Dr.
Gupta's
research
is
directed
mainly
at
understanding the
(non-Newtonian) flow behavior of polymer
solutions, polymer melts,
solid-in-liquid suspensions and emulsions.
In addition to explaining
observed phenomena, the knowledge gained is
of use in modeling
operations used to process these materials.
Consequently, one can
relate process conditions to structure and
the structure to properties.
This allows one to engineer materials with
enhanced properties. Such an
approach has been employed to examine and
modify such diverse materials
as fiber-reinforced plastics, lubricants,
wall joint compounds, thermal
grease, ceramic slurries, polymer blends,
wood/plastic composites and nanocomposites.
Current work is related to
mixing and emulsification of processed
foods, the development of
drilling fluids for deep hole drilling for
oil and gas, the use of
polymers for carbon dioxide capture,
explaining the barrier properties
of graphene-based
nanocomposites
and understanding the flammability
properties of polymer-matrix
composites.
Selected Publications
A.P. Shah, R.K.
Gupta,
H.V.S. GangaRao
and C.E. Powell, “Moisture
diffusion through vinyl ester nanocomposites
made with montmorillonite
clay,” Polym. Eng.
Sci., 42, 1852-1863
(2002).
S. Agarwal
and R.K. Gupta, “An innovative extensional
viscometer for low-viscosity
and low-elasticity liquids,” Rheol. Acta, 41, 456-460
(2002).
A.D. Drozdov,
J. deC.
Christiansen, R.K. Gupta
and A.P.
Shah, “Model for anomalous moisture
diffusion through a polymer-clay nanocomposite,” J. Polym.
Sci.:
Part
B: Polym.
Phys., 41, 476-492
(2003).
A. Ait-Kadi,
M. Grmela, R.K.
Gupta and V. Zmievski,
“Rheological measurements and modeling
of noncolloidal
particulate suspensions,”
Chapter 5 in G. Shonaike
and S.G. Advani
(Eds.), Advanced Polymeric Materials:
Structure Property Relationships, CRC Press,
Boca Raton, FL, pp.
181-208 (2003).
H.T. Rana,
R.K.
Gupta,
H.V.S. GangaRao
and L.N.
Sridhar, “Measurement of moisture
diffusivity through layered-silicate nanocomposites,” AIChE
J., 51, 3249-3256 (2005).
A. Al-Mulla
and R.K. Gupta, “Recycling mixed plastics
from end-of-life
electronics,” Proc. SPE Global Plastics
Environmental Conference, Feb
28 - March 2, 2006, Atlanta, GA
(Paper E2
on CD).
L.N. Sridhar, R.K
Gupta
and M. Bhardwaj,
“Barrier properties of
polymer nanocomposites,”
I&EC Res.,
45, 8282-8289 (2006).
S.-K. Yeh, A. Al-Mulla and
R. K. Gupta, “Effect of coupling agent on
the properties of PNC-based
wood/plastic composites,” J. Polym. Eng.,
26,
783-804
(2006).
M.C. Costache,
M.J. Heidecker,
E. Manias, R.K.
Gupta and
C.A. Wilkie, “Benzimidazolium
surfactants for modification of clayus for
use with styrenic
polymers,” Polym.
Degradation Stability, 92, 1753-1762
(2007).
M.C. Costache,
M.J. Heidecker,
E. Manias, G.
Camino, A. Frache,
G. Beyer,R.K.
Gupta and C.A. Wilkie,
“The influence of
carbon nanotubes,
organically modified montmorillonites
and layered double hydroxides
on the thermal degradation and fire retardancy
of polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate
copolymer and polystyrene,”
Polymer, 48, 6532-6545 (2007).
Q. Liu, D. DeKee and R.K.
Gupta, “Models of moisture
diffusion through vinyl ester/clay nanocomposites, AIChE J., 54,
364-371 (2008).
D.L. Statler,
Jr.
and
R.K.
Gupta,
“Relating nanoclay
dimensions and arrangement to barrier
properties of polymer nanocomposites,”
Proc. Soc. Plast.
Eng.
ANTEC, May 4-7, 2008, Milwaukee, WI, pp
163-167.
S.-K. Yeh and R.K. Gupta,
“Improved wood-plastic
composites through better processing,”
Composites: Part A, 39,
1694-1698 (2008).
