Equipment & Facilities

High Temperature GPC

Gel permeation chromotography (GPC) is a powerful analytical technique used to determine the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of polymers and macromolecules. A high temperature GPC (HT-GPC) is useful to characterize polymers, such as polyolefins, that are challenging to test at room temperature.

Primary PI: Thomas H. Epps, III  •  Location: Colburn 137 (Univ. of Delaware)

Micro Compounder

A lab-scale micro compounder allows researchers to blend and extrude polymeric materials in conditions that mimic industrial processes. The Haake MiniLab 3 is a twin-screw compounder capable of operating with as little as 5g of material.

Primary PI: LaShanda Korley  •  Location: DuPont 202 (Univ. of Delaware)

Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA)

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is a characterization method used to determine the (thermo)mechanical properties of a range of materials. This instrument can be used to test metals, ceramics, polymers, or even body tissues for properties that include storage/loss modulus, creep, stress relaxation, and more.

Primary PI: LaShanda Korley  •  Location: Colburn 135 (Univ. of Delaware)

Thermogravimetric Analyzer + Mass Spectrometer

TA Instruments Discovery Series Thermogravimetic Analyzer with Mass Specrometer (TGA-MS) ↗

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is used to evaluate the change in mass of a material when exposed to heat. As a sample is heated, a microbalance records the mass of the sample in real time, allowing researchers to determine degradation temperature, residual mass, and more. The mass spectrometer addition to the TGA (TGA-MS) analyzes and identifies the vaporized compounds.

Primary PI: Thomas H. Epps, III  •  Location: DuPont 225 (Univ. of Delaware)

Gas Chromatograph + Mass Spectrometer

Shimadzu Single Quadrupole GCMS-QP2020 NX Gas Chromatograph – Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) ↗

Gas chromatography and mass spectrometery (GC-MS) are an effective characterization duo for determining the composition of complex small moelcule blends, such as the products generated during polymer deconstruction.

Primary PI: Thomas H. Epps, III  •  Location: DuPont 225 (Univ. of Delaware)

Catalytic Reactors

Researchers at CPI utilize a suite of lab-scale reactors to run and optimize catalytic polymer deconstruction reactions. These tools are designed to withstand the pressures, temperatures, and specialized operating conditions that are necessary to perform the catalysis experiments.

Primary PI: Dion Vlachos  •  Location: ISE 455 (Univ. of Delaware)