Published December 04, 2023
By Christine Reed
The Center for Carbon Capture and Conversion (CCCC) in the School of Energy Resources (SER) is pleased to welcome Ali Reza Zanjanijam to the research team.
A new research professional, Zanjanijam specializes in polymer engineering and will be working to advance coal-to-product developments in polymer materials.
Originally from Zanjan, Iran, Zanjanijam earned his Ph.D. in Polymer Engineering from Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland where he continued working on polymer composite materials. He came to the University of Wyoming in 2022 as a postdoctoral research associate in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Working in the Chemical Engineering Department, he began experimenting on projects utilizing coal as a reinforcement in polymer materials in collaboration with faculty members affiliated with the CCCC.
In his new role at SER, he provides continuity on his UW projects and will work to scale up polymer composites reinforced with coal-derived materials for decking applications.
“The work in the CCCC employs excellent strategies to use coal-based materials in new applications, and working on developing materials for intended applications has been one of the things that has most interested me in my career,” says Zanjanijam. “We started this project from scratch and it is exciting to continue moving it along. I am pleased to be working with people that are experts in the field, and experienced consultants that I can learn from to enhance my skills.”
In addition to his extensive academic career in applied research, he has published over twenty peer-reviewed academic papers, two of which are related to polymer/coal-based composite projects in prestigious journals in the field.
“Ali has an impressive background when it comes to the development of high-performance polymer composites,” says CCCC Director Trina Igelsrud Pfeiffer. “There is a lot of promise in composites reinforced with coal-derived materials for decking applications and I have no doubt that he will make significant contributions to the success of that project, and share what we have learned through his research and publications with a wider audience. We are very pleased that he has joined our team.”
