Richard Pober

Research Interests

• Ceramics engineering
• Interpenetrating phase materials
• Mechanics of materials
• Materials design
• Process design
• Equipment design

About Dr. Pober

Dr. Pober has more than 35 years of experience, including more than 15 years in industry and 20 years at MIT. From 1975 to 1993, Dr. Pober supervised the operation of the Ceramics Processing Research Laboratory at MIT, Materials Processing Center. As Laboratory Manager, he directed research and supervised day-to-day operation of the laboratory, which included ceramic materials preparation, fabrication, and characterization. He has devised novel processing techniques, and designed new systems to implement these ideas, such as the semicontinuous classification of submicron powders, and the continuous chemical synthesis of monosized ceramic powders. His experience also includes four years of supervising electrode module testing at the MHD Small-Scale Simulation Facility, and materials preparation and electrode fabrication. He was also responsible for operation of the Ceramics Manufacturing and Process Integration Laboratory and for supervision of the Ceramics Processing Research Consortium, a partnership of industrial and independent research organizations devoted to developing science-based ceramics processing technologies.

Dr. Pober was granted a two year leave of absence from September 1984 through August 1986, during which time he served as the startup Vice President of engineering, and cofounder of Ceramics Process Systems, a company established to demonstrate the viability of a science-based approach to ceramics processing. During this time, he set up and managed an R&D facility and a manufacturing plant, and prepared patents to protect proprietary technology. These patents assisted in the development of licensing agreements for some of the company’s technologies.

His previous industrial experience includes the fabrication of high temperature ceramic materials, and the design and construction of apparatus for the measurement of thermophysical properties at high temperature. His work has resulted in the patented development of a non-sparking tool bit material for coal mining and its fabrication process; development of a processing technology for a graded structure, ceramic armor; investigation of the resistance to oxidation of high temperature materials; measurement of hardness and strength at elevated temperatures; design of equipment for testing mechanical and thermophysical properties of materials at elevated temperatures, and supervision of its construction; and design of equipment for materials processing. He also has experience with arc plasma spraying, and the design and development of composite and other materials expressly for fabrication by the plasma spray process. This work has also included the direct, one step fabrication of monolithic components.

Recently, Dr. Pober’s research has focused on ceramic dental materials and biomaterials. The primary objectives have been to improve materials properties and performance, and component reliability and reproducibility via modification and control of the manufacturing process system. He has also been investigating CAD/CAM fabrication for flexible manufacturing, and for direct net shape production of precision components.

Dr. Pober has been awarded six patents and an IR 100 award. He has authored and co-authored many technical and review papers, and has presented invited lectures and seminars at various government and society sponsored meetings, and industrial sites. He has also served on numerous review panels for NIH and NSF.

Publications

Pober R. Reporting microhardness data in scientific publications. Journal of Dental Research. 77(10):1766, 1998 Oct.

Campbell SD. Pelletier LB. Pober RL. Giordano RA. Dimensional and formation analysis of a restorative ceramic and how it works. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. 74(4):332-40, 1995 Oct.

Giordano R. Cima M. Pober R. Effect of surface finish on the flexural strength of feldspathic and aluminous dental ceramics. International Journal of Prosthodontics. 8(4):311-9, 1995 Jul-Aug.

Giordano RA 2nd. Pelletier L. Campbell S. Pober R. Flexural strength of an infused ceramic, glass ceramic, and feldspathic porcelain. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. 73(5):411-8, 1995 May.

Giordano RA 2nd. Campbell S. Pober R. Flexural strength of feldspathic porcelain treated with ion exchange, overglaze, and polishing. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. 71(5):468-72, 1994 May.

Kelly JR. Giordano R. Pober R. Cima MJ. Fracture surface analysis of dental ceramics: clinically failed restorations. International Journal of Prosthodontics. 3(5):430-40, 1990 Sep-Oct.

R. Pober, and R. Abbott, “Arc Plasma Spraying as a Manufacturing Process for Ceramic Components”, Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull. 73 [2] Feb. 1994, pp. 45 – 50.

P. Nahass, R.L. Pober, W.E. Rhine, W.L. Robbins, and H.K. Bowen, “Prediction and Explanation of Aging Shrinkage in Tape-Cast Ceramic Green Sheets,” J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 75 [9] (1992), pp. 2373-2378

H. Itoh, R.L. Pober, M.V. Parish, and H.K. Bowen, “Dispersion and Particle Packing of Magnetic Oxide Powders,” Ceram. Int. 12 (2), 1986, pp. 85-93

P.D. Calvert, E.S. Tormey, and R.L. Pober, “Fish Oil and Triglycerides as Dispersants for Ceramics Processing,” Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull. 65 [4] Apr. 1986, pp. 669 – 672

H. Lee, R. Pober, P. Calvert, and H.K. Bowen, “Dispersion of Powders in Solutions of Block Copolymer,” J. Colloid Interface Sci. 110 [1] Mar. 1986, pp. 144 – 148.

H.D. Lee, R.L. Pober, P.D. Calvert, and H.K. Bowen, “Photopolymerizable Binders for Ceramics,” J. Mat. Sci. Lett., Jan. 1986, pp. 81 – 83.

