Senior Research Scientist
Group Leader, Advanced Polymers

Alex has over fourteen years of experience in the areas of materials flammability, polymeric material flame retardancy, fire science and fire safety engineering. He also has ten years of experience in the area of polymer nanocomposites, specifically polymer layered silicate (clay) nanocomposites for fire safety, automotive, and thermoplastic applications. Alex has extensive analytical experience in the areas of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fire testing (UL-94, cone calorimeter, pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry), and nanocomposite analysis (electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction).  He is an author on over 85 publications, including chapters in several key reference books and is editor on three books on polymer flammability.

Alex is currently working on a variety of materials science projects including multifunctional materials, composites with integrated protective coatings, designing polymers for additive manufacturing, and the development of fire safe materials.  Dr. Morgan is the contact person for the UDRI fire testing and research capabilities.  He is also in charge of the Polymeric Materials Characterization Lab (PMCL) where he coordinates internal and external research on polymeric material analysis.

Education:

• Ph.D., Chemistry, University of South Carolina, 1998
• B.S., Chemistry, Virginia Military Institute, 1994

Professional Affiliations:

• American Chemical Society
• Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
• Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE)
• ASTM International

Selected Publications:

• Fire Retardancy of Polymeric Materials, 2nd Edition. Eds. Wilkie, C. A.; Morgan A. B.  December 2009 (2010 publishing date), Taylor and Francis. Boca Raton, FL ISBN 978-1-4200-8399-6.
  
• Higginbotham, A.; Lomeda, J.; Morgan, A. B.; Tour J. T. “Graphite Oxide Flame Retardant Polymer Nanocomposites” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2009, 1, 2256-2261.
  
• Hirschler, M. M.; Morgan, A. B. “Thermal Decomposition of Polymers” in “Society for Fire Protection Engineering Handbook” Eds. DiNenno, P. J.; Drysdale, D. D.; Beyler, C. L.; Walton, W. D.; Custer, R. L. P.; Hall, J. R.; Watts, J. M.  National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA 2008, ISBN 978-0-87765-821-4.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Wolf, J. D.; Guliants, E. A.; Fernando, K. A. S.; Lewis, W. K. “Heat Release Measurements on Micron and Nano-scale Aluminum Powders” Thermochimica Acta 2009, 488, 1-9. 
  
• ACS SYMPOSIUM SERIES #1013, Fire and Polymers V: Materials and Concepts for Fire Retardancy.  Eds. Nelson, G. L.; Wilkie, C. A.; Morgan A. B.  2009, Oxford University Press / American Chemical Society, pp312-328.  ISBN 978-0-8412-6988-0
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Gagliardi, N. A.; Price, W. A.; Galaska, M. L. “Cone Calorimeter Testing of S2 Glass Reinforced Polymer Composites” Fire Mater. 2009, 33, 323-344. 
  
• Fox, D. M.; Gilman, J. W.; Morgan, A. B.; Shields, J. R.; Maupin, P. H.; Lyon, R. E.; De Long, H. C.; Trulove, P. C. “Flammability and Thermal Analysis Characterization of Imadazolium-Based Ionic Liquids” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2008, 47, 6327-6332. 
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Galaska, M. L. ”Microcombustion calorimetry as a tool for screening flame retardancy in epoxy” Polymers for Advanced Technology 2008, 19, 530-546.
  
• “The Use of Nanotechnology for Fire Safety: Current State of the Art, Possible Problems, and New Opportunities,” Morgan, A. B. Nanotechnology Law and Business 2007, 4, issue 3 (http://www.nanolabweb.com).
  
• “Flame Retardant Polymer Nanocomposites,” edited Alexander B. Morgan and Charles A. Wilkie, pub. John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken, NJ) 2007 (ISBN 978-0-471-73426-0).
  
• Morgan, A. B. “Polymer-Clay Nanocomposites: Design and Application of Multi-Functional Materials,” Material Matters 2007, 2, 20-23.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Bundy, M. “Cone Calorimeter Analysis of UL-94 V Rated Plastics,” Fire and Materials 2007, 31, 257-283.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Cogen, J. M.; Opperman, R. S.; Harris, J. D. “Magnesium Carbonate Based Flame Retardant Systems for Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) and Poly(ethylene-co-ethyl acrylate),” Fire and Materials 2007, 31, 387-410.
  
• Gilman, J. W.; Harris, R. H.; Shields, J. R.; Kashiwagi, T.; Morgan, A. B. “A Study of the Flammability Reduction Mechanism of Polystyrene-Layered Silicate Nanocomposite: Layered Silicate Reinforced Carbonaceous Char,” Polym. Adv. Technol. 2006, 17, 263-271.
  
• Morgan, A. B. “Flame Retarded Polymer Layered Silicate Nanocomposites: A Review Of Commercial and Open Literature Systems,” Polym. Adv. Technol. 2006, 17, 206-217.
  
