This proposal is for the establishment of an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Polymer Interfaces at Lehigh University. The focus of the Center is on developing a molecular level understanding of the structural, dynamic, kinetic, and energetic characteristics of the interphase region between a polymer and substrate. This will be accomplished through detailed characterization of industrially relevant model/polymer substrate systems using laser light scattering, inverse gas chromotography, impedance specroscopy, XPS, Raman, NMR, FTIR etc. Companies from the aerospace, petrochemical and microelectronic industries will profit from these studies. The Program Manager recommends a continuing award for $50,000 for a five-year period. Near the end of each 12 month period the Program Manager and/or the Director of the Engineering Centers Division will review the progress of the Center on a number of criteria, including the following: 1) the extent to which the university-industry interaction and collaboration is developing; 2) the extent to which the support base is expanding; 3) the extent to which a robust research program is developing. If the review is satisfactory, the Program Manager will recommend support of the next period of this continuing award.
