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People Donald J. Plazek

Professor Emeritus, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Email:
Phone: 412-648-8427 or 8375
Fax: 412-624-8069
Office: BENDM 1178A

Education

PhD, Physical Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1957.

Professional Interests

His research is directed toward systematic studies of structure-property relations of polymers. He is well-known for his work on the viscoelastic behavior of polymers, and has designed and developed several types of dynamic mechanical and creep apparatus. His research interests include the curing and physical properties of epoxy resins, the correlation of network polymer structure to fracture behavior, correlations of viscoelastic behavior of polymers and other glass-formers near and below their glass temperatures, and viscoelastic characterization of biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate film. Dr. Plazek taught courses in structure and properties of polymers, applied polymer principles, polymer rheology, and fracture phenomena in polymers. He retired to emeritus status in 1993. His research on the thermal and mechanical properties of amorphous materials continues.

For more details, please review Dr. Plazek's personal Web site.

Selected Publications

C.A. Bero and D.J. Plazek,"Volume Dependent Rate Processes in an Epoxy Resin," J. Polymer Science Part B, Polymer Phys., 29, 39, (1991).

D.J. Plazek and I.-C. Chay, "The Evolution of the Viscoelastic Retardation Spectrum During the Development of an Epoxy Resin Network," J. Polymer Science, Part B, Polymer Phys., 29, 17, (1991).

D.J. Plazek and K.L. Ngai, "Correlation of Polymer Segmental Chain Dynamics with Temperature-Dependent Time-Scale Shifts, Macromolecules, 24, 1222, (1991).

D.J. Plazek, C. Seoul, and C.A. Bero, "Diluent effects of viscoelastic behavior," Journal of Non-Crystalling Solids, 131-133, (1991) 570-578.

D.J. Plazek, "A Myopic Review of the Viscoelastic of Polymers," Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 131-133, (1991), 836-851.

K.L. Ngai and D.J. Plazek, "Identification of Different Modes of Molecular Motion in Polymers that Causes Thermorheological Complexity", Rubber Chemistry Technology, 68, 376 (1995).

Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Plazek received his PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Wisconsin in 1957 for the study of the viscoelastic behavior of polymers. Following two years of post-doctoral study with his thesis advisor Professor John D. Ferry, he became a Fellow in Independent Research at the Mellon Institute working under Drs. Thomas G Fox and Paul J. Flory between the years 1958 and 1967. He then moved to the University of Pittsburgh as the first non-metallurgist in the newly named Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. In 1975 he was promoted to Professor. During his first sabbatical leave (1976-77), he was appointed a Senior Visiting Fellow at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. During his second sabbatical leave (1987-88) he divided his time between study at the US Naval Research Laboratory and at the University of Kyoto as a Fellow sponsored by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Since March 1987 he has been an Adjunct Professor of Chemistry of Carnegie Mellon University. In January 1991 he was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Journal of Polymer Science and to the Editorial Board of Rubber Chemistry and Technology in 1993.

Dr. Plazek is a member of the American Chemical Society; American Physical Society (Fellow); and the Society of Rheology.

He was the recipient of the George Whitby Award for innovative and inspirational teaching and research by the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society. In 1995 he was named the Bingham Medalist by the Society of Rheology for his research on the viscoelastic behavior of amorphous materials and the development of the stress controlled rheometer.

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DR. DONALD J. PLAZEK, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering of the University of Pittsburgh, has research interests in the rheology and viscoelastic properties of polymers and other organic glass-formers in addition to the structure-property relations of polymers.  He has made extensive measurements over wide ranges of time and temperature on numerous linear and cross-linked polymers. 

Studies above the glass temperature as well as below where physical aging occurs have been made.  Several instruments were developed to carry out the investigations including the first creep apparatus utilizing a “drag-cup motor” and a magnetic bearing.

After receiving a PhD in 1957 at the University of Wisconsin, studying under John D. Ferry including a year of Post-Doctoral study, Dr. Plazek spent nine years as a Fellow in Independent Research at the Mellon Institute of Pittsburgh.  In 1967 he moved to the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department of the University of Pittsburgh.  He became a Professor in 1975 and Emeritus Professor in 1993.  He has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Chemistry Department of Carnegie-Mellon University since 1987.  From 1993 to 1998 he served as an Associate Editor of Rubber Chemistry and Technology.  He also served as a member of the Advisory Board of the Journal of Polymer Science (Physics) from 1991 to 1999. 

In 1993 he received the George Stafford Whitby Award from the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society.  He was awarded the Bingham Medal in 1995 by the Society of Rheology.  He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Physics Society (Fellow) and the Society of Rheology.  During 1976-1977 he was a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the University in Glasgow and during the 1987-1988 he was at Japan for the Promotion of Science Fellow at Kyoto University in Uji, Japan.  Dr. Plazek has over 150 publications. 

Quoting from the PMSE News (Spring 2006).

 

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