MURRAY, Ky. — Polymer and materials science is a growing area of research at Murray State University. Over the past several years, two Murray State chemistry professors, Kevin Miller and R. Daniel Johnson, have built the state-of-the-art Polymer and Materials Science Characterization Laboratory, providing students with a learning experience unique to both the region and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
The laboratory features a variety of instruments for testing various polymeric materials and devices. Murray State faculty and students routinely test the mechanical strength, density, flow rates, rheology, and thermal properties of different polymers.
The laboratory is supported by several large grants from the National Science Foundation, the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation and the Kentucky NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. These external awards, valued at over $400,000, have enabled the University’s Department of Chemistry to purchase several new instruments and support the research efforts of a large number of students.
According to Miller, the student projects encompass a variety of applications, including lithium ion batteries, ion-conductive devices and flue gas separation membranes. Students learn how to prepare the polymers and their precursors and gain valuable training and experience on a variety of instrumentation, as well as in the interpretation of their results. Recent graduates who have been a part of this program have gone on to careers in local industry or Ph.D. programs in chemistry, chemical engineering, or polymer/materials science.
Photo: Professor R. Daniel Johnson (left) and Murray State senior Abby Bratton work with one of the instruments in the Polymer and Materials Science Characterization Laboratory.