An Operating Center Proposal for Renewing an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Advanced Polymer and Composite Engineering

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The polymer industry is one of the most dynamic and expanding industries of our time. It is one of the few industries in which the U.S. still holds a strong leadership in an extremely competitive global market.A focused collaboration between industry and academia has been underway for nearly five years through the activities of the NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Advanced Polymer and Composite Engineering (CAPCE) at the Ohio State University. CAPCE offers comprehensive and well-organized collaboration between application-oriented researchers in industry and fundamental-oriented researchers in universities, enhancing commercialization of advanced polymer and composites materials. The Center will continue to emphasize the needs of the more traditional manufacturing sector of the polymer and composite industry, since these members dominate the industrial support base. In addition, their efforts will include:- Cooperating with industry members to translate basic research results from NSF supported research into commercial products and processes;- Incorporating environmentally-friendly technologies in product manufacturing by reducing energy consumption and toxic chemicals; reducing the amount of volatile solvents and manufacturing waste; and increasing sustainability; and- Enabling efficient, low-cost mass production of parts for bio-MEMS, sensors, and other applications, using micro and nanno-fabrication techniques.