Research Scientist

Hexion Inc.

pMDI Research Scientist at Hexion, leading high-impact laboratory research for polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate technologies in wood applications.

Posted 6/23/2026full-timeColumbus • Ohio • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead laboratory research on pMDI resin systems, including neat resin, aqueous suspensions, emulsions, and related binder technologies for wood composite applications such as OSB, MDF, particleboard, and adjacent materials.
Design and execute experiments that link formulation, processing, and substrate variables to adhesive performance, including moisture, press time, resin loading, viscosity, emulsion stability, penetration behavior, and wood-furnish characteristics.
Integrate artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced analytics with laboratory research to generate predictive models that optimize bond performance, process efficiency, raw-material usage, and total cost in wood-mill operations.
Develop structure-property-process understanding for pMDI systems using analytical, thermal, rheological, microscopy, and mechanical testing methods.
Interpret laboratory and pilot data to define performance windows, identify root causes, and uncover opportunities for product and process optimization.
Translate research findings into practical recommendations for scale-up, plant trials, manufacturing implementation, and customer-facing technical support.
Partner cross-functionally with R&D, process engineering, manufacturing, commercial teams, and external stakeholders to align innovation priorities with business strategy and mill-performance goals.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Ph.D. in Polymer Science, Polymer Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Wood Science, Data-Enabled Materials Research, or a closely related technical discipline; or M.S. with significant directly relevant industrial research experience.
10+ years of experience in polymer, adhesive, isocyanate, polyurethane, or related reactive resin research and development.
Demonstrated expertise in structure-property relationships, formulation science, laboratory experimentation, and translating data into practical product and process insight.
Experience applying statistical analysis, design of experiments, modeling, and/or artificial intelligence tools to research, development, or manufacturing optimization problems.
Hands-on experience with material characterization and performance testing relevant to reactive resin systems.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Health insurance
Flexible working hours
Professional development opportunities
401(k) matching

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

pMDI resin systemsformulation sciencestatistical analysisdesign of experimentsartificial intelligencemachine learningmaterial characterizationperformance testingadhesive performancereactive resin research

Soft Skills

cross-functional collaborationtechnical supportdata interpretationproblem-solvingcommunication

Certifications

Ph.D. in Polymer SciencePh.D. in Polymer ChemistryPh.D. in Materials SciencePh.D. in Chemical EngineeringPh.D. in Wood ScienceM.S. in related technical discipline