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Lavon Harper, lavon.harper@rbi.gatech.edu
Summary Sentence: Purdue professor to highlight Cellulose Nanomaterials research
Full Summary: No summary paragraph submitted.
Youngblood, JeffreyAbstract: In this presentation, an overview will be presented of research in the group of Prof. Youngblood with specific focus given to renewable/sustainable nanocomposites. Cellulose Nanomaterials (CN) are attractive materials for possible applications in nanocomposites reinforcement, nanomaterials and biomedicine as they are high strength and stiffness, yet are renewable, biodegradable, non-toxic, cheap, and optically transparent. Here, we detail our efforts to characterize CN and CN composite mechanical and thermal properties and understand what factors dictate behavior. As well, our efforts at utilizing CN in a variety of application spaces will be detailed. Thus, we provide new elements to understand the interconnection among preparation variables towards optimal CN materials design.
Bio: Professor Jeffrey P. Youngblood began his collegiate studies at Louisiana State University majoring in Chemistry and Physics. Working in the laboratory of Professor William Daly, Professor Youngblood spent three years working on compatibilization, ageing, and thermomechanical investigation of asphalt/polymer blends and the synthesis of liquid crystalline nonlinear optical polymers. In 1996, Professor Youngblood started Ph.D. studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering. Under the direction of Professor Thomas McCarthy, Youngblood investigated the Superhydrophobic Effect, developed general methods for chemical surface modification of polymers, and synthesized pendant siloxane block copolymers. Moving on to postdoctoral work at Cornell’s Materials Science and Engineering Department under direction of Professor Christopher Ober, he developed synthetic strategies for the development of coatings that prevent marine biofouling. In 2003, Professor Youngblood accepted a position in the School of Materials Engineering at Purdue University. Promoted to Associate Professor in 2009 and Professor in 2015, he uses his polymer expertise to investigate nanotechnology, surface science, advanced processing and biomaterials. Of late, he has been specifically interested in ceramic processing using polymeric methods, advanced composites and fabrication, renewable resins and cellulose nanocomposites, the latter of which has been a particular area of interest over the past 6 years.
The event is sponsored by the Renewable Bioproducts Institute at Georgia Tech, www.rbi.gatech.edu.
