6th ISF

MATS006 - Development of UV-Protection Roofing Tile from N-GQDs for Rubber Drying Chambers

Improved methods of processing latex into rubber sheets will improve the incomes of small rubber producers. There are two ways in which latex can be processed into rubber sheets: fumigation and solar incubation. The fumigation method is expensive and produces pollution, but solar incubation can cause dark, sticky rubber sheets due to UV radiation, which reduces their value. (Aguele, 2015) A low-cost and environmentally-friendly solution to this problem was investigated here. A UV-protective roofing panel made using Nitrogen-doped Graphene Quantum Dots (N-GQDs) was developed and tested. N-GQDs were made using the hydrothermal process for 2 and 4 hours (T2 and T4) and the solvothermal process for 4, 6, and 8 hours (TS4, TS6, and TS8). It was found that all types of N-GQDs absorbed light in the UV range, with T4 showing the greatest absorption. T4 had the greatest Fluorescent Intensity (FL) value, emitting blue light, while for the solvothermal method TS6 had the highest FL value, emitting red light. T4 and TS6 were chosen for further testing, and were applied to a clear roofing tile. After installing the roof on the chamber, the temperature inside was higher than outside. Then we measured the roof's UV protection efficiency, which was 93.27%. The average temperature was 45⁰C, which is the temperature for drying rubber sheets. Due to the roof’s capability to absorb UV radiation and heat the chamber, our N-GQDs roof has a great ability to produce higher-quality rubber sheets.

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