Summer Research Series: Radion Tolstykh, BEng in Aeronautical Engineering
Course: Aeronautical Engineering 1st year
Supervisor: Associate Professor Dr. Anne Beaucamp McLoughlin and Professor Maurice Collins
Name of Research Project/Activity: Development of Polymeric blends for Lignin-based Carbon Fiber
Q) Can you tell me a bit about yourself, your background, and why did you decide to study the course you are taking at UL?
In 2022 I was only 14 and I was forced to move to another country. Despite the difficulties I saw an opportunity to pursue my passion in Ireland. And the University of Limerick stood out to me, because of its strong reputation in engineering and the opportunities they offer to newcoming students.
As I was in high school in Connemara, I developed even stronger interest towards science, specifically I enjoyed rockets, planes and chemistry. I dedicated myself to studies, and in my Leaving Cert I achieved 601/625 points. Achieving which I guaranteed myself a spot in Engineering at UL. I think UL provides excellent facilities, research opportunities and links with industry for newcoming students, which is important to consider when considering future career.
Q) What motivated you to apply for the Upstart Programme?
I dreamed about getting experience in actual research since high school and this was the best opportunity I could ever get. However, before applying I met Dr Anne Beaucamp McLoughlin, she guided me and explained everything about the project I’ll be working on, this strengthened my desire to work in the field and as well as that it complemented well with my passion towards chemistry and material science. As a result, I decided to apply for the UPSTaRT Programme.
Q) What are you doing as part of your research here at UL?
I am currently working on a sustainable Lignin-based Carbon Fiber (CF). The first commercial Carbon Fiber was produced in the 60s, and it proved itself with its high strength and low density. However, current CFs are based on Polyacrylonitrile (PAN), petroleum-based polymer which emits a significant amount of CO2 during the production of the CF. To fight this, researchers started looking at more natural and abundant resource for a CF precursor.
One of those was chosen to be lignin, a by-product of paper and pulp, which currently is heavily underutilised and has a highly aromatic structure. However, there are multiple challenges like poor thermal stability, poor spinnability, and it is hard to align the crystalline structure along the fiber axis. To fix this, researchers mix lignin with other biopolymers.
Therefore, to find a more sustainable way of creating CF, I enhance lignin with other biopolymers to improve their processability and mechanical performance. The resulting material in the form of pallets is then characterized using laboratory equipment available at Bernal Institute in University of Limerick, including thermal and morphological analysis to evaluate whether any improvement has been made. Right now, I am finished with characterization and currently spinning the fibre to produce a precursor fibre. This will allow me to further stabilize and carbonize it to produce a brand new ecologically friendly CF.
Q) what skills have you developed over the summer?
Most important skills I developed I think are report writing, the ability to test, experiment and to learn. The report I had to write is very close to an actual master’s thesis, with its Introduction, Results and “State of Art” section. I believe this is a huge investment into my future and it will end up making my master’s thesis much easier. As well as that, I had used multiple apparatuses to produce and to test the carbon fibre. From mixing the polymers using twin-screw compounding method to shooting electrons at the sample to view them at up to 25,000x of magnification using the SEM. Moreover, to be able to experiment, I had to develop an ability to find the scientific articles and to process information they provide. It is the most valuable skill I could get from the research bursary. So overall, this UPSTaRT programme gave me a great foundation for my future work in any engineering or science sector.
Q) What has this experience taught you and what would you recommend it to others?
This experience showed me valuable insight into the lab work and how the research is done. Furthermore, the research provided me with opportunity to gain experience from actual PhD and Postdoc researchers. And I would absolutely recommend it to any passionate student.
Q) What are your future career plans, would you consider a career in research?
I would absolutely consider a career in research, such as progressing into PhD and further Postdoc jobs. Specifically, I would love to pursue a career in working in chemistry or even switch to research in Physics to do my PhD.
Find out more about the BE in Aeronautical Engineering: Aeronautical Engineering - BE or ME | University of Limerick
