Term of Award

Spring 2025

Degree Name

Master of Science in Applied Physical Science (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Digital Commons@Georgia Southern License

Department

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Committee Chair

Rafael Quirino

Committee Member 1

Michele McGibony

Committee Member 2

Abid Shaikh

Abstract

This thesis presents two independents but thematically aligned research projects focused on the development and evaluation of sustainable polymers. The first involves the synthesis and characterization of a biobased polymer derived from tung oil and pine rosin. Tung oil, which is a triglyceride was chemically modified to produce tung oil diglyceride (TDG), which subsequently reacted with abietic acid-rich pine rosin to yield tung oil abietate (TOA), a biobased monomer. The TOA monomer was polymerized with butyl methacrylate (BMA) and divinylbenzene (DVB) using di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP) as a thermal initiator. The resulting polymer was thoroughly characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). These analyses confirmed the successful synthesis and improved thermal stability of the intermediate and final products.

The second project involved the comprehensive characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) produced via a novel methodology at a fish farm in Brazil. The PHB sample was subjected to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), FTIR, DSC, TGA, and water absorption analysis to access its chemical, thermal, and physical properties. The PHB exhibited thermal and mechanical properties consistent with literature benchmarks, and its low water uptake-less than 1% after five days-demonstrated its suitability for moisture sensitive applications. Together, these studies contribute to the growing field of biobased materials and offer insight into sustainable alternatives to fossil-derived polymers.

OCLC Number

1520571132

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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