NWSCT Newsletter March 2011
This month's meeting was our annual Educational Symposium which was held on Tuesday, March 8th at Valspar R&D. The NWSCT hosted students and faculty from the Coatings and Polymeric Materials program at NDSU. The presenters were Dr. Victoria Gelling and Adlina Paramarta, a junior undergraduate student. Dr. Gelling shared her research interests with the talk entitled: "The Electrochemical Assessment of Coatings." Adlina presented the results of her research with the talk entitled: "Turning Potato Chip Oil into Coatings." The NWSCT awarded the Coatings and Polymeric Materials program with a $3000 donation.
The 4th Annual Texas Hold' Em Poker Tournament was held on on Friday, February 25th at Sundance Golf & Bowl in Dayton. 28 members brought their poker faces but there could only be one winner- Congratulations to Joe Mills on his 1st place finish!
The NWSCT would like to welcome our newest members: Liang Zhou, RPM International Inc; Dave Lowery, Imation Corporation; and Dave Wallace, Valspar Corporation.
The April meeting will be a lunch meeting held on Tuesday, April 12th at Jax Cafe (1928 University Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418). The cost of the meeting is $15 per person which includes lunch. If you are interested in attending the meeting please register and pay via PayPal on the NWSCT website (Monthly Meeting Registration) by Friday, April 8th so that we can get an accurate head count. If you are interested in attending the meeting but will not be paying via PayPal please contact Rob Laubscher via email rlaubscher@paints.com or phone (763-424-2044) by Friday, April 8th.
This month's talk will feature Dr. Jimmie Baran, Lead Research Specialist with 3M. Dr. Baran will be presenting "A Perspective of Nanotechnology: A random collection of examples of the impact of size on properties." Examples of nanotechnology in everyday use have been known for centuries. Only recently has nanotechnology been exploited as a technology platform by which industry can benefit financially. Recent advances in analytical and synthetic techniques have led to the ability to probe and manipulate materials on the nanoscale. The ability to reproducibly generate nanomaterials has provided industry materials sets with new properties for product line extensions and organic growth. Along with new materials, nanotechnology has been used to improve processes.
Dr. Jimmie Baran received Bachelor of Science degrees in both Chemistry and Mathematics from The University of Wisconsin-Madison. He subsequently received a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from The University of Texas-Austin. Following a post-doctoral assignment in the area of surfactant optimization focused on the use of microemulsion formulations in aquifer remediation, enhanced oil recovery and pharmaceutical applications, he accepted a position with 3M Co.'s Corporate Research Group. Jimmie is currently a Lead Research Specialist in the Nanotechnology Cluster of 3M Co.'s Corporate Research Materials Laboratory where his research focuses on the intersection of surfactant science with nanoparticle technology in various industries, including pharmaceutical applications, paints and coatings and enhanced oil and gas recovery. Jimmie is the inventor or a co-inventor on 20 issued US patents and has 50 pending patent applications. He has also co-authored 25 published papers.
Upcoming Events:
The Spring Golf Outing will be held on June 9th at Mississippi Dunes in Cottage Grove. Additional details to follow, watch for emails.