• Zhao, J.; Morgan, A. B.; Harris, J. D. “Rheological Characterization of Polystyrene-Clay Nanocomposites to Compare the Degree of Exfoliation and Dispersion,” Polymer 2005, 46, 8641-8660.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Jurs, J.; Stephenson, J.; Tour, J. M. “Flame Retardant Materials: Non-Halogenated Additives from Brominated Starting Materials and Inherently Low-Flammability Polymers,” in Encyclopedia of Chemical Processing; Sunggyu Lee, Ed.; Taylor & Francis: New York, 2005; pp.1879-1895.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Chu, L-L.; Harris, J. D. “A Flammability Performance Comparison between Synthetic and Natural Clays in Polystyrene Nanocomposites,” Fire Mater. 2005, 29, 213-229.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Harris, J. D. “Exfoliated Polystyrene-Clay Nanocomposites Synthesized by Solvent Blending with Sonication,” Polymer 2004, 45, 8695-8703.
  
• Chu, L. L.; Anderson, S. K.; Harris, J. D.; Beach, M. W.; Morgan, A. B. “Styrene-Acrylonitrile (SAN) Layered Silicate Nanocomposites Prepared by Melt Compounding,” Polymer 2004, 45, 4051-4061.
  
• Kashiwagi, T.; Morgan, A. B.; Antonucci, J. M.; VanLandingham, M. R.; Harris, R. H.; Awad, W. H.; Shields, J. R. “Thermal and Flammability Properties of a Silica-Poly(methylmethacrylate) Nanocomposite” J. App. Polym. Sci. 2003, 89, 2072-2078.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Harris, J. D. “Effects of Organoclay Soxhlet Extraction on Mechanical Properties, Flammability Properties and Organoclay Dispersion of Polypropylene Nanocomposites,” Polymer 2003, 44, 2313-2320.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Harris, R. H.; Kashiwagi, T.; Chyall, L. J.; Gilman, J. W. “Flammability of Polystyrene Layered Silicate (Clay) Nanocomposites: Carbonaceous Char Formation,” Fire and Materials 2002, 26, 247-253.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Gilman, J. W. “Characterization of Polymer-Layered Silicate (Clay) Nanocomposites by Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-ray Diffraction: A Comparative Study,” J. App. Polym. Sci. 2002, 87, 1329.
  
• Gilman, J. W.; Awad, W. H.; Davis, R. D.; Shields, J.; Harris, R. H. Jr.; Davis, C.; Morgan, A. B.; Sutto, T. E.; Callahan, J.; Trulove, P. C.; DeLong, H. C. “Polymer/Layered Silicate Nanocomposites from Thermally Stable Trialkylimidazolium-Treated Montmorillonite,” Chem. Mater. 2002, 14, 3776.
  
• Yao, H.; Zhu, J.; Morgan, A. B.; Wilkie, C. A. “Crown Ether-Modified Clays and Their Polystyrene Nanocomposites,” Polymer Engineering and Science 2002, 42, 1808.
  
• Zanetti, M.; Camino, G.; Canavese, D.; Morgan, A. B.; Lamelas, F. J.; Wilkie, C. A. “Fire Retardant Halogen-Antimony-Clay Synergism in Polypropylene Layered Silicate Nanocomposites,” Chem. Mater. 2002, 14, 189.
  
• Zhu, J.; Uhl, F. M.; Morgan, A. B.; Wilkie, C. A. “Studies on the Mechanism by Which the Formation of Nanocomposites Enhances Thermal Stability,” Chem. Mater. 2001, 13, 4649.
  
• Zhu, J.; Morgan, A. B.; Lamelas, F. J.; Wilkie, C. A. “Fire Properties Of Polystyrene-Clay Nanocomposites,” Chem. Mater. 2001, 13, 3774.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Gilman, J. W.; Jackson, C. L. “Characterization of the Dispersion of Clay in a Polyetherimide Nanocomposite,” Macromolecules 2001, 34, 2735.
  
• Gilman, J. W.; Jackson, C. L.; Morgan, A. B.; Harris, R. H.; Manias, E.; Giannelis, E. P.; Wuthenow, M.; Hilton, D.; Phillips, S. “Flammability Properties of Polymer Layered-Silicate Nanocomposites.  Polypropylene and Polystyrene Nanocomposites,” Chem. Mater. 2000, 12, 1866.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Jurs, J. L.; Tour, J. M. “Boronic Acids: Polymer Flame Retardant Additives,” J. App. Polym. Sci. 2000, 76, 1257.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Tour, J. M. “Synthesis and Testing of Non-Halogenated Alkyne/Phosphorus-Containing Polymer Additives: Potent Condensed Phase Flame Retardants,” J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 1999, 73, 707-718.
  
• Morgan, A. B.; Tour, J. M. “Synthesis and Testing of Nonhalogenated Alkyne-Containing Flame Retarding Polymer Additives,” Macromolecules 1998, 31, 2857.