Bennett (Ben) Ward, Ph.D.

Associate Professor | VCU College of Engineering

Engineering West Hall, Room 344, Richmond, VA, UNITED STATES

Polymer chemistry and engineering. Product and device design, with a knack for robust program development.

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Biography

Currently Associate Professor - Director of Project Outreach at the VCU School of Engineering. From 2001 to 2013 was Vice President, R&D at Essentra Porous Technologies, Colonial Heights, VA. From 2000 to 2001 was Director, Drug Discovery and Project Management, Nobex Corp., Durham, NC. From 1981 to 2000 held a number of technical and management positions at Hoechst Celanese.

Industry Expertise (8)

Education/Learning

Program Development

Research

Chemicals

Manufacturing

Medical Devices

Plastics

Textiles/Leather Goods

Areas of Expertise (7)

Capstone Senior Design Program

Innovation design and development processes

High Performance Polymers and Fibers

Applications of Materials and Surface Science

Filtration and separation

Invitro Diagnostics

B2B Product Development

Education (2)

University of North Carolina: Ph.D., Organic / Inorganic Chemistry 1980

Duke University: B.S., Chemistry 1976

Affiliations (2)

American Chemical Society
American FIltration and Separations Society

Event Appearances (5)

Advancements in Coalescing Filters for Transportation and Industrial Filtration, Novel Direct-Formed Filter Structures

American Filtration and Separations Society Cincinatti, OH

2013-10-14

Reducing Complexity and Cost through Technology: Direct Formed 2- and 3-d Filter Structures for Use in Transportation and Industrial Filtration

American Filtration and Separations Society Bloomington, MN

2013-05-07

Reducing Complexity and Cost through Technology: Direct Formed 2- and 3-d Filter Structures for Use in Transportation and Industrial Filtration

In Vitro Diagnostics Technology Webcast

2012-10-22

Fluid Delivery and Absorption Components for Microfluidic and other Diagnostic

American Association for Clinical Chemistry Conference Los Angeles, CA

2012-07-17

Direct Formed 2- and 3-d Filter Structures

American Filtration and Separations Society Boca Raton, FL

2012-06-27

Patents (7)

Multi-Layer, Fluid Transmissive Fiber Structures Containing Nanofibers and a Method of Manufacturing Such Structures

EP2398633B1

2014-05-07

A multi-layer, fluid transmissive structure is provided that comprises first and second fiber layers each comprising a plurality of polymeric fibers bonded to each other at spaced apart contact points. The polymeric fibers of these fiber layers have diameters greater than one micron and collectively define interconnected interstitial spaces providing tortuous fluid flow paths through the first and second fiber layers. The structure also comprises a plurality of nanofibers disposed intermediate at least a portion of the first fiber layer and at least a portion of the second fiber layer.

Assay Wick with Analyte Fluid Sufficiency Indicator

US9330580B2

2016-05-03

A wick for use in determining sufficiency of an amount of analyte fluid provided to an analyte test section of an assay device is provided. The wick comprises a primary wick portion attached or attachable to the analyte test section so as to be in fluid communication therewith. The primary wick portion has a receiving surface adapted for receiving the analyte fluid and is configured to draw the analyte fluid from a first area to a second area of the primary wick portion. The assay wick further comprises an indicator portion having a contrasting visual characteristic. The indicator surface is covered by at least a portion of the primary wick portion, which comprises a wicking material that becomes more light transmissive when wetted by the analyte fluid. The contrasting visual characteristic is viewable through the at least a portion of the primary wick portion only when the at least a portion of the primary wick portion is suffused by the analyte fluid.

Bonded Fiber Matrix Containing Encapsulation Complex

US9155299B2

2015-05-09

Provided are a device comprising (a) a three-dimensional structure comprising a plurality of fibers, and (b) powder particles contained in and/or affixed to said structure, wherein said powder particles comprise one or more volatile compound in an encapsulation complex with a molecular encapsulation agent, a method for releasing a volatile compound from a molecular encapsulation complex using such a device, and an apparatus or system for performing such a method.

Rapid Release and Anti-Drip Porous Reservoirs

US8334034 B2

2012-12-12

A fluid reservoir for retaining a particular fluid against an environmental force is disclosed. The fluid reservoir includes a three dimensional porous body that has a plurality of reservoir capillaries formed therein and has a transport volume and effective capillarity in the force direction for the particular fluid when the porous body is oriented in a predetermined orientation. The fluid reservoir also includes at least one lateral indentation in a surface of the porous body. Each of the at least one lateral indentation defines opposing reservoir surfaces each having a lateral surface component orthogonal to the force direction. The at least one lateral indentation is configured so that at least a majority of the reservoir capillaries have a force-aligned length component that is less than the effective capillarity for the particular fluid.

Neutral Displacement Wick

US8047453B2

2011-11-01

Aspects of the invention include an air freshener device that emits fragrance through the evaporation of a fragrance-containing fluid comprising: a container, comprising a particular volume of the fragrance-containing fluid; a wick disposed partially in, and partially out of the fragrance-containing fluid, the wick having an immersion section immersed in the fluid so as to displace a displacement volume of fluid and a non-immersion section extending outward from a surface of the fluid, the immersion and non-immersion section being disposed on opposite lateral ends of the wick; the wick further comprising a displacement portion and a wicking portion, the displacement portion being configured to displace a desired first volume of fluid, the wicking portion being configured to wick a second volume of fluid; the displacement portion and the wicking portion designed to achieve a desired ratio between the displaced first volume of fluid and the wicked second volume of fluid.

Neutral Displacement Wick

US7731102

2010-06-08

Polymeric FIber Rods for Separation Applications

US7291263

2007-11-07

A separation element is provided for use in a chromatographic analysis system for the separation of a mixture using a stationary phase and a mobile phase. The separation element comprises a fluid transmissive fiber rod comprising a plurality of fibers entangled to provide a tortuous path through which a mobile phase may flow as part of a separation process. The plurality of fibers provides a stationary phase for the separation process.