Towamencin, Pennsylvania - January 08, 2019 - Senior international research students in the North Penn High School Engineering Academy have successfully electrospun cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from ionic liquid systems for the first time in the North Penn Nanotechnology and Engineering Research Laboratory (NPNERL).

As part of a dual research team endeavor, the North Penn team in the US is working with a team of students at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in the UK and a Materials Science Research Associate at the University of Bristol to study experimental design with the electrospinning of cellulose nanofibers.

The overall research endeavor involves a multivariate research investigation of the cellulose nanofiber development process which includes ten variables and nineteen different experiments. The US and UK teams have already divided the experiments and have begun performing the research.

The initial findings from the first experiment run at North Penn look promising; however, it reveals that more research needs to be performed on the collection methodologies and post processing before the nineteen experiments can be performed.

The USIRT officially meets on Monday afternoons every week. This week, the team will look at designing collection methodology experiments. The next International Research Team teleconference is scheduled for 23 January 2019.

50:50 2.5% Cellulose Solution preparation 50:50 2.5% Cellulose Solution preparation Liquid reservoir electrospinning Liquid reservoir electrospinning EMIm[OAc] / DMSO DiWater Bath EMIm[OAc] / DMSO DiWater Bath Zeiss Image Analysis: During Spinning Zeiss Image Analysis: After Bath Zeiss Image Analysis: After Bath Zeiss Image Analysis: After Bath

US Team
North Penn High School  |  Engineering Academy  |  The Future Is N.E.A.R.
Mr.Michael Boyer - Technology and Engineering Educator (boyerma@npenn.org)
19 Senior Engineering Design and Development students

UK Team
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
Dr. James Perkins - Head of Science faculty (jmp@queenelizabeths.kent.sch.uk)
5 Students

University of Bristol
Dr. Marcus Johns - Research Associate in Materials Science Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS) (marcus.johns@bristol.ac.uk)

If you are interested in learning more about their research, the Engineering Academy or the Technology and Engineering Education Department, please visit their websites:
www.northpennengineering.org or www.thefutureisnear.org.