COMMERCIAL CHEMISTRIES, LLC

Practical Resin Formulations - Composite Characterization
Photo of William T. McCarvill

William T. McCarvill
3607 Golden Hills Avenue
Salt Lake City, Utah 84121
Telephone: 801.694.6958
Fax: 801.942.2921
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Education

  • PhD (1977) - Polymer Chemistry, Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs Ct. "Heterogeneous Acid Catalysis by Polymer Colloids"
  • MS (1973)-Material Science, Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs Ct.
    "The Bonding of Epoxy Resins to Aluminum".
  • BS (1970)-Chemistry, St,Francis College, Loretto, Pa.

Professional Organizations

  • American Chemical Society
  • Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering
  • American Composite Manufacturing Association

Professional Experience

  • Commercial Chemistries- Salt Lake City, Utah 2001-
    Private chemical and composite consulting business
    • Established methods to evaluate the effectiveness of sizings for carbon fiber and improved their wettability.
    • Co-authored 3 NASA/FAA reports recommending criteria and guidelines for an industry specification for composite raw materials.
    • Provided technical education for polyurethane bonding to composite materials.
    • Guided development of a high temperature epoxy filament winding resin.
    • Developed toughened 275F and 350F cure epoxy formulations for novel low cost composite fabrication process.
    • Developed prepreg tow based on high tow carbon fiber.
    • Developed tooling resin system that hardened at room temperature with 400F service capability.
    • Determined mechanism of failure for light weight cyanate ester honeycomb core structure.
    • Chaired sessions as SAMPE 2004 and SAMPE 2005.
  • Hexcel Corp.-Dublin, California 1996-2001
    $500M business unit of a $1B composite materials and structures manufacturer
  • Manager Aerospace Matrix Development, Composites
    Led global research and development team (28 people) reporting to VP of R&T.
    • Developed strategies to control uncured thermoset resin viscosity through the creation of dilute, diffuse network structures.
    • Defined the mechanisms involved in the precipitation of a toughening rubber phase in an epoxy resin induced by the presence of a second oligomeric soluble toughener. Uncovered the role of trace multivalent cations and phase transfer catalysts in interfering with clean phase separation.
    • Studied the effects of semi-micro composite architecture caused by carbon fiber tow geometry on ply to ply friction. These frictional effects can profoundly affect the resistance of honeycomb reinforced structures to collapse during autoclave cure.
    • Investigated the effects of compatible thermoplastics on controlling the viscosity of cyanate ester thermosets.
    • Used image analysis and optical microscopy to explore the dependency of macroscopic composite properties such as resistance to impact to micro scale architecture. The micro scale architecture consisted of carbon fibers, multiphase thermoset epoxy resin, and interply crack arresting particles.
    • Explored tactics to enable extremely rapid thermoset polymerization through decrease in crosslink density, pseudo crosslink bulky side groups, and delaying vitrification until a high conversion is reached.
    • Determined the effects of crosslink density on modulus above Tg and its relationship to ease of thermoforming composite sheets and shape memory.
  • Hercules, Inc.-Salt Lake City, Utah 1985-1996
    $100M composite materials division of a $3B diversified chemical company.
  • Manager, Prepreg Development
    Led product and process development group (30+ people) reporting to Director of Research.
    • Determined the effects of curative type and crosslink density for wet filament winding epoxy resins on cured glass transition temperatures.
    • Synthesized novel dicinnamyl compounds as reactive diluents for bismaleimide thermosets.
    • Synthesized and evaluated novel aromatic amine curative which provided enhanced thermo-mechanical properties and controlled low and high temperature reaction rates with epoxies.
    • Synthesized and evaluated epoxy resins chain extended by dihydric phenols as oligomeric soluble tougheners for epoxy resins.
    • Modeled the uptake of water by cured epoxy thermosets and the effects on resin Tg and shear modulus.
    • Studied the effect of prepregging process conditions on the location and effectiveness of inter ply toughening particles in carbon fiber composites.
    • Explored the effects of monomer backbone configuration on cured epoxy thermoset shear modulus via supression of beta transitions.
    • Studied the decomposition of polyimide thermosets accompanying the galvanic corrosion of metals.
    • Altered toughness of composite laminates as measured by GIC and GIIC through rubber modification of the interply zone.
    • Synthesized a high temperature epoxy resin toughener: amine terminated polyimide oligomer.
    • Synthesized a high temperature bismaleimide toughener: sorboyl terminated polyimide oligomer.
    • Prepared reactive polyarylethersulphone oligomers: caustic degradation of the corresponding polymers followed by funtionalization.
    • Prepared reactive polyarlyethersulphone oligomers: degradative nitration, sulphonation, and ammonolysis of the corresponding polymers.
    • Developed structure property relationships for reactive oligomeric polyethersulphones, focusing on backbone composition, molecular weight, and reactive endgroup type and their effects on the impact resistance of carbon fiber composites.
    • Developed synthetic strategies for polyethersulphone oligomers to control molecular weight.
