Graduation Semester and Year
Summer 2025
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
First Advisor
Michael Bozlar
Abstract
The increasing demand for sustainable, high-performance materials has intensified the need for polymers that are both flame-resistant and recyclable. This study focuses on the integration of functionalized graphene oxide (GO) as a multifunctional additive to improve the thermal stability, mechanical properties, and fire resistance of polymer composites while also addressing the growing challenge of plastic waste. To achieve this, GO was chemically modified and applied as a coating to different substrates and as a filler to polymers forming an efficient barrier against heat and flame. Simultaneously, functionalized GO and vitrimer chemistry were employed to improve the mechanical stability and reprocessability of recycled polymers, with a particular focus on polyethylene terephthalate. A full set of experimental techniques, including tensile testing, rheology measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, flammability testing, and microscopy characterization, were used to assess the performance improvement of the functionalized GO and the polymer composites compared to their unmodified versions. Results confirm that composites reinforced with functionalized GO exhibit significantly improved thermal stability, higher tensile strength, and enhanced flame resistance, achieving favorable UL-94 classifications at low filler contents. Furthermore, both the incorporation of functionalized GO and the implementation of vitrimer chemistry helped mitigate degradation effects typically observed in mechanically recycled polymers, thereby extending their time life. A life cycle assessment showed that the proposed solution reduces environmental impact compared to virgin and chemically recycled plastics. Overall, this work offers a scalable and non-toxic approach to improving the fire safety and sustainability of polymer materials. Future studies will focus on scaling up processing techniques, exploring alternative polymer matrices, and evaluating their broad industrial applications.
Keywords
Polymers, Nanocomposites, Graphene, Flame retardant, Recyclability, Mechanical recycling
Disciplines
Materials Science and Engineering | Mechanical Engineering | Polymer and Organic Materials
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Dattilo, Vitaliano, "FLAME-RESISTANT RECYCLED POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITES" (2025). Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations. 432.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/mechaerospace_dissertations/432