معرفی
Dr. Mark D. Soucek is a Professor and Interim Director at the University of Akron's School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. With over 140 publications, his work focuses on developing environmentally benign coatings, including UV-curable systems, nanotechnology-enabled smart coatings, and inorganic/organic hybrid materials. He previously served as President of the Cleveland Coating Society (2009) and has held academic positions at NASA-Langley (1990-1993), North Dakota State University (1993-2001), and currently at the University of Akron since 2001.
- Education: Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry (University of Texas, Austin, 1990)
- M.S. in Organic Chemistry (Illinois State University, 1986)
- B.S. in Chemistry (Eastern Illinois University, 1983)
His research emphasizes crosslinked coating systems such as autoxidatively crosslinked, high solids, crosslinkable latexes, and UV-curable thermosets. Using Photo-DSC, Real-time IR, and DMTA, his group analyzes in situ crosslinking reactions to correlate molecular structure with coating properties like fracture toughness, abrasion resistance, and corrosion protection. Recent projects include creating a UV-Curable Powder Coatings Research Center to bridge industrial and academic collaborations.
Dr. Soucek's publications span topics like smart ceramer coatings, seed oil-based reactive diluents, and hydrolytic stability of polyesters. His work has received multiple citations in areas such as environmental degradation and tire wear particle analysis. He has secured grants from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center in Coatings.
