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The events of 9/11 spurred Caltech Professor Julia A. Kornfield’s research team to begin researching polymers that, when added to fuels like gasoline, minimize the risk of explosion when ignited. These polymers, known as megasupramolecules, change the way liquid fuels flow and could help reduce fatalities and injuries from plane crashes, auto accidents, and IED attacks on the battlefield.
The events of 9/11 spurred Kornfield’s research team to begin researching polymers that, when added to fuels like gasoline, minimize the risk of explosion when ignited. These polymers, known as megasupramolecules, change the way liquid fuels flow and could help reduce fatalities and injuries from plane crashes, auto accidents, and IED attacks on the battlefield.
Julia A. Kornfield (BS '83, MS '84) is Elizabeth W. Gilloon Professor of Chemical Engineering in Caltech's Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
Established in 1922, the Earnest C. Watson Lectures bring Caltech’s most innovative scientific research to the public. Named for Earnest C. Watson, a professor of physics at Caltech from 1919 to 1959, the Watson Lectures spotlight a small selection of the pioneering research Caltech’s faculty is currently conducting.
The 2021-2022 Watson Lectures will be presented virtually on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. at caltech.edu/watson. Register online to add this event to your calendar and to receive an email reminder.
Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions and pressing societal challenges. Caltech manages JPL for NASA, sending probes to explore the planets of our solar system and quantify changes on our home planet.
Caltech is an independent, privately supported institution with a 124-acre campus in Pasadena, CA. To learn more, visit caltech.edu.
