Polymer and Fiber

Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

Spring 2006 Newsletter Vol. 12, No. 1

Name change reflects direction of industryTo better reflect the subject matter and research in our department aswell as the career opportunities available to our alumni, the Departmentof Textile Engineering petitioned the university to change the name of thedepartment and the engineering curriculum to polymer and fiber engineering.

The requests have been reviewed and approved by the engineering and uni-versity curriculum committees, AU’s Board of Trustees, and the AlabamaCommission on Higher Education.

Polymer and fiber engineering course work has been rewritten by the fac-ulty, and new faculty will be hired to teach and perform research in poly-mers. Courses focus on the development of engineered materials includ-ing polymers, fibers, composites, nanomaterials, and biomedical materials.The new curriculum will go into effect fall semester 2006.

Polymers and fibers are utilized in such diverse fields as plastics, elas-tomers (rubber), adhesives, surface coatings (paints), paper, packaging,

Sesquicentennial

Textile Engineering Building

insulation, filtration, composites, biomedical, automotive, aerospace, ma-rine, construction, environmental, industrial, nonwoven, recreational, andsafety materials. Graduates work in a variety of areas including researchand development, product development, process engineering, compositeengineering, quality engineering, industrial engineering, operations, andtechnical sales.

“We traditionally hire mechanical engineers and chemists. Your curriculumbridges the gap between them,” says Joe Bonk, manager of southeastsales and distribution with Zyvax, Inc., which develops slipcoats and moldrelease systems for aerospace, marine, and other industries. “The newcurriculum is a very useful background for them.”

Faculty awarded for greenchemistry technology

Roy Broughton, professor in polymer and fiber engineering, re-ceived a Presidential Green Challenge Award for technology devel-oped in collaboration with researchers at the University ofAlabama.

The research team, led by Distinguished University ResearchProfessor of Chemistry Robin Rogers, director of UA’s Center forGreen Manufacturing and adjunct faculty in Auburn’s Departmentof Polymer and Fiber Engineering, has discovered that certainchemicals, known as ionic liquids, will dissolve plant matter (cellu-lose). The new solvents are water soluble, nonvolatile, nonflamma-ble and relatively nontoxic materials.

Broughton and his students have been making fibers and filmswhile developing this new technology. Rogers explains that theprocess opens the door for future development of cellulose-basedfibers and plastics that could be used instead of petroleum-basedplastics in products ranging from automobiles to fibers.

The researchers aim to develop more effective and environmental-ly friendly ways to convert plants into fibers and plastics — a tech-nology they hope will provide a viable alternative to Alabama’s de-clining fiber and paper industries, and decrease the nation’s de-pendence on foreign oil.

The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards Program,sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is an op-portunity for individuals, groups, and organizations to compete forannual awards in recognition of innovations in cleaner, cheaper,smarter chemistry. It provides national recognition of outstandingchemical technologies that incorporate the principles of greenchemistry into chemical design, manufacture, and use, and havebeen or can be utilized by industry in achieving pollution preventiongoals.

Department achieves ABET accreditationIn November 2004, the College of Engineering was reviewed under the new Accreditation Board forEngineering and Technology (ABET) rules (EC-2000). Our fiber engineering degree was accredited for two years,and our polymer and fiber engineering degree will be reviewed for accreditation.

Roy Broughton

Robin Rogers

Alumnus Major honoredas outstandingDavid Major of Alexander City was named Outstanding Alumnus 2005 bythe Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering.

Director of manufacturing for Frontier Yarns in Wetumpka, Ala., Major re-ceived his bachelor’s degree in textile management from Auburn in 1972and a master’s degree in textile technology from the Institute of TextileTechnology in 1974.

He rose through the ranks with Russell Corporation in Alexander City fromentry level to plant manager and vice president of yarn manufacturing. In2002, Major was named to his current position with Frontier, a yarn sup-plier to Russell. He is active in Manufacture Alabama, past president ofthe Textile Council, and is a trustee and past president of the AlabamaTextile Education Foundation.

New breed of stent is partof biomedical researchSabit Adanur, professor in polymer and fiberengineering, is in year two of what is expect-ed to be a three-year project to develop apolyester stent. Like a metal stent, its poly-ester counterpart would work as an expand-able tube often used to keep clogged arteriesopen in the heart.

The polyester stent, which has already drawnthe interest of a private California-based com-pany, will be less expensive and moredurable, flexible and effective than thosepresently used in hospitals.

Funded by the National Textile Center, Adanurmust show sufficient progress in order to befunded for the final year, in which he expectsthe stent to be tested in animals and, in thefuture, hopes to see it licensed for commer-cialization.

