Research summary
A polymer blend is a mixture of two or more polymers that have been blended to create a new material with different physical properties. Polymer blending offers a simple and cost-effective method of producing polymeric materials that have a wide range of industrial applications. But Dr. Nicole Demarquette hopes it could also provide a tool to fight climate change.
As Canada Research Chair in Rheology to Develop Novel Polymeric Materials: a Tool to Fight Climate Change, she is designing new polymer blends and composites to promote a circular economy and reduce the energy and resource consumption of current production techniques, leading to a smaller global carbon footprint. She and her research team are also developing blends and composites for biomedical applications using rheology and materials science to optimize their functionality and production.