The research of Dr. Jaime C. Grunlan, the Linda & Ralph Schmidt ’68 Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been featured on the cover of three prestigious journals —Advanced Materials; Macromolecular Materials and Engineering; and Macromolecular Rapid Communications.
Grunlan’s work on biomimetic materials manufacturing was featured in Advanced Materials, which is one of the highest impact factor journals in the field of materials science.
The abstract in the journal states: through billions of years of evolution and natural selection, biological systems have developed strategies to achieve advantageous unification between structure and bulk properties. The discovery of these fascinating properties and phenomena have triggered increasing interest in identifying characteristics of biological materials through modern characterization and modeling techniques.
In an effort to produce better engineered materials, scientists and engineers have developed new methods and approaches to construct artificial advanced materials that resemble natural architecture and function.
Grunlan’s flame retardant work, using carbon nanotubes to protect polyurethane foam, was featured in Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, and his gas barrier work, using clay to make high barrier thin films for polypropylene packaging film, was featured in Macromolecular Rapid Communications.