Muhammad Rabnawaz

Associate Professor Michigan State University

  • East Lansing MI

Muhammad Rabnawaz pursues research in the field of polymer science, encompassing sustainable and multifunctional materials.

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Michigan State University

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Biography

Muhammad Rabnawaz, Ph.D., has been an Associate Professor for the Michigan State University (MSU) School of Packaging. He joined the School of Packaging in August 2016. In 2013, he earned a Ph.D. from Queen’s University, Canada, in polymer chemistry, and held postdoctoral positions at Queen’s University between 2013 and 2015, as well as the University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) between 2015 and 2016.

Currently, he is pursuing research in the field of polymer science encompassing sustainable materials and multifunctional materials. One of his mission is to create new generation of highly skilled workforce, reduce plastic waste from packaging industry, and create end-of-life solutions for waste plastics. He teaches multiple courses including Packaging with Plastics, an undergraduate-level course; Advanced Polymer Synthesis, a graduate-level course; and Packaging Sustainability and Recycling, a graduate-level course.

Dr. Rabnawaz has authored over 50 refereed publications in leading scientific journals and is co-author of the renowned book on “Plastics Packaging” 4th edition. In addition, he holds 30 patents filed/issued within the U.S. and internationally, including at least 8 that are licensed or optioned. Dr. Rabnawaz has received multiple awards, including the 2021 MSU Innovator of the Year. Dr. Rabnawaz is also co-founder of a couple of companies related to his MSU technologies. He is also a knowledge partner for “Circular Great Lakes” with a zero-plastic mission.

Areas of Expertise

Sustainable Packaging
Recycling
Plastics

Accomplishments

CANR Faculty Laureate Award, Michigan State University

2023

Innovator of the Year, Michigan State University

2021

CAREER Award, National Science Foundation

2021

Education

Queen's University

Ph.D.

Polymer Chemistry

2013

News

Table salt is really good at recycling plastic

Futurity  online

2023-09-07

“This is really exciting,” says Muhammad Rabnawaz, an associate professor in Michigan State University’s School of Packaging. “We need simple, low-cost solutions to take on a big problem like plastics recycling.”

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Why ditching plastic is harder than it seems

The Washington Post  online

2023-06-07

But glass is heavy, so moving it over long distances can drive up transportation costs, said Muhammad Rabnawaz, an associate professor in the School of Packaging at Michigan State University. The material can also be more prone to breaking than plastic, aluminum and paper.

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Muhammad Rabnawaz: Confronting the plastics problem

MSU Today  online

2021-12-07

“The idea is to make everything easier,” says Rabnawaz, an assistant professor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “If we can do that, we can stop thinking of plastic as a waste or a burden. We can treat it as a resource.”

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Journal Articles

Mechanical Recycling of a Bottle-Grade and Thermoform-Grade PET Mixture Enabled by Glycidol-Free Chain Extenders

Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research

2024

The accumulation of plastics in landfills and oceans poses a significant environmental threat, and this issue has led to a strong push for more and more plastic recycling. Recycled polyesters such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) have inferior performance in comparison with their virgin counterparts. This performance can be restored by employing chain extenders (CEs), but they are often glycidol-based and present health concerns. Reported herein is a novel approach to valorizing bottle-grade PET (PET-B) and thermoform-grade PET (PET-T) waste by developing a novel glycidol-free hindered epoxy as a CE to enhance the mechanical and thermal characteristics of PET-B + PET-T blends.

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Design of Carboxylic Acid‐Functionalized Poly(Butylene Adipate‐co‐Terephthalate) for Recyclable and Biodegradable Zero‐Waste Paper Packaging

Advanced Sustainable Systems

2024

Demand for water‐ and oil‐repellent‐coated paper as an alternative to plastics is growing, but the challenge is that coated paper lacks concurrent recyclability and biodegradability. Reported herein is a novel carboxylic acid‐functionalized poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (CPBAT) copolymer investigated for recyclable and repulpable water‐borne paper coatings. The CPBAT synthesized here is characterized by spectroscopic methods. Paper coated with waterborne CPBAT exhibited excellent water, oil, moisture, and gas barrier properties suitable for packaging applications. The recyclability and repulpability of the CPBAT‐coated paper are successfully validated via certified TAPPI methods.

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One-pot synthesis of robust silyl ether-based HDPE vitrimers with enhanced performance and recyclability

Polymer

2024

Vitrimers are thermally reversible crosslinked polymers that combine the performance of thermosets with the benefits of melt (re)processing. However, existing high-storage modulus vitrimers lack this melt-reprocessibility. This study reports on high storage modulus vitrimers obtained by grafting vinyltrimethoxysilane onto high-density polyethylene (HDPE) using silyl ether crosslinker, bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]amine. We also explored the effects of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinol and diethyl maleate on the performance of these vitrimers. All vitrimers reported herein are prepared in one step via melt-extrusion without the use of any solvent or catalyst.

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