Lecture: Interactions between the processing route and performance of polymer nanocomposites

Lecturer: Eileen Karkin-Jones (Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the International Academy of Engineering and Technology, PhD Supervisor, Professor)

Time: 15:00-16:30, June 9^th (Monday)

Avenue: B306, Minglilou Building

Bio:

Eileen Harkin-Jones，Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering, the prestigious Chair in Composite Materials Engineering at Bombardier Aerospace, a professor and PhD Supervisor at Ulster University in the UK. She has 30 years of research experience in the field of polymers and composite materials, and has won 2 National Technology Transfer Excellence Awards in the UK. Her research results have been selected as the most influential case in the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF). Till now, she has published over 200 papers, received over £25 million in research funding, and trained more than 40 doctoral students. She also served as a member of the UK REF 2014 Expert Committee and REF 2021 Vice Chair. From 2013 to 2018, she served as a member of the New Zealand ETA Expert Committee multiple times. From 2011 to 2016, she served as the Chair of the Research and Graduate Education Committee of the Higher Education Authority of Ireland (HEA).

Abstract:

The addition of nanoparticles, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), to a polymer matrix can result in very significant improvements in the performance of the polymer such as enhanced barrier properties, tensile strength and thermal/electrical conductivity. However, the nature and size of the imparted property change is very dependent on the actual deformation and thermal environment that the polymer/nanoparticle mix is subjected to during processing and very dependent therefore on the type of process used to make a part. It is also important to understand how the incorporation of nanoparticles can alter the processability of a polymer. In this lecture we will examine in detail interactions between the processing route and performance of polymer nanocomposites. This insight will allow a more informed selection of polymer and nanoparticle for a particular process when designing new high performance polymer nanocomposite parts.