Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Chemistry, Purdue University, 2009
  • B.S., Chemistry, Wittenberg University, 2004
Professional Affiliations
  • American Chemical Society
  • The Electrochemical Society

Dr. Spray supports clients by solving technical problems involving chemistry, electrochemistry, materials science, and battery science. His core competency is inorganic chemistry, and he specializes in electrochemistry and surface chemistry which enables him to provide chemistry-based solutions to many industries such as mining, transportation, and consumer electronics.  

Dr. Spray has conducted performance and failure analyses on many products and devices including primary and rechargeable batteries (i.e., lithium-ion, lead-acid, NiMH, LiSOCl2, thin film), consumer electronic devices, coatings, medical devices and various electrical components. In the field of batteries and energy storage, he is skilled at performing performance and accelerated life testing, cell design and materials evaluation, technical IP analysis, litigation support, and technology evaluation. He has extensive expertise in applying non-destructive analysis techniques, notably high-resolution computed tomography X-ray (CT) scanning, to solve various technical problems related to manufacturing processes, corrosion, mechanical wear and intricate electronics analysis.

Dr. Spray has extensive experience in a variety of electrochemical [voltammetry, impedance, Quartz-Crystal Microgravimetry (QCM)] and photoelectrochemical methods [photocurrent, efficiency (IPCE)]. He is also skilled in many materials characterization techniques for structure and composition such as surface profilometry, electron microscopy (TEM/ED and SEM/EDS), X-ray [diffraction, spectroscopy, computed tomography (CT)], N2 Adsorption (BET), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Accelerating Rate Calorimetry (ARC), and various spectroscopy techniques (UV-vis, IR, Auger, and Raman).

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Spray worked as a research assistant at Purdue University, where he studied thin film and porous materials with an emphasis on applications to lithium-ion battery electrodes and solar energy conversion. He developed new electrochemical deposition techniques for nanostructured and mesoporous metal oxide films and studied the effects of composition tuning and catalysts toward their applications to photoelectrochemical cells.