Polymer Engineering Faculty Research
The Department of Polymer Engineering is part of the world-renowned College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering at UA, which has about 40 full-time faculty and 350 graduate students and postdoctoral research associates studying the chemistry, physics and engineering of polymeric materials and systems.
The Center for Polymer Engineering was created in 1983 and the Department of Polymer Engineering in 1984. In 1988 the Center was renamed the Institute of Polymer Engineering. The Department is currently comprised of 15 full-time faculty and approximately 140 graduate students. DPE is housed in three buildings -- the 32,000 sq. ft. Polymer Engineering Academic Center (PEAC); the 70,000 sq. ft. Sidney L. Olson Research Center (OLRC); and the 43,000 sq. ft. National Polymer Innovation Center (NPIC).
The Department of Polymer Engineering is strictly a graduate department, offering both the M.S. and Ph.D. degree in Polymer Engineering. The Department awards about 50 Ph.D. and M.S degrees each year. We are pleased that our graduates have gone on to successful careers in industry, government service, and academia throughout the world. Additionally, there are undergraduate students in the College of Engineering and the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences who often work on either independent projects with DPE faculty or who take some of our courses that are suitable as electives for majors in engineering and the physical sciences.
Our faculty members are recognized worldwide for their contributions to polymer research and education, as well as service to the polymer field. The faculty have been recognized with numerous awards and distinctions, ranging from the International Award of the Society of Plastics Engineers and the Melvin Mooney Distinguished Technology Award of the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society, to Fellowships in major polymer-related societies, such as the American Physical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science , American Chemical Society, and the Society of Plastics Engineers. In addition, our younger faculty have been recognized with Faculty Early Career Awards from the National Science Foundation. DPE faculty are actively engaged in various scientific organizations, edit several scientific journals, and have written a number of textbooks and monographs.
Submissions from 2005
The Principle of Minimum of Extended Dissipation in Viscous Nematodynamics, Arkadii Leonov
Large deformation mechano-optical and dynamical phase behavior in uniaxially stretched poly (ethylene naphthalate), C. I. Martins and Mukerrem Cakmak
Collaborative Studies of Thermo-Oxidative Degradation of Styrene Isoprene Diblock Copolymer, Scott Meng, S. I. Kuchanov, Jingli Xu, and Thein Kyu
Holographic photo-polymerization induced phase separation in reference to the phase diagram of a mixture of photo-curable monomer and nematic liquid crystal, Scott Meng, Thein Kyu, Lalgudi V. Natarajan, Vincent P. Tondiglia, Richard L. Sutherland, and Timothy J. Bunning
Nonlinear mechanooptical behavior of uniaxially stretched poly (lactic acid): Dynamic phase behavior, Jake Mulligan and Mukerrem Cakmak
Improving Volume Resistivity of Epoxy Nanocomposites Using Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Nanofibers and Their Silver Modification, Erol Sancaktar and R. Aussawasathien
Stress-Dependent Water Uptake Behavior of Clay Reinforced Nanocomposite Epoxy, Erol Sancaktar and J. Kuznicki
Effect of Functional Monomer on the Stability and Film Properties of Thermosetting Core-Shell Latexes, Mark Soucek
Preparation of a Siloxane Acrylic Functional Siloxane Colloid for UV-Curable Organic-Inorganic Films, Mark Soucek
Unusual Inorganic Phase Formation in UV-Curable Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Films, Mark Soucek
UV-curable Organic-Inorganic Hybrid films Based on Epoxynorborene Linseed Oils, Mark Soucek
Long time evolution of structural hierarchy in uniaxially stretched and retracted cross-linked natural rubber, D. Valladares, B. Yalcin, and Mukerrem Cakmak
Combinatorial studies of the effect of polymer grafting density on protein absorption and cell adhesion, Bryan Vogt
Control of Moisture at Buried Polymer/Alumina Interfaces through Substrate Surface Modification, Bryan Vogt
Interfacial structure of photoresist thin films in developer solutions, Bryan Vogt
Moisture absorption into ultrathin hydrophilic polymer films on different substrate surfaces, Bryan Vogt
