Donald R. Paul
Professor
Chemical Engineering
Ernest Cockrell, Sr. Chair in Engineering
Phone: (512) 471-5392
Fax: (512) 471-0542
Email: drp@che.utexas.edu
Dr. Paul’s Web site
Dr. Donald Paul earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1965. He joined the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin in 1967. He directs the Texas Materials Institute. Since 1988, Paul has been a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He was elected to the Mexican Academy of Sciences in 2001. He won the the E.V. Murphree Award from the American Chemical Society in 1999, and the Herman F. Mark Polymer Chemistry Award from the American Chemical Society in 2005.
Dr. Paul researches polymers, commonly known as plastics. More specifically, he works to formulate and characterize blends, or alloys, of different polymers with potentially useful properties. He is interested in the thermodynamics of polymer-polymer interactions, reactive compatibility of multiphase mixtures and the control of phase morphology during processing by both chemical and physical means. He also studies techniques for dispersing nanoparticles like clay and silica in polymers, characterizing the morphology of these mixtures and evaluating their properties. Such composites are used in automotive, barrier and many other applications. His expertise also includes the use of polymers as membranes for separating chemicals, preventing molecules from diffusing, regulating the exchange of gases for storing produce, and controlling drugs delivered to the body.
Research Interests:
- Materials
- Polymers
- Membranes
- Composites