Dr. Ashcraft utilizes his background in chemical engineering and complex chemical systems to analyze the chemical and physical processes underlying fires, explosions, and other reactive systems. His primary interests include reactive chemicals and energy related technologies. Dr. Ashcraft has performed testing and analysis involving chemistry, kinetics, thermodynamics, and heat and mass transfer processes.
Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Ashcraft was a graduate researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he focused on using detailed chemical kinetic models and computational chemistry to understand the dynamics of complex systems. Through the Singapore-MIT Alliance and the MIT School of Chemical Engineering Practice, he participated in short projects at Merck, Sharp, and Dohme (Singapore); the Shell Bukom refinery (Singapore); Novartis Pharmaceuticals (Suffern, NY); and General Mills (Minneapolis, MN). Dr. Ashcraft has also conducted research using chemical vapor deposition to produce thin-film semiconductor materials and analyzed the properties of the films.
Myers TJ, Ibarreta AF, Ashcraft RW. Dust explosion prevention: Regulations, standards, and mitigation techniques. Proceedings, 43rd Annual Loss Prevention Symposium, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Spring National Meeting, Tampa, FL, 2009.
Ashcraft RW, Green WH. Thermochemical properties and group values for nitrogen-containing molecules. J Phys Chem A 2008; 112:9144–9152.
Ashcraft RW, Raman S, Green WH. Predicted reaction rates of HxNyOz intermediates in the oxidation of hydroxylamine by aqueous nitric acid. J Phys Chem A 2008; 112:7577–7593.
Ashcraft RW, Raman S, Green WH. Ab initio aqueous thermochemistry: Application to the oxidation of hydroxylamine in nitric acid solution. J Phys Chem B 111 2007; 11968–11983.
Wen JZ, Goldsmith CF, Ashcraft RW, Green WH. Detailed kinetic modeling of iron nanoparticle synthesis from the decomposition of Fe(CO)5. J Phys Chem C 2007; 111:5677–5688.
Raman S, Ashcraft RW, Vial M, Klasky M. Oxidation of hydroxylamine by nitrous and nitric acids. Model development from first principle SCRF calculations. J Phys Chem A 2005; 109:8526–8536.
Niu D, Ashcraft RW, Hinkle C, Parsons GN. Effect of N2 plasma on yttrium oxide and yttrium-oxynitride dielectrics. J Vac Sci Technol A 2004; 22(3):445–451.
Gougousi T, Niu D, Ashcraft RW, Parsons GN. Carbonate formation during post-deposition ambient exposure of high-k dielectrics. Appl Phys Lett 2003; 83(17):3543–3545.
Niu D, Ashcraft RW, Chen Z, Stemmer S, Parsons GN. Chemical, physical, and electrical characterizations of oxygen plasma assisted chemical vapor deposited yttrium oxide on silicon. J Electrochem Soc 2003; 150(5):F102–F109.
Stemmer S, D. Klenov, Chen Z, Niu D, Ashcraft RW, Parsons GN. Reactions of Y2O3 films with (001) Si substrates and Poly-Si capping layers. Appl Phys Lett 2002; 81(4):712–714.
Niu D, Ashcraft RW, Chen Z, Stemmer S, Parsons GN. Electron energy loss spectroscopy analysis of interface structure of yttrium oxide gate dielectrics on silicon. Appl Phys Lett 2002; 81(4):676–678.
Niu D, Ashcraft RW, Parsons GN. Water absorption and interface reactivity of yttrium oxide gate dielectrics on silicon. Appl Phys Lett 2002; 80(19):3575–3577.
Niu D, Ashcraft RW, Kelly MJ, Chambers JJ, Klein TM, Parsons GN. Elementary reaction schemes for physical and chemical vapor deposition of transition metal oxides on silicon for High-k gate dielectric applications. J Appl Phys 2002; 91(9):6173–6180.
Niu D, Ashcraft RW, Stemmer S, Parsons GN. Interface reactions during oxygen plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition of yttrium oxide on silicon. Proceedings, Electrochemical Society, Semiconductor Silicon 2002, Vol. 1, pp. 429–439, 2002.
Presentations
Ashcraft RW, Raman S, Green WH. Application of computational chemistry to the aqueous-phase oxidation of hydroxylamine by nitric and nitrous acids. Paper presented at the 2006 AIChE National Conference, Computational Molecular Science and Engineering Forum, San Francisco, CA, November 17, 2006.
Ashcraft RW, Niu D, Parsons GN. Stability of high dielectric constant materials. AIChE Southern Regional Conference Student Paper Competition, March 7, 2003.