The Decontamination Sciences Branch (DSB) in the Research and Operations directorate at DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center (CBC) performs fundamental and applied research associated with the neutralization, removal, and mitigation of chemical warfare agent hazards that arise from contaminated and post-decontaminated materials (i.e., transport and reactions in the material phase). Understanding the mechanisms that drive these processes requires the use of interdependent experimental and computational techniques to study chemical transport phenomena and chemical-material interactions over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. This position will support the development of structure-process-property relationships for novel polymers and polymer-based composites with an emphasis on chemical resistance. Characterization of chemical transport and interrelationship with bulk materials properties will utilize existing experimental tools (e.g., FTIR-ATR, DMA, AFM, QCM-D) and involve developing novel methods and techniques. Close communication will be maintained with related projects on the DSB, which likewise invoke integration of outputs from experimental and computational measurements.

References

1. Effect of interfacial regions and surface functional groups on chemical transport in polymer-particle composites, A. R. Hinkle, M. A. Browe, I. O, Iordanov, B. A. Mantooth, T. P. Pearl, and M. J. Varady, J. Phys. Chem. C 127, 11231-11239 (2023).

2. Composition-dependent multicomponent diffusivity of 2,5-lutidine with acetonitrile in polyurethane, M. J. Varady, D. A. Boyne, T. P. Pearl, R. H. Lambeth, and B. A. Mantooth, Polymer 180, 121697 (2019).

3. Solvent-assisted desorption of 2,5 lutidine from polyurethane films, D. A. Boyne, M. J. Varady, R. H. Lambeth, J. H. Eikenberg, S. A. Bringuier, T. P. Pearl, and B. A. Mantooth, J. Phys. Chem. B, 122, 2155-2164 (2018).