Science and Innovation · •Commercial Airplanes: Commercial airplanes use our plastics to make the stow bins on every airplane! • K2: K2 uses our plastics for top sheets and wheels

Science and Innovation A Boeing/Teaching Channel Partnership

POLYMERS FOR THE PLANET

Student Handbook

Science and Innovation Polymers for the Planet

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Engineering Design Process Step 1 Identify the Need or Problem

Describe the engineering design challenge to be solved. Include the limits and constraints, customer description, and an explanation of why solving this challenge is important.

Step 2 Research Criteria and Constraints

Research how others have solved this or similar problems, and discover what materials have been used. Be sure to thoroughly research the limitations and design requirements for success.

Step 3 Brainstorm Possible Solutions

Use your knowledge and creativity to generate as many solutions as possible. During this brainstorming stage, do not reject any ideas.

Step 4 Select the Best Solution

Each team member presents their solution ideas to the team. Team members annotate how each solution does or does not meet each design requirement. The team then agrees on a solution, or combination of solutions, that best meets the design requirements.

Step 5 Construct a Prototype

Develop an operating version of the solution.

Step 6 Test

Test your solution. Annotate the results from each test to share with your team.

Step 7 Present Results

Present the results from each test to the team.

Step 8 Redesign

Determine a redesign to address failure points and/or design improvements. The design process involves multiple iterations and redesigns. Redesign is based on the data from your tests, your team discussions as to the next steps to improve the design, and the engineering design process Steps 1 through 7.

Once your team is confident of a prototype solution, you present the results to the client. The client may:

• Accept your solution as is, or • Ask for additional constraints and criteria to be included in the solution. At this point, you and your

team revisit the engineering design process and resume the iterative redesign cycle.


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Day 1: Welcome Letter

Dear Student Scientists,

The Premier Polymer Providers Company makes many plastic products for our customers. Our customers include:

• Commercial Airplanes: Commercial airplanes use our plastics to make the stow bins on every airplane!

• K2: K2 uses our plastics for top sheets and wheels on skateboards and inline skates.

• Nutcase: Nutcase uses our plastics for the outer shell of their colorful and popular sports helmets.

• Pocock Rowing: Pocock Rowing makes the world’s best racing shells for crew and uses our plastics to make the fastest and lightest boats.

Lately, our customers have grown concerned about using our plastics. They say our plastics could be harmful to the environment.

Our customers have asked us to design a new kind of plastic. They are looking for a plastic that is less harmful to the environment. Some engineers suggested that we design a biopolymer. Biopolymers are similar to plastics, but they are less harmful to the environment.

We are turning to you for your help and ideas. We want you to engineer our next great line of biopolymers. We hope you will join our company and help us design a more sustainably minded polymer.

Sincerely,

The Premier Polymer Providers Company


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Day 1: Defining the Problem (Round 1)

As engineers, our first task is to clearly define the engineering design problem. After reading the Welcome Letter, how would you define the engineering design problem?

The Welcome Letter gave us a brief introduction to the design problem, but we need to know more before beginning our design work. What else do we need to know? Develop a list of questions that you have about the design problem.


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Day 1: Why We Need a Better Plastic

Recall that Premier Polymer Providers’ customers are unhappy with the current plastics. They want Premier Polymer Providers to develop a biopolymer to replace the plastic. Why do you think the customers are worried about the current plastic? Why do you think the current plastic is harmful to the environment?

To better understand our design problem, we need to gather more information about the effect of plastics on Earth’s environment. We can look to expert sources. As you read your assigned article, search for evidence in the article to answer the question, Why do we need a better plastic? Record your evidence.

Article Title:

Article Author:

Evidence (Why do we need a better plastic?):


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Now that you have more information about the design problem, take a second pass at defining the problem. Define the design problem as you now understand it in the space below. Be as specific as possible!

Use the Criteria and Constraints chart to take an initial pass at defining the criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, and cost.

Design Problem:

Why do we need a better plastic?

Criteria Constraints

What are the criteria for success? How will we know when we have made a “good” plastic?

What constraints do we have on materials? Time? Cost? Do we have other constraints?


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Day 2: Characteristics and Properties of Polymers/Plastics

What Characteristics or Properties Should Our Plastics Have?

Background Information: When we create our biopolymers, they will need to closely mimic existing plastics, so they will be useful to society. In this activity, we observe the different types of plastics to identify specific characteristics and properties of each plastic. We will use these characteristics and properties as criteria for our biopolymers.

Instructions: Visit each plastic station. Carefully observe each type of plastic. Observe the color, texture, hardness, flexibility, and any other characteristics or properties you identify.

Polymer

Name:

At least three detailed observations about the properties and characteristics:

1.

2.

3.