P. Nahass, W.E. Rhine, R.L. Pober, H.K. Bowen, and W.L. Robbins “A Comparison of Aqueous and Non-Aqueous Slurries for Tape-Casting, and Dimensional Stability in Green Tapes ,” p. 355-364 in Materials and Processes in Microelectronic Systems, Ceramic Transactions Vol. 15, Edited by K.M. Nair, R. Pohanka, and R.C. Buchanan , Amer. Cer. Soc., Westerville, OH, 1990

E. Beylier, R.L. Pober, and M.J. Cima, “Centrifugal Casting of Ceramic Components,” 3rd Int’l Conf. on Ceramic Powder Processing Science, Feb. 1990, San Diego, CA; Ceramic Transactions Vol. 12, (Ceram. Powder Sci. 3) pp. 529-536, Amer. Cer. Soc., Westerville, OH, 1990.

E.A. Barringer, N. Jubb, B. Fegley, R.L. Pober, and H.K. Bowen, “Processing Monosized Powders,” in Proc. Int. Conf. on Ultrastructure Processing of Ceramics, Glasses, and Composites, eds. L.L. Hench, and D.R. Ulrich, Wiley & Sons, NY (1984), pp. 315 – 333.

E.S. Tormey, R.L. Pober, H.K. Bowen, and P.D. Calvert, “Tape Casting -Future Developments,” in Vol. 9, “Forming of Ceramics,” of Advances in Ceramics, eds. J.A. Mangles and G.L. Messing, The American Ceramic Society, Inc., Columbus, OH (1984), pp. 140 – 149.

R.L. Pober, E. Barringer, M. Parish, N. Levoy, and H.K. Bowen, “Dispersion and Packing of Narrow Size Distribution Powders,” in Emergent Process Methods for High – Technology Ceramics, Proc. 19th Univ. Conf. on Ceramic Sci. (Nov. 1982) Mat. Sci. Res., Vol. 17, New York: Plenum Press, pp. 193 – 206 (1984)

W.R. Cannon, R.L. Pober, and H.K. Bowen, “Fabrication and Performance of MHD Electrodes,” Processing of Crystalline Ceramics, eds. H. Palmour, R.F. Davis, and T.M. Hare, Materials Science Research, Volume 11, Plenum Press, New York, 1978, pp. 457 – 468.

E.V. Clougherty, R.L. Pober, and L. Kaufman, “A Kinetic Study of the Densification of TiB2 at High Pressure and High Temperature,” Modern Developments in Powder Metallurgy, Vol.2: Applications, Plenum Press, N.Y., 1966, pp. 321 – 329.

E.V. Clougherty, and R.L. Pober, “Physical and Mechanical Properties of Transition Metal Diborides”, Compounds of Interest in Nuclear Reactor Technology, Nuclear Metallurgy, Vol.X, IMD Special Report, No.13, AIME, N.Y., 1964, pp.432 – 443.

E.V. Clougherty, R.L. Pober, and L. Kaufman, “Synthesis of Oxidation Resistant Metal Diboride Composites,” Trans. of Met. Soc., AIME, Vol. 242, June 1968, pp. 1077 – 1082.

R.L. Pober and R. Giordano, “Flexible Manufacturing of Dental Restorations,” Ceramic Industry, March 1992, pg. 67-70.

J.R. Kelly, H. Luthe, A. Gougoulakis, R.L. Pober, W.H. Mormann, “Machining Effects on Feldspathic Porcelain and Glass Ceramics: Fractographic Analysis,” W.H. Mormann, Ed., Int’l Symp. on Computer Restorations: State of the Art of the Cerec Method, Quintessence Publishing, Berlin 1991, p. 253-273, Regensdorf, Switzerland, 3-4 May 1991.

R.L. Pober, “Product and Process Integration: The Need for a Ceramics Manufacturing Science,” in High-Tech Ceramics: Viewpoints and Perspectives, Ed. by Gernot Kostorz, p. 17-28, ETHZ Latsis Symposium, November 1988, Zurich, Switzerland, Nov. 10-11, 1988.

R.L. Pober, W.R. Cannon, H.K. Bowen, and J.F. Louis, “Development of Super-Hot-Wall Electrodes,” Proc. 7th Int. Conf. on MHD Electrical Power Generation, Cambridge, Ma., June, 1980.

W.R. Cannon, H.K. Bowen, R.L. Pober, et al., “Properties and Test Results of Super-Hot-Wall Electrode Materials”, Proc. 17th Symp. on the Engineering Aspects of MHD, Stanford Univ., March, 1978.

H.K. Bowen, R.L. Pober, et al., “Design and Performance of High Temperature Ceramic Electrode Modules,” Proc. 16th Symp. on the Engineering Aspects of MHD, Ed. D. Bienstock, Pittsburgh, Pa., May, 1977.

J.L. Nash Webber, R.L. Pober, M. Yoshimura, and H.K. Bowen, “Test Results on the Spinel Electrode Module in Laboratory and Simulated MHD Environments,” Proc. 15th Symp. on the Engineering Aspects of MHD, Philadelphia, Pa., May, 1976.

Ceramic Technology for Electronics, Second EditionPober, R.L., Barringer, E.A., and Bowen, H.K. International Society for Hybrid Microelectronics, Silver Spring, MD ISHM Technical Monograph Series 6984-004

Ceramic Technology for Electronics Pober, R.L. International Society for Hybrid Microelectronics, Silver Spring, MD ISHM Technical Monograph Series 6983-002