 (v/v) ppm or higher concentrated phthalate in solutions. As a further step we have focus to increase the sensitivity of the buckypaper to different phthalates.  For that a MWCNT/Cellulose composite paper was developed. This developed composite paper showed the ability to fine-tune the phthalate sensitivity. Based on the results obtained, this project shows the potential of developing a portable phthalate sensor to carry out in-situ and real-time analysis of detecting phthalates in solutions.

Abstracts: APS March Meetings 2021, ITUM Research Symposium 2021, MRS Falls Meeting and Exhibit 2021

Manuscripts: ChemistrySelect Journal (Under Review, 2022)

Awards: Best Graphical Abstract 2022 at the Graphical Abstract Competition 2022 organized by the   Society of Polymer Science, USJ

Conferences:

Abeysinghe, H.; Etampawala, T.N.B.; Wickramasinghe, G.; Perera, V.P.S.; Late News: Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube/Cellulose Composite for Phthalate Detection in Solutions – Presented at MRS Fall Meeting and Exhibit 2021, 6^th -9^th December

Abeysinghe, H.; Etampawala, T.N.B.; Wickramasinghe, G.; Perera, V.P.S.; Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Sensor for Detecting Phthalates in Solutions, Proceedings of ITUMR Symposium ‘Broadening Horizons’ ISSN: 2773-7055, pg. 87-91, Presented at ITUM Research Symposium 2021, 29^th September

Abeysinghe, H.; Etampawala, T.N.B.; Wickramasinghe, G.; Perera, V.P.S.; Buckypaper Sensors for Detection of Phthalates in Solution Bulletin of the American Physical Society. Presented at APS March Meeting 2021, 15^th – 19^th March

 

Manuscripts:

Abeysinghe, H.; Wickramasinghe, G.; Perera, V.P.S.; Etampawala, T.N.B.; MWCNT Buckypaper as Electrochemical Sensing Platform: A Rapid Detection Technology for Phthalic Acid Esters in Solutions, ChemistrySelect (Submitted, 2022)

 

Awards:

Best Graphical Abstract 2022 at the Graphical Abstract Competition 2022 organized by the Society of Polymer Science, USJ