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Catherine Byrne

Belmont Polymer Associates

 

Member profile details

Photo
First name
Catherine
Last name
Byrne
Organization
Belmont Polymer Associates
 

Contact information

City
Belmont
State or Province
Massachusetts
Zip Code
02478-2311
Country
United States
Phone
617-581-3849
Phone (Alternate)
617-484-1797
 

Specialties and Services

Fields of Expertise
  • Expert Witness
  • Materials
  • Polymers
  • Research and Development
Other Fields of Expertise
• Polymers - polyurethanes and epoxy resins
• Research and Development
• Project Management
• Expert Witness
• Laboratory Management
 

Additional Information

Experience
Formulation Chemist_________________________2010-2014
Manufacturing Company in MA
• Formulation of epoxy resin and polyurethane coatings for industrial applications
• Extensive testing of coatings, including mechanical and chemical testing

Consulting Chemist ______________1996-2010,2014-present
Belmont Polymer Associates
Belmont, MA
• Selection and formulation of composite resins, adhesives, coatings, elastomers and foams, especially epoxies, polyurethanes and acrylates, thermally cured and radiation cured by ultraviolet light and electron beams.
• Knowledge of reaction injection molding, resin transfer molding and rubber compounding.
• Selection of characterization techniques and interpretation of results.
• Expert Witness.
• Assist small to large businesses in solving chemical and materials problems related to thermosets, elastomers and thermoplastics.
More Experience
Laboratory and Facilities Manager __________ 2004-2006
Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)
Cambridge, MA 02139
Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies
• Managed 28,000 square feet of laboratories, led compliance with all government and MIT- mandated safety and environmental requirements and supported a diverse array of research projects.
• Assured that all research facilities are maintained and updated.
• Provided technical expertise to materials science research programs related to protection of US Army soldiers from ballistic threats, chemical and biological agents, extremes of temperature and other threats.
• Constructed, operated and maintained laboratory equipment for research studies.
• Trained students, postdocs and visiting scientists.

Senior Research Scientist __________________ 1996-2004
Science Research Laboratory
Somerville, MA
• Small Business Innovation Research principal investigator on projects totaling more than $2M.
• Synthesized organic compounds and formulated adhesives, coatings and composite resins based upon epoxy, acrylate and urethane chemistry, designed composite lay-ups using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) and cured with heat, UV light or Electron Beam.
• Synthesized and tested organophosphorous flame retardant resins.
• Characterized materials using FTIR and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), Liquid Chromatography (LC) and mechanical testing using ASTM and other standards.
• Prepared and evaluated PEM (proton exchange membranes) for direct methanol fuel cells.
• Compounded and tested inorganic polyphosphazene fluoroelastomers for aircraft hydraulic seal applications.
• Supervised two technicians and a research scientist.
• Maintained telephone and email contact with customers, planned research, wrote reports and proposals
Adjunct Professor,
Department of Chemistry, ____1995-1996, 2002
Suffolk University
Boston, MA.
• Taught Special Topics Course on Polymer Chemistry and Technology.
• Instructor in hands-on laboratory course in organic chemistry, taught synthetic techniques, chromatography, IR and GC.

