TURI Academic Research Program Reports
These reports document the projects funded by TURI's Academic Research Program, which supports research on sustainable technologies by UMass Lowell faculty and students.
Sustainable Routes to Non-Halogenated Flame Retardants Based on Phenolic Monomers. 2009.
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| TURI Technical Report No. 62. In 2007‐2008 UMass Lowell researchers investigated the possibility of substituting toxic halogenated flame retardant (FR) materials with a new class of polyphenol based FR materials under a TURI funded project. The proof‐of‐concept studies were completed during the first year of this project. Subsequently in 2008‐2009, the goal was to modify the synthetic strategies investigated in the first study and create a new class of non‐halogenated flame retardant copolymers based on synthetic monomers as well as naturally occurring starting materials. Download PDF file (727.51 kB) |
Green(er) PVC:The Development of Lead and Phthalate-Free Nanocomposite Formulations with Practical Utility. 2007.
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| Dr. Daniel Schmidt, and his research team from the Department of Plastics Engineering at UMass Lowell, in collaboration with industry partner Teknor Apex, demonstrate performance of PVC formulations that do not use the toxic chemicals lead or phthalates. TURI Technical Report No. 60. Download PDF file (1.09 MB) |
Improved Lead-Free Wire and Cable Insulation Performance Using Nanocomposites. 2006
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| TURI Technical Report No. 58. The goal of this project is the production of high-performance, low-cost lead-free PVC compounds for wire and cable insulation, to address the serious environmental issues surrounding the use of their leaded counterparts and the lack of market acceptance of current alternatives to PVC. Clay nanocomposite technology has been chosen as a means to achieve this goal, as it has been demonstrated that such systems can improve a variety of properties relevant to the performance of wire and cable insulation (thermal stability, barrier properties, flame retardance, etc.). Here we report on the characterization of transparent, lead-free PVC nanocomposites produced by melt blending with organoclay loadings of 2, 5, and 10 wt%. Structural studies carried out via x-ray diffraction indicate significant intercalation as well as orientation of the clay sheets in the flow direction. From MOCON testing, nanocomposites with 2 wt% clay showed a five-fold increase in oxygen barrier. While a substantial improvement in thermal stability was not observed in TGA experiments, the greatly improved oxygen barrier properties may nevertheless enhance thermal stability in real-world settings. From mechanical properties testing, the modulus of the PVC/nanocomposite was found to increase with clay content; nevertheless, 2 wt% was found to be the optimal loading level due to the degradation of ultimate properties with higher clay content. Download PDF file (579.60 kB) |
Assessing the Electrical Properties of Alternative Wire and Cable Coatings: Metallocene EPDM. 2004.
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| TURI Technical Report No. 56. New regulations have led to the need for non-lead compounds to be used in wire and cable applications. There are two approaches for lead free EPDM wire and cable compounds. One is to find alternative stabilizers, and the other is to change resins. In a previous study, hydrotalcite was examined as a replacement for lead additives in applications using Ziegler-Natta based EPDM, and was very effective as an alternative stabilizer. In this research, the metallocene based EPDM was investigated as a potential replacement elastomer, which would not require lead stabilization. Download PDF file (502.78 kB) |
Natural "Green" Dyes for the Textile Industry. 2003.
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| TURI Technical Report No. 57. The textile industry produces and uses approximately 1.3 million tonnes of dyes, pigments and dye precursors, valued at around $23 billion, almost all of which is manufactured synthetically. However, synthetic dyes have some limitations, primarily, (i) their production process requires hazardous chemicals, creating worker safety concerns, (ii) they may generate hazardous wastes, and (iii) these dyes are not environmentally friendly. This research explores methods where natural dyes are produced from plant tissue and fungal species. Download PDF file (378.90 kB) |
Environmentally Benign Resins and Additives, for Use in the Wire and Cable Industry. 2003.
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| TURI Technical Report No. 54. The explosion of the information age has led to a scramble to increase the infrastructure of data carrying capacity. The building industry has seen a large increase in the demand for new housing. The electronic market continues to grow at an astounding pace. All of these industries require insulating wire for use in their products. As the amount of wire products increase special attention must be paid to the impact which these products make on the environment. Lately attention has been focused on polyvinyl chloride or PVC. New legislation in places such as California and Europe have begun to regulate the use of substances that are common additives to PVC. This project proposes to research the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of using alternative resins to PVC in the wire and cable industry. Download PDF file (436.70 kB) |
Diffusion Dialysis and Acid Recovery in Metal Operations. 2001.