Common uses:

Comparison to other plastics:


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Polymer

Name:


1.

2.

3.

Common uses:


Polymer

Name:


1.

2.

3.

Common uses:



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Polymer

Name:


1.

2.

3.

Common uses:


Polymer

Name:


1.

2.

3.

Common uses:



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Polymer

Name:


1.

2.

3.

Common uses:


Polymer

Name:


1.

2.

3.

Common uses:



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Day 2: Small Group Design Work

Identifying Design Criteria

What plastic will you attempt to mimic with your biopolymer?

Name the criteria for your biopolymer. Remember to think about the characteristics and properties of all plastics and of the plastic you selected.

Note from Premier Polymer Providers:

We, here at Premier Polymer Providers, want you to engineer our next great line of polymers. We want you to design, prototype, and test a material our customers can use in their products. We need you to pick a type of petroleum plastic and create a bio-based polymer with similar properties with less environmental impact.


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Design Problem:

Why do we need a better plastic?

Criteria Constraints

What are the criteria for success? How will we know when we have made a “good” plastic?

What constraints do we have on materials? Time? Cost? Do we have other constraints?

Note from Premier Polymer Providers:

We, here at Premier Polymer Providers, want you to engineer our next great line of polymers. We want you to design, prototype, and test a material our customers can use in their products. We need you to pick a type of petroleum plastic and create a bio-based polymer with similar properties with less environmental impact.


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Day 3: Small Group Design Work Materials We Can Use to Make a Biopolymer

To create your biopolymer, follow the formula below:

Plasticizer + Starch(es) + [Optional Food Coloring and Additives] Biopolymer

Which Plasticizer Should We Add?

Plasticizer + Starch(es) + [Optional Food Coloring] Biopolymer

Plasticizer A Plasticizer B

• 100 mL water

• 10 mL pure glycerin or glycerol

• 80 ml glycerol solution

• 5 ml salt water solution (9 grams of salt in 1 L water will produce a 45mg solution in each 5mL sample of salt solution)

Observations (Characteristics and Properties)

Observations (Characteristics and Properties)


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Which Starch(es) Should We Add?


Starch Name Cost ($/kg) Observations (Characteristics and Properties)

Potato Starch $3.51

Corn Starch $8.79

Tapioca $6.15

Arrowroot $9.89

Modified Food Starch $22.02

Wheat Starch $11.01

Glutinous Rice Flour $12.83

Banana Starch $26.45

Agar $259.80


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Which Additive(s) Should We Add?


Additive Name Cost ($/kg) Observations (Characteristics and Properties)

Corn Oil $4.94

Sugar $7.13

Glycerol $34.92

Glue $20.94

Corn Syrup $4.83

Citric Acid $13.22

Vinegar $2.16

Sorbitol $8.28

Food Coloring N/A


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Day 3: Our Proposed Formula

Material Quantity Cost Properties and Characteristics

Justification

Plasticizer A

Or

Plasticizer B

N/A

Starch(es)

Note: Recommended starch quantities are:

• Plasticizer A: 10g • Plasticizer B: 3g

Additive(s)


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Day 3: Our Prediction

In the space below, make a prediction about the characteristics and properties of your biopolymer. Justify your prediction!


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Days 4 and 5: Prototype Biopolymers

Lab Procedures: Prototype Biopolymers

1. Put your goggles on!

2. Follow your formula to mix the contents in a beaker.

3. Turn the hotplate on high.

4. Set the beaker on the hot plate.

5. Stir the mixture continuously as it begins to gel and get sticky.

6. Continue to heat the mixture until it boils.

7. Continue to heat the mixture for another minute.

8. Pour your mixture into a mold of your choice:

o Petri dish

o Wooden stick mold:

a. Arrange four sticks in a square.

b. Tape them onto the release film.

c. Pour the mixture into the square.

d. “Doctor blade” your mixture by pulling another wooden stick across the top of the mold to make a smooth layer.

9. Label your sample with your team name and class period.


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Days 4 and 5: Our Observations

In the space below, make observations about your prototype biopolymer immediately after pouring the mixture into the mold.

Does your biopolymer mixture have the characteristics and properties that you predicted?

Why do you think your biopolymer mixture has the characteristics and properties that you observed?


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Days 6 and 7: Characteristics and Properties of Our Biopolymers Qualitative Assessment—Observation

Observation

Does the biopolymer stretch, bend, fold? How much? Is the sample uniform, or with defects like bubbles, cracks, and so forth? What else do you notice? What does it remind you of? Write down as many observations as you can. You can even draw a picture.


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Qualitative Assessment—Reflection

Reflection

How do the properties and characteristics of your biopolymer compare to your desired characteristics and properties?

