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Curvature suppresses tensile wrinkles

Submitted by Fan Xu on

Transverse wrinkles usually occur in a uniaxially tensile elastic membrane and will be smoothed upon excess stretching. This instability-restabilization response (isola-center bifurcation) can originate from the nonlinear competition between stretching energy and bending energy. Here, we find a crucial factor, the curvature, which can control effectively and precisely the wrinkling and smoothing regimes. When the sheet is bent, the regime of wrinkling amplitude versus membrane elongation is narrowed, with local wrinkling instability coupled with global bending.

electroadhesion of rough surfaces, with application to touch screen technology

Submitted by Mike Ciavarella on

Just submitted a paper on electroadhesion of rough surfaces, greatly simplifying the recent theory of the great Bo Persson , with hot application to touch screens :  see here

Comments welcome.

The remarkable mechanical properties of crumpled materials

Submitted by Dr. Hanaor - D… on

Mechanics of crumpled materials

Crumpled materials exhibit unusual and as yet unexpained mechanical properties. Through the surprisingly complex morphologies of facets and ridges formed in the crumpling of paper into a ball or densser materials, very high strength to weight ratios can emerge.

Fracture mechanics of porous materials

Submitted by Dr. Hanaor - D… on

Fracture mechanics of porous materials

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2015.10.004

The effects of pore geometry on fracture mechanics is studied by considering notches of various types with a uniform crack growth. This work, published in Engineering Fracture mechanics, sheds light on the role of stress concentrators in the toughness of porous materials. 

Additive manufacturing of ceramics from preceramic polymers

Submitted by Dr. Hanaor - D… on

Additive manufacturing of ceramics from preceramic polymers

 

Following extensive research by our outstanding doctoral candidate here, Dr. Wang, a publication in the journal Additive Manufacturing is now in press.

Compressive performance of MAX phase composites

Submitted by Dr. Hanaor - D… on

Compressive performance and crack propagation in MAX phase composites 

 

Here micro CT was used to reveal the structure performance relationships in metal/ceramic composites based on Ti2AlC / Al alloy combinations.

The results show the promise of infiltrated max phase materials in the production of high performance composites.