Project Engineering

I-Ta Chang

*** ******* ******, *****, ** *****

330-***-**** ***@****.******.***

OBJECTIVE

To become established in a career focused on either product/process development or polymer/plastic

research for various industry applications.

EDUCATION

University of Akron, Akron, OH Chang-Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

PhD in Polymer Engineering, May 2012 BS in Mechanical Engineering, July 2000

Advisor: Prof. Erol Sancaktar National academic award received in the 24th ROC

Polymer Symposium, (Jan. 2001).

EXPERIENCE

University of Akron, Dept. of Polymer Engineering, Akron, OH (Postdoc Researcher; 05/2012-present)

Currently working on an industry sponsored project of Tire Reinforcing Cord/Belt/Fabric-Rubber

Adhesion. Responsible for experimental design, conducting the experiment and data analysis.

University of Akron, Dept. of Polymer Engineering, Akron, OH (Research Assistant; 9/2002-5/2012)

Worked on an industry sponsored project of Alternate Materials Systems to replace current materials.

Conducting surveying, benchmarking, identification, comparison and optimization of material/process.

Worked with Prof. Robert Weiss on a project of Polymer-Cased Ammunition. Conducting literature

reviews, molding test specimens and mechanical testing.

Worked on a project of Excimer Laser Ablation of Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites focused on the effects of

nanoclay dispersion state and morphology/properties of nanocomposites on excimer laser ablation behavior

and surface modification. Related research was later incorporated into doctoral dissertation.

Participating in project on Piezo-electric Rubber Material. Assisted Fulbright-Nehru Fellow, Dr. V.G.

Geethamma, in preparing and testing rubber compound samples.

Worked with Dr. S. Abeygunaratne of Kent State University. Evaluated the quality of gold and aluminum

deposited electrodes on nano-chips using AFM.

Conducted research for the Sturtz Machinery Inc. grant funded project on Vibration Welding of Polymers.

Heavy involvement in applying excimer laser and chemical treatments to enhance the strength of vibration

welded polymer materials. Successfully enhanced the welded strength by 25%.

Taught “Polymer Engineering Lab” (both undergraduate and graduate level). Prepared experiment

procedures and data calculations, assisted students in operating instruments and data acquisition, discussed

and explained experimental results.

Chang-Gung University, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Taiwan (Research Assistant; 9/1998-6/2001)

Performed research in Surface Roughness and Moldability of Gas-assist Injection Molded Thermoplastic

Composites. Successfully explained the mechanism of surface roughness formation and significantly

improved product surface quality.

Conducted rheological property measurement of wheat starch-soy protein isolate mixtures for Food

Industry Research and Development Institute of Taiwan for vegetarian food development.

Contributed in a study on Ultrasonically Welded Glass-fiber Reinforced Composites. Successfully

employed experimental design to optimize the process parameters in improving the joint strength.

Taught “Materials Testing Lab”. Assisted students in operating instruments and data acquisition, and

graded laboratory reports.

Formosa Plastics Group, Polyester Fiber Division, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan (Intern; 7/1998-8/1998)

Was involved in modification of existing manufacturing equipment for new products and was responsible for

their regular calibration and maintenance.

I-Ta Chang, Page 2

Formosa Plastics Group, Glass Fabrics Plant, Chia-Yi, Taiwan (Intern; 7/1997-8/1997)

Was responsible for the installation, calibration, and maintenance of new manufacturing equipment.

TECHNICAL/PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Extensive experience in polymer and rubber processing/compounding/characterization techniques, polymer

surface modification, polymer nanocomposite preparation and application, polymer welding.

Proficient in DSC, TGA, FTIR, XRD, SEM, AFM, POM, rheometer, mechanical properties testing, with a

specialty in ultraviolet excimer laser application.

Extensive usage of Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Sigma Plot, Moldflow, and AutoCAD.

Familiar with polymer structure-property relationship and design of experiment.

Multilingual: English, Mandarin, and Taiwanese.

Member of Society of Plastic Engineers since 2002.

PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS

Chang, I-Ta and Sancaktar, E., “Clay Dispersion Effects on Excimer Laser Ablation of Polymer-Clay

Nanocomposites” submitted to Composites Part A (under reviewing).

Bian, J., Wei, X. W., Lin, H. L., Chang, I-Ta, and Sancaktar, E., “PP/PP-g-MAH/Layered Expanded Graphite

Oxide Nanocomposites Prepared Via Masterbatch Process” Accepted by Journal of Applied Polymer Science

(2012)

Kotomin, S. V., Chang, I-Ta, Sancaktar, E. and Iarikov, D., “Nanotribology and Micromechanics of

Polystyrene-Nanoclay Composites” presented at the XVII International Conference on Mechanics of

Composite Materials, May 28-June 1, 2012, Riga, Latvia

Chang, I-Ta and Sancaktar, E., “Surface Modification of Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites by Excimer Laser

Ablation” presented at the ASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences,

IDETC/CIE 2011, August 29-31, 2011, Washington, DC, ASME paper DETC2011-47265 (2011).

Chang, I-Ta and Sancaktar, E., “Evaluation of Processing Effects on Polystyrene/Clay Nanocomposites

Using an Excimer Laser” Proceedings of the 2007 ASME International Design Engineering Technical

Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference on CD-ROM, Reliability, Stress

Analysis and Failure Prevention, E. Sancaktar (Ed.), paper DETC2007-34406 (2007).

Chang, I-Ta and Sancaktar, E. “Excimer Laser Ablation of Polystyrene-Clay Nanocomposites” ANTEC

2007 Proceedings of the 65th Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition, Cincinnati, OH, May 6-11.

Society of Plastics Engineers, pp. 1357-1361 (2007).

Liu, Shih-Jung and Chang, I-Ta, “Optimizing the Weld Strength of Ultrasonically Welded Nylon

Composites.”, Journal of Composite Materials, 35, pp. 611-624 (2002).

Liu, Shih-Jung and Chang, I-Ta, “Surface Roughness at the Melt/Gas Transition Sites of Gas-assist Molded

Thermoplastic Composites.” Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, 21, pp. 217-231 (2002).

Liu, Shih-Jung, Chang, I-Ta and Hung, Shiu-Wan “Factors Affecting the Joint Strength of Ultrasonically

Welded Polypropylene Composites.”, Polymer Composites, 22, pp 132-141 (2002).

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