You have reached the individual home page for Darren Williams. I have prepared specific information for a wide variety of visitors. Use these links to quickly find information relevant to your situation:

• Students
  • Are you currently in one of my classes?
  • Are you a prospective student who wants to see a different side of chemistry, namely pchem?
• Future Research Collaborators
  • Do you want to find out what I do for research?
  • Do you want to find out what I can offer to your team?
• Potential Research Sponsors
  • Do you want to know how much it costs (xls) for me to research your problem?
  • Do you want to know the process for establishing a contract with the university so we can begin work?
  • Do you just want to bounce some ideas off a pchemist?
• The Merely Curious
  • Take a look at our lab photos.
  • Check out my curiosities download page.
  • Browse through the list of former students and colleagues.

Why We Are Here

The Chemistry Department and the Williams research group address the physical chemistry needs of the university, the State of Texas, and the general public through:

Quality teaching of quantum mechanics, spectroscopy, thermodynamics, and kinetics drawing material from various authors. (P.W. Atkins, J. Nibler, G Herzberg, T. Engel, P. Reid, D. Harris, M. Bertolucci, F. Cotton, and R. Drago).

Rigorous data analysis using image processing, Hansen Sphere determination, process mapping, numerical modeling, non-linear optimization, multiple linear / step-wise regression, spectral deconvolution, gauge repeatability-reliability analysis, and molecular modeling (HSPiP, Minitab, ImageJ, Mathmatica, Excel, Gaussian, Hyperchem, and Discovery Studio).

Broad coverage of experimental techniques

• Hydrometry (temperature-controlled large-capacity)
• Tensiometry (temperature-controlled, interfacial, large-capacity)
• Contact Angle Analysis (Langmuir, Bikerman, and Drop Shape Analysis Methods)
• Viscometry (temperature-controlled, capillary and falling-ball)
• Chromatography (gas, liquid, and ion)
• Mass spectrometry (gas, solid desorption, and ion mobility)
• Calorimetry (bomb and solution)
• Digital microscopy (polarized visible and infrared)
• Spectroscopy (absorption-UVVIS, reflectance-UVVIS, micro-UVVIS, macro/micro-absorption-FTIR, macro/micro-reflectance-FTIR, micro-grazing-angle-reflectance-FTIR, macro/micro-attenuated-total-reflectance-FTIR, Raman, micro-Raman, laser-induced-fluorimetry, solution fluorimetry, 60Mhz NMR, and 300MHz NMR)

Innovative research

• Using short-turnaround 3-month (Jun – Aug), 6-month (Mar – Aug, Jun – Nov), 9-month (Dec – Aug, Jun – Feb), and annual research contracts and grants.
• Using a mixture of faculty, graduate students, exchange students, and undergraduate students.
• Addressing a variety of needs
  • Improvement of the sessile drop contact angle analysis methods for industrial applications (read more>)
  • Hansen solubility sphere analysis of polymeric materials, explosives, and non-electrolytes in organic solvent blends (read more>)
  • Solvent blend predictions and substitutions for environmental impact and hazard reduction (read more>)
  • Spectroscopic interpretation, assignment, and modeling using Gaussian, Hyperchem, and Discovery Studio software packages.
  • Analysis of aging machanisms of polymeric materials and binders of explosives
  • Detection of traditional, military, and home-made explosive substances
  • Determination and optimization of filled-polymer formulation process parameters
  • Safe destruction of home-made explosive substances