About:
This faculty member is associated with the Penn State Intercollege Graduate Degree Program (IGDP) in Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE) where a multitude of perspectives and cross-disciplinary collaboration within research is highly valued. Graduate students in the IGDP in MatSE may work with faculty members from across Penn State.
Recent Activities:
- Cation Exchange Processes: Research interests include: (1) fundamental cation exchange (kinetics, equilibria and thermodynamics) in clay minerals, zeolites and tobermorites, and (2) separations of critical and strategic metals and hazardous radioactive species.
- Nuclear and Hazardous Waste Disposal: Research interests include: (1) ceramic waste from development; (2) leach testing of waste forms; and (3) immobilization of radioactive species by ion exchange.
- Ultrafine particles (powders): Research interests include: (1) preparation of ultrafine powders by hydrothermal and sol-gel methods, and (2) powder characterization of size, shape, composition and surface area by using different techniques.
- Sol-Gel Chemistry: Research interests include: (1) preparation of nanocomposite and single phase sol-gel bulk materials and thin films for structural and electronic applications; (2) structural investigation of sol-gels by TEM and NMR; and (3) preparation and characterization of nanocomposites of clays, gels and zeolites for use as desiccants.