The Ohio State University

Other

The Dow Chemical Company

Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC

L James Lee

Changchun Zeng

Xia Cao

David Lane Tomasko

Xiangmin Han

Gang Zhou

Kurt W Koelling

Reiko Saito

Debbie Yuen-Yuen Chiu

Bharat B Patel

Yadollah Delaviz

Roland R Loh

Warren D White

Mark E Polasky

Muhammad A Shafi

Derek James Hansford

Junfeng Shi

Kerang Han

Yong Yang

Jingjiao Guan

Jiong Shen

Siyi Lai

Devices for high throughput cell electroporation include a trapping component that at least partially defines an upper boundary of a microfluidic chamber. A cell trap array is patterned on the underside of the trapping component, and a channeling component is positioned beneath the trapping component. The channeling component includes a vertically oriented nanochannel array. The trapping component and the channeling component are positioned such that a given nanochannels is positioned beneath a cell trap. During use, fluid flow holds trapped cells in secure contact with the nanochannels beneath the cell trap. The device further includes upper and lower electrode layers for generating an electric field to electroporate trapped cells via the nanochannel array. A reservoir positioned beneath the channeling component can be filled transfection reagent solution. During electroporation, the transfection reagent solution travels through the nanochannel array during to transfect the trapped cells.

Microfluidic devices and methods for high throughput electroporation

A composite material having polymeric resin with disperse phases of reinforcing fibers and nanoparticle materials and its manufacture is disclosed herein. The nanoparticles may be bound together and added to the polymeric resin as microscale aggregations, and then unbound to create a disperse phase of nanoparticles in the resin. In other embodiments, the nanoparticles may be bound to a substrate, such as long fibers, and added to a polymeric resin. The nanoparticles are then unbound from the substrate and dispersed throughout the polymeric resin. The polymeric resin may have multiple components where one component may control the dispersion of the nanoparticles.

Reinforced nancomposites and method of producing the same

Polymer extruded or expanded foams that contain modifier-free nanoclays are provided. The addition of modifier-free nano-clays to extruded or expanded foam products improves the thermal properties, mechanical properties, and fire performance properties. Water or a water-containing compound is used as a carrier for the modifier-free nanoclays. The final foamed products may be utilized in building application such as foamed insulation products and in underground applications such as highway insulation. A preferred modifier-free nanoclay is NaMMT. Modifier-free nanoclay particles may be injected into a polymer during an extrusion foaming process. In another embodiment of the invention, polymer beads containing water/nanoclay particles are formed using inverse emulsion/suspension polymerizations and expanded or extruded into a foamed product. In a further embodiment, a modifier-free nanoclay particle is encapsulated in a super-absorbent material, which may be used in an expanding or extruding process.

Polystyrene foam containing a modifier-free nanoclay and having improved fire protection performance

Method of preparing a composite with disperse long fibers and nanoparticles

A method of bonding materials. The method comprises providing a polymer; providing a second material; contacting the polymer and the second material at a low contact pressure in the absence of a solvent or an adhesive; maintaining the polymer at a temperature less than a bulk Tg of the polymer; introducing a gas at low pressure; and bonding the polymer and the second material.

Gas assisted bonding of polymers and polymer composites

A method for forming three-dimensional polymeric particulate microstructures through self-folding of thin-film microparticles. Self-folding of two-dimensional polymeric precursors produces various three-dimensional particulate microstructures. Dumpling-like microstructures with oil cores and polymer coats are prepared by an interfacial-tension driven self-folding method. Roll-like and bowl-shaped hydrogel microstructures are fabricated by self-folding induced by differential volume shrinkage. Curled microstructures are produced by self-folding that is the result of a two-polymer or bilayer method wherein one of the polymers is a volume changeable polymer.

Self-folding polymer microparticles

A method for preparing exfoliated clay nanocomposites by in-situ polymerization comprising the steps of (a) providing a mixture of at least one type of monomer and at least one type of organophilic clay; and (b) initiating an in-situ polymerization reaction in the mixture so as to cause the at least one type of monomer to polymerize thereby forming the exfoliated clay nanocomposite. The exfoliated clay nanocomposite produces an x-ray diffraction pattern that is substantially devoid of an intercalation peak. The exfoliated clay nanocomposite may then be used as a masterbatch.

Clay nanocomposites prepared by in-situ polymerization

A new resin gas-assisted injection technique, which can achieve both bonding and surface modification of microfluidic devices. A sealing resin is injected with a surface modification agent into the microfluidic platform to fill the micron and submicron sized channels and reservoirs, as well as the gap between the platform and the lid. A gas (e.g., air or nitrogen) is then injected to replace most of the resin inside the channels and reservoirs. The remaining resin is cured (fully or partially) by ultraviolet light. By applying a masking technique, local modification of the channel surface can also be achieved through this method. Also provided are methods and structures related to micro-fluidic devices.

Gas-assisted resin injection technique for bonding and surface modification in micro-fluidic devices

Nano-sized particles such as nano-clays can be mixed with polymers through either melt compounding or in-situ polymerization. By modifying the particle surface with various surfactants and controlling processing conditions, we are able to achieve either intercalated (partial dispersion) or exfoliated (full dispersion) nano-clay distribution in polymers with the clay content up to 35% by weight. When a blowing agent is injected into the nanocomposite in an extruder (a continuous mixer) or a batch mixer, polymeric foam can be produced. Supercritical carbon dioxide, an environmentally friendly, low-cost, non-flammable, chemically benign gas is used as the blowing agent. This process forms a microcellular foam with very high cell density (&#x3e;10cells/cc) and small cell size (&#x3c;5 microns) can be achieved by controlling the COcontent, melt and die temperature, and pressure drop rate.

Polymer nanocomposite foams

Nano-sized particles such as nano-clays can be mixed with polymers through either melt compounding or in-situ polymerization. By modifying the particle surface with various surfactants and controlling processing conditions, we are able to achieve either intercalated (partial dispersion) or exfoliated (full dispersion) nano-clay distribution in polymers with the clay content up to 35% by weight. When a blowing agent is injected into the nanocomposite in an extruder (a continuous mixer) or a batch mixer, polymeric foam can be produced. Supercritical carbon dioxide, an environmentally friendly, low-cost, non-flammable, chemically benign gas is used as the blowing agent. This process forms a microcellular foam with very high cell density (>10 cells/cc) and small cell size (<5 microns) can be achieved by controlling the CO content, melt and die temperature, and pressure drop rate.

An unsaturated polyester resin and low profile additive containing diketo groups.

Modification of unsaturated polyester resins for viscosity control

A system and method for simulating LCM mold filling utilizes at least one processor, suitable RAM and storage memory, input means, display means, and logic for simulating the injection of resin into a mold cavity containing a preform based upon mold cavity design parameters, mold filling processing parameters, physical property parameters, and system processing parameters, and identifying the current state of selected mold filling conditions at selected points in time during the simulated mold filling process. The system includes logic for identifying incipient dry spots, and also preferably includes means for interrupting the operation of the program at selected points to vary selected parameters to eliminate incipient dry spots and otherwise maximize the mold filling process. The system may additionally include logic for determining whether the output from a mold filling simulation satisfies a set of predefined criteria to determine whether a particular mold design and/or filling process is acceptable for use in production and, if so, record the approved mold filling process parameters for transfer and input to an RTM mold control. Alternatively, the system may be incorporated into a conventional mold control for direct input of developed mold filling process parameters into the control for use in operating the mold to produce liquid composite plastic parts.

Growing community of inventors

Columbus, OH, United States of America

L James Lee