Browsing by Subject "Plastic"

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Artificial intelligence : a critique of our plastic consumption
(2022-05-07) Diamos, Vanessa Zaragoza; Gorman, Carma; Lavigne, Sam (Samuel); Schell, Julie
In this modern age of convenience, we interact with many different types of plastic every day, including microplastics. Microplastics are tiny particles of broken-down plastic. A recent study suggests that people ingest about a credit card’s worth of microplastics each week, which doesn’t even include microplastic exposure through inhalation and direct skin contact. By design, most consumers are unaware of the reproductive, digestive, respiratory, nervous, immune, and environmental impacts of plastic production and packaging. In addition, the labeling on plastic packages is misleading: the recycling logos on the bottom imply consumers can recycle them, which rarely happens, and there are no federal regulations mandating that companies disclose the level of microplastic contamination in their products. These labeling problems prevent consumers from making informed decisions about whether to buy a product packaged in plastic. I suggest ways to remedy these labeling problems through graphic design to educate consumers about the extent of microplastic contamination in the products they buy. These proposed labels reveal the hidden dangers of microplastics on human health, animal health, and the environment while providing accurate information about the packaging’s recyclability and proper disposal.
Nanoscale graphene for RF circuits and systems
(2013-08) Parrish, Kristen Nguyen; Akinwande, Deji
Increased challenges in CMOS scaling have motivated the development of alternatives to silicon circuit technologies, including graphene transistor development. In this work, we present a circuit simulator model for graphene FETs, developed to both fit measured data and predict new behaviors, motivating future research. The model is implemented in Agilent ADS, a circuit level simulator that is commonly used for non-standard transistor technologies, for use with parameter variation analyses, as well as easy integration with CMOS design kits. We present conclusions drawn from the model, including analyses on the effects of contact resistance and oxide scaling. We have also derived a quantum-capacitance limited model, used to intuit intrinsic behaviors of graphene transistors, as well as outline upper bounds on performance. Additionally, the ideal frequency doubler has been examined and compared with graphene, and performance limits for graphene frequency multipliers are elucidated. Performance as a demodulator is also discussed. We leverage this advancement in modeling research to advance circuit- and system-level research using graphene transistor technology. We first explore the development of a GHz planar carbon antenna for use on an RF frontend. This research is further developed in work towards the first standalone carbon radio on flexible plastics. A front end receiver, comprised of an integrated carbon antenna, transmission lines, and a graphene transistor for demodulation, are all fabricated onto one plastic substrate, to be interfaced with speakers for a full radio demo. This complete system will motivate further research on graphene-on-plastic systems.