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RESEARCH SUMMARY

Dr. Sadhan C. Jana, Department Chair and Professor

• Phone: 330-972-8293 E-mail: janas@uakron.edu
• 1993 - Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University
• Novel nanocomposite materials exhibiting shape memory behavior; bottom-up nanocomposite synthesis by molecular self-assembly in chaotic mixers; nanofiller orientation and optimum dispersion by chaotic mixing technology; polymer-reinforced aerogels for acoustic and thermal insulation; shape memory aerogel composites; expanded graphite-filled epoxy composite bipolar plates for fuel cells; chemical and engineering issues of nanocomposite product designs; processability-conductivity-composition relationships of conductive polymeric compounds of carbon nanofibers, and carbon nanotubes; structure development in low shear processing.

Dr. Mukerrem Cakmak, Professor, Director-University of Akron Site, Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices; Associate Director, Akron Global Polymer Academy

• Phone: 330-972-6928 E-mail: cakmak@uakron.edu
• 1984 - Ph.D. in Polymer Engineering, University of Tennessee
• Identification, modeling and simulation of complex structural mechanisms, particularly stress induced crystallization that takes place during the course of polymer processing operations of a wide range of polymers (high temperature thermoplastics and their blends, as well as nano particle filled systems) subjected to melt as well as rubbery state deformation; the relationship between thermo-mechanical history applied by fiber spinning, film blowing, biaxial stretching and injection molding and evolved structure and properties; real time measurements of true mechano-optical and mechano-electrical properties of polymers undergoing uni and biaxial deformation for photonics applications. His latest interest is developing precision manufacturing platforms such as hybrid solution casting/electrospinning process used to produce functional polymers, including electrically conductive transparent films and flexible photovoltaics.

Dr. Kevin Cavicchi, Assistant Professor

• Phone: 330-972-8368 E-mail: kac58@uakron.edu
• 2003 - Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota
• Thermodynamics of multi-component polymer systems (block copolymers, graft copolymers, polymer blends); directed self-assembly of nano-structured and hierarchically ordered materials; synthesis of polymers with novel architectures and chemical modification of polymers; ion-conducting polymers.

Dr. Chang Dae (Paul) Han, Benjamin Franklin Goodrich Professor

• Phone: 330-972-6468 E-mail: cdhan@uakron.edu
• 1964 - Sc.D. in Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Polymer rheology; polymer physics; polymer processing; block copolymers; liquid-crystalline polymers; organoclay nanocomposites; computational polymer fluid dynamics.

Dr. Hendrik Heinz, Assistant Professor

• Phone: 330-972-7467 E-mail: hh29@uakron.edu
• 2003 - Ph.D. in Computational Materials Science and Polymer Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
• Atomistic and coarse grain simulation of (bio)organic-inorganic interfaces in biomaterials, nanocomposites, and organic based semiconductors; adsorption of polyelectrolytes on mineral and nanoparticle surfaces; development of models and simulation parameters (e.g., force fields) for conjugated polymers, quantum dots, and charge transport in photovoltaic devices; analysis of nanoscale pressure, thermodynamical properties, and responses to stimuli (mechanical, optical, electrical).

Dr. Avraam I. Isayev, Distinguished Professor

• Phone: 330-972-6673 E-mail: aisayev@uakron.edu
• 1970 - Ph.D. in Polymer Engineering, Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow
• Polymer and composite processing, process modeling, rheo-optics, rheology and constitutive equations of polymers, oil products and disperse systems; the injection, co-injection, transfer, compression and gas-assisted injection molding; processing of self-reinforced or in-situ composites based on blends of flexible and thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers;decrosslinking of thermosets, devulcanization of rubbers and in-situ copolymerization in immiscible blends with the aid of ultrasonic waves; high temperature and high performance nanocomposites containing nanofibers and nanotubes.

Dr. Thein Kyu, Distinguished Professor

• Phone: 330-972-6672 E-mail: tkyu@uakron.edu
• 1980 - Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry, Kyoto University, Japan
• Phase diagrams of polymer blends and liquid crystalline polymers; phase separation dynamics; holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystals; reaction induced crystallization and phase separation; phase field modeling on polymer crystallization; molecular composites; toughened plastics; ionic polymers; structural aspects of fabricated polymeric materials.

Dr. Arkady I. Leonov, Professor

• Phone: 330-972-5138 E-mail: leonov@uakron.edu
• 1962 - Ph.D. in Theoretical Mechanics, Institute of Problems in Mechanics, USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow
• 1969 - Ph.D. (Doctor of Science, Habilitation) in Mathematical Physics, Karpov's Physico-Chemical Research Institute, Moscow
• Thermodynamic modeling, mathematical analysis and basic experiments for polymer melts, filled polymers and disperse systems; theoretical/numerical analysis of complex viscoelastic flows; analysis of instabilities and melt fracture phenomena; chemorheology and chemoprocessing of polymers and their filled compositions; physics and mechanics of polymer solids - hybrid models, nonlinear viscoelasticity, necking and crazing; theoretical/experimental studies of nematic LC, LCP, LC elastomers, and clay-nanoparticle polymer suspensions; theory of Brownian motion of shaped particles in polymer fluids; variational analysis of nonlinear boundary problems for inelastic media.

Dr. Sergei F. Lyuksyutov, Adjunct Associate Professor of Polymer Engineering and Associate Professor of Physics

• Phone: 330-972-8356 E-mail: sfl@uakron.edu
• 1991 - Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT)
• Nanotechnology; optical properties of photorefractive materials; co-inventor of nanolithography technique in polymer materials.

Dr. Kyonsuku Min Cakmak, Associate Professor

• Phone: 330-972-6675 E-mail: kmin@uakron.edu
• 1984 - Ph.D. in Polymer Engineering, University of Tennessee
• Phase morphology, rheology, and processing of polymer blends; mixing phenomena and process technology for elastomers; reactive blending process.

Dr. Erol Sancaktar, Professor

• Phone: 330-972-5508 E-mail: erol@uakron.edu
• 1979 - Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Mechanical behavior of adhesives, adhesive joints, polymers, and composites; materials characterization; viscoelasticity; fracture mechanics; experimental and theoretical solid mechanics; design and manufacture with novel materials; development of analytical (mechanics) and experimental methods for the optimization of nano-to-macro aspects of adhesion and adhesive-substrate interphases; excimer laser applications; electrically conductive adhesives and polymers; adhesion and polymer welding; nanocomposites; nanopatterning, nanoprocessing, and nanodevices.

Dr. Mark D. Soucek, Associate Professor

• Phone: 330-972-2583 E-mail: msoucek@uakron.edu
• 1990 - Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry, University of Texas
• Powder coatings; coatings technology in high solids, waterborne, UV-curable, and powder coatings; environmentally benign coatings; nanophase inorganic/organic coatings; study of crosslinking processes.

Dr. James L. White, Harold A. Morton Professor

• Phone: 330-972-6643 E-mail: mj4@uakron.edu
• 1965 - Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware
• Twin screw extrusion and batch and continuous mixing; rheology and processing particle-filled elastomers and plastics; structure development in processing (fiber formation, film extrusion, blow molding, injection molding, etc.); polymer blends.

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