The National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded Troy University a $2.7 million research grant to be used by the University’s Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences to research new methods for recycling plastics.

The four-year grant will fund instrumentation, staffing of scientists and research stipends for students.

 “The recently established Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences at Troy University will focus on the recycling of plastics and the development of standards for the recycled plastics,” said Dr. Govind Menon, Director of TROY’s School of Science and Technology. “It is evident from research, simple observation and the public attention drawn by the media that pollution by plastics is a major factor that will determine the eco-health of the planet. It is crucial that an unbiased academic center such as the CMMS exist to respond to this crisis.”

This grant, which follows a $3.2 million NIST grant in 2018, will fund research into recycling of waste polymers into new hybrid materials; using hemp fiber to reinforce plastics; and the characterization and testing of recycled polyethylene.

The center will serve as an integrated, multi-disciplinary research facility and will enable the University to build partnerships with the region’s polymer and plastics industry in order to increase their competitiveness in the global marketplace.

ABOUT NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was founded in 1901 and is now part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. One of the nation’s oldest physical science laboratories, Congress established the agency to remove a major challenge to U.S. industrial competitiveness. From the smart electric power grid and electronic health records to atomic clocks, advanced nanomaterials, and computer chips, innumerable products and services rely in some way on technology, measurement, and standards provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Today, NIST measurements support the smallest of technologies to the largest and most complex of human-made creations—from nanoscale devices so tiny that tens of thousands can fit on the end of a single human hair up to earthquake-resistant skyscrapers and global communication networks.

About Troy University’s School of Science and Technology

The Troy University Board of Trustees approved the creation of the School of Science and Technology in 2012. The School is comprised of five departments — Biological and Environmental Sciences, Chemistry and Physics, Mathematics and Geomatics, Computer Science and Geospatial Informatics – and is housed within the College of Arts and Sciences. The mission of the School of Science and Technology is to bring agency to the teaching of science, research in pure and applied sciences and in its application to industry.