Tuning Cell Adhesion on Gradient Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-Grafted Surfaces, Bryan Vogt
Water immersion of model photoresists: interfacial influences on water concentration and surface morphology, Bryan Vogt
Molecular orientation behavior of poly (vinyl chloride) as influenced by the nanoparticles and plasticizer during uniaxial film stretching in the rubbery stage, Baris Yalcin and Mukerrem Cakmak
Theoretical Modeling of the Phase Separation Dynamics in Blends of Reactive Monomers, Gregory R. Yandek and Thein Kyu
Submissions from 2004
Effect of chemical composition on large deformation mechanooptical properties of high strength thermoplastic poly (urethane urea) s, Sezen Curgul, Iskendur Yilgor, Emel Yilgor, Burak Erman, and Mukerrem Cakmak
On Line Measurement of Crystallinity of Nylon 6 Nanocomposites by Laser Raman Spectroscopy and Neural Networks, Z. Ergungor, Celal Batur, and Mukerrem Cakmak
Effect of Chemical Modification on Macroscopic Phase Separation in Styrene-Isoprene Block Copolymer Driven by Thermooxidative Reactions, Shaobin Fan and Thein Kyu
Dynamic fatigue and failure behavior of silver-filled electronically conductive adhesive joints at ambient environmental conditions, Rajesh R. Gomatam and Erol Sancaktar
Fatigue and failure behaviors of silver-filled electronically-conductive adhesive joints subjected to elevated humidity, Rajesh R. Gomatam and Erol Sancaktar
Modeling Fatigue Behavior of Electronically Conductive Adhesive Joints Under Elevated Temperature and Humidity Conditions, Rajesh R. Gomatam and Erol Sancaktar
The interrelationships between electronically conductive adhesive formulations, substrate and filler surface properties, and joint performance. Part I: the effects of adhesive thickness, Rajesh R. Gomatam and Erol Sancaktar
Linear and non-linear biaxial stress-optical behavior in PET films as observed by real time true stress-true strain: Birefringence technique, M. Hassan and Mukerrem Cakmak
A Perylene Chromophore in n-alkanes: Modeling Geometries and π→π* Spectral Shifts Based on Local Electron Density, Hendrik Heinz
A Semiempirical Energy Model and Atomistic Simulation of Organically Modified Montmorillonite, Hendrik Heinz
Energy Models and Atomistic Simulation of Clays with Surface-Grafted Alkylammonium Chains, Hendrik Heinz
Molecular Modeling of Superplasticizers in Cementitous Systems: Introductory Steps, Hendrik Heinz
Semiempirical Atomistic Simulation of Interactions between Sheets of Layered Silicates, Hendrik Heinz
Structure and Phase Transitions of Alkylammonium Chains on Mica, Hendrik Heinz
Understanding Materials by Atomistic Simulation, Hendrik Heinz
Anisotropic Shrinkage in Injection Moldings of Amorphous Thermoplastics: Simulation and Experiment, Avraam Isayev
Blends of ultrasonically devulcanized and virgin carbon black filled ethylene--propylene--diene monomer rubbers, Avraam Isayev
Continuous ultrasonic devulcanization of unfilled butadiene rubber, Avraam Isayev
Continuous ultrasonic devulcanization of unfilled butyl rubber, Avraam Isayev
Crystallinity and microstructure in injection moldings of isotactic polypropylenes. Part II: Simulation and experiment, Avraam Isayev
Effect of ultrasonic waves on foam extrusion, Avraam Isayev
Effect of ultrasound on thermoset polyurethane: NMR relaxation and diffusion measurements, Avraam Isayev
Experimental study and simulation of interface development and penetration in two-component transfer molding of rubber compounds, Avraam Isayev
Flow-Induced Crystallization and Birefringence in High-Spped Spun PET Fibers, Avraam Isayev
High-power ultrasonic treatment of butyl rubber gum: Structure and properties, Avraam Isayev
Improved properties of blends of ultrasonically treated unfilled polyurethane rubber, Avraam Isayev
In situ compatibilization of PP/EPDM blends during ultrasound aided extrusion, Avraam Isayev
In-situ ultrasonic compatibilization of dynamically vulcanized PP/EPDM blends, Avraam Isayev
In-situ ultrasonic compatibilization of unvulcanized and dynamically vulcanized PP/EPDM blends, Avraam Isayev
Interface evolution and penetration behavior during two-component transfer molding. Part II: Simulation and experiment, Avraam Isayev
Modeling of Crystallization, Birefringence and Anisotropic Shrinkage in Injection Molding of Thermoplastics, Avraam Isayev
Molecular mobility and structure of ultrasonically treated unfilled butadiene rubber, Avraam Isayev
Molecular mobility in ultrasonically devulcanized unfilled butadiene rubber, Avraam Isayev
Molecular mobility in ultrasonically treated butyl gum and devulcanized butyl rubber, Avraam Isayev
