On Friday, April 24th, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) hosted its 2026 Senior Design Showcase. Held annually, the event provided an exciting platform for students to display months of hard work, creativity, and technical expertise.
This year, five teams: Polygraft, InFusion, Foam the Future, ThermaPave, and Bean Sprouts presented research projects addressing critical societal challenges through innovative material solutions. The following teams and projects are provided below.
Team: PolyGraft Members: Sunehra Chowdhury, Phil Delikouras, Will McCambridge
Advisor: Dr. Karen Winey
Abstract: Upcycling polypropylene through reactive extrusion
Polypropylene is one of the most widely produced plastics, with applications spanning packaging, medical
devices, and automotive components due to its durability, chemical resistance, and low cost. Despite its
widespread use, a large fraction of PP waste remains unrecycled, with recovery rates below 10%, creating a
significant opportunity for value-added upcycling.
Our project focuses on converting waste polypropylene into a higher-value functional material through reactive
extrusion, a solvent-free and industrially scalable process. Specifically, maleic anhydride (a polar monomer) is
grafted onto the PP backbone to produce polypropylene-grafted maleic anhydride (PP-g-MAH), a widely used
compatibilizer, adhesion promoter, and component in polyolefin-based adhesives. The introduction of polar
functionality improves interfacial bonding between nonpolar PP and polar polymers, facilitating the formation
of mechanically robust blends and enhancing adhesion in composite and multilayer systems.
This approach demonstrates a pathway for transforming low-value plastic waste into commercially relevant
materials, reducing reliance on virgin resources while supporting more sustainable polymer recycling strategies.
Team: InFusion
Members: Lorenzo Galang, Tobia Ruth, Colby Snyder, Tony Tzolov
Advisors: Dr. Russ Composto and Commonwealth Fusion Systems
Abstract: Nanocomposite insulation to extend nuclear fusion power plant lifetimes
Fusion energy offers a baseload power solution with energy-dense fuel and without high-level radioactive waste. Breakthroughs in high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology, which enable more cost-effective magnetic confinement reactor designs, have ushered fusion towards commercial viability. However, HTS magnets present a formidable electrical insulation challenge. Suitable insulation must remain mechanically robust under (1) large electrical potential differences, (2) cryogenic operating conditions, and (3) 14.1 MeV neutron irradiation while (4) being manufacturable for complex magnet geometries. Insulation failure could result in the loss of multi-million-dollar magnet systems and cause delays for private fusion developers, who depend upon timely progress. Here, we fabricate and test a novel composite insulation material aiming to extend magnet lifetimes, demonstrating mechanical improvements beyond incumbents. This glass-fiber composite contains a resin consisting of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F (DGEBF, an incumbent epoxy) blended with cyanate ester to improve neutron irradiation hardness. We modify this resin blend with silica nanoparticles to enhance crack resistance, finding that 3% w/w silica loading improves the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of glass-fiber reinforced composites by 14% at cryogenic (77 K) conditions. We also report on the viscosity of the resin and the composition, elastic modulus, and thermal expansion coefficient of the fiber-reinforced composite. This work can be extended by considering surface-functionalized nanofillers, and it provides an alternative material class for a key risk in fusion development.
Team: Foam the Future
Members: Chiara Cline, Lucy Norris, Alexander Shane, Lucy Zeng
Advisor: Dr. Chris Madl
Abstract: Bio-based polyurethane foam synthesized from microalgae oil
Polyurethane foams are used in a variety of applications such as packaging, footwear, thermal insulation, and
furniture filling. They are valued for their tunable properties and longevity. Conventional polyurethanes are
synthesized by reacting an isocyanate with a polyol, both of which are derived from unsustainable petroleum
sources. Two million tons of petroleum-based polyurethane foam go into landfills every year. Moreover,
polyurethane waste is not biodegradable and its degradation products are highly toxic to the environment.
This project focuses on the production of a completely bio-based polyurethane foam by deriving polyols from
the lipids found in the algae species Nannochloropsis sp, a highly robust and fast-growing microalgae species.
The lipids were extracted from the algae dry mass by bursting cell walls via lyophilization and sonication and
separated using a 3:2 chloroform/methanol solvent system. Typical lipid yield ranged from 0.05-0.06 g/L of
culture. Extracted lipids, supplemented by food-grade algae oil extracts, were epoxidized and ring-opened to
synthesize a polyol with hydroxyl (-OH) functional groups capable of forming crosslinked networks when reacted with polyisocyanates. Polyurethane foam was successfully produced by reacting the bio-based polyol with bio-based lysine ethyl ester diisocyanate (LDI) and a chain extender (1,3-propanediol) at varying stoichiometric ratios to ensure the formation of a covalently-bonded polymer network. Together, this fully bio-based polyurethane is more sustainable because it is derived from renewable sources with predicted higher biodegradability due to the aliphatic structure of LDI.
