Introduction to Polymer Science and Engineering A two-day Online Short Course June 8 and 9, 2020 Presented by the Golden Gate Polymer Forum Professor Gary Wnek Professor and Chair of Macromolecular Science and Engineering Case Western Reserve University The course is designed to introduce scientists, engineers, or other professionals to basic principles, ... [Click to Continue...]
Thank You to Our Heroes
I will digress a bit from my normal polymer stuff to take a minute to thank all of our heroes who are working on the front lines in theses trying times. My wife is the Clinical Manager for CardioPulomary Rehabilitation at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California. She and her team have been working tirelessly supporting multiple activities during the Covid-19 ... [Click to Continue...]
Reusable Grocery Bags May Pose a Health Risk – The Scientific Evidence
My last post provided a high-level discussion regarding the potential for reusable grocery bags to harbor multiple types of bacteria and other germs. The next step was to look into the scientific literature and see if there were any peer reviewed studies. It turns out there were two widely cited peer reviewed scientific studies. The first was by Dr. Richard Summerbell from ... [Click to Continue...]
Single Use Plastic Bags: Still a Better Solution
I trust all are staying safe and making the best of the current COVID-19 situation. I am based in California and am on mandatory stay-at-home orders. I saw an interesting article come into my inbox this week from the Wall Street Journal. That be said, it was an editorial, but it got me thinking. The premise of the article is that the ban on plastic bags may have backfired. ... [Click to Continue...]
Thermal Interface Materials Part Four: How to Achieve High Thermal Conductivity
The last post showed how fillers play an important role in the development of thermal conductivity. The filler volume percent is a key parameter as shown in the figure on the left. To complete the discussion, two other characteristics need to be presented. The first is the concept of the percolation threshold and the second in the particle morphology. We touched on ... [Click to Continue...]