University of Toronto student gets financial boost for top spot in a national automotive R&D competition utilizing marine-derived Chitin
Jorge Delezuk
University of Toronto student gets financial boost for top spot in a national automotive R&D competition utilizing marine-derived Chitin
Posted On: February 3, 2012A new biodegradable material made from shrimp and crab shells that can replace petroleum-based plastics used in auto components helped a University of Toronto student win a national automotive competition. Aaron Guan, a master of science student, won the AUTO21 TestDRIVE competition, receiving a $10,000 scholarship for his work on recyclable, lightweight, polymeric nanocomposites.
Shrimp and crab shell fibres called chitin nanowhiskers form the base of this new material, which would allow automotive components to meet strict environmental standards without compromising vehicle safety. This material has a much higher strength-to-weight ratio compared to conventional plastics used in most automotive components, and provides higher mechanical strength without aesthetic flaws or deformation at lower densities.
Due to the composite nature of the material, mechanical properties can easily be engineered to suit various strength, stiffness and weight requirements simply by varying the combination of chitin nanowhisker and polymer content. The material is also completely renewable and sustainable as chitin nanowhiskers are derived from the waste of the fishing industry.
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Jorge Augusto de Moura DELEZUK
PhD Student in Chemistry (cotutelle)
Institute of Chemistry of Sao Carlos | University of Sao Paulo | USP | Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Laboratory Materials Engineering Polymers |University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 | UCBL I | Villeurbanne, Rhône-Alpes, France
Tel: +55 16 33 73 99 49 | +55 16 33 73 99 25
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