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Expert is very knowledgeable in composite materials involving a reinforcing fiber [such as E and S glass], Carbon Fiber, and Organic fiber such as Aramid and organic matrix resins based on thermosetting and thermoplastic resins with the TS resins being polyesters, vinyl esters, epoxies, phenolics, BMI and cyanate esters while PP, PEEK, and PPS are the TP resins. He is particularly knowledgeable in epoxy, phenolic and cyanate ester resins used in many structural and flame retardant composites. He provides guidelines/recommendations related to the many composite features.

He is aware of composite challenges like material/component costs, many matrix resins are combustible/flammable; some porosity/void content, relatively new material (~ 50 years) compared with wood, metals, glass and the limited knowledge of composites by many designers. Composites uses are in market areas such as transportation, construction, marine, anticorrosion, electrical/electronic, consumer goods, appliances, aircraft, and miscellaneous. He has been engaged in filament wound gas containment tanks, fire resistant components like filament wound deluge pipe and pultruded flame resistant decking for oilfield offshore platforms, some work in golf club shafts and tennis rackets. He has consulted in the areas of aircraft interiors involving paneling, honeycomb, cargo liners, prepreg, rocket nozzles and nozzle insulation. He is familiar with many processes that are used to fabricate composites such as hand lay-up, prepreg, sheet molding compound, filament winding, pultrusion, and resin transfer molding (RTM). He is involved in a selective laser-sintering program for rapid prototyping/rapid manufacturing requiring FR polymers as well as high Tg resins.

He is actively involved in Bio-Mass materials, especially lignin, and their transformation into organic solvents, use of natural fibers in FRP materials, bio-based phenol from bio-mass, lignin modified phenolic resins, and use of natural phenolic materials such as cashew, tannin, and lignin.
He assisted a Biomaterials company in developing marketing/technical strategy for lignin as a partial phenol replacement in phenolic resins, as a potential carbon fiber precursor, and reinforcing agent in thermoplastic and rubber resins.


During his industrial career and to date, he has expertise in phenolic resin chemistry from raw material components, resin manufacture, resin formulation, and many end use applications. His knowledge of phenolics extends to other closely related F based resins such as urea/F and melamine/F resins and their respective uses. He also has worked with epoxies, cyanate esters, and non-formaldehyde cured phenolics involving the development of formulations, fabrication and cure/post cure conditions. He provides suggestions required in handling phenolic resins (perishability and hazards), phenolic workshops for technical phenolic R & D staff, phenolic overviews for business and market strategy.

He is involved in Nanotechnology to develop selected nanomodified TS and TP resins to incorporate them into fiber reinforced composites for multi-functional benefits. Nanoparticles such as nanoclay, nanosilica, carbon nanofibers, single and single/multi-wall carbon nanotubes, POSS, nano-SiC particles and whiskers are used in most of his programs. Novel flame retardant TP resins are being developed by nano-modification of resins accompanied by synergists.