Dr. Paul teaches and researches in the area of polymers, commonly known as plastics. His expertise involves use of polymer as membranes for separation of chemicals, as barriers to keep molecules from diffusing into or out of a container, to regulate the rate of exchange of gases for storing produce, and to control the rate of delivery of drugs to the body. In addition, he works in the area of formulating and characterizing blends or alloys of different polymers that have potentially useful property profiles. Dr. Paul is the editor of the journal "Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research," published by the American Chemical Society. He is also the Director of the Texas Materials Institute which is a newly formed educational/research unit of The University of Texas at Austin. It grants graduate degrees in Materials Science and Engineering and provides the instrumentation/infrastructure for materials research across campus. Dr. Paul is a member of numerous professional societies, and in 1988 he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Interests include the broad areas of polymer science and engineering and chemical engineering. Current research involves various aspects of polymeric materials including polymer blends; membranes for separations, drug delivery, packaging, etc.; and polymer processing. The blend research deals with the thermodynamics of polymer-polymer interactions (miscibility, phase diagrams, interfaces), reactive compatibilization of multiphase mixtures, rubber toughening, the control of phase morphology during processing by both chemical and physical means, and polymeric nanocomposites. The research on diffusion in polymers involves investigation of structure-property relationships to design better membranes for separation processes and improved barrier materials plus an interest in theories and models for describing sorption and permeation of small molecule penetrants in polymers including the rubbery, glassy, semi-crystalline, and liquid crystalline states of these materials. The research on nanocomposites involves devising chemical and processing strategies for exfoliating layered silicates in polymer matrices for improvement of performance using nanoscale reinforcement. Synthesis, characterization, and performance of polymers are an integral part of the research in all these areas.
