The polymer research program in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Texas at Austin spans a broad spectrum, ranging from polymer synthesis and characterization (Willson), thin film polymer physics (Ganesan, Green, Sanchez) to polymer processing (Paul) and applications of polymers in membrane technology (Freeman, Lloyd), bioengineering (Johnston, Peppas), and organic electronics (Loo).  The research is highly interdisciplinary and frequently involves collaborations with scientists in other departments and at other universities.  We also maintain a high level of scientific exchange with researchers affiliated with national laboratories and large corporations. 

 

Through the auspices of the Texas Materials Institute, we have complete access to the Polymer Characterization Facility (http://www.utexas.edu/academic/tmi/facilities_polymer.shtml) for determining polymer size and thermal transitions; the Polymer Processing Laboratory (http://www.utexas.edu/academic/tmi/facilities_polym_proc.shtml); and small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering (http://www.utexas.edu/academic/tmi/facilities_xray.shtml) as well as state-of-the-art electron microscopes (http://www.utexas.edu/academic/tmi/facilities_electron.shtml) for morphological characterization.  We also have regular access to various analytical tools – such as mass spectroscopy (http://www.cm.utexas.edu/services/mass_spec/) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (http://www.cm.utexas.edu/nmr/) – located in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department.

 

Chemical Engineering faculty members who are involved in polymer research include:

 

Benny Freeman

Venkat Ganesan

Peter Green

Keith Johnston

Douglas Lloyd

Yueh-Lin (Lynn) Loo

Donald Paul

Nicholas Peppas

Isaac Sanchez

C. Grant Willson