Research

Photoelastic polymer particles under polarized light

Photoelastic Particles

Fabricating mercury-free photoelastic polymer particles with optimal mechanical and optical properties for granular matter and suspension studies.

CU Boulder · Lab of Prof. Nathalie Vriend · 2024–present

Photoelastic particle fabrication High-speed imaging Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA)
Rheometer, neural network and oscillatory shear (G′, G″) data

Rheology & AI

Developing rheolyzer, a Python package that combines physics-based models with machine learning to read small-amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) data and report entanglement, flow behavior and model-free viscoelastic quantities with stated uncertainties. Also drafting visco-PEGS, a concept-stage research proposal for using machine learning to infer contact-force histories from images of photoelastic particles.

Independent project · Ongoing

Python Machine learning Rheology
Confocal microscopy of block copolymer coatings

Block Copolymer Coatings

Investigating small molecule contamination dynamics in soft polymer coatings using real-time confocal microscopy visualization.

University of Cincinnati · Lab of Prof. Jonathan Pham · 2023–2024

Block copolymer coatings Confocal microscopy Image-processing pipelines Diffusion kinetics LabVIEW (data acquisition)
Wetting ridge on a soft polymer melt surface

Soft Wetting Mechanics

Measuring time-dependent wetting ridge height on polymer melt surfaces using AFM and optical profilometry.

University of Kentucky · Lab of Prof. Jonathan Pham · 2020–2023

Soft matter & wetting Atomic force microscopy (AFM) Optical profilometry Tribological force measurement
UHMWPE/HDPE blend melt rheology

Polyethylene Blend Rheology

Designed a novel melt compounding technique, rheological methods, and mathematical framework for determining optimal processing conditions and extent of dissolution in UHMWPE/HDPE blends.

CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory · Lab of Prof. Ashish K. Lele · 2014–2020

Polymer melt compounding Polymer blends (UHMWPE/HDPE) Rheometry Gel permeation / size exclusion chromatography (GPC/SEC) Entanglement & kinetics modeling
Janus and anisotropic patchy particles at a fluid interface

Janus & Anisotropic Patchy Particles

Ran numerical simulations of Janus spheres and anisotropic patchy particles on two-fluid interfaces.

CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory · Lab of Dr. Pankaj Doshi · 2013–2014

Simulations MATLAB Image analysis