Research Interests
Structure-property relationships; irreversible deformation, crack propagation and fracture of polymers, blends and composites; microlayer processing of polymers; structure-function relationships in collagenous tissues; biostability of biomaterials.
Overview of Research
Recent and continuing research work has explored the structure-processing-property relationships in polymeric materials. The focus of this research has been on understanding the connections between hierarchical structure and irreversible deformation and damage processed, and fracture of polymer blends and composites. Leadership in the processing, analysis and characterization of microlayered polymers is provided with the processing capability to microlayer 2 or 3 polymers into sheet or film with hundreds or thousands of alternating layers. With this flexible facility, a wide variety of microlayered concepts are scouted on an experimental scale. Fundamental aspects of polymer interdiffusion and adhesion have been addressed. Engineered microstructures with unique electrical, mechanical, barrier and optical properties have been created. This research is advanced as a result of close collaboration with colleagues in the industrial research and development communities.
Current Activity
As Director of the NSF Science and Technology Center for Layered Polymeric Systems (CLiPS,) she leads the combined the combined technological and educational efforts of researchers at Case Western Reserve (the lead institution), the University of Texas, Fisk University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the Naval Research Laboratory in the areas of ) innovations for creating the next generation of nanolayered polymer-based structures and systems; particularly identifying and characterizing the unique properties of the polymer interface in nanolayers; 2) discovering and exploiting membrane and barrier phenomena that lead to material systems with unique transport properties, and 3) exploring one-dimensional photonic bandgap structures, combined with other property enhancement strategies to impart superior optical responses on a new generation of photonic devices.
The Center’s educational affiliations extend to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and institutions such as Rochester Institute of Technology, North Carolina A&T, Ohio Northern University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and Youngstown State University.
Recent Publications
H. Wang, J. K. Keum, A. Hiltner, E. Baer, B. Freeman, A. Rozanski, A. Galeski. Confined Crystallization of Polyethylene Oxide in Nanolayer Assemblies, Science, 2009, 323,757-760.
Puente Orench, N. Stribeck, F. Ania, E. Baer, A. Hiltner, F.J. Baltá Calleja. SAXS Study on the Crystallization of PET under Physical Confinement in PET/PC Multilayered Films Polymer, June 2009, 50 (12), p.2680-2687.
S. Armstrong, Z. Zhou, A. Hiltner, E. Baer. Incorporation of Lead Phthalocyanine into Periodic Nanolayered Assemblies for Advanced Optical Systems J. Appl. Polym. Sci., (2009) 113, 2565-2572.
M. Mackey, A. Hiltner, E. Baer, L. Flandin, M. A. Wolak, J. S. Shirk. Enhanced Breakdown Strength of Multilayered Films Fabricated by Forced Assembly Microlayer Coextrusion J. Phys. D: Appl Phys. (2009) 42, 175304.
M. Gupta, Y. Lin, T. Deans, A. Crosby, E. Baer, A. Hiltner, D. A. Schiraldi. Biaxially-Oriented Poly(Propylene-G-Maleic Anhydride)/Phosphate Glass Composite Films for High Gas Barrier Applications Polymer, 2009, 50, 598-604.
K. Singer, T. Kazmierczak, J. Lott, H. Song, Y. Wu, J. Andrews, E. Baer, A. Hiltner, C. Weder. Toward Roll-to-Roll Production of Polymer Microresonator Lasers Optics and Photonics News, December, 2008 (special edition, Optics in 2008).
R. Masirek, E. Piorkowska, A. Galeski, A. Hiltner, E. Baer. High Pressure Crystallization of HDPE Droplets Macromolecules, 2008, 41, 8086-8094.
V. V. Pethe, H. P. Wang, A. Hiltner, E. Baer, and B. D. Freeman. Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Permeability of EAA/PEO Blends and Microlayers J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2008, 110, 1411-1419.
