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Professor Byron Christmas directs the Center for Applied Polymer Science Research at UHD

(Houston, Texas, June 28, 2006) Dr. Byron Christmas, professor of chemistry at the University of Houston-Downtown, received the 6th annual RadTech President's Award recently at the RadTech meeting in Miami, Fla.

This award is presented to individual RadTech members who make significant contributions to RadTech and to the advancement of ultra violet and electronic beam (UV/EB) technology.

"Dr. Christmas' contributions to UV/EB technology include not only his direct efforts with RadTech, but extend to his highly regarded research, and perhaps most importantly, the development of students in our field," says RadTech President David Harbourne, President of Fusion UV. "For several years, he has presented a very successful polymer chemistry 'undergraduate course' at our biennial conference that hundreds of UV/EB professionals have benefited from. In addition, he has prepared several timely research papers and articles, and most recently he spearheaded the development of RadTech's first online Web course with more 100 participants."

"Ultraviolet (UV) polymerization is a "green" technology used in coatings, inks, adhesives, and other related products," explains Christmas.   "This 'green' technology essentially eliminates the air pollution that is normally associated with conventional solvent-based products.   At the same time, the 'curing' of these materials reduces the energy consumption associated with the conventional curing methods by as much as 65%.  

"At this time of rapidly-increasing energy costs, this technology is receiving more attention from the makers and users of coatings, inks, etc.   Not only is air pollution eliminated with this technology and the energy consumption significantly reduced, but the time associated with the 'curing' of the product is reduced from minutes or hours (even days in extreme cases) to seconds or less.   Thus, manufacturers' productivity is significantly improved," Christmas said.

Dr. Christmas has been with the UH-Downtown College of Sciencces and Technology since 1991 and is the director and principle investigator for the Center for Applied Polymer Science Research (CAPSR), a research program involving undergraduate students in UV-polymerization chemistry and technology.  

Since 1994 Professor Christmas' research in the center has focused on bridging the gap between "cutting-edge" research conducted in large graduate academic programs in polymer science and the day-to-day product development activities of professional chemists in companies involved with industrial applications of UV-polymerization.   As a strictly undergraduate program, CAPSR seeks to answer basic questions about the chemistry and technology of this interdisciplinary field of study, questions that will have relatively short-term application for the industrial development chemist, while at the same time, breaking new ground with respect to novel end-use applications for the technology.   Undergraduate students in the CAPSR lab, then, have the opportunity to be involved in basic and applied research activities that have applications for many products that can be produced in an environmentally friendly way.   More information about CAPSR can be found at the laboratory's website:   www.uhd.edu/academic/colleges/sciences/naturalscience/poly.htm

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-DOWNTOWN
UH-Downtown is a public university of nearly 12,000 students, offering a wide variety of bachelor’s degrees, as well as master’s programs in criminal justice, professional writing, security management and teaching. One of four distinct universities in the UH System, Houston’s Downtown University is nationally recognized for its student diversity, wireless campus, outstanding academic opportunities and productive community partnerships. At UHD, the emphasis is on excellence in teaching and student success.

Please use UH-Downtown, UHD or University of Houston-Downtown when referring to our university.