| Major Research Areas：Rheology, polymer physics, polymer
processing |
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YAMAGUCHI Laboratory
Design of High-performance
Polymer Materials Based on
Applied Rheology |
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| Research
activity |
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Design of High-performance Polymer Materials
through Control of Rheological Behavior
Rheology, the science of deformation and flow, is efficient for
research on materials showing complicated mechanical
responses. Further, rheological properties are quite sensitive to
the molecular architecture and higher-order structure of polymeric
materials. This is why R&D sections of companies require
specialists in rheology.
Since rheology is a practical science, the materials used as research subjects
are wide-range, including plastic, fiber, rubber, paint, food, cosmetics, bio-materials
and nanocomposites. Expertise and technology in this area are also needed in the
processing of materials into finished products.
Our laboratory is designing new polymers with applied rheology as
a means of material design. Specifically, we are carrying out the
four types of research outlined below:
１）Research and development of high-performance
molecular composites
We aim to design high-performance polymer composites
through sophisticated control of molecular aggregation state. Our
research area includes the development of composites with
carbon-nanotube, the design of new foams, and the design of
highly functional polyolefin by adding a small quantity of organic
additives (increase in transparency, improvement of impact
strength, and control of mechanical anisotropy).
２）Study of the effect of molecular architecture on
rheological properties and processability
We aim to control rheological properties at the molecular level
for developing new functions and improving processability of
polymers. We are researching the development of highly
functional polyester materials and investigating the rheological
control of branched polymers.
３）Material design of biomass-based polymers
using molecular composites
We are engaged in the development of high-performance,
highly functional biomass-based polymers, such as polylactide,
poly(butylene succinate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), and cellulosederivative.
４）Development of novel functional polymers
We aim to design new functional polymers, such as new
sound-absorber, self-repairing polymers, and functional embossed-films on which concavities and convexities are
controlled at the nano-order level. |
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■Equipment
Cone-and-plate rheometer, capillary rheometer, melt-tension
detector, dynamic mechanical analyzer, scanning electron
microscope, transmission electron microscope, atomic force
microscope, optical microscope, stress-optical coefficient
measuring device, X-ray diffractometer, differential scanning
calorimeter, gel permeation chromatograph, single-screw extruder,
injection-molding machine, internal mixer, tensile machine |
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| Voice |
We are designing and developing polymeric materials that can be useful in our daily lives. Please join our research
team in producing materials for practical use. |
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| The main research achievements in the past five years |
| 1: |
M. Yamaguchi, S. Ono, and M. Terano, Self-Repairing Property
of Polymer Network with Dangling Chains, Materials Letters, 61, 1198-1201 (2007). |
| 2: |
M. Yamaguchi, Anomalous rheological properties of molecular
composites, Polymer Engineering and Science, 46, 1284-1291 (2006). |
| 3: |
M. Yamaguchi and K. Arakawa, Effect of thermal degradation
on rheological properties for biomass-based poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), European
Polymer Journal, 42,1479-1486 (2006). |
| 4: |
M. Yamaguchi and M. H. Wagner, Impact of processing history
on rheological properties for branched polypropylene, Polymer, 47, 3629-3635 (2006). |
| 5: |
M. Yamaguchi, Melt elasticity of polyolefins; Impact of elastic
properties on foam processing, in Polymeric Foam, Mechanisms and Materials, S.
T. Lee and N. S.Ramesh (eds), Chap. 2, pp.19-72, CRC Press, New York (2004). |
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