Procter & Gamble (P&G) makes products that are trusted in millions of homes, and many of these products utilize plastic film packaging. Students on the P&G team will identify contaminants in post consumer recycled (PCR) polyethylene and determine the level of PCR that can be successfully reincorporated into film packaging. All student team members will become P&G 2022 Summer Interns based in Cincinnati, OH.
Abstract:
The student team, supported by P&G Research Staff, will develop a portfolio of polymer characterization and testing methods into a “resin fingerprint” for film grade polyethylene. The “resin fingerprint” will characterize polyethylene PCR that can be successfully used in P&G packaging. The team will apply the resin fingerprint results they generate to build basic statistical models to identify resin – processability – package performance relationships which in turn will be used to propose enhanced film-grade polyethylene PCR materials management strategies towards increasing the polyethylene PCR content in flexible packaging.
Impact:
Consumers increasingly expect and demand sustainable products without performance and price trade-offs, and companies, like P&G, have established long-term sustainability goals that include the use of large percentages of exclusively recycled or renewable resins in their products and packaging. Recycled resins however are often malodorous and potentially contain substances of interest, including: organic chemicals, and other organic and particulate contaminants and additives. They are also often mixtures of polymers which introduces processability challenges and affects the final product or package performance. To satisfy P&G’s consumers’ expectations and achieve companies’ goals there exists an opportunity to increase PCR usage through advanced PCR resin material characterization and enhanced materials management.
Full Project Details
Analytical Chemistry (2 Students)
Specific Skills: Development of analytic chemistry method(s)
Evaluation of polyethylene/contaminants
Likely Majors: Chem, ChemE, MSE, BIOCHEM
Materials Processing (2 Students)
Specific Skills: Blown film processing
Likely Majors: ChemE, MSE, ME
Films Testing (1 Student)
Specific Skills: Material Evaluation (physical and sensory) as well as working as part of the Processing group
Likely Majors: MSE, CHEM
Sponsor Mentor
Norman Broyles
PhD Chemical Engineering
Norman has 21 years with P&G, all in upstream R&D. His expertise is in film processing, general polymer processing, polymer materials, and problem solving. Currently, Norman is responsible for ensuring P&G’s businesses have the pathways available to deliver P&G’s Ambition 2030 Goals around 100% Recyclable Flexible Packages and 50% Source Reduction. He currently sits on the APR Film Committee, which is determining the future of flexibles recycling.
Executive Mentor
Ben Clare
BS Chemical Engineering
Ben has 22 years of experience in R&D at P&G, in the business and in upstream, in Packaging Development and Product Research (Consumer Research), including experience abroad in Caracas, Venezuela and Brussels, Belgium. Ben is currently the Senior Director of Sustainable Packaging in 1TPT – P&G’s Corporate R&D organization.
Faculty Mentor
Zhan Chen
Professor of Chemistry, Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Professor Chen’s research group explores the chemistry of interfaces, using a variety of state-of-the-art techniques. Their research is highly interdisciplinary, covering many research fields in chemistry, biology, physics, bioengineering, materials science and engineering. Professor Chen earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Peking University, his M.S. in Physics from The Chinese Academy of Sciences (With Prof. Jingkui Liang), and his Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley (With Prof. Herbert Strauss). His postdoc was in Chemistry and Materials Sciences at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (With Prof. Gabor Somorjai).
Course Substitutions: …
Citizenship Requirements: This project is open to US Citizens or Permanent Residents only.
IP/NDA: Students will sign standard University of Michigan IP/NDA documents.
In Person/Remote Participation Options:
The project work will take place on campus during W22 and F22 terms, with periodic travel (public health permitted) to P&G Headquarters in Cincinnati, OH. (MDP will provide transportation). During Summer 2022 the team will be P&G summer interns located in Cincinnati.
On-campus Requirement
Students on this team must be able to be physically present on campus in Ann Arbor and able and willing to travel to P&G Headquarters in Cincinnati, OH as local safety protocols allow.
Internship/Summer Project Activities:
- Summer 2022 Internships are guaranteed and required for all students who match to this project team. Every student who accepts an offer to join this project team must also accept a summer internship from Procter & Gamble.
Required- Background Check via P&G work process; details will be sent to final candidates. Offer is contingent on them passing.
- Drug Screening via P&G work process; details will be sent to final candidates. Offer is contingent on them passing.
- Each successful candidate must attend P&G intern organizational/onboarding meetings offered on 11/3/21-11/5/21 from 7-8am, 8-9am and 12-1pm Eastern Time. Candidates please ensure that you are available for at least one of these sessions.
Location: Pending COVID Restrictions
- Internship will be onsite in Cincinnati, OH area at P&G technical centers.
- If COVID restrictions are in place at the time (States or Federal), Virtual Internships and Hybrid Internships (Virtual with several business trips to P&G Cincinnati) are options.
Internship Dates
- Dates to be confirmed with MDP team after offer is made. Typically, internships occur
from May to August for 12 weeks. All interns on this MDP team must agree to start and
stop to their internships at the same time so that project work can continue.
Housing
- Housing in Cincinnati is student’s responsibility: students own their own lease, pay for
monthly rent, etc.- P&G can inform student of housing location options (typically on Xavier University
campus if available) - Relocation stipend will be provided up to a certain dollar amount.
- P&G can inform student of housing location options (typically on Xavier University
P&G Intern Program Activity details
- For P&G Presentations, Interns will be asked to do:
- Mid-Point Presentation + Final Presentation
- Poster Session
- There will be Corporate and Social activities planned for the interns (with other P&G
summer interns) for the summer. These will include tours of P&G sites, monthly socials
with other interns and recent new hires, lunch & learn sessions, management meet
and greet, etc. - P&G Manager, Daily Coach, Technical Mentor, Peer Buddy, Affinity Group mentors
(if applicable) will be assigned to the interns.