SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Roy
M. Broughton, Jr.
1. Research:
Major
research areas have included:
1. * Protective materials – permeability, filtration efficiency, chemical
reactivity,
insulation.
2. * High performance fabric
structures – lunar habitat etc.
2. *Antimicrobial treatments for
fibers, fabrics and other surfaces,
3. *Novel extrusion processes for
polymer solutions and gels,
4. *High performance composite
structures for tethers and containers,
5.
Extrusion of bioengineered proteins,
6. *New braided structures and
production machinery,
7. *Nonwovens
from unique fibers (partially carbonized, basalt, *feathers, waste)
8. *Measurement of nonwoven properties
(*insulation, filtration, emi shielding),
9. Fiber property measurement (length
distribution, maturity, stickiness, friction),
10. Infra-red heating of textile
substrates,
11. Physical properties of acoustic
foam,
12. Computer aided design of woven
and knitted textiles, and
13. Various chemical finishing
technologies for fibers and fabrics.
* Current
2. Teaching
Teaching a
graduate level course in “Polymer Chemistry” (FBEN 6510) Structures, synthesis,
kinetics,
MWD, production methods.
Teaching a graduate level course
in "Structure and Properties of Polymers" (TE 7310) and laboratory.
Teaching a graduate leveling
course covering all aspects of textile manufacturing (ITAS 7200).
Direction of graduate level
projects courses and thesis research.
Service as Graduate Program Officer and initial
advisor to all Textile graduate students (1988-1993).
Committee Member on 16 previous MS
Committees and Chairman on 6 MS Committees (4 completed)
Committee member on 12 previous
PhD Committees, Chairman on 5 PhD Committees (three completed)
Teaching of a course in Non-Conventional Fabric
Structures (nonwovens and carpets). The course covers both the manufacturing
technologies and the structure and properties of the products produced.
Teaching courses in Introductory Textile Chemistry and in
Textile Slashing and Yarn Preparation
Teaching a course in Analytical Instrumentation. An introduction was provided in the
techniques of gas chromatography, infrared and visible spectroscopy, color
measurement), x‑ray diffraction, thermal analysis, electron microscopy,
viscosity, pressure, and temperature measurements.
3. Extension:
Teaching in some ten or more Extension Courses at
Auburn University Engineering.
Material presented
included fibers, nonwovens, SPC,
texturing, testing, waste‑water treatment, polypropylene, and adhesion.
Teaching in a dozen or more short
courses and tutorials presented by the Nonwovens
Division of TAPPI and the International Nonwovens
Technical Conference (nonwoven products, fibers and
processes).
Short teaching, research or
testing projects as service to industry for at least fifty different companies.
4. Administration:
Oversight of Nonwovens, Fiber Extrusion, and Physical and Chemical
Testing laboratories in the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering. This
has included the design, installation and startup of the Nonwovens
and Fiber Extrusion laboratories,
project supervision for fiber and fabric testing, as well as personnel
supervision in the day-to- day operations of the laboratories.
FUNDING at
Recent:
U. S. Air Force
(with S. D. Worley, PI) “Biocidal Materials”
~ $ 100 K/year for last 5 years.
USDA “Value Added Products from Feather
Fiber” $175K (2004 – 2006)
NASA (with D. Beale) “Lunar Regolith-Bag Structures” $119K
(2005 – 2006)
NASA (with D. Beale, PI, and P. Schwartz) Tether Structures for Space Applications $400K (2006)
National Textile Center “Ionic Liquids for Fiber Extrusion” $120k/year
(2005 – 2008)
Throughout career:
More than $6,000,000. from various
agencies including:
The
NASA
U. S. Army
U. S. Navy
USDA
NSF
Cotton Inc.
A variety
of industrial sponsors.
OTHER INDUSTRY SERVICE
Supervision of several major evaluation and testing projects in our testing laboratory
for various industrial clients. Major
projects have included:
barrier properties of microporous
film,
fireblock laminates,
abrasion of table and seat covers,
audible squeaking of coated fabrics,
extrusion of polypropylene fibers containing particulate FR
chemicals
extrusion of polystyrene fibers
extrusion of poly(ethylene/acrylic acid) fibers
production of various nonwoven
fabrics for insulation, mattress pads, filtration etc.
Consultation and expert witness on
UV degradation of polymers for an industrial client.
Work
included:
Bench scale polymerization – evaluation of new monomers, copolymers,
Pilot plant
evaluation of low diethylene glycol polymerization
process,
Pilot
plant evaluation of heated quench collar for extrusion, yarn for texturing, melt filtration,
Pilot
plant evaluation of false twist texturing,
Test
method development for gel in polymer and fiber,
Fiber
and polymer microscopy – identification of contamination,
Extrusion
plant trials of new spin finishes, and troubleshooting size variation in
fiber production.
Dr. Broughton’s broad background in science and engineering
allow him to make contributions to a wide variety of problems in manufacture,
processing and use of fibers and polymeric materials.