Zuoqi Zhang's blog

Effect of fiber arrangement on mechanical properties of short fiber reinforced composites

Submitted by Zuoqi Zhang on Fri, 04/27/2012 - 03:47

2-D "tension-shear chain" model (Ref.1-3) is well known successfully capturing the basic mechanical features of staggered structures in shell-like biomaterials. Our recent paper appeared in Comp. Sci. Tech. developed a three-dimensional (3D) "tension-shear chain" theoretical model to predict the mechanical properties of unidirectional short fiber reinforced composites, and especially to investigate the distribution effect of short fibers.

Strain-Controlled Switching of Hierarchically Wrinkled Surfaces between Superhydrophobicity and Superhydrophilicity

Submitted by Zuoqi Zhang on Thu, 04/26/2012 - 08:41

research

BIOINSPIRED DESIGN

Hierarchical and Multifunctional Devices

Recent years have witnessed intense interest in multifunctional surfaces that can be designed to switch between different functional states with various external stimuli including electric field, light, pH value, and mechanical strain. The present paper is aimed to explore whether and how a surface can be designed to switch between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity by an applied strain.

Surface-adsorption-induced bending behaviors of graphene nanoribbons

Submitted by Zuoqi Zhang on Fri, 03/25/2011 - 12:44

On optimal hierarchy of load-bearing biological materials

Submitted by Zuoqi Zhang on Sat, 09/18/2010 - 07:22

research

biomechanics

hierarchical material

Load-bearing biological materials such as shell, mineralized tendon and bone exhibit 2-7 levels of structural hierarchy based on constituent materials (biominerals and proteins) of relatively poor mechanical properties. A key question that remains unanswered is what determines the number of hierarchical levels in these materials. Here we develop a quasi-self-similar hierarchical model to show that,

Mechanical properties of unidirectional nanocomposites with non-uniformly/randomly staggered platelet distribution

Submitted by Zuoqi Zhang on Sat, 09/18/2010 - 06:55

research

mechanical properties

biocomposites

biomimetic composites

Unidirectional nanocomposite structures with parallel staggered platelet reinforcements are widely observed in natural biological materials. Our recent paper, published in J. Mech. Phys. Solids, is aimed at an investigation of the stiffness, strength, failure strain and energy storage capacity of a unidirectional nanocomposite with non-uniformly or randomly staggered platelet distribution.