Professor Emeritus

BA, chemistry, 1962, Williams College

PhD, physical chemistry, 1966, Duke University

Contact Info

 

 

Polymer solids and blends

     Our current work focuses on the role of randomly incorporated comonomer units (defects) on the morphology and mechanical properties of polymers. Crystalline fraction, melting temperature, and mechanical and optical properties are controlled by the amount and, to a lesser extent, the type of comonomer.
     With well-characterized materials we can compare experimental results to theory in a meaningful way. Our research addresses a number of fundamental questions about semicrystalline polymers: What establishes the noncrystalline fraction of semicrystalline polymers? How do semicrystalline polymers melt? How do crystalline fraction and morphogy affect tensile deformation mechanisms?

Associations and Awards

Editorial Advisory Board, Macromolecules, Jan '02 to present

Fellow, American Physical Society, 1991

Executive Committee, National Center for Small-Angle Scattering Research Users Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1984-89; Chairman, 1987 - 1989.

Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Macromolecular Science - Physics, Jan. '96 to present

Selected Publications

Melting Behavior of Polyethylene/a-Olefin Copolymers [with F. M. Mirabella], Journal of Polymer Science: Part B: Polymer Physics 42: 3416-3427 (2004).

Neck Propagation in Polyethylene [with C. Metaxas], Journal of Polymer Science: Part B: Polymer Physics 42: 2081-2091 (2004).

SAXS Studies of Polymer Melting: Models for Surface Melting, Sequential Melting and Stack Melting, Macromolecules 36: 4880-4890 (2003).

Thermodynamics of Copolymer Melting, Polymer 44: 4563-4572 (2003).

Papers on melting and morphology
Papers on miscibility and phase separation
Papers on mechanical behavior