Phone 0114 225 3008
Fax 0114 225 3501
E-mail c.breen@shu.ac.uk
Professor of Materials Chemistry
Research interests
Professor Breen joined the Materials and Engineering Research Institute in 1992 and took up a personal Chair in 2002. He was appointed Head of Research Centre in 2004 and is currently responsible for the Polymers, Nanocomposites and Modelling Research Centre.
Professor Breen is also leader of the Polymers, Composites and Spectroscopy (PCAS) Research Group. In addition to the work on nanocomposites and stimuli responsive polymers, this group also offers expertise in the applicational of vibrational spectroscopy to the study of controlled release from polymer matrices, polymer formation, gelation and degradation, to map and image polymer formulations. Chemometric data analysis of the spectral data is often used to enhance the information available. The Group also has considerable expertise in thermoanalytical methods with a particular interest in TG, DSC and evolved gas analysis using mass spectrometry.
Professor Breen has worked on clay-organic complexes for 30 years and has recently transferred this expertise into the production, characterisation and use of clay-based polymer nanocomposites. These materials offer significant changes in mechanical, barrier and fire resistant properties and the PCAS group has funding from a number of sources (including EPSRC, the European Union and industry) to investigate these systems for the automotive, construction and packaging sectors.
Professor Breen, a Fellow of the Mineralogical Society, has been an Associate Editor of Clay Minerals since 1995. He chaired the Clay Minerals Group of the Mineralogical Society (2004-2007) and in 2009 was elected as President of AIPEA, the International Association of Clay Groups (www.aipea.net).
Research collaborations
In addition to projects with UK-based industry, Professor Breen is currently engaged in a number of collaborative EU projects involving a significant number of universities, research institutes and industrial interests, including:
COST Action FP1003: Impact of Renewable Materials in Packaging. December 2010 to November 2014
POLYFIRE: Upscaling Fire-Resistant Nano-Filled Thermosetting Polyester Resin. September 2009 to August 2012
FLEXPAKRENEW: Development of an innovative ecoefficient low-substrate flexible paper packaging from renewable resources. September 2008 to August 2011.
Recent publications
All of Chris's papers can be accessed at SHURA.
FTIR-ATR Studies of the Sorption and Diffusion of Water/Acetone Mixtures in Poly(vinyl alcohol). L-M. Doeppers, C. Sammon, C. Breen and J. Yarwood. Polymer, 2006, 27, 2714-2722.
Bulk Mineralogical Characterisation of Reservoir Rocks and Sandstones using Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares Analysis. C. Breen, F. Clegg, M.M. Herron, G.P. G Hild, S. Hillier, T.L. Hughes, T.G.J. Jones, A. Matteson and J. Yarwood. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2008, 60, 1-17.
Barrier material and method for making same. C. Andersson, L. Jarnstrom and C. Breen. PCT/SE2009/051469.
Steel component with intumescent coatings. C. Breen and S. Thompson, GB2448514. Granted 17 November 2010.
A new nano-TiO2 immobilized biodegradable polymer with self-cleaning properties. M. Sokmen, I. Tatlidil, C. Breen, F.C. Clegg, C.K. Buruk, T. Sivlim, and S. Akkan. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2011, 187, 199-205.