Brian Grady

Professor
Douglas and Hilda Bourne Chair of Chemical Engineering Professor
Director, Institute for Applied Surfactant Research

Email: bpgrady@ou.edu
Office: Sarkeys Energy Center, T-223
Grady Lab Website
Institute for Applied Surfactant Research
Google Scholar

Education
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, 1994
University of Wisconsin-Madison
B.S. Chemical Engineering, 1987
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research Focus

Polymers
Surfactants
Polymer recycling
Biodegradable Polymers
Interfaces

Awards

2025 NATAS Award for Outstanding Achievement (aka "the Mettler")
2021 Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
2018-2019 President, Society of Plastics Engineers
2012 Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers
2000-2001 Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship
1998-2003 NSF CAREER Awad

Experience

Project Engineer, Procter and Gamble, 1987-1989

About

Our research has three focuses: the first is on polymer systems with two different components, such as polymer-matrix composites, especially those with carbon nanotubes, phase separated copolymers or polymer blends. The second interest is fundamental properties of oil-water interfaces, especially at high pressures and temperatures. The third interests is fundamental characteristics of surfactants in solution with an emphasis on adsorption at the solid-liquid interface. The goal of our research is to quantify how and why the separate components influence properties by understanding the underlying micro- or nano¬structure. In other words, we are interested in determining the fundamental interrelationship between chemical structure, morphology, and properties. Our group uses extremely high-tech equipment to explore these characteristics including x-ray and light scattering, electron and atomic force microscopy, shear rheology, and drop-shape analysis/rheology. Our laboratory collaborates with both academic and industrial colleagues, and we bring these important characterization tools to study relevant and practical problems. As of August 2024, the results of our research have been featured in over 160 refereed archival journal papers and 12 book chapters. Dr. Grady is a co-inventor on 9 granted US Patents. Dr. Grady is also the author of a single-author book on carbon nanotubes in polymers

Books

B.P. Grady, Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composites: Manufacture, Properties, and Applications, (New York: John Wiley & Sons), August 2011 (ISBN: 978-0-470-59641-8).

Selected Publications

M. Leonard, Z.A. Chaleshtari, S.T. Adamy, R.T. Zehr, D. Sabatini, J.H. Harwell, B.P. Grady “Salt effects on the hydrophilic-lipophilic deviation (HLD) equation” Journal of Surfactants and Detergents, 28, 813-822 (2025).
H.Q. Li, B.W. Tipton, H. Aboukeila, E.A. Mendoza, A. Alzailaie, T.W. Yan. C.R. Landis, J.S. Weston, B.P. Grady, G.W. Huber, “Upcycling of Waste Plastics into Carboxylic Acids for Biodegradable Surfactants”, Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 64, Art. 17471 (2025).
H. Aboukeila, E.R.Chokkapu, H.F. Tu, O. Singh, W.T. Diment, S. Xu, M. Urgun-Demirtas, J. Klier, G.W. Huber, B.P. Grady, E.Y.X. Chen, “Biobased Poly(dodecylene Furanoate) with Inherent Advantages in Performance and Circularity” ChemSusChem, 18, Art. 010810 (2025).
M.A. Rhue, C. Bavlnka, A. Pappas, S. Crossley, B.P. Grady, “Balancing processability and percolation behavior of ultrahigh aspect ratio carbon nanotubes in polymers through ball milling”, Polymer Composites, 46, S747-S763 (2025).
B.X. Wang, Y. Cortes-Peña, B.P. Grady, G.W. Huber, V.M. Zavala, “Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of the Production of Biodegradable Polyaliphatic-Polyaromatic Polyesters”, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 24, 9156-9167 (2024).
M.C. Zhou, Z.A.Chaleshtari, B.J. Shiau, B.P. Grady, R. Foudazi, “Air-water interfacial properties of perfluorosulfonic acid salts with different chain lengths”, Colloids and Surfaces A, Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 694, Art. 134129 (2024).
B. Xu and B.P. Grady, “Further Exploration of Heat of Immersion as a Method to Quantify Wettability for Particulates: Effect of Temperature”, Langmuir, 40, 6675–6684 (2024).
B.P. Grady, “Very long-time crystallization kinetics for ethylene-methacrylic acid ionomers neutralized with zinc, sodium, lithium and magnesium”, Thermochimica Acta, 734, Art. 179694 (2024).
M.A. Rhue, M. Zaquot, C. Bavlnka, S. Crossley, B.P. Grady, “Length reduction kinetics of multiwalled carbon nanotubes correlated to planetary ball mill impact energy”, Fullerenes, Nanotubes and Carbon Nanostructures, 32, 8-21 (2024).