Biography

A. Personal Statement

The purpose of the present study is to improve joint properties of Ti/porcelain crown using low-melting Ti-Zr brazing alloys. We plan to bond dental Ti and porcelain crowns by an active brazing method. This is a new approach which is different from the conventional bonding method of “firing”. I have the expertise, experience, and motivation necessary to successfully carry out the proposed work. 
I have a broad background in brazing, with specific training and expertise in key research areas for this application. With respect to the brazing area, I have 7 patents in Korea and USA. My Ph.D. thesis is on the study of Ti-Zr-Ni-Cu alloy system. It contains two topics. One is on the bulk metallic glass formation and the other is on the bonding of Ti. The alloy system of the topics is exactly same. But its application is different. I am a scientist who can enjoy finding a novel approach by a different viewpoint. Actually, active brazing of metal and ceramics are well known technology in electronics industry. In 2013 after a collaboration with Dr. Wang who is an associate professor in school of dental medicine at Case Western Reserve University(CWRU), I realized that the active brazing could be applied to dental industry. Here, I propose the new approach to bond dental Ti and porcelain.
 As a postdoctoral fellow at KITECH, I participated in the development of low-melting Ti-Zr based brazing alloys (US patent 8,486,330). At the department of material science and engineering at CWRU in 2009, I expanded my research to energy storage materials granted by Department of Energy. As a co-Investigator, I successfully performed the proposed research by developing record-breaking capacitor alloys. The alloy compositions are also developed in Ti-Zr systems. In addition, I successfully collaborated with other research members, and produced a peer-reviewed paper and two review papers.  As a result of these previous experiences, I have learned how to communicate among project members construct realistic research plans, manage the timeline, and publish the data. The current application builds logically on my prior work.

In summary, I have a demonstrated record of accomplished and productive research projects in an area of high relevance for dental crown bonding, and my expertise and experience have prepared me to lead the proposed project.