Surface Engineering of Bioplastics

Overview

Bioplastics have long been an area of interest, since they are more environmentally friendly than petrochemical- based plastics. Bioplastics can be more widely adopted if they can meet the performance requirements of various applications. One of such requirements is surface engineering, which this investigation explores. The question tested was “Is it possible to tailor the surface properties of biodegradable plastics?” The hypothesis predicted that it was possible to tailor the surface properties by adding hydrophilic or hydrophobic additives, which would make the bioplastics more hydrophilic or hydrophobic correspondingly. The materials used were corn starch, potato starch, rice starch, agar agar, paraffin wax, EBS wax, Polysorbate 80, water, glycerol, a weighing scale, a pot, a stove, chopsticks, an oven, petri dishes, a cup, a measuring cup, a dropper, an iPhone, and a hot press. The procedure used was to create samples of bioplastics from the corn, potato, agar, and rice starch, then press them with a hot press, then drop water on them, then measure the contact angle of their surfaces using an iPhone app. The measurement would be recorded. The hypothesis was supported. It was possible to tailor the surface properties of bioplastics and make them more hydrophilic and hydrophobic. Different bioplastics and additives render different surface properties. By tuning these properties, this can result in an expanded usage of bioplastics, as they will be able to meet the surface requirements of packaging, health care, automotive, and other industries, which in turn decreases pollution as bioplastics are environmentally friendly. OREGON Dynamic Extraocular Filtering: A Novel Method for Active Correction of Color Vision Deficiency, Validated with Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials Vladimir Mamchik Jesuit High School, Portland, OR Color Vision Deficiency affects over 400 million people around the world, making it one of the most common genetic disabilities. There is currently no cure, prompting a need for an effective, non-invasive method to improve color contrast perception for Color Vision Deficient. In previous years, my research introduced a novel method of correcting contrast perception based on Differential Dynamic Illumination. While successful, this method had limitations, demanding the need for a more universal approach. This study proposes a novel correction method, based on actively controlling the wavelength spectrum that reaches the retinal photoreceptors. T o verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, two phases of lab testing were conducted on a Color Vision Deficient subject with severe Deuteranopia. In the first phase, color contrast recognition rates were measured and calculated using randomized Standard Ishihara Test Plates. Results were analyzed using Fisher’s Exact test. A statistically significant increase in color recognition was observed for modulation frequency of 15 Hz (p=0.0104), with a 100% recognition rate at frequencies 12 Hz or below (p<0.0001). In the second phase of testing, an EEG system was used to record Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials (SSVEPs) from the Occipital Lobe in response to Red-Green chromatic stimuli with and without Dynamic Extraocular Filtering. Collected EEG spectra were analyzed to extract spectral density at stimulation frequency as a function of Red-Green balance in stimuli. Results confirm that the amplitude of SSVEP neural response increased with the application of Dynamic Extraocular Filtering, independently confirming increased color contrast perception.

Competition history

• JSHS 2023 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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