The Materials Characterization Lab (MCL), part of the Materials Research Institute (MRI) at Penn State, is partnering with two Pennsylvania companies to leverage the University's shared research infrastructure for industrial innovation with practical applications and workforce training. The new projects are in collaboration with AGC Chemicals Americas and Avery Dennison, and they are funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development's Manufacturing PA Innovation Program.
Together, the projects demonstrate how Penn State's shared research infrastructure supports industrial innovation while creating meaningful workforce training opportunities for students and industry professionals, according to Josh Stapleton, director of the MCL and associate research professor.
"These projects expand the MCL support of Pennsylvania manufacturers by applying advanced scientific tools to real-world challenges," Stapleton said. "At the same time, they create authentic learning environments where undergraduate students gain experience working with industry, professional staff and production-relevant materials that would be a great addition to any resume."
One project, led by Stapleton, is in partnership with the Exton-based AGC Chemicals Americas, a global subsidiary of AGC Inc., one of the world's largest manufacturers of glass, electronic displays and chemical products. The team is working to help characterize advanced silica materials used across consumer, industrial and emerging technology markets, with applications ranging from cosmetics to additive manufacturing. The collaboration combines applied research with hands-on training for a Penn State undergraduate and AGC technical staff.
"Partnering with Penn State allows us to better understand how material structure influences performance and how we can use that knowledge to guide product development," said Will Salem, manager of functionalized materials at AGC Chemicals Americas, noting that the partnership provides access to analytical capabilities not typically available in-house. "Just as importantly, this project creates opportunities for students and one of our current technicians to expand their skills by working hands-on with advanced characterization tools and Penn State experts."
The second funded project, led by Tawanda Zimudzi, associate research professor of molecular spectroscopy, features MCL researchers and Penn State students working with Avery Dennison, a global materials science and digital identification solutions company with a manufacturing center in Mill Hall, to improve the performance and reliability of specialized adhesives used in high-speed radio-frequency identification (RFID) manufacturing. RFID could be applied in retail, for example, where if all products in a store were RFID-tagged, a person could fill their cart and leave without having to stand in line, as everything would be automatically checked out.
The RFID adhesive project focuses on understanding how material formulation and processing conditions influence manufacturing yield, reliability and product performance.
"This collaboration gives us access to world-class characterization tools and deep expertise," said Nishad Dhopatkar, senior research associate at Avery Dennison. "It also allows us to work closely with Penn State students and researchers while generating insights that can be translated directly to our manufacturing operations."
Both projects place undergraduate students at the center of the work, providing hands-on experience with professional-grade research instrumentation and close interaction with industry scientists. The Manufacturing PA Innovation Program is designed to connect Pennsylvania companies with university expertise while retaining highly trained talent in the commonwealth.
"These partnerships enable Penn State's MCL to help strengthen Pennsylvania's manufacturing economy by serving as a bridge between research, education and industry," Stapleton said.
