University of North Texas 
Research at LAPOM
Research Interests
- Tribological Studies Friction and wear control coatings for metals and polymers
- Wear Control via nanohybrids and coatings
- Prediction of service performance and service life of polymeric materials and components
- Polymer Liquid Crystals (PLCs): Alloys and Blends for high temperature, high load and low thermal expansivity applications
- Polymers for Electronic Applications
- Polymers for Medical Applications
- Polymers in Automotives (Thermoplastic Olefins)
- Biaxial ceramic and polymer composites
- Extrusion, Injection and Compression Molding of Novel Polymers
- Thermal Wave Imaging for the Understanding of Failure and performance of of Plastics
- Thermally Stimulated Depolarization (TSD)
- Dielectric Spectrometry
- P-V-T determination for polymeric solids and melts
- Polyurethanes
- Computer Modeling and Simulations
- Dilute Solutions for Drag Reduction
Research Support
- Chalmers University of Technology and Volvo, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Berlin
- Ford Motor Co., Detroit
- Government of India, New Delhi
- Hoechst AG, Frankfurt/Main
- International Science Foundation, Washington, DC
- LatNDT, Riga
- National Science Foundation, Washington, DC
- NATO, Brussels
- Perkin-Elmer Corp., Norwalk, CT
- Retractable Technologies Inc. (RCI), Little Elm, TX
- Robert A. Welch Foundation, Houston
- Texas Instruments, Dallas
- Texas State Advanced Technology Program
More Detailed Information about LAPOM's Research Areas
The development of very high quality polymer-based materials and composites for electronic, electrical, automotive and other industries with:
- high impact strength
- high modulus
- high wear resistance
- high tensile strength
- usability in wide temperature ranges and stability at high temperatures
- very low and tailorable thermal expansivity
- a wide range of dipole moments
- long service life
- good processability
- lower prices than traditional composites.
These materials include:
- polymer liquid crystals (PLCs) and their blends with engineering polymers (EPs polyurethanes as energy absorbing materials
- several types of materials for encapsulation of printed wiring boards (removing mismatch in thermal expansivities)
- thermoplastic polyolefines (TPOs).
In collaboration with:
- Center for Macromolecular Chemistry, Berlin
- Gerhard Mercator University, Duisburg; Korean National University, Taegu
- Louis Pasteur University, Strasbourg.
Supported by:
- NATO, Brussels
- Texas Instruments, Dallas
- Ford Motor Co., Detroit
- R.A. Welch Foundation, Houston.
Development of fracture mechanics with a molecular basis in the chain relaxation capability (CRC).
The determination and prediction of service performance and service life of advanced polymers:
- Impact behavior
- Fatigue
- Prevention of slow crack propagation
- Elimination of rapid crack propagation in plastic fuel pipes
- Evaluation of the time to failure
In collaboration with:
- Chalmers University of Technology and Volvo, Gothenburg
- Ford Motor Co., Detroit
- Hoechst AG, Frankfurt/Main
- Technical University of Radom
- Institute of Polymer Mechanics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Riga.
Biaxial ceramic and polymer composites.
Glass-fiber reinforced epoxies and plastic coatings: effects of processing conditions on properties.
Epoxy and other plastic coatings on metals.
Polymers for medical applications supported by the Texas State Advanced Technology Program.
In collaboration with:
- Retractable Technologies
- Gerhard Mercator University of Duisburg
- University of Texas at El Paso.
Chain conformations and overlap in polymer solutions at rest and drag reduction and mechanical degradation in solution flow.
Light scattering by polymer solutions.
In collaboration with:
- Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz
- Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Computer Simulations by molecular dynamics of polymers subjected to external mehanical forces: relaxation and crack propogation in tension, stress relaxation, etc.
Simulation by Brownian dynamics of polymer solutions in flow.