    • Increased the toughness of high Tg epoxy thermosets via continuous, phase separated, and phase inverted thermoplastic alloys.
    • Increased the impact resistance of carbon fiber composites through triphasic thermosets. An epoxy thermoset was toughened by the phase separation of an oligomer rich phase. A third phase comprising precipitated rubber particles further enhanced composite toughness.
    • Synthesized acetylenic monomers and determined cured carbon composite properties and thermo-oxidative stability.
    • Modeled the dependency of polyarylether dissolution in epoxy resins on shear rate, temperature, and solubility parameters.
    • Used the dissolution model to design the screw configuration of a continuous mixer and verified it through operation.
    • Developed prepreg tow resin systems for industrial and aerospace applications.
    • Explored the effects of prepreg machine conditions and take up wind variables on despoolability of prepreg tow packages.
    • Synthesized organo-silicon polymers via hydrosilane polymerization and characterized the atomic oxygen resistance and other composite properties.
  • Hercules, Inc.-Wilmington, Delaware 1976-1985
    Central research division of a $3B diversified chemical company.
  • Project Manager for Plastic Products Group
    Led polypropylene based products and applications R&D (10 people) in support of business.
    • Conducted studies on peroxide initiated vapor phase grafting of polar monomers into polypropylene homopolymers and copolymers to increase adhesion to aluminum, steel, and thermoplastics such as polyethylene-co-vinyl
    • Grafted polar monomers to polypropylene after exposure electron beam and cobalt 60 gamma irradiation. Analyzed the effects of crosslinking and chain scission on viscous and elastic components of melt rheology and subsequent melt processing into fiber and film.
    • Developed models for the use of adhesive layers to bond metals and plastics to polypropylene in the melt state. Key factors are concentration and type of grafted bonding site, time above melt temperature, and the ability of the adhesive layer to absorb energy through cavitation and yielding.
    • Defined process variables affecting the bond strength of polypropylene to oxygen barrier polymers in multilayer sheet made by coextrusion.
    • Characterized the diffusion of oxygen and water through multilayer structures consisting of hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymers.
    • Evaluated the effects of plug shape, material of construction, temperature and timing of plug assisted vacuum thermoforming on the uniformity of container walls. Several draw ratio container shapes were explored.
    • The effects of temperature, shear rate and die configuration on melt stability/instability during coextrusion of polypropylene with an adhesive layer and ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol, polyvinylidene chloride and various styrene/acrylonitrile thermoplastics were determined by optical microscopy.
  • Research Chemist
    Acted as individual investigator or team leader for problem solving and new product development.
    • Developed methods for making polypropylene film and fiber bondable, printable and dyeable through grafting of polar monomers via photoactivation of SO2.
    • The effectiveness of film surface modification was determined by measuring the surface energetics and resolving the polar and non-polar components of surface energy.
    • Prepared hydrophobically modified cellulose through free radical graft polymerization initiated by cerium compounds.
  • Publications
    • "The Preparation and Surface Chemistry of Polystyrene Colloids Stabilized by Sulfonate Surface Groups." J.Colloid and Interface Science, 64, 403 (1978) with R.M.Fitch.
    • "Surface Chemistry of Polystyrene Colloids Prepared by Mixed Initiator/Surfactant Systems." J.Colloid and Interface Science, 66, 20 (1978) with R.M.Fitch.
    • "The Surface Chemistry of Polystyrene Latexes Initiated by the Persulfate/Bisulfite/Iron System," J.Colloid and Interface Science, 67, 204 (1978) with R.M.Fitch.
    • "The Effect of Time and Type of Water Pretreatment on the Bond Strength of Epoxy-Aluminum Joints." J.Applied Polymer Science, 18,335, (1974) with J.P.Bell
    • "The Effect of Soluble Cations on the Bonding of Epoxy Resins to Aluminum." J.Applied Polymer Science, 18, 343 (1974) with J.P.Bell.
    • "Torsional Test Method for Adhesive Joints." J.Adhesion, 6, 185 (1974) with J.P.Bell
    • "Surface Interaction between Aluminum and Epoxy Resins." J.Applied Polymer Science, 18, 2243 (1974) with J.P.Bell.
    • McCarvill, W.T. (1987) Filament-Winding Resins. In T.J.Reinhart (Ed) Composites Volume 1 (pp.135-138). Metals Park, ASM.
    • McCarvill, W.T. (1987) Prepreg Resins. In T.J.Reinhart (Ed) Composites Volume 1 (pp139-142) Metals Park, ASM
    • McCarvill, W., Ward, S., Bogucki, G., and Tomblin, J., DOT/FAA/AR-02/109 (2002), "Guidelines and Recommended Criteria for Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Unidrectional Prepregs". National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA.
    • Bogucki, G., McCarvill, W., Ward, S., and Tomblin, J., DOT/FAA/AR-02/109 (2002), "Guidelines for the Development of Process Specifications, Instructions and Controls for the Fabrication of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites". National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA.
    • McCarvill, W., Ward, S., Bogucki, G., and Tomblin, J., "Guidelines and Recommended Criteria for Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Fabric Prepregs", in print.
Website by Walt Haas       Page revised February 9, 2005