Location: CREOL Room 103, University of Central Florida

Designing Materials at the Nanometer Scale for Macroscopic Performance

Speaker: Dr. Stephen F. Hahn

Research Scientist, Performance Plastics and Chemicals

The Dow Chemical Company

Abstract:

 Breakthrough catalyst technology discovered at Dow allows for the efficient hydrogenation the polystyrene aromatic ring without significant chain degradation.  A family of new materials has been prepared using this hydrogenation technique.  Block copolymer structures based on fully hydrogenated styrene and conjugated diene segments have been shown to microphase separate into discrete morphologies at the nanometer size scale.  The development of these materials for use in a variety of applications has focused on understanding the relationship between molecular architecture, local phase separation dynamics, and macroscopic physical and mechanical properties.  Specific block architectures with low birefringence and low melt viscosity have been identified for use in optical applications.

Biography:

Steve Hahn is a Research Scientist in the Options Development and Materials Science functions in Dow’s Performance Plastics and Chemicals business. Steve joined Dow in 1982 in Central Research, and has worked on a variety of polymer related research projects including the development of microelectronic and optical materials, polymer modification, synthesis and characterization of novel block copolymers, and the preparation and study of nanostructured materials.

Steve has a B.S. in Chemistry from Michigan Tech and an M.S. in Chemistry from Central Michigan University/Michigan Molecular Institute.  He holds 30 issued U.S. Patents, has 30 publications in refereed journals, 12 conference proceedings, and has written 5 chapters in technical text or reference books.  Steve was named a Dow Chemical Company Inventor of the Year in 1990 and 1996, was the Distinguished Alumni Lecturer at Michigan Technological University in 1996 and 2003, and was presented the Dow Chemical Company Michigan Scientists Organization Excellence In Science Award in 1999.  He was a Visiting Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of Minnesota in 2002.  He has represented Dow on the Technical Advisory board for the Institute of Materials Science at the University of Connecticut and the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board at Michigan Technological University.

For more information, please contact us by zge@mail.ucf.edu