The Center for the Study of Polymeric Systems (CSPS) at Penn State resides within two Departments, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering under the Direction of Dr. Ron Danner (Chemical Engineering), and Dr. Coray Colina (Materials Science and Engineering). The CSPS research specializes in the synthesis, characterization, modeling, and processing of polymeric systems.

CSPS comprises professionals with expertise in polymer engineering and science and laboratories equipped for carrying out a diverse range of polymer studies. The experimental, modeling, and theoretical activities of the Center are of interest to scientists and engineers involved in the design, control, and operation of numerous polymer processes including the production of films, coating, paints, membranes, foams, composites, polymer reactors, and polymer devolatilization.

Vision
To become the leading research center that responds to the needs of industry, government laboratories and universities for experimental data and models to treat polymeric systems.

Mission
Our mission is to conduct world-class competitive research under industrial and government sponsorship. CSPS fosters interdisciplinary research of a cohesive group of faculty within PSU, where interdisciplinary technologies are developed, and transferred to our Industrial Partners.

The Center has the capability to measure thermodynamic and molecular diffusion properties in broad ranges of temperature, pressure, and concentration. The Center has developed a wide range of experimental techniques to measure equilibrium and transport behavior: gravimetric sorption, volumetric sorption, inverse gas chromatography, supercritical extraction, ultra-sound membrane apparatus, light-scattering measurement, and more. It would not be an exaggeration to state that more high-temperature diffusivity experimental data for solvent-polymer systems have been produced by the Center than in any other laboratory in the world.

In terms of process modeling, the activities of the Center range from measurement of basic thermodynamic and mass transfer properties to the numerical analysis of complex partial differential equations, including coupled heat and mass transfer, moving boundaries, diffusion induced convection, coupling of mass transfer with changes in polymer morphology, and highly non-ideal multicomponent polymer systems. Models have been developed to simulate the drying and devolatilization processes used in industry. These models account for the presence of numerous solvents and polymer layers.

The Center is a leader in the coupling of molecular diffusion with polymer chain relaxation, changes in polymer morphology such as solvent induced crystallization or order-disorder transitions, influence of the glass transition temperature, effects of antiplasticization, and other complexities which are unique to polymeric systems. Materials examined include a wide spectrum of commodity polymers, some unique copolymers, and non-traditional polymeric materials such as coal, resins, petroleum pitch, and food substances.

Industrial Partners in the Center represent a wide variety of interests including polymer production, polymer fabrication, chemical intermediates for the polymer industry, food production, drug delivery, and other medical applications. The Partners include representatives from Europe and Asia, as well as North America.

In response to the needs expressed by the polymer industry, Center personnel have investigated many different aspects of polymeric systems research. Listed below are several main topics that have been identified as significant. The Center has gained particular experience and expertise in these areas, and we are prepared to aid those in the polymer industry that may be experiencing difficulties concerning these and other subjects.