Researchers in the Center for Complex Fluids Engineering (CCFE) attack problems associated with the formulation, control and engineering of processes involving complex fluids.

Research Objectives
Complex fluids are of industrial importance due to their unique mechanical properties, their capacity to solubilize and transport materials and their internal microstructures. Complex fluids engineering facilitates the production of existing products, the scale-up of novel laboratory procedures to pilot, and production plant-size operations for new products. The center targets processing operations involving complex fluids in the coatings, pharmaceutical and mining industries, such as spraying, granulation, solid/liquid and protein separations. CCFE faculty are conducting significant research in nanotechnology and biotechnology, too.

Educational Objectives
The educational arm of the center is the Colloids, Polymers and Surfaces Program, which provides undergraduate and graduate education in the areas of colloids, polymers and surfaces (interfaces). The program was established because local industry sought educational opportunities relevant to industrial technology. More about the programs can be found at http://cfe.cheme.cmu.edu/education.htm

Current Projects
The practical importance of complex fluids engineering has fostered interaction between the center and a variety of industries. Here are examples of our sponsored projects:

• Philips Electronics Research, Eindhovenon: the dynamics of colloidal particles on electrodes in DC and AC fields.
• Aristech: Local mechanical properties of polyethylene-polypropylene blends using force modulation
• AFM Bayer: Steric stabilization properties of reactively grafted polyols using colloidal-probe
• AFM Naval Research Laboratory: Surface characterization of printed DNA arrays using dynamic
• AFM Merck Research Laboratories: Co-Adsorption of Polymers and Surfactants Used in Wet Granulation Processes.
• Sponsor Merck & Co. Inc., WestPoint,PA: "Analysis and Optimization of Coating Atomization in a Pan Coating Device"
• Lubrizol: low ka high frequency electrophoretic mobility calculations