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Douglas W. Coffin
Professor
Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering

Douglas W. Coffin, Ph.D.

Contact Info

513-529-0771
64N Engineering Building

Education

  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware 1993
  • M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Delaware 1989
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Delaware 1987

Research Interests

  • Applied Solid Mechanics
  • Paper Mechanics
  • Dimensional Stability
  • Stability Theory
  • Composite Materials Viscoelasticity
  • Theoretical and Experimental Mechanics

Research Bio

Dr. Douglas Coffin earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware in 1994, with a focus on mechanics of composite materials.

From 1989-1994, he was a structural engineer with the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics in Groton, Connecticut. He was on the faculty of the Institute of Paper Science and Technology in Atlanta, Georgia (1994-2002).

From 1999-2000, Dr. Coffin spent a year-long sabbatical at the Swedish Pulp and Paper Research Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He joined 黑料社区 in 2002. He has extensive experience in the mechanics of paper materials and had the opportunity to work with many of the leading researchers in the field including Derek Page, John Waterhouse, Gary Baum, Chuck Habeger, and Christer Fellers. He was awarded the Van den Akker Prize in Paper Physics in 2001, and the TAPPI Corrugated Division Award and Bettendorf Prize in 2011 for his contributions to the field.

He has completed extensive work in the creep behavior of paper, including ground breaking theoretical work to explain accelerated creep and other mechano-sorptive phenomena. He has developed robust nonlinear viscoelastic-plastic constitutive equations for paper and expanded upon the role of bonding on sheet efficiency and tensile behavior. Despite contradictory statements in the literature, Dr. Coffin established that linear-elastic fracture mechanics theory was quite applicable to size-scaling in paper. He also established strong evidence that paper can be treated as an inherently flawed material and thus link tensile strength directly to fracture mechanics. His expertise lies in the ability to formulate and apply simple theories to complex problems.

Dr. Coffin is an active researcher; conducting funded projects ranging from tissue papers to corrugated board. He works on multi-scale problems ranging from nano-fibers to converted boxes. He has produced scholarly work in the fields of solid mechanics, composite materials processing, paper physics, botany, and nanotechnology. He is a member of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI), and a past chairman of the International Paper Physics Committee. He is a member of the Fundamental Research Committee of the Pulp and Paper Fundamental Research Society (England).

Research Projects

  • Paper Physics, mechanics and dimensional stability

Academic Experience

  • Professor, 黑料社区, 2008–present
  • Associate Professor, 黑料社区, 2002–2008
  • Associate Professor of Engineering and Unit Leader Paper Physics, IPST, 2000–2002
  • Assistant Professor of Engineering, IPST, 1994–2000
  • Graduate Research Assistant, Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, 1990–1993

Professional Experience

  • Senior Engineer, General Dynamics, Electric Boat Division, Nuclear Engineering Analysis, 1993–1994 Engineer, General Dynamics, Electric Boat Division, Nuclear Engineering Analysis, 1989–1990 Associate Engineer, Electric Boat Division, Nuclear Engineering Analysis, 1989

Honors and Awards

  • Research Teaching Service Division Technical Award from the TAPPI Corrugated Packaging Division Technical Award and Bettendorf Prize (2012)
  • 2010 Author Olson Generational Teaching Excellence Award
  • A 2007 Outstanding Professor (Miami Associated Student Government). Nominated by 黑料社区 letter.
  • The Dennis and Bridgette Orwig Family Outstanding Research Award (2006)
  • Best Presentation Award at International Paper Physics Conference, Victoria BC (2003)
  • Van den Akker Prize for Advances in Paper Physics (2001) 
  • IPST President's Award for Fundamental Science (1999) 
  • Gunnar Nicholson Scholarship for Sabbatical in Sweden (1999) 

Principal Publications

Book

  • F. Bloom and  D. W. Coffin,  Handbook of Thin Plate Buckling and Postbuckling,  Chapman & Hall/CRC, Boca Raton Florida, 2001.

