Joseph H. Koo

Dr. Koo joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UT Austin in 2004. He is affiliated with the Advanced Manufacturing Center, Texas Materials Institute, and the Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology. Prior to joining The University of Texas at Austin, he was employed in the aerospace industry for about 20 years by Aerojet, ATK, BAE Systems, and FMC. His current major research interests include:

Polymer nanostructured materials for extreme environments such as-

Solid rocket motor insulation, nozzle ablative, motor case materials, and insensitive munitions (thermal stimuli); flame resistant fabrics & textiles; flame resistant composites; carbon-carbon composites; and ballistic impact composites

Numerical modeling of polymeric materials such as-

Thermoplastic thermal degradation; fast cookoff of solid rocket motors; re-entry vehicles thermal protection system ablation; high-temperature composites, and flame retardant polymers

Flame retardant intumescent, high temperature, and multifunctional polymers for selective laser sintering (SLS) for rapid manufacturing

Fabrication and properties characterization of polymer nanocomposites

Dr. Koo has excellent track record for developing well-funded research programs sponsored by AFOSR, AFRL, EPA, FAA, MDA, NAVSEA, NSF, NSWC, ONR, Aerojet, and other companies. Dr. Koo has published over 350 publications, presentations, invited lectures, and filed four patents. Dr. Koo is Fellow of SAMPE and Nanotechnology Committee Chair of SAMPE; and Associate Fellow of AIAA, past chair of AIAA Materials Technical Committee, & Deputy Chair of the Multidisciplinary and Systems Sub Committee of AIAA Emerging Technologies Committee. Currently he serves on the Advisory Board of Carbon Letters, Korean Carbon Society, Gwangju, Korea and Associate Editor, International Journal of Energetic Materials and Chemical Propulsion (IJEMCP).

Dr. Koo's book, Polymer Nanocomposites: Processing, Characterization, and Applications, McGraw-Hill, New York (2006) is for sale at amazon.com.

Selected Publications

1. Koo, J.H., Pilato, L., and Wissler, G., "Polymer Nanostructured Materials for Propulsion Systems", Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 44, (2007), 6, pp. 1250-1262
2. S.C. Lao, J.H. Koo et al., "Flame Retardant Polyamide 11 and 12 Nanocomposites: Thermal and Flammability Properties", J. of Composite Materials, Vol. 43, (2009), 17, pp. 1803-1816
3. D.W. Ho, J.H. Koo, and O.A. Ezekoye, "Kinetics and Thermophysical Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites for Solid Rocket Motor Insulation", J. of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 46, (2009), 3, pp. 526-544
4. Z.P Luo and J.H. Koo, "Determining the layer dispersion degree in polymer layered silicate nanocomposites by quantitative transmission electron microscopy", Polymer, Vol. 49, (2008), pp. 1841-1852
5. M.C. Bruns, J.H. Koo, and O.A. Ezekoye, "Population-Based Models of Thermoplastic Degradation: Using Optimization to Determine Model Parameters", Polymer Degradation Stability, Vol. 94, (2009), pp. 1013-1022