Composites Oneholds course oncampusComposites One, the leading distributor ofcomposite materials in North America, re-cently conducted a two-day composites “bootcamp” on the Auburn campus for industry pro-fessionals.

Participants attended lectures, demonstrations, and training sessions onclosed mold and light resin transfer molding technologies and applications,vacuum infusion processes, and closed cavity bag molding. These tech-nologies make more consistent parts with less waste and fewer emis-sions.

Composites One recently sponsored Auburn polymer and fiber engineeringlab technicians David Clark and Jeff Thompson at its Lite RTM Closed

Sabit Adanur of the poly-mer and fiber engineer-ing faculty demonstratesthe production of a poly-ester stent he is develop-ing in conjunction with theNational Textile Center.

Molding short course in composite tooling in Vanastra, Ontario, Canada.Clark and Thompson are also scheduled for a vacuum infusion short course.The courses are part of a certification process for composite technicians.

Department receiveshomeland security grantThe Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering, in cooperation with theCollege of Sciences and Mathematics’ Department of Chemistry, receiveda three-year, $1.5 million research grant — among the first awarded bythe Department of Homeland Security and the first awarded to AuburnUniversity — to study potential barrier materials against biological andchemical threats.

Researchers will develop an active protection strategy to stop chemicalagents before they reach the skin. If successful, the materials will provideprotection without compromising comfort, allowing rescuers to wear pro-tective garments for prolonged periods.

Auburn is the lead institution working with Clemson University andNovaComp, Inc., a specialized company in Philadelphia. Auburn’s researchteam includes Yasser Gowayed, primary investigator, Gisela Buschle-Dillerand Peter Schwartz of the polymer and fiber engineering faculty, and PeterLivant of the chemistry faculty.

Peter SchwartzGisela Buschle-DillerYasser Gowayed

Jeff Thompson

David Clark

Composites One instruc-tors prepare a compositetable for vacuum infusion.

Ballistics research beingtested by militaryThe Army’s Air Warrior unit, con-sisting mainly of helicopter pilots,has been conducting field testson polymer and fiber engineeringfaculty member HowardThomas’s patented ballistics pro-tection technology, ArmorFelt,for the past several months andhas new funds to continue research.

Thomas says preliminary testsconfirm that ArmorFelt can stopblasts as close as three feetfrom a wide range of weapons,including a 9mm rifle, a 9mmpistol and a .357-caliberMagnum revolver. According toThomas, ArmorFelt passed withflying colors, actually above theArmy’s standard, and ballisticsperformance of the bullet-proofvest used in the testing is farabove what the Army currentlyuses in the field.

Thomas asserts that ArmorFelt,which is designed to be worn be-neath hard body armor, is superi-or to any bullet-resistant vest onthe market, and its potential inthe military, police force andhomeland security can expand tolining tents, buildings and militaryvehicles to provide protectionfrom small arms and shrapnel.

Howard Thomas, Auburnpolymer and fiber engi-neering faculty mem-ber, shoots and re-moves a bullet fromArmorFelt, a bullet-re-sistant material he de-veloped that is more re-sistant, lighter, andmore comfortable thanmaterial currently inuse.

Programseducateyouth aboutengineeringIn July, the department hosted thefourth Civil Air Patrol E-Tech Camp— the pilot program of the Patrol’s

national summer camp program. The cadets spent a week on campus toinvestigate engineering as a career, participating in hands-on activities withengineered aerospace composite materials and lab activities in several en-gineering departments. One of their sessions included taking the nearlycomplete hovercraft out for testing.

In polymer and fiber engineering, the cadets shaped air foils from foamblocks, did a hand lay-up of carbon fibers, used a vacuum bag process forresin saturation of the fibers, and learned how fiber structure and place-ment affects performance in a composite material. After completing theair foils, the cadets used aerospace engineering’s smoke tunnels to deter-mine the air flow around different air foil shapes.

Also in July, the College of Engineering hosted its second annual TIGERs(Teams and Individuals Guided by Engineering Resources) Camp for sev-enth and eighth grade students. Polymer and fiber faculty member GiselaBuschle-Diller conducted a forensics game lab activity. To solve a crime,student teams tested fibers and polymers with microscopic examination,performed ID stains, burn tests, density tests, and conducted chromatog-raphy of ink.

As part of its sum-mer camp program,the Civil Air Patrolworks with Auburnpolymer and fiber en-gineering to offer E-Tech Camp to youth.Cadets spend a weekon the Auburn cam-pus learning aboutthe world of engineer-ing.

Study abroad with universityin Germany a successThe department’s student exchange program with Reutlingen University inGermany is a resounding success. The study abroad experience hasbeen so valuable to our students that we are seeking companies or alum-ni interested in funding a study abroad scholarship to enable more of ourstudents to participate. Many would like to go, but are dissuaded by the in-creased travel and required insurance costs.