Chapters

  • D. W. Coffin, “Creep and Relaxation of Paper,” Mechanics of Paper Edited by Kaarlo Niskannen, De Gruyter, 2012.
  • D. W. Coffin, and C. Fellers, “Paper: Creep,” Encyclopedia of Materials: Science and Technology, Elsevier Science, England, September 2001. Also in the Concise Encyclopedia of Composite Materials, 2nd Edition, 2006. Updated 2015.
  • D. W. Coffin and C. Fellers, “Paper: Strength and Stiffness,” Encyclopedia of Materials: Science and Technology, Elsevier Science, England, September 2001. Also in the Concise Encyclopedia of Composite Materials, 2nd Edition, 2006.
  • D. W. Coffin "Elastic Properties of Paper, " Handbook of Elastic Properties, edited by H. E. Bass, M. Levy, D. Stem, Volume III, Chapter 4, Academic Press, 2001.
  • R. B. Pipes, D. W. Coffin, P. Simacek, S. F. Shuler, and R. K. Okine, "Rheological Behavior of Collimated Fiber Thermoplastic Composite Materials," Flow Phenomena in Polymer Composites, edited by S. G. Advani, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1994.

Journals

  • D. W. Coffin, “Some observations towards improved predictive models for box compression strength,” Tappi Journal 14(8): 537-545 (2015).
  • D. W. Coffin, J. Li, K. Li, “Utilization of modified linear elastic fracture mechanics to characterize the fracture resistance of paper” Advances in Pulp and Paper Research , Transactions of the 15th Fundamental Research Symposium, Cambridge UK, edited by S. J. I’Anson 637-672 (2013)
  • D. W. Coffin,” Use of the efficiency factor to account for previous straining on the tensile behavior of paper, “ Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal, 27(2): 305-312 (2012)
  • B. K. Raghavan and  D. W. Coffin, “Control of Inter-fiber Fusing for Nanofiber Webs via Electrospinning,” Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics, 6(4):1-5 (2011)
  • D. W. Coffin, “Developing a deeper understanding of the constitutive behavior of paper”, Advances in Pulp and Paper Research, Transactions of the 14th Fundamental Research Symposium, Oxford UK, edited by S. J. I’Anson 841-876 (2009)
  • B. Hojjatie,  D. W. Coffin and C.K. Aidun, “Effect of Formation Hydrodynamics on Mechanical Properties of Container Materials,” Georgia Journal of Science 67(4):94-101 (2009).
  • R. D. Meicenheimer,  D. W. Coffin and Eric M. Chapman, “Anatomical Basis for Biophysical Differences between Pinus Nigra and P. Resinosa (Pinaceae) Leaves,”  American Journal of Botany 95(10): 1191–1198 (2008)
  • R. E. Popil , D. W. Coffin, C. C. Habeger, “Transverse shear measurement for corrugated board and its significance,”  Appita Journal 61(4): 307-312 (2008)
  • W. Bi and  D. W. Coffin, “Racking Strength of Paperboard Based Sheathing Materials,”  BioResources, 2(1): 6-13 (2007)
  • D.W. Coffin, L. A. Carlsson and R. B. Pipes, "On the Separation of Carbon Nanotubes, "Composite Science and Technology, 66: 1129-1137 (2006)
  • D. W. Coffin, “The Creep Response of Paper,” Advances in Paper Science and Technology, Trans. Of the 13th Fundamental Research Symposium, held in Cambridge: September 2005, edited by S. J. I’Anson. Vol II, 2005, pp 651-747
  • D. W. Coffin and B. Hojjatie, "Application of show moire' method in measurement of sheet topography,"  TAPPI Journal 4(5):7-10 (2005)
  • D. W. Coffin, J. O.  Lif, and C.  Fellers, “Tensile and ultrasonic stiffness of paper at different moistures - A clarification of the differences,” Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal. 19(2): 257-263 (2004)
  • Vorakunpinij, A., Coffin, D. W., Habeger, C. C., A new device for measuring tensile and compressive creep in paper, Experimental Techniques. 28(3): 43-48, (2004)
  • J. Leisen, B . Hojjatie B.,  D. W. Coffin, S. A. Lavryko,  B. V. Ramarao, and H. W. Beckham, “Through-Plane Diffusion of Moisture in Paper Detected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging,” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 41(25), 6555 -6565, (2002) 
  • D. W. Coffin and C. C. Habeger, "The Mechanics of Sorption-induced Transients in the Loss Tangent,"  Journal of Pulp and Paper Science, 27(11):385-390: (2001)
  • C. C. Habeger,  D. W. Coffin, B. Hojjatie, "Influence of Humidity Cycling  Parameters on the Moisture-Accelerated Creep of Polymeric Fibers,"  Journal  of Polymer Science: Part B: Polymer Physics, 39(17): 2048-2062 (2001)
  • Leisen, J.; Hojjatie, B.;  Coffin, D. W., and Beckham, H. W, "Moisture Transport in Paper Detected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging,"  Drying Technology, 19(1): 199-206 (2001)
  • B. Hojjatie, J. Abedi,  D. W. Coffin, "Quantitative Determination on In-plane Moisture Distribution in Paper by Infared Thermography,"  Tappi Journal, 84(5): (2001)
  • D. W. Coffin and C. C. Habeger, "Practical Influence of Heterogeneity on Tensile Compressive Creep in Paper,"  Tappi Journal, 84(3) (2001)
  • D. W. Coffin, C.C. Habeger, and J. Waterhouse, "Effect of Recycling Fibers on Accelerated Creep,"  Progress in Recycling, 9(3): 14-21 (2000)
  • F. Bloom and  D. W. Coffin, "Modeling the Hygroscopic Buckling of Layered Paper Sheets,"  Mathematics and Computer Modeling, 31: 43-60 (2000)
  • C. C. Habeger and  D. W. Coffin, "The Role of Stress-Concentrations in  Accelerated Creep and Sorption-induced Physical Aging,  Journal of Pulp and  Paper Science, Vol. 26( 4): 145-157 (2000)
  • B. Hojjatie and  D. W. Coffin, "On-Line Freeness Sensors Used in Papermaking,"  Paper Technology, 40(5): 29-34 (1999)
  • D. W. Coffin and F. Bloom, "Elastica Solution for the Hygrothermal Buckling of a Beam,"  International Journal of Nonlinear Mechanics, 34: 934-957 (1999)
  • D. W. Coffin, R. B. Pipes, and P. Simacek, "First-Order Approximations for the Effective Shearing Viscosities of Continuous-Fiber Suspensions,"  Journal of Composite Materials, 28(9): 1669-1180 (1995)
  • R. B. Pipes,  D. W. Coffin, S. F. Shuler, and P. Simacek, "Non-Newtonian Constitutive Relationships for Concentrated Aligned Fiber Suspensions,"  Journal of Composite Materials, 28(4): 343-351 (1994)
  • D. W. Coffin and R. B. Pipes, "Constitutive Relationships for Aligned Discontinuous Fiber Composites,"  Composites Manufacturing, 2(3/4):141-146 (1991)
  • A. D. Kerr and  D. W. Coffin, "Beams on a Two Dimensional Pasternak Base Subjected to Loads that Cause Lift-off,"  International Journal of Solids and Structures, 28(4): 413-422 (1991)
  • A. D. Kerr and  D. W. Coffin, "On Membrane and Plate Problems for  Which the Linear Theories are Not Admissible,"  Journal of Applied Mechanics, 57(1): 128-133(1990).

