Professional Information
B.S., University of Mosul ,1967
Ph.D., University of Birmingham, UK ,1973
Teaching
I
teach a variety of courses such as Physical Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry
and General Chemistry for technology majors.
Research
For the
past few decades, polymer scientists have been searching for comprehensive
methods for the characterization of materials. Characterization is a term
leading to the understanding of the physio-chemical properties of the polymeric
system. This research stems from the fact that most of the present methods are
beset with limitations and technical difficulties. Since 1983, I have been
involved with investigating and developing the possibility of using the gas
chromatography method to study the physio-chemical properties of polymers,
theoretically and experimentally. The method was later named Inverse Gas
Chromatography (IGC). In this technique, the polymer under study is made onto a
stationary phase for a GC column. Various probes (solvents) are
chromatographed, and the retention times, as a function of various physical
parameters, are used to derive thermodynamic properties. Polymers, and polymer
blends are coated on a solid support and packed into a chromatographic column
as a stationary phase. In my group, we improved the theoretical and
experimental procedures and presented the results in a series of publications.
Since then, I have been applying the method successfully to characterize
amorphous polymers, blends containing two amorphous polymers, and more complex
blends containing amorphous and semicrystalline polymers. I also applied the
method to environmentally friendly polymers such as pectin with molar mass of 6
million g/mol, and conducting polymers such as polyaniline, and polypyrolles. I
compared the data obtained by IGC with those obtained by DSC and I concluded
that the IGC method is a promising technique by which a wealth of information
can be obtained on polymeric systems. It is also versatile, accurate and
selective as compared to other methods in the field. So far, IGC can offer the
following features:
1. Interaction parameters for polymer-solute, polymer-polymer and
polymer-copolymer systems.
2. Diffusion coefficients.
3. Surface characterization including surface energies.
4. Glass transition and melting temperatures.
5. Degree of cross-linking.
6. Molar heat of sorption and mixing.
7. Degree of crystallinity
I
would like to continue improving the theoretical and experimental aspects of
IGC method. The Flory-Huggins theory needs to be modified; so many real
artifacts can be eliminated. I would like to apply IGC to characterize complex
polymeric systems such as: conducting polymers, polymer blends containing two
crystalline polymers, and polymer blends containing biodegradable polymers.
Currently, my research group is involved with a research to characterize the
following systems:
1) Polyaniline in the conducting and non-conducting forms and its
blend with polyethylene.
2) Amylopectin and blend of amylopectin and biodegradable polymers
such as poly (caprolactone), poly (acrylic acid) and poly (lactic acid).
3) preparation of Starch/Biodegradable Polymer/Clay
nanocomposites, including the characterization of their mechanical and
physiochemical properties.
I
have summarized my results and other researchers using IGC in five invited reviews:
published by POLYMERNEWS, Trends in Polymer Science, International Journal for
Polymer Analysis and Characterization, Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry:
Instrumentation and Application and an ACS Series chapter in "Degradable
Polymers and Materials". (See my publication list for citations).
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