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Major Thesis Advisor     Funded Projects        Research Interests    Research Collaborators

 

Major Thesis Advisor

 

Mr. Srujan Konga, MS in Industrial Technology, Department of Technology

Thesis Title: Mechanical and Thermal Characterization of Bio-based Composites

Collaborator: Arkema, Inc.

Graduated in Fall 2008.

 

 

 

 

Mr. Adekunle Akinola, MS in Industrial Technology, Department of Engineering Technology

Thesis Title: Fatigue-resistant Reinforced Nanocomposites for Wind Turbine Blades

Collaborators: Hexion, Inc.and Nanoresins AG, Germany

Graduated in Spring 2009.

 

 

 

Mr. Dmitri Kabakov, MS in Industrial Technology, Department of Engineering Technology

Thesis Title: Carbon/Phenolic Nanocomposites for Ablative Applications

Collaborators: Arkema, Inc.; Hexion, Inc.; Cytec Engineered Materials

Expected graduation in Fall 2010.

 

 

 

 

Funded External Grants and Contracts

 

Program: STTR- Air Force STTR FY2009B - Topic AF09-BT05  (2009-10)

Title: Super-High Energy Density High Voltage Capacitors

PI: Dr. R. K. Pandey,

Co-PI: Drs. Jitendra S.Tate and William A. Stapleton

Amount: $50,000

 

Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Houston, TX (2009)

Nanomodification of two types of epoxy cure chemistries that are widely used for composite applications:  (1) BPA epoxy resin cured with amine and (2) BPA epoxy resin cured with phenolic.

PI: Dr. Michelle Londa

Co-PI: Dr.Jitendra S.Tate

Amount: $10,000

 

Applied Nanotech, Inc., Austin, TX (2008),

‘Mechanical characterization of epoxy nano-composites’, $3978

 

Funded Internal Grants and Contracts

 

Program: One-Time Research Support from the Associate Vice President for Research FY 2010

Title: Equipment for a Polymer Processing and Characterization Laboratory

PI: Gary Beall, Supported by: Dr. Booth, Dr. Cassidy, Dr. Powell, Dr. Sun, Dr. Venumbaka, Dr. Irvin, Dr. Tate and Dr. Massingill

Amount funded: $220,000

 

Matching Grant from the Associate Vice President for Research FY 2010

Low velocity drop impact test system from Instron, Model 9340

Funds from Director, School of Engineering: $35,000

Matching funds from the Associate Vice President for Research: $25,000

 

Program: Student computing Resources FY2009

Title: “Major Upgrade of the RFM 1239: Computer Integrated Manufacturing Laboratory to Offer High-Performance Computing and Visualization for Engineering and Technology Students. A Collaborative Proposal Between the Ingram School of Engineering and the Department of Technology”

PI: Dr. Jitendra Tate, Ingram School of Engineering, Co-PI: Dr. Jiong Hu, Dept.of Technology

Amount funded: $42,500

 

Program: Library Research Grant, 2008 (Academic year 2008-2009)

This proposal was written to purchase 11 state-of-the art videos in the areas of failure analysis, alternate energy, nono-manufacturing, semi-conductor manufacturing, and MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical-systems). These videos will be used in courses such as ENGR 2300: Materials Engineering, ENGR 3311: Mechanics of Materials, and MFGE 4367: Polymer Properties and Processing.

Amount funded: $2,198

 

Matching Grant from the Associate Vice President for Research FY 2010

Planetary Centrifugal Mixer, THINKY Model ARV 310

Funds from Director, School of Engineering: $12,000

Matching funds from the Associate Vice President for Research: $12,000

 

Program: Research Enhancement Program (REP, YEAR 2008) (Academic year 2007-2008)

Title:  Development of ‘E-glass/Bio-based Polyurethane’ ‘Multifunctional Reinforced Nanocomposites’ using ‘low-cost VARTM process’

Amount funded: $7,965

 

 

RESEARCH INTERESTS  

 

 

 

COLLABORATORS

 

Fatigue and Impact of Composites   

·         Dr. Ajit D. Kelkar, Director, Computational Science and Engineering, North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA http://www.eng.ncat.edu/DEPT/mcen/People/kelkar.htm

·         Dr. Sameer S Rahatekar, Lecturer, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol, UK

http://www.sameerrahatekar.org/

 

Fire-retardant and Ablative Polymer Nanocomposites

·         Dr. Joseph H. Koo, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin.

http://www.me.utexas.edu/~koo/

·         Dr. Michelle Londa, Research Professor, Institute of Environmental and Industrial Science, Texas State University-San Marcos, TX, USA    

        

Composites in Electrical Applications

·         Drs. R. K. Pandey and Bill Stapleton, Electrical Engineering, Ingram School of Engineering.

 

Biobased Nanocomposites

·         Dr. John Massingill, Director, Center for Coatings and Bio-based Technologies, Institute of Environmental and Industrial Science, Texas State University-San Marcos, TX, USA           

http://www.txstate.edu/ieis/Centers-within-IEIS/CCBT.html

 

Nanosafety

·         Dr. Walt Trybula, Director, Nanomaterials Application Center, Institute of Environmental and Industrial Science, Texas State University-San Marcos, TX, USA     http://www.nanotxstate.org/

·         Dr. Dominick Fazarro, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA

http://www.shsu.edu/~agr_www/people/mbeverly/DominickFazarro.html

 

Mechanical Characterization

 

·         Dr. Wim Geerts, Department of Physics, “Mechanical Characterization of Nitinol” Fall 07, Spring 08

 

Industry Collaborators                               

·         Dr. Mohammad R.  Kazemizadeh, Arkema, Inc, USA  (Soy-based polyol)

·         Dr. Steven Sprenger, NanoResins, Germany (Nanosilica modified polymer matrix composites)

·         Mr. Walter Christiansen and Dr. Bob Farris, Hexion Specialty Chemicals, Inc., Houston, TX, USA

(Toughened epoxy systems through nanomodification)

·         Dr. Chuck Taylor, President, Kenaf Industries, Inc., Raymondville, TX, USA (Kenaf fiber composites)