NMR Relaxation and Diffusion Study of Ultrasound Recycling of Polyurethanes, Avraam Isayev
Orientation development in the injection molding of amorphous polymers, Avraam Isayev
Primary and secondary gas penetration during gas-assisted injection molding. Part I: Formulation and modeling, Avraam Isayev
Primary and secondary gas penetration during gas-assisted injection molding. Part II: Simulation and experiment, Avraam Isayev
Quiescent polymer crystallization: modelling and measurements, Avraam Isayev
Rheology and structure of precipitated silica and poly (dimethyl siloxane) system, Avraam Isayev
Self-Reinforced composites of two thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers, Avraam Isayev
Self-reinforced polypropylene/LCP extruded strands and their moldings, Avraam Isayev
Self-reinforced polypropylene/LCP prepregs and laminates, Avraam Isayev
Structure and Properties of Ultrasonically Treated Butyl Gum, Avraam Isayev
The effect of polydispersity on structure of ultrasonically treated rubbers, Avraam Isayev
Thermomechanical degradation of SBR during ultrasonic treatment under the static conditions, Avraam Isayev
Ultrasound Assisted Apparatus for Making Polymer Blends and Copolymers, Avraam Isayev
Ultrasound Assisted Process for Increasing the Crystallinity of Slow Crystallizable Polymers, Avraam Isayev
Ultrasound Treatment of Butyl Gum and Rubber, Studied by NMR Relaxation, Avraam Isayev
A study on kinetics of epoxy, amine, and quaternary ammonium ions reactions in the epoxy-nanoclay systems, Sadhan Jana
A time-scale approach for analysis of coalescence in processing flows, Sadhan Jana
Effect of waveforms on morphology development in chaotic mixing of polymers, Sadhan Jana
Effects of morphological transitions on conductivity of polymer blends in chaotic mixing, Sadhan Jana
Effects of viscosity ratio and composition on development of morphology in chaotic mixing of polymers, Sadhan Jana
Evaluation of bulk polymerization processes for clay-tethered polyurethane nanocomposites, Sadhan Jana
Mechanism of exfoliation of nanoclays in thermosetting polymer systems, Sadhan Jana
Plasticization of epoxy network in epoxy-nanoclay systems due to stoichiometric imbalance, Sadhan Jana
Shear-induced migration of conductive fillers in injection molding, Sadhan Jana
Study of evolution of cocontinuous morphologies in polypropylene-polystyrene blends in chaotic mixing, Sadhan Jana
Study of shear-induced coalescence in chaotic mixing: Polypropylene/polystyrene blends, Sadhan Jana
The effects of nanoclay on morphology development in polyamide 6 and polypropylene blends by chaotic mixing, Sadhan Jana
The effect of blend composition on deformation and stress-optical behavior of PEN/PEI blends using online mechano-optical technique, Karnav Kanuga and Mukerrem Cakmak
Atomic force microscopy observations of the structural development during the uniaxial stretching of crosslinked low-density polyethylene in partial and fully molten states, Yutaka Koike and Mukerrem Cakmak
Atomic force microscopy observations on the structure development during uniaxial stretching of PP from partially molten state: effect of isotacticity, Yutaka Koike and Mukerrem Cakmak
Electrically Tunable Microlens Array Formed by Pattern Polymerization of Photopolymerizable Mixtures Containing Liquid Crystals, Thein Kyu and Domasius Nwabunma
Algebra of Nematic operators and Linear Viscoelastic Nematodynamics, Arkadii Leonov
A Quasi-1D Model for Fast Contraction Flows of Polymer M, Arkadii Leonov
Comparative Rheological Studies of Polyamide-6 and its Low Loaded Nanocomposite Based on Layered Silicates, Arkadii Leonov
General Analysis of Linear Nematic Elasticity, Arkadii Leonov
A novel approach based on spanning probe microscopy for nanolithography in polymer films, Sergei F. Lyuksyutov, Erol Sancaktar, Grigori Sigalov, Pavel B. Paramonov, and Jongdae Kim
Dynamics of Spherulitic Growth in Blends of Polypropylene Isomers, Rujul Mehta and Thein Kyu
Transport Controlled Pattern Photopolymerization in a Single-Component System, Scott Meng, Kumar Nanjundiah, Thein Kyu, Lalgudi V. Natarajan, Vincent P. Tondiglia, and Timothy J. Bunning
Spatio-temporal growth of broken spiral and concentric ringed spherulites in blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and ethylene-vinylacetate copolymers, Yoshifumi Okabe and Thein Kyu
Modeling Filler Volume Fraction and Film Thickness Effects on Conductive Adhesive Resistivity, Erol Sancaktar and Lan Bai
Evaluation of pressure-sensitive tape adhesion and backing directionality by excimer laser methods, Erol Sancaktar and Tito Enrique Garza-Lopez