Two Minutes with ...

Michael Kessler

 

	“The big picture of my work is the characterizing and processing of polymers and composites. We use the same tools to characterize self-healing high-end polymers as we do for biorenewable low-end polymers.”

Research links
Michael Kessler’s polymer research seems to be going in a dozen different directions, but as the assistant professor of materials science and engineering explains with a diagram of overlapping circles, a commonality of thermal analysis and characterization links his various projects.  Much of his work takes place in the Polymer Composites Research Laboratory in Gilman Hall.

Materials that repair themselves
Kessler’s group is developing materials with a self-healing functionality. The principle is based on adhesion, and the process involves encapsulated liquid healing agents that are deployed when the material is stressed or damaged.  

Aiming high
Aerospace structures, such as the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, make extensive use of composites—materials that have an epoxy or other high performance polymer matrix reinforced with glass or carbon fiber. Performance and reliability are crucial attributes for these load-bearing materials, so Kessler is investigating next-generation monomers (pre-polymers) to bring self-healing properties to composites.

Aiming low
Kessler refers to his highly collaborative work in biorenewable polymers as “low end,” but he implies no disrespect—it’s simply a reference to opposite ends of the performance-cost spectrum. His work to develop and characterize thermosetting polymers based on vegetable oils will help produce materials of varying flexibility and a multitude of applications. Another effort, which involves making polymers from soybean and corn protein, may result in materials that resemble conventional plastics.  

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