How do the characteristics and properties of your biopolymer compare to the characteristics and properties of the materials used to make your biopolymer?

What changes will need to be made to improve your biopolymer?


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Quantitative Assessment—Elongation

Lab Procedures—Elongation

1. Cut three samples of the same size out of your plastic specimen. Aim for a size of 2 cm x 8 cm.

2. For the first sample, record the initial sample length.

3. Hold the short edge of the sample flat to the surface of the table.

4. Align the ruler to the edge of the sample at the zero on the ruler.

5. Applying pressure on the edge, pinch the free edge of the sample.

6. Pull the free edge slowly and steadily.

7. Have a partner observe the sample as it stretches.

8. Record the final length of the sample right as it breaks.

9. Calculate the percent elongation of the sample:

Percent Elongation = Final length (cm) – Initial Length (cm) x 100

Initial Length (cm)

10. Repeat the test procedure for the next two samples.

11. Calculate the average percent elongation for the plastic specimen.

Trial First Sample Length (cm)

Final Sample Length (cm)

Percent Elongation %

1

2

3

Average:


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Quantitative Assessment—Elongation

Elongation Reflection

Describe how your biopolymer performed on the criteria of elongation.

How did the elongation test serve as a fair test in which variables were controlled?

What were some possible sources of error in this test?

How could you improve your prototype?


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Quantitative Assessment—Tensile Strength

Lab Procedures—Tensile Strength

1. Cut three dog bone shapes using the Coupon Tensile Strength Template provided (see Figure 1, not to scale). Be careful not to nick the shape, as it will cause premature failure.

2. Trim all sides to avoid edge-effect errors in testing.

3. Secure the top edge of the first dog bone shape between two wooden sticks.

4. Clamp with a binder clip, as shown in Figure 2.

5. Repeat Step 3 for the bottom edge of the dog bone.

6. Thread a stick through the upturned loops of the top binder clip (see Figure 2), and rest the stick between the openings of two chairs, as shown in Figure 3.

7. Hang an S shaped paper clip from the each side of the bottom binder clip loops.

8. Add washers, one at a time, to each side.

9. Record the number of washers that are added to cause the sample to break.

10. Observe and record the failure mode in your Tensile Strength Chart on page 24.

11. Repeat Steps 3 through 10 for the remaining two dog bone shapes.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3


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Tensile Strength Chart

Failure Mode Observations

Record your observations. Does the sample break with sharp edges? With a clean line? Draw or take a picture of each break, and include it in your chart.

Trial # of Washers Observations: Notes and Pictures

1

2

3

Average


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Quantitative Assessment—Tensile Strength

Tensile Strength Reflection

Describe how your biopolymer preformed on the criteria of tensile strength.

How did the tensile strength test serve as a fair test in which variables were controlled?

What were some possible sources of error in this test?

How could you improve your prototype?


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Day 8: Sharing Our Findings Preparing to Present

To optimize our biopolymers, you will share your findings with the class. This will help improve your biopolymers, improve the biopolymers of other groups, and increase ideas about how to improve biopolymers. Your mini-presentation should include four sections:

1. Criteria and Constraints 2. Proposed Formula 3. Findings 4. Questions and Suggestions

Record your notes for your mini-presentation:


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Notes from Presentations


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Our Optimization Ideas

Based on the mini-presentations, record your ideas for optimization. Be sure to include evidence to support your optimization ideas! Evidence can be from your own biopolymer or from the biopolymers developed by group members.

Record your ideas:


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Days 9 and 10: Final Presentations and Findings

The head of Premier Polymer Providers will visit your lab shortly. She will inquire about your process and expect to hear a result of your work in a short 3 to 5 minute presentation that includes at least one visual.

You team should strongly consider creating a script, indicating who will speak and what each partner will say.

Example Script

Jcl: Hi, we’ve made a polymer for the planet.

Kb: We make it out of renewable resources to keep our world clean.

Js: A unique combination of corn starch and potato starch makes our polymer stretchy and strong.

Jcl: Take a look at this: [show graphic and give specific evidence]

Kb: After working through three trials, we optimized our formula for success by……

Js: We think you’ll really love the strength of _____ without the petroleum.

Jcl: Do you ski? Imagine this as your new top sheet.

Your presentation must include the following elements:

Names of all team engineers

Definition of the design problem (including a description of why we need better plastics)

Description of the proposed formula and justification for the proposed materials

Summary of results, both quantitative and qualitative

Comparison of predictions and findings

Presentation of the proposed optimization process and justification for the optimization decision

Relevant thank you(s)

At least one helpful visual

Documents

Science and Innovation · •Commercial Airplanes: Commercial airplanes use our plastics to make the stow bins on every airplane! • K2: K2 uses our plastics for top sheets and wheels