Chong Sook Paik Sung

Polymer Chemistry

Professor (b.1945)
Visiting Professor, Kyoto University, May 1990
Visiting Professor, Ecole Supéreiure de Physique et de chimie de Paris, October 1989
Visiting Scientist, Columbia University, 1982-83
Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Massachusetts
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School
Ph.D., Polytechnic Institute of New York
M.S., Polytechnic Institute of New York, 1969
B.S., Seoul National University, 1968

Phone: 860-486-4630

General Interests

Polymer Physical Chemistry. Development and applications of reactive labelling technique and UV-VIS/fluorescence, FT-IR internal reflection dichroism for characterization of polymerization kinetics and mechanisms. Free volume distribution, surface structure and polymer adsorption.

UV-VIS/Fluorescence Technique for Characterization of Cure, Water-Uptake and Oxidation in Polymers

We are using extrinsic and intrinsic fluorophores for characterization and in-situ monitoring of cure process, water-uptake and oxidation in polymers. These fluorophores are designed to respond to the chemical changes occurring in polymers rather than to the viscosity changes, thus making them more sensitive and quantitatively correlated to the chemical processes. Sensor molecules are designed to generate spectral response at different spectral regions so that each process can be monitored independently in epoxy, polyimide, polyurethane and polyamide. In addition to monitoring of these chemical changes, cure kinetics and mechanisms have been studied. These sensors have been implemented b y fiber-optic fluorimeter and UV-Vis spectrometer to carry out in-situ monitoring of epoxy and polyimide and their composites. In composites, surface, bulk and fiber interphase will be probed separately by placement of fiber probe at selective locations. Furthermore, we are extending our techniques to other polymers such as bismaleimides, polyurethanes and vinyl polymers. When polymers have weak fluorescence or phosphorescence, UV reflection technique is being developed as a sensitive cure monitoring technique. (In collaboration with Tufts University).