Team: ThermaPave
Members: Bonnie Chen, Isabel Garcia, Victoria Lee, Vicky Zolotar
Advisors: Dr. Shu Yang and Dr. Samantha McBride
Abstract: Utilizing phase-change materials in road asphalt as a cooling filler
Urban areas are often significantly warmer than surrounding rural regions due to dense concentrations of
pavement, buildings, and other heat-absorbing surfaces. Recent research has explored the use of
microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) directly incorporated into asphalt to regulate temperatures and reduce high-temperature stress on the asphalt matrix while simultaneously mitigating mechanical distress. We synthesized solid-to-liquid phase change materials (PCMs) with a paraffin core and CaCo 3 shell, which were then incorporated into hot- mixed asphalt. Two control samples were utilized for final heat and mechanical characterization results, along with an experimental sample containing 34 g of PCM (2.4 wt%), targeting a 5°C decrease in temperature.
Thermal performance was evaluated with infrared radiation (IR) heat cycle testing. After three hours, the control sample plateaued at 60°C, while the PCM-modified sample exhibited a consistent thermal plateau at
approximately 54 °C across multiple cycles, demonstrating a measurable cooling effect. Compression testing
was conducted to assess mechanical properties where we see equivalent strength of 3.5 kN in both the control
and PCM sample, a result commonly sought after in the literature.
Limitations of this project include lack of characterization through freeze-thaw cycling, Marshall flow testing,
and rheological characterization. Additionally, evolving experimental procedures resulted in inconsistent quality of PCM and asphalt samples. Despite these constraints, we demonstrated a scalable procedure to synthesize cooling asphalt with a 5°C and equivalent mechanical strength, offering a material-level solution for building cooler, more resilient urban environments.
Team: Bean Sprouts
Members: Stella Lin, Joyce Zheng, Shujing Zhu
Advisor: Dr. Shoji Hall
Abstract: Upcycling spent coffee grounds for lead soil remediation
Lead (Pb) concentrations are elevated in many areas worldwide due to human activities such as mining and
other industrial processes. Classified as a human carcinogen, lead causes irreversible neurological damage at
low doses and death in severe cases. Lead poisoning is widespread, affecting 1 in 3 children worldwide. There
are multiple pathways to chronic lead exposure, one of which is the ingestion of lead through agricultural
products grown in contaminated soils, commonly found near urban areas due to the historic use of leaded paint and gasoline. With urban and peri-urban agriculture estimated to produce 15-20% of the global food supply, lead soil contamination poses significant health risks. Thus, it is crucial to develop solutions for remediating lead-contaminated soil.
While physical, biological, and phytoextractive remediation methods exist, each carries significant drawbacks:
site disruption, potential ecosystem disruption, and limited removal capacity. Chemical remediation is a
promising solution, but existing approaches such as chelating agents or metal organic frameworks are costly. To address this, we developed a cheap, functionalized Pb-adsorbing biochar material made by subjecting waste
coffee grounds to chemical treatment and pyrolysis. Surface functional groups on the biochar enable strong Pb
ion binding and immobilization. In aqueous adsorption tests using a 100 ppm lead (II) nitrate solution, the
biochar achieved 92% Pb removal efficiency across a wide range of soil-relevant pH conditions (pH ≥ 3), and a
maximum adsorption capacity of 743 mg/g. These results demonstrate the potential of upcycled coffee waste
as a low-cost, high-performance biochar for lead soil remediation.
Showcase Awards and Recognition
Three teams earned special recognition at the event, Technology and Innovation Prize: InFusion (Lorenzo Galang, Tobia Ruth, Colby Snyder, Tony Tzolov), Social Impact Prize: PolyGraft (Sunehra Chowdhury, Phil Delikouras, Will McCambridge), Upcycling polypropylene through reactive extrusion, and the Judges’ Choice: ThermaPave (Bonnie Chen, Isabel Garcia, Victoria Lee, Vicky Zolotar), will move forward to represent MSE at the upcoming SEAS Senior Design Competition. This competition assembles together the winning senior design project teams from each of Penn’s engineering majors. We congratulate all the participants on a wonderful showcase exhibition.
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering would like to thank the Judges: Pamela Beatrice, Jeffrey Nye and Kat Wakabayashi for this kindness in taking the time from their schedule to participate in the event. We’d also like to extend thanks to Senior Design Advisor, Eric Huang, Undergraduate Coordinator, Vicky Lee and MSE Lab Manager, Steven Szewczyk.