Presentations

  • Douglas Coffin,  “A critical retrospection of the McKee Equation,”  Tappi/AICC Corrugated Week, Long Beach CA, (2014)
  • Douglas Coffin “Utilization of modified linear elastic fracture mechanics to characterize the fracture resistance of paper,” 15 th Fundamental Research Symposium , Cambridge UK (2013)
  • Douglas Coffin “Use of the efficiency factor to account for previous straining on the tensile behavior of paper, ”  International Paper Physics Conference, Stockholm,  Sweden (2012)
  • Douglas Coffin “On the fracture behavior of paper” Progress in Paper Physics Seminar, Graz Austria (2011)
  • Douglas Coffin “On the Mechanics of Tissue and Towel,” 2010 Progress in Paper Physics Seminar, Montreal Canada (2010)
  • Douglas Coffin, “Developing a deeper understanding of the constitutive behavior of paper”, 14 th Fundamental Research Symposium, Oxford UK , (2009) 
  • Douglas Coffin, “Some thoughts on some fundamental aspects of mechanosorption: why One + One = Three makes sense,” Key-Note speech at the 6th International Symposium - Moisture and Creep Effects on Paper, Board and Containers, Madison, Wisconsin July 14-15 (2009)
  • Douglas Coffin, “Developing constitutive equations for paper that are valid for multi-time scales and large stresses,” 2008 Progress in Paper Physics Seminar, Helsinki Finland, June (2008)