- Performed physical and color measurements on production samples, calculating corrections when necessary- Calculated rework scenarios to recover raw materials and reduce costs - Coordinated with production and marketing teams to meet consumer needs- Tested new pigments and additives to improve existing formulas

- Synthesized non-halogenated, deoxybenzoin-based monomers- Employed polycondensation techniques to produce novel flame-retardant polymers - Characterized polymers using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC)- Published work in the Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry

- Developed a database of standard operating conditions for the spinning and opening production lines using PI ProcessBook software- Used x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP), and gas chromatography (GC) to investigate issues in a defective product- Designed a bench-scale model of the spinning and opening processes using a pneumatic hot press and an infrared (IR) dying machine- Prepared a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the pneumatic hot press apparatus- Coordinated the restart of a decommissioned environmental chamber to enable future stability and aging trials- Collaborated with the Corporate Synthesis Lab to develop the next generation polymer to be used in the production of microfibers- Used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to look at residues on bicomponent films- Explored alternative packaging options for small bags of microfiber pulp to enable double stacking of pallets

- Used a DOE to improve the thermal stability of a previously commercialized product- Developed various interlayer formulations by combining resins, plasticizers, and additives at different loading levels in a brabender- Determined 5% weight loss temperature and char yield of samples using TGA- Determined glass transition temperature (Tg) of samples using DSC- Laminated interlayer sheets between glass panes using a vacuum bag process- Measured haze level and yellowness index (YI) of laminates using a color spectrophotometer- Measured moisture content and ultraviolet (UV) transmission of laminates using a UV/Vis spectrophotometer- Examined potential causes of polymer crosslinking in the brabender by varying bowl temperature- Presented project updates at the weekly Product R&D group meeting- Summarized findings in a formal presentation for others at the plant- Prepared a technical report detailing the final results of the project- Helped organize a school supply drive/fundraiser that raised over $1,200 for local homeless children

- Designed primers for reverse transmission polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) using Primer3Plus software and a pairwise sequence alignment algorithm tool- Extracted total RNA from skeletal muscle tissue of mice- Tested concentration and purity of isolated RNA using a full spectrum spectrophotometer- Performed complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis using a High-Capacity cDNA Reverse Transcription Kit- Ran quantitative Polymerase Chain Reactions (qPCRs) using designed primers- Analyzed the quantification, Cq values, and melt curves from qRT-PCR data