Team Leader, Properties and Characterization Team, 1989-1995
Army Research Laboratory
Polymer Research Branch
Watertown, MA.
• Evaluated high performance polyurethanes, shock absorbing polymers, polyvinyl chloride (a plastisol), chemically resistant elastomers and reaction injection molded (RIM) polymers.
• Synthesized and characterized materials using infrared, ultraviolet and fluorescence spectroscopy, HPLC, thermal and mechanical analysis.
• Interpreted the results of research, wrote reports and presented results orally.
• Directed three to eight technical personnel and wrote performance appraisals twice yearly.
Education
Postdoctoral Fellow
• Department of Polymer Science and Engineering,
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.
• Research topic: The chemistry of cure of epoxy resins.
Ph.D., Organic Polymer Chemistry
• Department of Chemistry,
• University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
• Thesis: Photo- and Biodegradation of Polymers Containing Carbonyl Groups.
M.A.T., Teaching of Science
• Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
B.A. (Honors), Chemistry
• Manhattanville College, Purchase, New York.
•
Patents
• D.L. Goodman and C.A. Byrne, “Phase-Separated Dual-Cure Elastomeric Adhesive Formulations and Methods of Using the Same”, U.S. Patent 5,997,682 (1999).
Publications
POLYURETHANES AND OTHER ELASTOMERS
• S.W. Wong, K.C. Frisch, C.A. Byrne, D.P. Mack and N.S. Schneider, "Structure - Property Relationships of Transparent Aliphatic Polyurethane Elastomers from the Geometric Isomers of Methylene Bis(4-cyclohexylisocyanate)", Advances in Urethane Science and Technology 9, 77-101(1984).
• C.A. Byrne, D.P. Mack and J.M. Sloan, "A Study of Aliphatic Polyurethane Elastomers Prepared from Diisocyante Isomer Mixtures," Rubber Chemistry and Technology, 58, 985-997 (1985). (Chemically Resistant Transparent Flexible Lens Materials for Gas Mask Lenses)
• C.A. Byrne, "Relationship Between Chemical Composition and Hysteresis in Polyurethane Elastomers", in "Advances in Elastomers and Rubber Elasticity", J.L Lal and J.E.Mark, Eds. Plenum Publishing, N.Y. 1986, pp 89-102.
• J.W. Dieter and C.A. Byrne, "Aliphatic Polyurethanes With High Performance Properties", Polymer Engineering and Science 27, (9) 673-683 (1987).
• R.E. Singler and C.A. Byrne, Editors, "Elastomers and Rubber Technology, Sagamore Army Materials Research Conference Proceedings", vol. 32, 586 pages, Government Printing Office, 1987.
• C.A. Byme, J.L. Mead and C.R. Desper, "Structure-Property Relationships of Aliphatic Polyurethane Elastomers Prepared From CHDI," Advances in Urethane Science and Technology, Technomic Publishers, K.C.Frisch and D.Klempner,eds., 11, 68-109 (1992). (Abrasion Resistant Polyurethanes for tank track pads and solid tires)
• C.A. Byrne and W.X. Zukas, "Studies of Polymers for Shock Absorption Applications", Advances in Urethane Science and Technology, Technomic Publishers, K.C. Frisch and D. Klernpner, eds, 12,105-133 (1993). (Custom designed polymers for blast and ballistic protection of ceramic armor)
• C.A. Byrne, T.F. Kenney, E.A. McHugh, E. Wilusz, S.-W. Wong and B. Meng, "Elastomers for Chemical Protection - Preparation Using Reactive Polymer Processing", Proceedings of the 19th Army Science Conference, 20-23 June 1994, Orlando, Florida. (Reaction Injection Molding using polyurethanes and oligomeric diacrylates to form interpenetrating polymer networks.)
• C. A. Byrne, C. R. Desper, N.S. Schneider, Y. Li and B. Chu, "Polyethylene-Based Polyurethane Copolymers and Block Copolymers", Die Makromolekulare Chemie, Macromolecular Symposia, "Block and Graft Copolymers" 91, 1 (1995). (formulation and testing of new materials for polyurethane elastomers including mechanical testing and thermal analysis)
• N.S. Schneider, D.A. Langlois and C. A. Byrne, "The Effect of H2O on the Glass Transition Behavior of Hydrophilic Polyurethanes with Mixed Soft Segments", American Chemical Society Symposium Volume 248, Hydrophilic Polymers, J.E. Glass, ed, 1996, 195-204(thermal analysis of hydrophilic polymers)
More Publications
• J.P. Fanucci, J.G. Gorman, T. Heimann, D.L. Goodman, C.A. Byrne and R. Matt, Production and Repair of Composite Sandwich Panels Using UV and E-Beam-Activated Resins”, Proc. 44th International SAMPE Symposium and Exhibition, May, 1999. (UV cured resins and adhesives for pultruded composites)
ADHESIVES
• D.L. Goodman, C.A. Byrne and G.R. Palmese, “Advanced Electron Beam Curing and Bonding of Ground Vehicles,” Proceedings of the 43rd International SAMPE Symposium, 1691, Anaheim, CA, May, 1998. (bonding of thermoplastic experimental automotive bodies using radiation curing and a combination of radiation and thermal curing)
• C.A. Byrne, D.L. Goodman, G.R. Palmese, J.M. Sands and S. H. McKnight, “Electron Beam Curable Adhesives for Out-of-autoclave Bonding of Large Composite Structures”, Proceedings of the 45rd International SAMPE Symposium, Long Beach, CA, May, 2000 (2187).
• L.G. Bykanova, C.A. Byrne, A. Bykanov and D.L. Goodman, “Optimized Electron Beam Curable Aerospace Adhesives,” Proceedings of the 48th International SAMPE Symposium, 1981-1992, May 2003.
COATINGS
• C.A Byrne and D.L. Goodman, “Advanced Ultraviolet and Electron Beam Curable Systems for Aircraft Applications”, Contract No. F33615-96-C-5063, Final Report, November 1996, (contract monitor Frederick A. Arnold WL/MLBP). ). (UV and EB curable coatings for aircraft aluminum formulated and tested)
EPOXY RESINS
• C.A.Byrne, G.L. Hagnauer and N.S. Schneider "Effects of Variation in Composition and Temperature on the Amine Cure of An Epoxy Resin Model Compound", Polymer Composites, 4, 206 (1983). (studies of chemical reactions in epoxy resins used in composites for Army applications)
• C.A.Byrne, G.L. Hagnauer, N.S. Schneider and R.W.Lenz, "Model Compound Studies of the Amine Cure of Epoxy Resins", Polymer Composites, 1 , 71 ( 1980). (use of HPLC, and IR to determine the types and amounts of chemical reactions in formulated epoxy resins)
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