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Vipin Kumar

Faculty Photo

Graduate Program Coordinator, Mechanical Engineering

Professor
Mechanical Engineering

Adjunct Professor
Materials Science & Engineering

Education

  • Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1988
  • M.B.A., University of Rhode Island, 1974
  • M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, 1972
  • B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, 1970

Research Statement

Professor Kumar's professional interests lie in the areas of design and manufacturing, including product and process design. His research program focuses on microcellular and nanocellular polymers, a family of novel cellular materials expected to be used in a variety of applications in the decades to come. Kumar has a special interest in innovation and technology transfer.

Select publications

  1. H. Guo, A. Nicolae, V. Kumar. (2016) High Temperature Microcellular and Nanocellular Polyphenylsulfone Foams. Cellular Polymers 2016, 35(3), 119.
  2. H. Guo, A. Nicolae, V. Kumar. (2015) Solid-state PMMA nanofoams. Part II: low-temperature solid-state process space using CO2 and the resulting morphologies. Polymer 2015, 70, 231-241.
  3. H. Guo, A. Nicolae, V. Kumar. (2015) Solid-state Microcellular and Nanocellular Polysulfone Foams. Journal of Polymer Science, Part B: Polymer Physics, 2015. DOI: 10.1002/polb.23719
  4. H. Guo, V. Kumar. (2015) Effect of glass transition temperature and saturation temperature on the solid-state microcellular foaming of cyclic olefin copolymer. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2015. DOI: 10.1002/app.42226
  5. H. Guo, V. Kumar. (2015) Solid-state PMMA nanofoams. Part I: low-temperature CO2 sorption, diffusion, and the depression in PMMA glass transition. Polymer, 57, 157-163.
  6. H. Guo, V. Kumar. (2015) Some thermodynamic and kinetic low-temperature properties of the PC-CO2 system and morphological characteristics of solid-state PC nanofoams produced with liquid CO2. Polymer, 56, 46-56.
  7. Huimin Guo, Krishna Nadella and Vipin Kumar. (2013) Effect of intrinsic viscosity on solid-state microcellular foaming of polyethylene terephthalate. Journal of Materials Research, 28, pp 2374-2379.
  8. Dustin Miller and Vipin Kumar. (2013) Microcellular Extrusion of PLA Utilizing Solid-State Nucleation in the Gas-Saturated Pellet Extrusion Process. J Appl. Poly. Sc., Vol. 127, Issue 3, pp 1967-1973.
  9. Brian Aher, Nathan M. Olson and Vipin Kumar. (2013) Production of bulk solid-state PEI nanofoams using supercritical CO2. Journal of Materials Research, 28, pp 2366-2373.
  10. Dolomanova, Viktoriya; Kumar, V.; Pyrz, Ryszard; Madaleno, Liliana Andreia Oliveira; Jensen, Lars Rosgaard; Rauhe, Jens Christian M. (2013) Foaming of Microcellular PP-MWCNT Nanocomposite in a Sub-Critical CO2 Process. Cellular Polymers, Vol. 32, No. 1, p. 1-19.
  11. Paolo Colombo, David C. Dunand and Vipin Kumar. (2013) Porous materials: Less is more. Journal of Materials Research, 28, pp 2187-2190.
  12. Dolomanova, V., V. Kumar, R. Pyrz, L.A.O. Madaleno, L.R. Jensen, and Ch. M. Rauhe. (2012) Fabrication of Microcellular PP-MMT Nanocomposite Foams in a Sub-Critical CO2 Process. Cellular Polymers, Vol. 31, No. 3, pp 125-144.
  13. Xiaoxi Wang, Vipin Kumar, and Wei Li. (2012) Development of Crystallization in PLA During Solid-State Foaming Process Using Sub-Critical CO2. Cellular Polymers, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp 1-18.
  14. Miller, D., Kumar, V. (2011) Microcellular and Nanocellular Solid-State Polyetherimide (PEI) Foams Using Sub-Critical Carbon Dioxide II. Tensile and Impact Properties. Polymer, Vol. 52, No. 13, 2011, pp 2910-2919.
  15. Miller, D., Kumar, V. (2011), A Design-of-Experiment Study on the Microcellular Extrusion of Sub-Critical CO2 Saturated PLA Pellets”. International Polymer Processing, Vol. 05, 2011, pp 517-524.
  16. Weller, J.E. and Kumar, Vipin. (2010) Solid-State Microcellular Polycarbonate Foams Part 2 - The Effect of Cell Size on Tensile Properties. Polymer Engineering and Science, Vol. 50, Issue 11, Nov. 2010, pp 2170-2175.
  17. Weller, J.E. and Kumar, Vipin. (2010) Solid-State Microcellular Polycarbonate Foams Part 1: The Steady-State Process Space using Sub-Critical Carbon Dioxide. Polymer Engineering and Science, Vol. 50, Issue 11, Nov. 2010, pp 2160-2169.
  18. Kirkham, J., Li, W., and Kumar, V. (2009) Modeling of a Plastic Lumber Extrusion Process. Transaction of North American Manufacturing Research Institution of SME, Vol. 37 (2009), pp. 167-174.
  19. Wang, Xiaoxi, Li, W., and Kumar, V. (2009) Creating Open-Celled Foams Using Ultrasound. Journal of Cellular Plastics, Vol. 45 (2009), pp 353-369.
  20. Miller, Dustin, Chatchaisuia, Pavee, and Kumar, Vipin. (2009) Micro and Nano-scale Solid-State PEI Foams Using Sub-Critical carbon Dioxide. I. Processing and Structure. Polymer, Volume 50, Issue 23, 5576-5584.

Honors & awards

  • UW Presidential Entrepreneurial Faculty Fellow
  • ASME Thomas Edison Patent Award
  • DuPont Packaging Innovation Award

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