Introducing our 2026 Keynote Speaker
Jaime Grunlan |Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Texas A&M University, Leland T. Jordan ’29 Chair of Mechanical Engineering
J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering
Texas A&M University
100 Mechanical Engineering Office Building
College Station, TX 77843-3123
Abstract
“Super Gas Barrier and Self-Extinguishing Polymers with Aqueous Polyelectrolyte Complex Coatings”
Polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) coatings can render flexible polyurethane foam, polyester and nylon textiles, and engineered wood products self-extinguishing (e.g., UL-94 V-0 rating or passing ASTM D6413 vertical flame test), with only 5 – 20% added weight to a given substrate. These treatments make use of benign phosphate, nitrogen-rich, and borate chemistry. Additionally, thin PEC films (< 2 microns) of polyethylenimine and polyacrylic acid exhibit oxygen barrier that matches or exceed that of aluminum or SiOx, making this a unique, low cost foil replacement technology for food and pharmaceutical packaging. This presentation will cover the newest developments in PEC treatments, including techniques to impart wash durability. PEC coatings can be deposited using traditional roll-to-roll processing tools (e.g., flexographic printing, dip-coating, or spray-coating).
Bio
Dr. Jaime Grunlan is the Leland T. Jordan ’29 Chair of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, where he has worked for nearly 22 years. He holds joint appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Chemistry. His research focuses on thermal and transport properties of polymer nanocomposites. He is a world leader in super gas barrier layers and environmentally-benign, flame retardant nanocoatings. He holds 18issued U.S. patents, published more than 200 journal papers (with more than 30,000 citations), and graduated 32 PhD students. He is an Editor of the Journal of Materials Science and Progress in Organic Coatings, and Associate Editor of Green Materials. In 2018, Prof. Grunlan became a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and was awarded a doctorate honoris causa (i.e. honorary doctorate) from the University of South Brittany (Lorient, France). In 2023, he became a Fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS). In 2024, he became a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (FNAI). He is also a Fellow of the ACS Polymer Chemistry and Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering Divisions.
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