S. Agarwal,
M.M.K.
Khan
and
R.K.
Gupta,
“Thermal conductivity of polymer nanocomposites
made with carbon nanofibers”,
Polym. Eng.
Sci., 48, 2474-2481 (2008).
S. Agarwal,
R.K.
Gupta
and
D. Doraiswamy,
“A model for
the collision efficiency of shear induced
agglomeration involving
polymer bridging”, Coll. Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng.
Aspects, 345, 224-230 (2009).
R.
Liang, L. Han, D. Doraiswamy and R.K. Gupta,
The
rheology of aramid platelet suspensions,
Polym. Eng. Sci., 51, 1933-1941
(2011).
P.
Mukhopadhyay and R.K. Gupta, Trends and
frontiers
in graphene-based polymer nanocomposites,
Plastics Engineering, 67, 32-42
(January 2011).
D.
Song, W. Zhang, R.K. Gupta and E.G. Melby,
Role
of operating conditions in determining
droplet size and viscosity of tackifier
emulsions formed via phase inversion, AIChE
J., 57, 96-106 (2011).
L.
Han, D. Doraiswamy and R.K. Gupta, Jetting
of
dilute polymer solutions, J. Therm. Anal.
Calorim., 106, 305-312 (2011).
T.-W.
Liu, C.R. Youngstrom, S. Agarwal, A.
Al-Mulla,
S. Gaggar and R.K. Gupta, Novel
biomass-based “Eco-FR” styrenic blends,
Polymeric Materials: Science and
Engineering, Preprints of the PMSE Division
of
ACS, vol 106, 87-88 (2012).
E.
Roth, S. Agarwal and R.K. Gupta,
Nanoclay-based
solid-amine sorbents for carbon dioxide
capture, Proc. 29th Annual
International Pittsburgh Coal Conference,
October 15-18, 2012, Pittsburgh, PA
(6 pages on CD).
D.
Song, and
R.K.
Gupta, The use of thermosets in the building
and construction industry, in Q.
Guo (Ed.), Thermosets, Woodhead Publishing,
Cambridge, U.K., 2012, pp. 165-188).
S.-K.
Yeh, K.-J. Kim and R.K. Gupta, Synergistic
effect
of coupling agents on polypropylene-based
wood-plastic composites, J. Appl.
Polym. Sci.,127,
1047-1053 (2013).
Patents
S. Iruvanti,
R.K. Gupta and E. Ruckenstein,
"Stable, high solids, high thermal
conductivity pastes," U.S.
Patent 5,098,609
(Issued: March 24, 1992).
R.K.
Gupta
and S. Agarwal,
“A
sensitive,
spin-line
type
extensional
viscometer for mobile liquids
employing very small liquid volumes.”U.S.
patent No. 7,114374 issued October 3,
2006.
S.K.
Gaggar,
T.-W. Liu, R.K. Gupta, S. Agarwal and A.
Al-Mulla, Flame retardant
resinous compositions and process, U.S.
patent No. 7,939,585 B2, issued May 10,
2011.
R.K.
Gupta,
S. Agarwal and E.A. Roth, Nanoclay-based
solid sorbents for Carbon
Dioxide capture, US Non-Provisional
(utility) patent application filed in US
Patent and Trademark Office on 11/01/2012.
Application No. 13/666,375.
Books
R.K.
Gupta, “Polymer and Composite Rheology,"
2nd
ed.,
Revised
and
Expanded,
Marcel Dekker, New
York, 2000, 390
pp. ISBN #
0-8247-9922-4
A.
Kumar and R.K. Gupta, "Fundamentals of
Polymer Engineering," 2nd
ed., Revised and Expanded, Marcel Dekker, New York,
2003, 693 pp. ISBN #
0-8247-0867-9.
R.K.
Gupta, E.B. Kennel and K.-J. Kim (Eds.), Polymer
Nanocomposites
Handbook, CRC Press, Boca Raton,
FL,
2010, 549 pp.ISBN
#978-0-8493-9777-6.
P.
Mukhopadhyay
and R.K. Gupta (Eds.), Graphite, Graphene
and their Polymer Nanocomposites,
CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2013, 609
pages, ISBN #978-1-4398-2779-6.
