Jiselle Thornby, PhD in chemical engineering, defends PhD, lands position at top defense company

February 28, 2025

Jiselle Thornby, PhD in chemical engineering, successfully defended her dissertation, "From Dust to Deposition: Development and Characterization of 3D-Printed Surrogate Energetic Materials," in November 2024. Below, she goes into more detail about her research and her plans for the future.

Mechanical engineering researcher Monique McClain develops state-of-the-art processes to tailor-make energetic materials

February 25, 2025

Additive manufacturing, commonly known as 3D printing, has become a staple area of study across engineering disciplines because of its potential to revolutionize the design and production of a variety of materials and structures. Monique McClain, assistant professor in Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering, has dedicated her career to more efficiently developing high-quality and high-performing 3D-printed energetic materials, such as explosives, pyrotechnics and propellants, that can be fine-tuned for performance and safety.

The Purdue Energetic Materials Summit (PEMS)

February 10, 2025

Since 2017, the biennial Purdue Energetic Materials Summit (PEMS) technical exchange has provided a stimulating venue for open discussion of state-of-the-art and emerging challenges associated with energetic materials. Thought leaders from across industry, government, and academia have gathered to share their expertise and develop a vision for the future. We look forward to continuing this tradition and ensuring that the vision is realized. The next PEMS will be held from September 23-26, 2025.

The Purdue Energetics Research Center - Energetics Talent Showcase (PERC-ETS)

January 27, 2025

Since 2017, the biennial Purdue Energetic Materials Summit (PEMS) technical exchange has provided a stimulating venue for open discussion of state-of-the-art and emerging challenges associated with energetic materials. Thought leaders from across industry, government, and academia have gathered to share their expertise and develop a vision for the future. We look forward to continuing this tradition and ensuring that the vision is realized. The next PERC-ETS will be held on September 22-23, 2025.

Defense Innovation PEI to meet national security challenges on the world stage

October 1, 2024

Purdue University has always had a resolute focus on serving those who serve our country, and its commitment to national security is paramount as a land-grant university. Purdue is now further strengthening its endeavors as a thought leader for national security and defense by announcing Defense Innovation, its newest Purdue Engineering Initiative (PEI).

Opinion: The U.S. Needs A New Push In Energetic Materials

October 1, 2024

With Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in its third year, much attention has been paid to the West’s diminishing stockpile of weapons. Manufacturers have scrambled to increase production—or in some cases, restart production—of weapons that have proven vital to Ukraine’s defense. Dire warnings have been issued that we are rapidly depleting weapons stockpiles that our own military might require. At the same time, there are concerns that industry is not positioned to meet the increasing demand for rocket engines, driven in part by plans to produce large numbers of hypersonic weapons.