Topic outline

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    Welcome to the 2022 edition of the Polymer Blends and Composites course!

    Happily this year, with some respite from Covid-19, we will return to the classroom and lectures will be held face-to-face again for the first time since 2019. During the pandemic we learnt a thing or two about teaching remotely so, in addition to the live lectures, video recordings will accompany each of the lectures, so anyone who is unable to attend the lectures in person will still be able to follow the course. Exceptionally, some lectures may be held online and prior notice will be given in these circumstances.        

    I very much hope that you will find the course interesting and provide you with a solid foundation for further studies and research into this interesting class of materials! 



    Photoelastic image of microstructural damage in a composite

    Background

    To underpin the development of new fibre reinforced materials an excellent understanding of composite materials is essential. The science and technology of composites continues to develop with notable advances in the areas of transportation and aerospace. Much can be learnt from these sectors and applied to composites reinforced with other fibre types, such as natural, bio-based fibres, and their derivatives. This course provides a grounding for further study.

    We will principally consider 'micro-scale' reinforcement. Further, we will generally consider composites as 'engineering materials' and so the main emphasis will be on mechanical properties and the factors that govern these. In particular strategies that might enable us to improve the performance of low environmental impact composites. However, this is not a course devoted to 'green' or 'sustainable' composites either, though great emphasis will be placed on bio-based reinforcements: wood and non-wood fibre, regenerated cellulose, micro-fibrillated cellulose and cellulose nanocrystals.

    Draft schedule:

    Date

    Time

    Topic

    Content

    Teacher(s)

    5.9

    14:15-16:00

    Introduction

    Course intro and administrative matters (15-20 mins). Introduction to polymers/composites; material property envelope; fibres; matrices; interface; manufacturing; applications

    Mark Hughes &

    Sami Lipponen

    12.9

    14:15-16:00

    Fibre ‘architecture’ 

    Reinforcement geometry and scale; fibre volume fraction and voids; packing arrangement; orientation of reinforcement

    Mark Hughes

    19.9

    14:15-16:00

    Interfacial effects

    Enhancing the compatibility between fibre and matrix interface; measuring interfacial properties

    Sami Lipponen

    22.9

    12:15-14:00

    Reinforcement processes

    Load sharing; elastic stress transfer (Cox shear-lag theory); stress transfer by slip; effect of aspect ratio; deformation in long fibre composites (axial and transverse)

    Mark Hughes

    26.9

    14:15-16:00

    Elastic deformation of laminates

    Axial and transverse stiffness of unidirectional laminae; off-axis loading and interaction effects; multi-ply laminates

    Mark Hughes

    3.10

    14:15-16:00

    Strength and failure

    Inelastic processes; predicting the strength of composites; toughness

    Mark Hughes

    10.10

    14:15-16:00

    Manufacturing

    Manufacturing methods for thermoset and thermoplastic matrix composites

    Mark Hughes