{"id":352,"date":"2023-01-13T12:32:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T17:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.utk.edu\/iamm\/?page_id=352"},"modified":"2026-07-23T16:21:06","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T20:21:06","slug":"polymer-science","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/research.utk.edu\/iamm\/research-areas\/polymer-science\/","title":{"rendered":"Polymer Science"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Polymer Science<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Investigating polymers through a variety of fundamental scientific problems with real-world impact\u2014from designing and creating new advanced materials to improving industrial processes to creating sustainable soft materials for an increasingly circular economy<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Polymer Science has implications for the fundamental understanding and design of novel polymeric materials for various current and future technologies\u2014from gas separations and carbon capture to 3D printing and plastics upcycling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UT\u2019s world-class, interdisciplinary polymer science research merges chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, biosystems engineering, forestry, biomedical engineering, and veterinary medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our faculty and students concentrate efforts in diverse areas to tackle some of the most critical grand challenges facing society today, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating a circular plastics economy focused on sustainability, advancing additive manufacturing techniques and materials, and advancing regenerative therapies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UT houses premier academic laboratories for characterizing polymers in terms of molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, conformation, size, and thermal properties. These capabilities serve a wide range of users from across the UT campus, as well as external users from industry and national laboratories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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UT\u2019s Approach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

UT researchers are developing new methods to aid recycling of waste plastics, improve the properties of new products and materials made from mixed plastic waste streams, and enhance the circular plastics economy. Polymer electrolytes are studied and applied for use in new generations of solid-state batteries and other energy storage technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers are also studying and developing new synthetic materials to create advanced gas separation membranes that will enable energy efficient and cost-effective separation of greenhouse gases and reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partnering with scientists from the College of Veterinary Medicine<\/a> and the UT Medical Center<\/a>, novel polymeric materials to revolutionize regenerative therapies in animals and humans are being developed, integrating materials science, biomedical research and practical medicine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Highlights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Palomino Investigates Biopolymer Interactions with Soil<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As principal investigator for a collaborative project funded by the National Science Foundation, Angel Palomino is filling gaps in knowledge about biopolymers. Specifically, the project explores how various biopolymers interact with different soil types to optimize and adapt their use for geotechnical engineering and mining applications.

Learn more about the potential benefits of this research. <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Stein, Adotey\u2019s Discovery Paves Way to Safer Batteries<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Polymeric ionic liquids, a nonflammable type of electrolytic polymer, offer great promise for batteries, thin-film transistors,<\/ins> and actuators. Gila Stein and Samuel Adotey are working to better understand how to design PIL block copolymers to increase their functionality in such devices.

Learn more about this research. <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Facilities & Initiatives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

UT houses one of the world\u2019s premier polymer characterization laboratories dedicated toward molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, conformation, size, and thermal properties, and is internationally renowned for developing and improving bioenergy sources, biorefinery processes, bioproducts, and biomaterials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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