If you or your company are interested in helping to fund such a scholarship,please contact Julia Freeman at 334.844.5457 or julia.freeman@auburn.edu.

Alumni survey needsgreater engineer responseEngineering needs input from alumni who graduated from AU with a bach-elor’s degree in textile or fiber engineering, but response to the depart-ment’s online survey has been low.

“This information is critical for ABET accreditation, which keeps our stu-dents competitive with students from Georgia Tech and N.C. State thathave accredited engineering degrees in our field,” says Peter Schwartz,polymer and fiber engineering department head. “In addition, graduatingfrom an accredited engineering program is required if the student wishesto take the examinations to become licensed as a professional engineer.”

Engineering alumni — please visit www.eng.auburn.edu/pfe and click on“Online Graduate Survey” under Announcements.

As part of the Departmentof Polymer and Fiber Engi-neering’s exchange programwith Reutlingen University inGermany, students ChrisBinzer (left) and DamirMoric traveled to the U.S. tostudy at Auburn during fallsemester 2005.

Lambda chapter to host Phi Psi conventionAU’s Lambda chapter of Phi Psi Honorary Fraternity will host the 99th national convention inHuntsville March 16-18. For information, registration, corporate sponsorship or donations,please contact Julia Freeman at julia.freeman@auburn.edu.

Student achievementsResearch awards

Two Auburn doctoral candidates received awards for their posters at the2005 AU Graduate Student Research Forum. Sherif Abuelenin won firstplace for his poster on magnetic ring spinning. Swagat Irsale placed thirdfor his poster “Exploring Textile Stents: Prototyping and Modeling.”

A recent doctoral graduate in integrated textile and apparel science, DongLee won second place in the campus National Textile Center student com-petition for his presentation on “Nesting Effects on Opening-Mode FractureBehavior of Textile Laminates.” Lee investigated nesting in carbon/epoxyfabric-reinforced composites and how it affects fracture toughness of thematerials.

Who’s Who

For the third time in four years, oneor more polymer and fiber engineer-ing seniors has been chosen as oneof AU’s top 100 students — Who’sWho at Auburn University. Studentsare chosen on the basis of academ-ics, activities and leadership.

Mellany George, a recent fiber engi-neering graduate from Birmingham,and Erin Pugh, a graduating senior infiber engineering from Sylacauga,Ala., were chosen for 2005.Mellany’s twin sister Melody wasamong the top 100 honored in2004.

Student spotlight

The Co l l ege o f Eng ineer ing ’s on l i ne s tudent spo t l i gh t a twww.eng.auburn.edu/students/student-spotlight.html shines on recentfiber engineering graduates Mellany and Melody George …

Twins find their niche in fiber engineering

When first searching for a college to attend, identical twins Melody andMellany George from Birmingham didn’t consider Auburn as one of theirtop choices. But Auburn offered them the most incentives, and there wassomething about it here that they liked.

“When we first came here, we thought we might transfer to anotherschool in a year or two,” remembers Mellany. “But after spending sometime at Auburn, we were too attached to leave.”

December ’05 fiber engineering graduates, the sisters agree their AuburnEngineering experience gave them more than they had hoped for — includ-ing twin scholarships from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and be-ing named NASA Space Grant Scholars.

“We have many friends here,” says Melody, “including our professors,classmates, and advisor. We love it here. We know our professors so well,and Auburn’s fiber engineering curriculum is so strong, that I think our pro-fessors were able to write powerful recommendation letters for us whenapplying for the NSF scholarship. It makes it mean more.”

Erin Pugh

Mellany (left) andMelody George

The sisters’ fascination with engineering began in high school, where theywere members of Future Engineers of America and Boy Scouts ExplorersClub of America. By the time they came to Auburn, their appetite for engi-neering had been fed with leadership activities from building and testingbridges out of drinking straws to, quite literally, rocket science. They alsotoured Birmingham areaplants and factories.

“We gained many differentinterests from our experi-ences,” says Mellany. “Wechose fiber engineering asa major because it hassuch a variety of applica-tions.”

Adds Melody, “It’s full of in-novative ideas. Everyone islooking for lighter yetstronger, more rugged ma-terials to make things from,ranging from airplanes tobullet-proof vests.”

Both students have built ontheir education with intern-ships at Southern Nuclearin Dothan, Ala. and theDepartment of Defense inWashington, D.C., wherethey worked in plastic and textile engineering.

They are now in the master’s program in materials engineering at theUniversity of Alabama in Birmingham, and hope to pursue a career includ-ing research in new fiber applications, advanced polymers and makingcomposite structures with a combination of fibers and metals.

