Sustainability is important, with concern for and well-being of the environment central to all human endeavour. In this regard, the Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing and Design at the Newmarket Campus is involved in, among other things, research and development in the broad area of composites made with natural materials. Such composites are suited for and find use in a host of applications, among them automobiles, aircraft, and buildings, to name a few.
Plant fibres such as flax offer good potential as natural fibre reinforcements in composites. When combined with a biopolymer such as polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable composite can be obtained. One of the important but largely unexplored areas of research is the manufacture of flat and curved composite panels made with long flax fibres and polylactic acid. A technique such as Vacuum-assisted Oven Consolidation developed in our laboratory would be suitable for this purpose. In this regard, investigations will carried out into the role of material composition, fibre architecture, shape of curve and manufacturing parameters on the mechanical properties and biodegradability of the manufactured bio-composite panels.
Undergraduate
The students will develop an understanding of the effects of material composition, fibre architecture and manufacturing parameters on the properties and performance of bio-composite panels.
The students will gain knowledge about materials behaviour, manufacturing techniques and materials testing methods. They will learn to (a) plan and conduct an experimental research programme, (b) use different machines and equipment, and (c) understand and interpret experimental results from the viewpoint of a research programme. In addition, interactions with other researchers including doctoral candidates and research fellows would provide a valuable learning experience.
The project involves manufacturing and testing phases and will therefore suit students who enjoy long periods of 'hands-on' experimental work. As the research work is mainly experimental, it will be fully based at the Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing and Design at the Newmarket Campus where the required manufacturing and testing facilities are located.
None
CACM - Strength of Materials Lab (Newmarket 902 Lvl 3, Lab)