Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The design of new materials for a variety of applications requires an understanding of properties with changing temperatures. Funds are requested for a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) with low temperature cooling capabilities; there is an urgent need for this equipment at Dalhousie University to characterize novel materials at temperatures well freezing to greater than 500°C. With the requested DSC, it will be possible to determine thermal characteristics that define the function of novel materials, including the transition in their mechanical properties, melting and glass transition temperature that defines use temperatures or crystallinity, or understand how materials behave in wet conditions. Without this knowledge, it is not possible to fully appreciate the impact of temperature on material properties for performance in specific applications. To the best of the applicants' knowledge, a system that can effectively perform these analyses does not exist at Dalhousie University or in the local geographic area. This currently necessitates the shipment of samples to other institutions or to fee-for-service providers, which significantly impacts research progress. The requested DSC system will have impact on the development of several novel material technologies including degradable polymer biomaterials, soft biosourced material technologies, mucosal mimicking bioinks, and nitrogen-dense inorganic polymers. The DSC would achieve an improved understanding of how these materials change when used at different temperatures, give insight into how they interact with the environment they are used in, and allow for a full picture of properties for optimizing design. With precise understanding of thermal properties with the requested infrastructure, novel materials developed through the applicants' research programs will address several global challenges including products for improved health and well-being, reduced use of petroleum derived products in material development, and construction of systems for improved understanding of biological systems. Diversity in identity, expertise, and career stage is a strength of the research team, which will draw together wide-ranging infrastructure users and drive impact on research outcomes in Natural Sciences and Engineering. The versatility and ubiquitous need for thermal characterization suggests many researchers and highly qualified personnel will benefit from the requested DSC. In the research groups of the applicants, at least 5 postdoctoral fellows, 7 PhD candidates, 9 Master's candidates, and 11 undergraduate students will use the requested infrastructure for cutting-edge research in the next five years. Additional collaborations within Dalhousie University and beyond will further utilize the requested equipment, providing a significant impact on diverse novel material design and personnel development in the region.