Donald
R. Paul, PhD
Ernest
Cockrell, Sr. Chair in Engineering
| Office: |
CPE 3.450, ETC 8.106 |
Mailing Address: |
| Phone: |
512-471-5392, 512-475-8480 |
The University of Texas at Austin |
| Fax: |
512-471-0542 |
Department of Chemical Engineering |
| Email: |
drp@che.utexas.edu |
1 University Station C0400 |
| UT Mail: |
C0400 |
Austin, TX 78712-0231 |
 Paul's
WebPage
 Presentation made to prospective graduate students 2005
Educational Qualifications:
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison (1965);
Ernest Cockrell, Sr. Chair in Engineering
Director, Texas Materials Institute
Editor, I&EC Research
National Academy of Engineering (1988), Mexican Academy
of Sciences (2001), American Chemical Society E.V. Murphree
Award (1999), Council for Chemical Research Malcolm E.
Pruitt Award (1999), AICHE William H. Walker Award (1998),
Society of Plastics Engineers International Award (1993),
Society of Plastics Engineers Education Award (1989), Materials
Engineering and Sciences Division Award of the American
Institute of Chemical Engineers (1985), American Chemical
Society Phillips Award for Applied Polymer Science (1984),
Engineering News-Record Award (1976), and the American
Chemical Society Arthur K. Doolittle Award (1973)
Focus:
Polymeric materials-properties, processing, blends,
composites, membranes, barrier materials.
Research:
My research in polymers focuses on blends or alloys, composites
and nanocomposites, barrier properties and the use of
membranes for separations. The primary goal is to relate
the properties or behavior to the molecular structure
of the polymer or to develop the basis for "molecular
engineering" of polymers to achieve a desired result.
- The research on polymer blends involves
determining the phase behavior of mixtures and characterizing
the responsible
thermodynamic interactions quantitatively. A variety
of experimental techniques (differential scanning
calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, light scattering,
heats
of
mixing, PVT behavior) and theoretical tools (Flory-Huggins,
Sanchez-Lacombe, binary interaction model, molecular
mechanics) are used. For multiphase systems, the
primary concerns
are phase morphology and the nature of the interface
between phases. Research in this area focuses on
manipulating the
polymer-polymer interface using block or graft copolymers
formed separately or during blending by in-situ reaction
to create super tough materials. Both transmission
and scanning electron microscopy are extensively employed
to determine morphology and fracture mechanisms.
Mechanical
properties under a variety of conditions (temperature,
notch geometry and rate) are carefully monitored. Current
projects include toughened glass filled plastics.
- The research on nanocomposites involves
developing polymer-layered silicate materials from
the organically
modified clay
mineral montmorillonite using melt processing
techniques. The objective
is to achieve high levels of exfoliation of the
organically modified clay; to characterize the morphology
of
the resulting materials by TEM, WAXD, and SAXS;
to examine
mechanical,
thermal, permeation, and other properties; to
understand the underlying mechanisms using various models
and
theories. This research is done in collaboration
with Southern
Clay Products, Inc.
- The research on gas solubility and polymer diffusion
explores polymeric materials for barrier applications
in packaging
and as membranes for separations processes.
In the Separations Research Program, my colleagues and
I
are developing
polymer structures for membranes that will
be more productive, selective and durable than current
commercial systems
for
gas separations. We are investigating how molecular
organization, including side chain and main
chain
order, affects barrier
properties of polymers. This includes development
of new polymers and the chemical modification
of existing
ones.
- Polymer processing is an important element in all
of these programs.
Selected Publications
- "Effect of UV Crosslinking and Physical Aging on the
Gas Permeability of Thin Glassy Polyarylate Films," Polymer,
40, 7209 (1999) (with M.S. McCaig).
- "
Thermodynamic Characterization of Polymer-Polymer Interfaces",
Macromol. Symp., 159, 105 (2000) (with G.D. Merfeld).
- "
Nylon 6 Nanocomposites: The Effect of Matrix Molecular
Weight", Polymer, 42, 9929 (2001) (with T.D. Fornes,
P.J. Yoon, H. Keskkula).
- "
Gas Sorption and Transport in Side-chain Crystalline and
Molten Poly (octyldecyl acrylate)", Polymer, 42,
2531 (2001) (with Z. Mogri).
- "
Effect of Glass Fiber and Maleated Ethylene-Propylene Rubber
Content on the Impact Fracture Parameters of Nylon 6," Polymer,
42, 6161 (2001) (with D.M. Laura, H. Keskkula, J.W.
Barlow).
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