Faculty in the Department of Plastics Engineering are active researchers. The department maintains an extensive lab facility allowing the faculty to direct research in areas including the following:

  • Plastics Product Design
  • Plastics Process Development
  • Plastics Materials and Additives
  • Plastics Mold and Die Design
  • Elastomers and Rubber
  • Testing and Characterization
  • Computer-Aided Engineering
  • Plastics Recycling
  • Polymeric Biomaterials

Other Research Initiatives

  • Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property
    Technology commercialization takes place within Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property (CVIP), whereas the focus of our economic development activities is with entrepreneurs and early stage companies within Commercial Venture Development (CVD).
  • Nanomanufacturing Center
    Nanotechnology research is creating scientific breakthroughs at an amazing rate - inventions that hit the national and international news almost daily. The promise of nanotechnology will not be realized until lab-created inventions can be reliably replicated and manufactured.
  • M2D2 
  • NSF Biodegradable Polymer Research Center
    The Biodegradable Polymer Research Center (BPRC) functions to carry out exploratory and fundamental research on biodegradable polymers to support the technological interests of its members.

The Plastics Engineering faculty works closely with both industry and governmental organizations on plastics-related research. Most research programs are developed between faculty members and the sponsoring company or organization. Project sponsors define their specific needs, and the faculty member(s) develop a proposal.

In such cases, a proposal is developed with the assistance of the UMass Lowell Office for Research Administration, the University's one-stop solutions provider for managing research, budgets, technology research programs and technology licensing.  Mechanisms exist for conducting all types of research programs: from simple short-term materials testing or consultations to major multi-year research projects.

A listing of past Plastics Engineering master's degree theses (PDF) and doctoral dissertations (PDF) is on the web.