PNNL

Wenbin Kuang is a senior materials scientist and team leader of the Polymer and Composite Materials team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where he oversees nine staff members from different disciplines. His current research areas include polymeric materials for hydrogen technologies and the materials’ behavior in extreme conditions. He is also studying the effects of surface modification on joining of dissimilar materials, malleable materials for lightweight composites, and recycling/upcycling end-of-life composite materials. Before joining PNNL in 2018, Kuang earned his PhD in chemical engineering from Syracuse University.

• Polymers with cryogenic hydrogen
• Chemical engineering
• Composite materials
• Materials science
• Polymer characterization
• Polymer physics

• PhD in chemical engineering, Syracuse University
• BS in bioengineering, Tianjin University

• Technical Committee Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference, 2025
• Special Issue Editor, “Decarbonization and Sustainability in Polymer Composites,” Materials, 2024

Select publications noted below

2024

• Kumar V., W. Kuang, and L.S. Fifield. 2024. "Carbon Fiber-Based Vitrimer Composites: A Path toward Current Research That Is High-Performing, Useful, and Sustainable." Materials 17, no. 13:Art. No. 3265. PNNL-SA-198312. doi:10.3390/ma17133265
• Li Y., Y. Shin, W. Kuang, and K.L. Simmons. 2024. "Phase field modeling of hydrogen release in nitrile-butadiene rubber composites after high-pressure hydrogen exposure." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 59. PNNL-SA-191921. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.02.017

2023

• Ko S., Y. Qiao, J.L. Ramos, W. Kuang, A.C. Denny, T.J. Roosendaal, and K.L. Simmons. 2023. "Low-Velocity Impact Performances of Healed Polymer Fiber Reinforced Plastics." In Proceedings of the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE 2023), April 17-20, 2023, Seattle, WA. Diamond Bar, California:SAMPE North America. PNNL-SA-181114. doi:10.33599/nasampe/s.23.0309
• Ko S., Y. Qiao, T.J. Roosendaal, A.C. Denny, J.L. Ramos, W. Kuang, and K.W. Shahwan, et al. 2023. "Low-velocity repeated impact behaviors of Polymer Fiber Reinforced Plastics (PFRPs)." In Proceedings of the American Society for Composites 38th Technical Conference, September 18-20, 2023, Woburn, MA, edited by M. Maiaru, et al. Lancaster, Pennsylvania:DEStech Publications. PNNL-SA-186407. doi:10.12783/asc38/36684
• Kuang W., B.W. Arey, A. Dohnalkova, L. Kovarik, B. Mills, N.C. Menon, and R.J. Seffens, et al. 2023. "Multi-Scale Imaging of High-Pressure Hydrogen induced Damage in EPDM Rubber Using X-ray Microcomputed Tomography, Helium-Ion Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 48, no. 23:8573-8587. PNNL-SA-177303. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.12.004
• Shin Y., W. Kuang, and K.L. Simmons. 2023. "Network stability of FKM rubber compounds under hydrogen pressure." In Proceedings of the 37th International Polymer Processing Society (PPS-37), April 11-15, 2022, Fukuoka City, Japan. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2884, Paper No. 230002. Melville, New York:AIP Publishing. PNNL-SA-174227. doi:10.1063/5.0168418

2022

• Han K., S.D. Burton, E.D. Walter, Y. Shin, W. Kuang, and K.L. Simmons. 2022. "Microsized Pore Structure Determination in EPDM Rubbers Using High-Pressure Xe-129 NMR Techniques." Journal of Physical Chemistry B 126, no. 16:3135-3142. PNNL-SA-167432. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c09189
• Hao C., T. Liu, W. Liu, M. Fei, L. Shao, W. Kuang, and K.L. Simmons, et al. 2022. "Recyclable CFRPs with Extremely High Tg: Hydrothermal Recyclability in Pure Water and Upcycling of the Recyclates for New Composite Preparation." Journal of Materials Chemistry A 10, no. 29:15623-15633. PNNL-SA-172195. doi:10.1039/D2TA03161B
• Simmons K.L., L.D. Fring, W. Kuang, Y. Shin, Y. Chou, Y. Ni, and Y. Qiao, et al. 2022. Gap Analysis on the Impacts of Hydrogen Addition to the North American Natural Gas Infrastructure Polyethylene Pipelines. PNNL-33736. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Gap Analysis on the Impacts of Hydrogen Addition to the North American Natural Gas Infrastructure Polyethylene Pipelines

2021

• Choi K., C.B. Smith, W. Kuang, N.R. Overman, X. Ma, W. Cai, and B. Carlson. 2021. Prediction of Aluminum to Steel RSW Joint Failure - CRADA 405 (Final Report). PNNL-32400. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Prediction of Aluminum to Steel RSW Joint Failure - CRADA 405 (Final Report)
• Chong S., B.J. Riley, W. Kuang, and M.J. Olszta. 2021. "Iodine capture with mechanically robust heat-treated Ag-Al-Si-O xerogel sorbents." ACS Omega 6, no. 17:11628-11638. PNNL-SA-158388. doi:10.1021/acsomega.1c00852
• Kuang W., W.D. Bennett, T.J. Roosendaal, B.W. Arey, A. Dohanlkova, G. Petrossian, and K.L. Simmons. 2021. "In situ friction and wear behavior of rubber materials incorporating various fillers and/or a plasticizer in high-pressure hydrogen." Tribology International 153. PNNL-SA-153343. doi:10.1016/j.triboint.2020.106627
• Kulkarni S.S., K. Choi, W. Kuang, N.C. Menon, B. Mills, A. Soulami, and K.L. Simmons. 2021. "Damage evolution in polymer due to exposure to high-pressure hydrogen gas." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 46, no. 36:19001-19022. PNNL-SA-158973. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.03.035
• Liu T., C. Hao, L. Shao, W. Kuang, L. Cosimbescu, K.L. Simmons, and J. Zhang. 2021. "Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Vitrimer: Robust Mechanical Performance and Facile Hydrothermal Decomposition in Pure Water." Macromolecular Rapid Communications 42, no. 3:Article No. 2000458. PNNL-SA-158250. doi:10.1002/marc.202000458
• Simmons K.L., and W. Kuang. 2021. High-Pressure, Low Temperature Composite Nozzles for Long-Term H2 Dispensing - CRADA 399 (Final Report). PNNL-30887. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. High-Pressure, Low Temperature Composite Nozzles for Long-Term H2 Dispensing - CRADA 399 (Final Report)
• Simmons K.L., W. Kuang, S.D. Burton, B.W. Arey, Y. Shin, N.C. Menon, and B. Smith. 2021. "H-Mat Hydrogen Compatibility of Polymers and Elastomers." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 46, no. 23:12300-12310. PNNL-SA-153003. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.06.218