“We’re excited to see what our future in engineering will bring,” saysMellany. “It’s been great so far.”

Student awards

The spring 2005 student awards, voted on by faculty, were presented atthe ATEF dinner on the Auburn campus in March …

Outstanding seniors ’04-’05 — Mellany and Melody George, December ’05fiber engineering graduates from Birmingham.

2005 Phi Psi Senior Honor Award — Tiffany Bates from Clanton, Ala., andTara Richardson from Decatur, Ala. Richardson is a process engineer withGKN Aerospace in Tallassee, Ala.; Bates is a process engineer withMilliken in LaGrange, Ga.

Chattahoochee Valley Phi Psi Alumni Award — Vicki Mando from Daleville,Ala. and Jennie Williams of Anderson, Ala. Fiber engineering graduateMando is a research engineer with the U.S. Army Aeromedical ResearchLab at Fort Rucker, Ala. A textile management and technology major,Williams works with Knight Transportation in Atlanta.

Textile Operating Executives Award — Contessia Cook from Ashville, Ala.and Toccara Hunter from Lineville, Ala. Both fiber engineering grads, Cookis a math teacher and Hunter is an industrial engineer with RussellCorporation.

’04-’05 W. Kenneth Lynch Merit Award and Scholarship — ChristyCunningham, a senior in fiber engineering from Selma, Ala., is a processengineer with GKN Aerospace in Tallassee, Ala.

December ’05 fiberengineering gradu-ates Melody (left) andMellany George exam-ine a graphite fibercomposite flywheelthat, by serving as apower generator, canact as a new energysource to replace bat-teries in satellites.

’05-’06 Lynch Scholar — Rebecca Anthony, a fiber engineering major fromRome, Ga.

Christopher B. Terry Service Award — Tara Richardson

American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists Senior Award —Jared Cooper from Hoover, Ala., is in the biomedical engineering graduateprogram at the University of Memphis, a joint program with the Universityof Tennessee.

Phi Psi Freshman Scholarship Award — sophomore fiber engineering ma-jors Josh Martin from Enterprise, Ala. and Nathan Smith from Huntsville.

Larry Benefield, dean ofengineering, presents KatieHudson, a fiber engineer-ing senior from MuscleShoals, Ala., with the2004-05 OutstandingStudent Award during areception on the Auburncampus last spring.Hudson has interned withU.S. Customs Laboratoryin Savannah and V2 Com-posites, Inc. in Auburnand has accepted an engi-neering position with GKNAerospace in Tallassee,Ala.

Gisela Buschle-Diller (right),polymer and fiber engi-neering associate profes-sor, is awarded the2005 William F. WalkerMerit Teaching Award forExcellence by Walker, re-tired mechanical engi-neering faculty memberand former universitypresident, during theDean’s Award Receptionin May. Selected fromcol lege-wide nomina-t i o n s , t h e Wa l k e rTeaching Award is en-dowed by Mr. and Mrs.Fred Birdsong Sr.

E-mail job announcementspopular with alumniWhile Julia Freeman, academic program assistant, occasionally sends late-breaking AU news of interest to alumni who provide their e-mail address,many of our graduates also receive job announcements whenever the de-partment is contacted by companies or professional recruiters.

If you would like to receive news or news plus job announcements, pleasee-mail your request to julia.freeman@auburn.edu. Alumni who are job hunt-ing should also register with Career Services at www.auburn.edu/ca-reer/alumni.

The Formula 25 Hover-craft Team has complet-ed its first hovercraft.The team, comprised ofstudents from severalengineering disciplines,primarily fiber and me-chanical, is planning tobuild a second craft,having learned a lotfrom the first.

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Samuel Ginn College of EngineeringDepartment of Polymer and Fiber Engineering

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www.auburn.eduAuburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.

2006-002-PFE

The PFE Newsletter is published once yearly by the Department of Polymerand Fiber Engineering. Mailing and e-mail address changes, news items, andsuggestions should be sent to Julia Freeman, 116D Textile EngineeringBuilding, Auburn, AL, 36849 or julia.freeman@auburn.edu.

www.eng.auburn.edu/pfe

Polymer and fiber engi-neering graduate stu-dents Rebecca Ray fromNashville (center) andRosary Stephen fromSan Diego (right) con-duct a polymer “slime”activity for students at-tending Auburn Engi-neering’s E-Day 2006,an open house held an-nually on the Auburncampus to introduce po-tential students and theirfamilies to the college’sprograms. The new poly-mer and fiber engineer-ing banners were donat-ed by Highland Industriesin Greensboro, N.C.,whose president, FrankRoe, is a ’69 Auburn tex-tile management gradu-ate.