can any one suggest me a research topic for my M.Sc. in polymer Engineering?

Answer 1

Why did Panasonic 1 break in half. How did Panasonic II do what it did.. And how the heck does the Yellow Pages Endeavor ever start flying!
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http://foxxaero.homestead.com/indsail.html
http://foxxaero.homestead.com/indwig_001.html
Just check them out and start building us some craft that dont burn oil. Then you have done something for yourself as well as the world.

Answer 2

How about whether there are any new types of polymer that can be made from agricultural waste, such as plant stalks or leaves, so that poor farmers in developing countries (Africa, etc) can produce plastics locally without having to buy chemicals or needing oil as feed-stock or fuel for it?

This would allow people who have little or no cash-income to produce usful items such as plastic washing-up bowls, rope, plates, plastic sheeting for housing, water-containers, buckkets, etc, and even sell them or the raw plastic.

It could make a big difference to there lives when you consider that cheap plastic items like washing up bowls can last us for decades and that they need safe water containers storage and that don't spill while fetching water from a water-source a long distance away. It brings the plastics revolution of the 1950s to more people.

It might be made using some sort of bio-reactor or chemically.

Your research might be to produce a new type of polymer/plastic that can be produced from this waste or you might research production processes more suited to poor farmers. By researching what agricultural waste they have available at different times of year and whether the production process can be improved, you can decide which polymer is best. The research would really be customer-driven (the farmers and their communities). You might also look at bio-degradeability.

A polymer made from agricultural waste might also be a commercial success in the rich countries. Farmers need extra income and it reduces oil consumption. It can even be labelled as a 'green product'. This might get you some commercial funding or sponsorship.

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A 2nd topic - Lots of people look at constructing polymers. The really interesting research might be in de-constructing them for re-cycling or bio-degarding them before sending them to land-fill.

Is it best to find ways to handle existing plastics or find new substitute plastics that make these processes easier?

The biggest problem to crack is how to handle mixtures of different types of plastic waste. Perhaps a hybrid approach using chemical and bio decomposition might do it. Mechanical seperation of different types doesn't really seem to work.

Answer 3

if Carbon Fiber could somehow fit, its an interesting topic