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| TURI Technical Report No. 49. Acid baths are used within the electronics and metalworking and plating industries for a variety of metal etching and stripping processes. The bath removes unwanted substances such as metals from a product. These substances are then trapped within the bath usually in a dissolved state. With each use, the concentration of the contaminants increases. Once the contamination level reaches a point in which the bath is no longer functional for meeting process specifications, the bath is considered spent. The spent bath is then disposed, and fresh acid and possibly other additives are mixed together to create a new bath for processing. The spent bath containing several types of dissolved metals and other contaminants is then shipped off-site for treatment or treated on-site creating solid and liquid waste. The liquid waste is neutralized and released with discharge water, while the solid waste is sent for disposal or reprocessing. Innovative technologies are available for recycling a spent bath for reuse in order to provide for an increase in bath life. One of these technologies uses the concept of diffusion dialysis through anion exchange membranes, which is the method investigated in this research. Download PDF file (1.46 MB) |
Developing and Analyzing Lead-Free Soldering Processes for Printed Wiring Boards. 2000.
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| TURI Technical Report No. 52. Researchers on this project formed an industry-led "UMASS Lead-Free Consortium" (the Consortium) of local and national companies to evaluate various emerging alternatives to lead-based solders and finishes. The consortium members donated expertise, time, materials and equipment to this project. The various alternatives to lead-bearing materials, surface finishes and manufacturing processes were evaluated as factors in a set of designed experiments, and compared the results to a baseline of standard leaded processes and materials, using the quality characteristics of visual, mechanical and thermal testing criteria. The Manufacturing Research Laboratory facilities at UMASS Lowell were utilized to test and analyze the performance of alternatives based on the principles of Design of Experiments. Results were analyzed using statistical techniques resulting in determining whether a particular factor was significant to the quality characteristic being measured. A theoretical percent contribution to the total quality characteristic was calculated for significant factors. Download PDF file (307.96 kB) |
Integration of Pollution Prevention and Occupational Health and Safety. 2000.
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| TURI Technical Report No. 50. This study focuses on aspects of the relationship between pollution prevention (P2) and occupational health. It evaluates the effects of pollution prevention intervention programs (i.e., toxics use reduction) on worker safety and health at three Massachusetts printed wire board manufacturing facilities. Most important, it focuses on primary prevention (in the form of P2) and how this model benefits both the environment and the worker. In addition, it provides useful feedback on what motivates companies to approach environmental and occupational compliance issues as a single concern. Download PDF file (245.63 kB) |
Use of an Ultrafiltration Unit in a Closed Loop Aqueous Cleaning System. 1997.
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| TURI Technical Report No. 41. The intent of this research was to evaluate the potential of ultrafiltration (UF) to successfully "close the loop" for different aqueous cleaning applications. The evaluation was based on data obtained from experimental work in which a variety of cleaner/contaminant test solutions were processed through three membranes of different types and pore sizes. This project also included researching and reporting on aqueous cleaner compositions and contaminants commonly encountered in aqueous cleaning. A qualitative evaluation of the recyclability of different cleaner/contaminant solutions based on oil-surfactant tradeoff was performed. The research implied that any of the three membranes studied is capable of successfully recycling aqueous cleaning baths containing hydrocarbon oil-based contaminants. However, UF did not appear to be wellsuited for recycling aqueous cleaning baths containing synthetic contaminants. In addition, the research further validated equations developed to describe flux and flux decline in UF. Download PDF file (1.59 MB) |
Evaluation and implementation of no-clean solder paste for surface mount technology with a focus on small contract manufacturers. 1997
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| TURI Technical Report No. 40 Download PDF file (5.30 MB) |
Supercritical Fluids as Substitutes for Dry Cleaning Solvents: Evaluation of Enzyme Activity for Stain Removal. 1995.
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| TURI Technical Report No. 28. The toxicological and ecological hazards of perchloroethylene led the investigators to try supercritical carbon dioxide as a replacement in dry cleaning. Download PDF file (614.26 kB) |
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