Dr. Michael J. Owen
Expert Consultant

Abhijit SarkarProfessional Interests

  • My research interests are in the area of surface chemistry of silicones and other low surface energy materials. Current focus is on structure/property correlations of organosilicon-containing polymers, copolymers and surfactants, fluorosilicones, dendrimers, surface analysis techniques (particularly contact angle and XPS), adhesion and release phenomena, emulsions, and surface modification techniques (particularly plasma/corona treatment).

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Education

  • D.Sc. (1991) University of Bristol [for published research]
  • Ph.D. (1965) University of Bristol (Surface Chemistry)
  • B.Sc. (1962) University of Bristol (Chemistry)

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Professional Experience

  • 2001 to date: Scientist Emeritus, Dow Corning Corporation
  • 1997 to date: Adjunct Professor, Michigan Molecular Institute
  • 2001 to date: Independent Research Consultant. Clients:
    ●  MMI (incl. Oxazogen Inc. and Impact Analytical) [2002-9]
    ●  Pelikan Technologies Inc. [2002-4/2006]
    ● Dow Corning Corp. [2003-4]
    ● Great Lakes Chemicals Inc./Chemtura Corp. [2004-5]
    ● Bordener Engineered Surfaces [2006-7]
    ● Medingo Ltd. [2007]
    ● Ventiva Inc. [2009]
  • 2005: Expert Witness for Feldstein, Grinberg, Stein & McKee [Pittsburgh PA]
  • 1999 to 2007: Volunteer NSF Expert/Program Director [Polymers and Solid-State Chemistry]
  • 1990 to 2000: Senior Research Scientist, Dow Corning Corporation
  • 1965 to 1990: Various R&D positions at Dow Corning Corp./Midland Silicones Ltd.
  • Visiting Scientist: U of South Australia 2002, Flinders U 2004 (with Prof. Matisons).
  • Industrial Fellow: U of Minnesota 1997 (with Prof. Gerberich).

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Synergistic Activities

  • Editorial Board of Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology [1993 to 2001]
  • Subject Editor [Surface Science] of Silicon Chemistry [2001 to 2008]
  • Editorial Advisory board of SILICON [2009-2011]
  • Member of American Chemical Society [Treasurer Midland Section 1995-1998, Alternate Councilor 1999-2001, Chair Elect 2002, Chair 3003, Past-Chair 2004, Director 2005-7, Fall Scientific Meeting co-Chair 2008, Resident Agent 2006 to date. (The Midland Section won four ChemLuminary Awards in 2004 for the 2003 year, including Outstanding Local Section, plus four Certificates of Excellence). Co-organizer of several national and regional polymer and surface science symposia, National Award Selection Committee member 2009-2012]
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Chartered Chemist
  • Former member of Adhesion Society and International association of Interface and Colloid Scientists
  • Member of Planning and Policy Board, Center for Interfacial Engineering, University of Minnesota 1995/7
  • Principal Investigator for EPRI Contract CS-3548, Project 1030-20, Mechanism of Fine-Coal Dewatering by Silicone Additives, 1983/4
  • Collaborations with Prof. M. K. Chaudhury, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, USA [Thesis Committee member for H. She and J. Kim]; Prof. P. R. Dvornic, Michigan Molecular Institute, USA; and Prof. J. G. Matisons, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia [Thesis External Examiner for Andrew Schamshurin]. Prof. Matisons was formerly at the Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia [Thesis External Examiner for D. C. Kehoe and R. Ma]
  • Faculty Opponent for Swedish Ph.Ds [Marcus Berg, Uppsala University, H. Hillborg, TKH Stockholm]
  • Presenter of various courses on surface chemistry and polymers at Dow Corning (USA, Europe and Asia), MMI, Kent State University, and University of South Australia
  • Referee for Langmuir, Macromolecules, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Silicon Science, SILICON, European Polymer Journal, Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology, Journal of Adhesion, IEEE Transactions, Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials.
  • Reviewer for NSF grant applications, panelist and site visitor.
  • Reviewer for Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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Honors and Awards

