In this article, ASI presents an overview of colleges and universities with course offerings in the adhesives & sealants disciplines.



October can be counted on for a few things. First of all, unless you live in a tropical paradise, your beach balls and swimming suits are done for the year. Two: Football is in the air and won't go away until the first week in February. And three, all the kids - whether they are nursery schoolers or graduate students - are back in school.

It is in this Back to School spirit that ASI presents the following overview of colleges and universities with course offereings in the adhesives & sealants disciplines.

Auburn University

Auburn University's Polymer and Fiber Engineering curriculum offers two options, each reflecting the importance of polymers and fibrous materials in such diverse fields as plastics, elastomers (rubber), adhesives, surface coatings (paints), paper, packaging, insulation, filtration, composites, biomedical, automotive, aerospace, marine, construction, environmental, industrial, nonwoven, recreational and safety materials.

At present, the school's major emphasis lies in the area of adhesives focused on thermosets and thermoplastics for composite materials applications. However, in addition to the engineering of adhesives to meet the performance criteria required for a given composite application, Auburn is also involved in research to modify the surface characteristics of reinforcement materials in order to tailor interface to obtain the required physical properties.

For more information, contact Dr. Peter Schwartz, Department of Polymer & Fiber Engineering, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5327; phone (334) 844-5452; or e-mail peter.schwartz@auburn.edu .

Eastern Michigan University

Eastern Michigan University's College of Technology program in Polymers and Coatings continues to lead the way in preparing quality scientific and technical workforce for the coatings and related industries, such as adhesives, sealants, and inks. Faculty members with extensive research and industrial experience provide a solid content base for the program. Strong instructional programs are offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and research efforts are guided by effective industrial input through industrial advisory committees.

Over the last few years, EMU has seen a steady increase in enrollment for both undergraduate and graduate programs. The availability of strong scholarship programs, research funding and increasing awareness among the community about the opportunities in the field are cited as reasons for this sustained growth. In addition, the contribution of the coatings, adhesives and sealants, and printing ink industries in support of these programs has been significant.

With the increasing globalization of economic and industrial arenas, the EMU Polymers and Coatings program recently entered into long-term cooperative agreements with international institutions in Europe and Asia. This has added global dimension and perspective to the program. In addition, the Coatings Research Institute (CRI) of EMU - the only institution of its kind in the United States - provides exceptional opportunities to students for high-tech research experience. During the last four years, CRI has procured $6 million in research funding, and is buzzing with activities related to the development, application and evaluation of materials and systems for coatings and related industries. CRI also offers professional development courses (short courses) year round.

For more information, contact Dr. Vijay Mannari, Undergraduate Studies coordinator, at 201 Sill Hall, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, phone (734) 487-1235, or e-mail vijay.mannari@emich.edu ; or Dr. Jamil Baghdachi, Graduate Studies coordinator, (same mailing address), phone (734) 487-3192, or e-mail jamil.bagdachi@emich.edu .

Imperial College London (UK)

The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial runs a 4-year M.Eng degree course. A sound grounding in Engineering Materials, Mechanics and Structural Integrity is provided in the first two years. Years three and four provide the opportunity to study specialist courses covering the structure, properties and processing of polymers, composites, and adhesives. Also, with the large Adhesion, Adhesives and Composites Research Group based in the department under the leadership of Professor A.J. Kinloch, many students have the opportunity to do a final year project in one of these fields. One year MSc programs are offered in Advanced Mechanical Engineering, and also in Composite Materials at the college's Composites Centre.

For more information, visit http://www.imperial.ac.uk .

Purdue University

Programs of research and education in the School of Materials Engineering at Purdue University focus on a range of materials systems and phenomena. Efforts directed at the study of adhesives focus on the bonding of metallic, polymeric and ceramic materials, and are conducted as interdisciplinary teams involving faculty in the Schools of Chemical Engineering, Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Mechanical Engineering. Courses taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels include Manufacturing of Advanced Composite Materials and Experimental Characterization of Advanced Composite Materials, and, for more polymer expertise, Polymer Synthesis and Structure and Properties of Engineering Polymers.

Recent studies under way are directed at thermoset reaction kinetics and additives for more rapid and enhanced adhesive strength development. Related fields of expertise include advanced thermoset polymer composites (fibrous, particulate and laminate), surface modification/priming of reinforcements and resin infiltration of reinforcements for optimized and economic performance.

For inquiries, contact Professor Jeffery P. Youngblood at (765) 494-2294 or e-mail jpyoung@purdue.edu ; or Professor R. Byron Pipes at (765) 418-5447 or e-mail bpipes@purdue.edu ; or write School of Materials Engineering, 501 Northwestern Avenue, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907.