VT College of Science Magazine Spring 2009 | Page 5

3

McGrath has made incomparable research contributions to the

the chemistry required to maintain the integrity and qualities of

area of high-performance and high-temperature polymers. His

polymer materials while preserving the desired properties of each

research group was among the first to recognize and demon-

component, all with processing ease, economy, and recyclability.

strate a significant improvement in fracture toughness of chem-

McGrath began his career in private industry. He spent eight
years in synthetic rubber research at the Goodyear Tire and
Rubber Company and eight years at Union Carbide, where he
was involved in many research areas, such as engineering thermoplastics and polyurethanes. And somewhere in there, he
earned a Ph.D. in polymer science from the University of Akron
in Ohio.
“I always knew I wanted to come back to a university setting,”
McGrath said. In 1975, he saw a newspaper ad for a position at
Virginia Tech to teach organic chemistry and start a polymer
program. He accepted a job offer for the position, which paid
half the salary he was making in industry. He never looked
back.

ically modified thermosets for structural adhesives and aerospace carbon fiber composites. Thermosets are plastic molding
compounds that have the following characteristics: high heat
resistance, chemical resistance, electrical insulation, and dimension stability. It’s no wonder such materials have emerged to
become the matrix material of choice for demanding applications for today’s high-tech industries, such as microelectronics
and aerospace.
In recent years, McGrath’s primary research interests have been
in polymeric film membranes for fuel cells and reverse osmosis water purification methods. In many applications, materials
are constantly being shipped one way or another across membranes. McGrath has developed proton exchange membranes
for fuel cells with the potential for replacing the internal com-

“I ascribe to the saying, ‘don’t look back. Someone may be gain-

bustion engine over time, as well as allowing for a higher pow-

ing on you!’” he laughed. “It was a bit of a gamble, but I was

er density in mobile devices such as cell phones and portable

confident.”

laptop computers. The by-product when using hydrogen as a

Now, more than 30 years later, McGrath still keeps that newspaper ad in his home office.

fuel is water compared to such compounds as sulfur and nitrogen oxides that are generated by traditional engines. The latter
by-products are known to contribute to acid rain, smog, and
other global and environmental conditions.

Expanding the World of Polymers continued next page

Issue No. 6 sprINg 2009

Over the years, McGrath has become a leader in determining

M a g a z i n e

PREdictiNg ANd iMPRoviNg tHE futuRE

S C i e n C e

vices used by the military or commercially in field assignments.

o f

Benny Freeman
Kenneth A. Kobe Professor in Chemical Engineering
University of Texas at Austin

C o l l e g e

“it is difficult to overestimate
the contributions Jim has
made to polymer science.”