State University Assistant

WEIJIE REN, PH.D.

**** ******** ****, ***. ** Lansing, MI 48910 Phone: 517-***-**** Email: ******@*****.*** PROFILE: R&D POLYMER ENGINEER

Providing project and technical guidance for innovat ive research programs v Expert in contributing to complex research pertaining to polymer science, thermoplastic products development, processing strategies, and design tools.

v Especially skilled in compounding and mixing methods, mechanical testing and rheology of plastics; profound scientific and technical knowledge of polymer additives. v Well versed with statistical analytical techniques and s/w tools. v Delivers programs and projects on time, meeting all quality and budgetary constraints. v Excellent oral and written communication skills with an extensive background collaborating with all levels of the organization.

v Critical thinker with excellent presentation and public speaking skills. HONORS

§ Dissertation Completion Fellowship, Michigan State University, 2015

§ William J. & Julia L. Hargreaves Fellowship in Composite Materials, Michigan State University, 2015

§ SPE® Automotive TPO Scholarship Award, Society of Plastics Engineers, 2014

§ National Scholarship Award, Ministry of Education, China, 2009 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY • 2011-Present

Ph.D. Candidate Research Assistant

Currently working under the guidance of Dr. Krishnamurthy Jayaraman, developing and qualifying new materials, resolving material failure issues, and optimizing material performance for various industry sectors, including packaging, automotive and energy

§ Apply research to develop processing strategies for polymer blends, polymer composites and nanocomposites. Notable Projects:

Processing polypropylene nanocomposites with silylated organoclays.

§ Investigated the morphology and rheology in dynamic shear and uniaxial extensional flow of the melt- compounded state and the reprocessed state of polypropylene-layered silicate nancomposites with different modes of polymer-particle coupling at different interface sites. Ø Treated 2 different organically modified layered silicates with an aminoalkyldimethoxysilane in a methanol- water mixture; proved that reactive coupling noticeably improved dispersion with thinner stacks. Ø Demonstrated the potential for rheology modification using coupling agents with long chain polymeric compatibilizers in processing PP-clay nanocomposites. Collaborated with Petoskey Plastics to develop thin films based on linear polypropylene.

§ Prepared effective organoclay-based additives for film blowing of linear polypropylene. Ø Boosted the processability of polypropylene melts and successfully prepared PP blown films that exhibited elevated bubble stability, thickness uniformity and mechanical properties. Ø Characterized crystalline orientation with FESEM and X-Ray pole figures; established structure-property relationships of the blown films.

§ Investigated the effects of enhancing polymer-particle interactions on linear rheological behavior of polypropylene nanocomposites.

Ø Developed a viscoelastic model, using unmodified, solvent and vapor phase silylated organoclay, to explain and predict the the frequency-dependent dynamic shear rheology of PP nanocomposites. Collaborated with Exxon Mobil on the non-linear rheology of polyamide-based dynamically vulcanized alloys (DVA) for film blowing.

§ Investigated wall slip behavior in extrusion of different compounds with lubricant to control and optimize the processing of the alloys.

Weijie Ren Page 2

§ Evaluated the lubricant action during preparation of DVAs by capillary rheometry on DVA compounds. Ø Successfully quantified the internal lubrication effect (from bulk viscosity curves) and the overall lubrication

(from apparent viscosity curves) by analyzing the stratified flow with the help of a viscous model in the two regions

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY • 2013, 2014

Teaching Assistant

§ Supported 2 senior-level undergraduate Composite Materials Processing laboratories.

§ Assisted with laboratory preparation, evaluation of laboratory reports, grading, and general classroom inquiries. BEIJING UNIVERSITY OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY • 2010-2011 Student Assistant

§ Under the direction of Dr. Yu Zhingzheng and Ph.D. candidate Yuxia Shen, investigated electrically conductive polylactic acid reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites. Ø Compared the efficiency of biocompatible glucose and PVP in the reduction of GO, based on the electrical conductivity of rGO-g and rGO-p.

Ø Proved that electrical conductivity values of PLA nanocomposites with rGO-g are far more superior to other composites at similar loadings.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering; Michigan State University; May 2016 Dissertation – “Processing and properties of blown film from polypropylene/clay nanocomposites and thermoplastic elastomer”

§ GPA: 3.92/4.00

Bachelor of Engineering in Polymer Science and Engineering; Beijing University of Chemical Technology

§ GPA: 3.84/4.33

ADDENDUM

REFEREED PUBLICATIONS

1. Ren W., Chaudhary A. K., Jayaraman K., Processing polypropylene nanocomposites with silylated organoclays: coupling at edges vs. gallery faces, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2015, 54, 4264-4273 (Scott Fogler Festschrift special issue)

2. Ren W., Jayaraman K., Masterbatch additives for processing films from polypropylene, Polymer International, submitted

3. Ren W., Jayaraman K., Modeling the linear viscoelastic behavior of polypropylene-organoclay nanocomposites with silane coupling agents, in preparation

4. Shen Y., Jing T., Ren W., Zhang J., Jiang Z-G., Yu Z-Z., Dasari A., Chemical and thermal reduction of graphene oxide and its electrically conductive polylactic acid nanocomposites, Composites Science and Technology, 2012, 72, 1430-1435

PRESENTATIONS

5. Ren W., Jayaraman K., Melt rheology of polypropylene-clay nanocomposites with silane coupling agent, 86th Annual Meeting of the Society of Rheology, Philidailphia, PA, 2014 (Oral presentation) 6. Ren W., Jayaraman K., Processing of recycled polypropylene-clay nanocomposite, Society of Plastics Engineers - TPO, Troy, MI, 2014 (Oral presentation) 7. Ren W., Jayaraman K., Varying effects of extrusion on structure and rheology of polypropylene-layered silicate nanocomposites, 85th Annual Meeting of the Society of Rheology, Montréal, Canada, 2013 (Oral presentation) PATENT

8. Ren W., Jayaraman K., Rane H. R., Thermoplastic polymeric nanocomposite films and related methods, U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Attorney Docket No. 32213/40041, filed October 2015

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