  • 2005  ACS Midland Section Award for Outstanding Achievement and Promotion of the Chemical Sciences
  • 2001 de Bruyne Medal from Society for Adhesion and Adhesives [UK] (Issue 2(5/6), 2003 (published 2005) of Silicon Chemistry contains collection of papers “dedicated to Mike Owen on occasion of his winning the de Bruyne medal, the first silicon chemist to do so”)
  • 1998 Sigma Xi Best Paper Award, Midland Chapter
  • 1998 Dow Corning Technical Achievement Award for Release Force Understanding
  • 1996 Dow Corning Technical Achievement Award for System D Curable Silicone-Organic Material   

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Publications

  • Numerous publications [over 150], and patents [25], primarily in the area of surface properties of silicones and other organosilicon polymers and surfactants. Recent examples include:
    1. Silicon-Containing Dendritic Polymers [Advances in Silicon Science 02], P. Dvornic and M. J. Owen (eds.), Springer, 2009
    2. M. J. Owen, “Say Yes to Silicones! [Si to Si!]”, in Science and Technology of Silicones and Silicone-Modified Materials, S. J. Clarson, J. J. Fitzgerald, M. J. Owen, S. D. Smith and M. E. van Dyke, Eds., ACS Symposium Ser. 964, 2 (2007)
    3. J. Kim, M. K. Chaudhury and M. J. Owen, “Modeling Hydrophobic Recovery of Electrically Discharged Polydimethylsiloxane Elastomers”, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 293(2), 364 (2006) (On-line Aug. 1 2005)
    4. M. J. Owen, “Plasma/Corona Treatment of Silicones”, Aust. J. Chem. 58, 433 (2005)
    5. M. J. Owen, “A Review of Significant Directions in Fluorosiloxane Coatings”, Surface Coatings International Part B, 87, 71 (2004).
    6. M. J. Owen, “Coupling Agents: Chemical Bonding at Interfaces”, in Adhesion Science and Engineering – 2. Surfaces, Chemistry and Applications, Chapter 9, M. K. Chaudhury and A. V. Pocius, Eds., Elsevier, New York, 2002
    7. S. Clarke, J. G. Matisons, M. J. Owen and D. Graiver, “Synthesis of Dipotassium Dimethylsilanolate Monohydrate”, Silicon Science, 1, 89 (2002)
    8. P. R. Dvornic, J. Li, A. M. de Leuze-Jallouli, S. D. Reeves and M. J. Owen, “Nanostructured Dendrimer-Based Networks with Hydrophilic Polyamidoamine and Hydrophobic Organosilicon Domains”, Macromolecules, 35, 9323 (2002)
    9. J. Kim, M. K. Chaudhury, M. J. Owen and T. Orbeck, “The Mechanism of Hydrophobic Recovery of Polydimethylsiloxane Elastomers Exposed to Partial Electrical Discharges”, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 244, 200 (2001)
    10. S. V. Perz, C. S. McMillan and M. J. Owen, “Wettability of Fluorosilicone Surfaces”, in Fluorinated Surfaces, Coatings and Films, D. G. Castner and D. W. Grainger, Eds., ACS Symposium Ser. 787, 112 (2001).

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Recent Patents

  • D. M. Freeman, D. Boecker, R. Jones, D. Cullen, M. McLeod, W. Carlsen, M. J. Owen and C. Dryer, WO 2004/060446, “Method and Apparatus Using Optical Techniques to Measure Analyte Levels”, July 22, 2004.
  • P. R. Dvornic, J. Hu, A. M. de Leuze-Jallouli, and M. J. Owen, US Patent No. 6,350,384 “Silicon-Containing Multi-Arm Star Polymers”, February 26, 2002.
  • M. J. Owen, S. Boileau, P. R. Dvornic, P. Parham, D. Pickelman, S. D. Reeves, I. Hemonic, D. Teyssie and F. Vidal European Patent No. 01303803.9 “Dendrimer-Based Interpenetrating Networks”, July 10, 2001 [Also Japanese Patent No. 2001316589].
  • S. Clarke, D. Graiver, J. Matisons and M. J. Owen, US Patent No. 6,046,293, “Solid-Liquid Phase Interfacial Polymerization”, April 4, 2000.
  • Q. Feng, R. G. Kalinowski, K. M. Lee, M. A. Lutz, M. J. Owen, S. V. Perz and T. Suzuki, and S. V. Perz, US Patent No. 6,060,559, “Curable Polyolefin Compositions Containing Organosilicon Compounds as Adhesion Additives”, May 9, 2000.

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