R. Ayyer, A. Hiltner, E. Baer. Effect of an environmental stress cracking agent on the mechanism of fatigue and creep in polyethylene Journal of Materials Science, vol. 43, issue 18, October, 2008, pp. 6238-6253.
G. Beadie, L. M. Sandrock, M. J. Wiggins, R. S. Lepkowicz, J. S. Shirk, M. Ponting, Y. Yang, T. Kazmierczak, A. Hiltner, E. Baer Tunable Polymer Lens Optics Express 2008, 16, 11847-11857.
G. Beadie, J. S. Shirk, A. Rosenberg, P. A. Lane, E. Fleet, A. R. Kamdar, Y. Jin, M. Ponting, Y. Yang, T. Kazmierczak, A. Hiltner, E. Baer Optical properties of a bio-inspired gradient refractive index polymer lensOptics Express, 2008, 16, 11540-11547.
K. Singer, T. Kazmierczak, J. Lott, H. Song, Y. Wu, J. Andrews, E. Baer, A. Hiltner, C. Weder. Melt-processed, All-polymer, Distributed Bragg Reflector Laser Optics Express, 2008, 16, 10358-10363.
F. Ania, I. Orench, F. Balta Calleja, D. Khariwala, A. Hiltner, E. Baer, S. Roth. Ultra-small-angle X-ray Scattering Study of PET/PC Nanolayers Relating to AFM Results Macromol. Chem. Phys., 2008, 209, 1367-1373.
P. Dias, Y. J. Lin, B. Poon, H. Y. Chen, A. Hiltner, E. Baer. Adhesion of statistical and blocky ethylene-octene copolymers to polypropylene Polymer, 2008, 49, 2937-2946.
Y. J. Lin, P. Dias, H. Y. Chen, A. Hiltner, E. Baer. Relationship between biaxial orientation and oxygen permeability of polypropylene film Polymer, vol. 49, issue 10, May 13, 2008, pp. 2578.
W. Cheng, N. Comopoulos, G. Fytas, T. Gorshnyy, J. Walish, E. L. Thomas, A Hiltner, E. Baer. Phonon Dispersion and Nanomechanical Properties of Periodic 1D Multilayer Polymer Films Nanoletters, 2008, 8, 1423-1428.
Y. J. Lin, P. Dias, H. Y. Chen, S. Chum, A. Hiltner, E. Baer. Oxygen permeability of biaxially oriented polypropylene films, with Polymer Science and Engineering, vol. 48, issue 4, April 2008, pp. 642-648.
M. S. Wolak, MJ Pan, A Wan, JS Shirk, M Mackey, A Hiltner, E Baer, L Flandin. Dielectric response of structured multilayered polymer films fabricated by forced assembly Appl. Phys, Lett., 2008, 92, article 113301.
D. Khariwala, A Taha, S Chum, A Hiltner, E Baer. Crystallization kinetics of some new olefinic block copolymers, with Polymer, vol 49, issue 5, March 3, 2008, pp. 1365-1375.
Recent Presentations
“Structural Design for Barrier in Polyester Systems,” 28th
Asilomar conference on Polymeric Materials, Pacific Grove,
CA, Feb. 13-16, 2005.
"Bio-Mimetic GRIN Lenses Using Polymeric Nanolayered Film
Systems,” E. Baer, A. Hiltner, Y. Jin, A. Ranade, H. Tai, J.
Shirk, M. Wiggins, and M. Sandrock, Invited Lecture for the
Herman Mark Award Symposium honoring Don Paul, ACS National
Meeting, Washington DC, Aug. 28 - Sept. 1, 2005.
Awards
2005
Spotlight Series Prize for Women’s Scholarship
sponsored by the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women Alumnae
Association.
2005 Outstanding Achievement Award from the Society
of Plastics’ Engineers (SPE)
2005 Named an ACS Polymeric Materials Science and
Engineering Division Fellow.
2001 ACS Cooperative Research Award in Polymer Science and
Engineering
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