Mateo Gonzalez de Gortari's Successful Thesis Defense Completion

2021-12-14

On December 14th, 2021, BDDC's Engineering PhD student Mateo Gonzalez de Gortari successfully completed his thesis defense titled "Improving the role of polyphthalamide (PPA) in transport applications by increasing its sustainability and mechanical properties through the use of a sustainable polyamide (PA410) and renewable biocarbon". 

His thesis discusses; "As the impact of climate change becomes more and more apparent, each economic sector must seek to modify its processes, in order to reduce their respective greenhouse has emissions. The transport sector is no exception, especially considering the high percentage of CO2 emitted after burning fossil fuels during the operation of vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines. Among the many possible actions, is the ongoing replacement of metal parts with plastic ones, in both aesthetic and functional applications. Polyphthalamide (PPA), a high-performance engineering plastic used in very specific conditions, with a high melting point, good mechanical performance and chemical resistance towards many solvents and alcohols at room temperature, is one of the many plastics currently employed in such substitutions. However, results show that both biocarbon and PA410 afford a significant improvement in mechanical properties over neat PPA".