Musa Kamal

Research interests and projects

Polymer processing and characterization

• Polymeric nanocomposites
• Computer simulation of film blowing
• Kinetics of crystallization of polymer melts under pressure, shear, and non-isothermal conditions
• Morphology development in polymeric films and sheets during solidification
• Computer simulation of injection molding
• The measurement and calculation of thermal stresses in injection molding
• Optical properties of polyolefin films
• Structure control of polymer blends during processing
• Interfacial tension in polymer blends
• Structure - property - process relationships

Specialized laboratory facilities

• Instrumental injection, blow and compression molding machines
• Single and twin screw extruders
• Tensile and impact testing systems
• DSC, DMA, TMA and TGA analysis system
• Near-field optical scanning microscope with AFM capabilities
• Access to extensive microscopic capabilities (SEM, TEM, PLM, etc.)
• FTIR, sonic modules, thermal conductivity and gas/liquid permeability measurement
• Computerized pendant drop and spinning drop interfacial tension devices
• IBM RISC 6000 and SGI workstations in computer laboratory
• Access to extensive rheological characterization laboratory
• GNOMIX pressure - volume - temperature apparatus
• Linkham shear cell with hot stage and polarized light microscopy
• Super-critical carbon dioxide fractionation apparatus

Research group

• Alam, Kevin (PhD candidate):
  "Optimization of the injection molding process"
• Borse, Nitin (PhD candidate):
  "Polyamide nanocomposites"
• Capt, Ludovic (PhD candidate):
  "Morphology development during bi-axial extension of polypropylene"
• Cho, Yong (PhD candidate):
  "Breakup and coalescence of droplets during processing of polymer blends"
• Feng, Lijun (PhD candidate):
  "Studies of melting and solidification of polyolefin melts"
• Hosek, Tomas, Research Associate:
  "Synthesis of novel intercalants for polymeric clay nanocomposites"
• Huang, Gang (MEng candidate):
  "Phase diagram of polycarbonate/LCP blends"
• Kamal, Dr Basim, Visiting Scholar:
  "Computational applications in polymers"
• Lai-Fook, Dr Richard, Research Associate:
  "Measurement and prediction of thermal stresses in injection molded parts"
• Mehrabzadeh, Dr Mahmood, Visiting Professor:
  "Intercalation and exfoliation of clays in polyamides"
• Muslet, Iyad (PhD candidate) :
  "Computer Simulation of The Film Blowing Process Incorporating Crystallization & Viscoelastic Effects"
• Nassar, Nashaat (MEng candidate):
  "Exfoliation of nano-composites"
• Samara, Mazen (PhD candidate):
  "Crystallization kinetics of selected polymers"
• Tang, Zujian (MEng candidate):
  "Morphological observations in polyolefin blown films"
• Tavichai, Orasa (MEng candidate):
  "Effect of shear on crystallization kinetics of polyolefins"
• Uribe-Calderon, Jorge (MEng candidate):
  "Intercalation of polystyrene nano-composites"

Recent patents

• M. R. Kamal, G. Lohfink, L. Arghyris and S. Hozhabr-Ghelichi, "Process for Laminar Extrusion", U.S. Patent No. 5,188,784, issued February 23, 1993.

Collaborators

• Dr Leszek Utracki (Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council of Canada)
• Dr Andres Garcia-Rejon (IMI-NRC)
• Professor Alejandro Rey (Chemical Engineering, McGill)
• Professor Helmut Munstedt (University of Erlangen, Germany)
• Professor Nicole Demarquette (University of Sao Paolo, Brazil)
• Professor Alfredo Varela (Universidad de Carabobo, Facultad de Ingenieria, Valencia, Venezuela)
• Professor Mosto M. Bousmina (Université Laval, Quebec, Canada)
• Dr Mahmood Mehrabzadeh, (Deputy Director, Iran Polymer Institute)

Industrial/government collaborators

• Nova Chemicals (Calgary, Alberta)
• DuPont Canada (Kingston, Ontario)
• JWI Inc. (Kanata, Ontario)
• ABC Plastics (Toronto, Ontario)
• Paulson Training Programs (Connecticut, USA)
• Industrial Materials Institute - National Research Council of Canada (Boucherville, Quebec)