Bhumika Makawana

R&D professional with 5+ years of experience in materials science and lithium-ion battery research. Proficient in synthesis techniques, including hydrothermal, pyrolysis, and electrode fabrication, along with electrochemical testing methods such as CV, LSV, EIS, and GCD for battery characterization. Knowledgeable in operating battery cyclers and potentiostats, supporting 100+ cell-level experiments and BESS applications.

Proficient in materials characterization using XRD, SEM, FTIR, TGA, and DSC, along with quality testing and formulation evaluation. Strong in data analysis using OriginPro and Excel, with expertise in experimental research, documentation, and supporting product and process optimization.

Research and Development Technician - ITWProBrands - Olathe, KS

(2025-09)

• Conduct formulation and application studies on Natural Rubber, Silicone, EPDM, FKM, and HNBR systems, executing 30–40 formulation trials/month focused on curing behavior, coating performance, and substrate compatibility.
• Perform chemical and physical testing (FTIR, viscosity, pH, TNV, rheology) on 100+ samples, evaluating material properties and supporting coating and adhesive performance analysis.
• Execute injection and compression molding trials to evaluate mold release chemical performance and material behavior.
• Develop and evaluate 70+ prototype samples, assessing durability, adhesion, flexibility, and manufacturability across elastomer-coated systems.
• Collaborate with R&D teams to analyze experimental data and optimize formulations and processing parameters, contributing to 3+ formulation/process improvements and supporting scale-up efforts.
• Maintain laboratory equipment and document 150+ experiments, ensuring compliance with SOPs and quality standards.

Research Assistant - National Institute for Materials Advancement - Pittsburgh, KS

(2024-01 - 2025-05)

• Spearheaded advanced research on electrocatalysts and energy materials, including battery and supercapacitor electrodes and electrocatalytic systems (HER, OER, UOR, ORR), designing and optimizing 15–20 electrochemical testing protocols (CV, LSV, EIS, GCD, CA) for high-performance energy applications.
• Characterized 80+ material samples using XRD, SEM, FTIR, TGA, and DSC, establishing structure–property relationships to enhance device efficiency, stability, and durability.
• Performed data analysis using OriginPro and Excel, authoring 20+ technical reports and contributing to 18+ peer-reviewed publications in electrocatalysis and energy storage applications.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams of 5–8 researchers while ensuring compliance with GLP, SOPs, and laboratory safety standards to support innovative research and development outcomes.

Junior R&D Engineer - Exide Industries Limited - India

(2020-07 - 2023-10)

• Conducted lithium-ion battery testing & electrochemical characterization (CV, EIS, GCD) on 120+ cells, improving performance evaluation accuracy and supporting product validation cycles.
• Led battery charge–discharge and cycle life analysis, identifying degradation patterns and improving cell efficiency by 15% across testing batches.
• Operated and maintained battery cyclers and potentiostats, ensuring 98% data reliability through calibration and troubleshooting of lab instruments.
• Performed materials characterization (XRD, SEM, FTIR, TGA) to analyze thermal stability and electrode structure, accelerating material validation timelines by 20 hours/month.
• Collaborated on battery energy storage systems (BESS) testing, supporting prototype evaluation and performance benchmarking for large-scale applications.
• Analyzed experimental data using OriginPro and Excel, generating technical reports and documentation for 30+ R&D experiments, improving decision-making efficiency.

R&D Trainee - Exide Industries Limited - India

(2020-01 - 2020-06)

• Coordinated electrode fabrication and synthesis processes (co-precipitation, slurry preparation, coating) for 50+ sample batches, supporting battery material development.
• Executed sample preparation, instrument setup, and data acquisition for materials characterization (XRD, SEM, FTIR, TGA), streamlining testing workflows and reducing validation time by 20 hours/month.
• Led quality testing (viscosity, pH, TNV, flow testing) for material evaluation, improving consistency across formulations.
• Conducted data analysis using Excel and OriginPro, preparing reports and maintaining technical documentation for ongoing R&D projects.

Master of Science - Materials Science - Pittsburg State University (2024-01 - 2025-05)

Bachelor of Science - Physics - Hemchandryacharya North Gujarat University (2017-07 - 2020-06)