Dr. Mark Jensen, chair of the chemistry department, is part of a team of researchers in electrochemistry who are supported by one of the largest federal research grants ever awarded in this region.

Their work involves developing anti-corrosion coatings for aluminum alloys - a principal construction material for aircraft.

"Aluminum is lightweight and it doesn't easily corrode, but it's not very strong so its usefulness in construction is limited. Usually it is alloyed with an element like copper to increase strength," Jensen explains. "But this makes the metal more prone to corrosion, so an anti-corrosion coating must be applied. The most commonly used coatings contain chromium, which is toxic.  Our research is focused on exploring conducting polymers as an alternative to the chromium-based coatings."

He spent last year on sabbatical in the Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials at North Dakota State University, and then received a Concordia Centennial Scholars grant to involve two students in the research.

He and his student researchers, Chris Aakre '07, Hawley, Minn., and Audrey Guerard '08, Royalton, Minn., examine various methods of preparing the bare alloy surfaces before deposition of the coatings to determine the effects of these methods on the adhesion and corrosion protection properties of the coating.  Aakre and Guerard prepared and coated more than 200 alloy samples.

"I tried to be really efficient with each test," says Guerard. "The work required a lot of multi-tasking. I found out that I enjoy the problem solving aspect of doing lab research, rather than simply following a formula from a textbook."

For Jensen, working on this project will be ongoing, and Guerard is spending the summer at his side in the lab. They are collecting and analyzing data, trying new electrochemical approaches and writing up their results.

"Using electrochemistry to deposit polymers is a complicated process and we need to know more about how it works. That's our direction now," says Jensen. "This is fundamental science that's a hot research area. Lots of people all over the world are looking at these applications."

Guerard, a ACS chemistry major and math minor, has enjoyed the work so much she's hoping to one-day land a job as an industrial researcher. "This has really given me a good look at a career. I like being able to figure things out, to find out why some things work and others don't."

Jensen says his teaching load normally prevents him from devoting large amounts of time for research during the academic year, so he's happy that the collaboration with other institutions in Fargo-Moorhead keeps him on the cutting edge of a very active field.

"And it gets to be more fun if you can work alongside students to help them grow and see the opportunities that are before them," says Jensen. "It's a very collaborative, very beneficial relationship for us all."


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