Environmental Internship Program - 2023 Booklet

WATER AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
PROJECT TITLE
Rheology of
Polyelectrolytes in
Aqueous Salt Solutions
ORGANIZATION(S)
Complex Fluids
Group, Department
of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
Princeton University
LOCATION(S)
Princeton, New Jersey
MENTOR(S)
Howard Stone,
Donald R. Dixon ’69 and
Elizabeth W. Dixon
Professor of Mechanical
and Aerospace
Engineering; Pedro de
Souza, Postdoctoral
Research Associate,
Chemical and Biological
Engineering; Jonghyun
Hwang, Ph.D. candidate,
Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering
Pia DiCenzo ’24
MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE
ENGINEERING
Certificate: Robotics and Intelligent Systems
I researched how charged polymers dissolved
in water respond to deformation under
various conditions. This area of study is called
polyelectrolyte rheology. I used a rheometer to
look at how factors like salt concentration, salt
type and pH affect the viscosity of these aqueous
polymer solutions. I systematically completed
measurements for various combinations of
variables for two different polymers. Through
this work, I gained experience in the lab and
using new equipment, and explored a new topic
that was beyond the scope of my classwork. For
me, the most interesting aspect of this work is
its environmental applications as they involve
water filtration and soil remediation. I am
interested in continuing research on this topic
as part of my senior independent work because
it has introduced me to the intersection of two
of my main interests: fluid mechanics and
environmental conservation.
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