Fire retardant coating shows protective potential and reduced drawbacks
Article highlights recent developments by PNC Laboratory in flame retardant coatings for wood presented at ACS Spring 2022.
A new chemistry for green fire retardants
CBC Radio One’s Quirks & Quarks, hosted by Bob McDonald, spotlights innovative photopolymerized wood flame retardant in an interview with PNC graduate Dr. Thomas Kolibaba.
ACS Spring 2022 highlights recent efforts in photopolymerized flame retardant coating for wood
The American Chemical Society highlighted recent efforts in photopolymerized flame retardant coating for wood with a press conference featuring Dr. Thomas Kolibaba and Dr. Jaime Grunlan.
Simple process significantly improves viability of antibacterial films
Thin-film coatings on materials that act as repellents against bacteria are nothing new. Indeed, with the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, other strategies to mitigate the spread of such pathogens have long been the focus of researchers. Such thin films are usually polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), which are traditionally deposited onto a desired surface layer-by-layer, allowing for […]
Texas A&M professor developing uniform of the future for U.S. military
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — A Texas A&M doctor is working to develop new non-toxic protective nanocoatings to the clothes worn by our military servicemen and women while serving around the world. Dr. Jaime Grunlan is applying water-based nanocoatings to military clothing with the hopes of adding protecting properties to military clothes. The nanocoating, which includes […]
PNC Graduate Students Awarded Two National Fellowships in 2021
Thomas Kolibaba (’20) was awarded the NIST National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, funding his postdoctoral research at NIST in Boulder, Colorado following graduation. Natalie Vest (’24) was awarded the Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship, an award that offers full research and education funding, as well as internship opportunities […]
Body Heat Converted Into Electricity Powers Health Sensors
Voices of America special on our organic thermoelectric composites
PNC Lab Helping to Make Safer Solar Cells
Article that highlights PNC lab’s partnership with Sandia to fabricate nanocomposites that prevent corrosion on solar cells.
Environmentally-Friendly High Gas Barrier Thin Films using a “Onepot” Fabrication Method
Article on gas barrier nanocoatings fabricated using water-based solution featured in Advanced Science News.
Melanin Skins Provide UV-Protective Coatings
Work on synthetic melanin highlighted in Chemical & Engineering News
Grunlan working with Australian rugby team to develop sensors for jerseys
“the eight-time rugby champions were looking for was someone to help them develop a technology that would allow their players to power sensors contained in their jersey”
Phasing out fire retardants
Efforts have been made to introduce environmental friendly flame retardants on commercial products. Examples include nanocoatings for polyurethane foams and for fabrics being researched by Jaime Grunlan, of the Polymer Nanocomposites Lab at Texas A&M University in the US. Grunlan has demonstrated it is possible to protect cotton with alternating nanolayers of chitosan and phytic acid. […]
Coatings Fight Furniture Fires
PNC Lab developed nano coatings consists polyvinylsulfonic acid (PVS) and chitosan can prevent the spread of flames on foams used in home furnishings. Moreover the 30-nm-thick film increases the weight of the foam by just 5.5% and doesn’t alter the foam’s stiffness.
Flame quencher offers less toxic approach to fighting fire
A new fire-retardant coating suppresses flames without the toxic effects of some commercially used flame retardants. Torch a piece of furniture foam that’s been dipped in the coating and the flame smolders and snuffs out, new experiments show.The new coating creates a blanket of heavy gas that starves the fire of oxygen.
Flame quencher offers less toxic approach to fighting fire
New coating could protect furniture without causing health concerns
How Biomimicry is Inspiring Human Innovation
PNC Lab’s technology involves covering every microscopic fiber in a fabric with a thin composite coating of two polymers that exhibit an intumescent effect, producing a protective carbon foam coating when exposed to high temperatures.
Better Food Packaging
Promising alternative packaging engineered by materials scientists in the Polymer NanoComposites Lab suggests “nano-bricks” offer the solution of longer shelf life and superior food preservation.
Warding Off the Heat
Article written by the New York Times about the exciting materials research happening at the PNC Lab, and Dr. Grunlan’s push for the values of academic research and higher education in Texas.
A&M Researcher Wards Off Heat in Lab and on Campus
“While his research is making waves among scientists, Professor Grunlan has also made a mark outside of his research laboratory.”
