Ezrin, M.
Dr. Myer Ezrin, Yale 1953 Chemistry, retired from the University of Connecticut-Institute of Materials Science (UCONN-IMS) in 2006. He directed an industrial failure analysis and support program for metals, ceramics, and polymers. He specializes in plastics failure analysis and plastics compositional analysis. At retirement he had 55 years experience in industry and academia, including patent infringement litigation, solar panels, and electrical insulation. Industrial employment was at DuPont, Monsanto, and Springborn Laboratories (plastics consulting).
In retirement he wrote the second edition of the Plastics Failure Guide, adding three new chapters. In two of those chapters, he broke new ground with “Failure of Human Biopolymers” and “Environmental, Recycling and Health Aspects of Plastics Failure” as new types of polymer failure. Polymer composition and susceptibility to failure of natural polymers (human biopolymers) are remarkably similar to synthetic polymers (plastics). His interest in failure of human biopolymers grew out of his late wife’s bout with cancer. He wrote a 1997 paper “Plastics Failure/People Failure.” Since 2006 he continued to consult on plastics failure litigation.
He is co-author of a 1983 book on plastics analysis, and was a co-founder and President of the Society of Plastics Engineers—Failure Analysis and Prevention Special Interest Group. He has over 70 papers in plastics failure, plastics analysis, solar panels, and electrical insulation. He has lectured on plastics failure at UCONN, Bangkok (Thailand) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Interactive video courses were given to various locations from UCONN. Papers were presented in many American and foreign cities.
Dr. Ezrin enlisted in the US Navy in WWII and served on a repair ship. In his second retirement he is learning to play the cello. He says it is the hardest thing he has done.