Blog posts

Our paper in the new journal Extreme Mechanics Letter has come online:  An elastomeric seal may leak by elastic deformation without any material damage. We describe elastic leak using a theoretical model, and watch a seal deform and leak using a transparent experimental setup. The elastomer seals the fluid by forming contact with surrounding hard materials. As the fluid pressure increases, the contact stress also increases but not as much.

Our paper has appeared in EML (Extreme Mechanics Letters) and can be downloaded.  Using strong fibers to reinforce a hydrogel is highly desirable but difficult. Such a composite would combine the attributes of a solid that provides strength and a liquid that transports matter. Most hydrogels, however, are brittle, allowing the fibers to cut through the hydrogel when the composite is loaded. Here we circumvent this problem by using a recently developed tough hydrogel.

The TMS Young Professionals Committee is organizing a "Meet the Candidate Poster Session" in conjunction with the general poster session of TMS 2015. This event is designed to create networking opportunities for young professionals and hopefully help them discover prospects for future employment. The deadline for abstract submission is extended to December 15, 2014. http://www.programmaster.org/TMS2015

The Meet the Candidate Poster Session will provide the opportunity for

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McGill University (Canada).

Professor Wei Lu received the 2014 Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award. This award was presented to Dr. Lu by the president of ASME, jointly with the president of Pi Tau Sigma, during the 2014 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition.